Zhu Shou lounged back comfortably in his chair, enjoying the massage from a tall woman. Beside him, a rosy-cheeked young girl was pounding his legs.

"Black Banner Battalion Hundred Households Officer Shen Hao? Tsk, I’ve heard this guy’s been really making waves lately." Zhu Shou put down the invitation in his hand, reached back to knead the woman behind him as if completely used to it. The woman’s pretty face was flushed but she didn’t dodge, even moving along with him.

Seated before him was a black-robed enforcer, head lowered so Zhu Shou couldn’t see the envy on his face. He fawned, "Sir, you’re right, this Shen Hao started rising last year—climbed all the way from a Small Banner Officer in Li City to his current post as Black Banner Battalion Hundred Households Officer in Fengri City. They say he’s incredibly capable and ruthless, always stepping on other people’s heads to get ahead. Plus, rumor has it he’s Jiang Cheng’s disciple."

"Jiang Cheng’s disciple? And who told you that?" Zhu Shou straightened, withdrawing his hand from the woman behind him.

"That came from Zhang Qian and Gan Lin over at the Garrison—they’ve always been close with Jiang Cheng, and they’re tight with Shen Hao, too. They mentioned it once while drinking, and the rumor’s been circulating for a while. Considering how Shen Hao shot up the ranks in just over a year, I think the rumor probably holds water."

"Mm. Those two, Zhang Qian and Gan Lin, sure have big mouths, but they’re not the type to make things up. Looks like Shen Hao really has some backing." Pausing, Zhu Shou asked, "Has Shen Hao been dealing with our brokerage lately?"

"No, not yet. But I figure he’s probably looking to build some connections now. After all, he’s not from any powerful family—his only backer is Jiang Cheng, and that’s thin. I also heard he offended some local official in Pingshun City recently; maybe he wants to see you to secure more options."

"Alright then, go reply and say I’ll definitely attend the banquet tomorrow, right on time."

"Yes, sir."

As the door closed, the man saw Zhu Shou sweep up the woman into his arms and carry her into the inner room. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Zhu Shou’s lust was no secret in the Fengri City brokerage. As Chief Steward of the brokerage overseeing more than forty cities in Jingxi, finding women was never difficult for him. If they weren’t extraordinary beauties, Zhu Shou wouldn’t even spare them a glance. He’d even cultivated a special Cultivation Technique just to enjoy women, and reportedly, it made him especially fierce in bed...

The next afternoon, Zhu Shou changed into regular attire, removed the expensive Jade Pendant at his waist, and swapped his favorite Purple Cloud Belt for an ordinary one.

"Let’s go."

He didn’t bother bringing any Guards, just the servant from yesterday. The two of them took a carriage to the restaurant.

Entering, Zhu Shou was a little surprised—two Xuanqing Guard in black robes were stationed at the upstairs corridor, clearly blocking off other patrons from the top floor private rooms.

"Lord Zhu, you’re here!" Wang Yiming greeted him with an ingratiating smile, leading Zhu Shou upstairs.

"Wang, did you book out the whole place?" Zhu Shou nodded at the two Guards by the stairway.

"Hehe, that’s Lord Shen’s idea. It’s to show respect and avoid interruptions, so we reserved the entire top floor—please don’t misunderstand, Lord Zhu."

To show respect? Zhu Shou smiled faintly, but was growing suspicious inside; it started looking like he’d been a bit naïve about this invitation.

Once in the private room, Shen Hao stood up with a big smile to welcome him. After some polite exchanges, they sat and started eating. Shen Hao wasn’t much for small talk; after three rounds of drinks, he exchanged a glance with Wang Yiming, who promptly excused himself and left the room, taking Zhu Shou’s servant with him.

Now only Shen Hao and Zhu Shou were left in the room.

Seeing the setup, Zhu Shou realized Shen Hao hadn’t called him here just to "build connections"—there had to be something more. He put his cup down and laughed, "Lord Shen, do you need something?"

"Hehe, there is indeed something I’d like to trouble Lord Zhu with. But first, let me ask you to look at something." Shen Hao said, pulling out the volume of stamped documents and handing them to Zhu Shou.

"Oh?" Zhu Shou was unconcerned at first, but as he opened the first page his face froze—a drastic change.

The very first page was Zhu Shou’s portrait; each following word was like a knife peeling him to the bone, sending cold dread straight through him.

"You people actually dare to investigate me?! You’ve got balls! Bang!" Zhu Shou exploded in rage, slamming his palm on the table, overturning the entire meal.

Seeing the food and wine in disarray on the floor, Shen Hao at least managed to save a jug and a cup. He poured himself a drink, set down the jug, and smiled, "Is Lord Zhu angry? Why not report me to the Master of the Dental Practice?"

"You—!"

Zhu Shou wanted to curse him out, but didn’t know how. Report him? For interfering with brokerage business? That would be digging his own grave. Besides, Shen Hao had arranged this meeting just to privately display the documents—a clear test of how Zhu Shou would react. There was obviously more to come.

Shen Hao drank at his leisure, not disturbing Zhu Shou’s furious silence, giving him time to process.

"Hu. Lord Shen, speak your mind—what do you want from me, going to all this trouble?" Zhu Shou suppressed his panic, his years navigating officialdom pulling back his reason. He knew he wasn’t at death’s door—not yet. Let’s see if this Shen was going to leave him a way out.

"So Lord Zhu isn’t going to report me?"

"Lord Shen, just get to the point. I’m in your hands—why not draw your line in the sand?"

"Good, straightforward! I’ve no wish to make an enemy of a brokerage like yours, but duty leaves me no choice but to take these measures. I hope you’ll understand, Lord Zhu."

"Go on, then. I’ve seen enough of the Xuanqing Guard’s methods. Hmph." Beyond venting his irritation, Zhu Shou was thinking fast—just get through this for now, and deal with the fallout later. If he ever got the chance, he’d return today’s favor tenfold to this annoying bastard across the table.

"Very well. Lord Zhu, are you interested in becoming a Small Banner Officer in the Xuanqing Guard?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Zhu Shou was completely baffled.

"It’s simple, really. You won’t have to quit the brokerage—you just secretly hold a Xuanqing Guard title. There’s pay, too."

"...You—you want me to be your Inside Collaborator inside the brokerage?! You want to investigate the brokerage?! Are you out of your mind!"

"Investigate the brokerage? No, no, the brokerage’s not that big a deal. That’s not the point. What I want is for you, after becoming our colleague, to help us train some obedient slaves—ones who can become our eyes and ears, gathering wind and rain on our behalf."

Zhu Shou shot up out of his chair in shock, panic on his face as he pointed at Shen Hao: "You, you, you..."