Free Web NovelChapter 253: Chapter 253: Coercion
Ming Lingyi had never met Hu Tuchao, so she didn’t recognize him at first glance.
Manager Qian, on the other hand, who was already walking toward the door, recognized the newcomer at once and offered a cupped-fist salute. "Boss Hu."
Ming Lingyi glanced at the tightly bound Hu Jin, then at Hu Tuchao dressed in green robes. It all clicked.
’So the real mastermind has shown up.’
"I had no idea my restaurant would welcome two separate parties before it even opened," Ming Lingyi said with a smile.
Her words might have sounded like a jest, but no one present could miss the dissatisfaction in her tone.
Ming Lingyi had no intention of giving Hu Tuchao any face.
She had no prior relationship with the man. Now that he was actively trying to sabotage her, why would she be in any mood to be pleasant?
The smile on Hu Tuchao’s face froze. He hadn’t expected Ming Lingyi to be so blunt.
"You jest, Boss Ming. I merely heard some rumors and rushed over, hoping I wasn’t too late." As he spoke, Hu Tuchao’s gaze fell on Hu Jin. The man was not only hogtied but also gagged. His eyes lit up at Hu Tuchao’s arrival, and he began grunting ceaselessly. "MMPH! MMPH!"
"This Boss Hu," Hu Tuchao began, "rented a property from me a few days ago. I was just a bit busy at the time and, in my haste, wrote the contract incorrectly..."
Hu Tuchao had improvised this story on the spot after seeing Hu Jin’s predicament.
Before arriving, he’d thought that if Ming Lingyi was stupid enough to be fooled by Hu Jin, he would be here today to back Hu Jin up and reclaim the restaurant. If the situation looked bad, he figured his mere presence would be enough for Ming Lingyi to give him some face.
After all, the Ming Family was a nobody in Shangjing City. They had no powerful backer, and aside from a small diner that was doing reasonably well, they had no grounds to stand against him.
He hadn’t expected Ming Lingyi to be just as his sister, who had married out of the family, had described: a brainless fool who couldn’t read the room.
Hu Tuchao normally wouldn’t openly clash with people like this, but when it was time to strike, he would be absolutely ruthless.
Just like now. Hu Tuchao took the initiative to explain, "I originally intended to give him the deed for the former teahouse next door. I was just busy that day and got them mixed up in my confusion."
When he first walked in, Hu Tuchao had overheard Ming Lingyi telling Manager Qian to fetch the Patrol from the Jingzhao Mansion. He was in the wrong here, having deliberately sent Hu Jin to stir up trouble. If this went to a government office, it was hard to say if he’d come out on top.
Hu Tuchao had never seen anyone do business like Ming Lingyi.
Normally, merchants like them avoided dealing with officials at all costs. But Ming Lingyi always did the opposite. She seemed to love "tattling," reporting every little thing to the Jingzhao Mansion and letting them pass judgment.
Even with his many influential relatives and considerable power in Shangjing City, Hu Tuchao still wanted to avoid getting entangled with the government office.
Upon hearing this, Hu Jin’s eyes welled up with tears of excitement.
’I knew it,’ he thought. ’Hu Tuchao wouldn’t abandon me.’
Ming Lingyi listened and then asked, "So you’re saying this is all your fault?"
"I was momentarily confused and wrote down the wrong address."
"Then did you bring the deed for the teahouse?" Ming Lingyi asked.
"...I did not," Hu Tuchao admitted.
In truth, he had just made up that excuse. He didn’t have that many properties on hand. After all, this was Vermilion Bird Street, not some random nook in the West Market. Land and buildings here were far from cheap.
"If you didn’t bring it, then I’ll have to trouble you to send someone to your residence to fetch it for me to see. Otherwise, how am I to know if you’re telling the truth?" Ming Lingyi said.
She was calling his bluff.
Hu Tuchao’s expression darkened. It had been a long time since anyone had disrespected him so openly.
He had already made a concession. Anyone with an ounce of sense should know what to do next; businesspeople should foster harmony to create wealth.
"Boss Ming, if I say I have it, I have it," Hu Tuchao said, his voice low. "In business, it’s better to have more friends than enemies. Why must you be so aggressive? Why keep pressing the issue? Do you really have to get to the bottom of everything?"
After speaking, Hu Tuchao added with pointed meaning, "The East Market and West Market each have their own merchant associations and their own ways of management. Vermilion Bird Street has to give face to both. This Boss Hu you have tied up runs a fish business. In the Capital City, he supplies countless restaurants and diners with fresh fish from rivers, lakes, and the sea. Offending one person is a small matter, but failing to get along with many people... that becomes a major problem."
Hu Tuchao was warning Ming Lingyi.
If she remained this stubborn, then even if she managed to open her restaurant, she wouldn’t be able to turn a profit.
The Hu family’s business interests were spread across all of Shangjing City. It would be child’s play for them to have someone create trouble for Ming Lingyi’s restaurant.
As soon as Hu Tuchao finished speaking, the entire restaurant fell silent.
Manager Qian glanced uneasily at Ming Lingyi, though he really wanted to look at the other figure in the room. After all, some people might actually tear the building down in a fit of rage.
Li Yun didn’t move. His expression remained unchanged.
This was Ming Lingyi’s show to run. If he interfered, it would only displease her. Besides, Li Yun was confident that Ming Lingyi could handle a small matter like this on her own.
Ming Lingyi did take a moment to consider.
She knew full well that Hu Tuchao was threatening her. She also knew that if he was willing to say it, he certainly had the means to make her future business difficult.
After all, with her small diner, the number of daily customers was limited, so she could get by with sourcing from small shops and local farmers. But the scale of a full restaurant was completely different. The diner’s suppliers certainly couldn’t handle the restaurant’s volume. During this time, Manager Qian had already contacted suppliers from the East and West Markets, and they were all ready for the grand opening tomorrow.
For Hu Tuchao to interfere, he wouldn’t even need to cause direct conflict between the suppliers and the Ming Family Restaurant. He could simply have someone delay their deliveries, or buy out the ingredients the restaurant needed. That alone would be enough to put the Ming Family Restaurant in serious trouble.
Ming Lingyi was silent for a moment, then she looked up and smiled lightly. "What are you talking about, Boss Hu? Since he’s the owner of a fish business, perhaps we can even work together in the future."
As she spoke, Ming Lingyi gestured for someone to remove the rag from Hu Jin’s mouth.
The moment his mouth was free, and with Hu Tuchao by his side, Hu Jin felt he had gained the upper hand over Ming Lingyi. He bellowed, "Hurry up and untie me! A bunch of blind fools!"
