For three months, Li Zhen traveled far and wide with Fugui, setting up schemes to fleece the leeks wherever he went.
He sold pigeons, firewood, calligraphy and paintings, Porcelain, and so on.
Whatever a place was known for producing, he sold.
This scheme was invincible under the current Environment, allowing Li Zhen to rake in Ten thousand taels of silver in just three months.
However, Ten thousand taels of silver was still worlds apart from One hundred million taels of silver.
Thus, three months later, Li Zhen made his way from city to city.
Previously, he had mostly done business in Villages and county towns. Now that he had sufficient capital, it was time to go to the cities and harvest the wealth of the wealthy merchants and magnates.
The first large city Li Zhen visited was called Fengdu City.
Fengdu City was a large city with vast territory, abundant resources, and, most importantly, a large population.
The same method, the same scheme, exactly as before.
This scheme hinged on the word greed. Faced with such enormous returns, there was no one who would not be tempted.
Another three months passed. After passing through three large cities, another one hundred thousand taels of silver entered Li Zhen’s coffers.
By now, more than half a year had passed, and his total income had reached one hundred and ten thousand taels of silver.
One hundred and ten thousand taels of silver was certainly not a small amount, but it was still far short of the One hundred million taels of silver required by the Mission.
Therefore, Li Zhen planned to make his second move.
That was right. The first six months had merely been his first move, intended to accumulate capital.
The second large city—Jinyun City.
On this day, an important Character arrived in Jinyun City. It was said to be Lu Ning, the illegitimate son of Prince Lu of the capital.
This Lu Ning arrived with a grand procession. There were no fewer than fifty Maids alone, more than a hundred servants, and the entire procession stretched over a hundred meters. It was quite a magnificent sight.
When the guards of Jinyun City heard that they were people from the capital, they did not dare to stop them and let them pass directly. The gatekeepers were casually given several taels of silver as a tip.
“You don’t know how generous Lord is.”
“And didn’t you see those Maids? They’re prettier than my wife.” The guard Boasted in the teahouse.
Such a procession caused the Common People throughout the city to stop and watch. The entire city was thrown into an uproar.
Everyone knew that an important Character had arrived in Jinyun City.
As for Lu Ning, after arriving in Jinyun City, he spent fifty thousand taels to buy the Golden Lake Villa beside West Lake.
This so-called Lu Ning was naturally an alias used by Li Zhen.
He then had Fugui prepare invitation cards worth ten thousand taels and send them to the lord of Jinyun City.
That very evening, the lord of Jinyun City arrived at Li Zhen’s Residence.
The lord of Jinyun City was named Hong Jinshan. He was a somewhat plump, fair-skinned man, clearly someone who normally lived a pampered life.
“Lord Hong’s visit to my humble residence truly brings glory to this place.” Li Zhen raised his cup.
“Young Master Lu, you are too polite. I heard that you are a descendant of Prince Lu. I wonder whether that is true.” After drinking a cup, Hong Jinshan asked bluntly. This was also the main reason he had come to the banquet that night.
“Those are merely rumors spread by outsiders. My father—oh, my father told me not to say such things outside. The rumors circulating Outside cannot be taken as truth.” Li Zhen spoke ambiguously.
This left Hong Jinshan unable to make heads or tails of the matter.
However, looking at Li Zhen’s calm and unhurried manner, he immediately sensed that the man before him was no ordinary person. If an ordinary person encountered him, they would at least have a fawning look in their eyes, if not be utterly flustered.
“I wonder why Young Master Lu has come to my Jinyun City. If you require my assistance, you can tell me now.” Hong Jinshan was also a straightforward man, especially since he had received ten thousand taels of silver from Li Zhen.
This was no small sum. Having suddenly obtained so much money, even holding it in hand made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Even without considering the Prince’s status, this money was enough for him to secretly help handle certain matters.
“To be frank, my father sent me here to do business. I also hope Lord Hong will be accommodating.”
“Oh, doing business? What kind of business?” Hong Jinshan was extremely Curious.
Looking at Li Zhen on the opposite side, he felt that the other party was clearly not short of money. Someone this wealthy who still wanted to make more money was probably involved in something far more lucrative than an ordinary business.
If he made a fortune in his own Territory, then no matter what, Hong Jinshan would be able to take a share of the profits.
“I cannot tell Lord Hong what I plan to do just yet. But since you have asked, I cannot refuse to explain. This is, after all, your Territory. Both sentiment and reason dictate that I should give you a share.” Li Zhen spoke openly.
When it came to interests, the greatest taboo was hiding things. If you stated them openly and generously, the other party would instead hold you in higher regard.
“Oh, give me a share? What do you mean by that?” Hong Jinshan grew even more Curious.
“I plan to conduct a major business. How major is it? Let me put it this way, Lord Hong: in the future, this business will not only be conducted in Jinyun City, but in other large cities as well. Eventually, the entire world will be involved in it. Would you say that is a major business?” Li Zhen asked rhetorically, a confident Smile on his face.
“Major.” Thinking about what Li Zhen had said, Hong Jinshan could not help nodding.
He looked thoughtful, but clearly still could not imagine what kind of major business it could be. After all, many businesses were already monopolized by the powerful, and opening up a new path to great wealth was no easy matter.
“This is a business from above. I cannot say much for now. I can promise to let you join my business. That is my greatest sincerity toward you.”
“Oh? How do I join?”
The two men conspired together.
When Hong Jinshan left, the Ten thousand taels of silver that had not yet warmed in his pocket had already returned to Li Zhen’s hands.
“With profits this high, there is no way you won’t jump in.” Li Zhen watched Hong Jinshan leave, waved the silver notes in his hand, and wore a satisfied expression.
Sure enough, the next day Hong Jinshan returned to meet Li Zhen with several trusted aides.
After becoming acquainted, each of them left behind Ten thousand taels of silver.
Word of Hong Jinshan visiting Li Zhen at night and bringing people to participate in Li Zhen’s business quickly spread.
Naturally, Li Zhen was secretly spreading the news.
Thus, the rumor that Young Master Lu intended to conduct a major business—and that anyone who joined now could share in Huge profits—spread farther and farther throughout Jinyun City.
Within a month, the entrance to Li Zhen’s Golden Lake Villa had been worn smooth by visitors.
The wealthy merchants and magnates of Jinyun City rushed toward him like fish that had smelled blood.
A month later, Li Zhen distributed the first profits. They amounted to fully fifty percent of the principal—a Half share of the profits.
If this was not an exorbitant profit, then what was?
Moreover, those who introduced others could receive another ten percent commission.
The more people they introduced, the more they received.
They waved a grand banner and ran a pyramid scheme.
Layer upon layer of rebates.
That was right. Li Zhen had brought the methods from Earth over to this place.
Even in the twenty-first century, no one had been able to break this scheme, let alone here.
As the profits were distributed layer by layer, those who received dividends became even more frenzied, recruiting people everywhere and adding more investments.
Those who had originally remained on the sidelines finally could not resist the temptation and began to enter the scheme.
From common folk and well-off families to wealthy households and wealthy merchants and magnates, not a single one escaped. They all joined in.
By the second month, Li Zhen had stuffed nearly Half of all the money in Jinyun City into his own purse.
“Master, we just finished counting. We now have a total of ten million taels of silver!” After Fugui finished counting, he felt dizzy, as though he were dreaming.
It had only been a little over half a year, yet his own Master had already become this wealthy.
He was even richer than First Master had been at the height of his glory, back when he was still alive.
“Not bad, but it is still not enough.” Li Zhen nodded and commented.
They were still a long way from the goal of One hundred million taels of silver.
“Master, although we have so much money now, our daily expenses are also enormous. Moreover, we are already taking in less than we are paying out. In a few more days, I fear we will start losing money.” Fugui reminded him.
He could not help feeling deeply worried.
The Outside world was spreading the news with absolute certainty that their Master was conducting a major business. But only he understood that Li Zhen had actually done nothing at all.
Only he knew this secret, but knowing it made him panic.
If this were exposed one day, Master would be executed.
“Don’t worry. It is time to expand the operation.” Li Zhen reassured him.
A few days later, Li Zhen took Hong Jinshan and several other wealthy merchants to the neighboring large city—Heavenly Water City.
Using the same method, together with the testimony of several men and the lure of enormous profits, another large city fell into his scheme without incident.
With Jinyun City serving as a precedent, the scheme spread even faster in Heavenly Water City. In just two months, he had raked in more than ten million taels of silver.
After things slowed down in Heavenly Water City, Li Zhen continued on to the third city.
When only one month remained of the Mission period, Li Zhen had expanded into five more cities and was finally close to completing the Mission.
At this point, his assets had reached the terrifying sum of more than ninety million taels of silver.
However, it was also at this moment that his affair came to light.
The matter of waving a grand banner and running a pyramid scheme reached the ears of Prince Lu in the capital.
“Young Master Lu Ning is now known by everyone, especially because of the rumor that he is Your Highness’s Offspring.”
“Your Highness, have you truly never heard of this man?”
“No.” Prince Lu shook his head.
“What extraordinary audacity! He actually dares to use Your Highness’s name to swindle people!”
From that day onward, unfavorable rumors about Li Zhen began spreading throughout the Outside world.
They said he was nothing but a con artist, that he was not Prince Lu’s Offspring, and that he had been swindling people by trading on the Prince’s name.
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