Veteran Li Daniu's sobs gradually subsided, eventually turning into silent chokes. Overwhelmed by grief and anger, he exhausted all his strength. He curled up on the bed, like an old wolf whose spine had been broken, his eyes empty and filled with despair.
Xiao Che silently stuffed the half-eaten black steamed bun back into his hand and pulled the cold blanket up for him.
"Go to sleep." His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable power. "The sky will brighten."
Li Daniu numbly rolled his eyes, looking at the mysterious recruit. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Xiao Che didn't say anything more and turned back to his bed.
He lay down, eyes open, staring directly at the dark beams above him. The storm that had been brewing in those deep eyes had vanished, replaced by a deathly still, icy sea.
Beneath the icy sea lies lava powerful enough to incinerate everything.
The plan must be accelerated!
He stopped thinking about the "deal" with Qian Canjun three days later; that was too slow. He wanted to use a more direct and swift method to uproot this deeply entrenched web of crime!
The breakthrough point was that arrogant, greedy, and foolish squad leader—Zhang San.
...
The clapper of the third watch has just sounded, just when people are sleeping the most soundly.
A dark figure, like a ghost, silently passed through the snoring dormitory and arrived outside the small cubicle where squad leader Zhang San was alone.
Zhang San was fast asleep, drooling. In his dream, he was whipping a pretty boy named "Xiao Shisan" until the boy cried out for his parents, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and he shivered and opened his eyes abruptly.
"Who?!" he hissed warily, his right hand already reaching for the dagger under his pillow.
In the darkness, a deep, slightly hoarse voice rang out: "It is I, Xiao Shisan."
"Xiao Shisan?" Zhang San was taken aback at first, then his anger flared. This kid, even after being punished during the day, still wouldn't behave, sneaking into his room in the middle of the night—what was he up to? Revenge?
He sat up abruptly, lit the oil lamp by the bedside, and in the dim light, he saw Xiao Shisan leaning leisurely against his door frame with his arms crossed.
"How dare you!" Zhang San roared in a low voice, "Didn't I punish you enough during the day? Believe me or not, I'll drag you out right now and hang you up to beat you!"
However, faced with his threat, Xiao Che showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he revealed a strange smile that was tinged with mockery and impatience.
He was no longer the submissive "new recruit Xiao Shisan" of the daytime; his entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation. It was the kind of deep-seated arrogance that only a spoiled brat would display when facing a nouveau riche from the countryside.
"Captain Zhang," Xiao Che said lazily, his tone full of that "Master Xiao" air, "Stop pretending, okay?"
"What are you pretending for?" Zhang San was completely bewildered by his sudden change.
"Pretending to be poor, pretending to be tough, pretending you're just a lowly captain." Xiao Che curled his lip, his eyes full of disdain. "I didn't come to Zhenbeiguan to play some new recruit/veteran game with you. I came to 'make a fortune'."
Get rich?
Zhang San's mind went blank for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and re-examined Xiao Che in front of him.
Under the lamplight, although this guy was wearing a tattered military uniform, his face and overall demeanor made him look anything but ordinary. Especially now, when he no longer tried to conceal it, his innate nobility shone through like a firefly in the night, impossible to hide.
“My cousin, Meng Wei,” Xiao Che continued in that irritating tone, as if mentioning the name of the supreme commander of Zhenbeiguan was like mentioning a not-so-good relative of his own, “He’s a military general, all muscle in his head, he doesn’t understand the ‘tricks’ of the game.”
He paused, looked at Zhang San with a knowing look, and slowly said, "I've heard that in Zhenbeiguan, the ones who truly control the 'path to wealth' are you... and Qian Canjun behind you?"
Zhang San's heart skipped a beat!
He understood instantly!
It turns out this guy wasn't here to suffer in the military camp; he was planted by Meng Wei to try and get his hands on the money from military supplies! Meng Wei himself was a military officer and couldn't show himself, so he sent this arrogant nephew to pave the way!
Damn it! They're trying to steal our business!
Having figured this out, Zhang San's last trace of fear of Xiao Che disappeared, replaced by anger and vigilance at having his territory invaded.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Zhang San's face turned cold, and he gripped the hilt of his knife tightly. "This is a military camp, not your family's money exchange! If you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me for not giving General Meng face!"
“Hehe,” Xiao Che was amused by his blustering but cowardly appearance. He shook his head as if looking at a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. “Captain Zhang, you’ve misunderstood. I really don’t care about your little business of embezzling military pay.”
"You!" Zhang San was so angry at his contemptuous tone that he almost jumped up.
"Don't rush," Xiao Che waved his hand, leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and revealed a mysterious smile on his face, "I told you, my cousin doesn't know the ropes, but my cousin's 'cousin'... does."
My cousin's cousin?
Zhang San's brain went blank again. What kind of nonsense is this generational hierarchy?
Xiao Che looked at his foolish appearance and sneered inwardly, but continued to deceive him, saying, "Let me tell you this, my great-uncle is the real 'salt and iron tycoon' of Jiangnan! Half of the salt permits and iron mines in the entire Jiangnan region have to pass through his hands! Do you think he would care about your little bit of money?"
A salt and iron tycoon?!
Zhang San's breathing became rapid instantly!
Salt and iron—those were the most profitable businesses in the Great Li Dynasty! Monopolistic operations yielded enormous profits! If embezzling military pay was like picking up sesame seeds, then what he was doing was moving mountains of gold!
His gaze towards Xiao Che changed, shifting from wariness and anger to a complex light mixed with suspicion and greed.
"What...what exactly are you trying to say?" Zhang San's voice was a little hoarse.
Seeing that the fish had started to bite, Xiao Che cast out an even more fragrant bait.
“My great-uncle’s business has grown so large. He’s already established a foothold in the south, and now he wants to expand into the northern market,” Xiao Che said slowly. “Military supplies are a huge business. Just think about it: transporting the finest silk, tea, and salt from Jiangnan to the border, and then transporting warhorses and furs from the north back… how much profit can that generate?”
Zhang San's eyes instantly turned red! He was just a lowly team leader with little education, but he knew that if this deal went through, the profits would be unimaginable! He and his cousin Qian Canjun had worked hard and skimmed off a lot of money for a whole year, and it probably wouldn't even amount to a fraction of what this guy made from just one trip!
"But...but what does this have to do with us?" Zhang San swallowed hard.
“Of course there’s a connection,” Xiao Che laughed. “Such a big deal naturally requires cooperation with someone powerful locally. My great-uncle has his eye on this ‘channel’ that Military Advisor Qian has. But…”
Xiao Che deliberately dragged out his voice, whetting Zhang San's appetite.
"But what?" Zhang San asked eagerly.
“But… he doesn’t trust Qian Canjun.” Xiao Che shrugged and said matter-of-factly, “My great-uncle said that Qian Canjun is petty and only knows how to squeeze food out of the soldiers. He has a narrow vision and a small mind. If we cooperate with him, I’m afraid he’ll stab us in the back.”
These words struck a chord with Zhang San! Although he was his cousin's lackey, he often felt that his cousin was too stingy and cowardly.
"So what?" Zhang San felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
Xiao Che finally revealed his true intentions. He leaned close to Zhang San's ear and, in a seductive voice, uttered the words that Zhang San could not refuse:
"So, my 'big boss' wanted to find a trustworthy 'one of his own' by Qian Canjun's side."
He straightened up and smiled as he looked at Zhang San, whose eyes were already shining and whose breathing was heavy.
“After it’s done, all the profits will go as follows: Qian Canjun will take 30%, my boss will take 40%, and the remaining 30%…” Xiao Che held up three fingers and waved them in front of Zhang San, “…are all yours.”
Zhang San's head buzzed as if he had been hit by a huge gold ingot.
Thirty percent! That's thirty percent of the profits from the salt and iron trade! He'd never seen so much money in his entire life!
Overwhelmed by ecstasy, he asked in a trembling voice, "Is...is this really true?!"
“Of course.” Xiao Che’s smile became unfathomable. “However, before we cooperate, I need to verify Qian Canjun’s ‘sincerity’ and ‘strength.’ After all, words are not enough.”
"How do I test it?" Zhang San was completely hooked.
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Che's eyes, but he said casually:
"Take me to see Qian Canjun now. I want to see for myself just how big a business he's in charge of."
He paused, then added the fatal sentence:
"I want to... 'inspect the goods'."
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