Chapter 40

Who is Cai Minde? A prominent wealthy man, in this small piece of land in Bianliang, he is also a person of some importance. To be blatantly ignored by one of his own servants and a poorly dressed young man is a great humiliation!

What a disgrace!

He and Li Qi had not met before, so it could be forgiven, but that Cai Lao San—had it not been for Li Qi being here, he would have probably slapped him long ago.

Cai Lao San, suddenly realizing his mistake, felt a surge of distress and hurried to make amends. He waved at Li Qi and forced a smile, saying, "Young Master Li, come, come, come, let me introduce you to a distinguished person."

"A distinguished person?"

Li Qi was "surprised."

"This gentleman is my master, a well-known wealthy man in Dongjing, known as Cai Yewai."

Cai Lao San pointed at Cai Minde with a proud look on his face.

"Cai Yewai?"

Li Qi suddenly drew a cold breath, casually pushing Cai Lao San aside and walking straight to Cai Minde. He looked at Cai Yewai in disbelief and said, "Could this be the great wealthy man who once served as a chef in the residence of Grand Master Cai and later abandoned cooking to become a businessman?"

Cai Minde's brows furrowed slightly when Li Qi mentioned his past. He nodded with a forced smile, "Dare I say, it is indeed this Cai!"

"Oh my!"

Li Qi suddenly exclaimed, nearly scaring the wits out of the trembling Cai Lao San. Before the master and servant could react, Li Qi suddenly bowed deeply to Cai Minde.

Cai Minde never expected Li Qi to show such respect. He was slightly stunned and quickly helped Li Qi up, saying, "Young Master Li, please rise. What virtue or ability does this Cai have to deserve such a grand gesture from you?"

After Li Qi stood up, he said with great "excitement," "Cai Yewai is too modest. I have long heard of your great name, and it is a great honor to meet you today!"

Before they had even exchanged a few words, the flattery had already begun.

But who doesn't like to hear good things?

Cai Minde waved his hand and chuckled, "Young Master Li, you are joking. I am just a merchant with a stench of copper, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning at all!"

"Cai Yewai is too modest!" Li Qi shook his head and bowed to Cai Minde, "Your heroic deeds are well-known to all. In my view, calling you the Zhuge Liang of the business world is not an exaggeration."

Among those seated around were some literati and scholars. When they heard Li Qi compare the ruthless Cai Minde to the revered Zhuge Liang, they were so angry that their beards and eyes flared. If it weren't for their fear of Cai Minde's power, they would have probably rushed over and beaten Li Qi up.

But there were still some "angry youths" who whispered sarcastic remarks.

"Shameless scoundrel!"

"Hmph, another sycophant!"

"How can one eat in the same room with such a shameless person? Brother Longting, I think we should find another place."

...

Li Qi paid no attention to these insults and found them quite amusing. You, these pedantic scholars, spend your days flattering sages and still have the nerve to criticize me. That's like the pot calling the kettle black.

Cai Minde was initially pleased to hear Li Qi praise him as the Zhuge Liang of the business world, but when he heard the sarcastic remarks from the others, his face turned awkward and he blushed, saying with a forced smile, "I am just a trivial merchant. How can I be compared to the revered Zhuge Liang? I hope you will not say such things, lest others laugh at me."

Since you don't want me to say it, I will say it even more. Gambling can result in a loss, but flattery has no such limits.

Li Qi glanced disdainfully at those people and bowed to Cai Yewai, "Cai Yewai is a man of great wisdom. Please do not pay attention to the foolish words of those pedantic people. They, who rely on their ancestors' legacy, cannot understand your hardships. Allow me to ask a bold question."

"Please ask, Young Master Li," Cai Yewai gestured.

Even the stupidest person wouldn't stop someone from flattering them.

"I have heard that Cai Yewai comes from a farming family. Is that true?" Li Qi asked.

He had long investigated Cai Minde's background, knowing that understanding one's enemy is key to victory.

Cai Yewai was slightly taken aback. Although he didn't know why Li Qi was asking, he could see that Li Qi wasn't intentionally mocking him. He nodded and sighed, "I won't hide it from Young Master Li. My ancestors have been farmers for generations, and it was only in my generation that—," he sighed again and shook his head, "I apologize for making you laugh."

"Admirable, truly admirable!"

Li Qi sighed, looking at Cai Minde with admiration, and said passionately, "A hero's origin is not to be questioned. Think of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, who also came from a farming family but still founded the Han Dynasty, which lasted for over four hundred years. Cai Yewai, though of humble origin, has built a great fortune through hard work and sweat. By this alone, no one in the entire business world of the Song Dynasty can match you. You are truly a role model for us all, and comparing you to Zhuge Liang is not an exaggeration. Besides, what is wrong with being a merchant? Do merchants not also work hard for every coin they earn? In my view, those who are lazy and do not strive for progress, who do not know where their food comes from, are the ones who are truly despicable."

After this speech, the so-called literati and scholars were left speechless, their faces turning red, but they couldn't think of a way to counter it. Li Qi hadn't specifically named anyone as lazy, so who would stand up and admit to it?

Cai Minde was overjoyed, his face beaming with satisfaction. He had always considered his humble origins a lifelong blemish, but Li Qi's words made him proud of his background.

Seeing his boss so happy, Cai Lao San realized that there was always someone better at flattery. This level of flattery could be used as a textbook.

He was ashamed! Truly ashamed!

However, Li Qi was not a sycophant. He had heard countless flattering words from his father-in-law, who was on the Forbes list, and over time, he had mastered the art of flattery.

Moreover, what Li Qi said was not entirely false. Regardless of Cai Minde's misdeeds, his achievements proved that he had exceptional qualities.

For this reason, Li Qi needed to make Cai Minde lower his guard. This would increase his chances of success.

Since flattery doesn't cost anything, why not do it?

"Good! Well said!"

Cai Minde looked at the faces of the scholars and felt particularly pleased. He clasped his hands and said to Li Qi, "Your words have enlightened me, Young Master Li. I am truly impressed by your insight!"

"Cai Yewai, you flatter me!"

Li Qi smiled and said, "I just can't stand those who slander you. Come, come, please sit down."