144. Who Doesn’t Love Silver?

That day, after Gu Fei uttered those words, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense. She merely smiled without saying much, then dismissed the gathering, claiming she needed to return and ponder the matter carefully before making a final decision the next day.

As expected, that very night, Fat Man Wei arranged a meeting with Mingyue and Luo Song at Yizhou's renowned Cuihong Pavilion. As for Director Dong, that stubborn and unyielding stone of a man was completely excluded from his considerations.

To put it plainly, Cuihong Pavilion was a pleasure house. The maidens within were quite beautiful, and it was said that the courtesan crowned as the flower of the pavilion each year could fetch as much as a thousand pieces of gold for a single night in Yizhou.

Choosing such a venue made Fat Man Wei somewhat uneasy in his heart, terrified lest Gu Fei catch wind of the affair. Therefore, he deliberately sneaked through the willow lanes; should anyone question him later, he could firmly insist that he was merely a grown man going out to drink flower wine.

Inside the room fragrant with rouge and powder, there were surprisingly no maidens accompanying them. Gauze curtains billowed, and in the corner near the wall, blue smoke curled from a bronze beast-eared censer, exuding a hazy and intoxicating fragrance. Yet, Fat Man Wei's expression was rather gloomy.

Opening his small eyes and fixing a shrewd glinting gaze upon Mingyue and Luo Song seated before him, he finally spoke after a long silence, "I wonder what plans the two of you have for the future?"

Luo Song looked at him uncomprehendingly, seemingly chewing on the hidden meaning behind those words, while Master Mingyue let out a low chuckle, "Old Wei, could it be that your thoughts have wandered elsewhere? Do you intend to win over both myself and Master Luo Song?"

Having had his intentions laid bare, Fat Man Wei chuckled dryly, then spoke with a look of indignation, "Since Master Mingyue has put it so bluntly, I shall speak the plain truth as well. That Gu Fei is nothing more than an unweaned brat, a mere female, and she was never even part of the chamber of commerce before. Now, to expect me to work under a woman is something I simply cannot stomach."

A bright gleam flickered in Master Mingyue's eyes. He tapped his fingers lightly against the edge of the table, pondering for a moment before saying, "Summing it up, you feel that the hen is crowing in the morning with Fei as ruler, and coupled with your own ambition to claim the position of president, you simply feel resentful and unsatisfied, is that it?"

Luo Song did not echo their words. He lowered his gaze to cup the teacup before him, taking small sips.

Fat Man Wei shot Luo Song a fierce, sharp glance. Harboring numerous calculations in his mind and waiting to test their depths shortly, he turned back to Mingyue first, "Could it be that Master Mingyue does not feel the same? Or does a dragon among men like you willingly consent to crawl beneath a young woman's skirt?"

That was a remarkably ugly way to put it. Yet, unexpectedly, Master Mingyue was not angered in the slightest. With a beaming and gentle smile, he reached out to twinge a strand of hair beside his temple, softly replying, "Mingyue wishes to know how Old Wei plans to scheme. Otherwise, with just empty words, Old Wei might turn around and sell Mingyue out, which would hardly be a worthwhile trade."

Seeing the looseness in Mingyue's words, the corners of Fat Man Wei's eyes crinkled with a smile. He turned his gaze to Luo Song, "And what are Master Luo Song's thoughts?"

Luo Song put down his teacup, cast a sidelong glance at Mingyue, and said nonchalantly, "I am not as carefree as the two of you. I still have a master behind me, and in certain matters, I dare not make decisions on my own accord."

That could be considered the truth; he had not readily agreed to anything on the spot.

Fat Man Wei nodded, harboring no doubts, and even offered reassurance, "Naturally, I understand. Inviting Master Luo Song here today certainly means I have a way to persuade Mo Yuhua of the Lesser Mo Family."

Hearing this, Luo Song was slightly startled.

Maintaining a calm and unruffled demeanor, he listened as Fat Man Wei hinted meaningfully, "Thirty years ago, the Wei family was still just an unknown, humble workshop. Do you two know how the Wei family reached the position it holds today?"

Luo Song and Mingyue exchanged glances, both shaking their heads to indicate their ignorance, entirely baffled as to why Fat Man Wei had suddenly brought up his family's history.

Fat Man Wei gave a smug smile. "Outsiders all believe it was due to the support of the Great Capital Wei family. In truth, that Great Capital Wei family is nothing more than a fart; once it's passed, there's nothing to it."

"My late father was formerly just a humble artisan. The fact that he was able to make the Wei family prosper relied entirely on a single place—a place possessing heavenly fire," Fat Man Wei leaned forward and whispered.

Luo Song and Mingyue were profoundly shocked. Such secrets were utterly unheard of, and phenomena like heavenly fire only ever existed in the immortal and divine tales of storytellers.

The so-called heavenly fire naturally fell from the heavens, buried deep beneath the earth, faintly radiating upward to the surface, emitting a blue flame as scorching as charcoal fire.

Fat Man Wei continued, "Come to think of it, this heavenly fire is truly miraculous. Any lampblack produced from its burning is exceptionally fine, far superior in quality to what is fired in ordinary ink kilns. Therefore, the ink pellets crafted by the Wei family using such lampblack were able to secure a foothold in Yizhou, and over the span of thirty years, flourish into what we see today."

For a moment, Mingyue and Luo Song were unsure how much truth there was in Fat Man Wei's words. Logically speaking, the ink pellets produced by the Wei family were indeed superior in texture and finer than those of other families, and the quality of their lampblack was renowned throughout all of Yizhou, surpassing even that of the Lesser Mo Family. This was precisely why the Wei family could firmly maintain the second-ranking position in Yizhou without possessing any unique ink pellet formula of their own.

If this tale of heavenly fire were true, however, who would not guard such a family-surviving secret tightly? Why would anyone reveal it to unrelated individuals merely for the sake of a mere chamber of commerce presidency, without fearing that it might be stolen away by force once word got out?

After all, even a rare ink pellet formula alone would be contested by countless people, let alone such miraculous heavenly fire.

Fat Man Wei picked up his teacup to moisten his throat. His entire face radiated a glow of intense excitement, "If I were to become the president of the chamber of commerce, I could pull strings to let the two of you share the benefits of this heavenly fire and try it out. After all, we are fellow ink artisans; only through regular exchange can our ink-making skills advance further. Building a carriage behind closed doors will sooner or later reduce one to a stepping stone for others."

This temptation was like a massive boulder, instantly tipping the balance of their hearts.

Luo Song sat in silent composure, his brows furrowed as if seriously weighing the matter.

Master Mingyue narrowed the corners of his eyes, his fingertips tracing the rim of his teacup. After a long while, he smiled and said, "Old Wei, by confessing with such sincerity, aren't you afraid that the two of us will turn around and tell others?"

Fat Man Wei stroked the soft flesh under his jaw and let out a loud laugh, "Since I dared to speak of it, I am not afraid of the two of you telling others. After all, the location of the heavenly fire is known only to myself within the entire Wei family. It is a secret passed down orally from generation to generation, with no written records whatsoever."

Mingyue nodded; this was indeed a clever tactic. Fat Man Wei appeared to be promising both men an irresistible benefit, but anyone with a shred of rationality would realize upon the slightest reflection that this "benefit" was merely painting a cake to satisfy hunger or gazing at plums to quench thirst—it had no practical foundation at all, and was far less reliable than cold, hard cash.

Taking in every nuance of their expressions, Fat Man Wei felt a sudden jolt in his heart and hurriedly added, "Of course, in the future, the lampblack used by both of you for ink-making can be obtained directly from the Wei family. Furthermore, I plan to use the chamber of commerce's name to recruit and purchase formulas from the ink-making artisans of small street workshops at high prices. These formulas will belong to the chamber, allowing us to open several shops, and all profits earned will belong entirely to the chamber of commerce."

"Firstly, this will resolve the chamber's annual deficit problem. Secondly, everyone will also be able to earn a bit more silver to compensate themselves, isn't that so? For all these years, how much work have we ink artisans done for the chamber? Having a bit of ambition is only natural."

With these final words, Fat Man Wei had made his intentions abundantly clear: to use the name of the chamber of commerce to amass wealth for himself, stuffing the profits directly into his own pockets.

Who doesn't love silver?

Luo Song glanced at Mingyue. Hearing Fat Man Wei's words, his lips parted slightly, yet he still said nothing, merely shifting his body ever so slightly to reveal the restlessness within his heart.

Master Mingyue dipped his finger into the moisture on his teacup lid, lazily tracing patterns on the table. His knuckles were well-proportioned and of just the right thickness, casting a long, slender shadow under the lamplight—much like the dark, deep shadows lurking at the corners of his lips. "Old Wei has planned truly well, but..."

By the time he uttered the final syllable, his voice had dropped, carrying a husky, magnetic texture like the sound of grinding gravel. "What a pity, I cannot make ink at all, nor do I have any interest in ink-making. Naturally, I am also in no shortage of silver."

His words struck like a sudden clap of thunder, booming harshly in Fat Man Wei's ears. He understood the meaning of every single word, yet when pieced together into a complete sentence, it took him a long while to comprehend. He failed to understand what Mingyue meant—whether he was rejecting his overtures or playing hard to get because the rewards were insufficient.

Hearing Mingyue's words, Luo Song was also startled for a moment, clearly surprised that Mingyue couldn't make ink and had little interest in ink pellets. However, after a brief glance at him, his gaze shifted back to Fat Man Wei. On his thin, dark face, a treacherous, faint smile appeared, "Old Wei, I believe you should first persuade Master Mo Yuhua. Once the master agrees, I naturally will have no objections."

Retreating as a form of advancement without making a direct stance, Luo Song's intentions were equally obvious.

Master Mingyue slowly stood up. Hearing Luo Song's words, he cast him an extra glance. The two exchanged a smile, leaving many things understood without the need for words.

Recovering his wits, a wave of incandescent rage surged across Fat Man Wei's face, turning so gloomy it seemed capable of dripping water. "Do the two of you mean to set yourselves against me?"

Mingyue waved a hand, a hint of veiled disdain at the corners of his eyes, and replied in a placid, unruffled tone, "Not at all. In Mingyue's eyes, whoever becomes the president of the chamber of commerce makes no difference whatsoever."

Luo Song hurriedly offered an explanation as well, "Old Wei, you know the situation with the Lesser Mo Family. This Gu Fei is none other than Senior Master Mo's cousin. Although the two are not on speaking terms right now, who knows if family members might suddenly patch things up in the future? I am merely a humble artisan, fortunate enough to be regarded and promoted by everyone in the chamber to reach my current position as an ink master. Therefore, without my master's instructions, I would never dare to make private decisions."

Hearing this, Fat Man Wei's expression improved ever so slightly for a fleeting moment. Glancing sideways at the two men with a somewhat sarcastic air, he sneered, "In my eyes, there is no problem that cannot be solved with silver. So, are the two of you implying that the price I offered is too low, insufficient to move your hearts?"

Mingyue remained silent; he had grown too weary to entangle himself any further with Fat Man Wei. Since matters had reached this point and the man was still stubbornly refusing to give up, his expression turned cold. Cupping his hands toward Fat Man Wei, he said, "Old Wei, I have an appointment with a friend, so I cannot stay to keep you company. Farewell."

Without waiting for Fat Man Wei to respond, he flicked the hem of his robe and strode out the door.

Being a seasoned schemer, Luo Song found Mingyue's departure provided him with a convenient excuse to slip away as well. He turned and echoed, "My master instructed me to inspect the ledgers tonight, so I cannot linger either. Old Wei, I shall take my leave first."

"You..." Fat Man Wei choked on his words, but Luo Song had already bolted out swiftly, moving faster than he ever had in his life, as if Fat Man Wei were some kind of plague.

In a fit of fury, Fat Man Wei slammed his palm onto the table with such force that the teapot bounced into the air. "Insurmountable insolence! Utterly deceitful..."

He gnashed his teeth, repeating the accusation twice while his fleshy face quivered, shifting all his pent-up fury onto Gu Fei and hating her all the more intensely.