Chapter 303: Fanning the Flames (First Update)

Chapter 303: Fanning the Flames (First Update)

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three cups were slammed onto the floor.

The floor was carpeted, so the cups didn’t break, only producing muffled sounds.

Heng Lian also let out a muffled voice, "Is that damn cart still parading around the streets?!"

The second steward of the Heng family was terrified, not quite understanding why, whenever He Xianjin stirred up trouble, his top steward was either suffering from diarrhea or his old mother was—anyhow, he was never around when needed.

Damn, their stomachs are way too convenient!

The second steward, trembling, bent down to pick up the cups and bowed respectfully, "It's still out there... Just left the narrow gate, now it's circling back into the alley..."

Heng Lian took a deep breath, his face turning green. "That damned girl!"

The second steward shrank his shoulders, trying his best to reduce his presence.

"Tell everyone to keep an eye out! Watch for that damned girl trying to dump this person into our courtyard!" Heng Lian's entire head was shrouded in a low-pressure green light.

The second steward shivered. "She wouldn’t stoop that low, would she?"

Heng Lian sneered. "That damned girl lacks any sense of right and wrong, deserves a beating, and has no respect for her elders! What wouldn't she do?"

The second steward trembled and dared to glance up. *Miss He had even overturned the legitimate elders of the Chen family, so what kind of elder are you?*

"The Chen family, still no movement?" Heng Lian said with a cold face.

The second steward scratched his head. "No movement. The shops are still open, but Master Li Sanshun has taken time off to take his grandson to school. Qu Damao and Zhao Dezheng are managing 'Floating White' and 'Xuantian,' while the Jixi Workshop is closed. The remaining staff are still working, but they look lifeless, not as sharp and capable as when Manager He was around..."

Heng Lian's gaze swept over him. "Who the hell cares if the Chen family is lifeless or thriving?"

"I'm asking you, hasn't the Chen family made a move to stop that damned girl He Xianjin?"

The second steward was stunned. "This... I haven't heard anything about that..."

Heng Lian's eyes turned cold, then he sneered. "Is the Qu family thinking of turning over a new leaf and becoming good people? Or are they too stretched thin to do anything about it?"

The second steward buried his head low, like a thief.

Heng Lian didn't need anyone to respond, continuing to mutter to himself. "Hah, most likely there's no one left in the family." His expression was pleased, a smile on his face as he counted on his fingers with the second steward. "The eldest of the Chen family is dead, the second has drifted apart, the third has run away, and among the grandchildren, only Chen Erlang, who is busy studying, is of any use. The other two are useless."

The second steward silently thought, *Like the Heng family’s kids are any better.*

Heng Lian rubbed his fingertips together excitedly. "The Bai family is finished! The Chen family has no one left! As long as we suppress He Xianjin, the Heng family will be the largest in the paper industry in Xuancheng!"

As if remembering something, he asked again, "Any updates on the tribute issue?"

The second steward widened his eyes. *You're asking me? Do I have a sworn brotherhood with Prefectural Magistrate Xiong?*

Heng Lian angrily scolded, "How can you know nothing? Every day you look like a corpse. What am I paying you for? Do I have to do everything myself? What good are you to me?!"

*So you can use us for your dirty work, take out your frustrations, and feel good about yourself.*

The second steward sneakily rolled his eyes when no one was looking.

Heng Lian turned his head and asked, "Have we informed the hamlets of Shatian, Jingde, and Dingzhuang?"

Manager Heng II nodded repeatedly, "We made contact early this morning!"

Finally, a question he could answer!

"Good, then do as instructed. We're not refusing to give her the straw, kiwi vine juice, and winged-leaf catalpa bark. If she asks for a hundred bundles, only give her twenty. The amount given must not exceed half of what Heng Kee acquires." Heng Lian quickly instructed. After finishing, he shrugged and smiled, "Don't say I'm not leaving her a way to survive! I’ll let her stay in business, but only just enough to scrape by!"

"The paper trade has always been a man’s game. A young girl can make a living, get married, and have a child—that's blessing enough! She shouldn't be competing with men for work!"

Heng Lian spoke grandly, as if giving Xianjin some raw materials to purchase was already the greatest mercy.

Manager Heng II muttered, "...It's because you're wary of the Qiao family and Prefectural Magistrate Xiong."

Without these two powerful backers, who knows what underhanded moves Heng Kee would pull! Although Manager He left the Chen family, her roots are weak, but her relationship with the officials is as tight as wearing the same pants! Why else are the mule carriages flaunting so arrogantly outside for sightseeing? Isn't it to show off Manager He's friendship with the prefectural magistrate?

The Heng family only dares to scheme in the dark, but they wouldn't confront Manager He openly.

Moreover, even if they control the raw materials from three regions, it's not certain they'll win...

Manager He has something eerie about her.

The more you try to stop her from doing something, the more she manages to pull it off.

Manager Heng II thought to himself: If it were up to him, he'd abandon his wages and definitely defect to Manager He.

Heng Lian didn’t catch what Manager Heng II said, glanced over, frowned, and realized the person beside him wasn’t his usual assistant, "Yu Sheng?"

"He's having diarrhea," Manager Heng II bowed his head in response.

Heng Lian furrowed his brow, "...How did he get diarrhea again?"

After a while, still feeling angry, he looked at the embarrassed manager and spoke harshly, "Go and keep an eye on the mule carriages outside! Can't you pay attention for once!"

Manager Heng II: ...My two ears aren't for throwing you flirtatious glances!

Manager Heng II backed out on his knees, cursing his bad luck in his mind—the boss's mood was too unstable. Every time he had a private meeting, it felt like he aged five years.

Half an hour later, Manager Heng III appeared, "...The mule carriages haven't left yet, just wandering back and forth at the gate."

After another outburst of anger, Heng Lian frowned and said, "Why are you here? Where's Qusheng?"

Manager Heng III shivered as he picked up broken porcelain, "The second manager has diarrhea..."

...

Why Heng family managers seem to have a knack for getting sick remains a mystery, but it didn’t affect Heng Lian’s antics.

In Xuancheng, Heng Kee's five stores inside and outside the city hung a series of fiery gold-lettered signs all at once: "Candidate for Largest Supplier of Imperial Papers," "Leading Merchant of Xuancheng Paper Industry," "Home of the President of Xuancheng Paper Industry Chamber of Commerce," "Top of the Yearly Rankings of Xuancheng Paper Industry"...

As Xianjin walked by and saw the rows of flashy signs, she couldn’t help but twitch her lips in frustration. An odd joke popped into her head—

Imagine Heng Lian knocking on a door, introducing himself as 'the largest supplier of imperial papers, the leading merchant of Xuancheng paper industry...' The woman inside would probably say, 'That’s too many people to fit in here!'

Heng Kee aggressively pushed the idea that they were the most powerful force in Xuancheng’s paper industry.

The "Cranes Descending Upon Great Wei," jointly presented by the Xuancheng Paper Industry Chamber of Commerce, was chosen as the winner!