Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

On this day, Wu Yong rushed into Zhao Tianming's office.

As soon as Wu Yong entered, his face was all smiles, looking just like a sly fox who had just stolen a chicken. He bowed to Zhao Tianming and said, "Boss Zhao, I've come to report on this month's profits!"

Zhao Tianming was leisurely sitting in his armchair, sipping tea and humming a little tune. Hearing Wu Yong's words, he put down his teacup, his eyes lighting up immediately, and asked eagerly, "How is it? How much did you earn this month?"

Wu Yong leaned closer to Zhao Tianming, held up a finger and waved it in front of him, saying mysteriously, "Boss Zhao, guess what?"

Zhao Tian glanced at him, then said impatiently, "Stop beating around the bush and tell me!"

Wu Yong then said with a grin, "Boss Zhao, congratulations! Your silver has doubled again this month!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming jumped up from his chair with joy, gesturing wildly as he exclaimed, "Hahaha, that's wonderful! Thank God, I, Zhao Tianming, am going to make a fortune!"

Wu Yong quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right. It's all thanks to your wisdom and skill, Boss Zhao, that your business has been so successful."

Zhao Tianming was in a great mood. He waved his hand and said, "Wu Yong, go and get some silver to reward our men. Also, give some gifts to those officials and keep good relationships with them."

Wu Yong nodded quickly and replied, "Yes, yes, I'll take care of it right away."

Just as he was about to turn around, Wu Yong remembered something and turned back to say, "Boss Zhao, I have something else to report."

Zhao Tianming sat back down in his chair, picked up his teacup, and said, "Oh? Is there anything else? Speak quickly!"

Wu Yong cleared his throat and said, "Boss Zhao, I heard that there is a piece of land in the western suburbs that the government wants to sell."

Zhao Tianming raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? So what?"

Wu Yong said with a fawning expression, "Boss Zhao, just think about it, the scenery on this piece of land is absolutely stunning, with mountains, water, and forests. If we buy it and develop it into a restaurant, we'll make a fortune!"

Zhao Tianming frowned and asked doubtfully, "Develop it into a restaurant? Is that feasible?"

Wu Yong patted his chest and assured him, "Boss Zhao, don't worry! It'll definitely work! We'll hire the best chefs, find the prettiest girls to serve the guests, and decorate the restaurant in a magnificent style. Those high-ranking officials and nobles will be flocking here every day!"

Zhao Tianming stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Hmm, that sounds good. But it must cost a lot of money, right?"

Wu Yong quickly said, "Boss Zhao, think about it, the initial investment is a bit high, but the returns later are huge! This is what they call 'you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub'!"

Zhao Tianming was still somewhat hesitant: "This... I'll think about it some more."

Wu Yong said anxiously, "Boss Zhao, don't hesitate! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If someone else buys it first, we'll suffer a huge loss!"

Zhao Tianming was somewhat tempted by Wu Yong's words and said, "Alright, go and find out the details first, and see how much silver is needed."

Wu Yong excitedly replied, "Alright, Boss Zhao, just wait for my good news!" After saying that, he ran out happily.

Watching Wu Yong's retreating figure, Zhao Tianming muttered to himself, "I hope this succeeds and I can make another fortune!"

Wu Yong bought some gifts at the shop and urged the shopkeeper to pack them up quickly. He then hurriedly headed towards the Ministry of Personnel, carrying large and small bags.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel, a constable glanced at Wu Yong sideways. This constable was a burly man with a face full of menacing features. He sneered at Wu Yong and said, "Oh ho, looking at your shifty eyes and sleazy appearance, could you be a thief?"

Wu Yong's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile and quickly took out some loose silver from his pocket, secretly stuffing it into the officer's hand. He bowed and scraped, saying, "Sir, you've misunderstood. How could I be a thief? This is just a small token; please take it and buy yourself a drink."

The moment the constable touched the silver, his expression changed instantly, faster than turning the pages of a book. He grinned and stuffed the silver into his pocket, his attitude completely transforming. He said politely, "Oh, it's Mr. Wu! I'm so sorry for my poor eyesight. What brings you here?"

Wu Yong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Sir, I have come here to see Lord Lü Wencai."

The official stroked his chin, his eyes darting around, and said, "Looking for Lord Lü? Lord Lü is very busy; you can't just see him whenever you want."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong became anxious and took out some silver from his pocket, stuffing it into the officer's hand. He smiled obsequiously and said, "Sir, please be kind and pass on my message. I really have something important to discuss with Lord Lü."

The official weighed the silver in his hand before saying, "Alright then, you wait here while I go and inform him. But whether Lord Lü will see you or not, I can't say for sure."

Wu Yong nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir."

The official hummed a little tune as he went in to report, leaving Wu Yong pacing anxiously back and forth at the door, muttering to himself, "I must see Lord Lü."

Soon, the official strolled out. He curled his lip and said to Wu Yong, "Hey, you're out of luck, Lord Lü isn't in the yamen."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong hurriedly asked, "Sir, do you know what Lord Lü has been up to?"

The officer glanced at him sideways and said casually, "I heard he was invited by Wang Zhiqiang to drink at Zuixianlou."

Upon hearing this news, Wu Yong was so shocked that his mouth gaped open and his eyes almost popped out. "What?! That Wang Zhiqiang actually dared to steal business from Boss Zhao!" He stamped his foot angrily. "We absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"

Wu Yong quickly cupped his hands to the official and said, "Thank you for informing me, sir. I will go to Zuixianlou to investigate the situation immediately."

Having said that, without waiting for the official's response, he turned and ran towards the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. All the way, Wu Yong was furious, muttering to himself as he ran, "That bastard Wang Zhiqiang, he always loves to play tricks, and this time he actually dared to mess with me, daring to steal Boss Zhao's business! I'll teach him a lesson!"

Upon reaching the entrance of Zuixianlou, Wu Yong stopped, took a few deep breaths, straightened his clothes, and then cautiously entered. He looked around, trying to spot Lord Lü and Wang Zhiqiang.

At this moment, Wu Yong felt as if he had a rabbit trapped in his heart, his mind in turmoil. He secretly vowed to find out the truth and not let Wang Zhiqiang's conspiracy succeed.

At Zuixianlou, Wang Zhiqiang went to great lengths to curry favor with Lü Wencai. He not only booked the entire restaurant but also specially selected the largest and most luxurious private room. The room was decorated in a magnificent style, with silks and satins hanging all around and thick Persian carpets on the floor.

With a beaming smile, Wang Zhiqiang personally presented a pair of fine jade artifacts to Lü Wencai. The jade was warm and translucent, clearly of considerable value. Lü Wencai's eyes lit up upon seeing the jade; he eagerly took them, examining them repeatedly in his hands, muttering, "Good stuff, truly good stuff!"

Then, a sumptuous feast was served. It included all sorts of delicacies, from land to sea. Lü Wencai didn't stand on ceremony, and began to eat with gusto, his eating manners utterly disgraceful. With a chicken leg in his left hand and a wine glass in his right, his mouth stuffed full, he mumbled indistinctly, "Delicious, delicious!"

Wang Zhiqiang kept urging him to drink and eat, showering him with flattery as if it were free: "Lord Lü, please eat more, this was all specially prepared for you."

Lu Wencai's face was greasy from eating, and his clothes were covered with food scraps; he looked nothing like an official. As he ate, he burped and praised Wang Zhiqiang: "Brother Wang, you're very kind. If you need anything in the future, just tell me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiqiang was overjoyed and quickly said, "Then thank you in advance, Lord Lü. I will rely on you from now on."

Just then, Wu Yong quietly arrived at the door of the private room. Peeking through the crack in the door at the scene inside, he was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder. He cursed inwardly, "That Wang Zhiqiang, to curry favor with Lü Wencai, he's so despicable. And that Lü Wencai, as an official, is so greedy and shameless."

Wu Yong suppressed the urge to rush in and decided to go back and report to Zhao Tianming first, and then discuss the matter further.

Wu Yong returned to the company dejectedly, carrying the gifts. Zhao Tianming was anxiously waiting in his office. Seeing Wu Yong's appearance, a bad feeling immediately welled up in his heart.

Zhao Tianming frowned and said to Wu Yong, "What's wrong? You look like you're having a bad day, isn't it?"

Wu Yong threw the gift on the ground and said dejectedly, "Boss Zhao, don't even mention it, we're too late. Wang Zhiqiang beat us to it and invited Lü Wencai to Zuixianlou."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming's face instantly darkened. With a loud bang, he slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Wang Zhiqiang is such a spineless bastard! Hasn't the lesson from last time taught him a lesson?"

Wu Yong chimed in, "That's right, Boss Zhao, Wang Zhiqiang is a scoundrel who only cares about profit. We can't let him off easily."

Zhao Tianming paced back and forth in his office, his chest heaving violently, clearly enraged to the extreme. "No need to say more, that's just how Wang Zhiqiang is. We can't let him get away with this. This time we'll teach him a lesson he won't forget, and show him the consequences of going against me, Zhao Tianming!"

Wu Yong nodded quickly and said, "Boss Zhao, whatever you say, I'll do."

Zhao Tianming stopped, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and said, "Let's find out what he's up to first, what benefits he's given Lü Wencai. Then we'll figure out a way to bring Lü Wencai to our side."

Wu Yong said, "Okay, Boss Zhao, I'll take care of it right away."

Zhao Tianming waved his hand and said, "Go, but remember to be careful and don't alert them."

Wu Yong responded and turned to leave in a hurry. Zhao Tianming watched Wu Yong's retreating figure, secretly vowing to make Wang Zhiqiang pay a heavy price.