Ye Ziyang looked at him in astonishment, “Are you suggesting…?”
Yan Ge said calmly, “During this period, there have been endless tactics targeting the company, so I surmised that the other party was coming after me. Young Master Ye, please consider this: if something really happened to the little one, Brother Zhang would certainly turn against me. Losing a business partner would undoubtedly slow down the progress of the First Company.”
“Who could be so heartless! It’s despicable!” Ye Ziyang couldn’t contain his anger.
“Boss…” Bai Jushen rushed in, gasping for breath.
Behind him was a tall young man dressed in black. The young man walked in slowly, holding a trembling ruffian in his right hand.
“What’s going on?” Yan Ge patted Zongwei in his arms and asked in a soothing tone.
Bai Jushen took a few breaths and said, “I noticed this person acting suspiciously as he ran past Young Master Zong. It seemed like he threw something into the little master’s mung bean soup. I suspect it was poison, so I chased after him. This gentleman also noticed and joined me in the pursuit. It was thanks to him that we caught this scoundrel!”
Yan Ge’s eyes turned cold as he stared intently at the ruffian. “Did you poison him?”
The ruffian denied repeatedly, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…”
Yan Ge forcefully pulled his right hand, and everyone present saw a faint purple stain on the pad of his thumb and the tip of his index finger.
“Still not admitting it? Purple Mist has a strong toxicity. Even if it’s wrapped in paper, it would definitely leave stains on your hands. This is evidence. Who instructed you to do this?”
The ruffian turned his head and remained silent.
Yan Ge smiled faintly, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t say. Just wait to be poisoned to death. The other party had no intention of letting you live; otherwise, why wouldn’t they tell you to use oil paper to completely isolate the toxicity?”
The ruffian’s legs went weak, and he almost wet himself in fear. “It was…the Zhao Family, Zhao Yun!”
“Oh?” Yan Ge showed an incredulous expression. “Is Zhao Yun so foolish as to let you know it was him?”
With tears welling up in his eyes, the ruffian trembled all over. “It’s true! The person who gave me the poison had their face covered, but I saw the jade pendant hanging from his waist. I recognize it—it belongs to Zhao Yun.”
Yan Ge called Gao Feng over. “Take him to the authorities for thorough interrogation. If it truly is Zhao Yun, I will make the Zhao Family pay the price!”
“Yes!”
“The medicine is here!” Zhang Mo rushed in, holding a medicine package. “ Young Master Qin, is there a place here to decoct the medicine?”
“Yes.” Yan Ge had someone bring in a stove and directly used his inner energy to fuel the fire, quickly simmering the medicine.
Yan Ge didn’t hide the truth about Zongwei’s poisoning from Zhang Mo and Zhang Mo couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable knowing that it was because of Yan Ge, but before the truth was revealed, Yan Ge had saved his son’s life and now, he had personally simmered the medicine with his inner energy. The discomfort gradually dissipated. After all, Yan Ge was also a victim in this matter.
After seeing off Zhang Mo and Ye Ziyang, Yan Ge finally had the time to entertain the young man in black.
The young man in black was also a man of great character. He didn’t mind Yan Ge being busy just now and calmly sat on the side, drinking tea. Bai Jushen accompanied him while occasionally glancing at Yan Ge.
“This young master, I have been neglectful. Thank you for lending a hand earlier. May I ask for the young master’s name?” Yan Ge stood up and bowed.
The young man in black also stood up, returning the gesture with a bow. “How can I dare? I am Wen Xian.”
“Wen Xian?” Yan Ge motioned for him to take a seat. “Could it be the renowned ‘First Merchant of the Capital,’ Wen Xian?”
Wen Xian, a dignified and composed young man in his mid-twenties, exuded an air of elegance. Since the age of sixteen, Wen Xian had been famous in the capital, with the business of the Wen family encompassing not only grains but also timber and transportation. Yan Ge had heard of his name before, but their businesses were unrelated, so they had never interacted.
“People’s praise is misguided. The title of ‘First Merchant of the Capital’ is now to be handed over to someone more worthy,” Wen Xian smiled lightly. “I have heard of the esteemed name of Young Master Qin. I just returned from out of town and, out of curiosity, came to see this new and unique store I heard about. To my surprise, I had the honor of meeting Young Master Qin.”
“I am afraid I have become a source of amusement for you, Mr. Wen,” Yan Ge said helplessly.
Wen Xian shook his head. “Young Master Qin is too modest. I noticed that during the incident, you also sensed the abnormality of that poisoner, yet you rushed towards the child in trouble without hesitation. It shows your strong sense of loyalty and righteousness.”
Yan Ge didn’t expect someone to notice this detail. Wen Xian truly deserved the title of the First Merchant of the Capital.
“You overestimate me, Young Master Wen.”
Wen Xian surveyed the empty store and sighed. “It’s a pity that the store’s opening tomorrow will likely be greatly affected.”
Yan Ge glanced at the devastated Xiao Chuanzi and idle staff members and smiled faintly. “It doesn’t matter. We will find a solution.”
Wen Xian raised an eyebrow, curious about how Yan Ge would salvage the current situation.
In the evening, Huangfu Yuchen stood at the entrance of the Tenglong Palace and walked quickly towards Yan Ge when he returned.
“You already know?” Yan Ge leaned on him, putting all his weight on Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen embraced him, a small smile forming at the corner of his lips. Finally, Yan Ge acknowledged his reliance on him, making him feel needed.
“Don’t worry. I have instructed people to investigate the Zhao family, to expose all the dirty deeds they have done and make them fall from grace, leaving them with no place in the capital. As for Zhao Yun, he won’t escape the death penalty.”
Yan Ge led him inside, his voice cold. “The reason I shared that story with them was to give them a warning. After all, I alone cannot dominate the market in the capital. I don’t oppose fair competition and have no qualms about competing with other merchants using honest means. But Zhao Yun’s disregard for human life, his willingness to harm even a child, cannot be forgiven. Let’s do as you suggested!”
Huangfu Yuchen kissed the corner of Yan Ge’s lips and handed him a cup of tea. “I’m glad you let me intervene.”
“Didn’t you say I should have more confidence in you? You should also have more confidence in me,” Yan Ge leaned against him. “No matter how tough or difficult it is outside, I know there is someone waiting for me here, someone I can rely on, so I have no fear.”
“Likewise,” Huangfu Yuchen said, feeling like he finally touched Yan Ge’s heart. He hugged him tighter, lowering his head to capture his lips, gently exploring the mysterious territory.
After their passion subsided, Huangfu Yuchen spoke again.
“The First Company has become an established imperial merchant. I heard that even the palace recently placed orders for jewelry from the Linlang Pavilion. It’s better to announce the company’s background, so that no one with a lack of foresight will cause trouble in the future.”
Yan Ge shook his head, resting on Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder, his fingers toying with his ear. “You’ve never revealed this matter all along, so you must have had your own plans. Don’t disrupt your plans because of this. I can handle things outside. If there’s a trouble I can’t solve, I’ll come to you for advice.”
Huangfu Yuchen looked at his beloved with admiration. “Indeed, I have other plans. Since that’s the case, let’s wait a little longer. How do you plan to resolve the matter with the toy store?”
“Continue with the opening as usual.” Yan Ge mysteriously took out a few things and showed them to him. “Look, this is…”
“Great idea!” Huang Fu Yuchen didn’t inquire further after hearing about the new toy. “Shall we take a bath first?”
“Yes,” Yan Ge held his waist, and the two of them walked towards the bathroom together. “I have medical skills by the way. I will tell you more my in the future.”
The next day, the toy store opened as scheduled, but there were no customers. This was the most severe blow Yan Ge had received since he started his business.
Apart from the company’s staff, the only ones who came for the opening were Zhang Mo, Ye Ziyang, and Wen Xian. The three of them exchanged glances, feeling quite embarrassed as they looked at Yan Ge.
Yan Ge calmly took out several banners with inscriptions from beneath the counter. The banners read: “Intelligence Toy House, Intellectual Competition. The highest prize is 1000 taels of silver for the winner, age is not a limitation.”
“Go. Walk through the city with these banners, shouting as you go.”
“Yes, boss!” The embarrassed employees quickly took a banner each and ran outside.
Yan Ge dragged out a large bamboo basket and posted a notice on the wall outside the store:
–Rubik’s Cube game. A reward of 10 taels of silver for solving the 2×2 Rubik’s Cube; a reward of 100 taels of silver for solving the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube; a reward of 1000 taels of silver for solving the 4×4 Rubik’s Cube. No restrictions on identity or age. This reward is valid until someone successfully solves the Rubik’s Cube.
Below, the rules of the Rubik’s Cube were explained.
At the bottom, there was a red “Nan Yi” logo to signify the legitimacy of this announcement.
When Yan Ge, Zhang Mo, Ye Ziyang, and Wen Xian saw the Rubik’s Cubes for the first time, they looked at the basket curiously and picked one up.
“So, this is a Rubik’s Cube?”
Yan Ge introduced, “This is the prized possession of our store. If you are interested, you can give it a try. The 2×2 Rubik’s Cube is 50 coins, the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube is 2 taels, and the 4×4 Rubik’s Cube is 10 taels.”
The three of them felt that the 2×2 and 3×3 Rubik’s Cubes lacked challenge and immediately purchased the 4×4 Rubik’s Cube.
“How do we play?”
Yan Ge explained, “The objective is to rearrange the colors to form a solid color on each side.”
The three of them understood and sat down to give it a try.
Yan Ge calmly sipped tea behind the counter. It didn’t take long before a large crowd approached, exclaiming with excitement.
The store quickly became lively. People assumed that solving the Rubik’s Cube was easy and after buying one, they didn’t leave. Those who managed to grab chairs sat down, while others sat on the floor, eagerly twisting and turning the Rubik’s Cubes in their hands.
Yan Ge watched as the Rubik’s Cubes in the baskets diminished one by one, and the cash box grew fuller with silver. A smile formed at the corner of his lips.
“I did it!” Suddenly, a young man in coarse clothing exclaimed in delight.
Everyone turned their gaze towards him, and indeed, the 2×2 Rubik’s Cube in his hand, which was initially jumbled, had been restored. The six sides displayed white, green, yellow, blue, red, and black colors.
Their attention then shifted to Yan Ge, waiting to see if the store owner would truly reward him.
After Yan Ge inspected the Rubik’s Cube, he nodded and handed him ten taels of silver. “May I ask for your name?”
The young man tightly grasped the stack of silver and said excitedly, “Oh, my name is Zhao Dabao.”
Yan Ge nodded, filling in the blank space on the prepared congratulatory announcement with his name and had it posted on the wall.
It read:
Congratulations to Zhao Dabao for successfully solving the 2×2 Rubik’s Cube, receiving a reward of ten taels of silver. Henceforth, those who solve the 2×2 Rubik’s Cube are not eligible for rewards.
Below that was the official seal.
Seeing that the store owner had indeed given the reward, the crowd grew even more delighted. Those who were hesitant before quickly purchased the 3×3 and 4×4 Rubik’s Cubes. They also found other interesting toys in the store and couldn’t help but buy some to give to the children at home. Although there was a poisoning incident before, as long as they didn’t consume the store’s drinks, they believed there would be no issues.
An hour passed, then two, yet no one was able to solve the 3×3 and 4×4 Rubik’s Cubes.
Some began to grow suspicious. “Boss, can the 3×3 and 4×4 Rubik’s Cubes really be solved? Are you trying to deceive us? Otherwise, how is it possible that no one has succeeded?”
“Yes, I find it strange too.”
“There’s something fishy…”
…people started to question.
Bai Jushen looked at Yan Ge with concern.
Yan Ge smiled calmly, unconcerned, and took out a 3×3 Rubik’s Cube. “Pay attention. Are the colors on this one the same as the ones you received, all jumbled up?”
The crowd nodded.
Yan Ge rolled up his sleeves to dispel any suspicion of cheating and skillfully manipulated the Rubik’s Cube’s small cubes. The onlookers couldn’t even follow his movements. After a while, they took a closer look and saw that the Rubik’s Cube had been solved!
Everyone was speechless.
“What about the 4×4 Rubik’s Cube?” someone challenged, unwilling to believe.
Yan Ge remained calm and retrieved a 4×4 Rubik’s Cube, solving it just as effortlessly.
Yan Ge: “How about that?”
The crowd fell silent, their determination strengthened. Unfortunately, until nightfall, no one succeeded. Those with competitive spirits bought more 3×3 and 4×4 Rubik’s Cubes, intending to give them to friends and ask for their assistance.
