An Unannounced Visit
"What did you say?! The Chief is here?!" gasped Cheong Ong, the branch manager of Tongseong County.
The Tongseong County branch of the Red Heaven Merchant Group, located in Xianning, Hubei Province, was not particularly prominent among the group's many branches. Since the Zhuge Clan and the Wudang Sect were situated in the northwestern part of Hubei, the major branches of the province were located across Xiangyang (where the Zhuge Clan resided) and Shiyan (home to the headquarters of the Wudang Sect).
These regions were all located in northern Hubei, where numerous rivers and lakes, including the Yangtze River, flowed, fostering the growth of highly developed cities. Since cities often flourished along waterways, the settlements in these areas were grand in scale.
Therefore, to visit a truly significant branch in Hubei, one had to travel to those near Xiangyang or Shiyan. Even the high-ranking executives from the Red Heaven Merchant Group's headquarters preferred to visit the Xiangyang branch rather than this minor one in Tongseong County, Xianning, whenever they traveled to Hubei.
Thus, it was only natural that the branch manager of Tongseong reacted with such utter shock when the steward relayed the gatekeeper's message. Even at the larger branches, the sudden arrival of the Chief would have sent the branch manager scrambling to receive him. An unannounced visit of this magnitude made the Tongseong branch manager doubt his own ears.
"I-Is that truly the case?! The Chief has arrived?"
"Yes, sir! He is—"
"Move, you fool! Why are you just standing there instead of preparing to receive him?!"
"A-Ah, yes, sir! I will prepare the VIP suite immediately!"
Before the steward could even finish his sentence, the branch manager leaped from his seat and rushed out. Hurrying from his office, he adjusted his robes with frantic hands while gesturing wildly to the passing maidservants.
"Quickly, prepare tea and refreshments in the VIP suite! And steward! Does the Chief have companions with him?"
The steward nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. There are three others accompanying him."
"You heard him! Prepare enough teacups and a lavish spread of refreshments for everyone! Double-check the seating in the VIP suite!"
At the branch manager's command, the maidservants scurried off. The steward bowed deeply and hurried ahead to escort Lee Hak, the Chief of the Red Heaven Merchant Group, and his companions. Following close behind, the branch manager's mind raced.
This is my chance! A chance for a promotion!
Cheong Ong, who was far from satisfied with merely being a local branch manager, thought to himself, I must make an impeccable impression!
In truth, the position of a branch manager within the Red Heaven Merchant Group was highly coveted. If a man seeking marriage was a branch manager of the Red Heaven Merchant Group, he was practically guaranteed success. In fact, unless the bride's family was of exceptionally high nobility, they would likely be the ones begging for the match. Within their respective territories, these branch managers wielded power that rivaled high-ranking government officials.
To put it with only slight exaggeration, they could easily manipulate the local county magistrate to their whim, as most could be bought with gold. Since no other merchant group in the Central Plains could rival the Red Heaven Merchant Group, it held an unrivaled, absolute position. To be a branch manager of such an empire meant that, unless the county was exceptionally large, the magistrate or local chief would personally seek to curry favor with them.
Although a county magistrate was considered a low-ranking official in the grand imperial hierarchy, they wielded absolute, direct authority over the residents of their assigned county. In massive, prominent counties, a proud magistrate might not demean himself by openly seeking out a merchant, but behind closed doors, their ties were always tightly bound.
With the deputy magistrates and military commandants also on the payroll, a branch manager could exercise immense authority, provided they didn't do something incredibly foolish like antagonizing the local government or letting power go to their head. In fact, Cheong Ong, the branch manager of Tongseong County in Xianning, Hubei, had a history of utilizing the magistrate and his subordinates to exert his influence.
There was once an incident where an Unorthodox martial artist of the Peak Realm, drunk on his own power, established an outlaw gang in Tongseong County and began to run amok. Since there were no rival gangs nearby, they subtly began demanding exorbitant protection fees and taxes from the local merchants. Unable to tolerate this, Cheong Ong had paid a secret, late-night visit to the county magistrate.
"Aigoo, you work so tirelessly for our people, Magistrate. This is merely a small token of my appreciation for your continued favor toward our merchant group."
The magistrate cleared his throat and opened the chest. Inside, row upon row of brilliantly shining gold ingots met his gaze, and his eyes instantly lost all semblance of reason.
"Ahem!" Quickly shutting the chest and pulling it close, the magistrate let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! It brings me great comfort to know that the branch manager recognizes my hard work! Tell me, how have you been faring lately?"
"Haha, thanks to your excellent governance, the members of our merchant group are doing wonderfully! Haha... However, a certain outlaw gang has recently begun to oppress the innocent townspeople, which weighs heavily on my mind."
"Hmm, how dreadful! To think those wicked outlaws dared to oppress our good, honest citizens! I am deeply ashamed that this escaped my notice until now. Since you have brought this to my attention, how could I possibly stand idle? Though the law of non-interference between government and martial arts exists, we cannot simply watch as the peace of our people is disrupted!"
"Haha! Hearing that you will take action washes away all my worries! Truly, there is no one who cares for this town as deeply as you do, Magistrate! Haha!"
Indeed, following this secret exchange of "well-wishes" (written as well-wishes, read as solicitation) between the magistrate and Cheong Ong, the outlaw gang was bound in ropes and dragged away. Their headquarters was thoroughly ransacked by the government soldiers, and all their assets were swallowed whole by the Red Heaven Merchant Group.
If one were to ask how government soldiers could arrest martial artists despite the non-interference pact, the answer lay in the charges meticulously fabricated and provided by the Red Heaven Merchant Group. With a bit of exaggeration, they would frame the gang for treason against the imperial throne. Faced with such a charge, even the most formidable martial artists had no choice but to surrender quietly. The moment they resisted, they would truly become rebels.
Although there were occasionally foolish martial artists who ran wild, relying blindly on the non-interference pact, they all ended up dragged away in chains. Consequently, in regions where the Red Heaven Merchant Group was established, including Tongseong County, Unorthodox tyranny was strangely nonexistent. Even if Unorthodox gangs did operate there, they usually did so only after reaching an understanding with the Red Heaven Merchant Group, earning their keep through highly reasonable and legitimate labor.
Thanks to this, a bizarre phenomenon occurred where the local residents actually favored the arrangement, despite knowing full well that their corrupt officials were exchanging bribes with the Red Heaven Merchant Group. At any rate, the position of a branch manager was by no means a minor one. Nevertheless, Cheong Ong desired a transfer to a central executive position at headquarters, which offered far better treatment and compensation. Thus, he intended to prepare meticulously to leave a lasting impression on Lee Hak.
I must not make a single mistake. I will... I will absolutely show him my best! With that thought, Cheong Ong's eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Since it's not a particularly large city, I didn't expect much, but it is far better managed than I anticipated. I am glad we could present a good sight to you, Lord Unwol."
Lee Hak spoke in a pleased tone as he surveyed the branch's surroundings. I, too, looked around and offered my thoughts.
"It certainly exudes a very clean and orderly atmosphere."
"It is my core operational guideline. I believe that even if profits fall slightly short, we must always maintain absolute cleanliness."
"Mmm, I see."
Hearing such words from a man who literally crafted Jiangshis out of human corpses gave me a rather peculiar feeling. But regardless, it really is exceptionally clean.
There wasn't a single stain on the walls, and the branch buildings, though simple, were constructed with extreme neatness. The strongholds of the outlaws I had seen previously, like the Black Summit Sect or the Red Fang Gang, were not only poorly maintained but also gaudily decorated in a desperate bid to look grand. In contrast, this place was highly pleasing to the eye.
Come to think of it, the design of his carriage had a similar aesthetic. As I mused to myself, Lee Hak spoke up.
"I prefer simplicity and refinement over gaudy extravagance. In truth, people find themselves far more comfortable with this kind of aesthetic than with complex, flashy designs."
His forward-thinking mindset was truly impressive. How did typical buildings in this medieval China-like world look? Anyone with a bit of wealth strove to build as ostentatiously and magnificently as possible. The imperial palace and the estates of prestigious clans went without saying, and even the local outlaw gangs were desperate to decorate their halls with gaudy ornaments. Although I had yet to see the architecture of the Orthodox sects, I doubted they would be much different.
I didn't mean to say that their style was inherently bad, but Lee Hak's approach—understanding human psychology and utilizing it for commercial appeal—was undeniably far more sophisticated. It was easy to see how he had risen to become the greatest merchant in the Central Plains.
As I was reevaluating my opinion of Lee Hak, two men came rushing toward us, panting heavily.
"Pant... Whew..."
Lee Hak turned to look at them and greeted them warmly. "Ah, if it isn't Branch Manager Cheong Ong of Tongseong County. It is a pleasure to see you again. We first met at headquarters, so this must be our second meeting."
At those words, Cheong Ong's eyes welled with deep emotion, clearly touched that Lee Hak had remembered his name despite having met only once before.
"Ah! To think you would remember my name! It is an absolute honor, Chief!"
The branch manager bowed deeply in greeting, then quickly gestured to guide us. "Since such esteemed guests have graced us with their presence, I shall escort you to the VIP suite immediately!"
As we followed his lead, the merchant group's employees lined up on both sides, bowing respectfully in perfect unison. Observing this, Lee Hak murmured in a pleased, quiet voice.
"The staff training is excellent as well."
Cheong Ong's ears seemed to twitch as he caught the faint whisper, and his steps grew instantly lighter, brimming with newfound confidence.