Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Yan Qing and Shi Qian were ordered to investigate the forces behind Huang Wenyi. The two searched all over the city, leaving no stone unturned.

After several days without any leads, Yan Qing began to feel anxious. Seeing this, Shi Qian comforted him, "Brother Yan Qing, don't worry, let's think carefully about what else we haven't found."

Yan Qing calmed down and thought for a moment before saying, "We can't just search these ordinary streets and alleys. Perhaps we can find clues in the places frequented by high-ranking officials and nobles."

So the two decided to try their luck at the most luxurious restaurant in the city.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, Yan Qing keenly noticed two people talking furtively in a corner. He gave Shi Qian a wink, and the two quietly approached.

One of them said, "Gao Yanei has been getting very close to Ximen Qing lately."

The other person quickly covered his mouth and looked around warily.

Yan Qing and Shi Qian exchanged a glance, secretly pleased, finally seeing some progress.

However, at that moment, the two seemed to sense something was wrong and suddenly got up to leave.

Yan Qing and Shi Qian were not about to let them get away, and quickly stepped in to stop them.

Seeing that things were going badly, the two men actually started fighting with Yan Qing and Shi Qian. In an instant, tables and chairs were flying everywhere, and chaos reigned in the restaurant.

Yan Qing and Shi Qian used their martial arts skills and finally managed to subdue the two men.

"Tell me, what exactly are Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing plotting?" Yan Qing asked sternly.

The two men kept their lips tightly shut, refusing to utter a single word.

Shi Qian's eyes darted around, and he threatened, "If you don't talk, I'll hand you over to the authorities, and you'll be in deep trouble!"

One of them finally couldn't take it anymore and said in a trembling voice, "Hero, spare my life! I only know that Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing have been meeting frequently recently, seemingly discussing a big deal, but I really don't know what it is."

Left with no other choice, Yan Qing and Shi Qian tied up the two men and continued searching for more clues.

After making inquiries from various sources, they discovered that Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing frequently met at a private residence outside the city.

Under the cover of night, the two quietly sneaked into the private residence.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing arguing inside the house.

"What if this matter is exposed?" This was Ximen Qing's voice.

"What's there to be afraid of? With my father around, they wouldn't dare do anything to us!" Gao Yanei said arrogantly.

Yan Qing and Shi Qian were about to approach the window to eavesdrop when they accidentally stepped on a dead branch.

"Who goes there?" a shout came from inside the house.

Yan Qing and Shi Qian realized their whereabouts had been exposed and had no choice but to retreat.

After all this, although they haven't fully figured out their conspiracy, Yan Qing and Shi Qian have confirmed that Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing have a close relationship and are secretly plotting something shady.

Yan Qing said to Shi Qian with a serious expression, "This time we must investigate the matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it. We must not let that villain get away with it."

Shi Qian nodded vigorously, his eyes full of determination: "Brother Yanqing, don't worry, I will do my best."

Then, Shi Qian quickly and carefully disguised himself as a poor, weathered medicine buyer, while Yan Qing disguised himself slightly and followed beside him. The two arrived at Ximen Qing's pharmacy.

As soon as he entered the pharmacy, a strong aroma of herbs wafted towards him. Shi Qian feigned weakness and said listlessly to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, give me some medicine to detoxify."

The shopkeeper looked up at them, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, and said coldly, "No, not for sale!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Qing flew into a rage and stepped forward, saying, "What? Isn't this a pharmacy? How can you turn away your customers when you're open for business?"

The shopkeeper pursed his lips and said impatiently, "I said we don't have it, and that's final. Go buy it elsewhere."

Suppressing his anger, Yan Qing said, "Shopkeeper, how can your pharmacy, with such a large storefront, not even have detoxifying medicine? Are you deliberately making things difficult for us?"

The shopkeeper snorted, "I said no, so there is no. Don't try to make trouble here, or I'll have someone kick you out."

Shi Qian quickly grabbed Yan Qing and said to the shopkeeper with a forced smile, "Shopkeeper, please have mercy! Someone in my family has been poisoned and urgently needs this antidote to save their life. Please have mercy and sell us some."

The shopkeeper remained unmoved and his attitude was still firm: "I said I'm not selling, and that means I'm not selling. Get out of here!"

Yan Qing could no longer contain himself and shouted, "You shopkeeper are being utterly unreasonable! Is there some unspeakable secret behind this?"

The shopkeeper's face changed, and he shouted, "Nonsense! If you don't leave, I'll really call for help!"

Just then, the shop assistants in the pharmacy gathered around, all staring intently at Yan Qing and Shi Qian.

Seeing this, Yan Qing and Shi Qian knew that forcing the issue wouldn't work, so they had no choice but to leave temporarily. However, they were even more convinced that there was something wrong with the pharmacy.

Seeing the shopkeeper's firm attitude, Yan Qing was furious, but knew he couldn't act impulsively. So, he suppressed his anger and became amiable. He bowed slightly and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, please don't be so angry. I just want to ask who your owner is? I'm looking for him. Please, have mercy and give me some detoxifying medicine. I have a sick person at home who is waiting for this medicine to save their life."

The shopkeeper glanced at Yan Qing with disdain in his eyes, and snorted coldly, "Hmph, who are you? Do you think you're worthy to see our boss? If you know what's good for you, get out of here! Don't interfere with my business!" As he spoke, he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, his arrogant appearance making everyone feel disgusted.

Yan Qing patiently said, "Shopkeeper, I mean no harm, I just really need this medicine urgently. Please do me a favor, even just to show me a way to buy it."

The shopkeeper straightened up, pointed to the door, and shouted, "I said no, and that's final! You poor wretch think you can see our boss? Dream on! This shop doesn't welcome you, get out of here!"

Yan Qing frowned and said, "Shopkeeper, harmony is the most important thing in business. What you're saying is too unreasonable."

The shopkeeper sneered, "Peace? You think you're worthy to talk to me about peace? Let me tell you, in this territory, I'm the one who calls the shots! I'm not selling, and even the Heavenly King himself couldn't stop me!"

At this point, the shop assistants also chimed in, "That's right, hurry up and leave, don't make a fool of yourself!"

Yan Qing took a deep breath and said, "Shopkeeper, aren't you afraid of ruining your reputation by being so resolute today?"

The shopkeeper threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Reputation? You can't slander the reputation of my pharmacy! If you keep arguing, I'll have someone throw you out!"

Looking at the shopkeeper's arrogant and domineering manner, Yan Qing secretly vowed to uncover the secrets behind the pharmacy. He slowly said, "Fine, since the shopkeeper is so unreasonable, we'll see."

The shopkeeper roared again, "Look at you! What can you do to me? A nobody like you dares to be so insolent in front of me! Get out!"

Yan Qing said no more, turned around and left the pharmacy with Shi Qian. But they didn't go far, instead secretly observing the area around the pharmacy, preparing to look for other clues and find out the truth about the pharmacy's shady dealings.

Shi Qian looked distressed and anxiously asked Yan Qing, "Brother Yan Qing, what should we do? We've run into a brick wall here. The shopkeeper is completely unyielding and won't give us any chance at all." As he spoke, Shi Qian kept scratching his head, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

Yan Qing's expression was also not good. He frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Brother Shi Qian, don't panic. We have indeed had an unfavorable start, but we are not without options."

Shi Qian leaned close to Yan Qing and said anxiously, "Brother Yan Qing, how can I not panic? This matter isn't making any progress, what are we going to do next?"

Yan Qing looked at Shi Qian with a determined gaze and said, "Let's go back and discuss countermeasures with Wu Xuejiu and the others. Wu Xuejiu is resourceful and will surely be able to come up with a solution for us."

Shi Qian hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Yan Qing, I'm afraid we won't have any good ideas when we go back. Not only will we have made a wasted trip, but we'll also have wasted time."

Yan Qing patted Shi Qian on the shoulder and comforted him, "Brother Shi Qian, don't be so pessimistic. We brothers have come a long way and overcome countless hardships and dangers. Every time, we have turned danger into safety by pooling our wisdom and efforts."

Shi Qian nodded slightly upon hearing this, but the worry on his face remained: "That's true, but the situation this time is really troublesome. The pharmacy owner is very arrogant and doesn't take us seriously at all."

Yan Qing took a deep breath and said, "The more critical the moment, the calmer we need to be. The shopkeeper's behavior just shows that there must be some unspeakable secret behind this. We can't be intimidated by his attitude. We must believe that we brothers can find a solution together."

Shi Qian gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, Brother Yanqing, let's hurry back and find Wu Xuejiu and the others."

Yan Qing replied, "Let's go. Be careful on the road, and don't let anyone follow us."

The two quickened their pace, hurrying back. Along the way, Shi Qian's mood remained heavy, constantly muttering, "What are we going to do? What are we going to do..."

Yan Qing kept an eye on his surroundings while thinking about how to tell Wu Xuejiu and the others what had happened when he got back.

Finally, they saw the familiar camp. Shi Qian rushed in impatiently, shouting, "Oh no! We've run into the pharmacy!"

Hearing the shouts, Wu Xuejiu and the others inside the house came out to greet them.

When Wu Yong heard that Ximen Qing was getting close to Gao Yanei, he frowned and thought to himself: It seems that it is not appropriate to use fair and square means in this matter.

He paced back and forth in his tent, and after a moment of thought, he decided to summon Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen.

Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen quickly arrived in front of Wu Yong. Lu Zhishen, being impatient, asked, "Scholar, what brings you here?"

Wu Yong said with a solemn expression, "Instructor Lin, Commander Lu, we now know that Ximen Qing is colluding with Gao Yanei, and the situation is complicated. If we confront them directly, things may go wrong. After thinking it over, I have decided to send you to deal with Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu and their gang of hooligans on the street first."

Lin Chong frowned slightly and asked, "Scholar, what is the connection between this gang of ruffians and the matter of Ximen Qing and Gao Yanei?"

Wu Yong stroked his beard and said, "This gang of ruffians usually does all sorts of evil deeds and has a lot of dealings with Ximen Qing. Let's take them down first. Firstly, it will serve as a warning to Ximen Qing and make him more cautious; secondly, we can also get some information out of them."

Lu Zhishen waved his hand and said, "So that's how it is. Then we'll go right away and make sure these rascals are completely subdued."

Wu Yong hurriedly advised, "Brothers, you must not act rashly. Although these ruffians are despicable, we must leave one alive so we can extract useful information from them."

Lin Chong nodded and replied, "Don't worry, scholar, I know what's important."

After saying this, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen turned and left, walking towards the street.

At this time, Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu, and their gang of hooligans were causing trouble in the street, and the people dared not speak out against them.

Lu Zhishen saw this from afar and shouted, "You scoundrels, stop being so arrogant!"

The group of ruffians were taken aback when they heard Lu Zhishen's roar. Then, when they saw who it was, they couldn't help but feel a little scared.

Zhang Sanqiang feigned composure and said, "Who are you people, daring to meddle in our affairs?"

Lin Chong stepped forward and said coldly, "We are righteous people, and today we will teach you a lesson."

After saying this, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen unleashed their fists and feet, engaging in a fierce battle with the group of ruffians.

These ruffians were no match for Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen. After only a few rounds, they all fell to the ground and begged for mercy.

Lu Zhishen grabbed Zhang San by the collar and shouted, "Tell me, what business do you have with Ximen Qing?"

Zhang San was so frightened that his face turned ashen, and he stammered out everything he knew.