Cangzhou is known for its outstanding martial arts, and there are at least 20 to 30 escort agencies. Many of them are headquartered in Cangzhou, but in fact, the escort agencies are expanding north and south along the canal. But among so many escort agencies, the one recognized as the best master is Cao Wu in front of him!
Mr. Hua Si has always believed that Confucianism can disrupt the law with literature, and knights can disrupt prohibitions with force, so when he learned that the strong man in front of him who was obviously hostile to him was Cao Wu, he subconsciously took two steps back, and then he remembered that this was a sign of cowardice. However, he reacted very quickly, and after standing firm, he immediately smiled bitterly and laughed at himself.
"When I and other merchants from Suzhou Guild Hall were planning to set sail from the future Cangzhou Wharf, we were wondering what to do if we encountered pirates. After much thought, we decided to do the same as the merchants who traveled all over the canal and on land, and hire an escort agency to escort the ship. They all said that the Cangzhou Shunhe Escort Agency was very powerful, and Chief Escort Cao was feared by all, so I sent someone to contact them."
"Now it seems that it's not that hearing about you is not as good as meeting you in person, but that meeting you in person is worse than hearing about you. Chief Escort Cao, you are so imposing that I, a weak man, am frightened by you."
This was the first time Cao Wu met Hua Siye, the richest man in Suzhou. He did not expect that he was not strong but rather weak. He looked down on him. But the next moment, Hua Siye suddenly became serious and asked directly, "But Chief Escort Cao has not given a clear answer before. Since we meet today by chance, I would like to ask you what you think?"
Seeing Zhang Shou just smiling but not saying anything, Cao Wu immediately asked in a stern voice, "Master Hua, have you ever been to sea before? Do you know how pirates hijack ships? Do you know about the Linhai Camp robbery and killing of merchant ships in Tianjin a few years ago? Did you know that there were experts from the escort agency on board the ship, but they died without any success?"
Fourth Master Hua was stunned for a moment. He glanced at Zhang Shou subconsciously, and then hesitantly said, "I have heard of pirates, but they are just thieves who ride small dinghies on the waves and do some unprofitable business. As for the incident at the Tianjin Linhai Camp, didn't the emperor send Liu Zhiyuan to kill all the soldiers involved as a warning to others, or exile them?"
"I heard that after the Linhai Camp incident, the Emperor took strong measures and cracked down on the situation. Not only Tianjin, but all the military camps along the coast were also cracked down. There shouldn't be another major case like the robbery and killing of merchant ships that shocked the court and the public."
"Is that all you know?"
Cao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief. Seeing that Fourth Master Hua finally showed a puzzled but alert expression, he simply told him all the risks at sea that Zhang Chen had described vividly. Sure enough, he saw Fourth Master Hua's face gradually change color, and finally his brows twisted into a "川" shape.
Zhang Shou understood the situation as soon as he saw it. This richest man in Suzhou, the head of the Hua family, who was very familiar with the business world, had once copied his experience on land and on the canal to the sea. Just like Cao Wu, he completely ignored the completely different risks at sea, on land and on rivers.
Of course, this should not be the mistake of Mr. Hua Si alone, but it is very likely that someone has been misleading them.
After understanding this, he smiled and said, "Master Hua, you helped me solve the trouble of Mr. Song and Mr. Fang. I have nothing else to thank you for. In addition to dinner, I will invite Chief Escort Cao to come so that you two can have a face-to-face chat. Well, it's already dinner time, so you can talk while eating."