Chapter Two: Undercurrents

There was no longer a Shengjing Military Governor's Yamen in Fengtian; in its place stood a stone building.

Red and white brick walls, dark cyan tile roofs, arched doorways, gigantic windows, and embossed colorful paintings—this, they said, was Western-style architecture.

"Preposterous! Even the yamen is mimicking the foreigners! This, this, this! What kind of decency is this!"

Outside the gate of the Three Eastern Provinces Viceroy's Mansion, a luxuriously decorated carriage was parked.

Han Ce, dressed in a sable-fur coat, paced back and forth anxiously before the entrance. Every two steps, he would stop, stand on tiptoe, stretch his neck, and gaze longingly inside, muttering to himself, "Why aren't they coming out yet?"

Seeing him in such a state of anxiety, the coachman eagerly sought to show his loyalty. "Sir, it's freezing. Why don't you wait inside the carriage? I'll let you know the moment someone comes out."

"Get in the carriage? Get in the carriage, my foot! I might as well crawl onto the kang! Just what time of day is it?!"

Han Ce unceremoniously cursed the driver out, then resumed his yearning stare at the Viceroy's Mansion.

"This old Xu doesn't even know the first thing about hosting guests! And he calls himself a scholar—what a mannerless thing! I've sent gifts time and time again, and he still puts on airs! Damn it! An iron-clad camp flows with shifting soldiers; who knows when he might be transferred? Why act so high and noble!"

Just as he was gossiping, two government runners suddenly emerged from the Viceroy's Mansion and rushed straight toward the gate.

Hearing the commotion, Han Ce looked up, his face lighting up with joy. He immediately stepped forward and cupped his fists in greeting.

"Official Cao, Official Liu, what did they say inside?"

The two runners sighed, looking quite helpless. "Old Han, go back. Don't come here anymore in the future either. His Excellency the Viceroy said he won't see you."

"Don't be like that! I've brought a whole cartload of goods!" Han Ce said hastily. "The three of us are old acquaintances, after all. Could you go in and put in a good word for me? I just want to meet him to show my respects, not asking to do anything improper. Besides, my uncle holds an official title too; calling ourselves colleagues isn't much of a stretch!"

"Oh, give it a rest, Old Han. Stop trying to dress things up with pretty words," Official Cao said. "That Governor Xu is an Imperial Commissioner with full authority over the reforms in the Northeast. You take a title your old man bought with donations and try to claim colleagueship with him—aren't you afraid you'll snap your spine?"

Official Liu chimed in, "Besides, even if you managed to see him now, it would be useless. Governor Xu has already nominated the candidate for the President of the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce."

Han Ce's expression froze. "Bai Baochen?"

"Who else could it be besides him? Su Wenqi is too young; Governor Xu is afraid he won't be able to keep those old foxes in line."

"Ridiculous!" Han Ce was clearly unconvinced. "The net profit of our family's business in a single year is probably more than the total turnover of his entire household! Since it's the president of the chamber of commerce we're talking about, if you don't look at financial power, what on earth do you look at?"

In truth, the position of Chamber of Commerce President was nothing more than a front, holding no real power to speak of.

For Zhou Yunpu, whether he held the position or not was of little consequence.

At the end of the day, the matter was entirely about saving face.

Being able to take the position yet choosing not to was one thing; being utterly incapable of securing it at all was an entirely different matter.

Once Zhou Yunpu failed to secure this presidential title, it would signal in the underworldly circles a decline from the peak of his power.

Had his health not been so abysmal, he would likely have stepped forward himself instead of coiling up in the "Cloud-Watching Tower" and listening to Han Ce's secondhand reports.

Since Officials Cao and Liu worked in the yamen and had in their early years benefited from Zhou Yunpu's generosity, they offered him a few pointers out of past friendship upon hearing Han Ce's complaints.

"Old Han, you still don't get it!"

Hearing this, Han Ce's eyes darted around. Fortunately, he wasn't completely reckless, and he immediately realized that the other party was offering him a way out.

"My two elder brothers, please speak your minds. I am all ears!"

Official Cao lowered his voice and said, "Old Han, when it comes to whose business makes the most money and who has the greatest capability in Fengtian, there's no need to argue—it's Old Master Zhou Yunpu, no one else!"

Official Liu shook his head and sighed. "However, what kind of businesses does your family run? Opium, brothels, gambling dens—sure, they make money, but those trades are simply not respectable! Go and look around at any other place; which chamber of commerce would ever elect such a merchant as its president?"

After pondering this for a brief moment, Han Ce asked thoughtfully, "Are the two of you suggesting that I put a shell over my uncle's business and clean it up a bit?"

Not bad; he wasn't entirely a fool.

Seeing that he could take a hint, the two runners clapped their hands in agreement.

"Ah! That's more like it! We don't expect you to open a shipyard or anything like that, but at least your public image needs to pass muster! Governor Xu is now trying to revitalize... what was that word again? Ah, yes, economy! And education, or some such nonsense."

Han Ce was suddenly enlightened. "That's not a problem," he said hastily. "It's just a matter of spending some money! But isn't it a bit too late to start setting that up now? Surely we don't have to wait for the next term? Won't Bai Baochen's tail be sticking straight up into the sky by then?"

"Bah!" Officials Cao and Liu both waved their hands dismissively. "Old Han, you are so thick-headed! As long as your old man turns his business... no, they call it a company nowadays. Anyway, as long as you can get it up and running, given the old man's strength, wouldn't it be easy to manufacture a few 'accidents' for that Bai Baoxian? Do you keep the 'Sea Owls' on the Zhou family payroll just to look at like pet birds?"

Splendid! Simply splendid!

Overjoyed, Han Ce couldn't help bursting into a hearty laugh.

"My two brothers! Hearing your words is worth ten years of studying books!"

With that, Han Ce turned and walked toward his carriage.

Naturally, the two runners followed him over. As they held up the curtain for him, they cast a sidelong glance at the gifts piled inside.

Goodness gracious, the carriage was packed to the brim! It was impossible to tell what rare gold and treasures were hidden within, but various gift boxes filled every nook and cranny right to the edges!

"Stay your steps, my two elder brothers; no need to see me off!" Han Ce leaped onto the carriage, turned around, and cupped his fists. "Great kindness requires no thanks! Tonight at the 'Huifang Alley', I'm playing the host. Whichever young lady catches your eye, just pick her out, and we'll drink until we drop! Hhahahaha!"

With that, the coachman immediately cracked his whip, letting out a sharp "whack" against the horse's flank.

"Giddy-up! Giddy-up!"

The old horse snorted and stepped forward.

"Clack-clack-clack..."

"Creak-creak-creak..."

Left standing dumbfounded and rooted to the spot, Officials Cao and Liu stared blankly as the luxuriously decorated carriage wobbled down the newly paved bluestone road like a drunkard, its rocking motion fading into the distance along with Han Ce's triumphant laughter...

The two men stood in a daze, blinking in unison. They looked at each other, stunned for a good long moment, before simultaneously crying out, "Wait a minute, brother, what on earth did this kid mean? How come I didn't get it at all? Does this mean... the two of us just stood here running our mouths and bustling about for nothing?!"