Chapter 3598 — It Must Be Fake
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
In his view, there was no need to think about it at all. Mine No. 10 was a dead pit, universally acknowledged as incapable of yielding good jade. Wei Zhao's final haul was bound to be a pile of waste—not a single good piece among them!
And that was precisely the effect Meng Jueming wanted. Newcomers who obeyed him, like Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming, could stay in the good mines and pull six or seven pieces of fine jade a day at the very least, while troublemakers like Wei Zhao were assigned to the dead pit that was Mine No. 10, toiling all day without winning so much as one good piece. Set the two side by side, and every newcomer present would naturally know which way to go!
Thrive those who follow me, perish those who defy me! That was the bare minimum Meng Jueming demanded of himself. If he could not manage even that among the worthless newcomers of Qingyun Pavilion, it would be a poor return on the cunning and authority of a senior steward brother. In truth, had Wei Zhao not spoiled his plans time and again, the experience of past years told him he would have reached that point long ago.
Yet now, not only had he failed to reach it, but a most ominous premonition had taken root in him—and its source was the scene from that very morning. For the sake of Wei Zhao of all things, the long-suffering wretch who had swallowed every insult for years had dared to defy him in public. To a man accustomed to having the final say, this was decidedly not a good sign!
The reason Meng Jueming could play the senior steward brother with such relish was, first, his wide web of connections. His backing might not have been the strongest, but by dint of scheming and cultivation he had made contact with figures in every quarter, weaving himself a rather decent net of relationships. Yet there was another, more important reason besides: the wretch himself, Kusheng Le.
By the rules of the Welcome Pavilion, the newcomers of the three pavilions were governed by two senior steward brothers apiece—which meant that under normal circumstances power was split evenly between them. But here in Qingyun Pavilion, thanks to the existence of that veritable oddity, Senior Brother Kusheng, Meng Jueming had been able to seize all authority without a shred of doubt. In fact, had it been anyone else with even a flicker of ambition, he would have found it no easy thing to accomplish. For though his seniority ran deeper, their standing was equal, and once rivalry began it would surely cost him endless trouble.
To this state of affairs Meng Jueming had been thoroughly well disposed—until today, when Kusheng had dared to defy his will in public and even attempted to reassign Wei Zhao's mine. That was nothing short of a challenge to his authority! Though the clash had ended in Kusheng's crushing defeat, it was hardly a good omen—especially with a restless creature like Wei Zhao egging him on from behind. Who knew what greater commotion might come of it before long!
In Meng Jueming's eyes, Kusheng was scarcely a rival worth the name—but a nuisance all the same, and best strangled in the cradle while it was still a sprout. The most practical way to do that was to subdue the rest of the newcomers before Kusheng could make trouble again. By then, with only a ragtag handful like Wei Zhao under his command, Kusheng could scheme himself hoarse and still never shake the standing of Meng Jueming, senior steward brother!
Meng Jueming led the flock of newcomers and stood there, grinning coldly, watching Wei Zhao—to dig all day in bitter labor and end up with not a single good piece: what sort of feeling was that? It would be enough to make a man want to dash out his own brains in despair!
As he watched the quality inspector haul his basket away, Wei Zhao's face remained as usual—even touched by the faintest suggestion of a smile. Yet to everyone watching, the fellow was plainly putting on a brave front!