Xi'an.
The highest-ranking figure Gao Family Village dispatched to oversee Xi'an Prefecture turned out to be Flat Rabbit.
This decision stunned almost everyone.
It was not Wang Tang—Headmaster Wang's adopted son, the well-rounded talent proficient in both civil administration and military affairs. Instead, it was Flat Rabbit.
Flat Rabbit was illiterate.
His combat ability was mediocre at best.
Among the core members of Gao Family Village, he was—objectively speaking—the weakest.
Worse still, he had a long history of ignoring military discipline. Being reprimanded by Dao Xuan Tianzun was practically a routine part of his life.
That he had been appointed the top leader here made Wang Tang deeply dissatisfied.
Wang Tang was among the first batch of middle-school graduates from Gao Family Village. He possessed solid cultural foundations and outstanding political sensitivity. After joining the army, his training results had consistently ranked near the top. His combat skills were first-rate, and his marksmanship exceptional—perhaps not quite at Bai Yuan's monstrous level, but still firmly elite.
As part of the third wave of orphans adopted by Headmaster Wang, his pedigree was impeccable.
How could he possibly rank below Flat Rabbit?
As Wang Tang walked through the bustling streets of Xi'an Prefecture, this thought kept circling in his mind.
Just then, a man hurried out from a side alley, stepped directly in front of Wang Tang, bowed deeply, and smiled.
"Greetings, Shopkeeper Wang."
Wang Tang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You recognize me?"
The man smiled even wider. "You are the Li family's second manager assigned to Xi'an, overseeing all of their assets here. Anyone of even modest standing in this city knows who you are."
Wang Tang felt a surge of quiet satisfaction.
The feeling of being recognized was intoxicating.
The man continued, "I am the steward of Master Zheng Qing, a contractor specializing in construction and decoration projects in Xi'an Prefecture."
"Zheng Qing… the contractor?" Wang Tang didn't know the man personally, but he understood the trade. Contractors controlled networks of craftsmen—masons, carpenters, plasterers. Whenever wealthy families built residences, shops, or gardens, contractors were indispensable.
Back in Chengcheng County, there had once been a contractor named Teng Yifeng—who later joined Gao Family Village and became the director of the cement factory.
Wang Tang frowned slightly. What does this fellow want with me?
The steward smiled mysteriously. "My master wishes to become better acquainted with Shopkeeper Wang. This is merely a small token of goodwill."
He presented a finely crafted box with both hands.
Wang Tang opened it slightly.
Inside lay a jade lion—carved exquisitely, gleaming softly. It was unmistakably valuable.
"I cannot accept gifts without reason—" Wang Tang began.
The steward laughed gently. "There is no request attached. My master simply admires Shopkeeper Wang's ability and character. Please be at ease—there is no impropriety intended."
Hearing this, Wang Tang relaxed. Pleased, he nodded. "Very well."
The steward clasped his hands. "Then I shall take my leave. When you have time, my master would be honored to invite you for wine and music."
"Excellent," Wang Tang said with a smile.
The steward departed promptly, making no demands at all.
Wang Tang felt almost buoyant.
Holding the gift box, he walked with noticeably lighter steps.
After circling the city and purchasing daily necessities, Wang Tang suddenly spotted Flat Rabbit emerging from a tavern that Gao Family Village had recently acquired.
Flat Rabbit's ancestral sword hung diagonally at his waist. His steps were exaggerated, his posture arrogant—his swagger somehow even more outrageous than Wang Tang's own.
Wang Tang hesitated. Should I greet him?
…No.
As a cultured intellectual, he found it hard to connect with the first-generation leaders of Gao Family Village. They lived in different worlds, spoke different languages. There was nothing to talk about.
Wang Tang quietly ducked behind a vegetable stall.
At that moment, he saw something unexpected.
The same steward who had just given him a gift now walked straight up to Flat Rabbit.
The steward bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Master Rabbit."
Flat Rabbit squinted at him. "Who are you?"
The steward hurriedly explained, "I am the steward of Master Zheng Qing, a contractor."
"A contractor?" Flat Rabbit asked. "What's that?"
Wang Tang almost laughed out loud.
Unbelievable. He doesn't even know what a contractor does.
Didn't he meet Teng Yifeng back then? How could he forget? Truly ignorant.
The steward looked awkward, but forced a polite smile and began explaining—at length—what contractors did, how they coordinated craftsmen, managed projects, and liaised with wealthy patrons.
Flat Rabbit nodded along. "Oh. So that's what it is. Sounds impressive."
The steward brightened. "My master has extensive connections throughout Xi'an. He knows people from all walks of life and loves making friends."
As he spoke, he produced the same kind of gift box and offered it forward.
"My master wishes to befriend you. There will be no requests, no impropriety."
Wang Tang thought, That's exactly what he told me.
Flat Rabbit will surely accept it.
But—
He was wrong.
Flat Rabbit didn't even reach for the box.
Instead, he jumped back three steps, eyes wide. "Whoa—are you trying to set me up, kid?"
The steward panicked. "Not at all! Just… just hoping to make a friend!"
"Spare me." Flat Rabbit snorted. "Do you think Master Rabbit is some naive child? I've been traversing the jianghu for over twenty years. What tricks haven't I seen?"
"Today it's 'making friends.' Tomorrow it's watching an opera together. After that, we'll be 'doing business,' right?"
"The Li family's stores in Xi'an—renovations, expansions, factory land—those projects should naturally go to 'good friends,' correct?"
The steward froze.
Flat Rabbit continued relentlessly, "And between good friends, we can't be too stingy, can we? No haggling over prices."
"Work that costs fifty taels elsewhere—your master would charge a hundred. And that extra fifty? Half for him, half for me. Isn't that how it goes?"
The steward said nothing.
Flat Rabbit suddenly drew his ancestral sword and pointed it straight at the steward's face.
"You look down on Master Rabbit, don't you?" he barked. "I've upheld justice and righted wrongs for over twenty years! You think I can be bought with a bit of jade?"
"Get lost. And don't let me see you again."
He paused, coughed lightly.
"…Well. Dao Xuan Tianzun says a knight-errant shouldn't violate prohibitions. Chopping people randomly with a sword is bad."
He sheathed the blade with a flourish, then raised a fist the size of a rice bowl.
"But punching people?"
"That's allowed."