Lin Ze had not walked far before he reached the teahouse.
"Welcome, sir. What would you like to order?"
A waiter hurried over at once, greeting Lin Ze with a beaming smile.
The waiter led Lin Ze to a seat by the window on the second floor.
From this spot, he had a clear view of the main hall, where all sorts of people sat drinking tea and eating. On a small stage, a storyteller was animatedly recounting some tale he had apparently heard somewhere.
Lin Ze listened for a little while, but nothing caught his interest.
"Bring me a pot of good tea, and some of your teahouse's special snacks."
Lin Ze spoke casually.
The four servants who had come out with him had taken the initiative to stand in a corner without needing to be told. Their eyes stayed fixed on Lin Ze, ready to answer the moment their master gave an order.
"Then how about our most famous Yangchun Tea, along with some peanuts, sunflower seeds, and osmanthus cake?"
"Coming right up, sir. Please wait a moment. I'll be right back."
When Lin Ze nodded, the waiter responded warmly and went to prepare his order.
Before long, the tea and snacks were brought over.
A pot of tea, a plate of peanuts, a plate of sunflower seeds, and a plate of osmanthus cake.
The waiter cheerfully explained, "A pot of Yangchun Tea is fifty copper coins, and the snacks come to sixty in total. Would you like to order a story for the storyteller to perform? If you do, the tea is on the house."
The little teahouse was inexpensive. A bill of a hundred and ten copper coins came to barely more than twenty yuan.
Ordering a performance from the storyteller cost at least three hundred copper coins, so waiving the price of the tea was hardly a sacrifice.
"What stories do you have?"
Lin Ze asked curiously.
"Our most popular story lately is 'Thunderbolt Young Master Sweeps the Bandits.' It tells how the renowned first-rate master and hero Lin Ze, courtesy name Zi Yi, single-handedly wiped out over a hundred bandits in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. Would you like to hear it, sir?"
The waiter eagerly pitched the story.
"No, no need."
A slightly awkward yet polite smile appeared on Lin Ze's face.
Right here in his own county, the story of him killing twelve bandits had already grown into a tale of him single-handedly wiping out over a hundred.
By the time it reached Qingyu County, it would probably become a tale of him sweeping away hundreds of bandits alone. And once it reached Qianqiu City, the prefectural seat, Thunderbolt Young Master might be single-handedly quelling ten thousand rebels and keeping an entire region peaceful.
"Boy, you really can't see the mountain right in front of you. The man sitting before you is none other than Thunderbolt Young Master himself, and you're asking him to pay to hear his own story?"
A middle-aged man's amused voice came from nearby.
Lin Ze turned toward the sound and saw a sturdy, muscular man in coarse cloth.
Two young people, a man and a woman about Lin Ze's age, stood beside him.
"Greetings, Hero Lin. I'm Dan Xuliang, the managing hall master of the Cao Gang here in Fengping County. These are my son, Dan Sheng, and my daughter, Dan Erniang."
Seeing Lin Ze look his way, the smiling middle-aged man clasped his hands and introduced himself.
Afterward, he gestured toward the two young people beside him.
"I'm Dan Sheng."
The young man was dark-skinned and rough-featured, but powerfully built. He looked at Lin Ze with admiration and introduced himself with clasped hands.
Beside him, the ordinary-looking woman known as Dan Erniang said nothing.
She merely gave a slight bow of her hands in greeting.
Although she had gone out with her father to make a living at a young age, she still had to observe the distinction between men and women.
Hearing the introductions, Lin Ze knew he had found the very person he had been looking for.
The Cao Gang could be considered the largest gang in the realm. Wherever the several canals running through the Great Zhou Dynasty went, the Cao Gang had a presence.
That was only how things appeared on the surface. In truth, the Cao Gang was divided into numerous factions.
Rather than a gang, this so-called greatest gang in the realm was more like a massive shipping alliance.
Every wharf along the waterways was controlled in practice by its local hall master. They were responsible for keeping in contact with hall masters in other regions and coordinating with one another to keep the entire canal's flow of goods moving.
Lin Ze wanted to buy large quantities of Large Yellow Croaker, and Dan Xuliang could help him arrange it.
"I'm Lin Ze, courtesy name Zi Yi. Please, have a seat."
Lin Ze nodded to the two young people behind Dan Xuliang in greeting.
Then he rose and gestured for Dan Xuliang to sit.
After that, he said to the waiter nearby, "Bring another pot of tea and some pastries."
The waiter had been feeling awkward about pitching the story to its very subject. At Lin Ze's words, he hurried off, as if granted a pardon.
Once they had settled back into their seats, Lin Ze asked curiously, "Hall Master Dan, how do you know who I am?"
Lin Ze knew he had become something of a local celebrity, but recognizing him personally from his reputation was impossible without making a point of asking around.
Dan Xuliang smiled and flattered him. "Who in the realm hasn't heard of the might of Thunderbolt Young Master?"
Only after that did he explain, "Our Cao Gang makes its living here in Fengping County, so naturally we keep track of the county's experts. I once heard Magistrate Gao describe Hero Lin's appearance."
A first-rate master was an outstanding figure anywhere in the martial world.
Naturally, someone like that deserved special attention.
With those words, Dan Xuliang had quietly let it be known that he was on good terms with Registrar Gao Fei.
"I see."
Lin Ze understood.
"Hero Lin, you said you wanted to discuss a big deal with me. What sort of business did you have in mind?"
Dan Xuliang took the initiative to ask, making no secret of his keen interest in earning money.
"It's quite simple. I saw someone selling Large Yellow Croaker by the roadside earlier. I've always enjoyed eating it, and one of my secret seasonings also requires large amounts of Large Yellow Croaker as a raw ingredient. So I thought I'd have your Cao Gang transport more croaker from the coastal cities to Fengping County for me."
Lin Ze laid out what he needed.
He wanted to trade between the two worlds, reselling Large Yellow Croaker for a profit, but he needed a plausible reason for buying it in bulk.
He couldn't use the excuse that it was all for his own meals every time. How much could one person possibly eat?
The chicken essence he had given the County Magistrate earlier made a perfect cover.
Large Yellow Croaker was delicious, and chicken essence could greatly enhance the flavor of a dish. So buying a lot of Large Yellow Croaker as an ingredient for making chicken essence was perfectly reasonable.
In reality, he would be sending the fish back to the Main World without leaving a single trace.
Later, he could simply open a seasoning shop in town and sell chicken essence in small quantities, eliminating any possible loose ends.
"Does Hero Lin plan to sell this secret seasoning later? I was fortunate enough to taste its delicious flavor at Magistrate Gao's home. If Hero Lin is willing to sell it, we'll be in for a real treat from now on."
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