Chapter 1452: Everyone Give Some Face

Chapter 1437: Everyone Gives Some Face

The mirror asked him, "Have you planned out your next moves?"

"Yes, I have." He Lingchuan calmly said, "Our strategy is called 'showing weakness to the enemy.'"

"Huh?" He Lingchuan smiled without speaking.

The King of Jiao indeed wanted to use him, but He Lingchuan also intended to use the privileges granted by the King to achieve his own goals. Only when the King believed He Lingchuan was completely under his control would he confidently grant him more conveniences.

The mirror had to rephrase its question: "Since you intend to 'show weakness' to the enemy, what weakness will you feign?"

He Lingchuan gazed at the bustling streetscape of Tianshui City, at the constant flow of people, and slowly uttered two words: "Greed."

The greed of subordinates is the weakness that those in power most prefer to exploit. For instance, Xue Zongwu to the King, or Nangong Yan to the Old Prince Chun.

At that moment, hoofbeats approached from outside, followed by a voice calling out, "Island Master He." He Lingchuan immediately recognized Commander Zhao's voice and lifted the curtain to invite him into the carriage. Four other guards rode on horseback alongside the carriage.

After arriving in Tianshui City, Commander Zhao had returned to the palace to report. Now he hurried back to find him, saying, "The Lord ordered us to continue protecting Island Master He."

"The Lord is very thoughtful." He Lingchuan chatted with him about recent events. Due to the chain of events triggered by Xue Zongwu's death, the Tianshui City royal court was somewhat unstable, and officials from the palace internal affairs department had been arrested.

In less than half an hour, the mule cart stopped. "Guest, we've arrived," the driver said.

He Lingchuan got out and saw that the cart had stopped behind the old street. Above, a large signboard read: Tonglinji. It had gold characters on a white background, highly polished, and the storefront was sizable, with eight doors. In Tianshui City, an eight-door storefront indicated a large establishment, and the rent was not cheap. Of course, this particular storefront had been purchased by Tonglinji years ago.

So this was the business Tu Yuanhong had diligently run during his lifetime? He Lingchuan strode in, followed by Commander Zhao and four other men. Their attire and demeanor, distinct from ordinary guards, added an air of prestige to He Lingchuan.

Inside, Tonglinji was clean and orderly, with a few customers present. However, the adjacent shop space was partitioned off, seemingly rented out to someone else as a pharmacy. This alone hinted at Tonglinji's financial straits: they were short on cash, so even earning some rental income was worthwhile.

He Lingchuan walked in to observe and found Tonglinji quite interesting. Unlike other shops where goods were displayed clearly, it resembled a logistics company from another world, with a storefront for customer reception and a back courtyard for loading, shipping, and transport. Furthermore, adhering to the characteristics of the country's postal stations, it also accepted customer orders. If you wanted a specific product from outside the region, you would clearly state your request, pay a deposit, and it would naturally deliver the item within the agreed timeframe. This service was called "procurement."

Zhu Xuanmiao, the merchant He Lingchuan had met at the courtyard barbecue, had mentioned that Tonglinji's procurement business was the best in Tianshui City, offering good prices and fast delivery. Due to its high volume of shipments, its unit price was much cheaper than other carriage and horse businesses. During Tonglinji's heyday, even the royal palace would entrust it with procuring supplies. Official efficiency was no match for private enterprises, and costs were not as well controlled. Although Tu Yuanhong had passed away six months ago, Tonglinji had accumulated many loyal customers over the years, who, out of long-standing trust, were still willing to place orders with them. He Lingchuan noticed that the shop assistants were still serving customers with enthusiasm, showing no signs of slackening.

When this group entered, the assistant naturally noticed them and, smiling, stepped forward to greet them: "What can I help you with, guests? May I show you around?"

"I want to buy some Xingle Powder." He Lingchuan was also looking at the items on the shelves. "Can you procure it here?"

What was called Xingle Powder was actually a powder made from Xingle beans, processed through a series of steps. It could be pressed into blocks and later used to make various cocoa products familiar to He Lingchuan. Overseas transport favored goods with high unit prices, small volume, and convenient storage, so He Lingchuan wanted processed semi-finished products rather than the beans themselves.

"Yes, we can. How much would you like?"

"Three thousand catties." The assistant was startled. "Guest, are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm here just to chat?" He Lingchuan deliberately made it difficult. "Three thousand catties, can you get it?"

The assistant hesitated. "If you wanted fifty or sixty catties, or even one or two hundred, we could manage; but three thousand catties? In Tianshui City right now, not only would it be hard for us, but other businesses would also struggle."

The bulk trade of Xingle beans was controlled by the Bu family, who were currently overwhelmed with trouble from the Qingyang Regent, and thus not very attentive to their own business dealings.

He Lingchuan chuckled, "I came specifically because of Tonglinji's reputation. If it were easy to get, I could have managed it myself. Why would I need to find you?" With that, he took out six hundred taels of silver and placed them on the table. The money demonstrated his sincerity, proving he wasn't just there to waste their time. The assistant's expression also grew serious; this was six hundred thousand cash.

"I need to procure many goods. If you can get the Xingle beans, I will continue to work with you in the future." Tonglinji's most pressing need was for major clients, so the assistant solemnly said, "Please wait in the inner room. I'll go ask the head manager."

"What's your head manager's name?"

"His surname is Gu." The assistant led him to a cubicle in the central courtyard and then went to the back. He Lingchuan was about to discuss business, so Commander Zhao, being aware of personal space, did not enter, remaining outside to stand guard.

Before long, a man in a grey robe hurried over. He was younger than He Lingchuan had expected, in his thirties, tall and slender, with a short beard and a long face.

"My humble self is named Gu, the manager of Tonglinji. May I ask your esteemed name?" Manager Gu was also sizing up He Lingchuan. This guest was exceptionally handsome, with a distinguished bearing and vibrant spirit—clearly not an ordinary person.

"He," He Lingchuan smiled, "Actually, I came to discuss business with President Tu, introduced by an old friend, Li Yuanhao." As he said this, he watched Manager Gu intently, not missing any subtle expression on his face. Back when Lingshan introduced Tu Yuanhong as his informant, the three characters "Li Yuanhao" served as their secret code. Tu Yuanhong had passed away, and He Lingchuan wanted to know if this Manager Gu Lin was a member of Lingshan.

Gu Lin's face showed no unusual reaction; he merely said, "Oh, I see. Unfortunately, President Tu passed away half a year ago..."

"I only heard about it yesterday when I arrived in Tianshui City." He Lingchuan expressed regret. "It's truly a pity that President Tu died so young; heaven must have envied his talent. Oh, so now Manager Gu is in charge of Tonglinji?"

"Yes, to the best of my ability," Gu Lin said softly. "This was President Tu's life's work, and I cannot bear to see Tonglinji dissolve."

"Back to business, three thousand catties of Xingle Powder." Regret was one thing, business was another; He Lingchuan would not mix them. He pushed the silver notes forward. "Can Manager Gu procure it?"

In another day or two at most, Xingle beans would be easier to source again. But few people knew about this yet. He Lingchuan wanted to see if Tonglinji still had the connections and capability.

Gu Lin looked at the silver on the table, pondered for a moment, and then nodded: "Within five days, but Xingle beans currently have a price but no market, so—" This implied the price would increase.

"No problem." He Lingchuan pointed to the silver on the table. "Consider this a deposit. But I need it within two days."

"Do you want Grade Three or Grade Two?"

"There are grades for this?" "Yes, Xingle bean processing is a mature industry in this country, divided into six grades, with Grade One being the highest. I assume you wouldn't want anything below Grade Three."

"That's correct. Is there any Grade One?"

Gu Lin shook his head. "That's for special supply; there really isn't any available right now."

"Then Grade Two it is. Price is negotiable."

"Will you pick it up, or should I deliver it?"

"Please deliver it for me." Although Yangshan had a merchant caravan and a guard team, He Lingchuan hadn't brought them this time. "Can you deliver the goods to Julu Port for me?"

"Julu Port?" Manager Gu Lin was accustomed to guests making all sorts of unusual requests. "We only deliver to the border of Jiao Country, but we can help you find a new merchant caravan to transport it to Julu Port. At that time, you'll need to negotiate the freight charges directly with the new caravan."

In other words, Tonglinji only delivered to the border of Jiao Country. This was understandable.

"Then deliver it to the country's border," He Lingchuan said casually. "My own caravan will take over from there."

Inside Jiao Country, it was peaceful and transportation was well-developed, but once one entered the Shanjin Plains, it was like entering a desolate wilderness, with risks increasing significantly. No one without genuine capability dared to take on such a task. So, when He Lingchuan mentioned his own merchant caravan could escort goods across the Shanjin Plains, Gu Lin examined him more closely: "You're not from this country, are you?"

He Lingchuan countered, "Neither are you, are you?"

"No. I am originally from Gaopu Country, but I left my homeland as a child and have been in Tianshui City for over ten years. I never thought..."

"Gaopu was destroyed by Bixia." This Manager Gu might even be Situ He's fellow countryman.

"Indeed," Gu Lin sighed. But small countries on the Shanjin Plains rose and fell constantly, and everyone could only accept it calmly. "May I ask, which business are you from?"

"The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce is mine. My surname is He, and I was invited by the King of Jiao to attend the ceremony in Tianshui City, and also to look for new business opportunities here." He Lingchuan pointed towards the main street. "I'm staying at the Sanmentou Inn. You can find me there if anything comes up."

Gu Lin suddenly realized, "So it's the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce! No wonder, no wonder!"

"You've heard of us?" "Perhaps others might not feel it, but how could we, who engage in freight and transport, not know that Changlong Escort Service, under the Yangshan Archipelago, is safe and reliable, a newly established golden reputation in the central and western Shanjin Plains?" Gu Lin looked at He Lingchuan with an added three parts of admiration. "In fact, our Tonglinji has already cooperated with Changlong Escort Service five times. Each time, overseas escorts have arrived safely and on schedule. Before, when we used other merchant caravans and escort agencies, one out of four or five shipments would be damaged. President He, oh, Island Master He, you've really paved your way."

He Lingchuan modestly replied, "It just so happens that Yangshan has many friends in the western Shanjin Plains, and everyone gives us some face."