Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

"What?! My goods were burned?"

Wei Xiong sat up abruptly, his face contorted with rage. "Old devil Ji, you fucking have to give me an explanation today!"

"Brother Wei, don't panic. I definitely didn't burn the goods, right?" Ji Sansheng said helplessly. "This is a completely unexpected disaster!"

Wei Xiong glared angrily at Ji Sanxing, took a few deep breaths, and said coldly, "You fucking pay up."

Ji Sansheng softened his tone: "Brother Wei, I will definitely make up for the money."

"But I need to find out first which bastard burned down my warehouse and smashed Brother Wei's goods," Ji Sansheng said. "I will definitely bring that person's head to Brother Wei when the time comes!"

Wei Xiong said impatiently, "Catching the murderer and paying compensation are two different things. Give me the money first."

Ji Sanxing said, "I'm having a cash flow problem lately, I really have no money..."

Wei Xiong and Ji Sansheng argued for a while, but whenever money was mentioned, Ji Sansheng made all sorts of excuses, clearly intending to renege on the debt.

Wei Xiong didn't argue with him any longer. He snorted and left the territory of Ji Sansheng.

Ji Sanxing watched Wei Xiong's retreating figure, breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly lowered his hand that was about to rest on the scabbard.

"This Wei the Poor Hat didn't even lay a hand on me? Something's not right with his attitude." Ji Sanxing pondered what was amiss, his brows furrowing slightly. He knew Wei Xiong's personality; in that situation, he should have already been killed by Wei Xiong.

"This kid probably suffered some hidden injuries in the Northern Barbarians. Heh, I even took two Vajra Powder pills to prepare for a fight. Heh, what a waste." Ji Sansheng's expression immediately relaxed a lot.

He immediately instructed his men, "If Wei Xiong comes again, stop him at the door, understand?"

Two days passed, and Ji Sansheng did not receive any trouble from Wei Xiong, which made him feel much more relaxed.

At the same time, he felt even more contempt for Wei Xiong: "The goods were ruined in my hands, and Wei Xiong didn't even dare to cause trouble for me. When did he become such a coward? Did those barbarians beat him up so badly?"

In the afternoon, Ji Sansheng met with a businessman who was an old hand at business and had a large business. Ji Sansheng valued this person highly.

"Here you are, Mr. Ruan. This is genuine high-mountain tea, twelve years old." Ji Sanxing poured a pot of tea for the merchant surnamed Ruan.

"This order involves ten shiny armor pieces. Rest assured, I will deliver them to Jiangzhou safely and securely..."

The merchant surnamed Ruan waved his hand and said, "Never mind, Boss Ji, you don't need to deliver this batch of goods."

Ji Sansheng's hand, which was pouring tea, froze. He looked at the person opposite him, then said with a forced smile, "But where have I offended Boss Ruan recently? Please forgive me..."

Ruan Laoda glanced at Ji Sanxing: "Brother Ji, forgive my bluntness, but you've really gotten a bit cocky lately."

Ji Sansheng's mind raced, but he couldn't recall offending the other party recently. He smiled apologetically and said, "Please enlighten me, Boss Ruan."

"Hey, you're capable of burning down a warehouse with a fire dragon? Isn't that a bit too unruly?" Boss Ruan shook his head. "Old Ji, I'm really afraid you'll do the same thing to me..."

A fire dragon burning down the warehouse?

Ji Sansheng was astonished. Some corrupt officials, when faced with inspections of supplies from above, would burn down the warehouse if they couldn't make up for the shortfall. In this way, any discrepancies in the accounts could be attributed to the losses from the burning.

His pupils suddenly contracted. The fire a few days ago had been rumored to be his embezzlement of customer supplies, which led to the fire burning down the warehouse!

"No, it's just a misunderstanding, I didn't!" Ji Sansheng hurriedly explained. "It really was just an accident!"

Boss Ruan had already gotten up and left, but before leaving, he threw a sentence at Ji Sanxing: "Wei Xiong has already told us, Boss Ji, you'd better watch yourself."

Ji Sanxing's pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints, and a layer of cold sweat involuntarily trickled down his back.

He wasn't the only one running a waterway smuggling operation. If his infamous reputation for "burning the warehouse with fire" is confirmed, he can forget about working in this business in the future. Who would dare to entrust their goods to him for transport?

"Wei Xiong is ruthless! He can even fabricate a story about a fire dragon burning down a warehouse!" Ji Sansheng was both anxious and angry.

He rushed out and called to his men, "Quickly, go find Wei Xiong!"

The subordinate found it strange: "Boss, didn't you just say a while ago that you kicked Wei Xiong out as soon as you encountered him?"

"Bullshit! When did I ever say such a thing?" Ji Sanxing slapped one of his men, his expression vicious. "Let me tell you, I never said anything like that! Anyone who dares to mention it again, I'll twist their neck and throw them to feed the fish!"

Ji Sansheng spent a lot of time finding out Wei Xiong's location and immediately rushed over.

Inn.

Xue Sanniang rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Shen Chen and Wei Xiong, who were drinking, and said in a resentful tone, "Gentlemen, you've already racked up a debt of five hundred coins these past few days. If you keep doing this, my shop might go bankrupt."

Wei Xiong kept his head down and kept eating meat without saying a word.

Shen Chen glanced at the sun outside the window, his expression calm: "Sister Xue, don't worry, we'll pay back all the money today."

Xue San Niang smiled and said nothing more.

Not long after, hurried footsteps sounded outside the inn, and a figure rushed in, panting, shouting, "Wei Xiong? Wei Xiong!"

Wei Xiong and Shen Chen turned their gazes towards the newcomer, who was wearing a blue headscarf and had a robust build; it was none other than Ji Sansheng.

"Your grandfather is here," Wei Xiong replied curtly.

Upon hearing this, Ji Sanxing immediately ran over, plopped down opposite Wei Xiong, and shouted, "You, Wei Xiong! What nonsense have you been spouting these past few days?"

Wei Xiong looked bewildered: "What did I say?"

"You're fucking despicable!" Ji Sanxing's face twisted in rage. "You said I'd burn your warehouse with a fire dragon and swallow your goods! Damn it, do you know how much business I've lost lately?"

Shen Chen gave Wei Xiong a wink, and Wei Xiong understood. He immediately stood up, smashed the bowl, and cursed, "You fucking have the nerve to curse at your grandpa! Why didn't you compensate me for my goods? And why did you send people to stop me time and time again? Huh? What else could it be but a guilty conscience?"

He launched into a tirade against Ji Sansheng, immediately defusing Ji Sansheng's momentum: "Who said I wouldn't compensate you for your goods? I came here specifically to lose money!"

He immediately ordered his men to bring in two sacks of Qin Dynasty coins: "Here, a total of six thousand Qin Dynasty coins! Isn't that a generous compensation?"

Wei Xiong's eyes lit up. He could only sell all of his crossbows for 5,500 yuan. Ji Sansheng's offer was indeed very sincere.

"You should accept it quickly and clarify to the outside world that I, Ji Sansheng, have never done such a despicable thing as burning down a warehouse with a fire dragon," Ji Sansheng said.

Wei Xiong didn't immediately agree, but turned to Shen Chen: "Brother Shen, what do you say?"