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墨書 Inktalez
Ouyang Qingfeng and the other generals noticed a dent on Liao Shunyu's iron rod. Ouyang Qingfeng asked,
"General Liao, are you saying that the dent on your iron rod was left when you concentrated your attack on those two soldiers with Heart Shields?"
Liao Shunyu nodded and replied, "Yes, Grand Marshal. When I struck those two soldiers, I used all my strength. I originally thought I would definitely be able to kill them, but upon impact, I realized their Heart Shields were much harder than I had imagined, and it nearly knocked my iron rod out of my hands."
"General Liao, do you know which Merchant Guild on Luo Heng Island made the armor those two soldiers were wearing? Or was it crafted by their Blacksmith Guild?"
Liao Shunyu shook his head. "I am not sure about that, but because of the hardness of their Heart Shields, I caught a glimpse and vaguely thought there were two characters on their Heart Shields. However, I couldn't see clearly what they were. Perhaps we should ask the soldiers; they might have seen it more clearly."
Ouyang Qingfeng nodded and said, "You can handle this matter, General. I want to know the answer as soon as possible."
"Understood, Grand Marshal." Liao Shunyu left the tent.
That afternoon, Liao Shunyu returned with a few soldiers outside the tent. "Reporting to Grand Marshal, I have brought the soldiers who know those two characters."
"Come in."
Liao Shunyu lifted the curtain and stepped inside. After entering, he knelt on one knee with the two soldiers: "We pay our respects to the Grand Marshal."
"Rise and speak."
Liao Shunyu and the two soldiers stood up. "Please tell us what those two characters are."
"Regarding the Grand Marshal's inquiry, the two characters printed on the armor of those soldiers are 'Chinese.'"
"'Chinese'? What does 'Chinese' mean? Is it the name of a Merchant Guild?"
"This is still unclear, but I have already sent our scouts to the Messenger. I believe we will receive news soon."
Ouyang Qingfeng turned to the two soldiers behind him and asked, "Are you both certain that it says 'Chinese'?"
The two nodded in unison, saying, "Yes, Grand Marshal, we are both sure."
"How do you know?"
"Replying to the Grand Marshal, this is not the first time soldiers wearing such armor have appeared on the battlefield. They have been present since the first day of fighting, but their combat strength was not as formidable then. I saw one during the second battle; one soldier in that armor knocked me down and was about to kill me when my partner struck him in the back with a club. However, that person seemed unfazed and let me go to pursue my teammates.
It was at that moment that I noticed their armor. I also experimented with it; they have only two types of armor. One type is plain without engravings and can be easily damaged with a few strikes from a Heart Shield. But those wearing the engraved armor—let alone a few strikes—we surrounded one soldier with five of us, and by the end, our Steel Blades were all dulled, yet that soldier's armor remained intact, and even our Steel Blades showed no signs of damage."
Ouyang Qingfeng nodded, "You two may leave now." After dismissing the two soldiers, Ouyang Qingfeng looked at Liao Shunyu.
"General Liao, do you have anything to add?"
"Grand Marshal, if this armor truly comes from something called the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, then its existence poses a significant threat to us. If all soldiers on Luo Heng Island can possess such armor, our situation will be dire."
Ouyang Qingfeng nodded and said, "Your analysis is sound; please continue."
"Yes, Grand Marshal. If it is indeed as we suspect, then we cannot allow the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to remain. We must report this intelligence to His Majesty and let him decide. It would be best to send someone to eliminate the Chinese Chamber of Commerce from Luo Heng Island."
"Not bad, Liao Shunyu. You have learned to think critically about problems. I will be able to entrust these soldiers to you when I grow old."
"Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance." Liao Shunyu was the most outstanding student of Ouyang Qingfeng. Every time the Gates of Hell opened, Ouyang Qingfeng would take Liao Shunyu with him so he could provide better guidance. Ouyang Qingfeng had long planned to pass his Grand Marshal position to Liao Shunyu, waiting for him to mature. Today, seeing Liao Shunyu's analysis made Ouyang Qingfeng very pleased; he knew his student had grown a lot.
"We will make further plans once you receive news from the scouts."
"Yes, Teacher. I will take my leave now." Ouyang Qingfeng nodded.
A few days later, Liao Shunyu came to find Ouyang Qingfeng again: "Grand Marshal, I have something to report."
"Come in."
Liao Shunyu entered Ouyang Qingfeng's room: "Teacher, the scouts have sent back news."
"Speak."
"Teacher, the scouts reported that there is indeed a Merchant Guild called Chinese on Luo Heng Island, which primarily deals in weapons and equipment. Furthermore, after its establishment, this Chinese Chamber of Commerce was challenged by the young master of the New Home Chamber of Commerce, and they ended up in a stalemate.
The scouts also mentioned that the newly appointed Quartermaster was originally an aide to Zhu Xiao. His first action upon taking office was to send someone to contact the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, seemingly intending to purchase a large quantity of weapons and equipment from them."
Ouyang Qingfeng listened with his eyes closed as Liao Shunyu reported, then nodded: "As we suspected, this Chinese Chamber of Commerce cannot be left alone. Liao Shunyu, you will guard this place for me. I will return and inform His Majesty; I must ensure that His Majesty sends someone to eliminate the Chinese Chamber of Commerce."
"Teacher, rest assured. I guarantee with my life that the enemy will not breach the fortress. Please be careful on your journey."
Ouyang Qingfeng understood the importance of the situation and left the fortress overnight.
After more than a month of arduous travel, Zhao Jun finally arrived in Winter City. As Zhao Jun's convoy entered the city, they were stopped by a group of people. Zhao Jun lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw that it was Guo Leigang and his entourage who had blocked his way.
Zhao Jun stepped down from the carriage, and Guo Leigang quickly approached him. "Lord Zhao, you must be tired from your journey. Younger Brother has specially prepared a banquet for you at Ronghua Tower to welcome you. I hope you won't decline."
Hearing Guo Leigang's words, Zhao Jun smiled. "President Guo, you are too kind. What can I say? It's just my lot to work hard."
Under Guo Leigang's guidance, Zhao Jun's carriage arrived at Ronghua Tower, where a lavish banquet was laid out in a private room. Seated at the table were Guo Leigang, Guo Yunhua, and Zhao Jun.
At that moment, six women dressed provocatively walked in from outside. Upon seeing them, Guo Leigang said to Zhao Jun, "You've worked hard these days, so you must indulge yourself today. Tell me if these ladies suit your taste."
When Zhao Jun looked at the six women, his eyes narrowed into slits as he nodded repeatedly, saying, "They suit my taste very well. President Guo, you are thoughtful."
"You all must take good care of Lord Zhao today, understood?"
"Yes," the six women replied in unison. Two of them approached Guo Leigang and Guo Yunhua while the other four sat beside Zhao Jun, pouring him wine and serving dishes. Zhao Jun simply placed his hands on the shoulders of two women beside him, playfully touching them, which elicited giggles from the ladies.
Guo Leigang smiled at Zhao Jun's demeanor. After several rounds of drinks, he asked Zhao Jun, "Lord Zhao, what brings you here today?"
Zhao Jun shook his head. "What else could it be? The newly appointed Cai Daren sent me here to negotiate with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce about purchasing weapons and armor."
"Lord Zhao, what about our Chinese Chamber of Commerce?"
"President Guo, I've tried my best, but you know he's new in office and needs to make a show of strength first. So it's really beyond my control."
"Lord Zhao, there's no need for such words. Today, I am simply here to welcome you. I have long remembered the kindness of the New Home Chamber of Commerce. You need not feel troubled."
"President Guo, rest assured, even if I were to negotiate, I would make sure the Chinese Chamber of Commerce suffers greatly. I want them to pay until they go bankrupt."
"We at the New Home Chamber of Commerce rely entirely on your support. Allow me to toast to you."
After dinner, the three of them went to their respective rooms, enjoying a night filled with romance and revelry. It wasn't until just before lunch the next day that Zhao Jun staggered down to the first floor of Ronghua Tower. Upon arriving, he discovered that Guo Leigang had reserved a room for him here, with all expenses covered by the New Home Chamber of Commerce. Zhao Jun was quite satisfied with Guo Leigang's arrangements.
Having grown accustomed to a life surrounded by beautiful women, Zhao Jun found the past month of travel quite unbearable. Now that he had arrived in Winter City, he intended to indulge himself thoroughly. For three consecutive days, he feasted on fine food and drink, changing his company of beautiful women seven or eight times each day.
It was only on the fourth day after arriving in Winter City that Zhao Jun began to recover from his indulgences. He summoned his bodyguards and boarded a carriage heading straight for Qianyu Village, preparing to complete the task assigned by Cai Sidong.
As he left Winter City, he took two courtesans from Ronghua Tower with him to ensure he wouldn't be lonely on the road.
Zhao Jun's bodyguards had grown accustomed to their master's lifestyle; ever since Zhao Jun became the supervisor, his life had descended into a certain level of debauchery.
A few days later, Zhao Jun arrived at Qianyu Village. After resting at an inn, he sent one of his bodyguards to deliver a visiting card to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
At that moment, Liu Guanfeng was resting in his Merchant Guild when someone suddenly reported, "President, there is someone outside requesting an audience."
"Who wishes to see me?"
"He claims to be Zhao Jun's subordinate from the Military Supply Office in Winter City. He is here today to deliver a visiting card."
"Show him into my study."
"Yes." The guard stepped back.
Liu Guanfeng straightened his clothes and headed straight to his study. Just as he sat down, a voice came from the door: "President, the gentleman has arrived."
Liu Guanfeng personally opened the door: "Please come in." He welcomed the visitor into the room.
Today, it was Zhao Jun's personal guard who had come. He and Zhao Jun had grown up together, and their bond was very strong. After Zhao Jun became the Purchasing Officer of Winter City, he appointed this person as his personal guard and made him the captain of his guard team.
This man followed Zhao Jun everywhere. Although he hadn't learned much else, his temper had certainly grown. Since becoming the captain of the guard, all merchants, especially those from the Merchant Guild in Winter City, had to offer him some benefits, whether they were Presidents or ordinary managers.
Even last time when Guo Leigang hosted Zhao Jun, he specifically reserved a room for him and had arranged with the madam that all expenses for this guard would be charged to his account.
As a result, not only had his temper increased, but he also looked down on other Merchant Guild members, seemingly forgetting that he was just a guard.
After seating the visitor, Liu Guanfeng poured a cup of tea and asked, "What is your name, sir?"
The man took a sip of tea before replying, "My surname is Ren, I am Ren Xing, Captain of Zhao Jun's guard."
Liu Guanfeng felt quite annoyed by Ren's attitude. A guard speaking to a President like this showed a complete lack of basic manners. However, Liu Guanfeng still maintained a polite facade: "Sir Ren, may I ask what brings you to our humble place today?"
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