Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Shameless
“Senior Sister Lin, did you bring me money?” Shi Hao exclaimed with surprise.
He had previously spent a thousand silver at Rejuvenate Hall, and now most of it was already used up. Yet with the addition of Bai Hua, a glutton, he felt a mountain of pressure.
Lin Yuyue’s expression instantly turned dark.
To think she was a beauty coveted by many, with countless people offering silver just for a chance to meet her, and here he was, brazenly asking for money?
She held back for a moment, then said, “No problem.”
She had already promised Shi Hao that she would give him money once they reached County Town, as his share from the sales of Hemostatic Powder.
“I’ve come today because I need your help with something,” she added.
“What is it?” Shi Hao asked.
“There’s a dinner later, and I need you to accompany me,” she replied.
At the mention of a meal, the fat man and Bai Hua’s eyes lit up, and they looked at Lin Yuyue, their gazes practically screaming “Take me with you.”
Regrettably, Lin Yuyue pretended not to notice.
“Sure!” Shi Hao nodded. This was like timely rain for him, so since there was a meal he could join, naturally, he was happy to go along.
The fat man and Bai Hua both used the power of their pleading gazes on Shi Hao.
Useless, Shi Hao cheerfully left with Lin Yuyue, rushing out the door.
Lin Yuyue’s ride for the day was a palanquin, but of course, Shi Hao couldn’t possibly squeeze in. Fortunately, Lin Yuyue also prepared a horse for him.
Shi Hao had never ridden a horse, but he had Yuan Chengmie’s experience, so a little familiarization was enough.
“Why does that little girl call you ‘dad’?” Lin Yuyue asked from behind the curtain. Obviously, she could see clearly that there couldn’t be more than five years’ difference in age between Shi Hao and Bai Hua; he couldn’t possibly have a daughter like that.
Shi Hao explained the whole “selling oneself to bury one’s father” story, which made Lin Yuyue both laugh and sigh.
Before long, they arrived in front of a luxurious restaurant.
The two of them went upstairs, and Lin Yuyue explained to him that she was hosting a feast today for the owners of the big pharmaceutical businesses in County Town, to get them to stock Hemostatic Powder. However, some of the owners, seeing her young and beautiful, always tried to take advantage of her. Therefore, she invited Shi Hao to come along as a protector.
Besides, Shi Hao was one of the beneficiaries of the Hemostatic Powder, so of course, he needed to do his part.
They entered a private room and saw a twelve-person round table already seated with ten people. All were dressed lavishly and carried a presence. The younger ones were in their forties, while the older ones were over sixty.
“Haha, Miss Lin has finally arrived,” they said, smiling upon seeing Lin Yuyue. But their smiles turned cynical once they saw Shi Hao.
A mere youngster after all—how they planned to play him.
Once Shi Hao and Lin Yuyue had settled down, an elder inquired, “Miss Lin, this gentleman is—”
Lin Yuyue smiled and said, “Mr. Qian, this is my business partner, Shi Hao.”
“Oh,” everyone nodded, but they didn’t buy the whole ‘business partner’ spiel.
With Shi Hao being so handsome, he must surely be Lin Yuyue’s lover.
Just thinking of the pure and lovely Lin Yuyue being with another man filled them with displeasure; they were so longing to harvest an unblemished flower.
Hmph, such a hypocritical woman, still pretending to be virtuous in front of them!
With such a perception, their attitude towards Lin Yuyue changed naturally. Everyone looked at her with greed and possessiveness in their eyes.
If you’re not some upright woman, then it’s all the easier. Let’s just state our prices openly.
“Miss Lin, if you want Hemostatic Powder to be shelved at my Treasure Jade Hall, it’s not impossible, but you’ll have to give me this amount of kickback, plus accompany me for ten days,” the man known as Old Qian was the first to say.
Lin Yuyue’s pretty face suddenly turned cold.
She knew about kickbacks, though she absolutely didn’t allow such behavior under her watch, but she couldn’t control what others did.
But what did accompanying him for ten days mean?
“Hehe, I also want a thirty percent kickback, and additionally, Miss Lin, you’ll accompany me for five days!” Another person named their price.
These individuals, who had just appeared upright, were showing their true, ugly colors. They thought Lin Yuyue, coming from a small city, would have no influence; and since she was asking for a favor, they felt no need for restraint.
Shi Hao shook his head; Lin Yuyue’s mistake was her ambition, attempting to monopolize the entire County Town’s antiseptic medicine market in one fell swoop.
Otherwise, if she had simply offered exclusive distribution rights, you would see these people fighting over it instead of being in this situation, now being taken advantage of.
He slapped the table with such force that all ten individuals fell silent at once.
“The youngest among you is over forty, old enough to be Senior Sister Lin’s father. Those older could be her grandfather. I really marvel, how can you have such thick skin to utter such shameless words!”
Hearing Shi Hao’s rebuke, the ten men’s faces turned red, but they quickly became angry and ashamed.
“The matter is settled; if you want us to distribute Hemostatic Powder, you’ll have to satisfy us!” Having lost all semblance of shame, they laid it all out openly.
Shi Hao cracked his knuckles, producing a series of snapping sounds.
“Junior Brother Shi, don’t be impulsive,” Lin Yuyue advised.
Shi Hao smiled, “Senior Sister Lin, when dealing with such shameless people, one must never be polite. The more courteous you are, the more aggressive they become.”
The shopkeepers also started slamming on the table, “You little rascal, how dare you insult us?”
“What are you, acting so recklessly!”
“Hmph, just a word from us, and I guarantee you’ll be lying dead on the streets by tomorrow!”
Faced with Shi Hao, these individuals shed their last guise of respectability, openly threatening him.
Shi Hao laughed loudly, “Not only can I scold people, but I can also hit them. Today, I’ll let you have a taste of that!”
In the midst of the shopkeepers’ changing expressions, he decisively took action, initiating a beating.
Ah, ah, ah, the screams filled the air immediately.
Several of the shopkeepers had some training, and some had even reached the high level of martial disciple, but what was a high-level martial disciple in front of Shi Hao?
Soon, the floor was littered with bodies, as Shi Hao showed no mercy, beating them within an inch of their lives.
Bang, the restaurant’s proprietors rushed in as well; such a commotion couldn’t go unnoticed by them.
“What’s going on?” A middle-aged man in his forties demanded, his eyes burning with a fearsome authority.
“Brother Chang!” The shopkeepers hurriedly complained, but they didn’t mention their own disgraceful behavior, only accusing Shi Hao of being violent by nature, claiming that he attacked them for the slightest displeasure.
The middle-aged man named Chang Xun was the patron of the tavern, a Primary Level martial master.
He looked at Shi Hao and said sternly, “Causing a ruckus in my place, do you have a death wish?”
Shi Hao shook his head, “You make a judgment based only on one side of the story, don’t you think that’s arbitrary?”