They soon arrived at the Jade Bamboo Headquarters, where they each made their way to their own bedrooms under Wang Tong’s careful guidance. Wang Jun fell asleep the moment his head hit his pillow.
Hong Xin’s eyes lingered on Wang Jun’s familiar figure as he walked out the doors and headed back toward his residence. She yearned to show him her true face and speak with her real voice, but she knew better than to do such a foolish thing. Revealing herself would only hurt him; it would hurt her as well. Besides, she had too much to do in this wretched city.
“You seem perturbed,” Mistress Huang said as she walked up behind her. “And he seemed preoccupied. Did everything go well?”
“We’ll see,” Hong Xin said, licking her lips. Then, she glanced down at the first floor. “I see a person downstairs I wasn’t expecting. Did he come alone?”
A green-robed man with a tightly wound topknot held up a glass of red wine in their direction. He was the only person at his table.
“He says he has something important to talk about,” Mistress Huang said. “Should I tell him you’re busy?”
“No,” Hong Xin said, shaking her head. “We do a lot of business with him and his faction. He deserves the attention.”
“Then I’ll see him up,” Mistress Huang said. She bowed slightly and walked down the black and red steps. The man in green came up soon after and walked straight toward her familiar balcony.
“Is something on your mind?” the man said as he approached her. “You’re usually so calm and composed, but you look concerned tonight.”
“It’s just a wonderful evening,” Hong Xin said. “Too wonderful. Even so, Master Mu, it wouldn’t be complete without your attendance.”
He nodded lightly.
“I heard the Chen family is opening up a shop just opposite yours,” she said. “Same business, different prices.”
“It shouldn’t be the same business,” Mu Feilong said, shaking his head. “I have it under good authority that it’s spirit clothes, and that he’s hired one of the best seamstresses on the continent.”
“Perhaps I heard wrong,” Hong Xin said with a shrug. “One of my acquaintances overheard some people talking about your best jewelsmith. Apparently the Chen clan patriarch has gone through many troubles over the past few months to procure a supply of iridescent feygems, as well as a peak-core-grade gem hammer. Something about wanting to close a deal. It’s a pity I was mistaken.”
Mu Feilong licked his lips. “That piece of news might have escaped my notice. Now that I think of it, the jewelsmith I have on retainer has a very loose contract. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to escape to a competitor given sufficient incentive.”
“How fortunate that your contract hasn’t dissolved,” Hong Xin said. “And that it contains a clause requiring her to disclose any such offers and give you the chance to match them.”
“But she’s locked herself up to work on a big project, and I’m contractually forbidden from interrupting her work,” Mu Feilong said. “Rat bastards, abusing loopholes in our contracts. They almost succeeded too.”
“I’d hurry and talk to her if I were you,” Hong Xin said. “The hammer apparently arrives the day after tomorrow. No information is perfect, so it’s best to act quickly.”
“It can wait for now,” Mu Feilong said. “I saw you had Wang Jun come up. Any juicy information you might be privy to?”
She smiled lightly. “I’ve only heard that he’s causing a bit of trouble in his family, so I was interested in meeting him. Chaos is cash, after all.”
“True, true,” Mu Feilong said. “But it doesn’t feel like chaos. Only the calm before a storm. As their new auditor general, I heard he’s unearthed quite a few juicy mistakes on his main competitor for the family leadership, Wang Ling. Nothing major yet, but he seems out for blood.”
“Curious,” Hong Xin said. “I thought the Wang family was usually tight-knit. They don’t stoop to personal attacks, choosing instead to use the market to do battle.”
“That would normally be the case,” Mu Feilong said, swishing his wineglass. He sniffed and drank a sip. “However, I have it on good authority that he’s got issues with Wang Ling. Serious issues.”
Hong Xin raised an eyebrow.
“I know it sounds fresh from the knitting circle,” continued Mu Feilong, “and believe me, men have exquisite knitting circles, but I did some digging. It seems Wang Jun and Wang Ling had a sister. But no one ever mentions her. She was also retroactively wiped from the family genealogy, and all mention of her since was wiped clean.”
“What happened?” Hong Xin asked.
“That would be the million-spirit-stone question now, wouldn’t it?” Mu Feilong said. “In any case, it’s clear from the moves he’s made that it’s personal. I’ve also heard he’s been barred from competing with his brother’s businesses. Something about conflicts of interest. Everyone knows its all hogwash, though—young Master Jun is a deadly talent, and they’re scared. The family leadership’s doing its best to keep him on a leash, but no one thinks it’ll really hold him.”
Hong Xin nodded. “You’re usually a busy man, so I doubt you’re here for gossip.”
Mu Feilong licked his lips and nodded. “We’ve dealt with each other for around a year and a half now. Things have been going well, of course, but they could be going better.”
“They would be better if you made full use of our people,” Hong Xin said.
“Right,” Mu Feilong said. “But we’ve been hesitant to do so because of certain rumors. After doing business with you this long and getting to know your character, we’ve decided to move forward with negotiating a long-term contract.”
“That’s wonderful news,” Hong Xin said.
“It is,” Mu
