Chapter 58

Under the night, the Qingzhu Residence was brightly lit, with pleasant silk and bamboo sounds and women's singing coming out.

In the Great Lan Dynasty, gambling houses and brothels were legal, among which brothels were divided into four grades and managed specifically by the Inspectorate.

The fourth-grade brothel was the well-known brothel, which was purely a flesh business, with high mobility and uneven quality.

The third-grade brothel was called 'Lower Place', which had a fixed place. Although it was also a flesh business, the quality was relatively higher.

The second-grade brothel was called 'Tea Room', which belonged to a mid-to-high-end place that sold both art and body. Some middle-class people with a little money in their pockets liked to call two or three friends to go 'taste tea' in their spare time.

The highest first-grade brothel was called 'Qingyin Small Class', which was a truly high-end place. The women inside basically only sold art and not body. If one really craved someone else's body, then unless one could smash a large amount of real gold and silver and become a 'top list big brother', it was possible to get close to them.

Places like Qingyin Small Class were the entertainment venues that dignitaries loved most, and 'Qingzhu Residence' was the most famous Qingyin Small Class in the entire Xingcheng, recognized as having the highest quality.

Qingzhu Residence was opened by the Tiger Blade Gang, and today the Tiger Blade Gang's Secretary Zhang was personally hosting an important guest here.

"Come, Department Head Liu, I toast you."

Secretary Zhang Mingze, who wore glasses and was full of scholarly air, raised his glass with a full face of smiles to toast a middle-aged man who was somewhat bloated.

There were five people sitting in this elegant room, two men and three women.

Tiger Blade Gang Secretary Zhang Mingze and Deputy Department Head Liu Cunde of the Internal Affairs Department's Main Official Department, each had a beautiful woman wearing a tube top and skin like snow accompanying them to drink, and there was also a woman with an elegant temperament playing the zither on the side.

"Oh my, Secretary Zhang, I really can't drink anymore, I can't hold my liquor, I can't hold my liquor."

Liu Cunde was already flushed with alcohol, waving his hands at Secretary Zhang Mingze who was toasting him again and again.

"Hahahaha, Department Head Liu, who doesn't know you have a sea-like capacity? You are too humble."

Zhang Mingze gave a wink to the beauty beside Liu Cunde without a trace.

The woman immediately picked up the wine glass, took the initiative to lean into Liu Cunde's arms, and persuaded him to drink in soft words.

Under the woman's persuasion, Liu Cunde had to drink another glass of wine.

Then he said to Zhang Mingze: "Secretary Zhang, I really can't drink anymore. If I drink one more glass, I'll have to fall down immediately."

"Good, then let's drink here for today."

Zhang Mingze put down the wine glass with a smile, "Next, shall I arrange it for Department Head Liu?"

While speaking, he looked at the woman leaning in Liu Cunde's arms with an ambiguous look, and the woman also lowered her head shyly, wanting to speak but stopping.

Liu Cunde glanced at the moving woman in his arms and shook his head regretfully:

"You know, I have a mother tiger at home, so it's not good to stay out overnight, another day."

Saying that, he stood up: "Secretary Zhang, thank you for your hospitality tonight."

Zhang Mingze also stood up, personally sent Liu Cunde out of the door, and then left Qingzhu Residence from a quiet back door.

"Department Head Liu, this is a little bit of Sect Leader Yu's heart. Regarding the matter entrusted to you before, please pay more attention."

Before Liu Cunde was about to leave, Zhang Mingze smiled and handed him a somewhat heavy small briefcase.

Liu Cunde took the briefcase without a trace, felt the weight, and the smile on his face became even brighter:

"Thank Sect Leader Yu for me. Regarding his matter, I will definitely do my best."

"Good, then I won't send you off."

"Secretary, please stay."

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Liu Cunde carried the heavy small briefcase and staggered toward the alley ahead.

His driver had long been parked there waiting for him.

Until Liu Cunde got into the car and left, Zhang Mingze restrained his smile.

"Secretary, the matter on Director Wang's side has been arranged properly."

At this moment, a subordinate ran over and reported to him.

Zhang Mingze nodded.

A Deputy Department Head of the Internal Affairs Department's Main Official Department, plus a first-level Director of the Administration Hall's office—having handled these two people, the things they wanted to do were basically nailed down.

In the car, Liu Cunde, who was full of drunkenness and unable to hold his liquor before, had his gaze restored to clarity.

He sat in the back row, placed the briefcase Zhang Mingze gave him on his lap, and opened it slightly to take a look. As expected, inside were stacks of neatly placed dark blue banknotes, all of which were one-yuan denomination paper money.

Liu Cunde just glanced at it and quickly estimated that the money in this box should be ten thousand yuan, more than his salary for a year.

Actually, the largest denomination of paper money issued by the Great Lan Dynasty was thirty yuan, but every time Zhang Mingze gave a gift, he gave one-yuan denomination paper money, because this was more intuitive and would make the gift seem heavier.

Liu Cunde naturally could understand these little thoughts of Zhang Mingze, but he felt it was quite good, because he liked watching money stacked in piles, the more the better.

"Little Sun."

Liu Cunde re-buckled the briefcase and suddenly asked his driver:

"You say, how much money does a person need to earn to be enough?"

Driver Little Sun was startled and said with a smile:

"My lord, for me, if I could have ten thousand yuan, I probably wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of my life."

"Ten thousand yuan?"

Liu Cunde sneered:

"You, your vision is still too shallow."

"I naturally can't compare with you, my lord."

Driver Little Sun laughed dryly.

Liu Cunde shook his head, because he had indeed drunk a lot of alcohol, plus the other side was his absolute confidant, so he suddenly had a feeling and said:

"A local gang can control the election of the Inspectorate Chief of the Inspectorate. Do you think it's ridiculous?"

Driver Little Sun didn't dare to answer this topic, and he knew Liu Cunde didn't need him to answer either.

Sure enough, Liu Cunde said to himself:

"But this kind of thing is not strange in Xingcheng, and it's even more so in other places. Some local aristocratic families can even directly control the promotion of officials. There, the Chief's words are not as useful as the Clan Leader's. How absurd? Hahahaha!"

He shook his head while laughing:

"This Great Lan Dynasty has been established for over five hundred years, and it's hard to change the accumulated ills. Hey, it will be finished sooner or later!"

Driver Little Sun was shocked to hear such rebellious words and subconsciously turned his head to look at Liu Cunde.

Liu Cunde realized he had lost his composure after the words left his mouth, and his drunkenness instantly woke up more than half.

But he didn't want to lose face in front of his driver, so he pretended to be calm and said in an earnest tone:

"Little Sun, while this world is still okay, work hard to earn money."

"You are still young, ten thousand yuan is too little."

"One hundred thousand, earn one hundred thousand yuan, and your whole family won't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives."

A moment later, the answer of driver Little Sun rang out in the car:

"That has to depend on you, otherwise I won't be able to earn one hundred thousand yuan in my life."

"Rest assured, you follow me well, I will definitely guarantee you earn more than one hundred thousand before I retire!"

Liu Cunde's proud voice drifted out from the car window and drifted into this night.

Under the same night, Li Fei was practicing the stance method for nourishment taught by Hao Yi in his room.

He felt the steel armor implant in his body becoming more and more restless, and the duration was far beyond the past.

"The breakthrough is tonight!"

An epiphany arose in Li Fei's heart.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 59 =====