Protect Our Patriarch

That night.

Wang Shoujie's carriage returned to the main residence, and he wrote several letters to be sent to various families.

He took the initiative to remind the families with closer relationships, lest they harbor resentment towards the Wang Clan if they were unaffected by the disaster. Even if they had already discovered signs of the insect plague, it wouldn't hinder the Wang Clan's goodwill.

Apart from that, Wang Shoujie brought only two family guards and rode out at night. After arriving at the Dingpu Ferry Terminal, they secretly crossed the An River using the family's fishing boat and rushed to Changning Garrison City, where the sky was just beginning to brighten up.

The city walls of Changning City shone magnificently in the sunlight, with a height of over 30 feet. The entire wall was constructed from thick, black stone bricks, with soldiers equipped with armor and crossbows stationed on the battlements. Every few dozen feet, there was a massive bed crossbow.

Although Changning City was only a county-level city, it was more majestic and awe-inspiring than many famous cities on Earth.

There was no way around it; this world was not ancient Huaxia. In the perilous outer regions, many powerful demonic beasts and fierce creatures existed. Once a beast tide occurred, the high walls and strong cities were humanity's only shield.

Ping'an Town also had city walls, but they were far inferior to those of Changning City.

Wang Shoujie's three horses slowed down in front of the city gate, and they dismounted to join the crowd entering the city. However, most of the people entering the city at this hour were farmers, small merchants, and artisans.

As soon as they saw Wang Shoujie and his family guards, dressed in luxurious attire and riding high-headed horses, they instinctively made way, showing respect.

In the Da Qian Kingdom, Martial Clans were a privileged class, and even the smallest aristocratic family was not comparable to commoners.

At the east city gate.

Two fully armored soldiers approached, checked Wang Shoujie's family token, and then respectfully invited him into the city.

After entering the city, Wang Shoujie didn't linger, leading his horse directly to Qian's Trading Company. Qian's Trading Company had business all over Longzu County, with immense power and excellent reputation. The insecticide powder refined by the Purple Palace Academy was precisely managed by Qian's Trading Company.

Just this one item alone made Qian's Trading Company incredibly wealthy, not to mention their business extended far beyond insecticide powder.

Wang Shoujie took out the Wang Clan family token, and his family guard waited outside while he was led into a side hall within the company. A servant girl served him fruit and tea before retreating.

Wang Shoujie calmly drank his tea, surveying his surroundings. Even though it was just a side hall of a branch of the company, it was still decorated with extreme luxury, with various precious wooden screens and antique furniture pieces scattered about, each one priceless.

Even with Wang Shoujie's relatively "shallow" understanding, he could sense the value of the decorations in the side hall. At the very least, they were worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins, showcasing Qian's Trading Company's immense financial power, truly deserving of its reputation as one of the wealthy families dominating Longzuo region.

As a transmigrator, Wang Shoujie naturally understood Qian's Trading Company's psychological tactics.

He waited for about 15 minutes.

A middle-aged man with a plump figure and a face that exuded an aura of wealth and prosperity walked in: "The head of the Ping'an Wang Clan has arrived, and Qian has failed to welcome him properly. Please forgive me."

Wang Shoujie's eyes narrowed, and he responded with a polite phrase, revealing a great deal of information.

He had only been the clan leader for a few days, and the Ping'an Wang Clan was currently in a state of decline. Even if the clan leader changed, it wouldn't attract much attention. However, Qian's Trading Company not only noticed but also identified his identity within an hour.

It was no wonder that Qian's Trading Company was considered one of the top business giants in Longzuo, with incredibly strong information capabilities. Moreover, the person surnamed Qian had an extraordinary aura, likely a member of the Qian family's bloodline.

"Where, where, I'm Wang, and I'm honored to have been received by Mr. Qian himself," Wang Shoujie responded with humility. This Mr. Qian was certainly not an ordinary shopkeeper.

Qian's Trading Company was enormous, and even the manager of the Changning branch was a significant figure. It was unlikely that they would send someone to receive him, the leader of a declining Qi Refining Realm clan.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two sat down.

After sitting down, they didn't immediately discuss business. Instead, Mr. Qian and Wang Shoujie chatted about Ancestor Zouxuan, then Ancestor Longyan, and finally about Wang Shoujie's achievements in the initial exam at the Purple Palace Academy, showcasing his excellent academic performance.

Wang Shoujie had grand plans, so he naturally couldn't show weakness. He accompanied Mr. Qian in small talk, unintentionally revealing his superior logical thinking and cognitive abilities.

"What a pity, what a pity. With your knowledge, you would almost certainly become a student of the Purple Palace Academy if you were to take the re-examination," Mr. Qian said, showing more respect for Wang Shoujie. "The Purple Palace Academy doesn't just value innate talent; they also emphasize the vision and scope of their students. I believe that with you in charge, the Wang Clan will surely return to its peak, and may even surpass it."

"Mr. Qian, please don't tease me," Wang Shoujie said with a bitter smile. "We, the Ping'an Wang Clan, just want to survive peacefully and don't have any other ambitions."

Under the guise of politeness, the two had already begun addressing each other as brothers.

"Too humble, too humble. Speaking of which, Brother Wang, you've come to Qian's Trading Company in the middle of the night. Could it be that you have some major business to discuss?" Mr. Qian finally couldn't resist asking, steering the conversation towards the main topic.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shoujie gently placed his teacup down, his eyes filled with calmness: "As it happens, I do need Mr. Qian's help. I require 5,000 bags of insecticide powder."

As soon as he spoke, Mr. Qian's hand trembled slightly, and he looked at Wang Shoujie in disbelief. After a long pause, he forced himself to suppress his discontent, saying, "Brother Wang, are you here to mock me?"

"Mr. Qian, why would you say that?" Wang Shoujie asked calmly. "Wouldn't a massive company like Qian's Trading Company have at least 5,000 bags of insecticide powder?"

"Brother, do you know how much 5,000 bags of insecticide powder is?" Mr. Qian asked, furrowing his brow. "One bag of insecticide powder weighs about 100 pounds, and when diluted, it's enough for 100 acres of fertile farmland. Five thousand bags would be enough for 500,000 acres of farmland." He paused, "The Changning Guard and its subordinate towns combined have only around 150,000 acres of fertile farmland."

"I'm aware of that," Wang Shoujie said, his face expressionless, his eyes very serious.

Mr. Qian's expression gradually became more vivid: "Brother, you're not joking?"

"Of course not," Wang Shoujie replied. "Although our Ping'an Wang Clan is only a lower-ranking family, we're not so ignorant of the weight of things."

"Good, good, Brother Wang has given me a huge surprise," Mr. Qian said, his expression joyful. "However, Qian's Trading Company's Changning branch only has 2,000 bags in stock, and the remaining 3,000 bags need to be transferred from other branches, which will take at least 10 days."

"Why is the stock so low?" Wang Shoujie asked, slightly furrowing his brow.

"This is already a lot. In previous years, we would usually clear out our stock. The production of insecticide powder involves the cultivation and production of raw materials, which are planned annually. Last year, we had a bumper harvest and produced 10% more, intending to sell it to various families at a low price. However, only a few families were willing to spend money to stockpile it. As a result, we still had 2,000 bags left over from last winter."

"Those families, why didn't they want to stockpile at a low price?" Wang Shoujie asked casually.

"This... Well, it's not a secret, and many families already know. I'll tell you, Brother Wang. The medicinal materials used in insecticide powder are all cultivated in clan medicinal fields. Because the profits are good, more and more families are investing in medicinal fields, and the production has been increasing over the years. We've been buying raw materials at a low price. This year's winter batch of insecticide powder... You also know that the larger the family, the more informed they are."

Hehe~ Wang Shoujie understood that this was a case of overproduction and market saturation. Although he wasn't an expert in economics, his perspective and awareness surpassed that of the natives in this fantasy world.

"Since that's the case," Wang Shoujie said after a moment of calculation, "I'll take the 2,000 bags of insecticide powder in stock and the 3,000 bags on order."

"What's that, Brother Wang? What do you mean by 'on order'?" Mr. Qian asked, completely unfamiliar with the term, his round face filled with puzzlement.

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