"The southern breeze brings coolness, the nightingale sings gently, flowers beneath the moon all drift into dreams, only the Night-blooming Jasmine, releasing its fragrance..."
Greenwater City, Xiaoyao Lodge.
The Singing Empress, Jiang Mengting, was performing in the ballroom.
The ballroom wasn’t a large dance hall; the one at Xiaoyao Lodge could accommodate up to thirty people and was used for gatherings.
Today, there were only two audience members: Li Qi and Ma Wu.
Ma Wu leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Old Qi, do you think she’s pretty?"
Li Banfeng glanced at the Phonograph behind Jiang Mengting and nodded. "Pretty."
"Honestly, though," Ma Wu pressed, "do you feel there’s something... different about her?"
Li Banfeng was quite familiar with Jiang Mengting. Ever since Xiaoyao Lodge had reopened, Jiang Mengting had left Hundred Joy Gate and returned to Ma Wu’s patronage.
"She’s loyal to you."
Ma Wu nodded. "She is indeed loyal to me, but our relationship isn’t what you think."
Li Banfeng was surprised. "Don’t tell me you two are actual siblings?"
Ma Wu shook his head repeatedly. After the song concluded, he had Jiang Mengting leave the ballroom first.
Only the two of them remained in the room. Ma Wu said to Li Banfeng, "Jiang Mengting is different from Xiao Xiufei and others like her. Many of Xiao Xiufei’s accomplishments were achieved in the bedroom. Jiang Mengting, however, achieved her current success entirely through my efforts. Would you believe me if I said she’s never slept with a man?"
Having spent a year and a half in Puluo State, Li Banfeng was well acquainted with the true nature of so-called singing queens and movie stars.
Ma Wu explained, "Because I’ve invested heavily in her. I signed a Contract Book with her: no matter how difficult things get, she cannot sell her body without my permission.
"She’s different from other singing queens. Many wealthy men desire her, fantasize about her, but they can’t get near her. Even when she had a Famous Performer’s Chamber at Hundred Joy Gate, others still couldn’t touch her.
"Only by maintaining this image can her value skyrocket. When people talk about Singing Empresses, Jiang Mengting’s name always comes first. With her current status, I can earn even more money."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "You really are a shrewd businessman."
Ma Wu shook his head. "It’s not just about business; it’s also about her own abilities. Every year, I cultivate five or six popular talents. After three to five years, I’ll have twenty or thirty of them.
"But someone like her, who remains untouched, is rare—perhaps only one every three to five years. This is what makes her so precious. It’s like having a single rose in a field of a hundred flowers; that one rose becomes incredibly valuable.
"She is worthy of this status—her looks, her temperament, her character, all of it.
"She’s a good woman, and I want to find a good home for her. Old Qi, would you be willing to take her in?
"I know you can’t marry a songstress, but perhaps as a concubine? Or even with no official status, just keeping her by your side would be fine."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Why should I take her? Why don’t you?"
Ma Wu shook his head. "I can’t. I’m incapable of genuinely caring for a woman. My relationship with her is purely business.
"Our business is on the verge of collapse, and I won’t be able to look after her much longer. That’s why I want to find her a good home.
"This way, in the future, when we brothers are living a more leisurely life, seeing her by your side will ease my conscience a bit."
Li Banfeng frowned again. "Why is our business on the verge of collapse? Is it all because of that issue with the Border Defense Envoy?"
Ma Wu sighed. "Previously, they wanted to take over the books and stationery business at Black Stone Slope. I refused, and I know you wouldn’t have wanted me to agree.
"Now, the Border Defense Envoy has increased shipping fees by fifty percent. For all our businesses operating outside Greenwater Bay, the transport costs have shot up by half. If this continues, all our external ventures are doomed."
Li Banfeng took a sip of wine. "A fifty percent increase in shipping fees... is it really that devastating?"
Ma Wu took a fountain pen from his shirt pocket. "Look at this," he said to Li Banfeng. "This pen is made in Black Stone Slope. The production cost is six yuan. It sells for twelve yuan there.
"Medicine King Valley doesn’t have any factories that can produce fountain pens, so a single pen like this sells for twenty-eight yuan. You can’t blame the merchants for being rapacious; the shipping cost alone for one pen is fifteen yuan.
"So, to transport one pen from Black Stone Slope to Medicine King Valley, the cost price is already twenty-one yuan. Merchants need to make a profit, so they add a seven-yuan margin, bringing the price to twenty-eight yuan."
Li Banfeng had never really delved into these matters. He knew transport costs in Puluo State were high, but he hadn’t realized they were this exorbitant.
"How heavy can this pen be?" Li Banfeng asked. "How could shipping possibly cost fifteen yuan? If this were grain, what would the shipping cost per jin be?"
Ma Wu heaved a long sigh. "Old Qi, you truly don’t understand the hardships of doing business. The Border Defense Envoy doesn’t set shipping fees by weight, but by value—based on the market price of goods in different locations. He’s blatantly extorting us.
"Now that he’s hiked our shipping fees by fifty percent, the transport cost for this pen alone is twenty-two and a half yuan. Add the production cost of six yuan, and by the time this pen reaches Medicine King Valley, its base cost already exceeds its market price of twenty-eight yuan. How can we possibly continue this business?"
Li Qi and Ma Wu had endured countless bloody struggles to build the foundation they had today.
In Puluo State, they were significant figures, influential men. If they abandoned their businesses outside the city, they would become mere ordinary merchants in Greenwater City, and all their past efforts would be for naught.
This matter was quite tricky, and Ma Wu couldn’t think of a solution. "I’ve tried to smooth things over with the Border Defense Envoy," he said, "but their stance is incredibly firm. This definitely isn’t just about the books and stationery issue.
"It’s connected to what happened with the He Family. He Yuxiu offended the Border Defense Envoy, and we backed her. Now, the Envoy is holding us accountable for that too."
Li Banfeng lit a cigarette. "How is the He Family doing?"
"The Border Defense Envoy has already doubled the He Family’s shipping fees. Their business is finished—completely wiped out. Countless of their factories in other regions have probably closed down.
"If it weren’t for He Yuxiu’s lingering prestige, the He Family would likely have collapsed by now. Her current whereabouts are unknown. If she ever falls into the Border Defense Envoy’s hands, the He Family will cease to exist among the prominent families of Puluo State."
"Can we conduct business in other regions under the Lu Family’s name?" Li Banfeng asked. He believed Lu Chunying would cooperate on this.
Ma Wu replied, "Actually, I’ve already started doing that, but I don’t know how long it can last. The Border Defense Envoy wants to take over Hundred Joy Gate, but Lu Chunying refused. If this stalemate persists, I expect the Lu Family’s transport costs will also be increased."
"So, the Lu Family is also in a precarious position," Li Banfeng concluded.
Ma Wu nodded. "Exactly. Right now, among the Four Great Families, only the Chu Family is thriving. The Border Defense Envoy cut their transport fees by thirty percent. Next, they’ll likely lower their goods’ prices to drive all our businesses into the ground. The Chu Family is poised to become the top powerhouse in Puluo State."
Li Banfeng took a drag from his cigarette, silently mulling over the complexities of the situation.
Seeing Li Banfeng’s continued silence, Ma Wu proposed a rather uninspired idea. "Old Qi, let’s go talk to Lu Chunying. We could suggest selling Hundred Joy Gate to the Border Defense Envoy.
"That might ease the tension between the Lu Family and the Envoy, and in turn, improve our own standing with him. If we make a few conciliatory gestures, perhaps this crisis will blow over."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "’Ease things?’ For how long? We give up Hundred Joy Gate today. What if he demands Xiaoyao Lodge tomorrow? Do we just keep handing things over?"
Ma Wu also knew this wasn’t a sustainable solution. "But what other good options do we have?"
Li Banfeng asked, "If we were to divide our business among a dozen or so different people, having them operate independently, the Border Defense Envoy wouldn’t be able to target us collectively. Is that the principle?"
Ma Wu nodded. "That’s the principle, yes. But where would we find so many trustworthy people? And it’s not something that can be achieved overnight."
"Old Five," Li Banfeng said, "go find Shen Rongqing. Ask her to meet and discuss some business matters."
Ma Wu waved his hand dismissively. "Old Qi, don’t assume I can solve everything with my charms in the bedroom. Miss Shen won’t even see me these days."
Li Banfeng said, "Tell her I want to see her. Tell her I want to catch up on old times."
Ma Wu was surprised. "You know Shen Rongqing?"
"No."
Ma Wu was taken aback. "You don’t know her? Then how can you ’catch up on old times’?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Just tell her. She’ll understand."
At the Ling Family Film Company, Shen Rongqing was perplexed. "You’re saying Li Qi wants to ’catch up’ with me? I’ve never even met him."
Ma Wu smiled. "Those were his exact words. I’m just the messenger."
After Ma Wu left, she relayed the matter to He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing had just emerged from the local market. He ducked into an alley and, making sure no one was around, balanced the tray of an electronic scale on his head.
After a moment of trembling, He Jiaqing felt refreshed. He was just about to return the tray when he felt a vibration from the button on his chest.
"Jiaqing," Shen Rongqing’s voice came through, "Ma Wu visited me today. He said Li Qi wants to ’catch up on old times’ with me. I don’t know Li Qi at all. Should I meet him?"
He Jiaqing paused for a moment before replying, "Meet him."
"What should I say when I see him?"
"Just say, ’Long time no see.’"
Shen Rongqing was utterly confused.
He Jiaqing was about to explain when a burly fishmonger woman stormed into the alley, yelling, "What are you doing with my scale tray? Are you so desperate from poverty that you’d steal even this?!"
In a private room at Spring Brook Teahouse, Shen Rongqing faced Li Qi. She took a deep breath and said, "Long time no see."
Li Qi responded quite naturally. "Yes, long time no see. How have you been lately?"
Li Qi continued, "I have a bit of a troublesome matter, and I need your help."
He Jiaqing emerged from the foot massage parlor carrying a washbasin.
After placing the basin on his head, He Jiaqing pressed the button. "Sister, have you met with him?"
"I have. The Border Defense Envoy has them cornered with those transport fees. He wants to use our channels to get their business operations moving again."
He Jiaqing mused for a moment. "That could work. We can have them sell their goods locally at the production sites, and we’ll handle the resale. We won’t lose out, and we can even earn a bit from the price difference."
Shen Rongqing was stunned. "Jiaqing, are you actually agreeing to this?
"This is absurd! I don’t know how he found out about our operations, but if we do this, it’s like showing all the Brotherhood Alliance’s trump cards."
"He’s known some of our cards for a while," He Jiaqing’s voice chuckled from inside the basin. "Help him with this. Then, arrange another meeting. Tell him I wish him well. The He Family isn’t doing so great right now, and I wish for us to be well too."