Zhao Rang found a secluded table in the hall and sat down. He watched from a distance as the clerk walked around behind the counter, took out a thick account book and began to rummage through it.
Not long after, the waiter came to Zhao Rang with excitement and said:
"Sir, I found it. He is a businessman from the Southland. He originally wanted to do a big deal."
Zhao Rang asked:
"Do you remember this person?"
The waiter smiled and replied:
"Sir, I'll tell you the truth...this man is just like you, very young, and very generous. He stayed in the store for three days and made noises every day. He also received several groups of visitors in the hall. guest."
Zhao Rang followed the words and said:
"It seems like his business is quite big!"
The guy nodded and said:
"Probably. But he originally said he was going to stay for a month, but he hurriedly checked out early yesterday morning. He was not on duty at the time. I only saw this recorded in the ledger."
Zhao Rang waved his hand after hearing this:
"Okay, I understand, go and do your work."
There's no need to lie to him, buddy.
Combining what he said, it seems that the man named Hu must have mistakenly identified the person.
He should have made an appointment to discuss business with the previous tenant who lived in his house, but for some reason, that person left early. So when the man named Hu came to the inn, he directly reported the room number. Unexpectedly, the person living in it had already changed.
Zhao Rang felt that this man named Hu had never met the previous tenant.
At first glance, Zhao Rang was so young, so he subconsciously confused the two people and did not distinguish between them.
From the man's words, Zhao Rang knew that he should be a broker.
If they were elsewhere, such middlemen would be under the unified management of the local tobacco industry, but the situation in Zhenhai City was special.
A water market, plus a dry market, have almost monopolized all the business in the city. Others who want to speculate and make money from it can only spread it out on their own, either relying on strength or luck, to be able to say that the combined order is just one order.
Although this brought greater autonomy, for Zhao Rang, it was impossible to determine the identity of the man named Hu.
There are so many people like him in Zhenhai City. Today their surname is Hu, and tomorrow they can be surnamed Liu. They are like clouds in the sky and duckweed in the water. He cannot find out the root cause by himself.
Looking up, he saw the waiter wiping the nearby table. Zhao Rang asked with the mentality of giving it a try:
"Have you met the man who came to me just now?"
The waiter in the inn always keeps his eyes on the people coming and going, maybe he will have some impression.
"Is this the person you said came to you just now?"
"What, you don't know him?"
The guy asked in surprise.
Zhao Rang smoothed things over and said:
"We know each other, but we can't say we know each other very well!"
This is ambiguous, it all depends on how the guy hears it!
"Ah, I understand what you mean!"
The guy came closer and said.
"You want to do business with him, but you're not sure whether this person is reliable. Is that what you mean?"
Zhao Rang nodded and admitted, thinking that this guy is really smart! If you have the opportunity to work in the Investigation Department, you will definitely be a good hand!
"This man...what should I say!"
The waiter pretended to be deep in thought. Zhao Rang thought he wanted to ask for reward money again, so he was ready to give him more.
"No, no, sir, that's not what I meant!"
"This man can be regarded as a well-known broker in Zhenhai City. When Yaxing was still in charge of things, he was a popular figure there. Later, when Yaxing declined, he was also one of the first people to come out and work alone."
Zhao Rang interrupted the clerk and asked:
"Looking at your expression just now, it seems that this person is not simple?"
The guy was a little reserved.
After all, he still had to earn a living in Zhenhai City.
Such a mercurial broker is nothing to Zhao Rang, but to people at the lowest level like them, they are just local snakes in the city.
Even if he can't kill you, it's enough to come to you for trouble every three days.
"It's okay, just feel free to say it. If what you say is really useful to me, I will definitely give you a guarantee when the business is done!"
Zhao Rang said.
The waiter squinted his eyes, secretly made up his mind, and said to Zhao Rang:
"Guest, there is no need to give any guarantees. I am familiar with you. It is said that this person has a close relationship with the senior officials of Longfan Club. When the tooth industry was booming, Dawei had not yet divided and conquered it. Longfan Club They are still a group of water bandits entrenched in the Taishang River and the outlet to the sea."
"At that time, all valuable items from the merchant ships that were robbed would be transferred to the city for sale after the news passed. Basically, everything was invented by Old Hu. Later, the Longfan Society joined the Southland and became orthodox. The power has recently taken control of the city's water market, and Lao Hu's abilities have also grown."
Having said this, the man came closer to Zhao Rang, lowered his voice to the lowest level, and said:
"I heard someone said that he and the second master of Longfan Club were once seen eating together in the private room of Zuihai Pavilion!"
Even Zhao Rang had to digest this big call for a while.
After a moment of silence, he asked again:
"Then what's this guy's hobby?"
"Listening to what you said, he seems to be quite capable. I just don't know what his character is like."
"Haha, sir. Don't you know what rich people like?"
The guy said and winked at Zhao Rang.
"Recently, I heard that he always goes to Hanshi every two days. Firstly, it may be because of business, and secondly, the head of Hanshi is a famous beauty in our city!"
Zhao Rang took a deep breath, but he didn't expect that this person and the matter would go around in circles, but he would be back to the starting point.
For a middle-aged man like Lao Hu who has a successful career, those little girls in the pavilion are certainly not tasteful enough, so he has to look for roses with thorns like this. Even if his hands were pricked with blood, it would arouse his stronger desire to conquer.
It's just that Zhao Rang really didn't want to have anything to do with that beautiful woman before he contacted the local investigation department.
As for the so-called joining forces, it is just a word.
You can count it today and forget it tomorrow.
After such a torment, the sky outside also darkened.
When the lights come on, in the past, this would have been a signal to drink.
But Zhao Rang still remembered the loss he suffered that night in Zuihai Pavilion... He unconsciously glanced at his black steel knife and touched the back of his heart.
Forget about the wine...
The right way is to find a good restaurant first and have a full meal.
Although there are meals in the inn, it is not a place dedicated to eating after all, and the chef's skills must be limited.
After finally coming to the river, Zhao Rang wanted to eat a few more of the specialties here.
"Sir, if you go out to the right and keep walking, you can see an unlisted restaurant. The river seafood cooked there is the best in the city! It's just expensive, but it's definitely not a problem for you!"
When Zhao Rang moved, the guy immediately guessed what he was thinking.
Previously, he thought this guy was just more alert, but now Zhao Ran was a little wary of him.
Being smart is not a good thing.
But being too clever is definitely a bad thing!
"If the restaurant doesn't have a sign, wouldn't it be a black shop?"
The guy quickly waved his hand and explained:
"Sir, you misunderstood. That restaurant is not a black shop. It's just that the boss likes to be quiet and doesn't want to be disturbed by outsiders, so he didn't list it. But the business there is very good, and it's all passed down by word of mouth. Don't worry, little one I will never lie to you."
Zhao Rang smiled secretly in his heart, this guy really knew a lot. He didn't ask any more questions and just nodded to express his understanding.
It was completely dark when we walked out of the inn door.
Shops on both sides of the street lit up lanterns, illuminating the entire street like daylight.
Zhao Rang walked to the right along the street and soon saw the unlisted restaurant.
There were two burly men standing at the door of the restaurant. When they saw someone coming, they looked him up and down. Zhao Rang didn't care and walked straight in.
The interior decoration is elegant and unique, and you can tell that the owner has really put a lot of thought into it.
At this time, there were already many customers sitting in the restaurant during the meal. Zhao Rang took a glance and found that most of these guests were well-dressed and obviously had some status.
"Please come in, guest officer!"
A waiter-like person greeted him warmly.
"Is this your first time here? Our river seafood here is amazing! What would you like to eat?"
Zhao Rang waved his hand and said proudly:
"Just look at the sign in your store."
"Okay! Sir, please wait a moment and the dishes will be here soon!"
The waiter responded and turned around to get ready.
After a while, delicacies with delicious flavors and colors were served.
Zhao Rang observed secretly while eating and found that most of the guests around him were talking in low voices.
I'm afraid this restaurant is more than just a place to eat...
There was a noise behind him, and Zhao Rang glanced back, only to see that the person coming was none other than Lao Hu, who had come to the inn to look for him before. At this time, he was walking in surrounded by a group of subordinates.
As soon as Lao Hu entered the door, he shouted loudly:
"Where's the boss? Bring the good wine and food quickly!"
After a while, a rich middle-aged man came out of the kitchen and greeted him with a smile on his face:
"Ouch! What kind of wind brings Boss Hu here? Please, please, please!"
After saying that, he led Lao Hu to an empty table and sat down, and winked at the waiter next to him.
"No hurry, no hurry, I want to order carefully today!"
Lao Hu said.
The shopkeeper felt strange and couldn't help asking:
"Boss Hu wants to treat you?"
Lao Hu nodded and said:
"Yes, so you have to give me some snacks!"
The boss patted his chest in assurance, and the fat on his belly trembled:
"Looking at how proud you are tonight, your guest must be a great beauty!"
Lao Hu did not deny it, laughed heartily a few times, and opened the menu.
In the blink of an eye, I ordered seven or eight major dishes, almost all the signature dishes in the store.
"Boss Hu, what would you like to drink?"
Wine is the beauty of beauty.
Inviting a beautiful woman to a meal and drinking some wine will not bring out the joy of spring.
"I brought the wine myself. Just prepare the food!"
Zhao Rang wanted to lower his head and eat his food, but he didn't expect Lao Hu's eyes to be so sharp. He still saw him across several tables.
"Hey! Brother, we meet each other everywhere in life!"
Old Hu somehow found Zhao Rang sitting with his back to him, walked over and said.
Zhao Rang secretly thought something bad, but his face remained calm. He stood up and cupped his hands and said:
"Brother Hu, I didn't expect to meet again so soon!"
Lao Hu sat down opposite Zhao Rang. He was not polite, picked up a pair of empty chopsticks, took a bite of food, put it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and praised:
"Not bad, not bad. If you want to eat fresh river seafood, this is the place in Zhenhai City!"
"Brother Hu, if you like it, why not use some together?"
Lao Hu waved his hands and said:
"I have already ordered a table of dishes. If Brother Zhao doesn't mind, would you like to come over and eat some together? There is an honored guest tonight, and I just want to introduce you to him."
Lao Hu was so enthusiastic, so he must have some agenda. Zhao Rang declined:
"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Hu, but I've almost eaten, so I won't disturb Brother Hu's enjoyment."
However, Lao Hu reluctantly hugged Zhao Rang's shoulders, so hard that it even hurt Zhao Rang.
Zhao Rang knew there was no way to escape, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and said:
"Then I would rather obey your orders than be respectful."
Only then did Lao Hu smile with satisfaction, put his arm around Zhao Rang's shoulders and walked towards his table.
The two chatted for a few words, and then a gorgeous woman quietly approached with four maids. It was the beautiful woman who retrieved the package for Zhao Rang.
Seeing Lao Hu bringing Zhao Rang over, the beautiful woman was slightly surprised, but she soon returned to normal and smiled at Lao Hu:
"Boss Hu, who is this?"
Old Hu laughed and introduced:
"This one just came from the Southland. One of my little brothers also came to make a fortune!"
After the introduction, Lao Hu said to Zhao Rang again:
"This is the distinguished guest I want to introduce to you tonight, the head of Hanshi City, Mrs. Liu of 'Red Begonia'!"
Zhao Rang smiled slightly and held his hands in greeting:
"I've met Mrs. Liu."
"Young master, you don't have to be polite. Since you are Boss Hu's friend, you are also our Hanshi friend."
After three drinks, the atmosphere at the wine table gradually became warmer. Madam Liu suddenly changed the subject and said to Zhao Rang:
"Since the young master is interested in the business in Zhenhai City, would you be interested in cooperating with our Dry Market?"
Zhao Rang pretended to be surprised and said:
"Of course I'm interested! I just don't know how Mrs. Liu wants to cooperate?"
Mrs. Liu smiled slightly and said:
"We can discuss the specific cooperation methods slowly. But before that, I would like to ask Mr. Zhao a question."
Zhao Rang nodded and said:
"Ma'am, please speak."
Mrs. Liu stared into Zhao Rang's eyes and said slowly:
"Young Master worked tirelessly to come to Zhenhai City from the Southland. Dare you ask, just to make a fortune?"
This question was asked very abruptly and sharply, as if a sharp sword pierced Zhao Rang's heart.
This was Madam Liu's last test of him. She was forcing Zhao Rang to give an answer that satisfied Madam Liu in front of outsiders.
Zhao Rang took a deep breath to force himself to calm down, then faced Madam Liu's eyes and said calmly:
"To be honest, I do have some things to do when I come to Zhenhai City. However, these things do not conflict with the drought market. On the contrary, they are somewhat complementary. So if Madam is willing to cooperate with me, I promise that I will never let Madam down. .”
These words were decisive and convincing.
Mrs. Liu and Lao Hu are both people who are used to seeing big scenes, so naturally they will not be intimidated by Zhao Rang's momentum. But they also had to admit that Zhao Rang's words were indeed very beautiful, and they could not find any flaws.
Mrs. Liu stared at Zhao Rang for a long time, then suddenly smiled and said:
"Okay! The master is indeed a cheerful person! In that case, I will risk my life to accompany the master and have a good drink with the two of you!"
