Chapter 920: There must be a request

"Bailie, just watch the show and relax."

Once Magistrate Yang thought this layer through, he changed the subject and continued to accompany He Lingchuan in enjoying the scenery and chatting.

On the return journey, another Yin-Snake carcass drifted past the side of the boat, but He Lingchuan and his group acted as if they hadn't seen it, not even asking a single question.

Until the pleasure boat docked and everyone went ashore, He Lingchuan had not asked about the abnormalities of the Yangshan Archipelago at all, nor had he mentioned "Yin-Snake" even once.

Magistrate Yang knew this was not normal.

The eyes of those dozen or so burly men on the other side were not blind; the fact that they ignored such strange and suspicious events meant that Young Master He already had a plan in mind.

This transaction of buying the islands itself was not simple.

Upon arriving at Blade Harbor, he accompanied He Lingchuan and his group to the designated restaurant.

Seeing He Lingchuan walking up the stairs, Lu Lu Qingan, who had been waiting here for a long time, laughed and welcomed him: "The boat ride was bumpy, Young Master He has worked hard."

"The sea was calm today, but there were many strange things," He Lingchuan replied with a smile, exchanging pleasantries. "It is Magistrate Yang who has worked hard."

As soon as Lu Lu Qingan heard this, he knew there had been a situation on their trip out to sea. He glanced at Magistrate Yang, and just as the latter was about to speak, He Lingchuan preempted him: "However, I am quite satisfied with the recovery and inspection of the outer islands. Let's finish the remaining procedures, Master Lu, what do you think?"

Time to pay the final installment? Lu Lu Qingan immediately perked up: "Good, good, Young Master He is straightforward!"

Settling the deal quickly and getting the money was the top priority. Everything else could be discussed later.

Magistrate Yang, who had been left out in the cold, silently closed his mouth again.

Lu Lu Qingan had long since prepared the acceptance agreement, took it out for both parties to sign, and kept one copy each.

He Lingchuan readily paid the final installment of forty thousand taels and successfully obtained the deed for the Yangshan Archipelago.

With this piece of paper in his possession, from now on, others could call him "Island Master He."

Agreement, deed, receipt—the procedures were complete.

The ownership of the Yangshan Archipelago had finally been settled.

He Lingchuan did some mental math; eighty thousand taels of silver had been handed over just like that, and the cash he had left was only two hundred thousand taels.

How fast money is spent, and how difficult it is to earn.

Lu Lu Qingan also felt a bit emotional. The Lu family had sold off ancestral property more than once, but never had they sold it as cheaply as the Yangshan Archipelago today.

But touching those forty thousand taels of silver notes, he consoled himself again: if a chicken rib isn't turned into money, it will always be a chicken rib, and it would also cost a lot of overhead for nothing.

Therefore, the final gain from this deal was actually more than eighty thousand taels.

"Young Master He, you have had a hard journey, so please eat some tea and listen to the opera here to get a good rest. I have matters in my clan, so I must take my leave first."

He couldn't be bothered to deal with this playboy and was anxious to leave as soon as the money was in hand.

He Lingchuan smiled and said: "Easy, may I ask where one can buy Shaoling Ore in Bailie?"

"Shaoling Ore?" Lu Lu Qingan was not familiar with this business and turned to Magistrate Yang upon hearing this: "Do you know?"

Magistrate Yang thought for a moment: "If Young Master He's demand is not large..."

"Just for refining artifacts, I only need about three hundred jin," He Lingchuan added. "Crude ore is fine."

"You have it on your Yangshan Archipelago."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan was startled. He had it on his own island? Even ore? Was the island's output that rich?

"It seems to be... it seems to be on one of the islands in the middle of the archipelago..." Magistrate Yang frowned and thought for a long time. "Lei Ni's family definitely knows; her father even went to the island to mine!"

"Good." He Lingchuan didn't dawdle either and cupped his hands to bid farewell to Lu Lu Qingan: "Master Lu, we must visit each other often in the future!"

"Good, good, let's cooperate more in the future!"

Lu Lu Qingan smiled and went downstairs, followed by Magistrate Yang.

He left the restaurant, boarded the carriage, and let out a long sigh.

As the curtain was lifted, Magistrate Yang also followed up and whispered: "Master, this trip was suspicious."

"Speak." Lu Lu Qingan closed his eyes, not particularly worried. The deal was done and the goods were paid for; was he still afraid of what tricks the man surnamed He could pull?

Magistrate Yang then recounted all the accidents he had encountered in the morning, in detail and complete.

Lu Lu Qingan sat up straight upon hearing this: "You mean, he might have known about the Yin-Snakes on the Yangshan Archipelago long ago?"

"Those carcasses drifted right past him, and the girl surnamed Lei mentioned them quite a bit, yet Young Master He didn't ask a single word," Magistrate Yang answered directly. "Judging from the half-day I spent with him, Young Master He looks carefree and cynical, but his reactions are fast and his courage is great."

Otherwise, how would he dare to go and negotiate with pirates? "He knew of the existence of the Yin-Snakes and perhaps also knew about the abnormalities of the Yangshan Archipelago." Lu Lu Qingan recalled his analysis with his father: the archipelago suddenly changed, and He Lingchuan happened to appear; the timing was too coincidental.

In other words, it was very likely that He Lingchuan knew the situation of the Yangshan Archipelago long ago but still insisted on buying it.

What was the reason?

Could it be that he had a way to deal with the Yin-Snakes and the Yin-Sha turbid energy?

Recalling the incomplete Yin-Snake corpses on the beach of Blade Harbor, Lu Lu Qingan shuddered. Was that He Lingchuan's doing? But then he thought again, how could that be?

The ancestors of the Lu family had invited all the experts of the world in those years, yet they couldn't drive away the Yin-Sha of Yangshan Island. The man surnamed He was not even twenty years old; what good way could he have?

He thought for a moment and instructed Magistrate Yang to keep his mouth shut. There was no need to bother his father with these messy things.

When Dong Rui found the restaurant, He Lingchuan was lying on a soft chair, watching the actor below singing in a flowery style.

The table was filled with tea snacks and pastries, a dazzling array.

"You're here? Sit down and have some tea," He Lingchuan greeted him. "This opera is not bad. Master Lu is treating us."

Ever since he changed his skin, Dong Rui liked the marketplace more and more. Especially since this restaurant had a regular opera troupe, and they sang quite well. He stretched and sat down: "Why is there no wine? I want to drink."

If you want to drink tea, why not go to a teahouse? Why come to a restaurant? "Drinking wine requires spending your own money." Lu Lu Qingan was not wrong; He Lingchuan could rest here, eat tea at will, and watch the opera at will, all of which were paid for by the Lu family in advance.

But eating and drinking wine was an extra expense, which He Lingchuan had to pay for himself.

That fellow Lu Lu Qingan was so stingy, He Lingchuan thought while stroking his chin. After signing the agreement last time, Lu Lu Qingan treated him; was he too unreserved? He only ordered the expensive dishes and drank the good wine.

This time, Lu Lu Qingan wouldn't have it and only covered the private room and tea for him.

The final payment had just been made, and the treatment had already dropped. Alas! This man surnamed Lu really didn't understand the tricks of doing business; no wonder their territory was being managed smaller and smaller.

Dong Rui was very firm: "I want to drink, you treat!"

This kid, what's wrong with spending a little money? Even stingier than the Lu family!

"You're using tea snacks to drink wine?" With so many cakes and desserts, could they be used to drink wine?

"Yes."

"Fine, fine." He Lingchuan snapped his fingers a few times and called the waiter over. Dong Rui asked first: "What is the best wine you have here?"

"Berry Brew. It is brewed with four kinds of berries and mountain spring water..."

"I want that, bring two jars first!" Dong Rui ordered without hesitation. "Also bring us a plate of spicy shredded chicken, a plate of clove fish in wine lees, and a plate of old vinegar conch slices!"

He Lingchuan could only smile bitterly.

Dong Rui ignored him, watching the opera while tapping the beat on his knees.

When the wine and dishes were served one by one, he asked He Lingchuan: "Tell me, what do you want to entrust me with again?"

He Lingchuan wondered: "I asked you to have tea and watch the opera to build our relationship; does it have to have ulterior motives?"

"Then you asked me just because you were idle, really nothing?"

"Really nothing." He Lingchuan lifted the jar to pour him wine. "Come, come, eat and drink to your heart's content. How many coins does a meal cost? Don't save money for me."

After saying that, he called the waiter again and ordered a few hard dishes.

There were slow-roasted juicy lamb chops, fat stir-fried crabs, and when the last basin was brought up, Dong Rui swallowed his saliva.

This... such a hard dish?

The basin was bigger than a child's bathtub, and inside lay a beautiful colorful lobster, at least six or seven jin heavy. Just one antenna was longer than Dong Rui's arm.

Of course, a cooked lobster only had one color.

The waiter also loudly announced the name of the dish: "This is the restaurant's toughest signature dish, Cheese Lobster!"

"Whoa, I've wanted to taste this for a long time."

"Ti-hu" is cheese, so this dish is cheese lobster.

Blade Harbor was a distribution center for materials from all directions, where various ingredients and seasonings converged. As long as you had money, you could eat anything strange, including this cheese lobster, which was very strange to most commoners.

When the rich milky fragrance and the fresh sweetness of the lobster were mixed together, He Lingchuan was at a loss for words and could only praise: "Holy crap!"

Nothing else to say, he rolled up his sleeves and buried his head in the work.

After a whirlwind of eating, most of the wine and dishes were gone.

Dong Rui stole glances at He Lingchuan from time to time, seeing this person commenting on the opera troupe's performance while drinking, as if he were carefree.

He hesitated several times, but He Lingchuan didn't notice.

Finally, Dong Rui felt itchy inside and slapped his silver chopsticks on the table with a "clack."

"Alright, say it!"

He Lingchuan looked puzzled: "Say what? Is this tune not good?"

"Stop pretending!" Dong Rui's heart had been hanging until now, and he had to have a showdown. "How could a stingy person like you treat guests for no reason!"

And he treated them to big, hard dishes! If you offer favors for no reason, there must be a request.

As soon as that basin of lobster came up, his heart started drumming; he didn't know what kind of difficult problem this man surnamed He would pose for him this time! He Lingchuan slowly sipped his wine and exhaled: "So refreshing."

"Actually, I do have something to ask of you today."

Dong Rui looked at him with an "I knew it" expression.

"There are a few islands in the center of the Yangshan Archipelago that have never been set foot on by humans; they are not large, the terrain is flat, and the scenery is beautiful. After I get rid of the Yin-Sha there, do you want to take one and be the island master?"

Dong Rui was stunned, taking two breaths to react: "You want to give me an island?"

Yo, there's such a good thing? "Forty-two of them, I can't possibly develop them all at once," He Lingchuan said, leaning on his chin. "Birds of a feather flock together; we've been fighting together for so long. If I have benefits, how could I forget you?"

Dong Rui immediately said: "Isn't there an Alfalfa Island there? I want that one!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 921 =====