Chapter 58: Attack the rich!
She sighed and lowered her voice and said, “Recently, it has become increasingly difficult for our small shops to purchase goods, especially those rare medicinal materials, which are almost monopolized by the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce.
The price is naturally going up, and small businesses like us can’t afford it.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Teng secretly took note of this clue in his mind. At the same time, he continued to chat with the store owner calmly, trying to get more information from her.
"Then do you know why the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce suddenly increased its monopoly efforts?" he asked with pretended curiosity.
The shop owner shook his head, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, "Who knows, how can we ordinary people guess what those big shots are thinking?
I just heard that there have been some changes within the Chamber of Commerce recently. The new elders are ruthless and will show no mercy to disobedient merchants. Small shops like us can only survive in the cracks and pray for peace and safety. "
Lang Ya listened quietly at the side, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.
He realized that the monopoly of Tianhun Chamber of Commerce was not only economic control, but also psychological oppression and intimidation of merchants.
This invisible force is more terrifying than any visible shackles.
Afterwards, they visited several shops that sold weapons and gems, and received similar answers.
The Tianhun Chamber of Commerce has been forcing its competitors into a desperate situation step by step by manipulating market supply and demand and spreading false information.
What's worse, in order to protect their own interests, they do not hesitate to use violence to suppress businesses that dare to challenge their authority.
"This is simply too much!"
Wang Teng said indignantly, clenching his fists as if to vent his anger. But he soon calmed down, knowing that his anger at the moment would be useless. Only by collecting enough evidence could he reveal the true face of the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce.
Lang Ya patted Wang Teng on the shoulder to show comfort and encouragement.
"Brother, we have a long way to go. But please believe that justice may be late, but it will never be absent. As long as we persevere, one day the truth will be revealed to the world."
Wang Teng was well aware of the importance of this trip, so before deciding to find Su Mu, he made careful preparations.
He changed into the most inconspicuous clothes and put on a wide-brimmed hat, trying to make himself less conspicuous in the crowd. Lang Ya was responsible for observing from the outside to ensure that there were no spies from the Chamber of Commerce or the royal family following him.
As the first rays of morning sunlight filled the streets, Wang Teng quietly left their temporary hotel.
He moved through the busy market, using the crowd as cover, and carefully moved towards Su Mu's mansion.
On the way, he stopped several times and used his keen perception to check whether there were any suspicious people around to ensure that his whereabouts were not revealed.
Finally, Wang Teng stopped in front of a quiet and elegant mansion surrounded by green trees. He took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and then gently knocked on the door of the mansion.
The sound of the door knocker hitting the door panel was particularly crisp in the early morning air.
Soon, a maid dressed in gorgeous clothes opened the door. When she saw Wang Teng, she was slightly stunned and obviously did not know this sudden visitor.
But Wang Teng quickly reported his name and said he was looking for Su Mu. After hearing this, the maid's face changed slightly, but then she regained her composure. She asked Wang Teng to wait for a moment and then turned around to report.
While waiting, Wang Teng felt both nervous and expectant.
He knew that whether Su Mu could provide help would be directly related to the success or failure of their investigation. Finally, the maid appeared at the door again and smiled and asked Wang Teng to follow her in. After passing through several exquisite courtyards, Wang Teng came to an elegantly decorated reception room.
Su Mu had been waiting there for a long time. She was wearing a light and elegant long dress, with her hair casually tied behind her head, looking both noble and friendly. When she saw Wang Teng, she smiled slightly, as if she had already expected his arrival.
"Brother Wang Teng, long time no see." Su Mu's voice was gentle and magnetic, instantly relaxing Wang Teng's nervous mood.
"Sister Su Mu, long time no see. I'm sorry to come to visit you this time because I have an important matter to ask for your help." Wang Teng bowed respectfully and then stated his purpose directly.
After hearing this, Su Mu frowned slightly and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.
“I have also heard about the collusion between the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce and the royal family.
I didn’t expect them to be so bold and disregard the safety of the people.” She said indignantly.
Then, Su Mu asked in detail about the progress of Wang Teng and Lang Ya's investigation and what kind of help they needed.
After understanding the situation, she expressed her willingness to help without hesitation.
She told Wang Teng that she could use her social resources to provide them with inside information about the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce and the royal family.
She also promised to personally invite some key figures to the banquet she hosted so that Wang Teng and Lang Ya could take the opportunity to get close to them and collect further evidence.
In addition, Su Mu also suggested that she could arrange a secret and safe location for Wang Teng and Lang Ya to meet with her to avoid being discovered by the Chamber of Commerce or the royal family.
She also promised to increase security at the residence to ensure their conversation would not be leaked.
Although Sumu's house is not the wooden house in the city, it is indeed safe.
After all, who would dare to eavesdrop under the roof of a Titled Douluo?
Wang Teng and Lang Ya were very grateful for Su Mu's generous help.
They knew that with Su Mu's help, their investigation would be smoother, so they agreed on a specific action plan with Su Mu and agreed on the time and place for the next meeting.
As night fell, the two returned to the small inn where they were staying temporarily.
Under the dim candlelight, they carefully sorted out the information they had collected today. Every clue was like a puzzle, gradually outlining the outline of the Tianhun Chamber of Commerce's huge business empire.
Although it was just the tip of the iceberg, it was enough to make them feel the chill and oppression coming from deep within the Chamber of Commerce.
"Tomorrow, we will visit a few more people in the Chamber of Commerce." Wang Teng said in a deep voice, with a firm light in his eyes. "Perhaps, they can provide us with more direct and powerful evidence."
What shocked them even more was that as the investigation deepened, a network of intricate relationships between the Chamber of Commerce and certain high-level officials and sect elders gradually surfaced.
These seemingly high-ranking entities actually have intricate conflicts of interest with the Chamber of Commerce, and together they have woven a huge power network that covers Tianhun City and even part of the entire continent.
"No wonder the Chamber of Commerce can be so unscrupulous. It turns out there is such a powerful backer behind it." Lang Ya sighed in a low voice, with both shock and indignation in his tone, "I'm afraid we're going to touch something we shouldn't touch this time."
Newcomer, new book, please support~
(End of this chapter)
