Chapter 4617 — A Wealth of Talent
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
But surely that brat Zhang Naipe had not actually turned traitor? Otherwise how could he be thriving so smoothly within the central organization? Damn it all. If he ever got the chance to see him, he would have to ask him straight out—that brat had better not forget his debts!
Catching the mysterious man's gaze falling upon him, Zhong Yongliang snapped back to himself and hastily put on a grateful air: "Many thanks for the senior's promotion. This subordinate will surely exert himself to the utmost and swear to complete the mission unto death!"
"Good. For now there are no special assignments for you. What you must do next is adapt as quickly as possible. Whatever you do not understand, you may ask Xu Lingchong. And of course, you may also contact me directly through the Blood Bat," the mysterious man said with a faint nod.
Standing to one side, Xu Lingchong could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. To be able to contact the mysterious man directly—he was now truly on equal footing with himself. A minute ago he had been nothing but an insignificant low-ranking underling, and now the tables had turned so that he had to deliberately curry favor with him. The more he thought about it, the more it grated on him.
Zhong Yongliang curved the corner of his mouth at Xu Lingchong, his tone somewhat teasing: "Then I'll be relying on Brother Chong's guidance from now on."
"Not at all, not at all. Past matters—I must ask Pinliang... oh no, I mean Brother Liang to be magnanimous about them. In the days to come, let us brothers cooperate with all sincerity and strive not to disappoint the senior and Lord Pao." Xu Lingchong forced a stiff smile as he spoke.
Zhong Yongliang chuckled, while in his heart he was already calculating how to pass this news to Wei Zhao. Besides, now that he was the so-called North Island Envoy, he needed a few men under him to do his bidding—otherwise he would still be at Xu Lingchong's mercy.
Looking over the whole lot gathered under Xu Lingchong's banner, Meng Zhou was Xu Lingchong's diehard, so he was naturally out of the question. That brat Kang Jingming was too cunning, and had always considered himself above everyone else, so he could not be won over either. That left only Yu Jiang and Nan Tianxiong, Nan Tianguan, and that half-crippled Ma Dangfeng. From among these he could work something out.
Ma Dangfeng especially—the man's head was full of water, and he should be easy enough to pull over.
So it was that Zhong Yongliang formally took up his post in that secret chamber. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Number One Residence of the Azure Cloud Pavilion's inner gates was ablaze with lights, ringing with laughter and joy. Not only had Wei Zhao and the whole group gathered together, even Hong Zhong, upon receiving the news, had made a special trip over.
Given his sensitive identity as vice chairman of the Hong Clan Merchant Guild, he was not supposed to come and go freely within the San Diego Pavilion's inner gates. But Hong Zhong's personal friendship with Wei Zhao was already known to all, and his relations with the San Diego Pavilion's high-ranking figures had always been good, so he was not afraid of breaking this taboo just this once. No one would trouble him and Wei Zhao over such a trifle—unless that person had a few screws loose and was tired of living.
When the banquet was laid out, Wei Zhao of course sat at the head, with Hong Zhong on his left. After all, whether in status or strength, he was the highest here apart from Wei Zhao, so he was wholly deserving of the seat. After Hong Zhong came Lu Bianren and Miserable Senior Brother, while on Wei Zhao's right, in order, sat Shangguan Lan'er, Xiao Che, Qiao Hongcai, and Li Zhengming.