Chapter 1025: Tempting Price

Wang Hai was quite tempted.

For a martial artist, resources are the most essential thing. Not everyone is like Chen Guanlou, who can cultivate without relying on any resources.

If you want resources, you have to spend money to buy them.

Because of this, don't look at how imposing Wang Hai appears on the surface; in reality, he often falls into the awkward predicament of having no money.

"How much money?"

When it came to money, he became much more straightforward, and his attitude changed from his previous indifference to being serious and earnest.

Seeing that the other party had taken the bait, Chen Guanlou decisively held up two fingers. "How about it? Generous enough, right?"

"Two hundred?" Wang Hai frowned, his expression one of great disdain.

Chen Guanlou sighed repeatedly, unable to bear looking. It seemed he had gained a new understanding of the other party's poverty.

How poor must someone be to suggest a price of two hundred taels?

Just taking a trip to the Heavenly Prison or helping out with a small task wouldn't result in being dismissed with two hundred taels.

One could only say that he was poor—the other party was truly poor.

He said patiently, "Brother Wang, am I the kind of stingy, miserly person? Two hundred taels, I can't believe you could even say it. I'm embarrassed to even open my mouth; what is this pittance enough for? Drinking the northwest wind? Two thousand taels, how about that?"

Upon hearing two thousand taels, Wang Hai's eyes rolled slightly; he was clearly moved by this amount.

But he still wanted to act reserved, and not having figured out what to say, he remained silent.

Seeing this, Chen Guanlou said, "Two thousand taels is not a small amount. I only earn this much for a hard trip. How about this, I'll add another five hundred taels for you; I can't go any higher."

Wang Hai was secretly delighted; he hadn't expected that a moment of silence would earn him an extra five hundred taels. This deal could be done.

"Fine! For your sake, I'll reluctantly make the trip for you and clear the connections."

"Many thanks, Brother Wang!" Chen Guanlou beamed. He had anticipated a four-thousand-tael hardship fee, but ended up settling it for twenty-five hundred. Profit!

Both of them were smiling, smiling with great satisfaction, both wearing expressions of having made a profit.

"But you have to kill the person yourself. I'm not responsible for killing!" After laughing, Wang Hai emphasized.

Chen Guanlou, however, said, "One matter shouldn't bother two masters; you can just kill them while you're at it, why make me take another trip?"

Wang Hai snorted coldly, "This is your business, your deal. If you let me do everything, what are you doing?"

"I'm responsible for debt collection!" Chen Guanlou said righteously.

Wang Hai was so angry he leaned back.

Chen Guanlou looked determined, having long since figured the other party out.

He spoke eloquently, starting his grand bluff, "Brother Wang, don't be angry yet, listen to me first. Without me, you couldn't take this order or earn this money. I'm not wrong about that, right? Although it seems I haven't done much, without me, there would be no follow-up at all. I am the key to this deal.

Moreover, I have already completed the most important core part: gaining the other party's trust and getting the money. You can just handle the leftover scraps while you're at it.

Think about it, how many people have you killed in the palace? Do you get paid for killing those people? Not a single penny, right? And you have to bear the infamy of being an executioner.

You help me kill someone, and I pay you money—not a small sum of five or ten taels, but a huge sum of twenty-five hundred taels. Just tell me, is this much money enough to make you kill someone while you're at it?"

Wang Hai opened his mouth to refute, but because he was clumsy with words, he didn't know what would be powerful enough to refute the other party.

"You did give the money..."

"Isn't giving the money enough?"

"But what we talked about before was only Nanny Li."

"If we don't kill, where would Nanny Li be later? Let me tell you, Eunuch Hu, the prisoner in the next cell, really wants to earn this money. But I disliked his ugly way of eating and the fact that I would have to run the errands myself, so I decisively abandoned him and chose you. Brother Wang, you are the person I hold in the tip of my heart. As soon as I had something come up, I didn't think of anyone else, I thought of you. Look, how important you are to me."

After hearing this, Wang Hai felt that if he continued to set conditions, he would be struck by lightning.

Yet deep down, he always felt that Chen Guanlou was spouting nonsense, but he couldn't find any evidence.

If you want to talk about a trap, what kind of trap is killing someone! Compared to killing in the palace, killing a prison clerk wouldn't even cause a splash.

But if you want to say there's no trap, why couldn't he believe it?

"Are you trying to frame me?" he asked suddenly.

Chen Guanlou looked shocked and retorted, "What would I frame you for? Is killing someone worth framing? I don't handle cases, and I'm not from the Liushan Sect; I'm only responsible for collecting money and doing things, running errands and resolving disasters for others. Where would the trap come from! Brother Wang, it's clearly because you've stayed in the palace too long and caught the palace's bad habits—your paranoia is too severe."

"But this matter involves the Prince Chujiang case..."

"It's just looking after the Prince Chujiang's family, it doesn't involve the case. Whose family has someone in prison and doesn't use connections to look after them? Look at you, you really are too paranoid. It's one thing to be paranoid when dealing with people in the palace, but you're working with me and you actually doubt my intentions—you really are... I never trap my own people! And I disdain trapping people! Whoever provokes me, I just kill them; trapping back and forth is too much trouble!"

Chen Guanlou wore the expression of someone who had been misunderstood.

Dealing with people in the palace is just this much trouble, always suspicious. One can only say that the living environment in the palace is too harsh, and everyone has developed a heart with seven openings, doubting the intentions of everything.

Wang Hai didn't feel embarrassed; suspicion was the norm, and trust was a rarity.

"Fine! I can help you kill! But add another two hundred taels!"

Chen Guanlou agreed decisively, and afterwards reprimanded, "Next time, give a flat price for everything; state any conditions clearly before setting the price. Don't wait until the price is negotiated and then add more temporarily. You can't do business like this; it makes you look like you lack credibility. I'll let it slide this time and add two hundred taels for you. Don't do this again next time."

Wang Hai got an extra two hundred taels and was in a good mood, so he didn't care what was said.

"Within three days, I'll give you news!"

"After you handle Nanny Li, tell her I want to arrange for someone to go in and visit the Wang Fei and the others. Don't worry, the person going in is a woman, not a person involved in the case, so it won't make things difficult for everyone."

"Fine! Any other instructions?"

"Don't care what the final outcome for the Prince Chujiang's family is; since you've taken the money, you have to do the job properly. As the saying goes, take money to do business, don't cheat the young or the old. Don't take money on one hand and make things difficult on the other. If you do that, there won't be a next time!"

"Nanny Li is an old hand in the palace and understands the rules. She won't mess around!" Wang Hai guaranteed; although people in the palace lack trust, they also have basic bottom lines and principles for doing things.

Chen Guanlou nodded, barely accepting it. "That's best! Can it be done in three days? Does the Shaofu Prison Warden have such high efficiency?"

Wang Hai said firmly, "I'll find a way to make him increase his efficiency. No other instructions, I'm leaving first. I'll come find you another day to get the money!"

Go, go.

Chen Guanlou sent Wang Hai away and finally breathed a sigh of relief. This matter was considered half-finished. The follow-up just needed to proceed according to plan. ===== CHAPTER 1026 =====