Finest Servant

Chapter 197 Undercurrent

In the following days, the Eldest Miss seemed to forget the incident by Xuanwu Lake and returned to her formidable self, spending her days discussing with the stewards about taking over the Tao family's storefronts. The worries brought by Young Prince Ning seemed to have completely vanished.

Lin Wanrong, who originally wanted to slack off, found that the Eldest Miss had her eyes set on him, involving him in every matter big or small. She thoroughly explained to him the business process, making it apparent that she was grooming him to be the pillar of the Xiao family.

‘Did she intend for me to be the third in command?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled inwardly. These fundamental business principles were more than familiar to him. The Eldest Miss should be learning from him, not the other way around. However, given her care for him, he decided to play along, putting on the face of a humble learner. It greatly satisfied the Eldest Miss's vanity.

The past few days had indeed been busy. The soap workshop had been in operation for several days, and Lin Wanrong finally had time to inspect it. Seeing that the entire production was in line with his ideas and plans, he felt a great relief. The process of making soap was far simpler than that of perfume, and it was much easier to mass-produce. In a few days, it would be massively released to the market.

Soap was indeed a wonder. As soon as it was launched, it was hotly pursued by the ladies. Drawing on her previous experience, the Eldest Miss priced it high, yet it still fell short of demand. Following the successful launches of lingerie, perfume, and soap, the Xiao family had made a huge splash in Jiangnan [Note: The region south of the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River; Both Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces are within this region]. When people spoke of the Xiao family, they thought of perfume and soap, overshadowing their main business of fabrics and silk. The Xiao family had subtly become synonymous with cosmetics and women's fashion.

The prestige of the Xiao family soared after their grand display of talent at Old Madam Luo's birthday celebration. It was well-known in Jinling, combined with the incident at Sunshine and Rain Restaurant in Hangzhou. No one in Jinling dared to underestimate the Xiao family, and the Eldest Miss's reputation significantly increased. This boosted the Eldest Miss's confidence, and she was considering converting the Tao family's shops into specialty stores for perfume, soap, and women's lingerie. For a time, the Xiao family's business was thriving, its momentum unparalleled.

Life seemed pleasant, but Lin Wanrong was well aware that the better the Xiao family's business performed, the closer the day of going to the capital was. There was less than a month left before the New Year. After the New Year, he would head north to the capital to find Qingxuan, and Yushuang would also go to the capital to study. The only one he was worried about was Qiaoqiao. This girl was sweet and likable, and he really didn't want to leave her behind. He couldn't be at ease. Although Qingshan and Luo Yuan would take care of her, Luo Min did not hold absolute power in Jiangsu, and Cheng De was still eyeing them. Qingshan and Luo Yuan's Hung Hing gang was in conflict with the Black Dragon Association backed by Cheng De. Although Luo Min had arranged for people to protect them secretly, how could they look after Qiaoqiao when even the old fox couldn't guarantee his own safety?

The more Lin Wanrong thought about it, the more worried he became. Qiaoqiao was his darling, and he would not allow anything to happen to her. The best thing would be to take down Cheng De, then nobody in Jinling would dare to mess with Qingshan, ensuring Qiaoqiao's safety, and allowing him to leave without worry. However, it wouldn't be easy to topple Cheng De; even Luo Min wasn't certain he could do it, let alone with Young Prince Ning backing Cheng De.

As he walked, he missed Qiaoqiao more and more and couldn't stand being at the Xiao family's any longer, he hurriedly went towards the restaurant.

Upon reaching the entrance of the restaurant, he saw Qingshan rushing out. Seeing him, Dong Qingshan paused, "Big brother, why are you here?" Lin Wanrong had been busy spinning around at the Xiao family for the past few days and hadn't visited the restaurant. He wondered what Qingshan and Luo Yuan had been up to.

Seeing Qingshan's stern expression, Lin Wanrong joked, "Qingshan, what are you up to? Going to fight?"

Qingshan pulled him aside and said in a low voice, "Big brother, your timing is impeccable. Luo Yuan and I were just about to find you."

"What's wrong?" Lin Wanrong asked.

"Wu Zhenghu and his gang seem to be losing patience. They've been moving their pieces these past few days, looking like they're about to make a move on us," Qingshan said softly.

Lin Wanrong nodded. It was the end of the year, a time when the underworld was most rampant, gathering funds for the upcoming activities - a tradition from ancient times. He glanced at Qingshan, "So, what are you and Luo Yuan planning to do?"

Dong Qingshan fiercely tightened his wrist and said, "We're going to beat the hell out of them." Seeing Lin Wanrong's smile, Qingshan hurriedly added, "Big brother, we're not being reckless. This is a decision Luo Yuan and I made after careful consideration. Hung Hing has been growing fast recently. We have the strength to face Wu Zhenghu. Even if we can't win, we can make life difficult for him. Luo Yuan agrees with me."

One was an established gang, the other a rising power in the jianghu. A collision seemed inevitable, but Lin Wanrong was more concerned with what was hidden behind it all. Was Wu Zhenghu's rush to eliminate opposition instigated by Cheng De? If so, did it mean Cheng De was planning something big? Especially since Young Prince Ning coincidentally arrived in Jinling recently, what had they discussed?

Lin Wanrong had already left the affairs of Hung Hing to Luo Yuan and Qingshan. With the cunning Luo Yuan strategizing in the background, he had no worries. Lin Wanrong nodded, "Qingshan, proceed with your plan. You have my full support. But remember this, once you move forward, never regret your actions. Be ruthless, eradicate the problem from its root, show no mercy. Convey this message to Luo Yuan as well, and remember it well."

Qingshan chuckled, licking his lips, "Big brother, I understand. Don't worry, we won't show any mercy."

Lin Wanrong nodded. This kid Qingshan might not be good at anything else, but when it came to fighting, he was fierce and feared no one. One needed that kind of vigor in the underworld. Maybe letting Qingshan and his gang make a fuss would lead to unexpected gains. No matter what, before leaving Jinling for the capital, he had to find a way to solve these hidden dangers. Only then could he set off in search of Qingxuan with peace of mind.

"By the way, Qingshan, is your sister here?" Lin Wanrong finished giving his instructions and suddenly remembered the real reason for his visit.

"Big brother, my sister has been worried about the restaurant business these past few days," Qingshan said, furrowing his brows.

"What happened? Is there a problem?" Lin Wanrong asked anxiously.

"The restaurant by the Qinhuai River that my sister wanted to acquire has run into trouble. She's been fretting over it," Dong Qingshan explained.

"Oh, what kind of trouble?"

"We had already signed a contract with the restaurant. They initially agreed to hand it over to us for renovations within the next few days. However, when my sister went there the day before yesterday, their tune had changed. They now claim that the restaurant was sold too cheaply and they want my sister to pay more," Qingshan summarized the issue.

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanrong instantly understood. Clearly, the restaurant owner's greed had gotten the better of him, and he was trying to increase the price. With a smile, Lin Wanrong asked, "But the contract was already signed, wasn't it?"

Dong Qingshan nodded. "The same day I finished discussing it with you, my sister signed the contract with the owner overnight. But this man has a bit of a bad reputation in Jinling, and my sister didn't dare to push him too hard, afraid that he might seek revenge in the future."

Revenge? That seemed ridiculous. Their family was not involved in organized crime; why would they fear a thug? Poor Qiaoqiao, she was just too kind.

Lin Wanrong laughed. "A thug? Qingshan, is there anyone more villainous than you?"

Qingshan smirked. "Big brother, I understand now. Before, I was afraid of my sister scolding me, but with you backing me, I fear nothing. Tomorrow, I'll go and collect the protection money with the boys."

Good grief, that Qingshan, always sticking to his routine. Lin Wanrong laughed and tapped him on the head. "You fool, who collects protection money from themselves?"

"Big brother, I don't quite understand—" Qingshan confessed.

Frustrated and amused, Lin Wanrong said, "Qiaoqiao has already signed the contract, so the restaurant belongs to us. Whose protection money are you trying to collect?"

Dong Qingshan slapped his forehead. "Oh, I didn't think of that. Big brother, I understand now. Tomorrow, I'll take a few of the boys over there, pull that bastard out, and see how he dares to act arrogant."

Lin Wanrong nodded in approval. "That's more like it. It's your home you're going back to tomorrow, what's there to be afraid of? Bring the contract. If he dares to resist, throw him out. Even if the authorities show up, you have nothing to fear. There's no law or justice if he thinks he can encroach on our territory."

Qingshan left in high spirits to carry out his orders. Lin Wanrong went upstairs to find Qiaoqiao sitting by the window, her beautiful eyebrows knitted in worry, a small brush in hand, jotting something down.

As Lin Wanrong approached, he noticed that she was keeping the books. Her penmanship was neat and elegant, pleasing to the eye. Seeing her troubled, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile. She was just too kind.

He leaned in and whispered into Qiaoqiao's ear, teasing her gently, "Little darling, are you thinking about your big brother?"

A warmth at her ear and a familiar voice from behind made Qiaoqiao's heart leap with joy. She quickly turned her head and said, "Big brother—"

Lin Wanrong gave her a peck on her cheek, then with a gleeful grin, took her hand and said, "Silly girl, when you have problems, why don't you tell your big brother?"

Qiaoqiao felt a mix of joy and embarrassment. "Big brother, you're so naughty! You have so many things going on with the Xiao family, how could I add to your worries?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled heartily. "We, as husband and wife, are one entity. If you don't tell me, that's when I'll worry. Next time, if you have a problem and don't tell me, I'll spank you." As he spoke of them being 'one entity,' his devilish hand had already subtly traced the slender curve of Qiaoqiao's waist, gently caressing it.

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