Chapter 8, Merchants prioritize profit

In fact, Gao Qiu genuinely admired the unity of these individuals, but if any trouble were to arise because of that ungrateful Zhu Bowen, it would be utterly unworthy. Today's match made him fully realize a truth: just as there are hidden hands manipulating the sports market in modern society, even in this Great Song, there are those who, driven by profit, have completely distorted the game of cuju.

I cannot say for certain, but I only know that the owner of Baxian Building seems to be a prince consort, as for Qingfeng Building, I do not know which official it is in the court

It turns out they are merely two servants, daring to engage in such schemes behind their master's back; their audacity is quite remarkable! Gao Qiu snorted coldly, yet he felt quite uncomfortable inside. If Zhu and Pan are considered servants, then what does that make his own group—servants' hounds or servants' puppets?

He was scheming against others, but unexpectedly, on the other side, Pan Desheng, who had lost everything, was almost pushed to the edge of desperation. In a large room, all sixteen members of the Bateng Society were tied up naked to the pillars, and fear and horror were evident in everyone's eyes

A series of questions suddenly doused the previously aggressive crowd with cold water. Perhaps due to Gao Qiu's considerable influence, although some individuals still bore expressions of discontent, they no longer shouted loudly. The room was filled with an unspoken heaviness.

Pandesheng glanced at his silent subordinates and waved one of them over: "That guy from the Longqing Society, do you know his name?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, that person is called Gao Qiu. It is said that he is a renowned player of cuju in Bianjing, known for his idleness and lack of proper occupation, and he resides in the streets outside the Zhuque Gate." The attendant cautiously reported, observing his master's expression.

Second Brother is right; they are nothing but lapdogs in front of their masters. However, this time one of the dogs is going to be in trouble. Xu San, seeing that no one was around, leaned close to Gao Qiu's ear and whispered, "I heard that both Qingfeng Tower and Baxian Tower are backed by powerful officials from the court. Pan Desheng's reckless actions this time could lead to his own ruin. Not only might he be forced to pack up and leave, but he could even lose his life!"

Ah, why does every victorious hero have a grim face? Is it possible that winning the game does not bring them joy?

Zhu Bowen also caught a glimpse of Gao Qiu's expression, calming everyone down. He seized an opportunity to lean close to Gao Qiu and whispered, "Er Lang has made a significant contribution today. Rest assured, I keep my promises; I will have someone deliver the money to your home later."

It was only after Zhu Bowen had left that Gao Qiu pulled Xu San aside to speak. After concocting a lie about his head injury affecting his memory, he began to interrogate Xu San about the entanglement between Zhu Bowen and Pan Desheng. This time, it was Xu San who had made contact with Zhu Bowen to take on this match; he had no idea that the person beside him was an imposter, and he recounted the events in detail.

A smooth voice timely emerged from behind the crowd, perfectly alleviating the tense atmosphere in the room. Gao Qiu stepped aside to open the door, coldly scrutinizing the beaming Zhu Bowen, fully aware that this person was seizing the opportunity to win people's favor.

It turns out that Zhu Bowen and Pan Desheng are not the actual owners; they are respectively the chief stewards of Qingfeng Tower and Baxian Tower. They handle all the trivial matters on a daily basis, including this gambling competition. Given that Pan Desheng lost the bet, he is likely to pay the price for his unilateral decision, and being expelled from Baxian Tower would be a mild consequence, which is why he is contemplating underhanded schemes

Thank you for your kindness, Boss Zhu. Gao Qiu said expressionlessly, suppressing the impulse to punch the other person in the face. In the end, he still found it difficult to contain the anger and resentment in his heart, and spoke pointedly: "If there is another competition of such significance next time, I would appreciate it if you could inform us in advance, Boss Zhu, so that we can be prepared. If we happen to have any headaches or fevers again, it is likely to provoke such excitement from you on the sidelines, which could be quite harmful to your health"

Gao Qiu felt a sudden twitch in his eyelid, yet he maintained an air of nonchalance on his face and casually inquired, "Do you know who this esteemed person is?"

My lord, what if he is unwilling to come?

Gao Qiu... Gao Qiu!" Pan Desheng repeated this name twice, then suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "You go notify Zhu Bowen right now, telling him that I have matters to discuss with him in person!"

"Indeed!" Zhu Bowen seemed to have not heard the deeper meaning in the words, and proceeded to vehemently criticize Pan Desheng and the Bateng Society. "Pan Desheng is the type who cannot accept defeat; if he has the ability, let him prove it on the field. What kind of skill is it to resort to underhanded tactics? And that Bateng Society, I will definitely drive them out of Bianjing. A real man should not resort to schemes and tricks, as it tarnishes the very essence of cuju."

In a small tavern, the background unexpectedly reveals a prince consort and a chancellor? Even Gao Qiu, who is quite perceptive, was genuinely startled at this moment. However, upon reflection, he realized that Zhu Bowen and Pan Desheng were not to be feared. As long as he found an opportunity to recount this incident as a joke at the Su residence, given the nature of the powerful and wealthy, these two individuals would undoubtedly meet a bad end. Just as this thought crossed his mind, he felt a jolt throughout his body. In the past, even when encountering the most detestable individuals, he would not have reacted so strongly. What was happening now that he was so intent on getting back at those two? Could it be that after a time-traveling experience, his disposition had changed?

Do you have evidence that the people from Bateng poisoned them? Or do you believe that this matter is definitely related to that Pan Desheng? If you act impulsively and do something irreparable, it will be you who ends up in the Kaifeng prison, not those deceitful scoundrels!" Gao Qiu shouted, slamming his fist against the door frame, his eyes burning with fierce intensity. "We now know that our brothers have been schemed against, but do not forget, during the competition, no one from the library had any contact with them. What if they later accuse us of having an insider traitor?"

I will not forget the promise made at the beginning. Copper coins are not easy to carry, so I exchanged them for silver. Today, thanks to everyone's hard work, our Longqing Society was able to achieve a decisive victory over the enemy. The bounty I initially set was 30 guan, but after witnessing the competition, I have decided to reward everyone even more generously. For the five injured, in addition to the 4 guan bounty, I will give each of them an additional 2 guan for their recovery, while the others will each receive 4 guan.

As soon as the words were spoken, the attendant received a heavy slap across the face, followed immediately by a furious roar like a sudden storm: "Does he dare not come? You tell him that if he doesn't come, I will expose this matter to his master. At worst, we will both suffer the consequences and part ways. Let him think it over himself!"

Indeed, as soon as Zhu Bowen entered, he surrounded several patients, inquiring about their well-being, seemingly oblivious to the cold words spoken on the sidelines, with not a trace of embarrassment on his face. After finishing a round of flattering remarks, he beckoned two attendants from outside, placing two trays of silver coins before everyone.

What are you all going to do?" He looked at these vigorous young men and asked word by word.

Now you know fear? When you were on the field, how could you not fight with all your might, causing me to lose my bet!" He was so furious that he lashed out at a man several times, only stopping when the man begged for mercy. His tone then became even more chilling. "Zhu Bowen, don't think that you are guaranteed to win. I am at least a distant relative of the prince consort, while you are merely a household servant. If your master finds out about your reckless behavior, who knows who will be flayed first!

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously somewhat resentful youths were instantly stirred up. Although the current times cannot compare to those of Emperor Taizu, four guan of money is sufficient for a household to sustain itself for two to three months. Moreover, the injured can receive an additional two guan, which naturally makes everyone willing, and some even murmured about why it wasn't themselves who got injured. Only Gao Qiu remained silent against the wall, his gaze inadvertently revealing a hint of sorrow. Six guan of money is roughly equivalent to six shi of white rice, which translates to over three hundred jin in modern metric terms. The joy of more than a dozen people was bought at the cost of this, how cheap are human hearts and lives!

They won the match, but all five team members collapsed. After a doctor's diagnosis, it was determined that they were all suffering from chronic poisoning, the source of which only heaven knows. Fortunately, the poisoning was not severe; otherwise, even divine intervention might not have been able to save them. Seeing others clamoring to seek justice from the Ba Teng Society, Gao Qiu, who was initially the most furious, instead calmed down and stood resolutely at the entrance.

"Those scoundrels dare to use despicable means to plot against us in secret; we must certainly seek revenge!" Xu San stood boldly at the forefront, his words laced with sarcasm, "Second Brother, you are our backbone; it would be one thing if you didn't stand up for your brothers, but why are you trying to stop us?"