gnovel Chapter 231 The Truth Is Revealed
Chapter 231 The Truth Is Revealed
Chapter 231 The Truth Is Revealed
The tense situation outside the back door of the warehouse disappeared.
Both sides withdrew their weapons and relaxed their bodies. The atmosphere became slightly more harmonious, but that was all. There was no real trust between Mo and Shao's groups.
The two "gang leaders" came to the dock, looked at the dark river, and said something.
"Are you really only seventeen?" Mo Tianyou looked at Shao Shuyi's young face with some doubt.
Judging by his facial features, he may appear to be just a teenager, but by looking at his expression, eyes, and mannerisms, he seems to be a very mature, even cunning and ruthless person.
The combination of these elements is very jarring. Anyway, Mo Tianyou would never believe the other person was only seventeen, let alone twenty-seven.
He believed everything about Thirty-Seven.
"How old is the master this year?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"I'm exactly thirty now." As Mo Tianyou spoke, a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes as he looked at Shao Shuyi, perhaps because his age had touched a nerve.
However, the fierce glint in his eyes vanished in an instant. Once reason returned to his mind, Mo Tianyou asked again, "You really can get your hands on salt?"
Shao Shuyi nodded.
"Where did it come from?"
Shao Shuyi did not answer.
Mo Tianyou paused, seemingly about to explode again, but then he quickly realized something and his expression changed slightly: "Could it be that the salt was taken from the red headband?"
Shao Shuyi chuckled and said, "Why be so persistent, sir? I'll just send you ten thousand catties of salt every month, what does it matter where it comes from?"
Mo Tianyou seemed increasingly certain of his guess.
In the past six months, the red-banded men have become increasingly famous, but salt collectors have only seen them grabbing salt, not selling it. Isn't that strange? However, this is just speculation, and there is no evidence.
Thinking of this, Mo Tianyou crossed his arms and said, "Yang Mao just told me that besides smuggled salt, you might have other businesses? Are the Jiangyin boatmen who have been coming to Wuxi several times in recent months your men?"
"Not entirely," Shao Shuyi said. "Since you brought this up, I'll say a few more words. Perhaps in your eyes, smuggled salt is a huge business, but other businesses may not be so bad. Have you heard of Shen Wansan? He didn't smuggle salt, yet he was the richest man in Jiangnan. In the art of commerce, Wansan was the epitome of it all. You might find some inspiration in his work."
"I also have gambling dens and brothels, which are quite profitable," Mo Tianyou said. "Transporting goods, grain, and cloth doesn't make much money; I give all of that to my subordinates. They just give me a share of the profits each month."
Shao Shuyi chuckled to himself.
Mo Laohu is a damn good-for-nothing gangster boss, always involved in gambling, prostitution, and drugs.
But believe it or not, these three things are actually profitable. It's just that Mr. Shao is too lazy to do these things. Providing protection for theaters is already the limit. He absolutely doesn't want to get involved in brothels or casinos; it's too low-class.
He always kept in mind that being involved in organized crime was just a means, not an end, and that he shouldn't put the cart before the horse.
"Sir, you have docks, shipping companies, and warehouses under your control, while I have a fleet of ships with direct access to the Yangtze River and even the sea. This makes it easy to transport and trade goods," Shao Shuyi continued. "Don't you want to sell some rare overseas treasures? Wuxi is a large city with many wealthy households, and many of them are willing to buy rare overseas treasures. Wouldn't it be wonderful to transport some ambergris, styrax oil, sharkskin, tortoiseshell, rhinoceros horn, and even various spices to sell to the wealthy households in Wuxi? Don't worry, my fleet will pick up the goods at Liujiagang and then transport them directly to the North Gate Wharf in Wuxi. No one will stop us."
Mo Tianyou's expression shifted.
Who doesn't like money? If he didn't like money, he wouldn't bother selling smuggled salt.
He wasn't stupid; he knew that rare overseas treasures could indeed be very profitable, it's just that he hadn't had the opportunity to access them before.
In truth, he only rose to prominence in Wuxi in six or seven years. Many wealthy households, gentry and powerful families were unwilling to provoke him and were even somewhat afraid of him, but they also looked down on him. Who would want to work with him?
However, Mo Tianyou, who had fought his way up from humble beginnings, didn't believe Shao Shuyi was being so kind, and asked, "Why are you giving me so many benefits?"
"I want to get into freight trading," Shao Shuyi said frankly. "Find me a warehouse along the canal, the kind with a dock. I can buy it or rent it, but it has to be a long-term lease."
Mo Tianyou looked at him suspiciously and said, "Cargo transport is so profitable? Boatmen and porters toil away, barely scraping together a few strings of cash a year. What's the point of doing that?"
"When my father was alive, he worked as a boatman transporting goods." At this point, Shao Shuyi's expression turned somewhat somber, and he said, "I have a deep affection for this profession."
Mo Tianyou sneered, not believing it at all.
Seeing this, Shao Shuyi smiled and said, "Sir, you should know that there are many boatmen, porters, and even dockworkers. Once we win their hearts, we'll look formidable, and no one will dare to bully us, including Zhu Chen. Besides, we can sell goods while transporting them. Whatever you lack in Wuxi, I'll source from both sides of the Yangtze River. Whatever I lack in Jiangyin, you can supply me from the Grand Canal. Isn't it much better for us to exchange goods than to work separately?"
Mo Tianyou's eyes lit up slightly.
But instead of responding immediately, he drew a dagger.
Shao Shuyi was startled, but remained calm.
The dagger began to twirl between Mo Tianyou's fingers, its tip gleaming coldly in the firelight. After spinning it a few times, he suddenly flung the dagger against a nearby pillar.
The tip of the knife pierced the pillar, trembling slightly.
"Cao Luo," Mo Tianyou's voice suddenly slowed, so slow that each word seemed to be being carefully considered, "you're saying all this to try and form an alliance with me?"
"Yes."
"An alliance needs rules. What are your rules?"
"My rules are simple." Shao Shuyi held up three fingers and said, "First, I guarantee your goods will be delivered on time; if one pound is missing, I'll compensate you with ten pounds. Second, I will never interfere in your business unless I have permission. Third, if Zhu Chen wants to harm you, my men will be your weapons. Similarly, if Zhu Chen causes me trouble, you cannot stand idly by."
Mo Tianyou stared at the three fingers for a moment, then slowly raised his gaze to look at Shao Shuyi's face.
Suddenly, he reached out and pulled the dagger out of the pillar; the blade flashed in the lamplight.
Instead of pointing the knife at Shao Shuyi, he flipped the blade over, turning the hilt forward, and handed it over.
Shao Shuyi looked at him.
"Here, take the hilt," Mo Tianyou said. "I trust you this time. If you live up to this hilt, you'll be my friend. If you do..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear.
Shao Shuyi reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife, then handed it back with the hilt facing forward.
Mo Tianyou's lips finally twitched, revealing a faint but undeniable smile.
"Zhu Chen has earned money in Wuxi for seven years, he should be content," he concluded.
******
After reaching a preliminary agreement with Mo Tianyou, Shao Shuyi led his men back to Zhou's Grain Shop, preparing to return to Jiangyin. It was already the eighth day of the tenth month.
Meanwhile, Jiangyin Prefecture had calmed down.
Han Yuanshan waited for three days, but the prefectural government failed to find Cao Luo. He then boarded a boat and returned to Jiangning with a blank expression.
On the eighth day, Yeerjini traveled west from Changshu and stayed at the residence of Zhao Yangui in Shiqiao.
On the same day, Zhang Sanniu rode a fine horse and, with five or six attendants, entered the Zhao residence directly.
Zhao Yangui was slightly disappointed because Zhang Sanniu hadn't brought any salt, and his stock was almost empty—of course, with the people from the Anti-Corruption Bureau here, openly bringing salt was really going too far.
There was a reason why Zhang Sanniu and Yeerjini's groups moved into the Zhao residence at the same time. "Zhu Chen told you, right?" Yeerjini sat in the courtyard, writing furiously at his desk. He looked up at Zhang Sanniu and asked casually.
"I have already said so." Zhang Sanniu bowed and said, "I will take men to Taicang in a few days to investigate thoroughly."
Yeljini nodded, thinking to himself that Zhu Chen was a really useful person. He could give everyone money and help with things. He was also very tactful and spoke nicely, although some people said that he was not so respectful when facing lower-ranking officials.
"Bring more people," Yelgini added, "Don't let them get killed without knowing why."
Zhang Sanniu responded first, then asked, "Sir, is Cao Luo really from Taicang?"
Yeljini put down his pen and asked, "You've lived in Changshu for many years, can you speak the Taicang dialect?"
Zhang Sanniu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, the area north of Taicang, near Changshu, speaks the same dialect as Changshu. But the dialect spoken in the Loujiang area to the south is different, and then there's Liujiagang."
"Alright, alright. I really don't understand this Jiangnan dialect." Yeljini sighed and said, "Someone told me that Cao Luo once inadvertently said the phrase 'beating bowl beggars.' Is that Taicang dialect?"
"Yes." Zhang Sanniu nodded and said, "This is a local saying in Taicang, meaning that we are about to move."
"What do you mean?" Yelgini asked, quite curious.
"The bindweed is a very common wildflower in Taicang," Zhang Sanniu said. "During the Yanyou era, the imperial court issued an edict to move the seat of Kunshan Prefecture to Taicang. Before the move, the bindweed bloomed everywhere, the most in all years. There was a folk song in Taicang: 'The bindweed blooms, now the prefecture is moved here.' Later, the prefecture seat was indeed moved to Taicang, and the saying became a tradition."
"I see," Yeljini laughed. "It's hard for a person to change their habits. Even if you're careful for a while, over time you'll inevitably slip up and let it slip out of your mouth unintentionally."
Zhang Sanniu listened quietly, deeply admiring Yeljini.
"Actually, it's not just that," Yerjini added. "Cao Luo is the owner of the Huangtian Trading Company, which frequently hires ships..."
The boats travel between Jiangyin and Taicang on the Shao River; isn't that suspicious? Hmm, the boats frequently dock at a wharf called Shengye Trading Company.
Zhang Sanniu nodded slowly, "That makes a lot of sense."
"Therefore, I boldly guess that Cao Luo is actually from Taicang." Yeljini stood up and said, "But guesses are just guesses, and you need to investigate."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanniu bowed and said, "I will obey your orders, sir."
Yeljini gave him a satisfied look and said, "Go and do it quickly. If it's nothing important, don't bother me."
After saying that, he waved his hand, signaling Zhang Sanniu to leave, then sat down and continued writing the impeachment memorial.