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In order to hide his tracks, Lu Jian settled in a very secret place, which was a small courtyard arranged in the early years. There was also a shop in front of it, so vehicles coming in and out would not attract attention.
After discussing with Zhou Zhenglun, the next step was to arrange for "Master Fang" to meet him. After returning to the courtyard, Lu Jian sent someone to inform Cheng Xi. The two of them acted separately and naturally did not live together, so they still had to meet and share information.
I don't know whether Mrs. Jiang's affairs are handled smoothly or not. Without outsiders to hype up the situation, it would be impossible to drive up the silk prices just by relying on those few noble families. Moreover, in this case, she would have to play two roles and show up in public. I don't know if she can hide it from the eyes of others.
Still feeling somewhat worried, Lu Jian was thinking about how to remedy the situation if things didn't work out when he heard the brisk sound of horse hooves. It must be someone arriving. He stood up without hesitation and hurried out to meet them, bumping head-on into the person coming in.
The smile on his face and the joking call of "brother" froze at the same time. For a moment, Lu Jian almost couldn't control the expression on his face.
Standing in front of him was a young man of about ten years old. He seemed to have not grown up yet. He was dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe and held a gold-sprinkled folding fan. He looked elegant and handsome, but his skin was a little dark and his eyebrows were too prominent, which made his effortless pretending of gentleness and handsomeness lessened a lot, and instead revealed a bit of arrogance.
Just one glance makes people feel that this kid is wealthy, but his family background is not very noble, and he still wants to mingle with literati and scholars. There is a strange yet precise sense of fit.
He had personally planned the background and temperament of "Master Fang," but now that he had seen the "real person," Lu Jian couldn't help but be astonished. After a long pause, he said, "You can even change your features. This isn't a disguise technique, is it?"
Both his temperament and posture were very different from the "young gang leader" he knew in his early years. Moreover, the change in eyebrow shape was ok, but how come even the shape of his eyes seemed to have changed?
Seeing him like this, Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Women's makeup is ever-changing, so what does this matter?"
She had indeed only changed her eyebrows and eyes. Thinking of the bright, mature, fair-skinned and beautiful "Mrs. Jiang" before, Lu Jian couldn't help but laugh: "My dear brother, what you said makes sense. It was me who made a fuss."
Dressed like this, calling him "brother" is only natural. Cheng Xi also smiled and bowed: "Brother Mingde, please forgive me for making fun of you. Why don't we talk inside?"
This harmonious singing made the atmosphere a lot more relaxed, but today they were not here to chat and laugh. After entering the house, the two of them got down to business.
"As long as Lü Jingzhi agrees," Lu Jian heaved a sigh of relief upon receiving a positive response. A strategic plan requires chess pieces, and the more the better. He'd come into contact with many people, but most were related to the Lu family, either allies or enemies. There really wasn't anyone as "unrelated" as Lü Jingzhi.
The Lu family built their fortunes on the salt trade, and even though their business is now openly on the table, they still harbor a certain element of banditry. In these turbulent times, a middle-class family with shady underlings likely seeks to expand their own ranks, and population is essential. However, the encroachment of the major families has left them with a limited supply of able-bodied labor, and they must also guard against potential diversion. They urgently need to demonstrate their prowess and intimidate others. A role in the division of the Lu family would offer both significant benefits and significant threats, so convincing him is crucial.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi got the matter done as soon as he took action. Even if Lu Jingzhi is unwilling to give his all in the future, he will still be an off-field help and will be very helpful.
After confirming that there were no problems with Cheng Xi, Lu Jian turned the topic to his own side. "Zhou Zhenglun has already agreed. The Zhou family is different from the Lu family. Their roots are all in Jiangnan. If they can gain an advantage over the Lu family, it is not impossible for them to become the leader of the Jiangdong families in the future. However, he will not be too ruthless. After all, he just wants to reap the benefits and has no intention of destroying the Lu family."
"Is he interested in the exchange?" Cheng Xi didn't care much about the dispute between the Zhou and Lu families, so he asked the key question first.
Lu Jian shook his head. "It's hard to say. If they really thought short selling was profitable, they would probably open their own bank."
One of their purposes for this visit was to explore the market for the bank. If the planned short-selling tactics were truly successful, the only options open to them would be to reject the new venture or embrace it. However, facing these Jiangdong nobles, once they had tasted the sweetness, it was hard to say whether they would be willing to give in.
This is also where Lu Jian knew he was in the wrong. After all, if it weren't for him, the bank's development would probably not be so passive.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this answer, Cheng Xi nodded slightly: "It's not impossible for each of them to open a bank, as long as they can be motivated. But Brother Mingde may have a harder time in the future."
He was still the one who would run the bank, but after inviting the wolf into the house and destroying the walls, how much power would he have left? He would most likely have to clean up the mess and guard against allies turning against him. He was putting himself in the most difficult position.
Lu Jian smiled coldly: "It will only take a few more years."
He has the ability and means. If he relies on the Red Flag Gang in the future, he may not be worse off than the Lu family. All these difficulties are nothing in his eyes. Only the despair of those people can relieve the hatred in his heart.
Cheng Xi understood: "Then there's no need to hesitate. The time is set. Where is it?"
"We're planning to hold a garden poetry gathering the day after tomorrow." Lu Jian hesitated for a moment before continuing, "They are very different from the wealthy merchants in Panyu. If outsiders go, they will inevitably be harassed."
"What's wrong, Brother Mingde, are you afraid that I will suffer a loss?" Cheng Xi smiled.
She leaned back in her chair with her legs slightly apart, her folding fan occasionally tapping the armrest. She looked a bit lazy, yet also a bit uninhibited. This wasn't the behavior of a child from an aristocratic family, but the son of a wealthy businessman? It was probably impossible to imitate her.
Lu Jian felt a little dazed, as if the person sitting in front of him was a real playboy. The figure in the red skirt was even obscured, making people wonder whether the person in charge of the Red Flag Gang was a man or a woman?
For a moment, his mind wavered, and he couldn't control himself. He whispered, "Sometimes it's really hard to guess. That's your true self."
Such a gentle sentence earned Cheng Xi a smile: "Look at what Brother Lu said. In life, who doesn't have a few pieces of face to show to outsiders?"
Those bright black eyes flashed with familiar scrutiny and teasing. Lu Jian's heart trembled. These words were absolutely accurate for him. Wasn't this gentle and elegant appearance just for others to see? If she peeled off the outer layer, she would still be herself, but what would he look like?
After a brief silence, Lu Jian changed the subject: "Since it's Zhou Zhenglun who invited us, I'm afraid there will be many outstanding figures of this generation attending. Let me tell you again in detail, you have to be very careful about their temperaments and don't take it lightly..."
…
Although he organized the poetry gathering and agreed to be an introducer, Zhou Zhenglun was still a little worried about Mr. Fang.
He believed in Lu Jian's ability, and if he were to do this, there would naturally be no mistakes.
But what else can a young son of a silk merchant have besides the smell of money? If a vulgar person were to intrude upon such an elegant gathering, he would probably not be able to achieve his goal. It would be better to hold a banquet on a pleasure boat, which might be better. However, if that were the case, the status of the visitor would not be too high, and he would inevitably be greedy for merit.
Although he was a little nervous, Zhou Zhenglun's demeanor remained unchanged. He was still relaxed and graceful.
Fortunately, Mr. Fang was not a stupid man. He came at a very clever time, neither too early nor too late, just at the most comfortable time.
"My name is Fang Ling. Thank you, Brother Zhou, for inviting us to today's gathering." With a graceful bow, the young man raised his head and smiled.
So young! Why not put on makeup? Didn’t Lu Jian remind him?
These two thoughts came to mind almost simultaneously, and Zhou Zhenglun smiled and bowed, "Brother Fang, you're welcome. Please come in."
There was no intention of being polite at all. The boy smiled and followed Zhou Zhenglun into the courtyard with confidence.
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