Chapter 20: The Exquisite Bank and a New Beginning

“Done—!” He Junan exclaimed, wiping his brow. After considerable effort, he had finally completed his magnum opus: a rudimentary chicken coop.

“This way,” he mused, “chickens will lay eggs, and those eggs will hatch more chickens. Soon, we’ll have an inexhaustible supply of poultry!”

Mimicking the design of commercial poultry farms, he had deliberately crafted the most compact space imaginable.

Turning around within it would be exceedingly difficult, a calculated restriction of movement intended to encourage the birds to conserve energy and put on more flesh.

Furthermore, he had ingeniously fitted two troughs, fashioned from sturdy branches, on either side of the coop.

One was designated for feed, the other for collecting eggs, a design that promised to significantly reduce the labor required for tending the flock.

With his task complete, he wiped the sweat from his brow, a smile of profound contentment gracing his features. “The only drawback,” he murmured, “is the scarcity of chickens. If only I could raise a larger flock…”

It was at this moment that an unfamiliar voice drifted from behind him. “Quite interesting indeed…” He Junan instinctively turned towards the sound, his gaze falling upon a tall, imposing man.

The man stood just beyond the fence, his hands clasped behind his back, chest held high, exuding an aura of undeniable integrity.

He was clad in a dark grey brocade robe, a translucent white jade pendant, which appeared quite costly, hung from his waist. Behind him, a dark green, scaled tail trailed elegantly, lending him an air of remarkable distinction.

“Who are you looking for?” He Junan inquired.

“You…” The man replied, his eyes scrutinizing He Junan from head to toe.

He Junan, anticipating the man’s unspoken question, stepped forward readily. “I hail from the Donghua Kingdom,” he explained. “I am not of your people, which is why I possess neither horns nor a tail.”

“Ah, I see…”

“And to whom do I owe the pleasure of this introduction?”

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the man began, performing a courteous bow, his left hand forming a fist, his right resting upon it.

“I am the head shopkeeper of the Exquisite Bank. My surname is Lu, as in ‘mainland,’ and my given name is Yu, as in the ‘feathers’ of ‘plump wings.’”

He Junan, ever quick-witted, immediately retorted, “Lu Plump?”

“My apologies,” the man corrected with a slight chuckle. “It’s Yu as in ‘feathers,’ not ‘plump.’ My full name is Lu Yu.”

He Junan, struggling to stifle his amusement, feigned composure and bowed repeatedly. “My surname is He, and my given name is Junan. Jun as in the ‘gentleman’ of a noble spirit, and An as in the ‘peaceful’ of a tranquil heart.”

“He Peaceful?” Lu Yu echoed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Uh…” He Junan stammered.

“Joking aside,” Lu Yu said, a casual smile playing on his lips, “may I inquire if the hunter Wu Lingfeng is at home?”

“What unfortunate timing,” He Junan replied. “He just stepped out for some business… Wait, you wouldn’t happen to be seeking his services as a guide, would you?”

“Certainly not,” Lu Yu responded, a casual smile gracing his features. “To be frank, my visit today is specifically to dissuade the hunter from collaborating with the Wind and Cloud Bank.”

“Why is that?” He Junan asked, intrigued.

The righteous Lu Yu held up three fingers before He Junan, delivering his words with the impassioned zeal of a television hawker.

“I have three compelling reasons!” he declared. “Firstly… it’s rather inconvenient to speak out here. Might we continue this discussion inside?”

“Of course,” He Junan affirmed, pushing open the door. “Please, Young Master Lu, do come in.”

“Being called ‘Young Master’ feels a bit… awkward,” Lu Yu remarked. “If you don’t object, you may simply address me as Shopkeeper Lu.”

“Very well, Shopkeeper Lu, please enter.”

Once Lu Yu had settled into a seat, he wasted no time in elaborating.

“As I was saying, I have three compelling reasons. Firstly, establishing a hunting preserve within the forest would inevitably lead to incessant, indiscriminate slaughter, precipitating a catastrophic shift in the ecological balance.

Wealthy scions, you must understand, are not hunters striving for survival; their sole desire is to find amusement through killing.”

His words poured forth like a barrage, an overwhelming torrent that left no room for interruption.

“To illustrate, consider even an unassuming rabbit. A drastic decline in its population could trigger starvation among carnivores.

These predators, unable to find sustenance, would then abandon their habitats, ultimately causing a monumental collapse within the forest’s ecosystem.

Imagine, if you will, a famished mountain wolf venturing out of the forest and encountering a bustling, populated town. What do you suppose would transpire then?”

“Oh…” He Junan murmured, absorbing the gravity of the statement.

“Yet, this isn’t even the most dreadful consequence,” Lu Yu continued, his voice resonating with urgency.

“The scarcity of herbivores wouldn’t merely deprive carnivores of their vital food source; it would also lead to a rampant proliferation of weeds throughout the forest.

An excess of these weeds would then choke out other plant life and deplete the soil of its essential nutrients, with medicinal herbs suffering the most profound impact.

Tell me, if the yield of these crucial herbs were to drastically diminish alongside the collapse of the ecological chain, how would the common folk in the towns and villages seek treatment for their ailments?

Ah—I’ve spoken so much in one breath, my throat is quite dry.”

Having delivered his impassioned speech, he promptly lifted his teacup and drained its contents.

He Junan nodded in agreement, refilling Lu Yu’s teacup. “And what of the other two reasons?”

“Earlier this month,” Lu Yu continued,

“Sai Youcai, leveraging numerous loans, spent a staggering one hundred thousand ingots of Huang Silver to secure the contract for the forest lands of Huangnan Prefecture.

However, the Huangxia Laws contain no provisions regarding the buying and selling of land; only statutes concerning the enfeoffment of territory offer any precedent.

In essence, only the Emperor himself possesses the authority to allocate land. My investigation over several days revealed that this considerable sum was never deposited into the Huangxia National Treasury.

Instead, it found its way into the coffers of Prince Jingming, the vassal king who effectively controls Huangdong Prefecture.

Therefore, from a legal perspective, this entire transaction is illicit, and should the imperial court uncover it, the ramifications would be catastrophic.”

“And the third reason?” He Junan prompted.

“The third reason is rather pivotal,” Lu Yu explained, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

“It’s not something I typically reveal to just anyone, but seeing as fate has brought us together, I don’t mind sharing…

It’s somewhat shameful to confess, but our Exquisite Bank holds a significant stake in the Wind and Cloud Bank. Should the imperial court investigate and uncover this illicit deal, none of us involved investors would escape culpability.”

He Junan’s expression underwent a dramatic, immediate transformation.

“I believed you were tirelessly campaigning for the sake of justice,” he declared, a note of accusation in his voice. “After all this, it turns out you’re merely scrambling to cover your own backside?”

“There’s no need to phrase it so crudely,” Lu Yu countered. “My primary objective is indeed to save the common people, but surely, one must first ensure their own survival before attempting to save others?”

“I grasp the logic,” He Junan conceded, “but frankly, it still boils down to covering your own tracks…”

“You absolutely must not misunderstand!” Lu Yu quickly interjected, his voice earnest.

“While our Exquisite Bank is indeed a shareholder in the Wind and Cloud Bank, I, Lu Yu, am a businessman with unwavering principles.

I am certainly not of the same ilk as Sai Youcai, that scoundrel who profits from ill-gotten gains.”

“Then pray tell,” He Junan challenged, “why exactly did you become a shareholder to such a scoundrel?”

“Ah—” Lu Yu sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face.

“When the Wind and Cloud Bank was first established, Sai Youcai approached our Exquisite Bank for a substantial loan to serve as his initial capital.

Consequently, the Lu family has, on paper, always been a major shareholder in the Wind and Cloud Bank.”

“Oh, I see…”

“However, it must be said,” Lu Yu continued,

“that at the time, Sai Youcai was merely an ordinary, respectable businessman, entirely free of any illicit dealings. That is precisely why my father felt secure in lending him the funds. I never could have imagined he would devolve into this state…”

He concluded with another sigh, his expression tinged with profound disappointment. “Ah—”

He Junan was just about to offer words of comfort, when, to his surprise, Lu Yu’s demeanor abruptly shifted.

The shopkeeper straightened, a determined glint in his eye, and declared with an air of self-assurance,

“Since the problem has already manifested, mere despondency will not resolve it. As a businessman of integrity, I must proactively confront and rectify this unsightly blemish.”

‘In essence, it’s still a series of self-preservation maneuvers, all revolving around covering his own tracks,’ He Junan muttered under his breath.

At this juncture, Lu Yu’s gaze drifted to the chicken coop, and he smoothly changed the subject.

“By the way, young brother,” he began, “your coop design is remarkably innovative. It not only encourages chickens to minimize movement and fatten quickly, but it also greatly simplifies the daily collection of eggs. Such a project is undeniably impressive. As a friend, I might even consider investing in its mass production.”

He Junan’s entrepreneurial spirit flared at these words, only for Lu Yu to abruptly douse it with a bucket of cold water. “However, as an investor,” he declared, “I would absolutely not commit any funds to it.”

“Why not?” He Junan asked, deflating.

“You’ve failed to grasp the fundamental characteristics of the product,” Lu Yu explained.

“The majority of pheasants sold in the market are free-range birds, raised by local households in the Huangnan region, celebrated for their firm, flavorful meat and the exquisite broth they yield.

If you were to raise them in cages, as you’ve designed, they would inevitably become mere broiler chickens, bred solely for meat.

While initial profits might be substantial, consumers would eventually discern the quality defects in your product.

Not only would the pheasants you offer become increasingly cheap, but this would also depress market prices, causing a precipitous decline in the value of free-range pheasants raised by others.

If you were a conscientious chicken farmer, would you deem such an outcome fair?”

“I honestly hadn’t considered it to such an extent…” He Junan admitted, chastened.

“Successful business demands a comprehensive approach,” Lu Yu stated, rising to his feet and striding purposefully towards the door.

“One must account for both immediate feasibility and long-term sustainability.” He paused at the threshold.

“It grows late, and I must hasten back to the Exquisite Bank’s branch in Moxuan Market Town. We shall meet again.” He was indeed a man of great urgency, appearing and departing with equal haste.

“We shall meet again…” He Junan echoed. Just as Lu Yu stepped over the threshold, poised to depart, He Junan, without conscious thought or prior warning, suddenly called out, “Shopkeeper Lu, wait a moment!”

“What is it?” Lu Yu turned, intrigued.

“I just wanted to ask you…” He Junan began, a touch of hesitation in his voice, “does the bank happen to be hiring?”

Lu Yu’s brow furrowed slightly. “You wish to seek employment at the bank?”

“Yes,” He Junan affirmed, nodding a little awkwardly.

“May I inquire as to your reasons?”

“I wish to earn some money,” He Junan explained. “Supporting an additional person at home incurs significant expenses, and every little bit I can contribute would be a help.”

“Quite interesting,” Lu Yu said, a faint smile playing on his lips as he nodded. “I can certainly take you on, but you cannot merely be skilled at crafting chicken coops. You must possess at least some fundamental professional skills.”

“What kind of skills would be required?”

“Do you know how to manage accounts?”

“Manage accounts?” He Junan repeated, slightly taken aback.

Lu Yu’s lips curved upward. Without missing a beat, he posed a question: “Please answer: If I arrange nine apples in a row, for a total of nine rows of apples, and then I eat four of those apples and buy one more, how many apples are left?”

“Seventy-eight apples remain.”

“Excellent,” Lu Yu acknowledged with a nod.

“Now, I shall pose a more serious challenge! Please answer: I have several chickens and several rabbits in a cage. There are a total of twelve animals and thirty-two legs.

How many rabbits are there, and how many chickens? I will give you a full day to ponder this. When you have the answer, you may come find me; I shall await you.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than He Junan, without waiting for Lu Yu to turn, had already calculated the answer. “There are four rabbits, and eight chickens.”

“How did you arrive at that conclusion so quickly?” Lu Yu asked, genuinely surprised.

“The classic ‘chickens and rabbits in a cage’ problem… a grade school question,”

He Junan explained with a shrug.

“First, assume ‘x’ represents the number of rabbits and ‘y’ the number of chickens. We set up a system of two linear equations: 4x + 2y = 32 and x + y = 12.

From the first equation, we can deduce x = 8 – 1/2y. Substituting this result for ‘x’ into the second equation, it becomes 8 – 1/2y + y = 12, which simplifies to y = 8.

Using the value of ‘y’, we can then calculate x = 4. Therefore, the answer is four rabbits and eight chickens.”

“That sounds remarkably profound,” Lu Yu conceded, a hint of admiration in his voice.

“Shopkeeper Lu,” He Junan pressed, “do you believe I am competent enough for the position?”

“From my perspective,” Lu Yu declared, hands clasped behind his back, adopting the authoritative air of a boss, “there is absolutely no issue.”

“YES—!!!”

“Your capabilities are now abundantly clear to me,” Lu Yu said, smiling as he clapped He Junan on the shoulder.

“However, I must inform you upfront: our bank’s accountant receives a monthly salary of five stacks of Huang Yuan, which is relatively low compared to our peers.

Yet, our bank excels in shorter working hours, from noon until dusk, with no overtime throughout the year, and no shifts on holidays.

If you find these terms acceptable, come find me at the Exquisite Bank’s Moxuan branch before the sun reaches its zenith tomorrow, and I will arrange a position for you.”

“No problem at all,” He Junan readily agreed.

“Excellent, then it’s settled. See you tomorrow!” With that, Lu Yu turned and departed the house, his mind still pondering the system of linear equations He Junan had solved. “Quite interesting indeed…”

Thus, He Junan finally secured his first job in this alternate world, and he was so thrilled that it took him a long time to calm down.

He tossed and turned in bed, much like a primary school student anticipating a field trip the next day, his mind buzzing with thoughts of how he would handle his new work.

As he pondered, the sun on the horizon gradually dipped below the earth, painting the sky with vibrant hues of red.

“Cough I’m utterly exhausted!” Just then, Wu Lingfeng burst through the door, gasping for breath, and frantically drank water directly from the teapot, almost hyperventilating.

“Uncle, you’re back!”

Wu Lingfeng collapsed onto a chair as if on the verge of expiring. “Hah—I ran the entire way on my own two legs; my throat feels like it’s about to catch fire…”

“I’ll fetch water immediately!”

He Junan rushed out of the small wooden house, only to see a petite young girl nearby, holding a package and peering towards the house from beyond the fence.

By her age and stature, she appeared to be no more than fourteen or fifteen.

“Big brother, excuse me, does He Junan live in this house?”

He Junan blinked. “Are you looking for me?”

The girl’s face was etched with suspicion. “*Stare—* He Junan was covered in bruises; it would take several days of rest for him to fully recover. You must be trying to trick me because I’m young!”

“Uh…”

Yet, the situation was indeed this absurd.

At that moment, an impatient Wu Lingfeng stormed out of the house, roaring, “You little brat, I’ve been waiting forever! Where’s my water?!”

“Uncle, just a moment, I have something important to deal with…”

“I’m on the brink of dying of thirst! What could possibly be so earth-shattering that you—hm?” His gaze suddenly fixed on the unfamiliar girl. “Hey, little lass, who are you looking for?”

“Uncle, I’m looking for He Junan. Is he here?”

He Lingfeng glanced at He Junan, then calmly asked, “What business do you have with him?”

For some inexplicable reason, the girl suddenly became shy, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. “It’s… a matter requiring mutual responsibility…”

No sooner said than done, Wu Lingfeng’s calloused hand naturally settled on He Junan’s shoulder. Immediately, the veins on the back of his hand inexplicably bulged, and a violent surge of pain, like an electric current, coursed through He Junan’s entire body.

“Uncle, what is the meaning of this…” He Junan managed to gasp, his face contorting.

“You sly dog, stirring up a whole pile of romantic trouble outside,” Wu Lingfeng muttered darkly, his voice dropping to a low growl. “Now the girl’s come knocking. Let’s see how you explain yourself…”

“I think you might be misunderstanding…”

“Misunderstanding? It’s reached the point of ‘mutual responsibility’…”

The pain was so intense that He Junan’s face twitched uncontrollably, even saliva dribbling down his chin.

“How strange,” the girl murmured, completely ignoring them as she meticulously studied the simple map she carried, turning it this way and that, utterly bewildered. “I followed all the correct paths, so why did I end up in the wrong place?”

“Girl.”

“Hm?” The moment the girl looked at him, He Junan, having lost consciousness from the pain, collapsed at her feet, his body convulsing and frothing at the mouth. “Uh… Big brother?!”

“Take him back and make him atone!” Wu Lingfeng said, his back to her, gazing mournfully at the setting sun in the west. “I am sorry I didn’t realize sooner that he would commit such a heinous act.”

The girl tilted her head, a questioning sound escaping her lips. “Huh?”

“Father, why are you in the courtyard…” Just then, Wu Xiyu happened to return to the small wooden house, her gaze quickly shifting from Wu Lingfeng to He Junan. “Junan!!!”