Chapter 109: Innkeepers, Boatmen, Shopkeepers, Porters, Brokers — Even the Innocent Deserve Death

Jinling City, Xiajiekou.

This place faces the Yuhe River directly and leans against Chaotian Palace on the side.

The streets are bustling with people coming and going, carriages and horses flowing like water; the cries of vendors hawking their wares never cease, extremely prosperous and lively.

"A shop in such a bustling place."

Lin Dao scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally settling on the inn before him sealed with strips — "Truly, every inch of land is gold; kept to pass down to descendants it would never be sold. What major incident has befallen this inn?"

One of the Four Great Talents, Chen Zhenhui, fanned himself and smiled, "Naturally, it violated the Great Ming Law."

Lin Dao raised an eyebrow, "Could it be murder and robbery?"

This isn't some remote mountain black inn; this is inside the bustling Jinling City — would anyone truly dare murder and rob guests within the shop?

Chen Zhenhui clapped his hands, "Brother Zi Hou, truly your eyes are like torches."

"What 'eyes like torches' is there."

Gazing at the Ying Tian Fu seal strips on the main gate, "It's merely that — innkeepers, boatmen, shopkeepers, porters, brokers: even the innocent deserve death."

"Uh~~~"

Chen Zhenhui is a She Society Celebrity, and also one of the founders of the Guangye Society.

His father once served as an Imperial Censor; the clan is also a Local Aristocratic Family in the region.

Traveling abroad, he naturally has friends to host him, and servants following.

The dark side of innkeepers, boatmen, shopkeepers, porters, brokers — he has truly never encountered it.

"This Yunlai Inn has always had incidents of stealing travelers' finances."

"Just that there's some connection behind them, and they've never been caught red-handed; it's always been left unsettled."

"Last month, however, they stole a guest's silver, conflict arose with the guest, and they accidentally beat the man to death."

"The victim has some connection to the Wei Guogong Fu; upon learning the news, the Wei Guogong Fu sent a Xunzhang to the Ying Tian Fu, and that very day they seized the men and sealed the shop."

The Wei Guogong of the Great Ming originates from Xu Da.

Xu Da is the foremost of the Six Founding Kings of the Great Ming, a fierce man formidable in war.

Besides that, Xu Da has another identity, crucial to the Xu Family's status in the Great Ming.

He is Zhu Di's father-in-law.

Zhu Di's descendants carry the Xu Family bloodline.

Precisely because of this, the Xu Family managed to recover the title after Xu Huizu was stripped of his nobility.

Two hundred years have passed; the Wei Guogong Fu, deeply rooted in Jinling City, is the true master of Jinling City with the largest scale and greatest population (1.2 million within the city) in this world.

What Six Ministries of Jinling, what Garrison Eunuchs, what Ying Tian Fu.

Before the Wei Guogong Fu, they aren't even a fart.

Of course, a few years later, when the Wild Boar Skin Army arrives at the city walls, the Wei Guogong Fu's power will also become a bubble.

The Last Duke of Wei led a host of Meritorious Nobles to voluntarily leave the city and surrender kneeling, which counted as wiping some dust off Xu Da's face.

"Oh."

Lin Dao's face showed realization — "No wonder he took a standing clock of mine, a mechanical watch, and a standing mirror to the Wei Guogong Fu as gifts."

With the Wei Guogong Fu's face, him taking over this inn was naturally a matter of course.

"Go."

Lin Dao stepped forward, "Let's go in and take a look."

The Ying Tian Fu Clerks who had long been waiting here stood at the gate with smiling faces.

Lin Dao had never done this sort of thing, so he didn't understand the meaning.

Fortunately Qian Qianyi knew he didn't understand these matters and specially invited Chen Zhenhui to help.

Taking the money bag from the attendant's hand, Chen Zhenhui stepped forward and stuffed the money bag into the Ying Tian Fu Clerk's hand.

That Clerk skillfully weighed the money bag in hand, skillfully pocketed it, and immediately straightened his face to call out loudly.

"Remove the seals~~~"

After all, it's a shop sealed by the Official; it must be the Official who removes the seals.

This is also a way for the Ying Tian Fu people to monetize power.

Seeing this scene, Lin Dao smiled freely.

The Yonghe Spacetime doesn't have these things.

An era of struggling to survive, versus an era that at least still has order — the gap is indeed still very large.

The Clerks took the seal strips and left; their work was already complete.

Lin Dao stepped into the inn; chairs and stools lay haphazardly, smashed pots, bowls, ladles, and basins — clearly the arrest and sealing had caused quite a ruckus.

He ran a finger across the table; a dust mark appeared on his fingertip.

"Looks like during this period, indeed no one has entered."

Chen Zhenhui's attendants led several Craftsman Foremen inside to pay respects.

Lin Dao took out a stack of blueprints from his travel bag.

Spread them on the table and pointed them out to the several foremen.

"The entire shop will be remodeled into two parts."

"The front is an Exhibition Hall and Transaction Counter, mainly for displaying samples and negotiating sales."

"The rear part, remodeled into a Transaction Venue, for high-price purchase of gold and silver, precious wood, medicinal herbs, and such items."

"The back must be more concealed, guaranteeing guests' privacy."

Those who can come to sell these things are basically either rich or noble.

Being discovered selling off ancestral property is a very face-losing matter.

Lin Dao's blueprints were designed and printed with help from people in the Modern World.

Not only were they extremely neat, they were also remarkably clear and beautiful.

In the Ming Dynasty, building gardens and major works also required blueprints.

But theirs were all handmade; over time the ink would smudge until they no longer looked like anything.

Lin Dao's drawings made the several Craftsman Foremen click their tongues in wonder.

"Gentlemen."

Looking at the several Craftsman Foremen, Lin Dao asked directly, "How many days until completion?"

A Craftsman Foreman immediately spoke up: "One month can finish it."

A project often taking several months — in this era that was perfectly normal.

Here it only needed one month, and that was because it only required renovation, not new construction.

"Too long." Lin Dao shook his head bluntly. "Five days at most."

The Craftsman Foremen immediately burst into an uproar.

"Young Master, we cannot do your shopfront."

"Five days is simply impossible."

"Exactly, five days isn't even enough to prepare materials."

Facing the Craftsman Foremen's dissatisfaction, Lin Dao immediately employed his Money Ability.

"If finished within five days, beyond the wages I will pay an extra one thousand taels of Reward Money."

"Done in four days, I'll pay two thousand taels."

"Finished in three days, I'll give five thousand taels!"

Silver's purchasing power in the Jiangnan Region was still very solid.

At least in Jinling City, the vast majority of people toiling for a month could not earn a single tael of silver.

Lin Dao offered at most five thousand taels of extra Bounty — this was undoubtedly a huge sum.

The several Craftsman Foremen's eyes all turned red.

That was five thousand taels ah~~~

They impatiently asked, "Is this for real?"

Modern industrial silver is so cheap, Lin Dao had no need to deceive them at all.

"I'm a merchant." Lin Dao spoke the truth. "If I break my word, this business would go bankrupt before it even opens."

In these times, doing business still required caring about Reputation.

If Reputation is lost, others certainly won't do business with you.

Unlike the Modern World, cough cough~

The Craftsman Foremen thought it over and agreed — this Young Master was going to do big business, he couldn't possibly do something that smashes his own signboard.

"Remember." Lin Dao spoke again. "Guaranteed quality is the premise."

"If chasing the reward causes quality to fail~~~"

The several Craftsman Foremen all expressed: if quality fails, Young Master you can just twist off our heads and kick them like balls!

They hugged the blueprints and ran out in a great hurry.

Summoning all kinds of craftsmen, pulling building materials from the goods firms — these matters had to be started right now.

"Zi Hou."

After business here was concluded, Chen Zhenhui then walked up fanning himself: "Why such urgency?"

The pace of life in the Ancient world was actually very slow.

Completely different from the Modern World's every-second-counts.

Lin Dao renovating the shop and giving only three days — in Chen Zhenhui's view, it was far too rushed.

Of course he was anxious; he was rushing to earn precious resources like gold and silver jewelry to take to the Modern World to exchange for money to buy supplies.

Still that same sentence.

Doing Industrial Product Dumping business is for cover.

If right from the start he brazenly shouted throughout the city, using countless silver to exchange for gold and jewelry and such, the various forces who figured out his details would immediately swallow him.

Build up the business, make it big and strong.

In this way, the hidden Valuable Item collection also becomes much easier and more convenient.

As for Team Building, it would take at least several months and massive investment.

He had no time, and temporarily no such energy either.

Lin Dao smiled, took out a box from his Travel Bag.

Opened it — inside was a Mechanical Watch bought from the small commodity market.

"If called a thank-you gift, that would be too distant."

Lin Dao handed the watch to Chen Zhenhui: "A gentleman's friendship is plain as water; exchanging hometown Specialties, no need to overthink."

"Hahahaha~~~"

Chen Zhenhui laughed loudly as he accepted the watch, and under Lin Dao's guidance put it on his Wrist.

"Ever since I saw the thing Mr. Mu Zhai wore on his hand." Chen Zhenhui raised his hand and surveyed it. "I was just wanting to ask you about it."

The watches in the small commodity market are very Cheap.

But in design they are extremely beautiful.

Imitation gem dial, crystal-clear glass cover, high-grade lustrous Steel craftsmanship.

Watching the hands tick once per second, Chen Zhenhui's Mouth was about to curve into a lopsided smile.

It really is too exquisite.

This thing is enough to be a family heirloom~~~

"Since you treat me as a friend, I can't lose face."

Chen Zhenhui laughed and greeted, "Tonight at Meixiang Fang, I'll treat!"

Lin Dao originally intended to refuse.

He had a lot of work.

Opening shops and doing business in Chongzhen Spacetime, being a great marshal in Yonghe Spacetime, leading everyone to live good days.

Back in the Modern World, he was both Company Boss and Transporter.

The whole person was busy to the point of being unable to disentangle himself; where was there time to go to a brothel to listen to singing?

Chen Zhenhui added a sentence, "You don't know, Meixiang Fang's business lately has been good to the point of exploding."

"Hmm?"

Lin Dao didn't care much about this.

After all, he was someone who did great things; how could he possibly pay attention to how a flower boat's business was doing?

But Chen Zhenhui then said, "It is naturally because of the rare treasures you have stored with them."

"You don't know how many people have forced Meixiang Fang to hand over the things."

"That truly caused them to be flustered and exasperated."

"If their background connections weren't strong enough, they would have had to submit long ago."

"They also asked me to bring you a message."

Chen Zhenhui laughed again, "I beg you to hurry up and move the things away."

"If you keep leaving them there, their Meixiang Fang will be dismantled by others."

"The Juefu's young masters, the relatives of Six Ministries Officials, and even the adopted son of the garrison Eunuch are all asking for them."

Jinling City was extremely prosperous, and a vast amount of wealth from the Jiangnan Region settled here.

The powerful nobles had nothing to do; every day they thought about seeking some stimulus and finding some novel playthings.

Without a doubt, those rare treasures Lin Dao brought were very much in line with their preferences.

These words also made Lin Dao laugh.

"Alright, let's go."

End of Chapter