Chapter 92: Who's Scaring Whom?

Blushing means being guilty, hmpf! Chen Xie's mind was racing, and the answer was becoming clear. It could only be the even more ruthless — Eastern...

"Cough, cough!" Yuan Zhong coughed, embarrassed, and said, "Little sister, don't be silly."

The "factory" character that was about to pop out of his mind was ruthlessly pushed back into his mind. What? Siblings? What's this all about?

"You guys chat, I'll go make tea!" Ying Niang, feeling guilty, quickly left, leaving Chen Xie and Yuan Zhong sitting face to face.

"The divine doctor has returned from overseas and is not very familiar with the affairs of the Great Ming. Allow me to explain slowly." Yuan Zhong looked like an ordinary civilian, someone you wouldn't easily notice in a crowd. How could he have such a beautiful sister?

As Yuan Zhong narrated, Chen Xie basically understood how their relationship had become like this. Yuan Zhong and Ying Niang were biological siblings from Yangzhou. Their father was a small banner in the Jinyiwei. When Ying Niang was 10, during the Lantern Festival, a stampede occurred while the family was watching the lanterns, and Ying Niang got lost and was sold to Nan Zhili. Because of this, their father fell ill and kept blaming himself, dying a few years later. The Jinyiwei was hereditary, so Yuan Zhong took over his father's position but could no longer be a small banner, starting from the lowest rank of a laborer.

Due to his parents' wishes, Yuan Zhong had been searching for his sister. It wasn't until 8 years ago that he got a relatively reliable lead from a human trafficker. During the reign of Emperor Tianqi, when Wei Zhongxian controlled the government and the Jinyiwei was rampant, Yuan Zhong, favored by a certain thousand-household, was transferred to Nanjing. Using his professional advantages, he found Ying Niang. At that time, Ying Niang was already somewhat famous on the Qinhuai River. With the Jinyiwei's power growing, Yuan Zhong didn't have much trouble rescuing her.

Not long after, his superior died, and Yuan Zhong was marginalized, transferred from the good place of Nanjing to Dengzhou as a probationary hundred-household. As for how Ying Niang got into such a black-hearted business, Yuan Zhong didn't say, and Chen Xie didn't ask.

"Wait a moment, you said something about me returning from overseas. What do you mean by that?" Chen Xie raised his hand, interrupting him. Yuan Zhong had a look of "I knew it" and a condescending gaze.

Chen Xie was a bit angry, but this guy clearly had no intention of changing his expression. Instead, he threw a document. Chen Xie picked it up, puzzled, and after a while, couldn't help but laugh. The content of the document was simple: Chen Xie had been under the Jinyiwei's surveillance since he appeared at the Zhang family's residence in Dengzhou. And this was just a catalog; following the catalog, it was clear that even a fart Chen Xie let out in Dengzhou was meticulously recorded.

Chen Xie was a bit stunned and very angry. Could they respect personal privacy a bit? Even more infuriating was that the catalog had no conclusion, meaning the surveillance was ongoing. After reading it, Chen Xie, with a fierce expression, met Yuan Zhong's challenging gaze, and just as he was about to lash out, Ying Niang pushed the door open, glanced at Chen Xie's fierce expression, and whispered, "No, he means no harm."

Chen Xie pretended to be carefree, stood up, and said, "I mean no harm, I'm just a bit hot." He took off his coat, revealing a bulletproof vest, actually a stab-proof vest bought online. He threw it on the table and, under the shocked gazes of the two, drew a dagger and threw it to Yuan Zhong, saying, "Stab it and see."

Yuan Zhong, without hesitation, drew the dagger, glanced at it, and immediately praised, "Good, a fine blade!" He then raised his hand and stabbed the bulletproof vest on the table. Yuan Zhong didn't use much force, but when he noticed something unusual, his expression changed.

"Like it? I'll give you the dagger too." Chen Xie's casual attitude made Yuan Zhong's face change dramatically. He stood up quickly and said, "Where did you get this vest? Are you planning a rebellion?"

Chen Xie pointed to his head and said, "Use your brain. Who planning a rebellion would show this to a probationary hundred-household of the Jinyiwei? I just want to make some money, live a comfortable life in the Great Ming. As for this vest, I can't explain it to you. Just know that even if you wear it, I can take your life with a single move."

Yuan Zhong, holding the dagger, took a defensive stance and said, "I want to see how much you're worth."

Chen Xie was about to move, but Ying Niang blocked his way, shaking her head. Chen Xie stopped, looked at the table, smiled, and chopped it with his palm. With a crack, a corner of the table broke off, and wood chips scattered on the floor. Yuan Zhong's expression changed, and Chen Xie slowly sat down, saying, "In America, not only do we have to fight the cannibalistic natives for land, but we also face bears weighing four to five hundred pounds. My hands can tear apart tigers, and one punch can kill a bear. You're far from being able to handle me. What do you want to do?"

Yuan Zhong stood still, his gaze firm and angry. Just as the divine doctor was about to show some respect for the integrity of the emperor's personal army, he noticed water stains on the floor. His legs were trembling, but fortunately, he had been standing. His ability to control his expression was impressive.

Chen Xie realized that if the Jinyiwei were all high-minded and fearless, Li Zicheng wouldn't have been able to capture Beijing. Movies and TV shows are misleading! Chen Xie could almost see the dejected Chongzhen, hanging from the coal mountain, shouting, "I am not a king who brings ruin to the nation."

If history is a whore, then the "Ming History" is the cheapest of them all.

Yuan Zhong, ashamed and angry, finally managed to move. Chen Xie's intimidation was too powerful. He thought, "I haven't even shown him the gun yet, and he's already this scared." Yuan Zhong, hiding in the room, didn't make a sound. Ying Niang called a servant to clean the floor. When Yuan Zhong came out again, his face had regained some color.

"My sister, I entrust her to the divine doctor." Yuan Zhong, walking out of the room, left quickly, not forgetting to take the dagger and the stab-proof vest. "Damn, he's not the least bit polite." Chen Xie was quite upset, as it cost him several thousand yuan.

The room was left with Chen Xie, who felt he had made a bad deal, and Ying Niang, who looked uneasy.

"My brother, well, after the current emperor ascended the throne, the Jinyiwei is not what it used to be. Everything has to be done carefully, and one must tread carefully. He thought that if he could scare you, he could go to Liaodong with peace of mind." Ying Niang's explanation was timely, and Chen Xie quickly understood. Her brother was worried about her being alone in Dengzhou and wanted to find her a protector.

Yuan Zhong was scared, but Chen Xie wasn't much better. Especially at the beginning, the Jinyiwei had a fearsome reputation. He wasn't worried about himself, but what about all the people he cared about in Dengzhou? That's why Chen Xie had to take a desperate stance. Thinking about this, Chen Xie felt even more annoyed, and looking at Ying Niang, who had scared him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

Noticing Chen Xie's predatory gaze, Ying Niang was also a bit panicked and tried to run, but was held by the waist.

...

In the hall downstairs, when Chen Xie went down, he enjoyed the pride of being surrounded by admiring gazes. A group of old, fat men, though they didn't say anything, their eyes betrayed their lecherous thoughts. Although books say it's all lies, and no one can last for three to four hours, Chen Xie's nearly an hour of absence was enough to impress the crowd, even those who could barely last half an hour with blue pills.

The new territory allocation meeting began as Chen Xie sat down. Liu Zong, full of spirit, stood up and announced loudly, "Everyone knows that many places are suffering from famine this year. For safety reasons, the price of the provincial general agency rights varies. The new agency rules have been reviewed. If anyone oversteps their bounds, not only will they be beaten, but the agency rights will be revoked, and the deposit forfeited."

The new agency system wasn't new; it was just the modern system. Each province would have a general agency, and the deposit amount for each general agency was set by Chen Xie. The highest amount was 200,000 taels for Nan Zhili (covering the entire Jiangsu Province), with a minimum bid of 500,000 taels. The bidding would be done anonymously, and the highest bidder would get the agency rights.

What does this mean? The bidders would estimate the sales for the next year, write it down, and bid for the agency rights. If the winning bidder bid 5 million taels, they would have to achieve that sales amount next year. If they failed, the deposit would be forfeited, and if they exceeded it, they would receive a bonus.

This rule seemed fair, but in reality, few merchants could independently take on a provincial agency. There were many new faces in the hall, speaking in a southern accent. Chen Xie's hearing was good, and even if they spoke softly, he could hear them clearly. After a year of market cultivation, there were estimates of the market capacity in each province. These people had traveled thousands of miles to Dengzhou, attracted by Chen Xie's American goods.

"Before the bidding starts, there are some things to announce. This year's goods, in addition to daily necessities and mirrors, have a new variety. Please look!" Liu Zong raised his hand, and six girls from the building each carried a bolt of flowered cloth.

The modern industrial production of flowered cloth dazzled everyone. They imagined the scene of women across the land going crazy, and everyone's faces twisted with excitement. This was a battle destined to end in bloodshed.

Sitting calmly, Chen Xie felt someone was staring at him, looked up, and saw Ying Niang waving from upstairs.

Chen Xie quietly went upstairs, and at this moment, the fifty or so merchants in the hall, with only money on their minds, didn't notice him. As Chen Xie approached, Ying Niang whispered, "I had the servants make you some soup to replenish your strength."

Uh, a bit embarrassing! Does he need replenishment?

---

---

In the hall downstairs, when Chen Xie went down, he enjoyed the pride of being surrounded by admiring gazes. A group of old, fat men, though they didn't say anything, their eyes betrayed their lecherous thoughts. Although books say it's all lies, and no one can last for three to four hours, Chen Xie's nearly an hour of absence was enough to impress the crowd, even those who could barely last half an hour with blue pills.

The new territory allocation meeting began as Chen Xie sat down. Liu Zong, full of spirit, stood up and announced loudly, "Everyone knows that many places are suffering from famine this year. For safety reasons, the price of the provincial general agency rights varies. The new agency rules have been reviewed. If anyone oversteps their bounds, not only will they be beaten, but the agency rights will be revoked, and the deposit forfeited."

The new agency system wasn't new; it was just the modern system. Each province would have a general agency, and the deposit amount for each general agency was set by Chen Xie. The highest amount was 200,000 taels for Nan Zhili (covering the entire Jiangsu Province), with a minimum bid of 500,000 taels. The bidding would be done anonymously, and the highest bidder would get the agency rights.

What does this mean? The bidders would estimate the sales for the next year, write it down, and bid for the agency rights. If the winning bidder bid 5 million taels, they would have to achieve that sales amount next year. If they failed, the deposit would be forfeited, and if they exceeded it, they would receive a bonus.

This rule seemed fair, but in reality, few merchants could independently take on a provincial agency. There were many new faces in the hall, speaking in a southern accent. Chen Xie's hearing was good, and even if they spoke softly, he could hear them clearly. After a year of market cultivation, there were estimates of the market capacity in each province. These people had traveled thousands of miles to Dengzhou, attracted by Chen Xie's American goods.

"Before the bidding starts, there are some things to announce. This year's goods, in addition to daily necessities and mirrors, have a new variety. Please look!" Liu Zong raised his hand, and six girls from the building each carried a bolt of flowered cloth.

The modern industrial production of flowered cloth dazzled everyone. They imagined the scene of women across the land going crazy, and everyone's faces twisted with excitement. This was a battle destined to end in bloodshed.

Sitting calmly, Chen Xie felt someone was staring at him, looked up, and saw Ying Niang waving from upstairs.

Chen Xie quietly went upstairs, and at this moment, the fifty or so merchants in the hall, with only money on their minds, didn't notice him. As Chen Xie approached, Ying Niang whispered, "I had the servants make you some soup to replenish your strength."

Uh, a bit embarrassing! Does he need replenishment?