Chapter 4836 — Let Me Explain
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Manager Wan speaks rightly. To become Morning Star Academy's sole supplier, one must win everyone's heartfelt conviction. What does a patchwork facade like yours amount to?" At this, a voice answered from the crowd, and all turned to see Manager Jin of the Jinyu Chamber.
"Exactly. Manager Chai, why not hurry up and explain? Take this set of Gestation Golden Pills that my Gilded Circle has brought out—every one was refined by the same partner alchemist, our exclusive source, so a steady supply is naturally guaranteed. Otherwise, if one could only scrape together a few pills on short notice, how could one bear the needs of so many academy disciples?" Manager Hao stepped forward at the opportune moment.
Though these chambers were all rivals of one another, and Manager Hao had been cursing Wan Zhongjie in his heart a moment ago, before the common foe of the Hong family's chamber of commerce such things could only count as internal squabbles. Now they must present a united front—kick a man when he was down and drag the Hong family's chamber from its horse first.
With Wan Zhongjie and the others leading, the managers of the smaller chambers also leapt out one after another, clamoring loudly that Chai Laoshi must disclose his source, or else today's auction results could not stand.
"Impossible. A supply source is the absolute core secret of any chamber of commerce. Were it you, would you so lightly make your source public? Manager Hao, why not set an example first?" Chai Laoshi shot back.
"That..." Manager Hao immediately dared not take up the challenge. If it were made public before the crowd, what if someone poached his source from under him?
"The Gilded Circle need not shoulder the supply of the entire Morning Star Academy, so of course it has no need to disclose its source. But the Hong family's chamber of commerce holds the fate of all the academy's disciples in its hands—ought it not give everyone a satisfactory accounting?" Wan Zhongjie sneered and shifted his target.
The crowd was at once stirred to fresh fervor, the commotion mounting until the scene grew harder and harder to contain. Chai Laoshi watched in burning anxiety. He had thought this a perfectly圆满 ending—who could have foreseen the wind turning in an instant to this? The tallest tree catches the wind; the old saying was not a whit wrong!
"Silence!" At this, Ling Yuanqing finally spoke, and all fell instantly quiet. This headmaster of Morning Star Academy was acknowledged as the academy's foremost man; once he opened his mouth, no one dared utter another half word.
"I beg Headmaster Ling to uphold justice!" Chai Laoshi was overjoyed. So long as Ling Yuanqing was willing to say a word, the loudest objections of Wan Zhongjie and his like would come to nothing. Now he could rest easy.
"Headmaster Ling, this concerns the fate of all the academy's disciples; no degree of caution is excessive. You must not soften your heart and show the Hong family's chamber favoritism!" Wan Zhongjie and the others said hastily.
Ling Yuanqing slowly swept his gaze over the crowd and said mildly, "To have the Hong family's chamber of commerce disclose its source is neither practical nor reasonable. However, since you all harbor doubts, then to clear the Hong family's name, we may as well have someone inspect these pills; I believe that will yield a convincing conclusion. What say you, Manager Chai?"
"Good. Since Headmaster Ling has spoken, I have no objection either. So long as it is verified that these pills came from the hand of a single alchemist, you gentlemen should have nothing more to say. But whom shall we ask to appraise the pills? Surely not the alchemists of their own chambers?" Chai Laoshi said with a frown.