Chapter 40: The Heir is a Woman (40)
Zuijun Pavilion, VIP Room.
He Zheng'an was floating on air from the praise of the man at the table. Outsiders always said he had failed to inherit the He family's strengths and was mediocre in business. This time, he was going to make a grand move, forcing those people to open their eyes wide and witness it.
"Rest assured, Boss Xiao, I will definitely deliver the goods on time," He Zheng'an said, patting his chest. "My He family is right here in Guanquan City; we aren't going anywhere. When the day comes, I will certainly satisfy you."
Xiao Changsheng offered some flattery: "I have some understanding of the He family's style, and Young Master He is even more promising—a straightforward person. However..." He paused. "You know these goods are being transported to the Western Desert. The deal has been made and the contract signed; there is no room for error. Otherwise, a small caravan owner like me wouldn't be able to keep doing business. Therefore, we still need to discuss the contract thoroughly. We are all straightforward people, but in business, one thing must be kept separate from another. It is better for everyone if everything is calculated clearly, don't you agree? That way, should a problem arise on either side, the corresponding party must bear the responsibility."
This transaction was naturally not for grain. The He family were grain merchants, but they did not deal exclusively in grain.
After all, this involved two countries, and grain was of paramount importance; large-scale trading was strictly forbidden without imperial permission.
The He family was famous in Guanquan City, and their reputation was quite good.
He Zheng'an was somewhat arrogant, but the elders of the He family were very low-profile. Their marriage alliance with the Prince of Ning's manor had been conducted quietly. Ning Guangjun had harbored different intentions from the start and had no intention of being high-profile; the He family served as one of his trump cards, acting as his secret backing.
Many people knew the He family had a backer, but they were unclear on who that backer actually was.
The Prince of Ning had many daughters, and he himself did not care much about them; unless someone was deliberately watching him, they were easily overlooked.
After Ning Yuxin married, she basically stopped going out, so few outsiders had seen her. She had been married for several years, and unless necessary, outsiders would hardly pay attention to a woman living in the inner quarters.
Xiao Changsheng naturally had never paid attention, and since this was Guanquan City rather than the capital, he never even considered that the He family might be related to the Prince of Ning's manor.
He dealt with countless business partners; unless necessary, he would not concern himself with their domestic affairs.
Another point was that He Zheng'an dabbled in all sorts of things outside but never mentioned his family, leading everyone to believe his family couldn't control him. Little did they know that as long as he didn't cause major trouble and maintained a sense of propriety, the He elders and Ning Yuxin couldn't be bothered to manage him. He had a rebellious streak; if they managed him too strictly, it would likely backfire.
"As for this contract, I wonder how Boss Xiao wishes to sign it?" He Zheng'an inquired. He could naturally tell from Xiao Changsheng's words that this contract would likely be very strict. He wasn't afraid, however; after all, the He family was in legitimate business and possessed great wealth; they could certainly handle this order.
Just as Xiao Changsheng was about to speak, there was a knock on the VIP room door. He frowned, only to hear He's attendant outside say, "Young Master, a VIP has arrived."
Outside, the attendant did not dare to reveal the person's identity and could only call them a "VIP."
Xiao Changsheng paused. A VIP?
Could it be the person behind the He family?
He knew the He family must have someone backing them, but he hadn't paid much attention. After all, this was his first transaction with He Zheng'an, merely a test. Besides, even if he couldn't ruin the entire He family, he could do many things just by dragging He Zheng'an down with him.
Keeping the He family around might even allow him to do more.
After all, He Zheng'an was the sole heir of the He family, and he had heard the family only had one daughter.
If something happened to He Zheng'an, wouldn't the He elders fall into the trap?
As he thought this, he saw He Zheng'an's expression change. He immediately stood up and walked to the door with a face full of trepidation.
Who else could be a "VIP" to the He family? It was very likely his brother-in-law.
This brother-in-law loved to pick on him. When he learned recently that the man was coming to the house, he couldn't eat or sleep well, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Fortunately, the man only stayed for one night and didn't cause him trouble. But he had heard from Yuxin that her brother hadn't left yet and was handling business nearby.
*Sigh, why did we have to run into him?*
He Zheng'an tried hard to recall if he had done anything excessive lately that would cause his brother-in-law to come looking for him.
It seemed he hadn't!
Lately, he had been very well-behaved. He finished his work and returned home early. When others invited him for drinks or to play a few games, he had refused them quite seriously. As for seeking out girls, he had quit ever since his brother-in-law's fearsome reputation had spread.
In truth, he wasn't particularly obsessed with beauty; none of those girls could compare to Yuxin's looks. It was just that if everyone else went and he didn't, wouldn't he be an outcast? Because he stopped going, people even mocked him for being henpecked. Regarding the relationship with the Prince of Ning's manor, he knew the weight of it; his parents had repeatedly warned him not to spread word of it. In fact, he didn't want to talk about it either; being suppressed by his wife made him feel quite uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Ning Yuxin was not an overbearing person; she never used her status to pressure him or push him too hard, so they lived in peace. Since she gave him so much face, he also gave her plenty of respect and never brought any messy people home to bother her. Of course, he didn't dare; if he truly did, his parents would chase him with brooms.
The thing he loved most was his dignity; no one could slight him.
But if his brother-in-law intended to mess with him, there was nothing he could do but endure it.
His brother-in-law was truly ferocious!
Xiao Changsheng's eyes darkened. Who on earth could make He Zheng'an so fearful? He clenched his fists and stood up along with He Zheng'an, waiting for the visitor to enter the room.
The door pushed open, and a familiar face came into view. Xiao Changsheng nearly collapsed; his heart was filled with horror.
How could it be this person?
In that case, he absolutely could not scheme against the He family now—at least, he could not drag He Zheng'an down for the time being.
Cold sweat broke out on his back, and he felt somewhat relieved that the contract hadn't been signed yet.
Otherwise, if something happened to He Zheng'an and he went to Ning Zhen, given Ning Zhen's personality, he would certainly pursue the matter to the end, and might even expose all of his secrets.
"Why has my brother-in-law come?" Outside, it was inappropriate for He Zheng'an to call him the Heir, and he didn't dare use his name, so he boldly called him "brother-in-law." Only after the attendant closed the door did he speak, rubbing his hands together to explain, "What a coincidence, I am discussing business with Boss Xiao."
The very serious kind of business—no girls or anything, just sitting together for a few drinks and some food.
He even stepped aside a bit so that A'zhen could see the situation inside clearly.
Truly, it was nothing but stinky men; there wasn't even half a woman in sight.
"I am also here for business. I heard my sixth brother-in-law was here, so I came to say hello." A'zhen's eyes were smiling as he glanced toward Xiao Changsheng.
Xiao Changsheng naturally could not pretend not to know him and hurriedly stepped forward: "Greetings, Prince Ning."
*This is killing me.*
Who could tell him how He Zheng'an became Ning Zhen's sixth brother-in-law?
It seemed that in the future, when looking for targets, he would have to thoroughly investigate their domestic affairs.
How many daughters did the Prince of Ning have in total? He silently counted, thinking he would have to look into it properly when he returned. Not just the Prince's daughters, but also anyone related to Ning Zhen—he had to be careful.
Although he frantically incited hatred among Ning Zhen's former brothers-in-law, he was also quite afraid of Ning Zhen.
He Zheng'an remained silent. *Does Boss Xiao know my brother-in-law?*
"So, sixth brother-in-law is collaborating with Boss Xiao." A'zhen's gaze fell on Xiao Changsheng's face, making his legs tremble slightly. "It seems I have interrupted you. I wonder how your collaboration is going?"
In front of A'zhen, what could Xiao Changsheng say? He gritted his teeth and said, "We are just about to sign the contract."
"Yes, Boss Xiao said that regarding the contract, we cannot be careless and must discuss it thoroughly." He Zheng'an acted as if he were truly there for serious business, which made A'zhen laugh.
The sixth sister of the client didn't care about He Zheng'an's trivial matters, so she naturally wouldn't interfere. In truth, there was no need to be so afraid.
"Please continue your discussion, sixth brother-in-law. I will wait for you in the next room. I'll go visit my sister first; I'll be busy later, so I might not come back over."
He Zheng'an breathed a sigh of relief. *That's good, it seems today was a close call without any real danger.*
Given this encounter, what could Xiao Changsheng do? He could only let He Zheng'an make a profit and, with a heavy heart, draft the most equitable contract possible. Watching He Zheng'an happily take the contract to find A'zhen in the next room, he drank several cups of wine in frustration.