Chapter 372: Great Philanthropist (Part 2)

Chapter 372: Chapter 182: Great Philanthropist (Part 2)

“I never thought he’d follow me all the way to Evergreen Mansion. To think he went so far as to make forgeries just to steal these three treasures.”

“The skill it takes to create forgeries that are practically indistinguishable from the real thing is quite impressive.”

Jiang Ran chuckled. “In that case, I won’t disturb you from catching your thief, Chief Yan. I’ll take my leave.”

“Hold on!”

Yan Wushuang called out to him.

“Young Hero Jiang, while the Hundred Treasures Association is a force in the martial world, we are, at our core, business people.”

“And as business people, we prefer to welcome guests from all walks of life rather than make enemies.”

“That is why we only ever intended to barter for the Jiaowei.”

“The deal may have fallen through, but the goodwill remains. You are a remarkable hero, Young Hero Jiang, and the Hundred Treasures Association would be honored to call you a friend.”

“We are also aware of the upcoming Tea Tasting and Zither Appreciation Assembly.”

“Now that you’re here in Evergreen Mansion, you must be preparing for the event.”

“But organizing such an affair involves a thousand and one details. That’s likely not your area of expertise, is it?”

“If you have something to say, Chief Yan, just say it.”

Jiang Ran smiled. “There’s no need to beat around the bush with me.”

“Of course.”

Yan Wushuang smiled and said:

“If you trust me, Young Hero Jiang, you can leave all the expenses and arrangements for the Tea Tasting and Zither Appreciation Assembly to the Hundred Treasures Association.”

“…No wonder the Hundred Treasures Association is so prosperous.”

Jiang Ran was stunned for a moment, then he asked:

“And how many silver taels would that require?”

“One moment, Young Hero Jiang. Baipi.”

She called out, and the young man who had led them earlier immediately came forward.

“Chief.”

“Bring the list of arrangements and expenses for the Tea Tasting and Zither Appreciation Assembly I prepared. Let Young Hero Jiang take a look.”

“Yes.”

The young man acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

It was only then that Jiang Ran learned the man’s name was Baipi. ‘A rather odd name,’ he thought.

Baipi left quickly and returned even faster, a stack of papers in his hand.

After handing the papers to Jiang Ran, he returned to his position and stood at attention.

Jiang Ran looked down and began to flip through the documents, pondering as he read. He couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration.

Sunset Plateau was originally an empty, open space.

To host the Tea Tasting and Zither Appreciation Assembly there, the first necessity was seating. Tables, chairs, and benches were essential.

There was no need to buy these items, as they would only be used once. Renting was the way to go.

These rented furnishings came in various grades of quality, each with a different price tag.

After that, people would have to be hired to transport everything up there.

That, of course, was another expense.

Then came the tea. A ‘Tea Tasting’ assembly would be meaningless without it.

The choice of tea was crucial.

Using a poor-quality tea would be embarrassing, but an overly extravagant one wasn’t necessary. The best option was something novel… something everyone could appreciate, so no one would blurt out, ‘What is this stuff?’

After all, the true centerpiece was still the Jiaowei zither in Jiang Ran’s possession.

Therefore, the document listed several suitable types of tea for Jiang Ran to choose from.

After tea came water. Good tea required good water. Even bad tea, when brewed with good water, improved significantly, despite the waste.

Where to source the water, how much to fetch, who to hire for delivery, how much silver it would all cost, and so on…

The sheer number of details was enough to make Jiang Ran’s head spin.

He gave a wry smile. ‘In the stories,’ he thought, ‘when someone decides to hold a grand assembly, it just happens. They never have to worry about all these trivial details.’

‘But now that it’s my turn, it’s clearly not that simple at all.’

After reviewing everything, he saw that Yan Wushuang had outlined three tiers of plans: high, mid, and low.

The high-tier plan was the most expensive, costing a total of nineteen thousand silver taels!

Everything from the tea and water to the tables and chairs—including the incense burners, the incense itself, and the cushions or stools to sit on—was of the highest quality.

And if the number of attendees were to surge, the cost would become difficult to contain.

The mid-tier option came to over eight thousand silver taels.

It was a compromise on all fronts—presentable, but not overly extravagant.

The low-tier plan was the cheapest, requiring only one thousand five hundred silver taels.

In Yan Wushuang’s view, this was barely an acceptable arrangement.

Nothing would be shabby, but it wouldn’t be particularly good, either. It wouldn’t impress anyone and would even look a little spartan.

After Jiang Ran finished reading, he said to Yan Wushuang:

“Chief Yan, where do I pay the one thousand five hundred silver taels?”

“…”

Yan Wushuang was stunned. A hint of disappointment crossed her face, mixed with confusion.

“As I understand it, Young Hero Jiang, you’re an Assassin. You’ve captured quite a few criminals.”

“The bounties you’ve earned must be substantial…”

“I came from a poor family. You can’t just throw money around, even if you have it.”

Jiang Ran reached into his robes and pulled out fifteen one-hundred-tael silver notes.

“I’ll have to trouble you, Chief Yan… However, I’m counting on you to manage all the arrangements. There can be no mistakes.”

“Of course. You can rest assured and leave it to us.”

Yan Wushuang forced a smile. “The Hundred Treasures Association will not tarnish its own name.”

“That’s good.”

Jiang Ran nodded, but then another thought occurred to him, and he asked:

“By the way, you’ve been in Evergreen Mansion for some time now, Chief Yan. I was wondering, how good is your access to information? Are you well-connected?”

“So, Young Hero Jiang, you want to buy information from the Hundred Treasures Association.”

Yan Wushuang’s eyes lit up. “I wouldn’t presume to say we know everything, but our network is decent enough. What is it you wish to know, Young Hero Jiang?”

“…”

‘They sell information, too? This Hundred Treasures Association really does have a hand in every trade imaginable.’