Chapter 21

Zhang Chun had expressed his loyalty, so he didn't insist further.

He merely lowered his voice and said indignantly, "To think a mere patrol guard would dare speak to a dignified manager like that.

It is simply outrageous.

Even when the Yan Family Elder was in power, they were never allowed to be so insolent.

Now, they have become arrogant and ignorant of the times.

If it weren't for your broad-mindedness, sir, I would have let him know the severity of 'distinguishing between close and distant' in a few days."

Zhang Gui heard this and smiled bitterly, shaking his head. He cherished the last few bits of pork cracklings and swallowed them,

"There is no need to wait a few days.

I fear that in an hour or three, I will be the one tasting the severity of 'distinguishing between close and distant'."

"Sir, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Brother Chun, don't be afraid later.

The struggles of those big shots actually have nothing to do with us.

Just be like a reed in the wind; whichever way the wind blows, just bend your body accordingly."

"Sir, I... I don't understand what you mean."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand; you will soon enough."

Zhang Gui sighed, stood up, and swayed as he walked out the door, following behind the patrol guard toward the Town Office.

On the way.

Merchants from all walks of life greeted him eagerly, and Zhang Gui returned every greeting, eventually arriving at the Town Office in a dawdling manner.

Glancing inside, everything in the office seemed as usual.

Yet Zhang Gui felt that walking in was like a sheep entering a tiger's den, while not entering would be equivalent to spurning a favor.

Just as he was hesitating, a tall and stout manager named Zhang Basheng arrived at the gate. Seeing Zhang Gui, he asked with a smile:

"Manager Gui, why haven't you gone in yet?"

"Haha, going in, I'm going in right now.

I wonder what Lord Yan is summoning us for?" Zhang Gui forced a laugh, gritted his teeth inwardly, and walked into the Town Office shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhang Basheng.

Arriving at the main hall, nearly half of the twenty-some managers of Blackwood Town had already arrived, sitting in two rows.

Zhang Yan sat in the main seat at the head.

Standing on both sides were Guan Xihui and He Kaihai, looking at everyone with smiles.

After two or three more people arrived, Zhang Yan looked around and asked, "Xihui, how many people have come?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, eleven managers have arrived; everyone is here."

"Since everyone is here, let's talk business.

You are all wondering why only eleven managers came, and I said everyone was here.

Actually, the remaining fifteen are now with Owner Zhang Qitong and cannot come here.

Speaking of which, the young are never steady. I am about to return to my hometown to take up my post, yet this Owner Zhang had no patience and was in a rush to drive me away.

He actually went around to every manager in town to collude.

As for those of you sitting here, some listened to his bewitchment.

Others remembered old affections and did not agree.

That is very good; people should still have affection and righteousness.

For example, those managers who agreed with Owner Zhang were struck by 'manic madness' last night and died to the last one."

As the words fell, Zhang Basheng, who was sitting next to Zhang Gui, could no longer support his stout body, sliding directly off his chair and collapsing onto the floor.

Zhang Gui hesitated for a moment upon seeing this, stood up, reached out to pull Zhang Basheng up with force, and whispered, "Manager Basheng, did you eat too much breakfast and get blocked by gas?

Why did you fall?"

"It is indeed too much gas, indeed too much." Zhang Basheng was sweating like rain, his body trembling slightly. Clearly wanting to cry, he smiled and replied in a low voice: "I have embarrassed myself, embarrassed myself."

A manager in the opposite row was furious, slammed the table, stood up, and rebuked:

"Zhang Basheng, as a descendant of the Pingyang Zhang Family, you do not cry out when encountering family thieves; acting like a fool is truly shameful.

You have disgraced the two hundred brothers of the 'Ba generation' in the clan!

Zhang Gui, you are young but have no spirit; do you intend to just let this scene pass by cowardly?"

Zhang Gui knew the manager who spoke was named Zhang Baqing, one of the descendants in the main line of the Pingyang Zhang Family who was not doing well.

He had come to Luanya as a manager in his teens and had never been promoted or transferred back home.

Yet every three years, he would habitually take half a year off to take the scholar exam, but he could not even pass the child student level after more than ten attempts, which shows how terrible his writing was.

It is said that an elder in the clan heard his story and intended to help him due to his perseverance, but after seeing his writing, he was so angry he nearly had a stroke.

He wrote twelve large characters: "Dog fart makes no sense, no sense dog fart, dog makes no sense fart."

He ordered him not to take the scholar exam again to avoid ruining the family's literary style, and only then did he stop.

Zhang Gui actually did not dislike such a persistent fool.

Although Zhang Baqing had always looked down on him for not even having a 'generation character', the qualities of perseverance and pursuit were always rare.

But now, for Zhang Baqing to defend his own way while asking him, Zhang Gui, to lead the charge was going too far.

"This manager, we have never even spoken a word to each other; I don't even know your name, so I can only speak based on the facts.

Judging by your words, you should be a figure of the 'Ba generation' of the Pingyang Zhang Family, while I don't even have a 'generation character'.

Back then, it was through people trusting people and faces trusting faces that I obtained the status of a shop assistant in Luanya.

After arriving in Blackwood Town, I was fortunate to be valued by Yan Gong, which led to some progress.

Strictly speaking, he has shown me kindness, so without evidence, I dare not make wild judgments.

As for you, as a figure of the 'Ba generation' who has received great kindness from the clan, I dare not say you are wrong for having some associations while excited.

Since that is the case, whether you want to splatter blood on the spot to seek clarity, or if your courage has dissipated and you want to wake up and kowtow to Yan Gong to admit your mistake, please do as you please.

Don't drag me into anything."

These words left Zhang Baqing speechless and unable to retort.

Guan Xihui, not far away, laughed with a cackle.

Green skin surfaced on his face, his teeth slowly elongated until they were as sharp as steel nails, whiskers grew from the corners of his mouth, and he stood up and pressed toward Zhang Baqing,

"Manager Baqing, did you hear your peer's question?

Are you going to splatter blood on the spot to seek clarity, or are you going to kowtow and admit your mistake?"

Zhang Baqing's face turned beet red; the courage that had surged up in his excitement was mostly dissipated by the sight of Guan Xihui's demonic appearance.

For a moment, he dared not continue to act out, but he could not let go of his pride to admit defeat, truly caught in a dilemma.

Yet for some reason, he suddenly thought of his own life's experiences, which were also like this dilemma, and suddenly he felt enlightened and burst into wild laughter.

"Guan Xihui, oh Guan Xihui, I never thought that a slave who started out fishing would dare to pressure your Baqing Grandpa.

Do you really think Grandpa is afraid just because you changed into a ghost face!

You must know that the descendants of Lord Siwei are not such cowards!

Zhang Qiyan, the clan has failed you these past decades, so when Uncle Qitong asked me to make things difficult for you yesterday, I did not agree.

But accepting you into the genealogy and giving you the position of External Affairs Elder, no matter how much the family owed you before, it has all been repaid sincerely.

Do not lead yourself astray!"

After speaking, Zhang Baqing lowered his head and used brute force, charging toward Guan Xihui regardless of everything, but Guan Xihui dodged with ghostly movements, and he charged several yards away, hitting a stone pillar in the main hall and dying with a fractured skull.

"People, how they speak; everyone sitting here is a clever person.

Yet in the end, only one fool with less than two taels of brains saw blood; it is truly interesting.

What do you all think?"

The Pingyang Zhang Family descendants present all wanted to speak but stopped, their faces red, but no one dared to say anything more.

(End of this chapter)