Meet the boss? The waiter was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Do you have an appointment?"
Ji Ping'an didn't answer, he just reached into his arms, picked up a simple jade plaque with two fingers and handed it over.
It turned out to be a pawn item... The waiter took it absent-mindedly. Such self-owned items are precious, so it is not uncommon for guests to ask the shopkeeper to receive them during the pawn.
But the next second, when he saw the style of the jade plaque clearly, his expression suddenly changed and he said, "Wait a moment, I'll go check it out with the shopkeeper."
Ji Ping'an nodded, and after a while, a wealthy middle-aged businessman hurried out, looked at the young man deeply, and smiled: "Guest, this is a good thing, please come to the backyard to discuss it in detail."
Ji Pingan nodded happily.
The clerk walked to the front of the store, hung up the "Closed" sign, looked around the street, and closed the store.
…
backyard.
The moment the two of them walked along the corridor and entered the back hall, the philistine smile on the face of the wealthy middle-aged businessman disappeared, and his body straightened, as if he was a warrior who had lost his disguise.
He respectfully held the ancient jade medal with both hands, bowed and said, "I see you, Your Majesty."
Ji Ping'an was not surprised. He took back the jade token and sat down in the big mahogany chair. His eyes were cold: "Is the organization in the divine capital operating normally?"
The shopkeeper replied respectfully: "Everything is normal. May I ask what your orders are?"
Ji Ping'an repeated the words he said when he entered: "Ask your boss to come see me."
The waiter thought "boss" meant the shopkeeper, but the shopkeeper knew that the person he wanted to see was the boss.
"Here, my lord, please wait a moment, my subordinates will go and report." Without any hesitation, the shopkeeper responded.
…
In the west of the city, Hongluo Lane.
There are many wealthy households in the alley, and there are many big houses with three entrances. Mr. Han lives here.
No one knows the origin of this old man. It is only said that he controls many shops and is connected with gangs. He is one of the many big shots in the city of God who hide under the water and can turn his hands into clouds and rain.
Mr. Han has a "quirky habit", that is, he will always wait in his house every afternoon until sunset, never going out during this period, rain or shine for decades.
Today is no exception.
It's drizzling, the pond water in the courtyard is rippling, and the weeping willows are new and tender.
A thin old man in a satin gown sat in an armchair under the dark eaves. Next to him was a square bamboo table with valuable tea sets.
"Father, I caught a good prey in Dongshan yesterday and taught it to the chef of Hongyunlou to clean it up. Why don't you go and enjoy it?"
In the distance, a middle-aged man walked up and refilled the tea respectfully, handed it to the old man, and suggested with a smile.
The thin old man held the tea cup, glanced at him, and said, "Have you forgotten my rules?"
The middle-aged man Dui smiled and said: "Of course I remember that every day from noon to sunset, the shops in Shendu must be opened, and you must sit in this house... It has been like this for decades, but I have never seen you explain the reason."
Han Bachi took a sip of tea without any hurry, and the middle-aged man next to him was not in a hurry either, he lowered his eyebrows and waited patiently.
After a while, the old man sighed softly and said:
"Since you have followed me for many years, you should know that there are some things... not that I want to hide them from you, but that the time has not come yet."
Han Hu tensed up and said hurriedly: "Father, I am not..."
Han Bachi raised his hand, interrupted his explanation, and sighed: "However, it is indeed time for you to come into contact with something."
After a pause, he said, "Do you know how I got rich in this life?"
Han Hu said: "It is my foster father who is so amazingly skillful that he was able to build such a huge foundation. Who in the world doesn't know your reputation? Not only do you have business all over the Zhongzhou Divine Capital, but you also control a group of martial arts practitioners in the world to serve you."
Han Hu came from a humble background, but by chance, he was adopted by Han Bachi as his adopted son and managed some of the gang business in Shendu City for him.
For decades, he has never been able to see his adoptive father clearly, only knowing that he hides some secrets.
Han Bachi shook his head and cursed with a smile: "Don't flatter me and say cheap words. Do you really think that you can control a century-old store in this divine city without any background and only rely on means?"
Han Hu pricked up his ears: "Why is that?"
Then the old man sighed: "Have you ever heard of the 'Dark Web'?"
Han Hu nodded and said:
"Of course I have heard that there are many sects in the world of Dazhou, which are rich in martial arts practitioners. Although they are far less than those of the major sects, there are also some sects with considerable foundation, and the most mysterious one among them is the so-called ' Darknet'…
"This organization has members all over Kyushu, and has recruited a group of masters who make a living by selling intelligence and accepting bounties for assassinations. It has a history of hundreds of years, but very few people know how to contact it.
"There are even rumors that the Dark Net shares the same life as the Great Zhou Dynasty. When the country was founded in the past, the first generation God Emperor secretly dispatched a group of death row prisoners to establish it, but this is just a rumor."
Han Bachi smiled and said: "Although the rumors are not completely true, they are not completely false."
Han Hu was stunned and breathed quickly: "Father, you mean..."
The thin old man nodded gently and said:
"I am a member of the dark web. We do share the same life as the country, but it is far from being covered by a group of death row prisoners. The dark web covers all nine states, and is not a sect. We are connected with each other through special means, and members of different states do not know each other. We are acquaintances, so...even if someone betrays you, it won’t involve too much.”
The middle-aged man looked shocked.
Then I heard Han Bachi continue:
"The leader of each state in the dark network is called 'Yinguan', and I am the Yinguan of this divine capital. The position has been passed down from generation to generation, and many of the properties under my command were not created by me, but inherited.
"The Hidden Officer of the City of Gods enjoys the power of the dark network, but he also has corresponding responsibilities. One of them is that the successor is not allowed to leave without authorization from afternoon to dusk every day. Once there is an order from the peak, he must respond immediately without any delay."
Han Hu took a deep breath: "You mean... there is a 'gang leader' above Yin Guan?"
In his understanding, Yin Guan is equivalent to the positions of helmsman, altar leader and so on in various places, so it is natural that there should also be a gang leader.
Han Bachi shook his head and said:
"There is no 'gang leader' in the dark web, only 'sword holders', whose number is uncertain and whose identity is uncertain. They only recognize the token but not the person. Even a three-year-old child cannot disobey any instructions as long as he holds the token."
Han Hu asked doubtfully: "But if this is the case, will the hidden officials from all over the country be willing to obey?"
Han Bachi smiled, but did not explain, but sighed:
"It is said that the word 'dark net' was coined by the first sword holder in the past. That gentleman also had a wonderful metaphor, saying that among the many famous sects and yamen, the government offices are like icebergs on the water, while the dark net and hidden officials , is the huge mountain invisible under the water."
Han Hu didn't say a word, just as if he was listening to the legendary story told by the scholar: "Father, you have been guarding the city of God for decades, have you ever seen the man holding the sword?"
The thin old man was silent.
After a moment, he shook his head lonely and said, "I've never been lucky enough to see him."
Han Hu said nothing and lowered his head, his eyes flashing indifferently.
Just at this moment, a figure appeared from behind the screen wall. It was the shopkeeper of Jinshiju. He was covered in rain and walked anxiously. When he saw Han Hu, he frowned slightly.
Seeing this, Han Bachi waved his hand and ordered his adopted son to retreat. When they left, the old man said calmly: "What happened, so panicked?"
Shopkeeper Futai walked in and whispered a few words.
"What?!" Han Bachi's face changed visibly. He no longer had the demeanor of "Master Han". He stood up suddenly, trembling with excitement, and said in a deep voice: "Lead the way!"
Han Bachi, a hidden official in the divine capital, guarded the place for forty-eight years and finally got a glimpse of the man holding the sword.
