CHAPTER 458: 352, FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON

"Are shopkeepers in the Salt Shop or not? Chen Bin, think carefully before you answer me." Chen Ji’s voice was like a stone, hitting Chen Bin’s chest with a dull pain.

Chen Ji stood calmly in the Salt Shop, his side flanked by Lin Yanchu and the Yulin Army who silently stood, all gazing at Chen Bin.

The sunset outside shone in, the dark silhouettes of the Yulin Army resembling undulating mountain ranges.

Chen Bin couldn’t withstand the pressure, his eyes frequently darting to the curtain leading to the backyard, yet the curtain hung motionless, showing no intention of the shopkeepers emerging.

Chen Bin knew the shopkeepers had previously claimed absence; now if they suddenly appeared, it would be blatant insubordination.

The shopkeepers, for now, could only suffer in silence, continuing to avoid confrontation.

Chen Bin couldn’t wait for the shopkeepers to show up, so he gritted his teeth and bowed, saying, "Landlord, it was just a momentary lapse on my part, forgetting the shopkeepers are indeed not in the Salt Shop."

"Oh?" Chen Ji didn’t believe him, pretending to walk to the backyard: "Why do I feel like you’re deceiving me? The shopkeepers might be hiding in the backyard playing dominoes."

Chen Bin was shocked and uncertain; how did this young man even know about dominoes?

He hurriedly grabbed Chen Ji’s arm: "Landlord, the backyard is all rough salt storage, very dirty, please don’t go in."

Chen Ji was easily persuaded: "Fine, I won’t go in. However, as the new landlord of this Salt Shop, settling accounts and counting salt permits is part of my duties, nothing wrong with that, right?"

Chen Bin lowered his stance: "Landlord, those boxes contain the three hundred thousand salt permits we just bought from the Ministry of Revenue, losing them would be a massive loss; keeping them in our Salt Shop is safer."

Chen Ji glanced at Lin Yanchu and the others, then at the distressed Salt Shop employees on the ground: "Keeping them in the Salt Shop...safer?"

Chen Bin felt a pang in his heart.

Lin Yanchu sneered: "Not hitting you was your luck, not that it couldn’t be done."

Chen Ji waved his hand: "Okay, okay, we’re all on the same side, no need for violence. Let me ask you, are all the salt permits here?"

Chen Bin hastily replied respectfully: "All here."

Chen Ji opened a box, finding it full of well-bundled salt permits.

The salt permits had four big characters "Official Salt Invoice" written on them, followed by "Collection number 899, now hired by Baotou Chen Family Salt Shop to transport two hundred pounds of official salt to..."

This was not only proof for obtaining salt but also the "road permit" for salt; without this document, passing various checkpoints and ferries was impossible, which was why private salt traders needed salt permits.

Chen Ji waved his hand: "Load them onto the carriage."

The Yulin Army stuffed twenty-nine large boxes into the carriage, whipped the horse, and left. Chen Bin was about to sneak after them to see where the carriage went, but saw Lin Yanchu leading four people blocking the doorway, expressionless: "Stay in the Salt Shop, if you dare to sneak out, your legs will be broken."

Chen Bin instinctively stepped back, daring not to speak.

After thirty minutes, Lin Yanchu finally turned and merged into the crowd on Luoma Market Street, disappearing without a trace.

Ignoring the distressed employees on the ground, Chen Bin hurriedly ran to the back: "Store Manager, Store Manager!"

The curtain was lifted from inside, almost causing Chen Bin to bump into someone.

Chen Yue, with a solemn face, walked out: "Why panic? The sky hasn’t fallen yet!"

Chen Bin exclaimed anxiously: "Store Manager, the landlord...that kid took all the salt permits from our Salt Shop, how are we supposed to do business? It’s almost time to dispense salt, but our stock can only last another month."

Yet the Store Manager Chen Yue was not in a hurry and even chuckled: "Last? Last what? Why should we wait?"

Chen Bin’s eyes widened: "Huh?"

Chen Yue replied leisurely: "The landlord took away our salt permits, so naturally, we can’t do business. From tomorrow, collect all the salt measures in each store, don’t sell a pound of salt."

Chen Bin gradually understood, his eyes brightening.

Chen Yue, holding his plump belly, returned to the backyard, humming as he sat by the mahjong table.

Second Manager Ye, sporting a goatee, glanced at him: "In a good mood?"

Chen Yue finally couldn’t help but laugh heartily: "That wet-behind-the-ears kid made a foolish move, so don’t blame me for driving him into a corner. That kid thinks taking the salt permits would seize control of the Salt Shop, but I won’t do business. If the Family Head asks, I’ll say we can’t operate without salt permits, how will he explain to the Family Head then?"

Second Manager Ye stroked his goatee: "Not right; I still have many mouths to feed, and feeding people and horses is all silver. If business halts, how will I support the whole family? They’re not ordinary folks, they’re bandits, and hunger will lead to deaths!"

Shopkeeper Chen sneered: "Short-sighted, will less profit cause death in a few months? Just cover them yourself with silver first. Chen Ji has fought over the inheritance with the second branch, if the Salt Shop’s business stalls for months, he won’t be able to explain to the Family Head. Once a winner is determined, the Salt Shop will still be ours, and the Second Lord won’t treat us poorly."

Opposite him, Second Shopkeeper Zhou picked an ivory card, rubbing the card surface with his finger: "What if he sells the salt permits directly to other Salt Shops?"

Shopkeeper Chen shook his head: "When has the price of salt permits ever been higher than one tael? At most, they offer him two taels of silver. But on our books, each salt permit equals four taels of silver. When the permits are with us, they can return four taels of silver; in his hands, only two taels, let’s see how he salvages this with the Family Head."

Second Shopkeeper Zhou played the ivory card in his hand: "Two dots...shouldn’t we have Little Ye send some people to the capital to prevent this kid from relying on martial arts?"