Chapter 426: Mu Chunsheng

Big Dipper Consortium, Mu Chunsheng.

Chen Ling immediately recalled the bits of information he had gathered from reading all the newspapers last night... This Big Dipper Consortium originally started as a loan shark business. Relying on his background in the underworld, he controlled loan businesses on several streets with his subordinates, but due to the suppression of the former three major consortiums, he couldn't expand further.

After the three major consortiums were bloodied years ago, Mu Chunsheng seized the opportunity and relied on his underworld subordinates to quickly devour the power of one of the consortiums. Like a ferocious crow feeding on corpses, he expanded at an astonishing speed. In just a few years, he almost monopolized the loan industry in the Red Dust Domain.

After that, the Big Dipper Pawnshop transformed into the Big Dipper Consortium, one of the five major consortiums. Together with the equally rising Flower Capital Consortium, they deliberately created a social atmosphere of "amusing ourselves to death," secretly guiding the trend of advance consumption. Relying on their near-monopolistic industry status, they constantly raised loan interest rates, causing the underlying youth to completely become loan slaves, which was also one of the sources of the negative average savings of young people in the Red Dust Domain.

Chen Ling looked at the old man sitting in the wheelchair. Perhaps due to the torture of illness, his spirit was listless. Even the look he gave Pang Shan just now, although vicious, didn't have much deterrent power in front of this appearance.

A ferocious crow about to die of illness... Chen Ling withdrew his gaze indifferently.

"Understood."

The continued indifferent attitude made the other major consortiums breathe a sigh of relief. They were afraid that the Big Dipper Consortium's "bitter meat trick," coupled with that generous gift, would change the Special Envoy's attitude.

Mu Chunsheng was not surprised by Chen Ling's attitude. He squeezed a smile on his face and said:

"Disturbed the Special Envoy's interest."

He waved his hand to signal his bodyguards to leave, leaving only his son to help him push the wheelchair, and entered the banquet venue low-key. The performance continued amidst the music, and the banquet proceeded as usual.

Only Chen Ling, who was drinking alone in the corner, knew that the development of the story had entered the next stage:

[△The five consortium directors gathered at the banquet, hypocritically clinking glasses in the noise]

[△The roaring music sounded, and the ceiling of the banquet venue vibrated slightly. No one noticed that in the empty private room directly above the venue, a prop that had been hidden long ago had the white cloth covering it gently shaken off]

Chen Ling's eyes behind the mask narrowed, and he took the opportunity to drink the red wine in his glass in one gulp.

"Lord Special Envoy." Mu Chunsheng sat in the wheelchair, holding a glass of red wine, and was smiling as he approached. "Lord Special Envoy, are you getting used to living at the auction venue? Our Big Dipper Consortium has a top-tier hotel on that street, and the best room has already been prepared for you."

Chen Ling glanced at him and said calmly: "I am here to do business. It's the same wherever I live."

"Understood, understood," Mu Chunsheng continued. "The Golden Society's gold treasures should be considered the best in the world, but with Lord Special Envoy's ability, just being a merchant is a bit of a waste of talent...

To be honest, our Big Dipper Consortium is not short of money. Why don't you come to our consortium as an honorary director, and let the Big Dipper Consortium become your foothold in the Main City? We will not only help you distribute all the gold treasures every year, but also pay you a large sum of money additionally. This way, you can earn more money and save yourself from dealing with those unsavory people.

Lord Special Envoy should be free. Leave the money-making to our Big Dipper Consortium. You can enjoy yourself to the fullest in this Red Dust Main City... Our strong alliance is a win-win."

Hearing this, Chen Ling couldn't help but roll his eyes... Mu Chunsheng's abacus beads were almost popping onto his face.

He didn't want to do business with him, he just wanted to pull him into the Big Dipper Consortium. Calling it an "honorary director" was actually just a tool for them to use his name to intimidate others. Mu Chunsheng probably felt that his days were numbered and wanted to sacrifice some financial resources in exchange for him staying in the Big Dipper Consortium. In this way, who would dare to provoke the Big Dipper Consortium?

The Big Dipper Consortium, with a Special Envoy, would be the strongest "underworld" in Red Dust Main City. Even [Floating Life Painting] would have to respect them a few points.

"Not interested." Chen Ling replied calmly.

The simple three words made Mu Chunsheng's expression stiffen. He gave two dry laughs, "Lord Special Envoy, don't be in such a hurry... We have also prepared a gift for you today. We can discuss it slowly after you see it... I'll drink first, you do as you please."

After speaking, Mu Chunsheng drank the red wine in his glass in one gulp.

He seemed to know that he couldn't keep pestering Chen Ling, so he let his son push him around. When the two walked far away, his son secretly glanced at the Special Envoy's direction and whispered:

"Dad, this Special Envoy is not easy to deal with..."

"That's a powerhouse who can blood-wash the three major consortiums. It's not that easy to win over," Mu Chunsheng snorted coldly. "It definitely won't happen overnight. We can only grind him slowly... Since he came to sell gold, it's ultimately for money. As long as we suppress the goods in his hands and make him unable to sell them in a short time, we will naturally have an opportunity after a long time."

"But if we don't buy, someone else will buy it, right? How to suppress it?"

"Others? Who else?" Mu Chunsheng's gaze swept across the surroundings, passing over the consortium directors who were smiling and clinking glasses. The few looked at each other and quickly looked away. "In the Main City, if the five major consortiums don't make a move, who can eat such a large volume of gold?"

"You mean... the five major consortiums have reached a consensus?" his son asked in shock. "This..."

"Otherwise, how do you think this banquet came about? The five major consortiums hosting it together is naturally not that simple... However, it's just an agreement that no one will buy the gold in the short term, trying to drag the Special Envoy in the Main City as much as possible. As for the rest... it depends on each other's means.

Didn't you notice? On the surface, this banquet is like stars surrounding the moon, but in reality, no one has taken the initiative to talk to the Special Envoy about trading... The five major consortiums have joined forces and have silently placed the Special Envoy in a delicate position."

"But doing this... aren't you afraid of offending the Special Envoy? What if another bloodbath happens..."

"The bloodbath four years ago was because the three major consortiums at that time were blinded by greed, wanted to swallow the gold in the Special Envoy's hands, and took the initiative to attack the Special Envoy... But now, we haven't shown him the slightest disrespect. On the contrary, everyone is racking their brains to please him. How can there be any talk of offending?" Mu Chunsheng said indifferently.

"Doing business is a matter of mutual consent. We can't be attacked by him just because we are not in a hurry to buy, right? Not to mention whether doing so will attract [Floating Life Painting], from our analysis of the Special Envoys over the years, most of them are straightforward and not deep in the city, so they may not be able to see the secrets in this... Even if they see it, there is no reason to attack us."

Deep in Mu Chunsheng's old eyes, cunning and shrewdness flashed. He saw Chen Ling's gaze looking toward here, and immediately raised the wine glass in his hand to signal, showing a kind smile.