The Plough

北斗

the-plough

Chapter 171

Ling Shu noticed that Yue Dingtang's expression twitched slightly.
Although it only lasted half a second, he caught it.
Perhaps thinking that Yang Chunhe was not on his side, Yue Dingtang hesitated for a moment and really played along with Ling Shu's act.
"I don't know what you look like, how do I know if I want you to serve me? Take off your mask first."
Ling Shu said, "If I take off my mask and the guest doesn't want me to serve anymore, won't I be punished by my superiors?"
Yang Chunhe seemed to understand but not really, listening to the two of them bickering and feeling that it sounded strange, almost like flirting.
When Yue Dingtang heard this, he knew that Yang Chunhe was on his side. Ling Shu ripped off his mask, took a deep breath, and walked confidently towards Yue Dingtang.
"Get up, get up, it's my turn to sit for a while! You're comfortable here, but we almost lost our lives!"
Yue Dingtang obediently stood up and let Ling Shu sit down to rest. Yang Chunhe also took off her mask and remembered that Ling Shu had two friends inside, and this must be one of them.
"Is this student Yang Chunhe?" Yue Dingtang asked her.
Yang Chunhe was curious, "Who are you?"
"My surname is Yue. I came in with him to find you. Your parents are very worried about your safety," Yue Dingtang replied.
Yang Chunhe's eyes lit up, "You're the Mr. Yue who was by Sherlock Holmes' side?"
Yue Dingtang: ???
What is this messy description?
Ling Shu saw him looking at himself and waved his hand, "She's talking about the plot in the serialized novel in the newspaper. Let's not talk about that. Why are you here? Why didn't they capture you to eat human flesh and still treat you politely?"
Yue Dingtang said in a cultured manner, "That's called knowledge changing fate."
Ling Shu: ???
The script that Yue Dingtang received was different from most of the other "meat tickets". He didn't go through the process of being knocked out and hypnotized, nor did he endure any abuse.
Instead, he was well taken care of.
Although the conditions here were not great, it was clear that they were trying to provide a comfortable environment for Yue Dingtang. Apart from being confined, the attitude towards him was completely different from how they treated Ling Shu and the others.
This was because when Yue Dingtang was assigned to a separate car, he said something that the other party couldn't refuse. It even led to him being received by the deputy of the estate and being treated as an honored guest.
"What did he say?" Yang Chunhe couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"I can help you make money," Yue Dingtang replied.
"That's it?" Yang Chunhe was surprised.
"That's it," he confirmed.
From small families to entire nations, money is essential.
Without it, even cults cannot operate.
Empty promises from so-called true gods cannot fill one's stomach.
The initial purpose of the Yiguan Dao Sect was to combine various crooked and evil teachings to accumulate wealth. Only after gaining power did they have other demands. Although the Azure Dragon Society is affiliated with the Yiguan Dao Sect, it is an independent sect that takes responsibility for its own gains and losses.
Money is never in sufficient supply, as they need more and more to recruit followers, sustain them, and expand their influence.
However, there are no easy ways to make a fortune in this world. Even if the Azure Dragon Society colludes with the Yiguan Dao Sect, the latter will not give up their profits easily. They will surely take a portion for themselves, leaving little for the Azure Dragon Society to distribute among its members.
This divine envoy of the Azure Dragon Society needs money more than anyone else.
Yue Dingtang told them that he was a university professor, majoring in legal history and minoring in finance.
Most importantly, he was a member of the Yue family and knew all the ways to make money in the market.
He confidently showed that he was not afraid of being investigated by the Azure Dragon Society.
Of course, the members of the Azure Dragon Society would investigate him. They found out that Yue Dingtang was indeed the fourth young master of the Yue family.
Although overshadowed by his two older brothers, as the third son, he was still a member of the Yue family and worth much more than wealthy heirs like the Fifth Young Master Wu who were all talk and no action.
Yue Dingtang told the deputy of the Azure Dragon Society that he had a history with the parents of Yang Chunhe. They had captured Yang Chunhe and he was entrusted to help out and take a look. He was also very interested in the Azure Dragon Society and knew that after Lu Tongcang's death, they were eager to find new partners.
If the Azure Dragon Society was willing to release Yang Chunhe, he would consider working with them to make money together. The Azure Dragon Society would provide shelter and cover, while he could manipulate from behind the scenes.
Otherwise, a university professor colluding with a cult would ultimately damage his reputation.
"You have explained your motives, but you have not yet demonstrated your abilities. I don't think that person will easily believe you," Ling Shu said upon hearing this.
Yue Dingtang nodded, "That's why I showed him a little bit of my small strength."
He revealed a mysterious smile.
Yang Chunhe was very confused.
Ling Shu had a sudden understanding. "Jiang He? Is Jiang He the pawn you buried outside?!"
Yue Dingtang remained calm and shamelessly boasted, "I see you're getting smarter and smarter. Perhaps this is the result of being around good company."
"Nonsense! If it weren't for my quick thinking, I wouldn't have survived to come here and see you!" Ling Shu picked up the half-drunk coffee on the table, took a big gulp, and smacked his lips in amazement. "The taste is actually pretty good!"
Yue Dingtang raised his thumb and teased, "You really know your stuff. This is authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, usually only found in high-end Western restaurants frequented by foreigners. I don't even know where they got it from."
Ling Shu said, "They must have invested a lot of money to win you over. You must have given them a huge benefit in return. Don't beat around the bush, just tell me!"
Yue Dingtang said, "I told them that by the end of this year, the global economic crisis will gradually be resolved, and the economies of Western countries will revive. This will also be reflected in the Shanghai Stock Exchange. I told them which stocks will rise and which will fall. I advised them to buy low and sell high. In just half a day, the Azure Dragon Club made a lot of money."
Ling Shuhu was skeptical, "How is that possible so quickly?"
Yue Dingtang replied confidently, "It's that fast. Jiang He and I had already agreed on a secret code. Before buying or selling, we would use numbers to hint at each other. So when I told them which stock to buy, Jiang He would manipulate the price from the outside and push it up. The funds were all collected from Lu Tongcang. He also made some profit himself. It's not like we did a good deed for nothing."
Ling Shu asked, "Did you already anticipate this situation when you were outside?"
Yue Dingtang replied, "At that time, I felt that the situation here was complicated. It was not certain that we could meet the leader by just breaking in with a few of us. We might end up with nothing. So, I decided to be straightforward and present our identities and negotiate for some benefits. This way, we could still have room for negotiation."
Yue Dingtang did not want Jiang He to wait outside doing nothing and then just reap the rewards at the end. He needed Jiang He to do something, or else it would be difficult for them to make a breakthrough inside with just a few people.
Initially, Ling Shu wanted to praise Yue Dingtang for his foresight and insight.
However, he suddenly realized that something was not right and slapped his thigh.
"This is not right! Why didn't you also rescue us and enjoy the benefits together?"
Yue Dingtang innocently said, "I only just received this better treatment, so that I could lend you a hand."
Before Ling Shu could continue to hold a grudge, there was a knock on the door. The three of them immediately fell silent.
Author's note: The Republic of China already had a stock exchange, with the first one opening in Beijing in 1918 and Shanghai's opening the following year~

The Plough

The Plough

Chapter 172 - Chapter 171

Ribbit