Chapter 3847 — Ill Intent
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
He did not recognize Nan Tianguan, but Yu Jiang had been a frequent visitor to the Hong Clan Trading Company of late—and the recent disturbances had all arisen because of him. If the boy could not recognize that, then the Company's careful training would have been utterly wasted.
"Where's your steward?" Nan Tianguan did not so much as glance at the servant, curling his lip with an air of supreme disdain.
The Three Heroes of the Nan Clan had always been accustomed to arrogance, and even he—the clever one—was not exempt. He never deigned to give a pleasant look to underlings of this sort. And besides, even judging purely by the purpose of today's visit, he had to come on with an overbearing swagger.
Putting all else aside, he had to overpower them in presence first. Otherwise, given these merchants' fox-cunning nature, there would be no prying a word of truth out of them.
Truth be told, seeing Nan Tianguan carry on in this fashion, Yu Jiang, trailing behind him, felt somewhat uneasy at heart.
How terrifying the expert retainers of the Hong Clan Trading Company were—not only had his so-called master Nan Tianyong been given a hard lesson, but he himself had experienced it firsthand. It had lasted only a brief instant, yet that pressure alone had been enough to leave him trembling with fright.
Nan Tianguan was strong, a notch above even Nan Tianyong at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage. But Yu Jiang did not believe he could gain any advantage over the Company's expert retainers. Even if he might hold his own against one of them in single combat, they had more than one expert retainer!
Uneasy as he was, Yu Jiang knew well that before Nan Tianguan he had no right to be giving orders. And Nan Tianguan was no simple man—if he had no backing to rely on, he surely would not be doing something so brainless.
A short while later, the two were ushered by the servant into a private room on the second floor. And this time, beyond Yu Jiang's expectations, the steward Hong Zhong—ever courteous to one and all—for the first time ever did not rise to greet them.
"What instruction might the two of you have come to impart?" Hong Zhong sat upright in his grand armchair, sipping fine tea as he lifted his eyes to the two of them and said blandly, "The Hong Clan Trading Company welcomes any guest with all sincerity. But if you have come to pick a quarrel, then forgive us for not seeing you out—do not make things unpleasant for yourselves."
As a man of business, Hong Zhong had always greeted the world's guests with a smiling face. Yet when faced with certain ill-intentioned customers who made their hostile purpose plain, he never gave them a kindly look either.
The Hong Clan Trading Company, as a top-tier firm among the five great islands of the Heaven Rank, would be accused of abusing its size to mistreat customers if it were too haughty. But Hong Zhong knew well that there were times when one had to be firm—that every so often one had to strike the mountain to startle the tiger, and put on a show of might.
Otherwise, if one knew only forbearance, certain petty scoundrels would take it for weakness and push further and further, bringing endless trouble—and even tarnishing other customers' impression of the Company, until business became hard to conduct.
In Hong Zhong's eyes, since these two had clearly come with ill intent, there was naturally no need for courtesy. Serving tea was already a signal of dismissal, and a most courteous one at that. If the two still failed to read the room, then what followed could only be killing the chicken to warn the monkey.
"Unpleasant for ourselves?" Nan Tianguan glanced at Hong Zhong. That a mere merchant slave should dare be so discourteous to him sent a wicked fire surging in his breast. He sneered at once: "The Hong Clan Trading Company has a grand name indeed. But I am most curious—is this how you customarily receive your guests?"