Chapter 434: Submission
Chapter 434: Chapter 388: Submission
Bai San was about to retort, but Chen Li, who had been silent until now, calmly said, “Since they’ve so graciously invited us, we might as well go with them.”
Bai San swallowed the curse on the tip of his tongue, snorted in annoyance, and fell silent.
The River Hall Master glanced at Chen Li in surprise, apparently not expecting this unassuming man to be the one calling the shots.
He gave a faint smile. “It seems this gentleman here knows how to read the situation. The three of you should take a lesson from him.”
Bai San and Gossip exchanged a glance, holding back their anger. Inside, however, they were sneering.
‘Fool! Just wait until I make my move. Let’s see if you’re still smiling then!’
The River Hall Master, of course, had no idea what they were thinking. Seeing the four men back down, he gestured to the boatman.
The black-canopied boat immediately changed course, heading toward a patch of water thick with reeds.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a two-story Tower Ship came into view. A few scattered lights glimmered on its decks, barely visible through the rainy night.
The black-canopied boat slowly pulled alongside the Tower Ship.
The River Hall Master leaped onto the Tower Ship’s deck first, then turned to the four men in the cabin. “Gentlemen, please.”
Chen Li stepped out of the low-ceilinged cabin and stood at the bow. He glanced at the Tower Ship before them and instructed Bai San and Peng Anmin, “You two, stay on the boat and guard the cargo.”
He then said to Gossip, “You’re coming with me.”
“Yes,” Gossip answered quickly.
Unexpectedly, the River Hall Master’s expression hardened. “I’m afraid you misheard me, friend,” he said coldly. “Our Gang Leader invited all four of you. Not one less.”
Bai San shouted, “We still have the medicinal herbs we just paid a fortune for on this boat. How do we know you won’t have someone sail it away and steal our cargo the moment we’re gone? We have to leave someone behind to watch it!”
The River Hall Master scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “Rest assured, gentlemen. The Netherworld Ship’s business is built on reputation. Since you purchased these goods legitimately from the Black Market, the Tuo Long Bang won’t lay a finger on them.”
His gaze swept over the four men, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The Gang Leader wants to see all four of you. No one gets left behind. Don’t make things difficult for us.”
Chen Li didn’t argue. He simply said, “In that case, bring the chests. We’ll all go up together.”
Bai San and Peng Anmin each hoisted one of the heavy medicine chests onto their shoulders.
Seeing this, the River Hall Master’s face twisted into a smirk that said, ‘So you do know what’s good for you.’ He grunted and stopped blocking their way.
A gangplank had already been lowered from the Tower Ship.
Chen Li was the first to step onto the gangplank, with Bai San and the other two following close behind, carrying the chests.
The River Hall Master led the way, while Hall Master Jiang brought up the rear in silence.
The four men were led straight up the stairs to the second floor.
They arrived outside a spacious cabin, and the River Hall Master knocked on the door.
“Gang Leader, I’ve brought them.”
The door was pushed open, and the four men filed inside. Bai San and Peng Anmin gently set the two heavy wooden chests down by the door.
The room was brightly lit.
Li Sanli had clearly just finished a session of his Breathing Technique, and the Inner Qi circulating through his body had yet to fully settle.
When the four men entered, he raised his eyes, his gaze raking over them.
As his gaze passed over Chen Li, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. A strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity rose within him.
‘Have I seen him somewhere before?’
But the flicker of doubt passed in an instant.
He didn’t dwell on it. Locking his gaze on Gossip and Peng Anmin, he got straight to the point. “Gentlemen, the last time I proposed that the Tuo Long Bang handle distribution of your Opium, you refused. Now you’ve returned to my Netherworld Ship. What’s this? A change of heart?”
Gossip’s eyes narrowed. He was about to speak, but Chen Li, at his side, stopped him with a subtle raise of his hand.
Chen Li calmly met Li Sanli’s scrutinizing gaze. “About the Opium… why don’t you tell us your proposal first? What’s the plan?”
Li Sanli’s gaze sharpened, instantly focusing on Chen Li.
‘So this is the real leader!’
His thoughts raced, but Li Sanli’s expression remained unchanged.
‘Since he brought it up himself, this deal is still on the table.’
He said at once, “You’re a man who gets straight to the point, so I won’t beat around the bush. Right now, in all of Jiangzhou, when it comes to extensive channels and discreet, reliable sales, if my Tuo Long Bang is number two, no one dares to claim they’re number one.”
“My proposal is this: you provide the goods at sixty taels a box, and I’ll take a twenty-tael cut for my trouble. For the first batch, I can take ten thousand boxes to test the waters. As long as the sales channels prove smooth, we can establish a regular, long-term supply arrangement.”
“Furthermore, I can set aside a dedicated space on the Netherworld Ship for our transactions. What do you think of my plan, sir?”
He considered his terms generous. By proposing a long-term partnership rather than a one-off deal, he was showing greater sincerity.
Having said his piece, he watched Chen Li with a relaxed and expectant air, awaiting his response.
Chen Li listened, then shook his head. “Too slow. I don’t have time to wait around for your ‘long-term supply arrangement.'”
Li Sanli was taken aback. “What do you mean, sir…?”
Chen Li looked him straight in the eye and said, enunciating each word, “Tomorrow, you will send someone, in the name of the Seven Kills Association, to contact the Celestial Sword Sect and the Su Family. Tell them: eighty thousand boxes of top-grade Opium Paste, on hand, available for a single bulk purchase. The price is negotiable, but payment must be made in full with silver. Have them set the time and place for the deal. If their appetites aren’t big enough, any other major Sect will do. Then, you will report back to me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell utterly silent.
Li Sanli’s pupils contracted. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
The River Hall Master, standing at attention nearby, was furious. How dare this man speak to his Gang Leader with such a commanding tone?
“Insolent!”
The River Hall Master took a step forward and roared, “Who the hell do you think you are? You dare to give orders to our Gang Leader?”