Shuli Go Stories Vol. 4: A Week's Bliss

Part 14

Three days later, Lian returned to the Golden Slumbers. She had watched Madam Cicao enter, waited half an hour, then walked straight into the basement office.

The older woman was surprised, but not scared. Lian hadn't brought her swords.

"Madam Zhao," she nodded from behind her table, counting figures. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"Duan's death," Lian responded plainly.

"Death?" Cicao let her surprise register on her face for a split second before recomposing herself. "I thought he was just... missing."

"Yes. Legally he'll be missing for another 117 days, but then he'll officially be dead. But between you and me, he's dead now."

Cicao sat back in her chair, pulled her hands up under her chin, and nodded sagely. "I see."

Lian raised an eyebrow to say she had not received her due. "You can thank me later."

Cicao harrumphed. "Thank you? Why would I do that?"

"Well as I understand it, you're part owner of the Golden Slumbers."

"Yes, I am."

"How much of a part do you own?"

"Four per cent."

"Well in 117 days you're going to own forty-nine per cent."

Cicao raised an eyebrow of her own. "What do you mean?"

"As I understand it, Duan had bought out all his other family members over the years. Wanted to pass it on to his...eight children? Is that right?"

"That's right. He wanted them each to have a part of it when he died."

"Well, see that was a problem for me. So what I did was I broke into his house and got his wife to open their secret safe for me, and I found the contract that he had for Mei, sealed with some of her blood and the magic seal of the Shei Chaste. And then I took that contract to the Prefect of Yiwu and very clearly laid out for him how such a contract was not just illegal, but very poorly reflective of the law and order of this fine city. And I then explained that in the case of illegal, magic-induced contracts such as Mei's, that the only legal remedy, as per Central Empire law, is the complete forfeiture of all tainted assets."

"...You had the Prefect disown Duan's children?"

"Yeah. It's amazing how just a few gold coins help the wheels of justice turn that much more smoothly. And technically I just disowned Duan, because he's still just...missing. But yes, his shares have been nullified. Leaving you as the only existing shareholder of the Golden Slumbers brothel."

Cicao smiled, long and slow. Then her brow furrowed slightly. "But... you said..."

"Yes, forty-nine per cent. Where did the other fifty-one go? Well, of course I own them. Because you made me a very generous offer of fifty-one per cent of the business for one copper coin. And I, because I have a very strong mind for business, saw this was a very good price for such a profitable endeavor."

Cicao's smile disappeared. "Why exactly did I make such a... generous offer?"

"Because you have the other, less magical copy of Mei's contract – you know, the one you would show to inspectors and officials – in here somewhere. And all it would take is matching the signature on that contract to the one in the Prefect's office, to know that you, too, knew all about Mei and her... situation."

Cicao breathed slowly. Lian could see her evaluating her options before settling on the one that agreed forty-nine per cent was better than four. "I see. I made a pretty smart decision, didn't I?"