Chapter Ninety-Two: Beset by One Misfortune After Another, Give Them a Proper Welcome

By ordinary logic, a deposit is only required for barter. Yet at this very moment, he was being asked to spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver merely to buy a permit.

If the prefectural government were to void the permit, it would be no different from a blank sheet of paper.

But if he meant to carry out his purchasing plan, the permit was indispensable.

"Mizi, bring the gold ingots."

"Yes, Shopkeeper."

Mi Ling returned to Han Chong's quarters and actually carried out more than ten gold bars, a full five hundred taels in all.

Clerk Cao's eyes widened in shock as he drew in a sharp breath. He had truly not expected this Gold Shopkeeper to be so extravagantly wealthy, with such formidable resources.

"Clerk Cao, since I have only just arrived in your fine land, I would like to obtain one grain license, one cloth permit, and one salt permit. Please see to it with these five hundred taels of gold."

"Easy, easy! Gold Shopkeeper is indeed forthright, unlike those petty little traders who can never amount to much. From now on, Gold Shopkeeper must visit the prefectural office more often. Our Prefect Qu most enjoys making friends with straightforward men!"

Han Chong understood at once: this was a hint that he should send gifts.

"Many thanks to Clerk Cao for the guidance. At the New Year and on festivals, I shall certainly send some local specialties to Clerk Cao and to Lord Qu's residence!"

"Hahaha, good. Someone, issue the permits for Gold Shopkeeper: five thousand dan of grain, five thousand dan of salt, and three thousand bolts of silk."

A minor official who looked like a scribe behind him took out three permit slips already stamped with the prefectural seal and began writing.

Just after the constables had stepped out of the street gate, Mi Ling was preparing to open for business when a stream of local gentry and wealthy merchants entered the shop one after another. At a glance, they saw the three permit slips in Han Chong's hand.

"Oh? So this is the famed Gold Shopkeeper from Qiongzhou. Truly deep pockets indeed. You're moving into grain, silk, and salt all at once. Congratulations, congratulations!"

At the center stood a bearded man with drooping eyelids, cupping his hands in a smile that was more false than real.

"Heh, yes, I am Gold. May I ask who all of you are?"

"Hmph, what an uncultured upstart from the countryside, with no sense at all."

"This is President Gu Zhirong, head of the Qiongzhou Chamber of Commerce. He oversees the rules of the merchants across all ten counties of Qiongzhou. None dare disobey him."

A man with small eyes beside him spoke loudly in flattery toward the bearded man, and more than twenty merchants and gentry all nodded in agreement.

"Ah, so you are President Gu. I've long admired you. I have only just arrived here and merely wish to make a living. May I ask what brings President Gu to my humble shop today? I would be grateful for your instruction."

"Hmph, do you truly not understand, or are you pretending not to? Without the chamber, merchants are fish without water. Without President Gu coordinating matters, how could any of us merchants survive on our own?"

The wealthy merchants shook their heads, each wearing a look of contempt. In their hearts, they thought this Gold fellow might be rich, but he was clearly a bumpkin.

"Heh, since I've just arrived, I was planning to look for a chamber of commerce to join. I never expected that right after opening my shop, I would have the honor of President Gu's personal visit. But may I ask, what are the conditions for joining the Qiongzhou Chamber of Commerce? Please enlighten me."

"Hmph, now that sounds like human speech. All idle hands, step outside. Close the door."

The bearded man snorted and ordered them.

Shortly afterward, only Han Chong and the many wealthy merchants remained in the hall on the first floor, with the shop door shut.

"Ahem. If you want to join our chamber, first your scale of business must reach at least a thousand taels of silver. That, of course, is no problem for Shopkeeper Gold.

"Second, all goods you purchase and sell must not go below the chamber's fixed price. Every five days, the chamber will distribute a list of purchase and sale prices.

"Third, forty percent of all profits from trade must be turned over to the chamber, and the books will be audited once a month. No falsification is permitted.

"Fourth, to join, you must first deposit half the value of the permits as a security payment.

"If these four conditions are met, then you will be eligible for membership. What does Shopkeeper Gold think?"

Han Chong's mouth twitched slightly. This Qiongzhou Chamber of Commerce was truly ruthless. Half as a deposit, forty percent of the profit, and fixed prices on top of that. They were forcing merchants to buy low and sell high as hard as they could.

And who would bear the losses in the end if not the farmers and common people?

"Heh heh, President Gu, if one does not join the chamber, what disadvantages would there be?" Han Chong asked with clasped hands and a smile.

"Hahahaha!"

The merchants were stunned by the question for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, listen to you, Shopkeeper Gold. You look like an old hand at commerce, so why are your questions so funny?

"Do you even need to ask? I'll tell you the truth: if you do not join the chamber, then the tens of thousands of merchants in Qiongzhou will unite to crush you. We'll make sure you cannot take in a single grain of rice, and not a single tael of silver will be sold!"

"Oh? So serious?"

"President Gu, everyone, please go back. I have never liked being threatened. I'd like to see whether I can survive without relying on the chamber."

Han Chong straightened his robe and said, his expression suddenly stern.

The merchants' laughter cut off at once. The shop fell so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. All of them narrowed their eyes and fixed their gaze on Han Chong. This Gold fellow did not seem to be joking. Could he really be such a hotheaded fool, a newborn calf that feared no tiger?

"Shopkeeper Gold, are you not joking? You should think carefully before you speak. Trouble comes from the mouth. Do not say I did not warn you!" The bearded man slowly spun the jade ball in his hand as he asked in a cold voice.

"Heh, I never joke. A is A, B is B. I mean what I say."

"Hmph! Don't come crying and regretting it later. When that time comes, you may come begging to join the chamber, but I may not necessarily take you in!"

"Let's go!"

The wealthy merchants sneered and chuckled among themselves as they left, whispering that this Gold fellow was a complete idiot, daring to oppose the chamber. He was like the old birthday star hanging himself, tired of living. They followed the bearded man out the door.

Not even a few breaths later, fierce shouting erupted from outside the street gate. More than thirty rough men wearing fur shorts and cloaks crashed through the crowd and burst through the doorway.

Many townsfolk, startled, dodged aside and whispered that despite the new shop's opening, it could not escape the claws of the Heaven Ghost Gang.

The Heaven Ghost Gang? Han Chong frowned slightly. He thought that opening a shop in Qiongzhou City truly was full of hardship. No wonder the shopkeeper and his wife had been so delighted to sell this building.

With such layers of extortion, it was simply more ruthless than tigers devouring people, not even leaving bones behind.

"You are the Gold Shopkeeper?" The leader, a huge man covered in ghost tattoos, folded his arms and grinned savagely.

"Indeed. May I ask who you are, and what business brings you here?"

"Cut the nonsense. Your new shop is open, and at your scale, you can start by paying our Heaven Ghost Gang one hundred taels of gold as protection money. After that, we'll take thirty percent of your profits every month."

Han Chong's anger flared. This Heaven Ghost Gang was truly asking for the moon. To come in and demand a hundred taels of gold at once, he had already reached the limit of his patience.

"Mizi, Moon, these brothers from the Heaven Ghost Gang want one hundred taels of gold for protection. Give it to them. Be sure to treat them well."

Han Chong said in a cold voice.

"Understood, Shopkeeper."

A white figure and a black figure flashed by. Pa-pa-pa-pa, crack-crack-crack. The sound of bones breaking rang out in rapid succession.

Mi Ling and Leng Yue struck without mercy, instantly crippling more than ten of the thugs.

"Experts at the innate level!" the leader cried out in alarm. He and his brothers tried to hold the line while retreating, but he still took a kick to the left side of his face from Leng Yue and was sent flying.

"Good, good, good! Fatty Gold, just you wait. Offend our Heaven Ghost Gang, and you'll have plenty to suffer for!"

The gathered townsfolk had not expected that this Gold Shopkeeper would actually have two top-notch experts as bodyguards. No wonder he had dared to buy out the largest tavern in the city center with such boldness.

Yet after cheering at first, the people soon frowned and sighed as they dispersed. It seemed they still did not believe that two experts alone could stand up to the Heaven Ghost Gang.