Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 442 Ma Tengqiang, President of Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce

Lin Chen first spent some time talking with Ye Qingying before strolling leisurely towards the side hall.

In the side hall, two people sat upright.

One of them is Zhou Sihai.

The other man was in his fifties, thin, wearing a dark green brocade robe, with a gaunt face and a steady gaze.

He wasn't all smiles like Zhou Sihai, but he wasn't cold either; he was just the right amount of polite.

He held a cup of tea in his hand, drinking it slowly and deliberately, with a very elegant air.

He is Ma Qiangteng, the president of the Zhongzhou Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce.

Upon seeing Lin Chen enter, the two stood up simultaneously.

Ma Qiangteng put down his teacup, quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply.

"I am Ma Qiangteng of Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce. I have long admired Your Highness and it is an honor to meet you today."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and articulate, exuding the composure of an old-fashioned businessman.

Zhou Sihai followed behind, bowing even deeper than Ma Qiangteng, his smile as wide as a chrysanthemum, his posture extremely humble.

Lin Chen sat down in the main seat, crossed his legs, and leaned back in his chair.

He looked at Ma Qiangteng and sized him up.

This man has an extraordinary air about him; he doesn't seem like a businessman, but rather like a scholar.

But those eyes were very bright; you could tell at a glance that he was a shrewd person.

Unlike Zhou Sihai, whose shrewdness was "on his face," Ma Qiangteng's shrewdness was "deep in his bones."

"President Ma, you've come all the way from Zhongzhou, you must be tired." Lin Chen raised his chin. "Sit down."

Ma Qiangteng quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all, it's my duty."

The two sat down in the guest seats.

After sitting down, Ma Qiangteng sat up straight, with his hands on his knees, maintaining a very proper posture.

But Lin Chen noticed that the spot where he rested his knees was being tapped lightly with his fingertips; it wasn't tension, but rather he was thinking.

"Did President Zhou tell you about the conditions?" Lin Chen asked.

"I already said so," Ma Qiangteng nodded.

"So what do you think?"

Ma Qiangteng took a piece of paper out of his sleeve and handed it over with both hands:

"Your Highness, this is a revised list that I have prepared. Please take a look."

Yuan Tiangang stepped forward, took it, and placed it on Lin Chen's table.

Lin Chen glanced at it.

Star Iron, three thousand catties.

Two thousand catties of cold marrow copper.

Blood-patterned steel, two thousand catties.

Xuanbing Jade, two hundred pieces.

A long list of various rare and precious medicinal herbs and minerals was compiled, more than double the amount that Zhou Sihai had taken last time.

The last line—10,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Lin Chen put down the form, looked at Ma Qiangteng, and remained silent.

Ma Qiangteng was terrified by Lin Chen's gaze. He gave a dry laugh, his voice a little strained:

"Your Highness, are you satisfied with this order?"

"Satisfied." Lin Chen picked up his teacup. "But I need to make it clear first, the profit sharing will still be done as I said, and I need to check the accounts once a year."

Lin Chen paused and took a sip of tea.

"Is there a problem?"

Ma Qiangteng's smile remained unchanged, and after a pause, he said:

"Your Highness, regarding the accounts... perhaps we could discuss this further?"

"After all, the accounting methods vary from business to business, so I'm afraid..."

Lin Chen took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"President Ma, what I hate most is being clever and cunning. Or do you think I'm easy to fool?"

Ma Qiangteng opened his mouth, then let out a bitter laugh:

"Your Highness, our Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce relies on honest business practices and would never dare to deceive anyone. I agree to the audit."

"That's good!" Lin Chen nodded. "Yuan Tiangang will contact you about the specifics later."

He will tell you about the accounting format, accounting standards, and auditing procedures.

Feel free to point out anything you think is unreasonable; I'm generally easy to talk to.

Ma Qiangteng nodded repeatedly, smiling on the surface, but inwardly cursing.

Lin Chen knew this guy was probably unhappy, but he didn't care.

This world is one where the strong rule; the fact that he kept 20% is already a sign of his kindness.

After calming himself down, Ma Qiangteng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, I have another request."

"explain."

"I would like to establish a headquarters in the Eastern Region to oversee all affairs of the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Region."

"We'd like to establish our headquarters in the capital. What does Your Highness think?"

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the armrest.

Da, da, da.

Lin Chen knew perfectly well what Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce was planning by setting up its headquarters in the capital.

"Okay," Lin Chen said calmly.

Ma Qiangteng's eyes lit up.

"But there are conditions."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"First, I will decide on the location of the headquarters. You will pay for the land at market price, without any discounts."

Second, the headquarters' guards cannot exceed twenty people, and the list must be submitted for approval. The Foreign Affairs Supervisor must investigate the background of each person. Third—

Lin Chen looked at Ma Qiangteng and said, word by word:

"When your chamber of commerce does business in Dayan, you must report any issues to the Foreign Affairs Bureau first. Private settlements are not allowed."

Ma Qiangteng paused for a moment: "Settling privately means..."

"Some people think that if they suffer injustice in Dayan, they can resolve it on their own." Lin Chen picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"But the rule of Dayan is that things are resolved through government offices, not by fists. No one's fists will do."

Ma Qiangteng remained silent for a moment.

Lin Chen didn't rush him, but slowly drank his tea and waited.

After a few breaths, Ma Qiangteng raised his head and nodded:

"I understand. I agree to all three conditions."

Lin Chen put down his teacup and smiled:

"Then it's settled. You can discuss the details with Yuan Tiangang."

Ma Qiangteng stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Lin Chen waved his hand, indicating that he wanted the guest to see him out.

But Ma Qiangteng didn't leave. He took out another piece of paper from his sleeve, handed it over with both hands, and lowered his posture considerably.

"Your Highness, this is just a small token of my appreciation. It's nothing more than a greeting gift to you, a way for us to become friends. I hope you will accept it."

Lin Chen took it and looked at it.

The items on the gift list, though few in number, are more valuable than the previous one.

Top-grade spirit stones – three thousand pieces.

The Flying Boat—capable of carrying a hundred people and traveling ten thousand miles a day, its protective formation can withstand a full-force attack from an early-stage Celestial Immortal, making it a veritable aerial fortress.

There are also several rare spiritual materials, each of which is a priceless treasure.

Lin Chen glanced at the gift list, then at Ma Qiangteng.

Ma Qiangteng's smile became more sincere, but also carried a hint of caution, like a gambler waiting for the draw.

Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"President Ma, I've made you my friend."

Ma Qiangteng was overjoyed; the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and he quickly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

The two chatted for a few more minutes.

Ma Qiangteng spoke very carefully about the situation in Zhongzhou.

Not saying a word that shouldn't be said, and not saying everything that should be said, leaving half unsaid, like squeezing toothpaste.

But Lin Chen still managed to glean something from it.

The major sects in Zhongzhou are truly panicked this time.

After the sky cracked, several reclusive old monsters revealed themselves and then went back into hiding.

What lies behind the cracks, they are afraid.

But what they were afraid of, Ma Qiangteng didn't say. Perhaps he didn't dare to say, or perhaps he didn't know.

Lin Chen didn't ask.

Sometimes, asking questions only makes things more complicated.

After seeing the two off, Lin Chen stood by the window, watching their figures disappear behind the moon gate.

Yuan Tiangang walked behind Lin Chen, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"My lord, this Ma Qiangteng is no ordinary man."

"Nonsense, how could someone who can become the president of the largest chamber of commerce in Zhongzhou be simple?" Lin Chen turned around and sat back down in his chair, picking up his teacup and then putting it down again. "But he's smart."

"Where's the intelligence?"

"His wisdom lies in knowing who calls the shots in the Eastern Region."

Yuan Tiangang's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't reply.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers twice on the table, thought for a moment, and said:

"Have someone keep an eye on him, but not too closely. If you keep a close eye on him, he'll feel uncomfortable; if you don't, I won't feel at ease. You'll have to find the right balance."

Yuan Tiangang nodded: "Yes."

Lin Chen stood up, stretched, and his bones cracked a few times.

"Alright, I need to go to the capital to discuss this with the Empress. You should return to Songshan City and discuss the details of the cooperation with her!"

Lin Chen walked to the door and suddenly stopped.

I looked up at the sky.

The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud, and the sun hung in the sky, golden and warm.

But for some reason, Lin Chen felt that the sky was different today than yesterday.

It felt like something was pressing down on it, heavy and suffocating.

"Old Yuan."

"exist."

"Don't you think the sky looks different today than yesterday?"

Yuan Tiangang looked up once, then again, squinting as if searching for something.

"What's different?"

Lin Chen squinted for a while, then shook his head: "I can't quite put my finger on it, it just feels... a bit stuffy."

Yuan Tiangang looked at it carefully for a few moments. "It is a bit stuffy. It might rain."

Lin Chen almost choked, and said irritably:

"Alright, you should just leave now!"

"Yes!" Yuan Tiangang clasped his hands and stepped back.

Lin Chen sighed as he watched Yuan Tiangang's disappearing figure, then transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the capital.