Chapter 3410 — An Unexpected Complication
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"That will do nicely. Sorry to put you to the trouble." From Torgut's tone, Wei Zhao knew at once that this poison-refining base must have some connection to the Paoli clan—otherwise Torgut would never have been so confident.
"No problem at all! Young Master Lin, you and Young Master Yu rest here for a while, then tell me who it is you're looking for and what he looks like. Just wait for my word!" Torgut said, thumping his chest.
"Very well." Wei Zhao did not decline. He and Yu Dake parked the car and entered the Paoli clan's estate.
They had not been inside the Paoli clan's courtyard long before Toru Riyue came to see Wei Zhao, greeting him warmly: "Young Master Lin, you've come! Torgut tells me you're here looking for a friend. Rest assured, we will help you with this—don't worry. Just give me your friend's name, and a photograph if you have one."
"Then I'll trouble you, Old Clan Chief Toru. His name is Ying Zhijia. As for a photograph, I'll send it to you—please give me your email address." Wei Zhao nodded. He had no mind now to puzzle out what ties bound the Paoli clan to the poison-refining base; he need only find Chuanshanjia.
"Of course. Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Lin." Toru Riyue gave his email address, and Wei Zhao sent him the photograph of Chuanshanjia from his phone.
Toru Riyue nodded and went off to see to it, while Wei Zhao and Yu Dake rested in their room.
Only after Toru Riyue had left did Yu Dake lower his voice and say, "Mr. Lin, it seems there's something fishy between that poison-refining base and the Paoli clan!"
"That much is certain—otherwise they could never have taken the matter on so boldly." Wei Zhao smiled and said mildly, "Still, with their help we'll be spared a good deal of trouble."
"True enough. Then we wait for news." Yu Dake nodded.
That evening, Clan Chief Toru Riyue of the Paoli clan held a banquet in honor of Wei Zhao and Yu Dake. They treated Wei Zhao as a distinguished guest—after all, cultivating good relations with someone as formidable as Wei Zhao could bring the Paoli clan nothing but benefit.
"Young Master Lin, rest easy. I've already sent word to the poison-refining base, and their man in charge says he remembers the fellow. Everyone at that base is Asian, so he's bound to be there." Toru Riyue raised his cup. "So all you need do, Young Master Lin, is wait patiently. He has to grant me this face!"
"My thanks. Then I'll wait a while." Wei Zhao raised his cup as well.
Since their purpose had been achieved, the dinner passed in perfect harmony and good cheer.
Over at the poison-refining base, the man in charge was named Lou Tianqi—a minor chieftain, to be sure. His life was nothing like as comfortable as Brother Dafeng's. Though both ruled their own little domains, Lou commanded a pack of bio-engineered men, and there was no comparing him to Brother Dafeng.
That day, Toru Riyue, chief of the Paoli clan, had telephoned him to say he wanted a certain man released. Lou had not taken it seriously—after all, his base lay within the Paoli clan's sphere of influence, and if he wanted to refine poison in peace, he could not go around the Paoli clan.
To buy that peace, they paid the Paoli clan a vast sum every year, and in return the Paoli clan left them alone; and if other powers came calling, the Paoli clan would shield them too.
The profits of poison-refining were simply too great. Many great houses, hidden clans, and sects cast covetous eyes upon it—without a powerful umbrella, what one earned would not be enough to satisfy all the freeloaders who came to extort a share.
That was why, when Wei Zhao came looking for someone, the Paoli clan stepped in to help.
Yet when Lou Qitian pulled up Ying Zhijia's file, he was startled. He had assumed that if the Paoli clan wanted a man from him, it must be someone freshly captured by the base—otherwise why would they have waited all these years to ask?