Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Mr. Shi's skinny fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a dull sound, and he said slowly, "Tell me, what do you want?"

Zhang Jingwei raised the corner of his mouth slightly, his eyes were like torches, and he said decisively: "Frankly, I want the Dashi wine!"

"Sure." The old man answered straightforwardly, with a gleam of light in his turbid eyes.

Zhang Jingwei suddenly slammed the table and stood up, demanding in a stern voice, "So you admit that you have the Dashi wine?"

Old Master Shi slowly picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "That thing can be bought with money, it's just an ordinary item."

"Yeah, that's right." Zhang Jingwei leaned forward, his hands resting on the table, and sneered, "But the raw materials aren't something you can just buy!" He grabbed a handful of coffee beans and said sarcastically, "These beans will get moldy if shipped north, and they'll get damp if dried. It's really rare to see so many fresh Da Shi flat beans in Gaoyang."

A hint of surprise flashed in Mr. Shi's eyes, and he said meaningfully: "You are quite knowledgeable about elixirs."

"No..." Zhang Jingwei sneered and said self-deprecatingly, "That's because my ex-girlfriend drinks it every day!" The image of the white-collar beauty who always holds a Starbucks appeared in his mind, and then he came back to his senses.

Mr. Shi's expression changed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "But what does this mean?"

Zhang Jingwei pulled a file from his pocket, slammed it on the table, and shouted angrily, "Two hundred lives were lost in the areas of Yangxia, Chongzi Pass, and Sangshui. They all had one thing in common: they all drank the so-called elixir you mentioned!"

"Are they worthy?!" Old Master Shi suddenly became excited, his skinny fingers tightly grasping his Taoist robe, and he shouted hysterically: "What a treasure this is! A mere mortal could be able to ascend to heaven just by smelling it." His eyes flashed with fanaticism, and his voice became sharp.

Zhang Jingwei sneered and said sarcastically, "Does the resident Gao Zhen think he is a god?"

Just then, there was a hurried knock on the door, and the respectful voice of Manager Shen came through the door: "Knock, knock, dinner is here." This sudden sound broke the tense atmosphere in the room.

Shopkeeper Shen filed in with several maids, each holding an exquisite jade tray. The vessels were carved from the finest Hetian jade, gleaming with a warm sheen under the candlelight. But the contents were nothing but bland broth: a dish of tofu, a few greens, a bowl of porridge, and the most extravagant treat was a single corn cob in Zhang Jingwei's hand.

"Enjoy your meal, my lord! I'll take my leave!" Shopkeeper Shen bowed and turned to give Old Master Shi a meaningful smile. The smile seemed respectful, but it sent a chill down Zhang Jingwei's spine, as if he had seen a poisonous snake spit out its venom.

Zhang Jingwei played with the corn in his hand, chewing it deliberately with a crunching sound, and said sarcastically: "Old man, eating such a light meal will make your hands and feet weak."

Old Master Shi twisted a grain of rice between his skinny fingers and said slowly, "After I become an immortal, this body will be of no use to me."

"Alas," Zhang Jingwei suddenly put down the corn and said sternly, "What can I say? If you want to become an immortal, then become one. Why do you want to be so cruel to the people?"

Mr. Shi didn't even raise his eyelids and said indifferently: "I don't understand what you are talking about."

"Besides," Zhang Jingwei suddenly changed the subject and said mischievously, "Since you want to cultivate immortality, why do you still need my butter business?" He winked mischievously, "Could it be that your immortal is craving meat?"

"How dare you!" The mute girl slammed the table, her pestle falling to the ground, and shrieked, "Don't slander the Immortal like that!"

Zhang Jingwei took out a dagger and twirled it between his fingers, sneering, "If you say anything again, I'll verify your identity." The "girl" immediately covered her chest shyly, but a hint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes.

Old Master Shi raised his hand to signal the mute girl to leave, and said calmly: "Master Zhang, I can fund all your expenses in Rongdi, and I don't need the butter."

"Cough, cough, what?!" Zhang Jingwei almost choked on the corn and said in surprise.

Mr. Shi said bluntly: "I need your smuggling chain."

Zhang Jingwei slammed the table and stood up, shouting: "Nonsense! What do you mean by smuggling or not! Mr. Shi, smuggling is illegal! I didn't do it." His voice was loud, but his eyes were a little vague.

Old Master Shi took out the "Red Heart" jade token from his bosom and said quietly, "The Salt Gang will handle it. I know. I have a token. You have already reviewed it last night."

"This Mo Lang!" Zhang Jingwei cursed in a low voice with gritted teeth.

"Master Zhang," Old Master Shi said patiently, "the Rong people are a warlike tribe. They wage war against one another, and the defeated are enslaved. Our laws permit the slave trade." He traced circles on the table with his bony fingers. "Not only will I cover all your costs, but I'll also pay the highest price for each slave at the slave brokerage."

Zhang Jingwei narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you want slaves for? Testing drugs? Or sacrificing them?"

"To become an immortal, to live forever!" Old Master Shi hissed with a fanatical light in his eyes.

Zhang Jingwei shook his head and sighed, "He's gone berserk. Stop it, old man. You've joined the devil's cult, haven't you?"

"What's the orthodox sect or the devil sect?" Old Master Shi's beard trembled with excitement as he shouted, "If they can ascend to heaven, they are all immortal sects!"

Zhang Jingwei was so angry that he laughed and teased, "Oh ho ho, the demon fairy is also a fairy."

Mr. Shi suppressed his anger and said gloomily, "How about this, you name the price, but you can only bid once, and I will never bargain."

"Hahaha," Zhang Jingwei suddenly laughed and said meaningfully, "It seems that the gift I chose today was the right one."

"Master Zhang!" Old Master Shi finally lost his patience and slammed the table and shouted.

Zhang Jingwei stood up, straightened his official uniform, and said firmly: "Don't even think about my business in Rongdi."

"Why?" Old Master Shi asked with a gloomy expression and gritted teeth.

Zhang Jingwei said seriously, "My father taught me not to play with fools since I was young."

"You!" Old Master Shi was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and his skinny fingers were clenched white.

Zhang Jingwei had already reached the door. He turned back and said with a smile, "Alright, it seems you're not the murderer. I won't waste any more time with you." He pointed at the vegetarian food on the table and said jokingly, "If you don't have any delicious food at Gaoyanglou, you can buy the hot pot base from our military shop. It's very delicious."

The moment he turned around, a cold light flashed from the mute woman's sleeve, and a steel needle flew past Zhang Jingwei's ear. The mute woman said coldly, "If you move again, the next needle will be in your throat."

Zhang Jingwei raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile, and said softly: "Then you have to think carefully, my people are waiting outside the door, as long as I give the order, your immortal will be beheaded!"

The mute girl's face changed slightly when she heard this, but she quickly regained her composure. She stared at Zhang Jingwei with wide eyes and asked, "How do you know that the person outside is the immortal?"

Zhang Jingwei seemed a little surprised by the mute girl's reaction. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly revealed a look of surprise. He laughed heartily and said, "Really? I was so surprised!"

Seeing this, the mute girl couldn't help but feel a little angry. She raised her voice and asked, "Did you guess that?"

At this moment, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and Shopkeeper Shen walked in quickly. He looked at the mute girl with a serious face and said in a deep voice: "Enough, mute girl, stop making trouble, stop it!"

When the mute girl saw Shopkeeper Shen, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she quickly shouted, "Master!"

Shopkeeper Shen ignored the mute girl. His gaze fell on Zhang Jingwei and he pressed, "I don't believe you were just guessing. When did you discover this? Did I reveal a flaw somewhere?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled slightly and replied slowly, "Your acting was indeed good, but it's a pity that you were too impatient. If you could wait outside a little longer, I might really be fooled."

In fact, if you pay a little attention, it is not difficult to find that since Manager Shen walked into the room, Shi Laodeng's tone has obviously changed. That meaningful smile really made Zhang Jingwei bet right.