CHAPTER 460: 352. FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON_3

After Prince Fu sent 70,000 taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury, the old Furui Xiang brand disappeared overnight, as if sand on a table wiped away by a casual hand.

Furui Xiang was not the first to be erased, nor would it be the last.

Interestingly, after Furui Xiang vanished, a soldier named Zhou Kuang delivered the deed to Meihua Ferry Crossing in place of Furui Xiang, claiming it was a congratulatory gift for Brother Pao setting foot in the Imperial Capital.

Furui Xiang was gone, but its prestige remained.

Chen Ji avoided the busy Baishun Alley, lowering his bamboo hat as he arrived at the back entrance of Meihua Ferry Crossing.

The robust man at the door asked vigilantly, "Where do you come from?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "From Kunlun Mountain."

The man asked again, "Did you see the white crane fly over?"

Chen Ji gave a thumbs up in response, "Only saw multicolored clouds."

The man’s expression changed: "Landlord."

He hurriedly opened the back door and stepped aside: "Brother Pao is waiting for you in Plum Blossom Pavilion."

Meihua Ferry Crossing resembled a mountain water garden, with five Covered Buildings scattered in five directions, guarding a green water pool and artificial mountains like plum blossom petals.

Walking along the winding bluestone path, Zhang Xia beside him curiously asked, "Was that your secret signal?"

Chen Ji nodded: "Brother Pao felt the fighting profession in the Imperial Capital was too loosely regulated, so he adopted others’ rules and came up with his own. Like this gesture, everyone who sees it is part of the gang."

Saying so, he clasped his hands, thumbs, and index fingers together, middle fingers separated, ring fingers with tips touching thumb roots, little fingers with tips touching ring finger roots.

This was Hongmen’s most famous gesture, known as three and a half sticks of incense.

Chen Ji further explained: "When exchanging signals earlier, if the thumb touches the index finger, it indicates the Mountain Master, Deputy Mountain Master, Master of the Hall, Assistant Hall, Punishment Hall of the Inner Eight Halls... If the thumb touches the middle finger, then it’s the Outer Eight Halls. There are also special gestures for White Paper Fan, Third Master, and Fifth Master of the Red Flag, which are a bit complex. I haven’t memorized them all yet."

Zhang Xia appeared thoughtful: "What an intriguing term. But Brother Pao set such strict rules for the fighting profession, he’s aiming for something big."

Chen Ji chuckled: "If you’re interested, you can ask them to demonstrate for you afterward, seeing it once will help you remember. I’ve only remembered a few for now, just enough to identify myself."

Zhang Xia asked, "Is Brother Pao the Mountain Master here?"

Chen Ji made a sound of agreement: "He should be called Dragon Head, but the word dragon is taboo, so it’s changed to Mountain Master."

Suddenly, Zhang Xia said with certainty, "I want to be the Deputy Mountain Master, tell Brother Pao about it later."

Chen Ji was slightly surprised: "Okay."

The two arrived outside Plum Blossom Pavilion, Brother Pao was holding a pipe, neither smoking nor knowing what he was contemplating.

Upon hearing footsteps, his eyes lit up: "Isn’t this my ever-elusive landlord? Haven’t seen you for days, I thought you had forgotten us."

Chen Ji stood under the Plum Blossom Pavilion, without exchanging pleasantries, bluntly asked: "What is the most profitable in the Ning Dynasty?"

Brother Pao knew this landlord was testing him... But some words couldn’t be spoken lightly.

He glanced at Zhang Xia.

Chen Ji shook his head: "No harm in speaking."

Brother Pao grinned: "Naturally, being the Emperor is the most profitable."

Zhang Xia looked at Brother Pao and Chen Ji, feeling these were two extremely daring individuals gathered together.

Yet strangely, the two of them had only met a few times, not enough to trust each other, how could they dare speak so boldly?

Zhang Xia felt dazed.

Seeing Brother Pao’s open honesty, Chen Ji sat by Plum Blossom Pavilion: "We can’t manage the most profitable, neither of us are suited to rebellion. I currently have a salt brand, holding thirty thousand salt permits, how about we sell salt together?"

Brother Pao shook his head: "No. The salt merchant network is too intricate, we would have to deal with too many officials to establish ourselves in the salt industry, it would take at least ten years. After ten years, you’d still be fine, but I’d be old."

Chen Ji was indifferent: "How about we do the refined salt business together? I can refine fine salt."

Brother Pao shook his head again: "No, either. One, someone else is already doing this business, competing for business is hard labor, a busy life; two, this business isn’t profitable fast enough."

Chen Ji seemed to hear what he wanted: "Seems you’ve done a lot of homework in your daily life."

Brother Pao remained composed: "Coming to this Imperial Capital, I must leave my name, right?"

Chen Ji shifted the topic: "What kind of business do you think we should do?"

Brother Pao put his head down, tapped the pipe on his sole, and when raising his head, calmly said: "Do the kind of business they’ve never seen before."

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "Seems like I’ve found the right person."

Brother Pao looked at Zhang Xia, sincerely said: "Miss, allow me to talk alone with my landlord for a moment. I have too many questions to ask him. If I don’t ask today, I’m afraid I won’t sleep well."