Chapter 4623 — Suspension of Business

With the Central Merchants' Association rising so fast, Si Haitao, as the manager of its North Island branch, naturally saw his own status rise with the tide. Nowadays, at the Hong Merchants' Association's headquarters on Central Island, quite a few senior figures were proposing large-scale cooperation with the Central Merchants' Association, and to that end they were willing to whitewash Si Haitao's name. Profit ruled the day—it was an irresistible trend, and even Hong Zhong could not stop it.

Since the two sides had business dealings, Hong Zhong naturally would not go out of his way to make things difficult for Si Haitao. After all, he was a businessman who sought harmony for the sake of wealth; unless it was a blood feud that could never be reconciled, any other grievance could be set aside.

Strictly speaking, moreover, there had never been any direct conflict between him and Si Haitao. Back then Si Haitao had merely been blind enough to tease Shangguan Lan'er and Ning Xuefei—he had brought it all on himself, and none of it had anything to do with Hong Zhong.

"Well, well, if it isn't Manager Hong. What brings you to my door in person?" Seeing Hong Zhong enter, Si Haitao, lounging lazily in a grand chair on the second-floor corridor, greeted him from on high, a scantily clad woman in each arm. Neither was a peerless beauty, but both ranked among the finest.

He had been riding high of late. Though on the surface he was merely the manager of the Central Merchants' Association's North Island branch while Hong Zhong was vice president of the Hong Merchants' Association—a full rank above him—he had actually come to look down on Hong Zhong. The Central Merchants' Association was nothing but an expansion tool of the Center; before the Center, which held the sky in one hand, what did it matter that the Hong Merchants' Association was the second-largest merchant association on Cloud Terrace Island?

Of course, despite his contempt, Hong Zhong was still a figure of consequence, and Si Haitao would not go so far as to treat him too shabbily. After all, the business of his North Island branch had extensive dealings with the Hong Merchants' Association, and a souring of relations would do him no good.

"Manager Si, it has been some days. I trust you have been well." Hong Zhong gave a faint cupped-hand salute and a smile, seeming utterly unconcerned by the other's negligence. Si Haitao looked down on him, and he looked down on Si Haitao just as much. In his eyes Si Haitao was nothing but a petty man inflated by good fortune; had he not been lucky enough to board the ship of the Central Merchants' Association, heaven knew which potter's field this creature would have died in long ago.

But Hong Zhong's depth and cultivation were far beyond the likes of a mere Si Haitao. However much he despised the man in his heart, he could still make the other feel as though bathed in a spring breeze—that was the skill a true businessman ought to have.

"Tolerable enough. Eating what I please, drinking what I please, and best of all, beauty at my side—now that is what I call living. You look awfully lonely over there. Shall I give you one of mine?" Si Haitao laughed heartily.

Over the past two years he had spent considerable effort gathering beauties from every quarter and assembling a harem. Day in and day out he wallowed among them, drunk on life and lost in dreams—that was the pursuit of his existence.

And his superiors showed not the slightest displeasure at such conduct. So long as he completed his tasks on schedule, he could keep three thousand beauties in his harem and no one would come to interfere.

"I thank Manager Si for his kindness. But a gentleman does not rob another of what he loves—such beauty is more than I could handle." Hong Zhong smiled slightly, stepped close to Si Haitao, and came straight to the point: "One does not visit the temple without a reason. I have actually come today to ask a favor—there is a matter I would like to inquire about with Manager Si. Is it convenient?"

"No problem. Ask whatever you like." Si Haitao still held the two beauties carelessly in his arms, showing not the least intention of sending them away.

At the sight, Hong Zhong's eyelid could not help twitching. Had this been a visit to discuss important business, he would have turned and left without a second word—negotiating with a creature like this was simply asking for trouble...

"I would like to ask whether your association's secular-world letter delivery service, once put up at the Central Island auction, is still in operation?" Hong Zhong asked, betraying nothing in his expression.

"You want to send a letter to the secular world?" Si Haitao was briefly startled, then answered directly without much thought: "It's gone. That service was never actually launched—back then it was only a gimmick staged through the Central Island auction to make our name known, and it was canceled afterward."

"Canceled? But from what I know, that service was priced at an astronomical hundred thousand spirit jade?" Hong Zhong could not help finding it strange.

"A hundred thousand spirit jade is indeed astronomical, but think about it—this was no ordinary letter delivery. It required traveling back and forth between Cloud Terrace Island and the secular world, and the effort and cost involved are beyond what most people could imagine. I will tell you plainly: for all that a hundred thousand spirit jade is an astronomical price, this was a losing proposition from the start. Back then we were taking a loss to make a name, and once the gimmick had served its purpose, that was that—only a fool would keep it up!" Si Haitao said with a dismissive curl of his lips.

"Then will this service be opened again in the future?" Hong Zhong asked, still unwilling to give up.

"Who knows? Maybe, maybe not. That's not my concern, and I'm not too clear on it either, but my guess is it won't be for a good while yet," Si Haitao answered between diversions, busy as he was with the women on either side of him.

"I see. Thank you for clearing that up, Manager Si. I have a few matters to attend to, so I will not trouble you further. I shall take my leave." Having gotten a clear picture, Hong Zhong spoke at once. Since the other had put things that way, it meant the matter was truly impossible; to keep asking would only waste breath and might even rouse suspicion.

"Mind your step. I won't see you out." Si Haitao raised his eyelids and watched Hong Zhong's departing figure, then suddenly knitted his brows slightly. What was the old fellow asking about that for? Could he have friends in the secular world?

With beauty in his arms, Si Haitao could not be bothered to think further. Better to spend his time on these two little lovelies than to expend thought on an old man—that was the proper business!

Back at the Hong Merchants' Association, Hong Zhong recounted Si Haitao's answers in full to Wei Zhao, who could not help feeling somewhat disappointed on hearing them. But there was nothing to be done—since the Central Merchants' Association had no intention of continuing, no amount of spirit jade would help.

"By my reckoning, the reason they stopped this service was probably not simply a matter of cost. If that were all, the Central Merchants' Association need only raise the price. This service is a complete monopoly for them—however high the price, there would still be buyers willing to pay," Hong Zhong analyzed from a businessman's perspective. (To be continued...)