In a private room of an inn, a well-mannered middle-aged man raised his wine cup and smiled at the bald man sitting on a chair.
"Manager Gangmen."
"We must ask for your help in mediating this certification matter."
The bald man narrowed his eyes and remained silent, savoring the rare brew that cost tens of thousands of gold coins. He then directly reached for a greasy chicken leg on the table, took a hearty bite, and wiped his greasy hands on the tablecloth.
After a long while of smacking his lips, the bald man stretched lazily.
His eyelids drooped,
and his fingers lightly tapped the table.
"Steward Xu, this certification isn't as easy as it sounds," the bald man said softly. A young man behind him quickly stepped forward to refill his cup.
He lifted his head, stretched his neck.
Tens of thousands of gold coins went down his throat again.
With tens of thousands of gold coins being gulped down cup after cup, the middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged, his eyes still holding a calm demeanor.
"It may not be easy for others, but for Manager Gangmen, this might not be a difficult task."
As he spoke, the middle-aged man waved his hand.
*Clang.*
Several chests landed heavily on the floor, their weight making the very floor of the inn's private room tremble.
The dazzling purple-gold light illuminated the entire room in a purple-golden hue.
The bald man, who was sipping his wine, instantly lost his earlier languor. He sat up straight from his reclined position, aggressively wiped his mouth with his greasy hand, and stood up from his chair to approach the chests.
"Steward Xu, you are..."
"Our City Lord has long heard of Manager Gangmen's great reputation and sent me here to specially prepare this small gift for you," Steward Xu whispered with a smile.
The bald man's throat constricted. He looked at the chests of purple-gold coins in the room.
"Your City Lord is truly too kind. If I'm not mistaken, these purple-gold coins amount to at least tens of millions?"
"12 million," Steward Xu replied with a smile, his expression unchanged. "10 million in purple-gold coins are for you, and another 2 million gold coins are for you to treat your subordinates."
Even with his expectations, the bald man's heart trembled upon hearing the sum.
A total of 12 million gold coins.
His annual salary was less than 500 gold coins. Although he could usually skim off quite a bit of "oil and water," acquiring 12 million would have taken him decades.
And now, these chests full of gold coins were placed before him.
How could he not be tempted?
"Your City Lord is truly..." The bald man's greasy hand caressed the purple-gold coins in the chests. "To call 12 million a mere 'small gift'."
The bald man mumbled to himself, and after a long while, he finally came back to his senses and looked up.
"Steward Xu, are you a friend of Boss Lan Luo?"
"We have business dealings with Boss Lan Luo in our city, and over time, we've become quite familiar with each other," Steward Xu said with a smile in his eyes. "When Boss Lan Luo heard that our city-state had not yet been certified, he mentioned the advantages and disadvantages of certification to our City Lord. After careful consideration, our City Lord felt that for the city to develop more stably, certification was indeed necessary. He then contacted Boss Lan Luo, who recommended you to us."
"Oh, my."
The bald man clicked his tongue, his face filled with a troubled expression, yet his eyes never strayed from the chests of purple-gold coins.
"Steward Xu, it's not that I'm unwilling to help, but the current policy in the Royal City... and besides, I'm just an employee. If we're talking about capability..."
"Manager Gangmen, you mustn't be so modest."
Steward Xu smiled and said, "Everyone knows you are the most capable general under the Seventh Prince of our royal family. The authority you hold, even the Chief Financial Officer cannot compare, right? The Seventh Prince is currently in charge of certification matters, and you are fully authorized to handle this. If you can't do it, I'm afraid no one else in the city can, right?"
"This..."
The bald man's eyes still held a hint of hesitation.
While that might be true, he was ultimately working under the Seventh Prince. Any power he wielded was granted by the Seventh Prince.
He dared not imagine the consequences if he misused it and the Seventh Prince found out.
Sensing the bald man's difficulty, Steward Xu raised his hand, shook his head, and smiled.
"It's alright."
Steward Xu's smile did not diminish in the slightest.
"When our City Lord came, he said that even if Manager Gangmen finds it difficult, the City Lord is willing to befriend you, and these chests will still be yours."
"Still mine?"
The bald man's face was filled with disbelief.
What was going on?
He hadn't even done the work yet, and the money could still end up in his pockets? When did such good things ever happen?
"Of course."
Steward Xu's smile remained undiminished, his expression one of utter certainty.
"Our City Lord also said that he greatly admires Manager Gangmen's abilities. If Manager Gangmen is willing, he can also come to our city to take a look. Perhaps it would be more suitable for you there."
The bald man, with a furrowed brow, looked at Steward Xu for a long while.
He again ran his hands over the chests.
"Hoo..."
A deep breath escaped the bald man's lips. He walked to the table, tilted his head back, and downed an entire pot of wine worth over a million.
"Steward Xu, please stay in the city for a few days."
"Since the City Lord has given me, Gangmen, such face, I am certainly not a heartless person. I will do my best to mediate the certification matter and will give you a reply within three days at the latest."
"In that case, I thank you on behalf of our City Lord."
Steward Xu cupped his hands with a smile and then pointed to the chests on the floor.
"Manager Gangmen, quickly put these chests away. The purple-gold color is too dazzling. It's better for you to keep them, otherwise, if someone with ill intentions sees them, it will only cause trouble."
"Good, good, good."
With a slight glow from Gangmen's thumb ring, the chests were all stored within it.
"Steward Xu, there's something I need to tell you in advance." Gangmen, after storing the chests, said, "This certification matter is not just handled by my Seventh Prince; the Crown Prince also handles it. It requires two seals to be considered certified. I will do my best to obtain the Seventh Prince's seal, but as for the Crown Prince..."
"Our City Lord is aware of that."
Steward Xu smiled with a knowing air, and the bald man immediately understood.
"So that's how it is. If that's the case... then I can congratulate Steward Xu in advance. You won't be returning to the Tatu Royal City empty-handed."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Steward Xu cupped his hands lightly and stepped back two paces.
"I have completed the tasks assigned by the City Lord, and Manager Gangmen is also very busy. I will not disturb you further. I will be staying in this inn at room Di Zi 6 for the next few days, awaiting Manager Gangmen's good news."