Chapter 988: The Meeting
Chapter 988: The Meeting
September 25, 2017
Bingzhou, Northern Defense Tower, Meeting Room.
Lu HaiKong sat upright in the seat of honor, listening to the reports from his subordinates.
Currently speaking were Zhang He and Luoluo, as this incident had the most significant impact on their department. It was not unusual for them to be the first to speak at the meeting, but what was surprising was their presence in this room.
Although Outsiders entering the Northern Defense Tower was not uncommon, Lu HaiKong's administration did include many officials, but most of them were not of high rank. Very few had access to the third floor, let alone this meeting room on the fifth floor.
This room was the heart of Lu HaiKong's power, and the presence of Zhang He and Luoluo here undoubtedly signified their importance. However, they were not the only Outsiders at this meeting; Zhang Daoyi and Yewu were also in attendance.
All four of them were entering this place for the first time and meeting Lu HaiKong's core team of scholar officials for the first time.
Despite having worked for Lu HaiKong for some time, they had a vague idea of who his core scholar officials were. But when they saw the top-tier historical scholar officials in the meeting room, all four of them were truly stunned.
Xi Zhi Cai, Xun You, Xin Ping, Wang Jun, and Guo Ja, who stood behind Lu HaiKong, along with Li Xiong and other scholar officials, formed an incredibly impressive team.
It was then that they realized that Lu HaiKong not only had a dazzling lineup of martial generals but also the best scholar officials in the land. They now understood just how powerful Lu HaiKong's influence was.
However, all four of them had a certain level of composure and did not show their astonishment. In this new setting, they all maintained a low profile.
Zhang Daoyi and Yewu could afford to be low-key, but Zhang He and Luoluo had to speak up.
Before the meeting began, Lu HaiKong had already informed Zhang He and Luoluo to prepare their materials beforehand. After the meeting commenced, the two first reported on the initial and most direct losses caused by this incident.
The sudden occurrence of this event had led to the aristocratic families abruptly cutting off their dealings with Lu HaiKong.
Hundreds of aristocratic families, many of whom were holding goods from Bingzhou, suddenly ceased their transactions, resulting in a loss of several hundred million for Bingzhou.
As this figure was presented, Wang Jun, sitting next to Lu HaiKong, visibly twitched his mouth. It was likely that if Lu HaiKong had suggested military action at that moment, Wang Jun would have been the first to agree.
However, this loss of several hundred million was not their most significant setback. The real issue was the simultaneous blockade imposed on Bingzhou by the four states, which was a devastating blow.
This blockade struck at Bingzhou's vital point. Zhang He and Luoluo conducted a simple calculation and found that if the blockade persisted for more than a month, it would result in an economic loss of over two billion to Bingzhou.
And this was not the worst-case scenario. If the current situation remained unchanged, Bingzhou's economy might even regress to some extent.
As Zhang He and Luoluo reached this point in their report, they paused, and their gazes subtly swept across the scholar officials in the room.
To their surprise, they noticed that aside from Wang Jun, whose expression was slightly unpleasant, the rest maintained a calm demeanor. Xun You and Xi Zhi Cai, in particular, directed an enigmatic look at the two of them.
Upon witnessing this, Zhang He and Luoluo both had a sudden realization.
In truth, their intention was to first downplay the situation before highlighting its severity, a tactic to subtly showcase their intelligence.
While they might have wanted to test the wisdom of the historical top-tier scholar officials under Lu HaiKong's command, their primary motive was to demonstrate their own capabilities.
If they didn't set the stage with this initial suppression, how could they effectively display their prowess later on? Without showcasing their strength, how could they emphasize the importance of their department?
Standing before these historical top-tier scholar officials, Zhang He and his team couldn't help but feel a sense of competition. However, the intense gazes from Xun You and Xi Zhi Cai quickly extinguished this thought, and they prepared to continue speaking honestly.
Unfortunately, before they could proceed, Lu HaiKong abruptly cut them off.
"Enough, let's stop here for now!"
Zhang He and Luoluo were momentarily stunned, but they quickly regained their composure and sat down obediently.
As they took their seats, Lu HaiKong stood up.
"Everyone is now aware of the situation. To be honest, I initially had no intention of provoking anyone, but since someone has taken it upon themselves to push things too far, we can't just sit here and take it, can we?"
"Let's do this, Zhi Cai, send a letter to Dong Zhuo, Yuan Hong, and..." Lu HaiKong paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, "...and Zhang Yan, as well as the aristocratic families and powers involved in this incident. Inform them that they have three days to return what they owe and withdraw their forces."
"Yes, sir!" Xi Zhi Cai, seated nearby, nodded in agreement.
"Alright, today's meeting is adjourned. Everyone, you're dismissed!"
(End of Chapter)
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