Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Carrying large bags of fruit and precious jade, Wang Zhiqiang followed closely behind Gao Ke, anxiously heading to find Gao Lian.

When they arrived at Gao Lian's location, they found him sitting on an altar, looking quite comical. His hair was disheveled, a mess like a bird's nest, clearly uncombed in ages. He wore a tattered Taoist robe, seemingly picked up from some street stall, with several patches.

Around the altar were incense sticks and candles arranged according to the eight trigrams. Some were burning brightly, while others were almost extinguished, filling the room with a smoky atmosphere. Gao Lian muttered incantations, seemingly arguing with a celestial being, his expression so serious it was as if he were debating with a deity.

Wang Zhiqiang and Gao Ke entered the room, coughing from the smoke. Gao Lian, however, seemed completely unaware of their arrival, still shaking his head with his eyes closed.

Gao Ke couldn't help but call out, "Uncle!"

Gao Lian then suddenly opened his eyes and shouted, "Who's disturbing my ritual!"

Gao Ke quickly put on a smile and said, "Uncle, it's me, Gao Ke."

Gao Lian looked closely and then came to his senses, saying, "So it's you, brat. What are you doing bringing so many people here? You're ruining my cultivation!"

Wang Zhiqiang quickly stepped forward, bowing and scraping, and said, "Lord Gao, I am Wang Zhiqiang, and I have come to pay my respects to you."

Gao Lian glanced sideways at Wang Zhiqiang, then at the things he had brought, and snorted, "Hmm, what is it?"

Wang Zhiqiang quickly pushed the fruit and jade forward and said, "Lord Gao, this is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept it."

Gao Lian glanced at the items, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his face, but he still pretended to be serious and said, "Those who cultivate this path do not covet these worldly things."

Wang Zhiqiang cursed inwardly, "No wonder you're greedy!" But he said aloud, "Lord Gao, you are cultivating profound Taoist arts. These things are just my way of expressing my respect for you."

Gao Lian nodded in satisfaction and said, "Hmm, you know how to talk, buddy. So, what brings you here?"

Wang Zhiqiang stated his request, and Gao Lian frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "This is not an easy matter, but seeing how sincere you are, I will reluctantly try to find a solution for you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiqiang and Gao Ke immediately expressed their gratitude profusely. Gao Lian, however, closed his eyes again and pretended to continue "performing rituals" on the altar, while secretly plotting how to gain more benefits from this matter.

Gao Ke, feigning extreme anxiety, exaggeratedly looked as if he were about to be burned alive. He rubbed his hands together incessantly and said to Gao Lian, "Uncle, Brother Wang has been bullied by Zhao Tianming time and again! That Zhao Tianming is a complete tyrant, he's treated Brother Wang terribly! He's desperate and has come to you for help. Uncle, you're always compassionate and powerful, please, please lend a helping hand and save Brother Wang!"

Gao Lian remained unmoved, his eyes still closed, and he hummed a few times like a fat mosquito, saying, "Don't rush, don't rush, you can talk after I finish my training."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ke stamped his feet anxiously and exclaimed, "Uncle, this matter is extremely urgent and cannot wait! Brother Wang is almost driven to the point of jumping into the river by that Zhao Tianming!"

Gao Lian remained unmoved, continuing to hum and mutter incantations. His body swayed gently with the rhythm of his chanting, as if he were truly practicing some unparalleled divine skill.

Seeing that Gao Lian ignored him, Gao Ke's eyes darted around, and he ran to Gao Lian's side, reaching out to shake him, but he didn't dare to actually touch him. He could only stand by anxiously, saying, "Uncle, please have mercy and listen to Brother Wang's troubles! If it gets any later, Brother Wang's entire family business will be robbed by Zhao Tianming!"

Annoyed by Gao Ke's noise, Gao Lian suddenly opened his eyes and roared, "You little monkey, what kind of behavior is this! How can you disturb me like this when I'm practicing my skills! If you keep babbling, I'll kick you out too!"

Gao Ke was so frightened by the shout that he shrank back and dared not utter another word. He could only look pitifully at Gao Lian, then glance at Wang Zhiqiang, and shrug helplessly.

Wang Zhiqiang was also anxiously scratching his head, but he didn't dare to offend Gao Lian, so he could only wait anxiously for Gao Lian to finish practicing.

After Gao Lian finished his practice, Gao Ke and Wang Zhiqiang respectfully approached him. Wang Zhiqiang glanced at Gao Lian furtively, noticing his strange attire and feeling quite surprised. Gao Lian's hair was disheveled, his Taoist robe was tattered and covered in strange symbols; he didn't look very reliable at all. Wang Zhiqiang wondered to himself: Could someone like him really handle Zhao Tianming?

Gao Lian narrowed his eyes, seemingly seeing through Wang Zhiqiang's thoughts. He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, you two ignorant juniors, let me perform a ritual and show you my skills."

After speaking, Gao Lian waved his hands, pointed his finger forward, and muttered incantations, looking just like a street charlatan. Wang Zhiqiang and Gao Ke stared wide-eyed, eagerly anticipating what amazing magic might appear.

Just then, a watermelon suddenly flew out from nowhere and hit Wang Zhiqiang squarely on the head with a "bang." Wang Zhiqiang saw stars and sat down on the ground with the watermelon flesh on his head and juice running down his face. He looked extremely disheveled.

Gao Ke was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Haha, Manager Wang, you're so lucky!"

Wang Zhiqiang was both angry and annoyed. As he took the watermelon off his head, he shouted, "What's going on? Lord Gao, is this your uncle's magic?"

Gao Lian's face turned extremely embarrassed, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Don't panic, don't panic, it was just a small mistake. I wasn't prepared just now."

Wang Zhiqiang inwardly groaned, "What kind of mess is this? Did I come to the wrong person?"

But they dared not offend Gao Lian, so they could only stand aside with bitter faces. Gao Lian cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and was about to begin his ritual again. Wang Zhiqiang and Gao Ke exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with suspicion, but they could only continue to watch, wondering what other bizarre things would happen next.

Gao Lian, unwilling to accept defeat after his first spellcasting went awry, decided to try again with "Sword Rain and Flying Flowers" to save face. He muttered incantations, his hands moved rapidly, and he made strange "hoho haha" sounds.

In an instant, countless "flying swords" appeared out of thin air, circling around Wang Zhiqiang. Upon closer inspection, they were merely wooden toy swords, bound with tattered strips of cloth and dangling erratically in the air, pulled by thin ropes. Wang Zhiqiang, having never witnessed such a sight before, was terrified, his face turning deathly pale, and his legs trembling uncontrollably.

He knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy with a sob in his voice: "Lord Gao, I have witnessed your magic power, I am convinced, I am convinced! Please withdraw your magic, spare my life, and help me vent my anger!"

At this moment, Wang Zhiqiang was no longer the arrogant man he had been when he was begging for help. He was in a sorry state and was on the verge of wetting his pants.

Seeing Wang Zhiqiang's demeanor, Gao Lian felt extremely pleased, believing he had finally subdued the situation. With a swift movement of his hands, the so-called "flying swords" fell to the ground in disarray.

Wang Zhiqiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, scrambled to his feet, hurriedly placed the prepared gifts on the table, and bowed and scraped, saying, "Lord Gao, these are just a small token of my respect, but I hope you will accept them and do me a favor!"

Gao Lian didn't even look at the gifts; he simply waved at him, indicating that he could leave.

Seeing this, Gao Ke quickly led Wang Zhiqiang outside. Once outside, Gao Ke said to Wang Zhiqiang, "Manager Wang, my uncle has agreed to help you, so please be well!"

Wang Zhiqiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Lord Gao, your uncle's magic is really powerful. It scared the soul out of me."

Gao Ke rolled his eyes at him and said, "Of course, my uncle is very powerful. Dealing with Zhao Tianming is a piece of cake for him. Just go home and wait for good news!"

Wang Zhiqiang repeatedly expressed his gratitude: "Then thank you very much, Lord Gao and Lord Gao Lian. I will definitely reward you handsomely after the matter is settled!"

After saying that, he hurriedly left. Gao Ke watched his departing figure, a sly smile appearing on his lips, his mind preoccupied with something unknown.

After Wang Zhiqiang left, Gao Ke turned around and went back into the house, saying to Gao Lian, "Uncle, you've received so many gifts again. If you teach Zhao Tianming a lesson, I believe Wang Zhiqiang will definitely give you even more benefits."

Gao Lian was happily fiddling with the jade he had just received when he heard Gao Ke's words. He looked up at him and said smugly, "Of course. With Uncle on the case, how could we not handle Zhao Tianming? Wang Zhiqiang wants us to do him a favor; how could we not bleed a little?"

Gao Ke sidled up to Gao Lian, his eyes fixed on the jade pieces, and said with a fawning smile, "Uncle is wise. That Wang Zhiqiang is a sucker. As long as we handle things well, his money will keep flowing over."

Gao Lian carefully put the jade away, patted Gao Ke on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, nephew, once we get more benefits from Wang Zhiqiang, your uncle won't forget you."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ke's face lit up with joy. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Thank you, Uncle. You're the one who cares about me the most. We'd better plan carefully how to deal with Zhao Tianming. We can't mess this up, or we'll lose what we've got."

Gao Lian waved his hand dismissively: "Hmph, Zhao Tianming is nothing, how much power can he have? We can easily make him submit with a few tricks."

Gao Ke's eyes darted around, and he said, "Uncle, why don't we send someone to find out what Zhao Tianming has been up to lately and see if we have any dirt on him?"

Gao Lian nodded: "Yes, that's a good idea. Let's do it that way. Go and arrange the manpower quickly, and make sure it's done cleanly and efficiently, without anyone finding out."

Gao Ke replied, "Alright, Uncle, just wait and see the show." With that, he excitedly went to make the arrangements. Only Gao Lian remained in the room, still fantasizing about the vast fortune that was about to be his.