Seeing that everyone in the room laughed, Zhou Xudong raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "It will be a great honor for Liu Gongzi to be able to appreciate the light, where can I say that it is worth breaking the bank?" ”

Zuo Chen smiled noncommittally, in fact, he just said that, and originally planned to go to Prince Qing's mansion before noon. He wants to talk to the prince about being tracked down and attacked and killed yesterday.

"It is estimated that Liu Gongzi has important things to do, and there are many opportunities in the future." Liu Chengxuan had some ability to observe words and feelings, and said to Zhou Xudong with a smile.

"It's not that I disrespect your invitation, I do have something to do, and I appreciate President Zhou's kindness." After Zuo Chen finished speaking, he put down the teacup in his hand and prepared to get up. If Zhou Xudong is unwilling to elaborate on substantive issues, there will be no point in sitting empty.

finally saw a high-status and powerful person, where would Zhou Xudong return in vain? I am afraid that it will be even more difficult to renegotiate in the future. Seeing that Zuo Chen was about to get up, he hurriedly said: "The contemptible people have thought it through, and I also ask Liu Gongzi to maneuver from it, whether it is successful or not, my colleagues in Zhejiang Business will be grateful." ”

How could Zuo Chen not understand what Zhou Xudong meant? Since you want to open up the business road in Zhezhou, having the assistance of local businessmen will of course get twice the result with half the effort, and you can save a lot of energy and do a lot of things. Saving energy, for the current Zuo Chen, is undoubtedly to add a capable assistant. This is an important link that Zuochen cannot afford to lose, and it is also the greatest sincerity that the other party can show.

"Then President Zhou needs to say it carefully, otherwise I can't start, right?" Zuo Chen said with a smile.

Zhou Xudong changed his sycophant expression, his face was full of seriousness, and said: "Liu Gongzi, you also know that contemptible people are elected as presidents by many business colleagues, and they have to protect their interests, not only for the annual offerings drawn from colleagues, but also for the morality and dignity of being a businessman. ”

Zuo Chen and Zhang Youcai looked at each other and smiled at the same time, for people with a conscience, good feelings are always like "moisturizing things silently", and they can quickly invade people's hearts. There is no doubt that Zhou Xudong's remarks moved Zuo Chen and left a deep impression on him.

"In the process of transporting goods, the contemptible people can take part of the profits from them and fill them with the local army. Liu Gongzi, do you think this is easy to negotiate? Zhou Xudong continued.

Zuo Chen didn't expect that Zhou Xudong thought so simply. I thought to myself, maybe I had never been in contact with official and political figures, so I simply equated the court staff with the commoners, and the way of communication was also the same.

After a slight pause, Zuo Chen said: "According to your statement, it is estimated that any important person in the yamen will also embarrass you if he listens to it." If you don't beat the board, it will be considered to spare you! After speaking, he laughed out loud.

Zhou Xudong, who was puzzled, furrowed his brows and looked at Zuo Chen with Ai Ai's eyes.

Liu Chengxuan was also puzzled, didn't he want to take out a part of the profits as a bargaining chip for negotiations?

Zhang Youcai looked at the two of them suspiciously, and felt a little funny in his heart, and said: "According to President Zhou, isn't that treating the imperial army as a dart?" What official of the yamen would not be disgusted by your rhetoric? When did the high-ranking parent officials grovel to serve the businessmen? ”

"Despicable and stupid! Please also ask Liu Gongzi to make it clear. Zhou Xudong said sincerely, and found that Zuo Chen's thoughts and prudence in handling things turned out to be impeccable. I couldn't help but become more and more respectful, asking for advice in my mouth, and saluting with fists in my hands.

Seeing this, Zuo Chen couldn't play dumb riddles anymore, and said: "The imperial court has a salary and silver for the local or border passes, and you extract profits to fill the army, isn't it a pretext for the local officials to support the army?" No magistrate would dare to accept this money, and no one would be sure which big man you were close to. ”

Zhou Xudong and Liu Chengxuan glanced at each other, nodded in amazement, and couldn't help but feel heavy in their hearts.

"That is to say, the local yamen can't be the master at all, and it depends on the emperor's ruling to make a judgment?" Zhou Xudong finally understood, and was very annoyed by the frivolity of his words, and couldn't help but be depressed. How can the emperor's wishes be influenced by ordinary people? Thinking so, he actually sighed.

Zuo Chen saw that Zhou Xudong was depressed, and the effect he expected was achieved. Laughing secretly, very satisfied with the emotional gap he gave the other party. The old man taught himself from a young age to get the most out of it, isn't it? It comes in handy. Even if it doesn't work out, it's a good foreshadowing.

"President Zhou, you don't have to be too frustrated. Didn't the imperial court say that there were royal merchants? This shows that the imperial court is not all beaten to death with a stick to the businessmen who do business, and there is still a lot of room for negotiation. This requires someone who can talk to the emperor, and it is estimated that the emperor will carefully consider this matter for increasing financial revenue. Zuo Chen said.

Zuo Chen's words were tantamount to throwing a rope into the hands of the drowning Zhou Xudong. Zhou Xudong could feel it himself, his breathing became short, and his eyes were bright again.

"Liu Gongzi, you have a way, don't you?" Zhou Xudong's expression of Ai Ai, where is the dignity of a big businessman in Zhejiang, a feeling of a young child dragging his parents to eat candy.

Zhang Youcai glanced at Zuo Chen, thinking in his heart, saying that businessmen are shrewd and not easy to fool. It's good for him to fool the president of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce directly to his childhood, where is there still a demeanor of everyone?

Zuo Chen didn't think in his heart like Zhang Youcai, Zhou Xudong's performance showed more and more that he attached great importance to the matter of seeking asylum in Kyoto, and it also showed that what he said about business ethics and dignity was by no means a boast of himself, but a completely heartfelt statement. Such a conscientious businessman, Zuo Chen hopes to have a long-term relationship.

"President Zhou, can you tell us about the extent of the harassment of water transport?" Zuo Chen also became solemn, thinking, could it be that the public security situation in Zhejiang is very unbearable?

"Liu Gongzi, do you know that the rivers in Zhezhou are wide and long, with many branches, which can go deep into the inland or transfer to other places with the flow into the sea. Many of them were originally fishing for a living, and they transported materials for merchants while fishing, which created the development of Zhejiang's waterway transportation industry. Because of the value of the transported materials, they were gradually remembered by the people who were willing to work hard, so there were water bandits. Over time, it eventually becomes a problem. In the case of the encirclement and suppression of the government, they dispersed in a hurry, and as soon as the rumors passed, they came out to bring disaster to the neighbors, and our and other businesses were miserable. After speaking, Zhou Xudong shook his head gloomily.

"Then why don't you take the dry road, wouldn't it be safe?" Zhang Youcai asked suspiciously.

"This brother, if you don't do business, some things are a little unclear. The waterway can be smooth, and some materials that need to be sold in season can arrive faster, after all, the materials sold in the season must ensure their freshness. There are some foreign businesses that need to replenish off-season goods as soon as possible, and there are strict requirements on time, so dry roads often transport not scarce materials, and the value is often lower than the value of waterways. Zhou Xudong took the trouble to explain, lest he not say it in detail enough.

Only then did Zuo Chen know that Antai was not the Guotai Min'an it seemed. It also happens from time to time. The local government is also often encircled and suppressed, and driven by interests, it has not been completely cured.

Liu Chengxuan, who picked up the teapot and poured tea for Zuo Chen, said: "The Chamber of Commerce is a non-governmental organization established only a few years ago. ”

Zhou Xudong took over the conversation and continued: "A substantive problem is that all the goods are not transported to the same area, as long as the fleet is separated, there is a danger of being hijacked by water bandits, and even the capital of a good shipload of goods will flow with the river. In order to recover losses, merchants increase the price of goods, and the higher the value of the materials, the more they stimulate the frequency of robberies by water bandits, so that a vicious circle is formed. ”

Zuo Chen listened to Zhou Xudong's story and knew that with the current nature of society, it was completely impossible to completely eradicate or make the water bandits disappear. Just like the old man said, the imperial court imposes taxes, and when the vicious circle reaches a certain level, it will develop to the point where the people are struggling to make a living, and they will take risks to obtain improper income to support their families or help relatives and friends, and there is no way to stop it. If you are manipulated and instigated by the evil forces, the matter of killing people and selling goods will become more and more intense.

Zuo Chen, who had been pondering for a long time, said with a wry smile: "I will do my best to do things, as for whether it will succeed or not, it is still unknown." President Zhou, rest assured, I am going to take the road of business, and of course I will not watch my hard-earned silver go down the drain. ”

Zhou Xudong and Liu Chengxuan were again grateful. For them, who had been looking for no way for a long time, Zuo Chen's words were like the elixir, which immediately made them feel comfortable. Zhou Xudong thought that this time he finally didn't go to Kyoto in vain. He believes that even if the imperial court can't solve this problem, as long as Zuo Chen is in business, he will definitely use his power to escort his own goods, and it is completely possible for his group of people to follow when they get some light.

I had finished speaking, and it was almost noon. Under the compliments of Zhou Xudong and Liu Chengxuan, Zuo Chen and the two walked out of the shop.

Thinking of every box of objects promised to Prince Qing, Zuo Chen had no choice but to tell Zhang Youcai to go back to the mansion to get it, and he rode a horse to Prince Qing's mansion first. Thinking about how to talk to the old man about the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce all the way, thinking about the attack and killing yesterday, I arrived at the palace unconsciously.

Still waiting for the door to report, Zuo Chen was a little annoyed and had nowhere to go wild, and said in his heart, when he saw the old man, he would definitely talk about it, if it was the summer season, the sun would not be stinking and sweating! While he was thinking wildly, the steward ran all the way to lead him into the house.

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