Chapter 3849 — Nan Tianguan's Trump Card

The reason was simple: Nan Tianguan was greedy by nature—one might even say insatiably so.

Wooing him might well open the way to profits of tens of thousands of spirit jade through the power in his hands, but the price was surrendering at least sixty percent of it to him—likely more. True, the merchant house could still pocket forty percent. Yet Hong Zhong, as a branch manager of the Hong Chamber of Commerce, had always chosen his partners by the measure of the person, never by the profit of the moment.

Only with the right partner could there be long-term gain. Choose wrong, and even if you scraped a little fleeting profit, you would inevitably pay it back tenfold and a hundredfold in time—that was the wisdom Hong Zhong had gathered over decades holding court at the Chamber's North Island branch. So though he knew full well that Nan Tianguan was a man in scorching demand, courted by every other merchant manager, Hong Zhong had never once thought of befriending him. Rather, he kept his distance, asking nothing of him.

Seeing Hong Zhong so utterly unruffled, Nan Tianguan was struck dumb for a moment. By any reasonable account, a branch manager like Hong Zhong—posted far from the seat of power—should fear the high officers of the central island above all others, for those men held their careers in their hands, and a single word from them could seal a man's future.

Yet this Hong Zhong before him seemed fully confident, not the least bit afraid. Or was it that the man simply did not believe he had any means of reaching the senior figures of the Hong Chamber of Commerce on the central island?

After a moment's thought, Nan Tianguan quickly reached his conclusion: Hong Zhong's composure was nine parts in ten down to the latter.

After all, to any ordinary eye, though Nan Tianguan was senior managing disciple of the Soaring Sky Pavilion—weighty enough in most people's estimation—he still did not qualify to speak with the Chamber's high officers on the central island. That Hong Zhong paid his threats no mind was only human nature.

"You doubt I have that power? Hmph. It makes no difference—soon enough you will be on your knees begging me." Nan Tianguan shook his head in mockery, then came straight to the point. "I have come in person this time to ask you, Manager Hong, about a certain man's background. I hear you are on rather good terms with that loose cultivator Lin Er, the one who killed my third brother?"

Nan Tianguan had expected that once the words left his mouth, the other man would protest vehemently, spouting some foolishness about how protecting client information was the lifeline of the Hong Chamber of Commerce. To his surprise, Hong Zhong's reaction was nothing like what he had pictured.

No flare of anger. Not a single word. Hong Zhong merely lifted his teacup—nothing more.

Raising the cup to see off a guest—the meaning could not have been plainer. To such a question, Manager Hong, ever the courteous host, could not even be bothered to speak a single sentence. He simply raised his cup and dismissed him.

At that, even Nan Tianguan's face flushed crimson with rage in an instant. The man would not even deign to speak—and this wordless reply was more infuriating than any venomous sneer could ever be!

"Manager Hong, I address you as Manager Hong one last time. I advise you to show some sense and cooperate with my questions of your own accord. Otherwise, if you spurn the face offered you, do not blame me for giving you no chance!" Nan Tianguan said, forcing down his fury.

Though he had come fully prepared with something to fall back on, unless it was truly necessary, he did not wish to fall out completely with Hong Zhong. The Hong Chamber of Commerce was, after all, one of the handful of top-tier merchant houses. If he could make the man cooperate meekly, he might not only reap greater profit, but do so without the slightest seam showing.

So the purpose of his visit today was merely to make a show of force before Hong Zhong, using the death of Nan Tianyong as his pretext. He did not truly mean to pick a fight, still less to break with the man outright.

"Spurn the face offered you?" Hong Zhong looked at him in surprise, then said with a half-smile, "That is a line I believe I should be speaking, is it not? You, sir, are an ill-mannered guest who came uninvited. I have already raised my cup to see you off, yet you still shamelessly linger here. Who, then, is spurning the face offered?"

He paused, then said gravely, "Since you have such a thick hide, sir, I shall speak plainly. Your request, I fear, is beyond my humble power. Mind your step on the way out."

"You old fool! I showed you some respect out of regard for your post as a manager of the Hong Chamber of Commerce, but since you refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit, do not blame me for dispensing with courtesy!" As Nan Tianguan spoke, his aura surged suddenly to its peak, like the calm before a storm, and the tables and chairs around them began to tremble without cease.

"Foundation Establishment consummation, is it? A notch stronger than that Nan Tianyong of before, I grant you. But with only this much strength, you dare come here making a racket? You think too little of the Hong Chamber of Commerce." Hong Zhong's expression turned stern.

There was no need for Hong Zhong to give any order. The instant Nan Tianguan released his aura, four mighty presences—not a whit inferior to his, some even above him—had already locked onto him from afar and held him fast.

Should Nan Tianguan persist in his folly, he would without question repeat Nan Tianyong's fate. Even if he was stronger than Nan Tianyong, his end would be no better.

If he, the senior managing disciple of the Soaring Sky Pavilion, were flung out a window like his brother Nan Tianyong, he would lose every shred of face. Even seated in that coveted post, he would struggle to command respect, and would become a laughingstock for all!

If it truly came to blows, Nan Tianguan knew in his heart that he had no means of fending off so many formidable retainers of the Hong Chamber of Commerce. Seeing the situation turn against him, he had no choice but to hastily bring out the trump card he had spent three days preparing.

"Hold! If you mean to lay hands on me, I advise you few to read this letter first!" Nan Tianguan abruptly drew a sheet of paper from his robes and flung it onto the floor before him.

The four retainers had not appeared, but with strength like theirs, reading the contents of that sheet posed no difficulty. Barely a breath after Nan Tianguan tossed the letter down, the four mighty presences dispersed at once, as though they had never been there.

And Hong Zhong's face, after he read what the sheet contained, for the first time ever took on a shade of gloom.

The letter dealt precisely with the matter of Lin Er's identity. By its account, this Nan Tianguan before them was a key client recognized by the whole of the Hong Chamber of Commerce, whereas that Lin Er was merely a client of Hong Zhong's own making. Which weighed more was plain at a glance.

The final line of the letter bade Hong Zhong cooperate unconditionally with Nan Tianguan's demands. Otherwise, should he persist willfully and bring loss upon the Hong Chamber of Commerce, he would be investigated and punished severely on the charge of dereliction of duty.