As night deepened, light snow began to fall from the sky.
I sat in a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, sipping tea while gazing out the window.
Li Dangshi stood by with his hands at his sides.
Suddenly, I spoke up, "He has arrived."
I saw a carriage stop in front of the restaurant. A man dressed in a black cloak got out, looked around, and walked straight into the restaurant.
Liu Liu went to greet him and led him upstairs.
I stood up and extended my hand, saying, "Brother Gu, you have come."
The man took off his top hat, revealing a well-proportioned face in his forties.
He reached out and shook my hand, saying, "Lord Ye, hello."
I gestured for him to take a seat and poured him a cup of tea.
Gu Lingfeng took a sip of tea and said, "Lord Ye called me here; it can't just be for tea and food, right?"
I smiled slightly, "Of course not, Brother Gu. Your time is precious; how could I dare to take it up casually?"
Gu Lingfeng replied, "Feel free to speak plainly."
My gaze flickered as I slowly said, "Brother Gu is the eldest disciple of Lu Yitau and is quite a prominent figure in Golden Lake City. It is truly a stroke of luck to meet you today."
Gu Lingfeng waved his hand dismissively, "Not at all, Lord Ye is overpraising me."
I looked at him and suddenly sighed, "However... such a person as Brother Gu can only remain beneath others and is constantly constrained by them. It's rather unfortunate."
Gu Lingfeng's expression changed slightly. "What does Lord Ye mean by this?"
I smiled faintly and said, "When I saw Brother Gu earlier today, I noticed a hint of worry on your brow. I thought you might be facing some difficulties."
Gu Lingfeng remained silent for a moment before replying, "It's just a gambling debt; it's nothing serious."
I shook my head. "If it were just an ordinary gambling debt, with Brother Gu's status, why would you be so troubled? I suspect the amount is not small."
Gu Lingfeng scoffed. "Is Lord Ye planning to pay me back?"
I looked at him quietly and suddenly asked, "How much does Brother Gu owe?"
He snorted, "What business is it of yours?"
I replied calmly, "What if I could help Brother Gu resolve this trouble?"
Gu Lingfeng was taken aback.
He stared at me, his gaze complicated.
I took out ten silver notes from my pocket and placed them on the table, gently pushing them toward Gu Lingfeng.
He looked down and saw that each note was worth one thousand taels of silver, totaling ten thousand taels.
His eyes widened in shock as he looked up at me. "Lord Ye, what do you mean by this?"
I smiled and said, "Just a little gift for our meeting; Brother Gu need not be polite."
Gu Lingfeng did not take the silver notes but continued to stare at me. "What do you want me to do?"
I said, "Talking to smart people is easy."
Gu Lingfeng said in a deep voice, "What do you want me to do?"
I didn't respond, just quietly sipped my tea.
After a moment, Gu Lingfeng couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you want me to do?"
I set down my teacup and slowly said, "I can help you solve your debts and give you more money, but..."
Gu Lingfeng's breath quickened. "But what?"
My gaze flickered. "But you need to help me with something."
Gu Lingfeng frowned. "What is it?"
I smiled but did not answer.
Gu Lingfeng asked in confusion, "You don't trust me?"
I sighed. "Not at all; it's just that this matter is significant. I need to see Brother Gu's sincerity."
Gu Lingfeng fell silent.
I didn't urge him either, just quietly continued drinking my tea.
Li Dangshi watched from the side, feeling somewhat anxious.
He knew I was taking a gamble, betting on Gu Lingfeng's loyalty to Lu Yitau.
If Gu Lingfeng had pushed those silver notes back without hesitation, my plan would have failed.
But if Gu Lingfeng accepted the silver notes, it meant he was on board a pirate ship.
Time passed unusually slowly.
Every second was a torment.
Finally, Gu Lingfeng slowly reached out and picked up one of the silver notes.
Li Dangshi's heart jumped to his throat.
Gu Lingfeng looked at the silver note, swallowed hard, and said slowly, "Lord Ye, I..."
I smiled and nodded, "I understand, I understand."
Gu Lingfeng took a deep breath and put the silver note into his pocket.
A satisfied smile appeared on my face.
He lightly clapped his hands and said, "Brother Gu is indeed someone who knows the times. I believe our cooperation will be very pleasant."
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