Chapter 1229: President of the Luodi Merchant Guild
“This is a major merchant guild indeed. You can trust them to handle things.” Lu Yang found the merchant guild’s protocols reasonable. They ought to be this meticulous with large policies.
Come to think of it, it’s really coincidental. I happened to witness both the Sword Tower and Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect incidents firsthand. Both were purely accidents. It’s understandable that the merchant guild’s risk assessments were inaccurate.
Still, it’s good to change the protocols. Maybe those from the headquarters will be better at making accurate decisions.
Not long after, Man Gu and his two senior brothers left the merchant guild.
If this deal went through, Zhongshan Commandery might buy insurance every year. It would be a lucrative account. The branch chief wasted no time, drafting a report and sending it straight to the headquarters in the imperial city.
~~~
“Full insurance coverage for Zhongshan Commandery?”
Man Gu was a Dao-Seeking Sect disciple, Great Xia’s zhuangyuan, and a specially appointed commandery governor. With his threefold identity, he wielded influence in both officialdom and cultivation circles. The headquarters took this matter seriously.
“Seven seniors, we need your expertise on this risk assessment.”
The person in charge of risk assessments called on seven cultivators. They were former senior experts from the Jingzhou branch who had been transferred to headquarters for their perfect track record in risk assessments.
Although they had stumbled in their risk assessment of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect before their transfer, it was later determined to be purely an accident. Who could have predicted that the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign and a Great Qian divine lord would battle there after having been missing for eighty thousand years?
Since it was an accident, it wasn’t the fault of those seven senior experts. Their talents shouldn’t be overlooked because of something like that. This was the president’s personal decision.
“Alright. Leave this to us,” the seven senior experts said with confidence. They had proven their worth at headquarters with consistently accurate risk assessments.
~~~
The seven analyzed the materials on Zhongshan Commandery while rushing to the commandery.
“The proposer is Man Gu, the new Zhongshan Commandery Governor. He’s also a disciple of the Dao-Seeking Sect.”
“The Dao-Seeking Sect?” They hadn’t cared much about Man Gu’s identity, but the sect’s name made them instinctively wince.
The leader talked them round. “Come on, why are you still hung up on that? The problem lies with Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, not the Dao-Seeking Sect. There’s no need for such reactions.”
That said, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were currently in the spotlight. Any mention of the Dao-Seeking Sect easily brought them to mind.
“By the way, do the materials mention Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou being in Zhongshan Commandery?” one of them asked.
Their failure in the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect incident had made them instinctively wary of the pair. Now, whenever they conducted a risk assessment, their first step was to rule out anything involving the two.
“I’ve checked. There’s nothing about them.”
“Good.”
The seven senior experts continued analyzing the materials, repeatedly praising Man Gu’s deeds.
“This kid is far from ordinary. He bided his time as a county magistrate, then seized the opportunity to strike two weeks ago, taking down three commandery governors. Although his methods are domineering, they’re reasonable and lawful. It was essentially a declaration to the Wilderness Province’s higher-ups that he was determined to claim the position of commandery governor.”
“This also demonstrates Man Gu’s cautious personality. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have lain low for so long to act.”
“A prudent person buying insurance is only natural.”
“But isn’t it odd to buy insurance on his first day?” Someone raised their doubts.
The leader shook his head. He was the most senior and experienced. Having encountered all kinds of people, he had seen through Man Gu’s intentions long ago.
“There’s one thing you’ve missed. Insuring the whole commandery is indeed expensive. Making such a seemingly unreasonable request on his first day is likely a way to gauge the reactions of officials in Zhongshan Commandery and determine who supports or opposes him.”
“Misrepresenting a deer to be a horse? Indeed, I overlooked that.”
With everyone chipping in, they gradually pieced together the full picture.
Arriving in Zhongshan Commandery, they visited the Quyi County yamen and subtly probed the bailiffs.
“Man Gu hired two distant relatives as constables. They’ve also been promoted to the commandery. Everything else is normal.”
“Finding jobs for relatives is normal. People often ask me for backdoor favors, wanting me to pull some strings to get them into the merchant guild.”
“Besides, have you noticed? Those two relatives took part in the arrests of all three commandery governors. Regular constables wouldn’t dare do such things; only trusted relatives would. They’re his trusted aides.”[1]
“Indeed.”
After their investigation, the seven senior experts submitted their report to the headquarters’ risk assessment director.
“Extremely low risk profile?”
He carefully reviewed their report. They quoted the classics, cited a wide range of references, presented supporting data, and provided a comprehensive analysis. It was highly convincing.
All that remained was the president’s approval.
“The president’s not in?” The risk assessment director was informed of the president’s absence by the secretary.
“He’s been unreachable for days,” the secretary elaborated. With how often the president was missing, he was already used to it.
“So should this risk assessment be approved or rejected?” Man Gu’s waiting. He’s a big client.
The secretary impassively replied, “According to the rules, if the president can’t be reached and the matter is urgent, the risk assessment can be approved directly. The president will be responsible for any consequences.”
~~~
The criminals caught by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had been detained in Quyi County’s prison. After Man Gu’s promotion, they decided to move them to Zhongshan Commandery’s prison as proof of Man Gu’s achievements.
Zhongshan Commandery’s prison was also much better than Quyi County’s. It could be considered safeguarding prisoners’ rights and providing humane treatment for inmates.
The three former commandery governors were locked up in the same cell. Despite their different backgrounds and experiences, they met the same fate and had plenty in common to talk about.
“Shifu, you’re actually the Thief King!” Fang Ning looked at his shifu with admiration. I knew Shifu was mysterious and powerful, but I didn’t know he was this powerful. The Thief King is legendary in our Thief Sect, second only to the Thief Ancestor.
The Thief King sighed. “What have I always taught you? Keep your mind as still as water and refrain from arrogance and impatience. I never told you my identity because I was worried you would react like this. The Thief King is just one of my identities. I have another one.”
“What is it?” Fang Ning looked at his shifu expectantly.
Since my disciple already knows my Thief King identity, I no longer need to hide my other identity. The Thief King’s lips curved slightly as he slowly said, “The president of the Luodi Merchant Guild.”
“Ah?” Fang Ning was dumbstruck. How could the Thief King be the president of the Luodi Merchant Guild? These two identities are worlds apart.
The Thief King stretched lazily, finding a comfortable position to lie down. This cell is indeed better than the one in Quyi County.
“Shifu, now that you’re locked up here, what about the merchant guild?” Fang Ning asked, feeling anxious on his shifu’s behalf. How could Shifu still be so calm?
“The president isn’t as busy as you think. I used to go missing all the time, and the merchant guild continued to operate as usual. Nothing will go wrong.”
1. The term for relatives is “qinqi” and the term for trusted aides is “qin xin”. The “qin” is the same character, and both terms sound quite similar. ☜