Chapter 4374 — What Now?

"Everyone at their best—it seems I ought to put in a good word for you with Hong Zhong. A talent like yours, stuck as nothing but a deputy steward of a branch, is a waste." Wei Zhao could not help but laugh.

Now that Hong Zhong had taken the vice-chairman's seat, his greatest troubles were, apart from being ganged up on and squeezed out at the Zhongdao headquarters, the lack of outstanding talent beneath him. As a vice-chairman in name and standing, he needed at the very least a few branch offices firmly in hand; otherwise no one would heed a word he said, and he would be left a general without an army.

As for this Chai Laoshi, though Wei Zhao had not dealt with him much, he was at least certain that with the man's abilities, the post of branch steward was well within his grasp. Give him a line to Hong Zhong later, and he would be treated fairly, while also lending Hong Zhong a voice and a backbone. Two birds with one stone.

"Do good work and you won't be shortchanged. Off you go." Wei Zhao nodded.

"Yes, yes—this one will not disappoint you." Chai Laoshi departed at once, bursting with vigor.

He certainly had no intention of sleeping tonight. To repay Wei Zhao for recognizing his worth, his most pressing tasks, beyond managing the Weihu Branch well, were to find solid evidence to match the crimes recorded in the ledgers, so that Wei Zhaotong could be nailed down in one stroke and never rise again!

"Reward and punishment, each in its measure. Buying hearts—when did you learn that trick?" Wang Xinyan and Huang Xiaotao came over and watched Chai Laoshi's receding back with a smile.

"Heh, I never studied it particularly. But after enough of this sort of thing, it comes naturally." Wei Zhao smiled. The more he had been through, the more polished and seasoned he became at handling matters. His true years were not many, yet he had weathered every kind of twist and turn, great and small. His experience truly was beyond comparison with others his age.

"So you're self-taught, then? What a thick skin!" Wang Xinyan teased, lips curving, and exchanged a knowing smile with Huang Xiaotao before asking, "So what do you plan to do next?"

"I've already written to Hong Zhong, asking him to step in and handle this. What's left is to hold the fort at the Weihu Branch and wait for word from his side." Wei Zhao was entirely at ease. He had done everything he could; how it would ultimately be resolved now depended on Hong Zhong's move.

"All right, then. Since that's the case, the two of us may as well head back." Wang Xinyan said. They had agreed with the East Sea Divine Nun to return after dinner, and now that there was nothing else to do, it was hardly proper for the two of them to linger out overnight.

"Good. I'll see you both off." Wei Zhao nodded.

"No need. You'd better keep an eye on this one, before he wakes up and kicks up a fuss." Wang Xinyan pointed at Wei Zhaotong, whom Wei Zhao had slapped unconscious beside them.

Wei Zhao thought it over, then dealt Wei Zhaotong, still dead to the world, another slap. He dragged back the hired expert he had earlier sent flying and bound him up like a dead dog, then called Chai Laoshi over and had him personally bring men to stand watch. Only then did he say, "There, no problem now. Compared with seeing you two home, everything else is nothing but clouds."

"All right..." Wang Xinyan and Huang Xiaotao were caught between laughter and tears, yet warmth welled up in both their hearts, and they found it quite pleasing.

The three of them chatted and laughed as Wei Zhao escorted the two women all the way to the inn where the Morning Star Academy was lodging, watched them go upstairs, and then turned back toward the Hong Merchant Guild.

By the time dawn broke the next day, word of the Hong Merchant Guild's internal strife had spread like wildfire, and soon it had traveled every street and alley of Weihu City—after all, this was one of the foremost merchant guilds in Weihu City, its fame no whit inferior to those leading powers.

That Wei Zhaotong had been taken in hand and the Hong Merchant Guild had changed masters—this news too soon reached Qin Deli's ears, and he turned pale with fright.

After that rebuff at the Qingtian Escort Agency last night, he had thought the matter was over and done with. Who would have guessed that Cheng Qitian's death was only a brief prologue—the real drama was still to come!

Ling Yi of the Qingtian Escort Agency, joining hands with the two personal disciples of the East Sea Divine Nun, had stormed the Hong Merchant Guild overnight, and in a single clash subdued Wei Zhaotong and the two hired experts. The Hong Merchant Guild had changed masters from that moment on!

Now everyone in Weihu City, high and low, was telling the tale with relish—the whole city had nearly turned into a storytelling venue.

Qin Deli panicked outright. What became of the Hong Merchant Guild was no concern of his; even if the whole Weihu Branch burned to the ground, it had nothing to do with him. But that Wei Zhaotong had fallen into someone's hands—that was fatal!

Not that he cared for this so-called cousin of his, separated by who knew how many degrees of kinship. The crux was that Wei Zhaotong and he, Qin Deli, were grasshoppers on the same string, and the man knew almost everything about him. If he could not hold out under interrogation and spilled it all, once the truth came out, not only would Wei Zhaotong be finished—Qin Deli would be buried along with him.

No. He had to find a way to fish Wei Zhaotong out at once! Without time to think it over, Qin Deli hurried to seek audience with the three giants, determined to turn the situation around before it worsened further.

At that moment, the three founding-stage giants of the Morning Star Academy were gathered together, preparing to attend the day's selection assembly, when they saw Qin Deli burst through the door, and their gazes fell upon him one after another.

"What is it this time?" Ling Yuanqing said with a slight frown. He had not lost his temper on the spot, but last night's business had genuinely angered him, and naturally he was in no mood to show Qin Deli a pleasant face now.

Under the gaze of the three giants, Qin Deli felt his body sink, and he nearly dropped to his knees. Clearly, last night's affair had not merely turned Ling Yuanqing against him—the East Sea Divine Nun and Wei Hebei were just as displeased with him.

"This disciple pays his respects to the three directors." Though his heart quailed, Qin Deli was cornered; if he did not quickly find a way to salvage the situation, the next step might well be a grave with no burial ground. He could only brace himself and continue: "This disciple has just heard a matter that is causing a great uproar outside—it is said that disciples of our Morning Star Academy have aided and abetted evildoers, that last night they joined with outsiders in attacking the Hong Merchant Guild, and that they now hold the branch steward Wei Zhaotong. The matter is of grave consequence and greatly harmful to our academy's reputation. I beg the three directors to look into it."

"Is there such a thing?" The three giants were slightly taken aback. Given their lofty station, ordinary folk never even had the chance to speak with them; unless someone made a point of reporting, such street rumors would not reach their ears so quickly.

...R752