Chapter 96

On the morning of the 28th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, all members of the "Expansion One Action" executive committee gathered at "Tianfu Tower." Zhang Weixin and Cheng Fei entered the "Tianfu" private room, while the others went into the "Tianlu" private room next to it. Around the hour of Si, which is around 9 a.m., Liu Yunyan arrived at the negotiation site as agreed. She entered the "Tianfu" private room, greeted Zhang and Cheng, and then sat down opposite them across the table. The restaurant staff promptly served tea and then left the room.

After the staff left, Liu Yunyan spoke first, "Young Master Zhang, did you discuss the matter with your brothers after returning yesterday? I hope we won't have to repeat yesterday's scenario, where we talk for a bit and then you have to go back and discuss with your brothers again."

Zhang Weixin remained calm and said, "Miss Liu, there's no need to rush. This is a significant matter and requires careful consideration. I assure you that for anything I can decide, I will give you an immediate response. Of course, if it's something I can't decide, I will need to discuss it with my brothers."

Seeing Zhang Weixin's composed demeanor, Liu Yunyan felt both anxious and angry. She was anxious because the hall master of the Youzhou branch of the main hall was due to arrive on the 5th day of the sixth month, and if she failed to fulfill her promise to the main hall by then, she would be in grave danger. She was angry because Zhang Weixin clearly understood her predicament and was confident that he could get the upper hand in the negotiations. However, despite her frustration, she could not afford to show her anger and had to be as accommodating as possible. As the saying goes, "When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head." She had no choice but to endure it.

Therefore, although she was seething with anger, Liu Yunyan had to suppress her anger and told Zhang Weixin that she fully understood his and his brothers' rules and would not cause any unnecessary trouble for him.

Seeing the once proud Liu Yunyan now so humble, Zhang Weixin felt satisfied but did not push his advantage. Instead, he maintained a professional attitude and explained to Liu Yunyan all the requirements and terms of cooperation discussed by the committee and the executive committee the previous day. They then discussed these requirements and terms one by one.

The negotiations lasted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. After a brief lunch, they continued until evening. After much haggling, they finally reached a preliminary cooperation agreement that both sides could accept. This agreement was largely based on the demands and terms proposed by the穿越众 (穿越者, "穿越者" refers to people from a different time or dimension, often translated as "time travelers" or "穿越者" in this context), with some modifications to non-core issues as requested by Liu Yunyan.

According to the agreement, the "Qingyuan" brothers would provide one to two brothels of a certain scale to the Youzhou branch of the "Feiyan Hall" within a month. The "Qingyuan" brothers would own the brothels and be responsible for their management, providing all service personnel except for the courtesans and performers. Sixty percent of the profits would go to the "Qingyuan" brothers. The Youzhou branch of the "Feiyan Hall" would provide the necessary courtesans and performers and could, with the consent of the "Qingyuan" brothers, arrange for its members to work in the brothels. Forty percent of the profits would go to the Youzhou branch of the "Feiyan Hall."

After reaching a preliminary agreement, seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Weixin suggested that they conclude the day's negotiations. He promised to discuss the results with his brothers and prepare a detailed and rigorous cooperation agreement to be handed over to Liu Yunyan. If Liu Yunyan had no objections to the agreement, they could sign it and officially begin cooperation.

Although Liu Yunyan thought that the cooperation was essentially a secret deal and that formal agreements and signing ceremonies were unnecessary, she had to agree to Zhang Weixin's request since she needed his help. However, she also made a request that the most influential members of the "Qingyuan" brothers should be present at the signing ceremony and sign on behalf of the group.

Zhang Weixin did not immediately respond but, after getting the committee's approval through Cheng Fei, agreed to her condition. Liu Yunyan then left "Tianfu Tower," and Zhang Weixin went to the adjacent private room to summarize the day's negotiations with the committee members.

That evening, in the small meeting room of "Qingyuan," Zhang Weixin reported the negotiation process to the committee and submitted a summary report. The committee praised Zhang Weixin's performance and asked him to work with the action committee and the trade group to draft the formal agreement.

After everyone's hard work, the complete agreement was submitted to the committee the next afternoon and was approved. Cheng Fei then delivered the agreement to Liu Yunyan. Liu Yunyan, who was not particularly interested in the written agreement, did not raise any objections. She quickly glanced through it and expressed no issues, hoping to start the actual cooperation as soon as possible. Cheng Fei agreed and, following the committee's instructions, arranged to sign the agreement the next morning at "Tianfu Tower."

The next day, on the 30th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, the representatives of the "Qingyuan" brothers—Li Junwu, Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, and Xu Shaoyan—and the deputy hall master of the Youzhou branch of the "Feiyan Hall," Liu Yunyan, met in the "Tianfu" private room at "Tianfu Tower." After some pleasantries, they signed the cooperation agreement. Each party retained a copy of the agreement.

After signing, the formal cooperation was established, and the formalities between the two sides became less rigid. After everyone was seated, Zhang Weixin said to Liu Yunyan, "Miss Liu, now that we have signed the cooperation agreement, we are partners. I will speak more directly. Before the cooperation, we agreed that once the cooperation began, you would release Xiao Yun's family and grant them freedom of movement. Is it time for you to fulfill this promise?"

Zhang Weixin's request was within Liu Yunyan's expectations. She did not deliberately cause trouble and said, "Of course, I planned to send the Yang family to your residence as soon as I returned."

"Such a small matter doesn't need to trouble you. When this is over, I will go with you to your residence and personally bring the three family members back to 'Qingyuan.' Is that convenient for you?" Zhang Weixin asked.

"Convenient, of course," Liu Yunyan replied.

With the last concern resolved, the穿越众 (time travelers) began to discuss specific cooperation matters with Liu Yunyan. Since Liu Yunyan's superior was due to arrive in Liangxiang on the 5th day of the sixth month, the time was very tight. According to her promise to the main hall, they needed to have a brothel of a certain scale and at least fifty informants within a month. The informants were relatively easy to gather, as Liu Yunyan already had some underlings, and if necessary, she could bring in more from the Flying Dragon Camp. The brothel was a more challenging issue—otherwise, Liu Yunyan would not have come to the "Qingyuan" brothers for help.

Although it was a difficult task, there were still opportunities. Since Liu Yunyan had promised the main hall to have a brothel in the Nanjing Yudu Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty within a year, they could exploit this loophole. The brothel did not have to be in Youzhou City but could be in any relatively prosperous area within Yudu Prefecture. Liangxiang, being a key route from Youzhou to Central China, met this requirement. In Liangxiang, there was a high-end brothel called "Yanjue Tower" that perfectly suited their needs. Previously, Liu Yunyan had failed to reach an agreement with the owner of "Yanjue Tower" due to her unfamiliarity with the area and limited funds. Now, with the resources and connections of the "Qingyuan" brothers, they could offer a good price and secure the transfer.

Although choosing "Yanjue Tower" had its drawbacks—such as the lack of experience of the courtesans in intelligence work and the difficulty of gathering intelligence in Liangxiang, which was not the political center of Youzhou—these were not immediate concerns. The primary issue was to have a brothel, not the quality of it.

However, the cooperation did not stop at just meeting the minimum requirements. They also discussed the future development of the Youzhou branch and reached some consensus. Besides the "Qingyuan" side helping to gather informants, the main goal was to find a suitable brothel in Youzhou City as soon as possible to serve as a base for the branch. Of course, these were not urgent matters, and they had plenty of time to complete them.

After finishing the business discussion, it was nearly noon. The "Qingyuan" side hosted a banquet to celebrate the start of the cooperation. The banquet was quickly set up, and everyone raised their glasses, making the atmosphere in the private room lively.

After the meal, Zhang Weixin and Cheng Fei went with Liu Yunyan to the Yang residence to bring Yang Yongzhong and the others to "Qingyuan" to reunite with Yang Xiaoyun. After several days of separation, the Yang family was deeply moved and shed tears. Zhang Weixin quickly comforted them and introduced his brothers to Yang Yongzhong and the others.

Since Yang Yongzhong and the others had previously interacted with some members of "Qingyuan," they did not feel awkward. Especially Yang Xiaolian, who was not yet fourteen and still had a child's heart. After shedding a few tears with Yang Xiaoyun, she quickly returned to her usual self and started running around "Qingyuan," much to Yang Xiaoyun's frustration. In the end, Zhang Weixin had a good idea and asked Gao Jun, another young member, to accompany the little girl, allowing Yang Xiaoyun and the others to have a proper conversation with their brothers.