Chapter 357: Found the Right Person

"Are the managers in the salt shop or not? Chen Bin, think carefully before you answer me." Chen Ji's voice hit Chen Bin's chest like a stone, causing a dull ache.

Chen Ji stood calmly in the salt shop, while Lin Yanchu and other Imperial Guards stood silently beside him. They all watched Chen Bin.

The setting sun streamed in through the doorway, casting the dark silhouettes of the Imperial Guards like rolling mountains.

Unable to withstand the pressure, Chen Bin's eyes darted occasionally towards the curtain leading to the backyard, but it hung motionless. None of the managers showed any intention of coming out.

Chen Bin knew that the managers had previously claimed to be absent. If they suddenly appeared now, it would be an overt act of insubordination.

The managers were now in a difficult position, forced to remain hidden.

Chen Bin gritted his teeth and bowed, replying, "Master, I was momentarily distracted just now and forgot that the managers are not in the salt shop."

"Oh?" Chen Ji, not believing him, made to walk towards the backyard. "Why do I feel like you're lying to me?"

Chen Bin quickly grabbed Chen Ji's arm. "Master, the backyard is full of coarse salt, it's very dirty. Please don't go in."

Chen Ji smiled. "Alright, I won't go in then. However, as the new owner of this salt shop, auditing accounts and counting salt permits are within my duties, isn't that right?"

Chen Bin lowered his voice. "Master, those boxes contain the three hundred thousand salt permits our family just bought from the Ministry of Revenue. If they were lost, it would be a huge financial loss. It's safer to keep them here in our salt shop."

Chen Ji looked at Lin Yanchu and the others, then at the groaning salt shop workers on the ground. "Safer... in the salt shop?"

Chen Bin's heart sank.

Lin Yanchu sneered, "You're lucky we didn't hit you. It doesn't mean we couldn't."

Chen Ji waved his hand. "Alright, alright, we're all on the same side. No need for fighting. I'm asking you, are all the salt permits here?"

Chen Bin quickly and respectfully replied, "They are all here."

Chen Ji opened a box and saw it was packed with bundles of salt permits.

The salt permits bore the large characters "Official Salt Invoice," followed by "Collection No. 899, now employed by Bao Tou Chen Family Salt Shop, to transport two hundred catties of official salt to..."

This was not only a voucher for drawing salt but also a "travel permit" for the salt. Without this document, one could not pass through various checkpoints and ferries.

Chen Ji waved his hand. "Load them onto the carriages."

The Imperial Guards loaded twenty-nine large boxes into the carriages, cracked their whips, and drove away.

Just as Chen Bin was about to secretly follow to see where the carriages were headed, he saw Lin Yanchu blocking the doorway with four men. Lin Yanchu said expressionlessly, "Stay in the salt shop. If you dare to secretly follow us, we'll break your legs."

Chen Bin instinctively stepped back, not daring to speak.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Yanchu turned and merged into the bustling crowd of Mule and Horse Market Street, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Ignoring the groaning workers on the ground, Chen Bin frantically ran to the back. "Head Manager! Head Manager!"

The curtain was pulled open from the inside, and Chen Bin almost ran into the person.

Chen Yue walked out, his face expressionless. "What's the rush? The sky hasn't fallen yet!"

Chen Bin urgently said, "Head Manager, the master... that young man seized all the salt permits from our salt shop! How are we going to do business now? It's almost time to draw salt, and our current stock will only last another month."

However, Head Manager Chen Yue, instead of being anxious, smiled. "Last? Why should we last? Why should we even try to hold on?"

Chen Bin's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Chen Yue leisurely explained, "The master took our salt permits, so naturally, we can't do business. Starting tomorrow, collect all the salt measures from the shops; we won't sell a single catty of salt."

Chen Bin slowly understood, and his eyes gradually lit up.

Chen Yue, holding his plump belly, returned to the backyard and sat by the card table, humming a tune.

Manager Ye, with his goatee, glanced at him. "You seem to be in a good mood?"

Chen Yue finally burst out laughing. "That inexperienced boy made a foolish move, so don't blame me for ruining him. He thinks he can seize control of the salt shop by taking the permits. Well, I'll just stop doing business. If the family head asks, I'll say we can't operate without the permits. How will he explain that to the family head?"

Manager Ye stroked his goatee. "But that's not right. I still have many people to feed. Both people and horses consume money. If business stops, how will I support my large family? They aren't ordinary citizens; they're bandits, and hungry bandits can cause fatalities!"

Head Manager Chen sneered. "Short-sighted. Will you die if you earn less for a few months? Just use your own money to support them for now."

Manager Zhou, across from him, picked up an ivory tile, secretly pressing it and rubbing its surface with his fingertip. "What if he directly sells the salt permits to other salt shops?"

Head Manager Chen shook his head. "When have other salt shops ever bought permits for more than one tael? At most, he'd get two taels of silver. But on our books, one permit is worth four taels of silver. When the permits are with us, we can make four taels; with him, he'll only make two. We'll see how he explains that to the head of the family then."

Manager Zhou played the ivory tile in his hand. "Two of bamboos... Does that young man have other methods? Should Xiao Ye send some men to the capital, just in case he tries to use his martial arts for something else?"

Head Manager Chen burst into laughter. "No need. He thinks he can do anything by gathering a few martial artists, but what use are officials when it comes to business? Even if Lu Yang from the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple came, he wouldn't understand the intricacies of the salt trade without our help."

As he spoke, Chen Yue picked up an ivory tile. Without even looking, he casually slapped it onto the table. "Win!"

The six carriages separated after leaving Mule and Horse Market Street. Driven by the Imperial Guards, they circled around before eventually converging in a small alley east of Zhengyang Gate Street.

There was only one household in the small alley. As soon as the Imperial Guards dismounted, they secured both ends of the alley, their gazes sweeping around like hawks, missing no sign of disturbance.

Chen Ji arrived at the house's entrance, picked up the beast-head knocker on the brown wooden door, and knocked three times quickly, then three times slowly.

With a creak, the wooden door opened.

Chen Ji stepped over the threshold and saw Zhang Xia sitting on a long bench in a spacious courtyard, several zhang square, her eyes closed in meditation, murmuring to herself.

Today, Miss Zhang Er was still wearing a white arrow-sleeved robe, but the embroidered pattern had changed from intertwining lotus vines to light green broken branches.

Beside Zhang Xia stood nine middle-aged men dressed in silk robes.

Hearing the door open, Zhang Xia opened her eyes and stood up, speaking even though she was halfway through her recitation. "These nine gentlemen behind me are all accountants from my Zhang family, experienced in auditing. Let's begin."

The Imperial Guards brought nine tables and arranged them in a long row in the courtyard.

Strangely, the accountants brought out three abacuses from the house and laid them flat on the tables. Each abacus was nine feet long, and three accountants shared one.

Wooden boxes were opened one by one, and ledgers were taken out. The sound of the accountants manipulating the abacuses was as powerful and fluid as a cascading waterfall.

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Xia. "How long will this take to calculate?"

Zhang Xia considered for a moment. "Seven days. These old accounts contain many complex twists and turns; it absolutely cannot be done in less than seven days."

Chen Ji nodded. "Seven days is very fast. If it were me, I probably wouldn't finish auditing in a year."

Zhang Xia pointed to the dozen or so boxes of salt permits and asked curiously, "What do you plan to do with these? Are you really going to ditch the Chen Family Salt Shop and start fresh?"

Chen Ji affirmed, "Yes, I do plan to start fresh."

The managers hoped Chen Ji would temper his sharp edges and ambition, but what Chen Ji intended to do was imminent. He had no time to get entangled in social niceties with those old foxes.

Zhang Xia mused, "You intend to use these salt permits to open your own salt shop? No, acquiring the permits is just the beginning. Next, you'll need to draw salt from the salt fields, then bribe the salt transport commissioners and canal officials to transport the salt to various regions. After that, you'll have to open salt shops and recruit managers and workers to sell the salt."

She looked at Chen Ji. "To establish a new salt shop would take at least three years, and you can't wait that long... Are you planning to sell the salt permits directly to the large salt merchants? Only they could absorb so many permits, but they would certainly drive the price down to the absolute minimum."

Zhang Xia pondered, "But knowing your character, you wouldn't be willing to suffer such a significant loss."

Chen Ji observed Zhang Xia. Miss Zhang Er seemed to possess an astute mind, having considered all aspects so quickly.

He thought for a moment. "I have an unformed idea, but I've never done it before, so I don't know if it will work."

Zhang Xia asked, "What are your chances of success?"

Chen Ji honestly replied, "Twenty percent."

Zhang Xia took a deep breath. "You dare to gamble with twenty percent odds?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Xia also remained silent for a long time. "Let's gamble then. If we lose, I'll find a way for my father to cover for you."

Chen Ji smiled. "It's not that risky, actually. But before I do this, I need to meet someone first."

Zhang Xia asked, puzzled, "Who?"

Chen Ji turned to leave. "Pao Ge. Please look after things here. I need to meet with Pao Ge to confirm if he's the right person for this task."

Zhang Xia followed him. "I'll go with you."

Chen Ji turned around. Their eyes met, and Zhang Xia's gaze was steady and unwavering. "A person's energy is always limited. I can help you share some of the burden, but first, I need to know your every move."

Chen Ji considered for a moment. "Alright."

They got into the carriage waiting at the door. Lin Yanchu cracked his whip, driving the carriage towards the Eight Great Hutongs.

Inside the carriage, only Chen Ji and Zhang Xia remained. Chen Ji closed his eyes to rest, while Zhang Xia quietly recited the scriptures of Zheyun. The cries of peddlers drifted in from outside, making the carriage seem all the more serene.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Yanchu quietly said, "Master, we've arrived."

Zhang Xia lifted the carriage seat and took out two pieces of grey cloth and two bamboo hats from a hidden compartment underneath.

Chen Ji chuckled. "Why does the Zhang family carriage have these items prepared?"

Zhang Xia raised her arm and tied the grey cloth over her face with a loose knot behind her head. "Most of what you're doing is best kept out of sight. It's better to be prepared."

Chen Ji slightly averted his gaze, put on his bamboo hat, and disembarked.

Baishun Alley, Meihua Ferry.

Meihua Ferry was a pleasure house that had once produced two renowned courtesans in the capital. One had bought her freedom and disappeared without a trace. The other, a courtesan named Yun, was bought out by the Qi family and later given away by them.

After Prince Fu sent seventy thousand taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury, Furuixiang, the old established business, vanished overnight, as if it were sand on a table, easily swept away.

Furuixiang was not the first to be erased, and naturally, it would not be the last.

Interestingly, after Furuixiang disappeared, a soldier named Zhou Kuang delivered the deed to Meihua Ferry on Furuixiang's behalf, stating it was a congratulatory gift for Pao Ge's establishment in the capital.

Furuixiang was gone, but its dignity remained.

Chen Ji avoided the bustling Baishun Alley, lowered his bamboo hat, and arrived at Meihua Ferry's back entrance.

A sturdy man at the door cautiously asked, "Where do you come from, sir?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "From Kunlun Mountain."

The man asked again, "Did you see white cranes flying?"

Chen Ji held up a thumb and replied, "I only saw five-colored clouds."

The man's expression changed. "Master."

He quickly opened the back door and stepped aside. "Pao Ge is waiting for you in the Plum Blossom Pavilion."

Meihua Ferry was like a landscape garden, with five tower pavilions scattered in five directions, encircling a pool of green water and rockeries like plum blossom petals.

Chen Ji walked along the winding bluestone path, with Zhang Xia beside him, who asked curiously, "Was that your secret signal just now?"

Chen Ji nodded. "Pao Ge found the rules of the capital's pugilist groups not strict enough, so he adapted... he adopted others' rules to create his own set. For instance, this hand gesture means anyone who sees it is a gang member."

With that, he placed his palms together, thumb and index finger touching, middle finger separated, ring fingertip against the base of his thumb, and pinky fingertip against the base of his ring finger.

This was the most famous hand gesture of the Hongmen, known as "Three and a Half Incense Sticks."

Chen Ji then further explained, "When we exchanged the signal just now, if the thumb rests on the index finger, it indicates a leader from the Inner Eight Halls: the Mountain Master, Deputy Mountain Master, Seated Elder, Assistant Elder, Enforcement Elder... If the thumb rests on the middle finger, it's from the Outer Eight Halls. Of course, there are also specific gestures for the White Paper Fan, Third Master, and Fifth Flag Master, which are a bit more complex to explain, and I haven't memorized all of them yet."

Zhang Xia mused, "Such novel terms. But Pao Ge establishing such strict rules for the pugilist groups suggests he has grand ambitions."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "If you're interested, they can demonstrate them for you later, one by one. You'll remember them after seeing them once."

Zhang Xia asked, "Is Pao Ge the Mountain Master here?"

Chen Ji affirmed, "He should be called the Dragon Head, but the character for 'dragon' is too taboo, so it was changed to Mountain Master."

Zhang Xia suddenly declared confidently, "I want to be the Deputy Mountain Master. Tell Pao Ge later."

Chen Ji paused slightly. "Alright."

The two arrived outside the Plum Blossom Pavilion, where Pao Ge was holding a pipe, not smoking, seemingly lost in thought.

Hearing footsteps, his eyes lit up. "Isn't this my elusive master, who appears like a divine dragon with no tail? I haven't seen you in days; I thought you'd forgotten all about us."

Chen Ji stood beneath the Plum Blossom Pavilion, skipping pleasantries with Pao Ge, and went straight to the point. "What's the most profitable business in the Ning Dynasty?"

Pao Ge knew his master was testing him... but some things couldn't be said lightly.

He glanced at Zhang Xia.

Chen Ji shook his head. "Just say it, it's fine."

Pao Ge grinned. "Naturally, being emperor is the most profitable."

Zhang Xia looked at Pao Ge, then at Chen Ji, feeling that two audacious individuals had come together.

What was strange, however, was that they had only recently met a few times and were not yet at a stage of mutual trust. How could they speak such wild words?

Seeing Pao Ge's frankness, Chen Ji sat down beside the Plum Blossom Pavilion. "We can't do the most profitable business; neither of us is cut out for rebellion. I currently have a salt shop and hold three hundred thousand salt permits. How about we sell salt together?"

Pao Ge shook his head. "No, that won't work. The salt merchants are deeply entrenched, and there are too many officials to deal with. For us to establish ourselves among them, it would take at least ten years. In ten years, you'll still be fine, but I'll be old."

Chen Ji was unfazed. "Then how about we go into the refined salt business together? I can refine salt."

Pao Ge shook his head again. "That won't work either. Firstly, someone is already in that business, and competing for it is hard, thankless work. Secondly, that business doesn't make money fast enough."

Chen Ji said casually, "It seems you've done your homework."

Pao Ge replied calmly, "If I'm going to come to the capital, I might as well leave my mark, right?"

Chen Ji changed the subject. "So, what kind of business do you think we should do?"

Pao Ge lowered his head, tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe, and when he looked up again, he said calmly, "We need to do something they've never seen before."

Chen Ji let out a slight sigh of relief. "It seems I've found the right person."

Pao Ge looked at Zhang Xia and sincerely said, "Miss, please allow me a few words alone with my master. I have too many questions for him; if I don't ask them today, I fear I won't be able to sleep."