Chapter 4015 — A Private Inquiry

The wealthy consortium behind Manager Hao ranked third within the Merchant Alliance, while the yellow-haired man was named Wang Tong, and behind him stood the Wantong Grand Gathering, ranked fourth. Add to that the other three formidable guilds of the top ten, and with such a splendid array suddenly launching an offensive, even the Hong Clan Merchant Guild—ranked second in the Alliance—could not withstand it.

As for the first-ranked, that was the Five Elements Apothecary of Middle Island, a subordinate guild of the Middle Island Pill Hall, founded by the Pill God Zhang Lifeng himself. Naturally, no one dared entertain designs upon it.

This Four Islands Auction Exposition was merely the opening battle in which the Anti-Hong Alliance revealed itself; a whole series of follow-up moves would come after. Their goal was singular: to carve up and devour the Hong Clan Merchant Guild, that colossal obstacle standing in their path.

Seeing that no one took it seriously, Manager Hao cautioned carefully: "Gentlemen, this is the first battle of our Anti-Hong Alliance, and a battle of the utmost importance. The higher-ups behind each house are watching this closely. Success or failure bears upon your lofty prospects, and there is no room for the slightest mishap. Though Hong Zhong is now a turtle in a jar, this old man still believes caution is the better part of valor—beware a ship capsizing in a ditch!"

"Well said. Manager Hao has the right of it. Hong Zhong has held sway over North Island for decades and has weathered many a storm, great and small. Who knows what unsuspected contingency measures he may have up his sleeve—impossible to guard against them all. One moment of negligence and all could be lost. Young Manager Wang, caution can never err." The others chimed in one after another.

Wang Tong's station was that of young master of the Wantong Grand Gathering. He had been brimming with self-satisfaction, but at these words from Manager Hao and the rest, his brow knit at once.

"They say the older one grows, the smaller one's courage becomes, and truer words were never spoken. I had long since concluded that old dog Hong Zhong was at his wit's end. But since you are all set on taking precautions, suit yourselves. Still, let me trouble myself to ask one question: he has already sunk to this state—just what precautions do you propose to take?" Wang Tong asked, eyes sweeping over them with contempt.

Manager Hao chuckled with the steady assurance of long experience: "Young Manager Wang, fret not. This old man has a method that will ensure everything is foolproof—though it will require Steward Song to step forward and handle the matter."

Just then a voice came from beyond the door: "Require Song to step forward? What kind of favor are you gentlemen looking to bestow?"

Seeing Steward Song stride through the door as though no one else were present, everyone in the room rose to pay their respects. On this Far North Island, Steward Song was the plenipotentiary agent for every matter great and small, from top to bottom; to call him the master here was no exaggeration in the least.

Manager Hao cupped his hands and smiled: "A frank man speaks no cryptic words. Our affairs could hardly be hidden from Steward Song. So this time we shall speak plainly with you. Barring the unexpected, the Hong Clan Merchant Guild will very likely attempt to ship a batch of supplies over today, to serve as emergency reserves for tomorrow's auction. This is a rare opportunity to pin the Hong Clan Merchant Guild down for good, and we will not tolerate their escape from the jaws of death. So we would ask Steward Song for a small favor."

"You want me to intercept them along the way?" Steward Song swept his gaze over the assembly with a half-smile, his tone laden with meaning.

"Precisely. On this Far North Island, the only ones with the strength and the nerve to do such a thing are your Garrison of the North. Intercepting a handful of men is no more than lifting a finger for you. We are willing to put up ten thousand spirit jade as compensation for your trouble. What say you?" Manager Hao proposed with a respectful demeanor.

"Ten thousand spirit jade?" Steward Song raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Manager Hao, you said it yourself—on Far North Island, mine is the only house with the strength and the nerve. The moment I act, it means falling out with the Hong Clan Merchant Guild. Do you take Song for such a fool that I would openly offend the Hong Clan Merchant Guild for a paltry sum of spirit jade?"

Manager Hao, unruffled, spoke at leisure: "Steward Song need not worry. With our Anti-Hong Alliance in place, the Hong Clan Merchant Guild will soon cease to exist. Moreover, even if they learn that your Garrison of the North was behind it, their foremost enemy is us—there is no way they could spare the effort to deal with you, so far from the emperor's reach. Wouldn't you agree? Besides, this time you need not expend any manpower at all. Simply pass down an order and let the Garrison of the North on routine patrol pick up a little extra income along the way. Fifteen thousand—ahem, ten thousand spirit jade easily won. Why not?"

Steward Song could not help laughing at this. "Truly a seasoned man of business. There is some sense in what Manager Hao says. Only, you gentlemen seem to have forgotten one thing: Song and Manager Hong Zhong have been old acquaintances for decades. If not sworn brothers, then at the very least old friends. So..."

Every heart in the room lurched in unison: "So?"

Steward Song smiled faintly: "So to drop a stone on an old friend who has fallen into a well—do you gentlemen not think a few more spirit jade are in order?"

"Uh... so that's what it was." The assembly could not help but feel a sense of absurdity. Because the target was an old friend, the job not only had to be accepted but paid for at a higher rate—this Steward Song's logic was truly invincible.

"Certainly, certainly. Fifteen thousand spirit jade—Steward Song should be satisfied with that?" Manager Hao caught on and said hurriedly. An alliance of five top-ten guilds of the Merchant Alliance—such a sum of spirit jade was nothing at all to them.

"Then, gentlemen, wait here for word." Steward Song nodded in satisfaction and turned to go at once. To earn fifteen thousand spirit jade by casually giving an order—this was a pie dropped from the heavens. One would be a fool not to take it.

As for his being an old friend of Hong Zhong, that was no lie—but when someone delivers spirit jade to you for free, what reason is there to refuse?

The whole day passed in a flash. Manager Hao, Wang Tong, and the others had been gathered in the reception hall the entire time, waiting—yet the anticipated news never came.

Only when the sun sank in the west did they see Steward Song's figure slowly enter through the door, wearing an inexplicably amused smile: "The Garrison of the North has sounded the recall and withdrawn its troops, and Far North Island has been sealed. It seems the Hong Clan Merchant Guild will not be sending anyone to transport supplies before tomorrow's auction. As for the agreed fifteen thousand spirit jade, gentlemen, you may settle the bill now."

At these words, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. That Hong Zhong had no move left to make was, in theory, the most likely possibility, and naturally within their expectations. This fifteen thousand spirit jade was spent merely to buy peace of mind, to eliminate that last sliver of possibility.

"Hmph, I said long ago that old dog Hong Zhong had no such capability. At a time like this, with one foot already in the coffin, there is simply no move he could possibly make but wait for death. It is only because people like you are overcautious that a sum of spirit jade has been wasted for nothing." Wang Tong crossed his arms and sneered from the sidelines.