Chapter 4018 — The Reason We Do Not Acknowledge Each Other
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Yet even with all of them combined, their supply of top-tier elixirs amounted to no more than a tiny fraction of the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's stock. It was enough to leave anyone utterly speechless.
"Manager Hong, it seems the Hong Clan Merchant Guild will not merely avoid capsizing in a ditch this time. You are going to shine brilliantly instead. After accomplishing such a tremendous feat, I imagine your position within the guild will be rising once this is over. Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance." Steward Song congratulated Manager Hong before the assembled crowd.
"Not at all, not at all. The auction has yet to begin. Steward Song, your words could almost be taken as praise meant to bring about my downfall." Hong Zhong chuckled with an air of humility.
That was what he said, but any sane person knew that top-tier elixirs were strategic resources that could never possibly go unsold. Even before the auction began, the mere appearance of more than a hundred such elixirs had already doomed the Hong Clan Merchant Guild to seize the top spot and become the greatest winner of this Four Islands Auction Exposition. There was absolutely no room for surprises.
By comparison, the other great merchant guilds, such as the Wealthy Consortium and the Wantong Grand Gathering, were completely outclassed. Even the Five Elements Apothecary, ranked first, could only stand aside this time. It was simply not in the same league as the Hong Clan Merchant Guild.
"Humility is no bad thing, but taken too far, it can start to look like affectation. In any case, once this is over, I shall host a private banquet in your honor. The two of us can have a proper reunion and reminisce over old times." Steward Song threw back his head and laughed before turning and walking up onto the high platform. He would personally serve as host of this Four Islands Auction Exposition.
"That Steward Song is certainly a realist." Seeing this, Wei Zhao could not help laughing. When Steward Song had encountered Hong Zhong earlier, he had been nowhere near so enthusiastic.
"There is nothing strange about it. It is only human nature. Young Hero Lin, you probably do not know that this fellow was still trading with Wang Tong and the others yesterday to move against the Hong Clan Merchant Guild. Although he already knew we had brought out a hundred top-tier elixirs, what he did was still quite underhanded. That said, compared with the others, his relationship with our Hong Clan Merchant Guild is somewhat closer. There is nothing blameworthy about a merchant pursuing profit." Hong Zhong had long since grown accustomed to such things. He had come to North Island dozens of times, after all. Paying off a few informants was only to be expected, and the actions of the Zhenbei Guard yesterday had naturally not escaped his notice.
"Then he really is one of a kind." Wei Zhao was left laughing helplessly.
Just as the two of them were speaking, another commotion swept through the venue. This time, it had been stirred up by the arrival of the group from Middle Island.
Tianchan! Wei Zhao's eyes immediately locked onto that yellow-clad figure. Just as when he had seen her yesterday, she was still dressed in yellow. If the darkness of yesterday evening had left even the slightest possibility that he might have mistaken her for someone else, then this time Wei Zhao was a hundred percent certain that the woman was Tianchan and no one else.
Tianchan showed no reaction whatsoever to Wei Zhao's gaze, just as she had the previous night. It might have been attributed to the sheer number of people present, but Wei Zhao knew she had certainly seen him. For some reason, however, she was deliberately ignoring him.
At that moment, Wei Zhao's brows twitched. Among the people from Middle Island, he had spotted an exceptionally conspicuous red-haired man with a frivolous expression. The man was actually reaching out, preparing to put an arm around Tianchan's slender waist.