From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 14 Mr. Zhao...don't scare me.

Zhou Dahu turned his head and saw him. His eyes darted around, and he said in an annoyed tone, "Something's missing."

"How much was lost?"

"none of your business!"

Su Wenyuan was not annoyed and walked into the west wing on his own.

Zhou Dahu wanted to stop him, but Su Wenyuan was a man of Qingfengxiang, and he couldn't afford to offend him, so he could only follow behind and curse.

Su Wenyuan glanced around the room.

The items on the shelf hadn't been touched much, but all the grain bags in the corner were gone.

There were scattered pieces of silver and copper coins on the ground, which looked like they had fallen off when the place was being turned over.

He squatted down and picked up a copper coin.

There are three diamond-shaped notches on the edge.

The Black Sand Gang's symbol.

It was exactly the same as the one that fell from the bone collector during the day.

Su Wenyuan frowned even more deeply.

Just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a corner of fabric peeking out from under the shelf.

He reached in and took it out.

It is a secret pouch.

It is dark blue with cloud patterns embroidered along the edges. It is made of thick material and has exquisite workmanship.

Su Wenyuan flipped it over and glanced at it, then his fingers trembled violently.

On the back of the pouch, near the cord, there is a small embroidered pattern.

Five-clawed dragon pattern.

The Eastern Palace.

Su Wenyuan's hands began to tremble.

Of course he recognized the pattern.

The other day, Manager Zhao led a group of people to search the whole mountain for this.

Although Manager Zhao didn't explicitly say what was lost, anyone with connections in the business knew that the missing item was related to the Crown Prince's Palace.

This thing is now in Zhou Dahu's private vault.

Su Wenyuan took a deep breath, stuffed the brocade pouch into his sleeve, and stood up.

"Mr. Zhou, who usually takes care of this storeroom?"

"I'll manage it myself!" Zhou Dahu said irritably. "I'm the only one with the key!"

"How did the lock break?"

"How the hell should I know!" Zhou Dahu grew increasingly furious. "When I got back, I saw the lock was broken, the food was gone, everything was gone!"

Su Wenyuan nodded and said nothing more.

He turned and walked out of the courtyard, his pace twice as fast as when he came.

Manager Zhao's real name is Zhao Yuanlang, and he is the head manager of Qingfengxiang Trading Company.

He was originally the steward of a wealthy family in the prefectural city, but his master committed a crime and his family was confiscated, which led him to this poor place.

But he was truly capable, and in less than three years, he made Qingfengxiang's business thrive.

Despite not showing it on his face, Zhao Yuanlang was extremely anxious inside after losing the brocade pouch.

The contents of that brocade pouch were what the esteemed official above had personally instructed us to find.

Losing it means losing your head.

He searched the area openly and secretly countless times these past few days, turning Black Wind Ridge upside down, but found nothing.

Now Su Wenyuan tells him that the brocade pouch has been found at Zhou Dahu's house.

After listening, Zhao Yuanlang remained silent for a long time.

"Did you see clearly?" he asked.

"I've seen it clearly." Su Wenyuan handed over the brocade pouch. "It's the five-clawed dragon pattern of the Crown Prince's palace. There's no mistake."

Zhao Yuanlang took the brocade pouch and examined it twice, turning it over and over.

It was the one he lost.

The fabric, pattern, and stitching details at the edges all match perfectly.

"What's inside?" he asked. "Is there anything inside?"

Su Wenyuan shook his head: "It's empty."

Zhao Yuanlang's face darkened.

There was something inside when he lost it.

A token, and a fragment of a breathing exercise manual.

The pouch is back, but the contents are gone.

"What did Zhou Dahu say?" Zhao Yuanlang asked again.

"He said he didn't know," Su Wenyuan answered truthfully. "He said the warehouse was broken into, a few bags of grain were missing, but nothing else was stolen."

"You believe him just because he says he doesn't know?"

Su Wenyuan did not respond.

Zhao Yuanlang stood up and paced around the room a couple of times.

"Go and bring Zhou Dahu to me."

When Zhou Dahu was taken to the backyard of Qingfengxiang, he was still completely bewildered.

He didn't know what he had done wrong, but Zhao Yuanlang's men came looking for him, and he dared not refuse.

"Master Zhao," Zhou Dahu cupped his hands in greeting, forcing a smile, "You wanted to see me?"

Zhao Yuanlang sat in his armchair, twirling two walnuts in his hands, and said slowly, "Zhou Dahu, I've lost something."

Zhou Dahu was taken aback: "You lost something? What did you lose?"

"A brocade pouch."

"A brocade pouch?" Zhou Dahu scratched his head. "What kind of brocade pouch?"

Zhao Yuanlang threw the empty brocade pouch on the table.

Zhou Dahu glanced at it, and his expression changed.

"This...this isn't mine."

"I didn't say it was yours." Zhao Yuanlang stared at him. "This thing was found in your house."

Zhou Dahu's face turned pale instantly.

"Impossible! I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Accountant Su." Zhao Yuanlang raised his chin.

Su Wenyuan stepped out from behind the screen and bowed to Zhou Dahu: "Master Zhou, this evening I found this brocade pouch under the shelf in the west wing of your house. You were there at the time."

Zhou Dahu opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He did see Su Wenyuan squat down in his storeroom and pick something up, but he was too angry to pay attention at the time.

Looking back now, that bastard picked up this.

"Master Zhao, this really isn't mine!" Zhou Dahu cried out anxiously. "I've never had anything like this in my house! Someone must have framed me!"

"Framed?" Zhao Yuanlang raised an eyebrow. "Who framed you?"

"How would I know!" Zhou Dahu stamped his feet in frustration. "My storeroom was broken into today, several hundred catties of grain were stolen, and a lot of silver was also gone. It must have been that thief! He left this tattered brocade pouch in my house, just to get me killed!"

Zhao Yuanlang didn't speak, he just looked at him.

Zhou Dahu felt uneasy under Zhao's gaze and lowered his voice: "Master Zhao, believe me, I really have never seen this brocade pouch before."

"What about the contents of the brocade pouch?" Zhao Yuanlang suddenly asked.

"What is it?" Zhou Dahu was taken aback.

"There were things in the pouch originally." Zhao Yuanlang stood up, walked to Zhou Dahu, and looked down at him. "A token and a booklet. Where did they go?"

Zhou Dahu was completely stunned.

"Master Zhao, I've never even seen this brocade pouch before, how would I know what's inside..."

"You didn't know?" Zhao Yuanlang's voice turned cold. "The brocade pouch was found in your house, and you're saying you didn't know?"

"I really don't know!"

Zhao Yuanlang stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed.

That smile sent a chill down Zhou Dahu's spine.

"Zhou Dahu." Zhao Yuanlang sat back down in his chair and started spinning the walnuts again. "Do you know whose this brocade pouch is?"

Zhou Dahu shook his head.

"The Eastern Palace".

The moment those two words were uttered, Zhou Dahu's legs went weak.

"Mr. Zhao...Mr. Zhao...please don't scare me..."

"I wasn't trying to scare you," Zhao Yuanlang said. "This brocade pouch belongs to the Crown Prince's palace. I was looking for it for that high-ranking official. He was unhappy when it was lost. Now that the pouch has been found, but the item is gone, do you think he'll be even more unhappy?"

Zhou Dahu knelt down with a thud.

"Master Zhao! Please have mercy! I truly have no idea what kind of secret pouch, token, or booklet this is! If I, Zhou Dahu, were to take it, may I be struck by lightning!"

Zhao Yuanlang looked at Zhou Dahu kneeling on the ground without saying a word.

He was looking into Zhou Dahu's eyes.

Zhou Dahu is greedy, ruthless, and shameless, but he's not very brave.

Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare touch anything belonging to the Crown Prince.

Moreover, Zhou Dahu's current demeanor doesn't seem like he's faking it.