Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1511 The Bound Anchor Chain

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……

Given that this was a mature business model, a localized and mutually beneficial affair, with a clear risk and return framework, and involving Lancashire, Tang Jinghe had almost no hesitation.

This not only greatly increases the Tang family's income, but also expands their influence.

He gently stroked the table with his palm, looked at Chen Zhang, and said frankly, "This matter is beneficial to Lan Kai and also to the Tang family. Very well, I approve of this medicinal herb chain market."

The Haotian Sect has been suppressing it for many years, but its real focus has always been on blocking trade and distribution channels and controlling core resources.

The Xuanhuang Tang family's vast industry, hundreds of artisans (not purely from the main lineage), and workshop equipment desperately in need of supplies... These were originally advantages, but when there was a lack of continuous orders, they degenerated into a huge expense burden, eroding the family's foundation.

Actually, there are far fewer people here than twenty years ago, and the number can't be any smaller. As soon as there are fewer people here, they are all recruited by the Haotian Sect.

The Chen family's series of substantial moves are aimed precisely at the core of this matter—bringing stable and substantial income to the Tang family, easing the burden of supporting human resources, and introducing a new source of revenue.

This is like a timely injection of vital blood, enough to clear the almost suffocated meridians.

With a sufficient economic foundation, the Tang family gained the confidence to meet the challenges.

As for the deeper threat—pure military overthrow?

Although the Haotian Sect is powerful, it is not without its own scruples.

Small-scale conflicts, border skirmishes, and disputes over resource areas can be driven by the deterrence of strength.

However, if a large-scale war is launched that could shake the foundation of the Xuanhuang Tang clan and affect an entire prefecture.

The imperial authorities would never sit idly by while their major prefectures were engulfed in a full-scale war between sects, let alone with the Heavenly Spirit Legion stationed nearby.

The complex web of interests within Lancashire and the long-standing influence of the Tang family among the people mean that they will not easily accept a military purge by an outside force.

Although the Soul Master world is not without its undercurrents of the survival of the fittest, the actions of prestigious sects in openly engaging in large-scale martial arts to exert pressure will also touch nerves from all sides, provoking backlash and even joint intervention.

These three pressures constitute a bottom line that is difficult to cross, and the Haotian Sect will not and need not touch it.

Moreover, the political landscape in the court is delicate, and some high-ranking officials, especially the royalist faction which takes it upon themselves to balance power, have long been wary of the faction that Haotian Sect controls a huge share of civilian military supplies for the two main legions, Tianshan and Luori.

It was this sense of apprehension and checks and balances that prevented the Haotian Sect from completely severing the last few lifelines of the Tang family—for example, allowing the Tang family to maintain a share of about 40% of the regular military equipment supply to the Tianling Legion, which became the foundation upon which they could breathe and survive.

Even within the Haotian Sect, its goal has never been simply to destroy the Xuanhuang Tang Clan.

Strip them of their economic lifeline, suppress them until they are weak and exhausted, and finally drive them to the brink of despair before coercing and enticing them to submit, turning their forging expertise, which is admired throughout the continent, into their own use... This is the strategy they have planned.

Large-scale military conquest comes at a heavy cost and could trigger a chain of unrest, running counter to their fundamental strategy of "subjugation and assimilation" as they had anticipated.

As long as the Xuanhuang lineage has not clearly sided with a force that poses a substantial threat, the Haotian Sect will maintain its current strategy of blockade and attrition, rather than revealing its true intentions.

But the arrival of the Chen family undoubtedly opened a new gap on this winding mountain road that had almost reached its end.

……

Chen Zhang did not stop, his voice carrying the steady rhythm of continuing to advance affairs: "In addition, there is another subordinate matter that also requires the assistance of the old master and Uncle Shi."

"Our Chen family plans to build a large warehouse in Lankai City to improve the efficiency of regional resource allocation. This time, we need strong local assistance in the following aspects..."

He paused slightly, his gaze landing precisely on Tang Jigen: "Land."

"This warehouse requires a large area, so we urgently need to rely on the Xuanhuang Tang family's local connections and prestige to smooth things over in the land approval process. All expenses will be borne by our Chen family, and we will also pay the Tang family an additional fee."

Tang Jigen's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "How much land is needed?"

Chen Zhang replied: "If we choose a site within the city, we need a hundred acres of contiguous land for now. If that scale is indeed difficult, at least fifty acres is a feasible minimum."

Tang Jinghe did not agree directly, but instead asked gently, "I don't know... what kind of things are intended to be stored in such a large warehouse? I need to know in order to deal with any questions from all sides."

100 acres, more than 6 square meters, that's a lot of space. Does a warehouse really need to be that big?
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhang remained calm and met Tang Jinghe's inquiring gaze with composure: "Grandpa, Uncle, please rest assured that the items stored are all necessary for daily trade and circulation, and there is absolutely no ulterior motive."

"With the booming commerce of Chenjia, the flow of various civilian and industrial construction raw materials and finished products is becoming more and more frequent. Lankai is located in the central section of the Tianling Mountains. Establishing a regional warehousing and distribution center here is an inevitable choice to shorten transportation routes and improve coverage and response."

"It's just for the convenience of business operations, nothing more."

Tang Jinghe's gaze remained fixed as he continued to pose his question: "Although Lankai City is a major transportation hub, Liuli City is also a wealthy and prosperous city nearby. Moreover, there is already a medicinal herb market there that has been operating for many years. Wouldn't it be redundant to build another large warehouse here?"

Chen Zhang's lips curved into a barely perceptible, calm smile: "Your Excellency is wise."

"A warehouse complex will also be planned for Liulicheng at the same time. The two locations will complement each other and serve as each other's support."

"The glass faces east, while the orchid faces west; only by flying on both wings can we achieve lasting success."

He didn't say much, but he clearly outlined the key points of the overall regional logistics layout.

Tang Jinghe's gaze lingered on Chen Zhang's calm and honest face for a few moments.

He didn't need to ask any more questions. The Chen family's intention in building both a medicinal herb market in Lankai and a warehousing center was as clear as day—to position Lankai as the core foothold for the Chen family's influence in the central and western regions, and to build a prototype of a complete chain from production (perhaps including components produced in cooperation with the Tang family), transit (warehousing) to terminal sales (medicinal herb market).

As a crucial link in this chain, the value of the Xuanhuang Tang family will be firmly locked in.

The old man paused for a moment while stroking his beard, his sharp eyes dimming before finally settling into a calm reply: "In that case, I understand."

He looked at Chen Zhang, then glanced at his son Tang Jigen, and said solemnly, "Regarding the land use issue, the Xuanhuang Tang family... will do its utmost to clear the way and help your family to make this happen."

……

The heavy, dark bronze door slowly and steadily closed again after the six members of the Chen family disappeared from the mansion, shutting out the sounds of the streets outside.

The dull creak of the door hinges finally subsided, leaving only the three members of the Tang family—grandfather, grandfather, and grandson—in the hall.

Tang Yusheng's gaze shifted to the two large, high-quality gift boxes piled in the corner of the hall: "Grandfather, Father, these are gifts sent by the Chen family..."

Tang Jigen didn't hesitate and said in a deep voice, "Now that you've accepted it, there's no point in hiding it. Open it."

Tang Yuchen took a few steps forward and softly read aloud the heavy gift list that had been attached to Chen Zhang's package: "Three Grade Seven Earth Vein Purple Ganoderma; Fifty catties of Grade Seven Ice Spirit Fire Crystal Rice; Two Grade Seven Purple Pattern Blood Ganoderma; Ten catties of Grade Eight Fine Wine Ganoderma Wine..."

He paused, his throat tightened, and his voice lowered as he murmured, "...and also, an eighth-grade spiritual herb, a Water and Fire Twin Lotus."

He looked up abruptly at his father and grandfather, his expression revealing shock. "These rare herbs and materials alone, according to the market rates at auction houses, would probably cost nearly two million gold coins to acquire, right? This is quite a sum..."

Tang Jigen stood beside the main seat, his back to the door, the light and shadow highlighting his taut shoulders.

Hearing the number his son quoted and the shock in his tone, he wasn't too surprised. He simply turned his head slightly, a faint, cold sneer playing on his lips: "The Chen family... quite the grand gesture, truly a 'dog of a wealthy family.' However,"

He smirked slightly. “Most of these things are grown and refined in the Chen family’s own medicinal garden. They are priceless to outsiders, but for them, the cost is far less than that. It’s probably not even worth 30% of the market price.”

Tang Yusheng snapped out of his reverie and refocused on the enormous opportunities brought by the Chen family, his eyes shining with an astonishing brilliance.

He turned to Tang Jinghe, his tone urgent yet carrying the sharp edge of a young leader: "Grandfather, although the various branches and lineages of the clan have always had different thoughts, and there are even those who secretly harbor appeasement or even loyalty under the long-term oppression of the Haotian Sect."

"But the gift package that the Chen family has presented this time is like sending charcoal in snowy weather, or like rain after a long drought."

"The 20% share of the medicinal herb market alone, plus the 'talent support fee' for hiring craftsmen, is a continuous source of income."

"With these, even if there are dissenting voices from other households, my father and I can maintain order and push forward the cooperation. We..."

Tang Jinghe did not immediately pay attention to his grandson's slightly agitated words.

Those deep, still eyes turned quietly to her son, and she spoke slowly, "Jigen, what do you think about this matter?"

Tang Jigen stood ramrod straight, his face devoid of joy or sorrow, only displaying caution and solemnity: "Father, you are wise."

"The Chen family has come to our door today, proceeding step by step. First, they reassured us with Yu Chen's appearance, then they showed their sincerity with generous gifts, and finally, they aimed directly at the heart of our clan's problems with cooperation."

"However, on the one hand, contract manufacturing and the recruitment of artisans are actually two sides of the same coin, deeply intertwined."

"The former allows my workshop to meet all its needs, while the latter allows me to rely on its skilled craftsmen."

"The combination of these two factors is tantamount to permanently tying the family's economic lifeline to the giant ship of the Chen family."

"This is a binding and fundamentally dependent situation that will affect the landscape for decades to come. The risks involved are deep and must be approached with utmost caution."

He paused briefly: "Secondly, regarding the joint construction of the Lanzhou-Kaifeng medicinal herb market, its 20% share is clearly defined and represents pure profit."

"Thirdly, facilitating the warehousing of land is a favor, a favor that should be done in a convenient way, but I feel that they are going far beyond that, occupying too much land."

"However, both of these are matters at the execution level. Even if there are some ups and downs, we can move forward or backward with ease, and the risks are clear and limited."

His gaze sharpened, and he added, "However, the ambitions behind this are far greater, especially since the hidden story of Yu Chen four years ago remains unclear, and Chen Zhang has not mentioned it at all."

"There must be a reason for this, perhaps related to the deeper intentions or secrets of the Chen family. I will not be at ease until this matter is clear."

"Most importantly, there's still one hurdle they haven't overcome."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into a heavy, deathly silence once again.

Even the candlelight seemed to be subdued by the atmosphere, its flickering becoming slightly weaker.

Tang Jinghe sat upright like a statue, his eyes slowly closing.

After a while, I opened my eyes again, and all that remained in that murky depths was a clear and lucid vision that saw through the fog.

“Very good. Order all the heads of the branches and elders of the clan to gather at the ancestral hall for discussion the day after tomorrow at 1:00 PM.”

"First, please have Xia Ying and Ding Lang from the Chen family explain in detail the standards for the commissioned production and the detailed rules for hiring craftsmen, so that all the elders can understand the details."

"This 'gift list' from the Chen family needs to be heard, debated, and decided upon by the entire Xuanhuang Tang clan."

(End of this chapter)