Free Web NovelChapter 464: Chapter 255: Grand Opening Banquet
Chen Kaishan smiled, pleased by Cheng Zongyang’s frankness and lack of evasion. After all, such matters were quite common at the Da Yi Commerce Association.
It was precisely because the procurement department was so lucrative that it wasn’t given decision-making authority. This was to prevent major corruption from leading to the acceptance of substandard goods.
Of course, they weren’t too worried about substandard goods being passed off as quality ones. The Commerce Association had its own "quality control," and if a spot check revealed any issues, not only would the contract be canceled, but the procurement department and the deciding Steward would, at best, receive a warning and disciplinary action. At worst, they would be removed from their position.
Therefore, when weighing their positions against the potential punishments, anyone who managed to become a Steward knew how to prioritize.
It was the difference between one big score and a steady income; even a child knows which is better.
Taking money was simply giving a supplier a chance to be seen and considered. Without paying, they wouldn’t even get that chance for ordinary goods, unless their products had some special effect or function.
Exchanging a few thousand, or even ten thousand, taels for an opportunity was nothing to those family-run commerce associations.
This was precisely why Chen Kaishan wasn’t bothered by Cheng Zongyang accepting money; after all, it was just to secure a spot on the list. The fact that he offered half of it to him showed that Cheng Zongyang wasn’t greedy and knew how to handle things tactfully.
"Are you certain there are no issues with the quality?" Chen Kaishan asked.
Cheng Zongyang replied, "I’ve tested them; there are no problems. I had the samples placed in the warehouse. You can send someone to inspect them."
With that, he rose to his feet. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t linger. Once you’ve made a decision, just send someone to the Cheng Residence to inform me."
"Alright."
Chen Kaishan also rose, not trying to detain him, as he had other things to attend to as well.
As they walked out together, they discussed some feedback concerning the transit warehouse, such as issues with drainage and pest control for snakes, insects, and rodents.
Cheng Zongyang noted each point, intending to have the Celestial Break Gang handle them later.
「Year 460 of the Han Imperial Calendar, January 1st, New Year’s Day.」
That morning, to mark the opening of the Da Yi Commerce Association, Chen Kaishan specially invited Li Mingxin of the Li Courtyard, along with the patriarchs of the other three major powers.
Naturally, they wouldn’t refuse to give face to the Da Yi Commerce Association and came as invited.
The banquet was held on the third floor of Cheng’s Restaurant, a gathering reserved for the most prominent figures in the County Town.
Cheng Zongyang, Chen Kaishan, Li Mingxin, Li Lu, Zheng Tianhai, Xu Tieshan, Ding Wu, and Qiu Fengxing—eight people in total, a perfect fit for a single table.
As for the Stewards from the Da Yi Commerce Association’s other departments, Chen Kaishan had arranged for them to be on the second floor, along with the second-in-commands of the other factions.
"It seems you’ve put a great deal of thought into this banquet, Steward Cheng."
Chen Kaishan remarked with a beaming smile as he looked at the spread of dishes on the table.
Everyone looked at the dishes with great curiosity. That the food would look, smell, and taste exquisite was a given. What was strange was that they couldn’t identify any of the meat, fish, vegetables, or wine on the table.
Cheng Zongyang chuckled. "The opening of the Da Yi Commerce Branch is a momentous occasion for Jade Peak County, so it naturally calls for a grand celebration."
"Then I thought to myself, what delicacies from mountain and sea have any of you not already tasted? So, I decided to prepare something a little special."
He continued, giving a simple introduction. "The meat is from the Exotic Beast Wild Boar King, Wolf King, and Tiger King. It can enhance one’s qi and blood and is also quite effective for refining True Qi. The fish is a type of sailfish, a Sea Beast. The vegetables are less remarkable, but they were specially cultivated and also provide certain benefits upon consumption. The wine is a medicinal spirit that offers a considerable boost to any Martial Artist below the Upper Three Grades."
After hearing his explanation, everyone stared at the dishes in astonishment.
None of them were ordinary ingredients! Exotic Beasts, Sea Beasts, medicinal spirits—all of them were beneficial to Martial Artists!
But Exotic Beast Flesh was truly a rare sight. At the very least, it wasn’t an ingredient that Lower Three Grade Families could purchase at will.
This type of ingredient, so beneficial for Martial Arts cultivation, would be snatched up by the great Noble Families even at the Da Yi Commerce Association. It would never be their turn to buy it.
As for Li Mingxin, he knew that even within the Royal Family, only those of the Direct Lineage and the most prized disciples being cultivated had the opportunity to eat Exotic Beast Flesh.
Yet, in a single meal, Cheng Zongyang had produced three types of Exotic Beast Flesh and one type of Sea Beast flesh. And Sea Beasts were far more difficult to find and kill than land-dwelling Exotic Beasts.
’I never imagined... I still underestimated him,’ Chen Kaishan thought, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In his heart, his curiosity about the connections behind Cheng Zongyang grew even stronger.
The intelligence department of the Da Yi Commerce Association had already investigated the Cheng Family; one could say they had a very clear picture of their background. Yet, they couldn’t find a single trace of the powerful connections he clearly possessed.
The only mystery was the tunnel beneath Tiantuan Village; the Da Yi Commerce Association had no way of investigating where it led. Even their investigators with the most superb Body Techniques would become dizzy and disoriented upon entering the transfer point, nearly unable to find their way out.
Thus, they couldn’t discover where the other end of the tunnel led.
This was a point of immense curiosity for him, but he couldn’t ask about it. Doing so would risk turning their relationship sour.
"Young Master Cheng is truly resourceful to be able to procure such ingredients in these quantities," Li Mingxin couldn’t help but praise. "I hear there are many Exotic Beasts in the Celestial Break Mountain Range as well. Patriarch Xu, Patriarch Ding, Patriarch Qiu—didn’t you all send men into the mountains? I wonder what the results were?"
Since establishing himself in the County Town, although he had spent most of his time in secluded cultivation, his subordinates frequently reported on the local situation.
By observing the development of the four major powers in the County Town, Li Mingxin knew that the other three families couldn’t defeat the Cheng Family in an open contest. Yet, even if they resorted to covert means, they still couldn’t win. This implied only one thing: it was only a matter of time before these three families would have to leave the County Town.
