Chapter 109: Each Displays Divine Power
The sun was tilting westward, and cold air crept into the alley from the entrance.
Outside the Guanghui Money House.
Chen Shun’an tightened his half-worn gray cotton robe, his face showing anxiety and hesitation. He took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.
Finally, he walked around the screen wall in front of the door and stepped over the high threshold into the Money House.
A large screen wall stood in front of the Guanghui Money House gate, with two big red “Guanghui” characters in the center.
After all, coming here for loans or pawning was not a glorious matter.
If the doors were wide open for receiving and sending off guests, it would inevitably let clients run into acquaintances, causing embarrassment and spreading rumors, which would displease the clients.
That’s why there had to be a screen wall in front to block the view, allowing clients to feel at ease.
Entering the Money House, there were five or six rooms in a row.
There was a pawnshop, a bank, and also a money shop and gold shop.
There were plenty of people, coming and going continuously.
Regardless of whether men, women, young or old, poor or from fallen families, everyone could find what they wanted here—a quick way to make money.
Chen Shun’an kept his head down and face covered, not daring to look at others, as if afraid of being recognized.
Meanwhile, a lookout thug had already spotted Chen Shun’an’s familiar old face at a glance and hurried toward the storeroom.
“Huo Street Runner, that Chen Shun’an you told us to watch for is here at the Money House!”
Huo Ning was calculating accounts in the storeroom. Hearing this, his face lit up, and he said,
“Quick, invite him to the private room. I’ll receive him personally.”
Front courtyard.
Chen Shun’an entered the money shop room.
A special smell mixing silver rust, old wood, and ink sticks hit him in the face.
The inside of the room was much dimmer than outside, with a row of cypress counters as tall as the chest facing him.
On the counters stood dense iron bars, leaving only a few square holes for communication.
Behind the bars, several clerks in dark cotton jackets were buried in thick account books, the crisp and rapid clacking of abacuses sounding.
Chen Shun’an obediently lined up.
His hands gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, sighing repeatedly, just like the others who had come here.
In front of the counter, there was faintly some arguing voice.
“Third Master Zhou, you haven’t repaid the previous two loans yet. How come you’re borrowing again?”
“What’s that? You look down on me? Think I can’t pay back? All the stuff is pawned with you! Cut the crap, give me another two thousand taels of fine textured silver. This time, use a small storefront on East Fourth Street as collateral!”
“This… Third Master Zhou, please wait a moment. We’ll discuss it.”
Chen Shun’an looked toward the sound and saw a middle-aged man in silk straight robe, dressed meticulously, standing in front of the counter with an impatient face, glaring and snorting.
Behind the counter, a group of old clerks with crystal glasses and gray hair exchanged a glance.
“Alright then, Third Master Zhou. We’ll issue you another two thousand taels of silver, but this time at a 95% rate, with nine-tenths monthly interest.”
“Fine, fine, fine! Hurry up with the silver! No banknotes, I want hard silver. The horse-drawn carriage is waiting outside!”
Third Master Zhou said impatiently.
Then he pressed his handprint on the loan contract with red ink pad.
A clerk went to the storeroom to count and transport the silver.
Chen Shun’an looked suspiciously at Third Master Zhou passing by him.
This Third Master Zhou was also from a wealthy family in Wuqing County, a genuine Capital City native.
But now, why did this Third Master Zhou’s speech carry a Sichuan accent?
Chen Shun’an remembered that those Guo Lu Society heroes seemed extremely skilled in disguise and transformation techniques. Unless there was a huge gap in strength, it was hard to detect any unusual aura.
Otherwise, it was extremely difficult to notice.
“No way it’s such a coincidence…”
Chen Shun’an muttered.
“Master Chen, please follow me this way.”
As Chen Shun’an was pondering, a shop clerk hurried over, bowing and leading the way ahead.
“Coming.”
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred, and he followed the clerk to a spacious and bright large private room in the back courtyard.
Huo Ning had already prepared tea.
Seeing Chen Shun’an now, his face full of warmth, he quickly came forward to greet him,
“Brother Chen! What wind blew you here? Come, have a seat!”
Chen Shun’an sat opposite Huo Ning, forced a smile, took a shallow sip of the tea, and said somewhat embarrassedly,
“Brother Huo, Chen Mou came this time to ask if that low-interest bill you mentioned last time still counts…”
Huo Ning slapped his thigh and said, “What are you saying, Brother Chen? My word is my bond. Of course it counts! You’re here today to…”
“Great, great! To be honest, Chen Mou is short on hand right now. I’m here to borrow money today.”
“How much? Name a figure, Brother Chen.”
“One thousand taels.” Chen Shun’an tried to make his voice sound steady: “The old house at home is dilapidated and unlivable. I thought of renovating it a bit. For this money, can I repay in half a year, a bit late?”
“This…”
Huo Ning frowned and said, “Brother Chen, one thousand taels isn’t a problem, but half a year is too long. You know we have too many clients at the Money House, and funds are tight. Three months, maximum three months.”
“Alright then.”
Chen Shun’an sighed: “Three months it is. First, take two hundred taels in silver, and the rest in banknotes.”
At this time, the clerk nearby interjected,
“Sir, one thousand taels is no small amount. By the counter’s rules, you need a solid guarantor or collateral in kind. Which one are you using?”
“Hey!”
Huo Ning interrupted the clerk’s words, pretending to be annoyed, and said,
“This is Landlord Zhao’s trusted aide under Zhao Dongjia, one of our own with the boss. How can you say such outsider words! Hurry and handle it!”
Moments later, Chen Shun’an, somewhat dazed, held a heavy money bag in hand and fine banknotes in his bosom. He covered his face and walked quickly away from the Money House.
Huo Ning narrowed his eyes, slowly savoring a sip of tea, and chuckled lightly,
“It’s steady! Chen Shun’an has taken the bait!”
Nearby, the clerk from earlier asked curiously,
“Huo Street Runner, this guy has no guarantor, no collateral. What if he refuses to repay even if beaten to death, or even runs away?”
Hearing this, Huo Ning laughed heartily,
“We want him unable to repay! Once he steps into the Money House and touches the King of Hell’s Account, isn’t he at our mercy? Run? Where to run, faster than the first-rate experts at the house, or even the Dingjia Warriors?”
Hearing “Dingjia Warriors,” the clerk shrank his neck, feeling a chill run down his back.
Huo Ning said darkly: “Not afraid he won’t borrow, afraid he borrows too little! The more he borrows, the bigger the debt, and the closer his end is…”
…
“We’re rich, rich!”
“This money came too fast!”
“One thousand taels, a full one thousand taels. Even robbery and arson isn’t this quick!!”
“Small loans are the way! Borrow more!”
Walking out of the Guanghui Money House, Chen Shun’an’s face was flushed, his heart pounding nonstop.
Now Chen Shun’an had Tiger Tendon Leopard Vein, strong physique, plus the mud pill opened, gradually returning to Xiantian, with increased comprehension.
He could truly be called an elderly Heavenly Pride.
What constrained his realm advancement and strength progress was time and external resources.
With this one thousand taels, it was enough for Chen Shun’an’s strength to advance further in a short time!
And this one thousand taels was not the end.
That Third Master Zhou just now had given Chen Shun’an an example.
Could continue borrowing during the loan period?
For some deadbeats, debts aren’t not repaid, but delayed, slowly repaid, with planned repayment.
But for Chen Shun’an, there was no plan to repay at all!
Want to collect debt?
Come collect from Chen Shun’an three months from now!
…
“Rich, rich!”
“Capital City folks are just dumb with too much money!”
“Money Grabber, I’ve found a way to gather the gang’s operating funds!”
A horse-drawn carriage drove past outside the Guanghui Money House.
Third Master Zhou, or rather the Guo Lu Society’s Etiquette Hall Master in disguise, Money Grabber, now stared at the piles of white silver before him, eyes gleaming.
As everyone knew, after robbing the rich to help the poor, how to launder the accounts and convert fixed assets to silver was an extremely headache-inducing matter for martial world greenwood, river-crossing bandits, and unorthodox paths.
Sell to foreign merchants?
Cycle too long, some even need government offices to witness, sign and seal, too high risk.
Sell cheap on the black market?
That also involves twists and turns, high risk too.
But now, Money Grabber seemed to have found a new path.
Use the house deeds and fields from robbing the rich as collateral to loan silver from the Money House!
Want to collect debt?
Go collect from Third Master Zhou!
What does it have to do with him, the righteous person of the rivers and lakes, Money Grabber?
