Chapter 4116 — Settling in the Middle Island
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Since you both approve, then it is settled." Wei Zhao was not a man to dawdle; seeing this, he made up his mind on the spot, then added, "But to open a pill shop, the first thing to settle is the matter of the storefront."
The quality of a storefront's location often determined outright how brisk the business would be. Yet here on the Middle Island, where dragons coiled and tigers crouched, for an ordinary person to secure a storefront in a prime location was as hard as climbing to heaven. Without powerful backing and support, it was sheer wishful thinking.
"The storefront is no problem. I will look up some old friends and ask a favor—it is a single word from me, nothing more. Brother Wei Zhao, you need only scout out a good location first," Di Xingdao said, thumping his chest. He was, after all, a deputy island lord of the Middle Island in his own right; even after all these years of injury, that much influence remained—and now his wounds had fully healed besides.
Just then, Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan happened to return from errands of their own. Hearing of Wei Zhao's plan to open a pill shop, both voiced their approval.
"Young Hero Lin, there is really no need to go looking for a location at all—this old man happens to have a ready-made shop on hand," Cai Zhongxuan said once he had heard the whole of it.
"A ready-made shop?" Wei Zhao and the others were taken aback. "Senior Cai, you surely do not mean for us to open it here at the Five Elements Merchant Guild?"
"How could that be! With the influence of the Five Elements Merchant Guild, Young Hero Lin, never mind opening inside it—even opening merely on this same street, you would struggle to draw any customers at all," Cai Zhongxuan said with a laughing shake of his head.
With the Middle Island's Pill Hall at its back, the Five Elements Merchant Guild had ridden the pill trade alone to an undisputed first place among the merchant guilds. If Wei Zhao truly opened a pill shop right beside it, he would likely never see a single customer come through the door.
"Then where is it?" Wei Zhao asked.
"The shop is not too far from here—just four streets away. The location is not exactly the core of the bustling district, but it is already quite good," Cai Zhongxuan explained. "It used to be a weapons shop, but the owner ran it poorly and could no longer keep his head above water. I have met the man several times, so I had thought of buying it up and opening a small clinic—only I have been busy preparing for the auction these past weeks and have had no leisure for it. Now it happens to be a good chance to transfer it to you."
"That... would that not be robbing a man of what he loves?" Wei Zhao said hesitantly.
"Ha, Young Hero Lin, you worry too much. I am, after all, a deputy steward of the Five Elements Merchant Guild. Opening a clinic was merely a personal hobby, a passing whim. If I truly went through with it, I would have to think twice about whether people might gossip," Cai Zhongxuan said with a wave of his hand and a smile.
"Young friend Wei Zhao, do not hesitate. He absolutely has no time to open any clinic—better that the good water flows into our own fields than elsewhere. My junior brother Cai here has never been one to concern himself much with business matters, but that is only because he takes no interest in them; in truth, his eye for business is exceptionally sharp, and even our master has praised him to his face. If that storefront could catch his fancy, it must be sound." Hou Guanqi put in with a smile from the side.