Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 329

Ronan shouldn't have been unable to hear it.

But if he could tell, why didn't he react at all? Does Ronan not care about such things and not even flinch? This is a matter of vital interest, even the rise and fall of his family and the nation.

Ronan, of course, didn't react. He didn't have the method to bestow talents upon mortals, but he had completely mastered the method of transplanting talents.

Chen Zuolin and the people behind him are still far from being a match.

Seeing that Ronan didn't react for a long time, Chen Zuolin could only continue, "Mr. Ronan, I believe you don't really want to send Lord Liu up, or make money by taking advantage of the merchants here."

"Of course, whatever Mr. Luo wants, as long as it doesn't violate national laws and principles, I will absolutely do my best to help, as long as it doesn't affect the iron and steel industry in Foshan."

These last few sentences are where the real point comes in: Chen Zuolin hopes that Ronan will stop supporting those businessmen and affecting his and his backers' money-making endeavors.

Ronan tapped the table lightly with his finger. "Scholar Chen is truly a first-rate figure with a heart for the world and a broad vision. It's just that I, a barbarian from overseas, lack a certain vision."

Saying it's a lack of vision is really just a rejection.

Chen Zuolin frowned. "Is Lord Liu really that important?"

“He’s my brother after all,” Ronan replied.

"How much for a brother?" Chen Zuolin asked again, her question very direct, completely lacking her previous tact.

“It’s not about the money, it’s just about convenience and comfort. It wouldn’t be this convenient or comfortable with anyone else,” Ronan said. To put it bluntly, he was using Liu Menglong’s name to get by in Seris, and Liu Menglong himself was willing to cooperate.

The same logic applies to the group of businessmen; Ronan can control them, but he can't control Chen Zuolin.

It's obvious who is better to cooperate with.

“Actually, it can be more than just money,” Chen Zuolin said. “Mr. Luo knows that I have no other skills, just a little bit of connections. Like I said before, if Brother Luo is willing to be my friend, I will definitely help my friend in times of need.”

“Friends are fine, of course, but I’m not in a hurry right now,” Ronan said.

The attitude remained clearly one of refusal.

Chen Zuolin took a sip of tea to calm herself down.

If talent alone isn't enough, and real money isn't enough, then we have no choice but to resort to our ultimate trick.

"Mr. Luo, have you ever heard of the longevity methods that are passed down in our Celestial Empire?" Chen Zuolin asked.

Ambrina managed to hold back her laughter.

"I've heard of it, but I've never heard of anyone in Seris living forever." Ronan had an expression that said, "I'm very interested, but I'm not too optimistic."

In fact, someone in Seris has already achieved immortality. This person had a relationship with Lavini. He was the one who caused Uncle Ambrina to fake his death and then establish the Purple Robe Organization, the mastermind behind the pursuit of immortality. Moreover, there are several other people in the Western Continent who pursue immortality and put it into practice, all of whom are related to him.

Yet, in the vast expanse of Seris, it seemed as if no one knew of this person's existence.

Chen Zuolin smiled and said, "Just because no one has done it yet doesn't mean it's impossible. I've heard that Mr. Luo's cultivation is profound and that Madam Di is even more outstanding. If Mr. Luo is willing, then I can try to obtain some secrets about the Longevity Method."

Uh, cough cough cough, Ambrina really couldn't hold it in anymore. She didn't laugh, she just choked on her tea.

Immortality? They've already achieved immortality. Dinia, in particular, is on a higher level than ordinary immortality; she's still alive.

Chen Zuolin, however, is trying to use this as leverage. She has already done a great job of not smiling for so long. After all, when she was the queen, she could laugh whenever she wanted, and no one dared to say that she was lacking in royal demeanor. At least, no one dared to say it to her face.

"Forget it. Maybe one day I'll get really fed up with this and become a Taoist priest. Who knows, I might be able to get a free method to achieve immortality," Ronan said.

And it was a rejection, damn it.

If it were someone else, if bribery didn't work, they would resort to coercion.

But Chen Zuolin didn't, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.

Chapter 762 Lacking the ability, making an example of someone, tall and hard

Chen Zuolin knew very well that if he wanted to coerce Ronan, the only thing he could do right now was to threaten to expose their identities.

Admittedly, if Ronan's identity is exposed, he will definitely lose his job as a secretary and his business will fall apart. Although the imperial court has no taboo against introducing Western technology, it does not mean that it can allow someone as important as Ronan in the West to enter the iron and steel industry, which is extremely important to the country.

Moreover, once exposed, Ronan will face some trouble.

However, it was just some trouble, because Ronan and his wife were, after all, important figures in the West. Could they really do anything to them? Impossible.

If he were to expose Ronan, given Ronan's character and cunning, Ronan would undoubtedly fabricate a host of charges against him in Beijing. And someone like him couldn't refuse to file a complaint. Although Ronan's lawsuit wouldn't necessarily lead to his conviction, it would certainly provide an opportunity for someone to use it as a pretext to instigate a political struggle. In that case, regardless of who wins, Chen Zuolin would have no choice but to surrender everything and slink away from Guangdong.

This was not the outcome he wanted, so he couldn't coerce Ronan, at least not by threatening to expose him. In fact, he had to cover for Ronan instead.

Thinking of this, Chen Zuolin couldn't help but sigh softly, "Since that's the case, let's not talk about these mundane matters anymore. I've already sent someone..."

He was about to invite Ronan and his wife to stay for dinner when Ambrina suddenly interrupted him, "Oh dear, it's getting late. We still need to go to that little shop to pick up the freshly roasted goose. Mr. Chen, we won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, Ambrina got up and left with Ronan.

Ronan apologized repeatedly, saying he would definitely treat Mr. Chen to a proper meal next time.

After Ronan and Ambrina left, Chen Zuolin held the teacup. With a bang, the teacup shattered, but he didn't let go. Instead, he squeezed it harder. The shards of the white porcelain teacup turned into powder in his hand and in his heart. Then, he waved his hand and scattered the porcelain powder all over the ground.

Soon, a burly man with small eyes, a full beard, and broad shoulders approached. When he noticed that Ronan and his wife had already left and there was a pile of white porcelain powder, he understood that the negotiations had broken down.

"Should we deal with them?" the man asked.

Chen Zuolin looked at the man and asked, "Do you have the ability, or do I?"

“We can’t just let them cause trouble,” the man said. “These past few years, the businesses of textiles, ceramics, and tea have all been a bit tough, so we’re counting on ironware.”

The main fabric was cotton, and Seres cotton was not cheaper than Indian cotton, especially after Westerners arrived and established many factories.

The culprit behind the difficulties in the ceramics business was Ronan. Ronan's invention of bone china greatly reduced Serres' share of the export porcelain trade to the West, especially in the mid-range porcelain market, which was almost completely crushed by France. While the sales of high-end porcelain remained, Foshan was not a manufacturer of high-end porcelain.

As for tea, it's a case of internal strife. To put it bluntly, those bastards from the Eastern India Military Government are growing tea in Assam and exporting it through Bangladeshi ports. Compared to Guangdong, Bangladesh is much closer and has lower taxes. Currently, because the Military Government still has to hand over a large amount of its taxes, its enthusiasm isn't very high. But once it achieves financial autonomy, those people from the Eastern India Military Government will go crazy growing tea there and stealing business from the local area.

For Foshan, the only industry that is still thriving is ironware. After all, it is not convenient to transport ironware from the West, but it is very convenient for Foshan to sell to Southeast Asian countries, including India.

"Actually, he doesn't have any fundamental conflict with us. The problem is Liu Menglong and those few businessmen. If these people are no longer capable, he has no reason to continue opposing us. He might even cooperate with us instead."

Chen Zuolin said.

He had figured it out by now. Ronan wanted to make a name for himself in Seris, but Chen Zuolin's side was too complicated and difficult to control, making him a bad partner. But what if there were no other partners besides him?

“Then let’s take care of those guys,” the man said.

Killing Liu Menglong was impossible; killing an official was tantamount to rebellion, and Liu Menglong was quite capable and particularly adept at escaping.

Compared to that, killing those unscrupulous merchants is much easier.

This is what a real business war looks like.

Chen Zuolin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile tinged with disdain. "In business, harmony brings wealth. If someone gets in your way, you have to kill them. Those who didn't want to oppose us will gather together out of fear. Besides, if one of those people dies, do you think Liu Menglong won't take the opportunity to cause trouble? He may be new here, but he is still a big shot in Foshan, while we are, after all, just ordinary people."

"Then, we won't kill him?" the man asked again.

"He must be killed," Chen Zuolin said fiercely.

The man was momentarily confused. What the hell was going on, not killing one minute and killing the next?

Chen Zuolin poured himself a cup of tea and slowly said, "First, let some officials spread the word that they have clues about someone's crime and have started an investigation. Then, let people spread rumors that the government is about to arrest that person, giving everyone the impression that that person is already a criminal. Finally, that person can't withstand the pressure and commits suicide out of fear of punishment. Isn't that reasonable?"

"Who is this person?" the man asked.

“He Jinxin,” Chen Zuolin replied.

"It wasn't that dog Wang Zhixiao who put it in?" the man asked, somewhat puzzled.

Chen Zuolin explained slowly, "Wang Zhixiao's power is not what it used to be, and his family has been prosperous in Foshan for five generations. Many people have been taken care of by his family. It is not good to take action against him. The idea is that He Jinxin, that old scoundrel, is still the first generation. Since he is making a big fuss, we should kill the chicken to scare the monkey. We should pick the fattest chicken that crows the most."

The man raised his short, stick-like thumb. "Scholar Chen, excellent."

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Zuolin's eyes, "What's the use of being tall? You still have to be tough."

"Then shall I take action myself?" the man asked.

“No, let Yuan Fanghe go find Widow Yang and have her do this job,” Chen Zuolin said.

“Yuan Fanghe? He’s not one of us.” The man couldn’t help but express his doubt.

"Yuan Fanghe is seeking a promotion and a position overseas, which is why he did that stupid thing to provoke Liu Menglong to show his stance. But is promotion so easy? Even within the same faction, there's fierce competition. But if I'm willing to give him a push, it won't be so difficult. Besides, precisely because we're not on the same side, it'll be easier to distance ourselves if something unexpected happens, won't it?"

Chen Zuolin countered with a question.

The man chuckled sheepishly, "Now, Scholar Chen, you're both tall and strong."

"What do I mean by being both high and tough? I was just resorting to this as a last resort when negotiations failed. That Master Luo is the one who is both high and tough," Chen Zuolin said, without any intention of being humble or pretentious. "In this world, you ultimately have to be strong enough yourself. Look at Wang Zhixiao, his huge family business and clan declined because he was no longer strong enough and his sons were not talented enough. As a result, his subordinates began to seek to switch jobs."

Chen Zuolin is a fourth-order scholar, not far from the fifth order. Among the more than 100,000 extraordinary individuals in Seris, he is among the top. However, compared with the real strong individuals, he is quite insignificant.

Chapter 763 They couldn't be kept indefinitely; they were preparing for a feast, because they were of the same kind.

Another ten peaceful days passed. After the start of summer, the weather truly began to get hot. Actually, the temperature in Foshan wasn't that high, and there weren't that many buildings and factories in this era. It was just that the area had a dense network of waterways and high relative humidity, making the heat oppressive.

Liu Menglong continued to slack off, citing reasons such as not being used to the local climate and not being able to tolerate the heat. He would only look at reports and not care about the specifics. If there were established practices, he would follow them; if there were no established practices, he would just deal with things as they came up.

This situation has lasted for nearly a month. Officials of all ranks in the Haiphong Prefectural Government have gradually lowered their guard and felt that Lord Liu was just there to gain seniority and go through the motions, and was too lazy to even make a show of it.

Of course, Zhang Changlin, the head of the Legal Affairs Department, and Xu Zhongting, the head of the Iron and Steel Department, both of whom had close ties with Chen Zuolin, knew very well that Liu Menglong was bound to cause trouble. If he didn't want to cause trouble, Luo Nan wouldn't have had that attitude.

Besides the two of them, there were two other people who were very certain that Liu Menglong's condition was only temporary: Zhou Chongren, the head of the Finance and Grain Bureau, and Yuan Fanghe, the head of the Barbarian Affairs Bureau.

Zhou Chongren was actually a supporter of Wang Zhixiao and He Jinxin's group; more accurately, he was an opponent of Chen Zuolin.

Foshan's metallurgical industry is developed not because of iron ore, coal, or charcoal, but because of its well-developed waterways, which connect it to all directions and its proximity to the sea. As a result, resources and technologies from all over Guangdong Province converge here, much like the formation of the iron smelting center on the western coast of France.

Zhou Chongren's hometown village is surrounded by iron and carbon resources, but the Gaoming Ironworks, which Chen Zuolin controls behind the scenes, deliberately lowers the purchase price. Of course, he opposes Chen Zuolin. Wang Zhixiao, He Jinxin and others are naturally his friends, but they are friends who can be betrayed at any time.

Yuan Fanghe is even simpler; he has already made contact with Chen Zuolin, so how could he not know that Liu Menglong is up to something?

Right at this moment.

“Master Luo, it’s been so many days, I think it’s about time,” said Master Li.

After Ronan and Chen Zuolin parted on bad terms, Ronan summoned a group of people to Master Li's place, saying that he was on guard against Chen Zuolin making a move against them.

These past few days, Mr. Li has been entertaining this group of people, and he's embarrassed to accept money, but he's the poorest one in the group, and he's really struggling to keep up.

“That’s right,” Mr. Zhou chimed in. He was very decisive in his own business, but he lost his way when there were many people around.

"Damn it, I haven't used my shotgun in days, it's going to break if I keep holding it in any longer," said the bandit-like Master Xu.

“I don’t think Chen Zuolin would go so far as to kill,” said Master He. He felt that although Chen Zuolin was not a pure businessman, he was ultimately after money.

"A man like him is the most hypocritical of all, and he mostly uses official methods." Master Lin's words were full of disdain.

Ronan didn't speak, but glanced at Wang Zhixiao, who also remained silent, clearly agreeing with the others.

Just then, a servant from Master Li's household rushed in, saying that something had happened.

Master Li's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm and told his servant not to rush and to speak slowly.

The servant paused for a moment and then explained what had happened.

It's not a complicated matter; it's quite simple. News has already spread that the government is investigating Mr. He Jinxin, and they've already gathered some clues.

"Hahaha." Master Lin laughed triumphantly, "Master Luo, you see, I was right, he only knows how to use official methods."

"Then I'll have to trouble Lord Liu and Master Luo," He Xinjin said. He said this, but there was not a trace of panic on his face. He was completely confident that he could handle it.

This is actually quite normal. None of the businesses doing business here are clean. But are they afraid of being investigated? No, they aren't. If they were, they would have been shut down long ago.

"Alas, it seems I was overthinking things. I've made you all suffer these days. I'll host a feast another day to apologize to you all."

Ronan said apologetically.

However, that's not what he really thought. There would definitely be a banquet, but it wouldn't be organized by him, Ronan, but by He Jinxin's family. They would be there to eat at the banquet.

"You're too kind, Master Luo."

"Yes, yes."

"I, Xu, will definitely come then."

"Me too, Lao Lin."

The group chuckled as they spoke. Although being confined to Master Li's mansion made them, who were used to a life of luxury, somewhat unhappy, they had no problem with Ronan. They all felt that this foreigner, Ronan, suited their tastes quite well.

Then, the group of people left one after another, and Ronan left too.

On the way, Zhao Yingqi suddenly asked, "Why didn't you stop them?"

"Why should we stop it?" Ronan countered.

“That Master He is going to die,” Zhao Yingqi said.

Ronan patted Zhao Yingqi's head. "Yingqi, you've improved."

Zhao Yingqi moved Ronan's hand away with a hint of disdain. "Even I could see it, couldn't they?"

“A turtle that has been in the pool for a long time will not react to the gaping maw of a shark in the sea, especially since this shark has been disguised as a blackfish in the river for many years,” Ronan said. Chen Zuolin’s reputation in Foshan is not bad, at least in the government and business circles. As for the general public, they may not know him because he is not the owner of the Gaoming Ironworks or the Sanshui Ironware Shop.