Chapter 238: Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell
"I've inquired at the clinic. The physician didn't dare withhold any information when he heard it was for you. He said the person had been drugged with a sleeping draught and was unconscious. They must have grown cautious, so they truly won't be receiving anyone today."
Zheng Qing bowed respectfully as he reported to the man seated above him. The man was not tall and had the local characteristic dark complexion, but he had applied powder on his face, making his darkness incomplete and his whiteness unnatural.
This man was Zheng Bei, the owner of Zheng Shi Shipping and the brother-in-law of Mu Yunyang, the Governor of Jingzhou.
As the youngest and only male child in the family, he had been spoiled and protected by everyone, developing a willful temperament where he must have whatever he desired. Upon hearing that a major business deal from outsiders had been snatched by Donglai Trading Company, he couldn't accept it. In the territory of Jingzhou, any business involving outsiders that wasn't his should become his.
But since the person was ill, he could afford to wait. There was no hurry—they couldn't escape anyway.
"Keep an eye on them. I'll go personally to invite them tomorrow." Rumors had been swirling throughout the city about how exceptionally attractive the person was. He wanted to see for himself just how remarkable they were.
Zheng Qing acknowledged the order and withdrew, sending someone to keep watch at the inn. Compared to this minor matter, there was another, more important task to please his master.
The next day, Hua Zhi left at the calculated time. Her luggage had been sent ahead by Yu Tao the night before. Without checking out, she led her people away directly, instructing Little Six to go to the dock first. She strolled around the market before heading to the dock. By the time she arrived, Chen Er had already unloaded the goods.
Seeing her, Chen Er grinned broadly, respectfully guiding her onto the ship.
Hua Zhi asked casually, "Shall we set sail now, or..."
"We can leave anytime. Are all your people here?"
"They're here. Let's go."
"Yes."
The ship slowly departed from the shore. Hua Zhi stood at the bow, watching the dock recede into the distance. She wasn't entirely confident that this would truly help her evade trouble. After finalizing the supply deal, she would still need to return to the capital via a passenger ship from here. She hoped that by then, Zheng Shi would have given up on his intentions.
She wasn't afraid of others. Donglai Shipping had established a firm foothold here over the years and paid no mind to ordinary people. She only needed to avoid Zheng Shi. As long as she didn't provoke Zheng Shi directly, no matter how angry he was, he wouldn't risk a mutually destructive confrontation with Donglai Shipping.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qing was furious, severely beating a servant. "I told you to watch them, and this is how you do it? They've already escaped, and you're only telling me now? How am I supposed to explain this to the master?"
The servant trembled in pain, weakly defending himself, "They left without taking anything, and there were still over ten days left on their room payment. I thought they were just going into the city to look around or discuss some other business. I never expected they would board a ship in the end. Steward Zheng, please put in a good word for me with the master. Please help me..."
The servant kowtowed repeatedly to Steward Zheng. Though Steward Zheng felt a sense of satisfaction, he was also frustrated. He needed someone to plead for him—how could he plead for others?
As expected, as soon as Zheng Bei heard the report, he smashed a cup and kicked Steward Zheng to the ground. "Worthless! All of you are worthless! You can't even keep an eye on one person!"Steward Zheng endured the pain as he scrambled up and knelt back down properly. "I've made inquiries. They came from the capital. The passenger ships traveling to and from the capital can only be boarded here in Zhenyang. They'll have to return here sooner or later. I've stationed men at the dock to keep watch. We'll surely catch them."
Zheng Bei snorted, his heart boiling with anger and frustration. How dare they run? This was a slap in the face of the Zheng family!
"If you let them escape again, you might as well jump into the Wei River yourself. Save me the trouble of dealing with you."
"Yes, yes. I'll definitely keep a tight watch."
Shui Guang Village was the largest village in the area. The salty sea breeze blew, making the air seem to carry the briny scent of seawater. Though dusk was approaching, the dock remained bustling with people and boats coming and going.
Hua Zhi disembarked but was in no hurry to leave. She lingered on the dock, stopping and walking around for quite some time, paying little mind to her dirtied shoes.
She was in luck—the fish here appeared plump and came in abundant varieties. The quantity seemed sufficient too, so she needn't worry about the supply falling short when her business expanded and required larger volumes later on.
Chen Er, fearing this deal might be snatched away by others, stuck closely to Hua Zhi's side. He deliberately guided her toward the area where his fishing firm's boats were moored, hoping to showcase their capabilities to the client.
"It's getting late. Let's rest for today and pay a visit to the owner tomorrow."
Understanding her meaning, Chen Er led the group to the village's only inn—a establishment that existed solely because Shui Guang Village was a large settlement frequented by outsiders. Hua Zhi had no other choice but to stay there.
The night passed without incident.
The inn wasn't far from An Tai Fishing Firm, within walking distance. Yet Chen Er took great care, arriving early with a horse-drawn carriage to wait respectfully and escort them to the fishing firm.
In terms of grandeur, the fishing firm naturally couldn't compare to Dong Lai Shipping Company. However, its high-raised eaves gave it an imposing and dignified appearance. At first glance, Hua Zhi felt quite impressed.
Chen Er instructed an attendant to summon the owner while personally leading the guests to the reception hall. He even prepared the tea himself without delegating the task. "Please wait a moment, honored guest. The owner will arrive shortly."
Just as he spoke, footsteps echoed from outside—firm and measured steps, one after another. Recalling Xia Jiang's mention that Wu Zheng's family originally ran a security agency, Hua Zhi assumed this person likely practiced external martial arts. But when she saw the lean and wiry Wu Zheng, she grew uncertain.
Despite his slender build, Wu Zheng's voice boomed with vigor. "My apologies for keeping you waiting. I am Wu Zheng."
Hua Zhi rose and gave a slight bow. "You may address me as 'Eldest Miss,' Owner Wu."
Wu Zheng scrutinized the young woman for a few moments, then glanced at Chen Er. Was she truly here to discuss business?
Chen Er nodded repeatedly in a subtle manner. He hadn't been idle these past two days—while making deliveries in Zhenyang, he had made some inquiries. Rumor had it this Eldest Miss had struck a deal with Dong Lai Shipping Company and even chartered ships. Wasn't the only thing missing the goods? And goods were precisely what their fishing firm had in abundance!
Having built such a substantial operation, Wu Zheng was no fool. Moreover, he knew Chen Er well—the man wouldn't go to such lengths without confidence.
Feeling reassured, Wu Zheng's attitude became sincere. "I'm not one for beating around the bush, so I'll speak plainly. I heard from Chen Er that Eldest Miss wishes to purchase some goods?"
"Indeed. May I ask what kinds of goods you have available here, Owner Wu?"
"Hahaha! Eldest Miss is straightforward. I appreciate dealing with straightforward people the most." Wu Zheng stood up. "Why doesn't Eldest Miss accompany me to the back for a look?"Hua Zhi had no reason to refuse—she was eager to see what gave An Tai Fishing Firm its confidence.
Wu Zheng led the group inside, passing through a corridor and a doorway before the space suddenly opened up before them.
Hua Zhi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the interconnected pools. Drawing closer, she saw the churning water—no doubt, these were fish ponds. Some pools held dark, shadowy forms, others were patterned in black and white, and still others gleamed with white scales. A quick count suggested there were around thirty pools in total.
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