Fleece the Sheep

As dawn broke, it was time for the Blood Ridge Black Market to close.

Merchants and vendors packed up and left, making it the busiest time for the market staff. They had to clean up, deal with trash, and so on.

Li Shaoyun, head hanging low, was busy moving discarded boxes left behind by the various stalls.

Wang Xiang, standing nearby, saw he was slow and yelled at him, "I'm talking to you! What are you dawdling for? If you piss off the new supervisor, you'll be the one paying the price."

"Got it, Brother Wang. I'll hurry up." Li Shaoyun felt annoyed but didn't dare show any dissatisfaction. Instead, he put on a subservient, smiling face, enduring the humiliation and speeding up his work.

After three months of ruthless torment, he was no longer the proud young master he once was.

He had learned the harshness of this world.

His temper was gone, and so was his spirit.

Now, he didn't even dare to think about how the provincial examination would go in three years...

Just then, Liang Zhi hurried over.

"Li Shaoyun, stop for a moment."

Li Shaoyun thought Liang Zhi was coming to scold him for not working hard enough. He immediately moved a few large discarded boxes, putting on a show of working diligently, then flashed a fawning smile, "Elder Liang, what are your orders?"

Liang Zhi could tell Li Shaoyun was faking his effort and couldn't be bothered to argue. "Hurry up and put the boxes down. The new supervisor wants me to pass on a message to you."

Li Shaoyun's body trembled, and his spine felt cold.

Having spent three months in the black market, Li Shaoyun was terrified of this new supervisor.

"Elder Liang, what are the supervisor's orders?"

Liang Zhi sized Li Shaoyun up from head to toe, then said sternly, "Follow me."

Li Shaoyun nervously followed Liang Zhi to a separate courtyard. He saw the new supervisor in the main hall from afar, filling him with dread. Liang Zhi, however, led him to a small room next to it.

The room didn't get much light and was a bit dark, which made Li Shaoyun even more fearful.

Liang Zhi poured Li Shaoyun a cup of tea. "Li Shaoyun, if I recall correctly, you are the young master of the Li Manor in Wuqiao Town. You're also a Martial Scholar. You came to my Blood Ridge Black Market to take on a nominal deputy supervisor position to seek martial arts resources, so you could participate in the provincial examination in three years. Is that correct?"

Li Shaoyun took the teacup, his heart filled with fear and trepidation. "Yes."

Liang Zhi nodded. "It's good that you have aspirations. The supervisor having you do odd jobs is also to temper your disposition, to help you shed your impatience. It's all for your future journey. Do you understand the supervisor's good intentions?"

Li Shaoyun grumbled inwardly but didn't dare show it. He could only respectfully say, "Elder Liang's reminder is wise. This subordinate is deeply grateful."

Liang Zhi's tone suddenly shifted. "If my memory serves me correctly, you gave Zhang Biao five hundred taels of silver to secure this nominal deputy supervisor position, didn't you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shaoyun was so scared he prostrated himself on the ground, trembling, "I, I..."

He thought Liang Zhi was going to settle old scores.

Then he heard Liang Zhi say, "You don't need to be too nervous. The new supervisor isn't unreasonable. Zhang Biao is a supervisor, and the new supervisor is also a supervisor. Everyone is working for the good of the Tiger Wolf Gate. Right?"

Li Shaoyun was confused but kept nodding, "Yes, yes."

Liang Zhi offered a timely reminder, "You gave Zhang Biao five hundred taels. The new supervisor's position is the same as Zhang Biao's... Don't you understand yet?"

Hiss.

Li Shaoyun's eyes widened.

This new supervisor had already taken nearly four hundred taels from him and still wasn't satisfied? He wanted another five hundred taels?

Liang Zhi, fearing Li Shaoyun hadn't understood, reminded him at the opportune moment, "Let me tell you the truth. The new supervisor was personally appointed by Elder Tang Qingyun of the Tiger Wolf Gate's examination hall. His future prospects far exceed Zhang Biao's. You should understand now, right?"

After leaving Li Shaoyun with that statement, Liang Zhi left.

From beginning to end, Liang Zhi never directly asked Li Shaoyun to give Xie An a gift, but he hinted at it everywhere.

We are both supervisors, you should give five hundred taels.

And... the new supervisor has better prospects than Zhang Biao. Besides intimidation, it was also a hint to Li Shaoyun: If you know what's good for you, five hundred taels isn't enough.

Li Shaoyun wasn't stupid, and he naturally understood the deeper meaning.

Five hundred taels isn't enough?

Does he want six hundred taels?

Where did I offend this new supervisor?