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Showing a submissive attitude, Lu Jian appeared at the military meeting the next day.
Cheng Xi said to the crowd, "Mingde is familiar with the situation in Hepu and Jiaozhi, so it's a good opportunity to tell everyone about it."
This signal was too obvious, and it truly moved Lu Jian from an "ally" to one of "their own". None of the leaders present were stupid, and they immediately understood what he meant.
Lu Jian, without pretense, detailed Hepu's geography, military, politics, and commerce, as well as the internal conflicts and the tendencies of the major military forces in Jiaozhi. He was eloquent and willing to humble himself, so his presentation was simple and thorough. He concluded, "With the capture of Qiongzhou, the Changjing Gang's rear forces have been consolidated. Now that shipping between Hepu and Panyu is nearly cut off, they can't send ships north. They will inevitably launch a large-scale attack and confront us to the death."
The Long Whale Gang dominated Hepu, while the Red Flag Gang controlled Panyu. The two rivalries were fraught with conflict, impacting all seafaring merchants. However, the opening of the exchange instantly stabilized Panyu's maritime trade, large and small. Furthermore, with more than one sea route to Southeast Asia, the Red Flag Gang's losses were manageable. But the Long Whale Gang was different. Their routes to Panyu, and even to Quanzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, were quite limited. As long as the Red Flag and Green Phoenix Gangs blocked these routes, they could not ship their goods. Putting aside other factors, the losses incurred, like pepper, were staggering. How could they sit idly by?
The only problem was the timing of the deployment. The winds tended to be more northeasterly in autumn and winter, traditionally the time when Panyu traveled to Hepu for trade, and these winds favored the Red Flag Gang. However, if they were determined to fight, it wasn't impossible. At least the army wouldn't encounter a hurricane when it was dispatched.
Everyone present understood this principle. Yan Yuan frowned and said, "After conquering Qiongzhou, the Changjing Gang has remained inactive. They have never sent any ships to patrol the sea, nor have they shown any intention of preparing for war. I'm afraid there's some conspiracy."
Everyone knew that he would attack, so it was unnecessary to create confusion at this time. It would be better to say that he had other plans.
Li Niu quickly asked, "Could it be that the evil scholar is planning to do something bad in secret again?"
The commotion Ning Fu caused before is still fresh in our minds, and we have to be on guard.
"There's no need to worry about the government troops now. The captives we sent back have already undermined the defenses of various garrisons. In addition, Panyu City is short of troops, and no one wants to follow in Wang Ling's footsteps. But it's hard to say about the people. Should we stop the construction of the weaving factory first? If we are caught by someone, it will be very troublesome." Yan Yuan suggested.
He had always felt that Cheng Xi's actions in Panyu were a bit too hasty. Dongning had already built many workshops, and troops were always sent to maintain them. Now setting up shop in Panyu would require further division of troops. And if they really wanted to cause damage, they could just set fire to the weaving workshop and cause them heavy losses. It was inevitable that they would lose sight of one thing while focusing on another.
Before Cheng Xi could reply, Lu Jian said with a smile, "Brother Yan, you don't know this. The weaving mill isn't just ours. Several other companies have stakes in it. If the Changjing Gang takes action, it won't just be us who will be offended. Only when we share the same fate can we find peace of mind."
Although he couldn't stand the smile on his face, Yan Yuan had to admit that there was some truth in what he said.
Lin Meng suddenly said, "We also have to be on guard against assassins. It's best for the gang leader to hide his tracks so that the thieves can't find him."
The entire Red Flag Gang was built by the leader alone. If she was assassinated, the gang would immediately fall into internal strife. Lin Meng knew how terrifying specially trained assassins were, so he had to be on guard against this.
Lu Jian's eyes suddenly lit up: "Why not come back to Panyu with me? Panyu is the weakest link of the Red Flag Gang right now. I'm afraid the Ghost Scholar will really take action. The gang leader must be in charge..."
Before he finished speaking, Yan Yuan and Li Niu shouted at the same time.
"inappropriate!"
"Let's go to Dongning!"
However, Cheng Xi ignored everyone's advice: "With the war imminent, I cannot hide myself. I must show myself everywhere to stabilize the morale of the army. As for Ning Fu, there's no need to worry too much. He probably won't come to Panyu in person."
There were already too many Red Flag Gang spies in Panyu City, and Ning Fu's appearance was too recognizable. Even without wearing white, the disfigurement on his face couldn't be hidden. Furthermore, the sea route was blocked, and traveling by land would take too long, making it easy to miss an opportunity. He probably wouldn't make such a stupid mistake.
"Then how can we guard against that guy's tricks?" Li Niu couldn't help but ask.
Cheng Xi sneered, "To deal with Ning Fu, it's not enough to just be on guard. We need to attack instead of defend and make him lose his composure."
"I have quite a few connections in Hepu. If the gang leader needs me, I will do my best to help." Lu Jian smiled slightly.
These words made several people look at him with admiration. After all, the Changjing Gang was not a good group, and Lu Jian would probably suffer a huge loss if he did this.
Such a straightforward attitude was exactly what Cheng Xi wanted. "I have my own arrangements for Hepu. Mingde, do you have any reliable connections in Jiaozhi?"
Without the support of local forces, it would be impossible to engage in cross-border grain trade. Jiaozhi also has grain export protection, which is not something that can be obtained easily.
Lu Jian did not try to hide his intentions and said directly, "Yes, there are some ways, but the Changjing Gang is so powerful and they are colluding with powerful officials, so they may not dare to take action."
It's like facing the Red Flag Gang. No matter how much resentment they hold, those local forces dare not act rashly. If things fail, they will face crazy revenge.
"The size of the force is not important. All I want is to harass the Changjing Gang's shipping lanes after they send out their troops. Ning Fu went out to stir up trouble many times before, so he must be unable to split his troops and wanted to make us and the government army suffer losses. The capture of Qiongzhou now proves this point. They plan to withdraw their troops and regain a foothold in the South China Sea. In this case, we have to cause some trouble for them. As long as Jiaozhi agrees, we can go to Panyu to trade in the future. The Red Flag Gang has guaranteed them." Cheng Xi said in a loud voice.
She knew exactly where the Long Whale Gang had occupied the crucial transportation route between the East and the West. How could it possibly be so easy to hold on to? Their eagerness to return was likely due to a desire to avoid being surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind. All wars in the world were driven by profit. As long as the reward was generous, people would dare to kill or burn anything, let alone just harass the enemy from behind.
This was a strategic move, and it was so bold that even Lu Jian hesitated for a moment. Who could say for sure what the Long Whale Gang's escape route would be? Cooperating with the Red Flag Gang in Hepu would only result in a loss of connections and money, but using Jiaozhi's connections could be devastating.
However, it only took a moment for Lu Jian to respond: "I'll think of something."
Cheng Xi smiled. This was Lu Jian's true nature: courageous, ruthless, and decisive. Once he made up his mind, he would go all out. In this respect, he was truly a typical businessman, not the aristocratic family who always left things unreserved.
The others were well aware of what this question and answer represented. Li Niu pondered, this Lu kid is really willing to invest. Could it be that he's reached an agreement with the gang leader behind the scenes? Wait, should he keep his distance from this guy? If he gets too close, it might be inappropriate.
Yan Yuan's expression darkened. Lu Jian was a calculating man, and if he dared to put his cards on the table, he must be asking for something big. Did Cheng Xi know what he was thinking, or was she tacitly approving of it? Even in public, Yan Yuan struggled to suppress the turmoil in his heart. He shouldn't let these personal matters get to him now.
He didn't say anything, but Lu Jian glanced at him calmly, and a smile appeared on his lips.
After finishing the business, everyone left one after another. Lu Jian deliberately stayed a step behind and followed Yan Yuan: "Before, when we mentioned the weaving mill, I said a few more words. It was just a matter of fact and had no intention of targeting Brother Yan. I hope Brother Yan will not take offense."
Whatever was said in the meeting was definitely based on the facts. So, coming here now seems deliberate, isn't it? Yan Yuan replied indifferently, "Mr. Lu, you're worrying too much."
This refusal didn't deter Lu Jian. Instead, he smiled faintly. "I've heard before that Brother Yan resigned from his post and traveled thousands of miles to find the leader, but unfortunately, he couldn't find him. Anyone else would have walked away, but Brother Yan didn't give up and didn't let General Qiu down. Such loyalty is truly admirable."
Yan Yuansheng paused. Few in the gang knew about this past, except Cheng Xi. Could it be Cheng Xi who had told him? The next moment, he realized that Lu Jian had been there during the night raid on Luoling Island, and perhaps he had guessed it. So why had he specifically told him all this?
Seeing Yan Yuan didn't answer, Lu Jian smiled even deeper: "The ghost scholar is in the dark, and we don't know how he will deal with the gang leader. Please take good care of her, Brother Yan, and don't let her fall into danger."
This time, Yan Yuan actually responded: "Don't worry, Master Lu. I will not let the leader be in danger for no reason."
Lu Jian's smile froze. To be honest, he had really used Cheng Xi many times. Whether it was the night attack on Luoling Island or using himself as bait to plot against the Lu family in Panyu, Yan Yuan was always present.
This wasn't the end of it. Yan Yuan continued, "Mr. Lu should take care of those unbearable rumors."
Lu Jian chuckled: "How can I control someone else's mouth?"
Yan Yuan said coldly, "That's true. Shen Sandao also spread some nonsense before, and the gang leader doubled it back. She doesn't even take these rumors to heart."
Lu Jian had heard about this, but it was the first time he'd heard of the counter-rumors, spread by Cheng Xi. He thought it was bad, but explaining it further would only make it more obvious. So he smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Yan, for your guidance. I'm grateful for your advice."
At this point, even one word seemed too much. After Lu Jian pretended to say goodbye, Yan Yuan gritted his teeth and turned back to look for Cheng Xi.
"Boss, that Lu guy might have ulterior motives towards you..."
Before he finished speaking, Cheng Xi laughed out loud: "I thought you had changed your personality, but you really can't hold it back anymore."
Yan Yuan was embarrassed. Had he really said this so many times before?
Waving his hand, Cheng Xi said, "Don't worry about it. Lu Jian is a smart guy. He knows when to do what. At least he won't do anything rash before he takes control of the bank."
Yan Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't we be on guard against him? How could we hand over the bank to someone with such ulterior motives?"
Cheng Xi held his chin with one hand and asked, "How do you know I'm not on guard?"
Yan Yuan was suddenly speechless. In terms of scheming, he really could not compare to the woman in front of him.
Cheng Xi smiled again: "Don't worry, the more people like to calculate gains and losses, the less likely they are to act on emotion. Now that you want to use him, you should trust his ability."
Her eyes were dark, lacking the clarity and brightness of that night. Was she talking about Lu Jian, or herself? Had she seen through his struggles of the past few days? Strangely, Yan Yuan felt a sudden sense of relief. Regardless of what she was thinking, she was still willing to treat him as usual and open her heart to him.
Lowering his head, Yan Yuan said, "I understand."
He is a little unsure of his place, but some things will not change, and that is enough.
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