Chapter 164 Showing Your True Skills
Zhong Min's reminder instantly changed the face of Zi Yan, who had been smug. She had eaten red rice cakes once before, but she had no idea how to make them. She had just been focused on achieving her goal and hadn't considered the consequences. Now, hearing Zhong Min's words, she felt a surge of worry.
If this tiny piece of red rice cake really affected the overall situation, wouldn't she be a sinner for all eternity? It was all her fault for not planning carefully enough, leaving such a big hole. But now she really didn't know what to do. She could only look at Zhong Min for help, hoping that this perceptive person could give her some advice.
Seeing this, Zhong Min took the opportunity to sound a warning to the others. After all, the burden they shouldered could not afford any mistakes. The slightest inattention could lead to a complete loss, potentially even costing everyone their lives. Everyone's expressions grew more serious, and they knew they had to be extremely cautious at all times, and that such obvious loopholes must not occur again.
Assuming that everyone had already remembered this profound lesson, Zhong Min did not say any more. After all, he did not want to burden them too much psychologically.
"After I'm done packing, I'll go around and ask around at all the shops that make specialty pastries. Even though that place is remote, there are still people from there making a living in the capital. If I can't find any, I can just find someone there and ask them how to make it. It's normal for the taste to be a little unfamiliar after being away from home for so long."
Zhong Min naturally gave Zi Yan some advice. This girl was still a little naive after all, and when she got anxious, she couldn't even think of such a simple thing. Hearing Zhong Min's words, Zi Yan immediately breathed a sigh of relief and agreed, her expression much more calm than before.
After looking at the house, Zhong Min asked Xiao Wu to drive the carriage back to the backyard, and then arranged the living quarters and asked everyone to do their respective work.
Xier was in charge of tidying up and cleaning for everyone, Ziyan was in charge of secretly contacting the spies who had survived in the capital and were hiding there, Chuer and Xianger were sent out to buy some necessary supplies, while Xiaowu and Xiaoliu stayed behind to help Zhongmin, using local materials to make some simple defenses in the yard and the house.
Everyone moved quickly, and had almost finished all the basic tasks before dinner. Only Zi Yan hadn't returned yet. Just as everyone was anxiously waiting, Zi Yan finally arrived.
"Master, I'm back!" Zi Yan entered the room excitedly and reported directly to Zhong Min, "I've already contacted several important leaders as you requested, and we've arranged to meet tomorrow at Muzi Teahouse on West Street. Muzi Teahouse is a temporary base they've reestablished these days. They're all overjoyed to hear you've arrived, and they hope to quickly rebuild the capital's intelligence network, wash away the previous shame, and relieve the prince of his worries."
"Muzi Teahouse? That's a pretty unique name." Zhong Min nodded slightly, then said, "You didn't tell them where we're staying now, did you?"
"Don't worry, sir. You have already told me before. Besides, there are rules in our business. No matter who it is, I know what they can and cannot say." Zi Yan was much more careful after the previous incident with the red rice cake.
"That's good. We just arrived and don't know their current situation. It's best to be cautious. You will accompany me to meet them tomorrow. Xiaowu and Xiaoliu can protect them secretly as we did before in Muzhou. Chu'er, Xiang'er, and Xi'er can stay at home. We'll discuss everything after we meet those people tomorrow." Zhong Min made some simple arrangements and then said, "Alright, nothing is more important than eating. Let's eat!"
The next day, at the appointed time, Zhong Min and Zi Yan went to West Street and quickly found the Muzi Teahouse. However, they didn't rush in, instead finding a hidden spot outside to investigate. Located in a busy area, it was bustling with people, and the Muzi Teahouse was elegantly decorated, so many people came and went, primarily scholars and scholars.
Zhong Min looked carefully for a while and found that although this was not the most ideal place to collect intelligence, it was extremely suitable as a contact point. It seemed that the owner of this teahouse was a smart man. In such a situation, recuperating and waiting for an opportunity to act was indeed the first choice.
After waiting for another half an hour, he found that everything was normal outside and there were no suspicious people. After confirming that the stronghold was safe, Zhong Min took Zi Yan and walked into Muzi Teahouse slowly.
"Waiter, is there anyone else upstairs?" Zi Yan said to the waiter, "My young master wants to find a quiet room to enjoy tea."
When the waiter saw him, he quickly came up with a smile on his face and said, "Sir, please come upstairs. I will show you the way."
Having said that, he quickly led Zhong Min and Zi Yan upstairs.
The two of them quickly entered a private room called Qingfeng Pavilion, where two young men were already waiting. Seeing this, Zi Yan nodded to Zhong Min, indicating that these two were the people they wanted to see today.
The waiter who led the way quickly retreated, carefully closing the door to prevent anyone from interrupting. Then, a man in white from inside the room said to Zhong Min with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Young Master, you're so arrogant! You're a full hour late. Don't you know the importance of punctuality? If it were in the past, no one would be waiting here right now!"
Hearing this, Zhong Min found the man in white quite interesting. Just as he was about to explain, he heard another older man in green sternly scold the man in white, "Mo Yan, don't be unreasonable!"
He then quickly bowed respectfully to Zhong Min and said, "I, Mo Ming, greet Master Wuyou. This is my younger brother, Mo Yan. He has a bad temper. If he has offended me in any way, please forgive me. I will apologize to you on his behalf."
"It's okay. I was late first, so it's understandable that he's upset." Zhong Min wasn't at all unhappy with Mo Yan's attitude that day. Hearing that the two were actually brothers was even more interesting. They were clearly brothers, but their personalities and appearances were so different. If Mo Yan hadn't said it himself, she really wouldn't have taken that approach. "Sit down and talk. What we have to discuss today won't be finished in a short time."
Zhong Min's attitude surprised the two brothers. They had obviously never expected him to be so accommodating, not angry. Although they didn't know the specific background of this Wuyou Gongzi, since he was personally sent by the prince and would be the future head of the Beijing intelligence network, the one they had to obey, he was definitely no ordinary person.
But firstly, they didn't expect it to be such a young boy, and secondly, they didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to. For a moment, they began to doubt Zhong Min's ability.
Seeing that Zhong Min had already sat down, Mo Ming and Mo Yan looked at each other briefly, and then sat down as well.
"Young Master, you have come to the capital with an important mission this time. I believe you must have a way to solve the difficulties in the capital, right?" Mo Yanyi asked in an unfriendly tone as he sat down, with a hint of doubt in his tone.
This time, Mo Ming didn't stop Mo Yan. His expression was inquiring, and he clearly wasn't entirely confident in Zhong Min's abilities. After all, he was only a teenager, and judging by his appearance, he hadn't experienced much. It was unclear why the prince would assign someone like him to such a heavy responsibility.
Zhong Min naturally saw the two men's concerns and didn't blame them for having such concerns. If it were her, she certainly wouldn't have trusted such a young person so easily. Although appearances don't always tell the whole story, if she wanted to convince others, she still had to show some real ability.
"Before entering this teahouse, I took a special look around." Zhong Min didn't rush to answer Mo Yan's question, but spoke slowly, "I've found this to be a good contact point. It's inconspicuous, poses no security risks, and is convenient for escaping if anything goes wrong. However, its purpose is a bit limited. Most of the people coming in and out are scholars and writers. They can vent their complaints and talk about their ambitions, but it's hard to get any valuable information here."
Hearing this, Mo Ming couldn't help but look at Zhong Min carefully and said, "So, sir, you weren't late, but were checking outside on purpose. Please forgive my stupidity and misunderstanding."
Mo Yan also felt a little uneasy, but he didn't think it was a big deal. There was nothing special about people in their line of work doing this.
Furthermore, he disagreed with Zhong Min's opinion, so he said, "Young Master, you may not know that this place was originally intended to be used as a contact point. The court is investigating closely, so before you arrived, we didn't dare to act on our own and make any big moves. That's why we're focusing on recovering and preserving our strength."
"I understand all of this. What you have done is very good, and I have no dissatisfaction. It's just that everything is constantly changing. Although it was not suitable for multi-level development before, it does not mean that it will not be suitable in the future. In fact, this place may become an excellent source of intelligence. It just depends on how you run this teahouse." Zhong Min took a sip of tea while speaking. After a few words, he felt really thirsty.
After hearing this, Mo Yan was obviously a little unconvinced. He was about to refute but was pulled down by Mo Ming.
"Sir, please tell me in detail. I would like to hear the details!" Mo Ming suddenly felt that the young man in front of him was not as simple as he seemed on the surface. Although he had not heard her say too much in detail, it was undeniable that her idea was very far-sighted and valuable.
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