Chapter 3396 — Wei Zhao's Terms

"And how much would that be worth?" Wei Zhao asked instead.

"If we're talking market price, it'd fetch at least ten or twenty million, surely?" Tang Taizhong had not expected Wei Zhao to ask such a thing, but he gave a rough estimate anyway—for once a cultivation family got its hands on a thing like this, they would never part with it lightly. It was a fine item for trading cultivation resources, not something measured in money at all.

"Oh, then let's call it fifteen million. I'll give you an account number—wire the money there," Wei Zhao said flatly. "As for the bowl, keep it for yourself to play with, or sell it to the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow Sect. You'll get a good price."

"Er—fifteen million, is it? I'll make it twenty million. Young Hero Lin misunderstands me. This bowl is a gift of thanks; the remuneration is the remuneration. I hadn't finished speaking!" Tang Taizhong had given Wei Zhao the bowl because he assumed Wei Zhao had no need of money—that automatic medicinal cauldron of his raked in gold by the day. That was why he had never mentioned cash. Had he known Wei Zhao liked money, he would have spoken up straight away!

"Oh, that works too. Xiaoke, give him the account number." Wei Zhao was not especially interested in the bowl and casually tucked it into his jade pendant's space.

"The account is XXXXXXX, under the name of the Songshan City Orphanage," Yu Xiaoke said.

"Ahem—all right, I've got it down." Tang Taizhong paused a beat, then realized that Wei Zhao was securing benefits for the orphanage, not lining his own pockets. It made no difference either way; the money was given for Wei Zhao's sake, and to whom it went did not matter. What mattered was that Wei Zhao owed him a favor.

"If there's nothing else, we'll head back first." Wei Zhao looked at Shen Yushu with some surprise. It seemed her prophetic gift was genuine after all—what the Rainy Day Walker had said really did hold water.

"Certainly, certainly. I'll arrange a car at once!" Tang Taizhong answered hurriedly.

"Xiaoshu, I really must thank you properly this time. I never imagined you'd guess their target," Qiu Lingshan said frankly. Shen Yushu had guessed correctly where the robbers would strike, and that was why she and Wei Zhao had been able to finish those men off so smoothly and even capture one alive. If anyone deserved the credit, apart from Wei Zhao it was Shen Yushu.

"Well? Are you convinced now?" Shen Yushu said smugly.

"If it cracks the case, what does it cost me to admit you're right?" Qiu Lingshan was not one to let personal pride interfere with work, and she spoke earnestly: "Xiaoshu, do you think the robbers will strike again? Where's their next target?"

"Here again," Shen Yushu said.

"Here again?" Qiu Lingshan was taken aback.

Tang Taizhong, who had just gone to ready the car, was startled as well, and blurted in alarm, "Young Hero Lin, Chief Song—then should we stay here a while longer?"

Tang Taizhong had complete faith in Shen Yushu by now. She was nothing short of a prophet—she had said they would rob the antique shop, and rob it they did. So if she said the robbers would come back, there had to be something to it.

"We can't stay," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head. "They failed this time. By any normal line of thinking, we certainly wouldn't keep guarding this place—and that's exactly what they'll think. So we do the opposite. If they see us still posted here, they probably won't make a move at all."

"That makes sense!" Tang Taizhong nodded. "Then what do we do?"

"We pretend to leave first, then find a place nearby to stay, so we can be back here the instant the robbery starts," Wei Zhao said.

"That's the only way, then. I'll have to trouble you, Young Hero Lin!" Tang Taizhong said quickly.

"The trouble is secondary. This time I've settled a problem for the hidden Tang family—so isn't it time we discussed the real business?" Wei Zhao glanced at Tang Taizhong and asked mildly.

"What real business?" Tang Taizhong started, supposing Wei Zhao wanted further payment—after all, the reward just now had been for this one intervention. If Wei Zhao was to keep watch here, there would surely be a price for that too. Otherwise, why should Wei Zhao go on helping him?

"Let's find somewhere to stay first. We'll talk then." Wei Zhao waved a hand, offered no details, and walked outside.

"Very well." Though his heart was pounding, Tang Taizhong dared not say more, and hurriedly ushered Wei Zhao and the others into the car.

Not far from here stood a hotel, one of the Tang family's holdings as well—only the hotel business was not what it had been. The front desk no longer kept large sums of cash; modern people paid mostly by card, and deposits were taken as pre-authorizations on bank cards. Even if robbers came, there was not much cash to be had.

Tang Yuyi drove along behind, while Tang Taizhong himself chauffeured Wei Zhao and the others to the hotel. All the way there, Tang Yuyi could not get a word in with Wei Zhao, what with Tang Taizhong present.

At the hotel, they all got out, checked into their rooms, and then, at Wei Zhao's suggestion, Tang Taizhong opened up a conference room. The Tang family people and Wei Zhao's group all sat around the round table.

Wei Zhao naturally took the seat of honor, Qiu Lingshan sat beside him, and Old Master Tang, Tang Taizhong, sat across from Wei Zhao.

"Young Hero Lin, if you have anything to say, say it. Whatever the hidden Tang family can do, we will do," Tang Taizhong said, a little uneasy. He did not know what Wei Zhao had called them here to discuss, or why it had to be so formal.

"Old Master Tang, let's not beat around the bush. What I'm about to say may look like good news to the Tang family, or it may look like bad news—but you don't have much room to choose," Wei Zhao said evenly.

Wei Zhao's words made everyone present tense. Qiu Lingshan, too, understood now what he meant to say, and grew nervous at once. This was a matter of great consequence for the future of the Bureau of Mysterious Investigations; whether it succeeded would be decided today.

If things went well with the Tang family, the other hidden families could be handled the same way. Otherwise, if the Tang family got off on the wrong foot, then whatever they tried to do afterward would be hampered at every turn.

"Pray speak, Young Hero Lin." Tang Taizhong drew a deep breath and gestured for him to go on.

"I believe Old Master Tang knows the Bureau of Mysterious Investigations' former function: it was charged with overseeing cultivators in the mundane world and keeping the mundane families in check," Wei Zhao said. "The hidden families, by rights, do not fall under the Bureau's authority. But since the Bureau has stepped in this time, naturally there must be some adjustment to that mandate as well. I wonder—would the hidden families be willing, from now on, to accept the Bureau's oversight and mediation?" (To be continued.)