Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 435 My Rules Are Rules

Songshan Castle.

Lin Chen flew over from the palace, and when he landed, Yuan Tiangang was already waiting at the city gate.

He was dressed in a gray Taoist robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and he stood ramrod straight.

Li Bai stood beside him, holding a wine jug in his hand, gulping it down as if he were drinking water.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, he put down the wine jug, wiped his mouth, and grinned, "My lord, you've arrived."

Lin Chen nodded: "Where are they?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "Wait in the shop. Zhou Sihai didn't sleep all night. It seems he knows that His Majesty has entrusted the matter to the lord."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "If they can't even get this much information, they wouldn't deserve to be called the number one chamber of commerce in Zhongzhou."

As he spoke, he strode into the city, his hands tucked into his sleeves, strolling around as if he were browsing a market.

Yuan Tiangang followed behind, half a step behind, his face expressionless.

Li Bai followed Yuan Tiangang, drinking as they walked, occasionally smacking his lips, looking quite content.

The streets were bustling with people.

Someone recognized Lin Chen and quickly made way, bowing their head in greeting.

Lin Chen waved his hand, signaling them to go about their business and stop with the formalities.

The Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce's shop is still as impressive as ever.

The building has seven floors, with blue bricks and gray tiles, upturned eaves, and two stone lions baring their teeth at the entrance, looking majestic.

The golden signboard gleamed in the morning light, so bright it hurt the eyes.

Lin Chen glanced at it and chuckled, "This is even bigger than last time."

Yuan Tiangang said, "They renovated it again, adding three layers of formations."

"Three floors?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

"Two layers of defense, one layer of sound insulation."

Lin Chen nodded, said nothing, and went inside.

Zhou Sihai was already waiting at the door.

He was dressed in a brocade robe, plump and fair-skinned, with a smile on his face, but beneath that smile lay a hint of weariness.

My eye bags are very noticeable, and my dark circles are a bit dark; I definitely didn't sleep well.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and bowed deeply, his face beaming with smiles.

"Your Highness, it is an honor to have you here. I have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me! Your Highness must be tired from your journey. Please come upstairs. I have prepared tea and refreshments."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "President Zhou, let's go inside and talk."

We went upstairs and entered a private room.

Lin Chen sat down in the main seat, crossed his legs, and leaned back in his chair.

Yuan Tiangang stood behind him, his hands tucked into his sleeves, like a door god.

Li Bai didn't come up; he stayed in the lobby on the first floor drinking, staring at the manager.

Zhou Sihai personally poured the tea, presenting it with both hands, his attitude extremely respectful.

Lin Chen took it, took a sip, and found it was still Linglong Tea, but this time it was a bit inferior to the last one.

Lin Chen put down his teacup and looked at Zhou Sihai.

"President Zhou, you should know that His Majesty has entrusted me with the entire matter of cooperation, right?"

Zhou Sihai hesitated for a moment, his smile slightly stiff: "I've received the message. I wonder what Your Highness's decision is?"

Lin Chen smiled slightly, a smile that sent chills down Zhou Sihai's spine.

"President Zhou, my conditions are very simple, listen carefully."

Zhou Sihai sat up straight, his ears perked up.

Lin Chen held up three fingers: "First, 30% of the commercial tax will go to the imperial court."

Three more signs were erected: "Second, 30% of the profits will go to Your Majesty."

Zhou Sihai's smile was starting to turn bitter.

Lin Chen ignored him and continued, "The remaining forty percent—two percent each for you and me."

Zhou Sihai's face froze completely.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

After several seconds, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Your Highness, this... it's most likely gone. I haven't even managed to... "

Lin Chen waved his hand to interrupt him: "President Zhou, I'm talking about profit, not turnover. I don't care about your costs, that's your business."

But these are my conditions; otherwise, cooperation is out of the question. Also, the accounts must be crystal clear.

Zhou Sihai's expression changed: "Your Highness, about the accounts, could we...?"

Lin Chen glanced at him, his gaze not intense, but Zhou Sihai felt a chill run down his spine.

"You don't need to worry about the accounts." Lin Chen picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

"I will send people to check the accounts regularly. The accountants of Dayan are no less skilled than those of Zhongzhou. If you want to cheat, feel free to try."

Sweat dripped down Hai's forehead on Thursday.

"No, no, I absolutely wouldn't dare..."

Lin Chen put down his teacup, looked at Zhou Sihai, and said calmly:

"President Zhou, what I hate most is people who try to be clever. Business is business. If we do it openly and honestly, everyone will be better off. If you try to play tricks on me—"

He didn't finish speaking, but his tone and his eyes reminded Zhou Sihai of how he felt when he met the Empress in the palace yesterday.

The same oppressive feeling, the same suffocating feeling.

Zhou Sihai swallowed hard. "Your Highness, rest assured, I have always conducted business with sincerity and would never dare to deceive you in any way."

Lin Chen looked at Zhou Sihai without saying a word.

After a while, Lin Chen stood up.

"If Chairman Zhou feels it's not appropriate, then forget it. Even if the deal falls through, we can still be on good terms and do other business together in the future."

Zhou Sihai's expression changed drastically, and he quickly stood up, his voice urgent: "Your Highness, please wait!"

Lin Chen stopped and looked down, fiddling with the ring in his hand.

Zhou Sihai took a deep breath; his smile was already fading, but he still managed to force one:

"Your Highness, these conditions... are far too harsh. I truly cannot make this decision on my own. Could you allow me to consult with headquarters?"

Lin Chen looked up at Zhou Sihai, and after a moment spoke:

"I'm only giving you three days. If you don't get a reply after three days, then pretend I never mentioned it."

Zhou Sihai nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely give Your Highness an answer within three days."

Lin Chen nodded and turned to leave.

Suddenly, a divine sense probed down from above.

It's very subtle and gentle, like a feather falling down; most people wouldn't even notice it.

Lin Chen noticed it when he came last time, but he ignored it and pretended not to notice.

But this time, Lin Chen's lips curled up slightly. "President Zhou."

Zhou Sihai was taken aback: "Your Highness?"

"Your people seem a bit unruly."

Zhou Sihai's face turned pale instantly.

"Your Highness, this..."

Lin Chen didn't look at him, but said to Yuan Tiangang behind him, "Old Yuan, please invite that friend to come down and sit down."

Yuan Tiangang nodded, took a step forward, and suddenly became ethereal, as if he had melted into the wind.

A dark shadow suddenly darted out from the ceiling with astonishing speed and shot towards the window.

Yuan Tiangang raised his hand and made a grasping motion.

"Wind Bind—"

The air around the dark figure seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand.

The wind element gathered wildly, transforming into visible cyan threads that wrapped around the area from all directions.

The dark figure paused, then suddenly turned around in mid-air.

He was an old man dressed in black, with a gaunt face, sunken eyes, and a frighteningly deep aura.

He used both hands simultaneously, striking Yuan Tiangang with a palm strike, his palm carrying a black, chilling energy.

"The Yin Wind Palm!"

Wherever the palm strike passed, the moisture in the air froze into frost.

Yuan Tiangang neither dodged nor avoided, but raised his other hand and flicked his fingers lightly.

"Wind Blade—"

A cyan wind blade flew from his fingertip, silent and thin as a cicada's wing, yet terrifyingly sharp.

The wind blade collided with the black palm wind, and with a "whoosh," the black energy was cut in two and dissipated into the air.

The old man in black's expression changed.

He hadn't expected that Yuan Tiangang had actually concealed his cultivation level, which was no weaker than his own.

But the old man in black reacted quickly; when his first attack missed, he immediately changed his move.

He formed a mudra with his hands in front of his chest, and a black mist surged out of his body, quickly spreading out and darkening the entire private room, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

Yuan Tiangang's lips twitched slightly.

"The wind is coming—"

With a wave of his right hand, a gust of wind arose out of nowhere.

The black fog was instantly swept away by the gale, as if it were made of paper, and was blown clean in an instant.

The old man in black was exposed to the air, his face deathly pale.

He tried to run, but Yuan Tiangang's hand was already raised.

"Wind Prisoner—"

Five cyan wind pillars descended from the sky, surrounding the old man in black.

The column of wind spun rapidly, making a whooshing sound, like the low growl of a wild beast.

The old man in black slapped the pillar of wind with his palm, but the force was like a mud ox entering the sea, not even causing a ripple.

He clapped his hands again, but it was still no use. The old man in black's expression changed completely.

Yuan Tiangang clenched his five fingers.

The five pillars of wind contracted simultaneously, like five cyan chains, tightly binding the old man in black.

The power of the Law of Wind permeated his meridians and sealed his dantian.

The old man in black groaned, his body went limp, and he knelt on the ground.

The entire process was clean, efficient, and seamless.

Zhou Sihai stood to the side, his face as white as paper, his lips trembling.