Chapter 4445 — Asking a Favor
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
This was Hai Wuliang's habit. Whenever he was in a bad mood he would smash his tea set, and once he had smashed the whole set, his evil temper would have vented itself, and his mood would naturally settle back down.
The servants stood trembling to one side, hands folded, waiting for Hai Wuliang to finish. Then they would have to clear the shards from the floor as quickly as possible—otherwise, if Hai Wuliang took one look at the mess and his temper flared again, it might well be their turn to suffer.
Once Hai Wuliang had smashed the entire set and his fury had visibly subsided, the gatekeeper who had long been waiting at the side seized the moment and placed the calling cards of Long Kuiba and the other two into Hai Wuliang's hands.
"Longzhou Escort Agency? What do these people want?" Hai Wuliang frowned slightly as he looked at the cards. Though the Longzhou Escort Agency's strength was not the absolute bottom of the Southern Continent, they had always been suppressed by the Qingtian Escort Agency and had never had a chance to rise; naturally they could not catch the eye of an overlord of his standing.
"Master Hai, shall I send them away for you?" the gatekeeper suggested, quick to read the mood.
The Southern Continent Escort Gathering was being held in this city, and over these days virtually every head and chief of the various escort agencies had come to the Four Seas Escort Agency to pay their respects. The stronger, larger agencies could still obtain an audience with Hai Wuliang; as for those third-rate little agencies, they were dismissed with a single word and never even caught a glimpse of his face.
"Wait." Hai Wuliang hesitated a moment, then made up his mind. "Take them to the small hall to wait."
"Yes, sir." The gatekeeper answered and went off, secretly astonished. So this obscure Longzhou Escort Agency actually carried some weight in Master Hai's eyes after all. Though they were not worthy of entering the main hall, at least they could go into the small hall, rather than being sent away with a single word.
Little did he know that Hai Wuliang had never so much as given the Longzhou Escort Agency a proper look. The only reason he had agreed to meet them this time was what had happened during the day, which made him suspect there might be something more to this.
Long Kuiba and the other two were led into the small hall. No one served tea, no one came to exchange pleasantries; they simply waited there in vain for a full quarter of an hour, until all three were seething with anger and on the verge of storming out—only then did Hai Wuliang finally deign to appear.
"Long Kuiba of the Longzhou Escort Agency, and Cheng Haonan and Wu Baoliang of the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps, pay our respects to Chief Escort Hai!" For all their discontent, in Hai Wuliang's presence the three dared not be the least negligent, and hurriedly rose to greet him with due courtesy.
"Sit, sit. I was just now in talks with an important guest, and kept the three of you waiting—I trust you will not take offense." Hai Wuliang chuckled. It was all nonsense; in truth he had simply been drinking tea in his study, deliberately leaving the three of them to cool their heels.
"Chief Escort Hai, you are a busy man of great affairs—the fault is ours for intruding so abruptly," Long Kuiba hastened to say with an ingratiating smile.
"That is a stranger's way of speaking. You three have come to my Four Seas Escort Agency this time—might I ask what business brings you?" Hai Wuliang could not be bothered to waste words with them and came straight to the point.
Long Kuiba was taken aback, and exchanged a glance with Cheng Haonan and Wu Baoliang, clearly caught off guard. He had meant to exchange a few more pleasantries, draw their relations closer, and add a little weight to his case before broaching the matter.