Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey!

Chapter 576: Chapter 179 Chen Jie: You’re Looking for the Lady in My Bed? (10,000 Words, Subscribe Please)_3

”Xiao Hu.”

Chen Jie called out deliberately after hearing Xiao Hu’s words, stopping him from continuing.

Upon hearing this, Liu Laoguai looked at Chen Jie and said, ”Hey, Jiu Si, don’t blame Xiao Hu, that’s fine. If Nan Batian dares to act recklessly, we shouldn’t be afraid of him. If it won’t work, we’ll just go to Darugachi and accuse him!”

After hearing this, Chen Jie picked up a teapot beside him and poured a cup of tea for Liu Laoguai, saying, ”Guild Leader Liu, please calm down and have a sip of tea. I know the Feng River closure has cost you a lot. If Guild Cao is really strapped for cash, I can lend you some to tide you over, but as for accusing Nan Batian, I’m afraid I can’t get involved.”

”Why not?”

Liu Laoguai looked at Chen Jie, puzzled.

Chen Jie paused for a moment before saying, ”There are two reasons. First, Nan Batian is the leader of the Fishing Guild, and my White Tiger Hall is one of his subsidiaries. In name, I am his subordinate. If a subordinate sues his superior and others find out, they will say I, Chen Jiusi, don’t understand hierarchy and am a despicable man.”

”This...”

Liu Laoguai was at a loss for words but soon regained his composure and said, ”Jiu Si, you’re being foolish. Nan Batian wants you dead, yet you still care about hierarchy? Why are you so old-fashioned?”

Chen Jie took a sip from his tea cup and said, ”I’d rather Nan Batian be the unkind one than to be Chen Jiusi the unrighteous. I ask for Guild Leader Liu’s understanding.”

After hearing this, Liu Laoguai looked at Chen Jie, stamped his foot, and said, ”You are too righteous! Being like this would get you bullied.”

Chen Jie just smiled without responding.

Liu Laoguai took a sip of tea and said, ”I don’t have the same sense of righteousness as you, Jiu Si. If he angers me, I’ll have to go to Lord Yelu and accuse him.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie topped up Liu Laoguai’s cup as Xiao Hu silently watched from the side.

Liu Laoguai then said, ”Right, Jiu Si, you mentioned there were two reasons why you can’t accuse Nan Batian. Besides that one, is there anything else?”

Cheng Jie fell silent for a moment before replying, ”There’s no leverage!”

”Leverage?” asked Liu Laoguai.

Chen Jie laughed and said, ”Yes, what Nan Batian is doing now, he’s doing under the orders of Lord Yelu. It’s with Lord Yelu’s Waist Token that he acts, and Lord Yelu backs him up. If you go to accuse him, what grounds can you use?”

”I’ll accuse him of closing my docks, leaving thousands from Guild Cao without food to eat.”

Chen Jie replied, ”Then Lord Yelu says it’s an important time to capture the Zoroastrian Sect, and Nan Batian is just following his orders with such actions. He’d hope for Guild Leader Liu’s cooperation. So, Guild Leader Liu, will you cooperate or not?”

”I!”

Liu Laoguai was at a loss for words, but then looking at Chen Jie, he said, ”So, I’m just supposed to watch as my Guild Cao brothers starve?”

Chen Jie laughed upon hearing this and said, ”Guild Leader Liu, it’s not just your operations that have been closed. Guild Cao, the Fishing Guild, and my White Tiger Hall have all been sealed. Among these, both your Guild Cao and the Fishing Guild have sealed off the most important iron ore mine, halting its extraction. Thus, the only economic lifelines you can rely on are Cao Yun and salt production.”

”Let’s not talk about salt; the shares don’t change much, and it’s only several thousand taels of Silver a month. That leaves the Guild’s expenses to rely solely on Cao Yun.”

Chen Jie looked at Liu Laoguai and said, ”Nan Batian has even promised to give the Mulan people twenty thousand taels of Silver for the repair of the Tara family’s graves and as apology. How is he going to fill that gap of twenty thousand taels?”

”Hm?”

Liu Laoguai listened intently, and Chen Jie continued, ”So, he’s also in desperate need of replenishing his Silver Coin. And what could he do to get it?”

Liu Laoguai was slightly moved and said, ”You mean?”

Chen Jie replied, ”I didn’t say anything.”

Liu Laoguai clasped his fists and said, ”I understand now, haha, Jiu Si, you’re clever indeed. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought Nan Batian could stoop to something so despicable. I nearly fell for it.”

Chen Jie said, ”Guild Leader Liu, I really didn’t say anything.”

”Understood, understood. This doesn’t implicate you; it’s between Nan Batian and me. I won’t let him get away with it. If he wants to play dirty, just watch how I won’t make it easy for him,” Liu Laoguai responded.

Chen Jie laughed and said, ”Heh, in that case, can Old Brother Liu accompany me for a nice tea?”

Liu Laoguai answered, ”Of course, of course. This tea really does taste excellent.”

Chen Jie asked, ”Should I pack some for you when you leave?”

”Absolutely, the tea from Jiu Si’s place must be magic—it makes one smart, haha!” Liu Laoguai exclaimed.

Chen Jie also laughed in response, ”Haha...”

The two shared a laugh together, when suddenly, a rush of urgent footsteps could be heard from outside.

Si Xi came running in hastily, ”Hall Master, something terrible has happened! The Gang Leader has led seven or eight hundred people and surrounded our White Tiger Hall!”

”Hm?”

When Chen Jie heard this, his hand holding the tea cup halted abruptly.

Liu Laoguai furrowed his brow and asked, ”Has Nan Batian gone mad? Why would he surround your place, Jiu Si? Is he planning some dirty trick?”

Liu Laoguai looked at Si Xi questioningly, and Si Xi seemed conflicted, as if he was struggling to speak. Observing this, Chen Jie said, ”Don’t hide anything. Old Brother Liu is like my own brother. Speak freely; there’s nothing you can’t say. My White Tiger Hall has no secrets from Elder Liu.”

Si Xi responded, ”Yes, Hall Master. The people at the gate led by the Gang Leader are shouting: ’Flatten White Tiger Hall, rescue Mrs. Huang.’”

”Hm?”

Chen Jie’s brow furrowed further, and he looked puzzled, ”This ’flatten White Tiger Hall’ I can understand, but what’s this about rescuing Mrs. Huang? Mrs. Huang, Nan Batian’s wife, is she at our White Tiger Hall?”

Chen Jie’s voice carried his doubt.

Liu Laoguai also looked at Si Xi strangely, asking, ”Did you hear it wrong?”

Si Xi replied, ”One might mishear anything, but not this. They’re claiming that Mrs. Huang has been kidnapped by our Hall Master and taken into White Tiger Hall!”