Chapter 75

**Bang!** Zhou Chong slammed his palm on the table, causing the teacup on it to jump up and the light yellow tea to splash all over the table. With a fierce expression, he growled, "Good! What a fine Upstream Chamber of Commerce! I thought only the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce in the entire Twin Island Port was involved in human trafficking, but I never expected there to be another one, the Upstream Chamber of Commerce. Truly, a dog can't help but eat shit!"

Just like Zhou Chong, Xie Lingyun and Third Lady in the hall were also full of anger, and even Jin Wenhuan beside them put on a look of righteous indignation. However, his forced anger always seemed a bit fake.

Today, Jin Wenhuan came to tell Zhou Chong two secrets. The first was the person behind the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce, and the second was even more shocking, as he informed Zhou Chong that the Upstream Chamber of Commerce, run by the Japanese, was also involved in human trafficking. This was what made Zhou Chong so furious.

"President Jin, are you absolutely sure that the Upstream Chamber of Commerce is involved in human trafficking?" Although Xie Lingyun was angry, she did not lose her composure and asked for confirmation again.

"Miss Xie, it's natural for you to have doubts, but I can assure you that the Upstream Chamber of Commerce is indeed involved in human trafficking. After the news of the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce's human trafficking operation being destroyed spread yesterday, the Upstream Chamber of Commerce, fearing exposure, quietly moved the trafficked girls and children to another location. Our people are now keeping a close eye on the ships that were moved. If you two don't believe me, I can immediately take you to intercept those ships!" Jin Wenhuan said with a serious expression, knowing that he absolutely dared not lie to Zhou Chong and Xie Lingyun about such a big matter.

Hearing Jin Wenhuan's words, Zhou Chong and Xie Lingyun believed him to a large extent. They exchanged a glance, and both saw a hint of murderous intent in each other's eyes.

"Master Zhou, human trafficking is absolutely unacceptable. I will immediately send people to contact our Ming Dynasty chambers of commerce. We will gather at South Harbor to discuss how to handle this matter," Xie Lingyun said first. The previous destruction of the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce was because they had killed people from the South Ocean Chamber of Commerce, so they had joined forces to destroy them. Only afterward did they discover the human trafficking. But now, with the discovery that the Upstream Chamber of Commerce was also involved, this was no longer just a matter between two chambers of commerce but a matter concerning all the Ming Dynasty merchants in Twin Island Port. Therefore, it was necessary to involve other chambers of commerce.

"Good, but Miss Lingyun, please be careful in your selection. Try to find powerful and trustworthy large chambers of commerce, and do not let the news leak out!" Zhou Chong said through gritted teeth, knowing that he would have to resort to more violence this time.

Xie Lingyun nodded in agreement and then turned to Jin Wenhuan beside her, "Additionally, President Jin, please make sure to keep a close eye on those who are about to be trafficked. Do not lose track of them. If we can bring down the Upstream Chamber of Commerce in one fell swoop, our Xie family will certainly express our gratitude to the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce for their loyalty and righteousness!"

Hearing Xie Lingyun's words, Jin Wenhuan immediately assured her, "Miss Xie, rest assured. The Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce will keep a tight watch on them. As for the gratitude, it's not necessary. The Ming Dynasty is our suzerain state, and the people of the Ming Dynasty are our masters. Helping our masters combat these despicable human traffickers is our duty!"

Hearing Jin Wenhuan's excessive flattery, Zhou Chong and Xie Lingyun felt somewhat helpless, but with the matter at hand, they quickly divided their tasks. Xie Lingyun went to notify the presidents of the various Han Chinese chambers of commerce to hold a meeting, while Zhou Chong found Sun Tong again, instructing him to keep it low-key but to prepare secretly.

Human trafficking was always the most hated act by Ming Dynasty smugglers, so Xie Lingyun quickly notified several large chambers of commerce. By evening, everyone, including Zhou Chong, had gathered at the South Harbor Xie family chamber of commerce to discuss how to handle the Upstream Chamber of Commerce's human trafficking.

A total of eight chambers of commerce participated in this meeting. Xie Lingyun, as the convener, naturally sat in the main seat, while Zhou Chong sat to her right. Opposite Zhou Chong sat a well-built young woman, and the other five presidents of large chambers of commerce sat in order below them.

At the beginning, Zhou Chong noticed the young woman sitting opposite him. She was in her twenties, with a very curvaceous figure and a typical coastal woman's appearance—slightly tanned skin, phoenix eyes, slender eyebrows, and full red lips. She exuded both femininity and a rare, spirited charm.

Initially, Zhou Chong paid attention to this young woman not just because of her beauty but because of her significant status. Among the four major chambers of commerce in Twin Island Port, three were Ming Dynasty chambers. Besides the South Ocean Chamber of Commerce and the Xie family chamber, the last one was the Hong family chamber, and this young woman was its president, Hong Feiyun. It was said that she, like Xie Lingyun, had no siblings and single-handedly managed the entire Hong family chamber.

Hong Feiyun was around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, well past the age of marriage. In fact, she dressed as a married woman and had a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter, but her husband was a mystery, and few knew who he was.

"Everyone, today Lingyun has invited you all here to discuss an important matter. Two days ago, our Xie family and Master Zhou's South Ocean Chamber of Commerce joined forces to destroy the human trafficking operation of the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce. However, this noon, we received reliable information that the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce was not the only one involved in human trafficking. The Japanese Upstream Chamber of Commerce is also involved. We have now identified their movements, so we would like to discuss how to handle this matter," Xie Lingyun stood up first and explained the reason for the gathering.

"What? The Japanese Upstream Chamber of Commerce is also involved in human trafficking? Shameless, utterly shameless!" A white-haired old president sitting next to Zhou Chong stood up, his face full of anger.

"Niece Lingyun, where did you get this information? Is it really reliable?" A middle-aged man sitting two seats away from Zhou Chong also stood up, but he remained calm and asked for verification.

"Absolutely reliable. This information was provided by President Jin of the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce, and he is right here in the side hall!" Xie Lingyun said, and someone brought Jin Wenhuan in. The flatterer immediately bowed to each of the eight major smugglers and offered a few flattering words to each. Some were flattered, while others, like Zhou Chong, looked helpless.

After Jin Wenhuan finally finished greeting everyone, Xie Lingyun asked him to sit down. Jin Wenhuan then repeated what he had told Zhou Chong and the others that noon, and he pounded his chest, guaranteeing that his words were absolutely true.

Although Jin Wenhuan was somewhat despicable and liked to flatter others, the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce was a large chamber, and he was a respected figure in Twin Island Port. Therefore, once he finished speaking, most of the people present believed him. The white-haired old man next to Zhou Chong was so angry that he trembled all over, pointing in the direction of the Upstream Chamber of Commerce and cursing nonstop. Zhou Chong, however, was more concerned about the old man's health, praying that he wouldn't have a stroke or a heart attack, which would be a big problem.

However, someone liked to play the devil's advocate. A young president in his thirties with a long face and narrow eyes, sitting below Hong Feiyun, said, "Miss Lingyun, all your information comes from President Jin of the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce, with no concrete evidence. Moreover, I know that the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce and the Upstream Chamber of Commerce have been in constant conflict. Who can guarantee that this isn't a setup by the Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce to eliminate their rival?"

"You... you..." Hearing the young president's words, Jin Wenhuan stood up, pointing at him and turning red with anger. However, he quickly calmed down, took a few deep breaths, and argued, "President Ma, I know that the last batch of goods was bought at a high price by our Chungcheong Chamber of Commerce, causing your Ma family chamber to lose a deal. But this is a serious matter, and with Miss Xie and others present, even if you gave me a hundred more lives, I wouldn't dare to lie about something like this!"

"Hmph, our Ma family chamber doesn't care about that money," the young president looked at Jin Wenhuan with disdain and continued, "As for whether you have the nerve, we don't know. After all, without any concrete evidence, you can say whatever you want. But without any proof, I will not believe you!"

"Enough!" At this moment, Hong Feiyun, who had been silent opposite Zhou Chong, suddenly slammed her hand on the table and pointed at the young president, "Ma, are you even human? Because of some personal grudges, you dare to doubt President Jin's words. Miss Lingyun, you made a mistake inviting him!"

Pausing for a moment, Hong Feiyun continued, pointing at the young president's nose, "Here, I have only one thing to say: if you are willing to help eliminate the Upstream Chamber of Commerce, stay. If not, get out of here quickly, so you don't delay our discussion of the matter!"

Zhou Chong didn't expect that President Hong, with her curvaceous figure, would also have such a fiery temper, showing no respect to the young president. However, Zhou Chong soon noticed that the others did not seem surprised by Hong Feiyun's fiery temper, as if they were already used to it. Even the young president who was scolded immediately wilted, sitting there without daring to retort.

Seeing that the young president dared not speak again, Hong Feiyun turned to Xie Lingyun, "Sister Lingyun, our chambers of commerce have long agreed to prohibit human trafficking. Now that someone has broken the rules, what are we waiting for? Our Hong family chamber is willing to send three hundred people to ensure that the Upstream Chamber of Commerce meets the same fate as the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce!"