owlsbooks Chapter 38 Control
Chapter 38 Control
After wiping out the remaining forces of the "Black Snake" and subduing "Sand Scorpion" Xie Scorpion with swift and decisive action, Lin Mo's authority in the black market reached an unprecedented level.
The various smaller factions that had previously either outwardly complied with the new regulations while inwardly resisting them or adopting a wait-and-see attitude have now come to a complete realization of reality and have all submitted their pledges of good faith, indicating their willingness to obey Moyuan's orders.
Under Lin Mo's iron fist and strategy, the order of the black market in the south of the city was quickly stabilized. The trading volume did not decline due to the previous turmoil. On the contrary, the orderly and transparent commission system attracted more merchants from surrounding towns and even further places.
Silent Garden, Council Hall.
Lin Mo sat at the head of the table, below him were Han Li, Wang Ben, and Xie Xie, who had recently submitted and looked respectful. A newly drawn regional map hung on the wall, clearly marking the land and water trade routes radiating from Qinghe Town to several surrounding prefectures and counties.
"The black market is established, the rules are set." Lin Mo spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power. "What we need to do next is to make these rules affect the business in the open."
He pointed to the map: "Qinghe Town is located at the hub of the Grand Canal, and its land routes are also well-connected. In the past, the black market and the open market were separate, seemingly distinct, but in reality, their interests were intertwined. Now we control nearly 70% of the trading channels in the black market south of the city, especially the circulation of medicinal herbs, rare minerals, and even some contraband weapons and armor. This means that we have already grasped the lifeline of many open businesses."
Xie Xie quickly interjected, "Your Excellency is wise! That's indeed the case. Many large merchants, though outwardly respectable, secretly need to handle shady goods through the black market or purchase materials controlled by the imperial court. Before, when 'Black Snake' was in power, everyone acted independently, and prices were chaotic, so they could still find loopholes. Now that Your Excellency has unified the channels and pricing, they either have to accept our terms, or... cut off their supply lines."
"It's not just about getting them to accept the conditions." Lin Mo's gaze swept over everyone. "We need to actively guide them. Han Li."
"Yes." Han Li stepped forward.
"Your intelligence network will focus on gathering information on the types of goods, routes, major clients, and backers of the major trading companies. The more detailed the information, the better."
"Understood." Han Li nodded, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. This meant that the focus of intelligence work would shift from internal surveillance and cleanup to external commercial infiltration.
"Wang Ben".
"Your subordinate is here!" Wang Ben's voice boomed.
"Select a group of clever and skilled individuals from the manor's guards and former 'Sand Scorpion' members. You will personally lead this 'Merchant Protection Team,'" Lin Mo instructed. "Nominally, it will be to ensure the safety of merchants traveling with us in the black market. In reality, we will gradually take control of the protection operations on several key trade routes."
Wang Ben was taken aback for a moment, then realized: "Does the manor lord mean we should openly do bodyguard business?"
"That's right." Lin Mo nodded. "Controlling the guards is equivalent to controlling the safety of goods on the road. Any merchant that uses our escort team will naturally have their goods prioritized and their passage efficiency guaranteed. Those who don't use us, or those who outwardly comply but inwardly resist..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
Xie Xie was shocked, secretly admiring Lin Mo's shrewd methods. This wasn't just about making money; it was about extending influence directly to the trade route transportation, using both soft and hard tactics to make it difficult to resist.
"Thank you, Xie." Lin Mo looked at him.
"Your subordinate is here!" Xie Xie quickly bowed.
"You are familiar with the existing black market channels and the details of those merchants. You will take the lead in 'negotiating' with those large merchants who rely on our channels. Tell them that if they want to maintain their original priority in supply and preferential prices, or even obtain more convenience, their caravans should be entrusted to our 'protection caravans' for security. At the same time, encourage them to circulate more ordinary goods through the docks and warehouses we influence."
This is intended to make those businesses gradually rely on Moyuan's influence for transportation and warehousing.
Xie Xie immediately understood: "Don't worry, Master, I will definitely handle this matter! Those guys are all shrewd; they know how to choose."
With the strategy set, the entire Silent Garden and the forces under its control immediately began to operate efficiently.
Han Li's spies, like invisible tentacles, quietly reached out to businesses of all sizes in Qinghe Town and the surrounding counties.
Soon, detailed reports appeared on Lin Mo's desk. Which businesses mainly dealt in silk, which weaving workshops in Suzhou and Hangzhou in the Jiangnan region were connected with, and which canal transport routes they used; which businesses specialized in medicinal herbs, had close ties with several major pharmaceutical families in the north, and who they bribed at land checkpoints; which of the four great families stood behind which business, and how much tribute they paid each year... Lin Mo knew all this information like the back of his hand.
At the same time, Wang Ben's "business protection team" quickly assembled a force of nearly a hundred people.
Half of these men were trained refugee soldiers from the manor, while the other half were selected by Xie Xie's men, who were familiar with the ways of the underworld and had connections with local gangsters. They were equipped with uniforms and sophisticated weapons purchased through the black market. Although they were not top-notch experts, their discipline and teamwork were far superior to that of ordinary bodyguards or gang members.
Xie Xie's "negotiation" work went quite smoothly.
Faced with Moyuan's powerful channel control and the subtle military intimidation it exuded after its integration, most merchants chose to cooperate after weighing the pros and cons. After all, the safety and smooth turnover of goods were their fundamental interests. As long as these could be guaranteed, it didn't really matter who guarded them or which warehouse they used, especially since they could also benefit from black market transactions. Only a few large merchants with deep backgrounds and the backing of the four great families initially hesitated and declined.
Lin Mo did not rush to use force against these tough nuts to crack.
Soon after, troubles began to befall these businesses. One business, specializing in Shu brocade, had a shipment of goods worth a fortune "accidentally" robbed by river bandits while traveling on a normally peaceful waterway, suffering heavy losses. At that time, a "merchant protection team" from Moyuan happened to be "practicing" nearby. Upon hearing the news, they rushed to the scene and dispersed the river bandits, but only "saved" some of the damaged goods.
Another medicinal herb merchant had several truckloads of urgently needed precious medicinal herbs stuck at the dock for several days due to "procedural issues" after entering Qinghe Town. They were on the verge of missing the delivery date and suffering losses due to mold. At the critical moment, Xie Xie "happened" to pass by and smoothed things over, allowing the goods to be released, but the other party also paid a considerable price in "favors".
After several similar incidents, the remaining businesses finally realized that in Qinghe, to do business smoothly, they could no longer bypass the emerging behemoth, Moyuan. They might have powerful families backing them up, but that was a drop in the ocean. Faced with Lin Mo's control over the black market channels, his gradual infiltration of the transportation links, and his elusive military force, the losses from resisting him far outweighed the costs of compromise.
As a result, within just one month, more than 80% of the important businesses around Qinghe Town had established connections with Moyuan, whether openly or covertly. They began to prioritize Wang Ben's "trade escort team" for transporting their goods; and their goods turnover gradually concentrated in the docks and warehouses within Moyuan's sphere of influence.
Lin Mo did not directly collect exorbitant protection fees; in fact, he set the overt fees for "protecting merchants" slightly lower than the market average. However, he subtly manipulated the flow of profits through more covert means, such as controlling channel priority, adjusting transportation efficiency, and influencing warehousing costs. Large amounts of resources and wealth began to flow steadily into Lin Mo's estate and the forces he controlled through these affected trade routes.
The trade routes that were originally part of different forces and were intricately intertwined were as if they had been straightened out by an invisible hand, and began to be replanned, connected and operated around the emerging core of Moyuan.
Lin Mo is quietly weaving this economic network, with trade routes as its warp and weft, gradually covering the entire region.
He stood on the observation deck of Moyuan Garden, watching the bustling yet orderly boats and carriages on the dock, knowing that this was just the beginning.