Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 68
Huo Fenghua had Ruan Qin find him a few quick-witted guards and sent them out to investigate Feng Tianzong’s situation. He wanted to know whether Feng Tianzong had already been escorted back to Yujing, and whether Su Zeyang and Feng Tiansheng would really just sit by and watch Feng Tianzong get hauled back to the capital for trial.
Truthfully, when he left the General’s Manor, he’d already told himself they’d go their separate ways. Whatever happened to Feng Tianzong shouldn’t be his problem anymore. But now that it was actually happening, he couldn’t stop himself from worrying. If the charge of rebellion was nailed down, it could mean extermination of his entire clan. If Feng Tianzong died, Su Zeyang probably wouldn’t escape either.
How could he possibly do nothing?
Thinking of that, Huo Fenghua let out a heavy sigh.
“What’re you sighing for?” Xiong’er asked from beside him.
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. Ruan Qin draped a cloak over his shoulders and carefully tied the straps for him.
Without realizing it, Huo Fenghua had been in Wuhetan for over half a month. Tonight, he was hosting a banquet at Wuhetan’s largest restaurant, Xianchun House. Xiongda, Xiong’er, and Wen Heyi were with him as they prepared to head out.
Once Ruan Qin finished with the cloak, a servant lifted the carriage curtain and invited him aboard. When Huo Fenghua climbed into the carriage, he saw Wen Heyi already sitting inside. He sat opposite Wen Heyi and beckoned. “Yi’er, come here.”
Wen Heyi immediately got up, crouched by Huo Fenghua’s feet, and rested his head against Huo Fenghua’s knee.
Huo Fenghua stroked his hair. “Dad’s entertaining guests tonight. You’re not allowed to talk nonsense. Stay quietly to the side. If you don’t behave, I won’t take you out again.”
Xiongda sat up front with the driver. Xiong’er climbed in after that, and he happened to hear Huo Fenghua’s warning. “You shouldn’t have brought him today.”
Huo Fenghua said, “I had to. If someone mouths off to Dad later, Yi’er, you slap them. After you slap them, I’ll smooth it over.”
Wen Heyi looked up at him and nodded.
Xiong’er frowned. “None of those people are easy to deal with. Don’t go offending people before you’ve even gotten your footing in Wuhetan.”
So Huo Fenghua patted Wen Heyi’s head again. “Watch my face. Only hit the ones who deserve it. Don’t hit those who don’t. Sit quietly and drink your sweet syrup.”
Wen Heyi replied, “Okay.”
Xiong’er sighed, helpless.
Tonight, Huo Fenghua had invited three guests to Xianchun House.
The first was Hu Dong, a man they’d heard about for a long time. Xianchun House itself belonged to Hu Dong.
The second was a woman named Lan Shuilian. She was also a legendary figure in Wuhetan. Rumor said her stepfather sold her to a brothel when she was young. She grew up stunning, but with a bold, open temperament, and she befriended many people of the martial world. Now, the brothels and pleasure houses of Wuhetan had all been built by her, one after another. Everyone in Wuhetan who saw her called her Auntie Lian.
The last was Bao Wentong, leader of Shenlong Docks, the most powerful force in Wuhetan. Shenlong Docks was the strongest because they controlled the water routes and the transport of goods that connected Wuhetan to Donglin and Xichou. If Shenlong Docks cut off that route, the only detour was through Beiyi. Up north the climate was bitter and supplies were scarce, so shipping costs would naturally rise.
Huo Fenghua, under the name Su Qiang, had taken Third Master Luo’s place in Wuhetan. He was now one of the top figures here. Still, this was his first time meeting these people face to face.
He’d booked out all of Xianchun House for the night. When he stepped into the main hall, he didn’t see a single customer, just Ji Jing standing there. Ji Jing hurried over as soon as he spotted them.
Seeing Huo Fenghua again, Ji Jing froze slightly. He still remembered the first night in Wuhetan, when this slim young man had been dusty from travel, and Ji Jing hadn’t taken him seriously. Now, Huo Fenghua wore a pale blue long robe. A jade pendant hung at his waist. White fur lined the collar of his cloak, framing his delicate jaw and making his skin look snow-bright. His whole bearing looked fair and elegant.
Ji Jing also remembered how he’d mocked Huo Fenghua in his own head for saying he’d drive Third Master Luo out of Wuhetan. Now everything had flipped. Huo Fenghua had actually eliminated Third Master Luo and replaced him leaving Ji Jing with a mix of complicated emotions.
He stepped forward and said, “Master Su, Master Hu is waiting for you upstairs.”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “Just call me Brother Qiang. You’re Xiong’er’s brother, so you’re also my brother.”
Behind Huo Fenghua, Xiong’er gave Ji Jing a small smile.
Ji Jing led them upstairs and brought Huo Fenghua into a private room. Xiongda and Xiong’er stayed outside to wait. Wen Heyi, however, was brought in with Huo Fenghua.
As he walked in, Huo Fenghua loosened his cloak and tossed it to Wen Heyi without looking.
Wen Heyi hugged the cloak and buried his face in the soft fur, rubbing against it. It was so soft it made his heart itch, so he rubbed again.
Sure enough, someone was already waiting inside.
Hu Dong was a middle-aged man, close to forty. He wasn’t tall, and he had a steady, composed air. He was alone in the private room. When Huo Fenghua entered, he didn’t stand, only let out a quiet laugh.
Huo Fenghua didn’t get angry. He walked up to Hu Dong and cupped his fists. “Master Hu, I’ve long admired your name. I’m Gaungtou Qiang of Boonie Bears. I’m new here, and if I’ve been ignorant in any way, I hope Master Hu will be generous with me.”
Hu Dong didn’t respond. He only glanced at Wen Heyi behind Huo Fenghua.
Huo Fenghua had Wen Heyi sit in the corner and play with the cloak. Then he said to Hu Dong, “That’s my godson. Don’t let his looks fool you; he’s a fool. I don’t feel safe letting him out of my sight. I hope Master Hu doesn’t mind.”
Only then did Hu Dong speak, his voice low. “I heard that the day you first arrived in Wuhetan, you told someone you were my, Hu Dong’s, maternal uncle. Funny. I’ve never heard of you as my uncle.”
Huo Fenghua felt his nose itch a little. “Who told you that, Master Hu? They heard wrong. I clearly told him you were my uncle.”
Hu Dong hadn’t expected that. He studied Huo Fenghua in surprise. “I’m your uncle? That’s news to me.”
“Whether you knew it before doesn’t matter,” Huo Fenghua said. “What matters is that from now on, Uncle, you remember you’ve got this nephew in Wuhetan. We’re family. Your business is my business. We make money together, and we fight enemies together. Isn’t that perfect?”
This time Hu Dong looked him over carefully. After a long moment, he laughed. “Sit. Why’re you standing there? Tell me then, when exactly did we become family?”
Huo Fenghua sat on the chair beside Hu Dong, picked up the teapot on the table, and casually refilled Hu Dong’s cup. “Didn’t Brother Ji Jing mention it? When we first came to Wuhetan, it was because my little brother Xiong’er and Ji Jing are sworn brothers. We came to rely on our connections. It’s just that fate took a strange turn. We didn’t end up under your wing, Uncle, and things became what they are now. Still, on account of Xiong’er and Ji Jing’s relationship, shouldn’t Boonie Bears and Master Hu’s group count as family?”
Hu Dong said, “You were calling me Uncle a moment ago, and now it’s Master Hu again.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t mind him taking the advantage in words. He was here to pull Hu Dong into business with him, so he only smiled. “Uncle is what I call you in private. If the whole of Wuhetan found out about this relationship, wouldn’t you become a target for everyone’s resentment?”
Hu Dong sat perfectly upright and took a sip of tea. “You called me here today. What is it you actually want to talk about?”
Huo Fenghua was about to answer when someone knocked lightly outside. “Auntie Lian has arrived.”
The door opened from the outside, and an exceptionally beautiful woman walked in unhurriedly. At first glance she didn’t look old, but if you looked closely, fine lines gathered at the corners of her eyes. After entering, she looked Huo Fenghua and Wen Heyi up and down and asked, puzzled, “Which one of you is Gaungtou Qiang?”
Huo Fenghua stood immediately and went to her. “That would be me.”
Lan Shuilian looked him over, clearly surprised. “You aren’t bald, and you’re the one who killed Third Master Luo?” She found it hard to believe.
Huo Fenghua smiled. “I didn’t kill him. He tried to kill me and ended up killing himself.” Then he looked at her in mock astonishment. “Before I came today, someone told me I should respectfully call you Auntie Lian when I met you. But now that I’m seeing you, I can’t bring myself to say it.”
Lan Shuilian chuckled. “Oh? Why not?”
Huo Fenghua said, “This is clearly Sister Lian. Where did this ‘Auntie’ come from?”
Lan Shuilian burst out laughing, loud and hearty, without a trace of shyness. She lifted a hand and touched Huo Fenghua’s cheek. “Where’d this sweet-talking little brat come from? By age you should call me Auntie Lian. You’d hardly be losing out.”
Huo Fenghua bargained back. “How about Sister Lian? If I can have such a beautiful sister, I’d say I wouldn’t be losing at all.”
Hu Dong spoke up. “If you call Auntie Lian ‘Sister Lian,’ aren’t you taking advantage of everyone in Wuhetan?”
Huo Fenghua said, “Then my sister took advantage first. You can’t pin it all on me.”
Lan Shuilian laughed nonstop at the side.
Before the banquet, Huo Fenghua had already had people investigate their temperaments. Hu Dong was steady, a true merchant. Lan Shuilian carried more of a martial world spirit, bold and loyal, and she liked making friends. Only Bao Wentong of Shenlong Docks was greedy and vicious, yet he held the water routes and freight lines in his hands, which made him impossible to offend.
Huo Fenghua invited the two of them to sit and said he was new to Wuhetan. He’d been busy handling gang affairs and hadn’t had the chance to pay respects to the elders, so he was grateful to have this opportunity tonight, and he hoped they’d look out for each other going forward.
“People say eating and drinking, whoring, and gambling always come as a set,” he said. “In Wuhetan, we really are one family. This business can’t be done with only the present in mind. We need to make it bigger.”
Lan Shuilian kept smiling at him. Now she asked, “Bigger how? Let’s hear it.”
Huo Fenghua picked up three empty wine cups, flipped them upside down, and stacked one on top of the other two like a little structure. “Like I said, eating and drinking, whoring, and gambling come together. We build one building that caters specifically to rich clients. A casino, a restaurant, beautiful girls to accompany them. Upstairs, it’s all guest rooms. They gamble and drink downstairs. If they win, they take a girl upstairs to enjoy themselves.”
Lan Shuilian still smiled, but she exchanged a glance with Hu Dong.
Huo Fenghua tapped the cup lightly with his chopsticks. “And not just anyone can enter. Anyone who comes in has to first spend enough silver to exchange for chips, like a minimum of one hundred taels. Only the ones who can afford that are our guests. They use the chips to gamble, buy wine, and tip the girls. When they leave, whatever chips they have left can be exchanged back into silver at face value.” He raised his brows.
Hu Dong asked, “You want to build it in Wuhetan? I’m not sure you can attract that many wealthy guests.”
Huo Fenghua said, “Wuhetan sits at the crossroads of Donglin, Xichou, and Beiyi. There are no city walls, so anyone can come and go. Why limit our customer base to Wuhetan? And that’s only step one. If it works, we’ll build a sea-going ship. We sail along Donglin’s eastern coast and lure wealthy merchants and young masters onto the ship to gamble.”
Hu Dong leaned forward slightly, focused, clearly interested.
Lan Shuilian considered it, then said, “It could work. But neither plan can avoid Shenlong Docks.”
Huo Fenghua nodded. “That’s why I invited Boss Bao today too.”
As soon as he finished, someone knocked outside. “Boss Bao has arrived.”
Bao Wentong came late because he didn’t think much of anyone in this room. In Wuhetan, as long as he held the waterways tight, his power couldn’t be shaken, and money would keep flowing in.
The door opened. A short, heavyset middle-aged man stood outside. Bao Wentong was squat and thick, with a face full of hard flesh that made him look fierce. His expression was cold and gloomy. As he stepped into the room, he snorted. “Which one is Gaungtou Qiang?”
Huo Fenghua stood and cupped his fists. “Boss Bao, I’ve long admired your name. I’m Su Qiang.”
Bao Wentong paused. Behind him stood a tall, skinny young man. The young man took one look at Huo Fenghua and laughed. “You’re Gaungtou Qiang? I thought you were a little male courtesan Auntie Lian brought along, here to pour wine and keep her company.”
Before the sentence even finished, a bamboo-green blur swept past. There was a crisp smack. The youth didn’t even see the figure clearly, yet a slap had already landed across his face.
The one who struck him was Wen Heyi. Wen Heyi rubbed his palm, scooted to Huo Fenghua’s side, and called out like he was claiming credit, “Dad!”
Huo Fenghua had given him that instruction casually before leaving. He hadn’t expected Wen Heyi to really do it.
The young man snapped back to himself and flew into a rage. He drew the curved saber at his waist and pointed it at Wen Heyi. “What stray dog is this, biting people at random!”
Huo Fenghua quickly stepped between them. “Brother, don’t be angry. That’s my godson. He’s muddled in the head. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
The young man was still furious. “So one ‘he’s stupid’ and that’s it? Send him over. Let me slap him once, and then we’ll call it even.”
Huo Fenghua looked at him. “Then you insulted me just now. Should I insult Boss Bao a couple times too, and then it’s even?”
The young man froze.
Bao Wentong frowned. “Enough. Wait outside.”
The young man had no choice. He cupped his fists. “Yes, Boss!”
Bao Wentong entered. Seeing Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian already seated, he didn’t exchange pleasantries. He only pointed at Wen Heyi. “Send him out too.”
Huo Fenghua patted Wen Heyi’s head. “Yi’er, go wait outside. Stop causing trouble.”
Wen Heyi nodded, hugged Huo Fenghua’s cloak, and left the private room.
Huo Fenghua closed the door and heard Bao Wentong say, “Say what you need to say. I don’t care what trick you used to kill Third Master Luo. In front of me, you’d better be honest and stop wasting my time.”
Bao Wentong sat at the table.
Huo Fenghua smiled, returned to the table, and straightforwardly repeated the plan he’d just described to Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian. Bao Wentong looked impatient at first, but as Huo Fenghua went on, Bao Wentong studied him more carefully. He reached for the wine cup and thought for a long while. “Not a bad idea.”
Huo Fenghua asked, “So what do you think, Boss Bao? Are we making money together or not?”
Bao Wentong said, “We can make the money, but I want forty percent.”
Hu Dong couldn’t help a snort of laughter. “Boss Bao, that’s a lion’s bite. You take forty percent and the three of us split the remaining sixty, twenty each? That’s not right.”
Bao Wentong sneered. “Then I won’t do this business. Go back and bring out your abacuses and see if you can do the math without me.”
Huo Fenghua glanced at Hu Dong, then Lan Shuilian. “Everything’s negotiable. Boss Bao, don’t be so quick to reject it. If there’s money to be made, we should still make it together.”
Bao Wentong stood. “Then you can discuss it among yourselves. Decide if you want to make this money.”
He didn’t eat a single bite before leaving the room.
That damn Thermos*! Huo Fenghua cursed inwardly. When he turned back to Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian, though, he could only shake his head with a helpless sigh.
*Clarity: He’s making fun of Bao Wentong’s [包文同] name by calling him a thermos (which is also [bao wentong]). They sound similar, like almost homophones.
After a moment, Lan Shuilian said, “We still have to do the deal.”
Huo Fenghua traced a finger over the glossy varnish of the wooden tabletop. “We can agree to it first, then later we don’t give him that forty percent.”
Hu Dong looked at him. “What do you mean?”
Huo Fenghua said, “I told you, we’re the family here. Why let someone else clamp our throats and control us at every turn? Isn’t that right, Uncle?”
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