Chapter 413: Invitation from the County Office

“What happened?”
Ma Chun was startled by Liu An’s urgency and quickly stopped.
“Manager Ma, someone from the county office just came and said they need to talk to the owner about something important. They asked the owner to go to the county office right away,” Liu An said anxiously. “There was a bandit robbery not long ago in the north of the city. I’m worried something might happen to the owner if they go.”
“Did they mention what it’s about?” Ma Chun frowned. He knew Lin Dong’s strength and wasn’t afraid of any bandits. What puzzled him was what Yang Yankang, the county official, could possibly want to discuss with the owner.
“The messenger from the office wasn’t sure either. They said many people were invited, and the owner is just one of them,” Liu An explained.
At the door, Lin Dong stepped out, clearly having heard Liu An’s words. He strode down the corridor.
“Owner…”
Liu An tried to explain again but was interrupted by Lin Dong waving his hand.
“Did I say when?” Lin Dong asked.
“They said to come in the evening,” Liu An replied.
Although it wasn’t even noon yet, calculating the time, it should be almost time to arrive in the city if traveling by carriage alone.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Dong decided, “Get a carriage and head to the county office.”
“Owner… I think it’s better if I go instead,” Ma Chun hesitated. Without knowing the reason, rushing to the county office to discuss matters could easily lead to trouble. When an official summons a merchant, it’s often not a good sign.
“If you go, it will make others think you’re showing off, and Yang Yankang will lose face,” Lin Dong shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. It’s probably about the worm disease issue—just donations and supplies. If Yang Yankang can really solve it, it’s actually good news for our inn.”
Ma Chun nodded silently. He thought that this was likely the only reason the county office would make such an effort. If donating tens of thousands of silver coins could quickly resolve the worm disease problem, it indeed would be beneficial.
Lin Dong returned to his room to talk with Yun Lan about taking Wen Le Dan for a while. When he came out again, the carriage was ready.
Lin Dong stepped forward, lifted the carriage curtain, and entered. After sitting down, he waved his hand and said, “Go!”
Liu An, acting as the driver, snapped his whip, and the carriage drove out through the open side door in the backyard.
After a bumpy ride, Lin Dong looked outside. The empty streets came into view. Aside from the shops still open on both sides of the road, the street vendors had long disappeared, and the number of pedestrians was less than one-thousandth of what it used to be. Apart from a few bold men, women and children were hardly seen.

“It’s so deserted!” Liu An waved his whip and muttered to himself, “I wonder if I’ll run into someone with wet worm disease. It’s better if that happens, but if I meet bandits, it’ll be terrible.”
Lin Dong smiled but said nothing. If he hadn’t studied martial arts, he would likely share the same concerns as Liu An.
Wet worm disease had long become a common illness in the three western provinces, and the people of Lingnan City had more or less gotten used to it. Though they still felt a bit uneasy, they didn’t fear it as much as snakes or scorpions. What was truly terrifying were bandits—there wasn’t a single person in the Great Han Kingdom who wasn’t afraid of them.
Spitting out a wisp of mist, Lin Dong closed his eyes slightly. Inside his dantian, spiritual energy was flowing autonomously into his meridians at high speed.
It wasn’t until near dusk, as the cold grew heavier, that the carriage stopped.
“Owner, we’ve arrived,” Liu An’s voice came from outside the carriage.
Lin Dong lifted the curtain and stepped down. At first glance, he was slightly surprised. The carriage had stopped at the end of the street, and the entire street was filled with carriages of all kinds. Beside them, there were servants, retainers, and guards—so many that their numbers were more than ten times that of the carriages themselves, filling every gap between them.
“It seems we were a bit too bold,” Lin Dong said with a smile.
Liu An nodded in agreement. Looking at those wealthy people, each with a dozen guards and retainers around their carriage, while the owner only brought one groom along, Lin Dong felt such poverty that even his face burned with embarrassment.
In the eyes of the wealthy and powerful, not bringing as many guards as possible in such situations wasn’t bravery at all—it was sheer stupidity.
“Alright, find a restaurant to have dinner by yourself, then wait for me in the carriage,” Lin Dong said casually.
Liu An nodded.
Lin Dong pushed his way through the crowded street toward the county government office. After finally getting inside, the surroundings suddenly became clear.
“Owner Lin, please come in. I’ll take you there,” said a clerk who recognized Lin Dong, stepping forward quickly.
Lin Dong nodded and followed the clerk to the back office. Along the way, he met many acquaintances and chatted with them. Midway, a slightly breathless voice called out from behind.
“Owner Lin, long time no see.”
Lin Dong turned around and saw it was Liang Gufeng, the owner of Fenglin Restaurant. With his rapid panting, sweat dripping down his face, and the obvious joy he couldn’t hide, Lin Dong had the feeling that this Liang Gufeng must have deliberately waited for him.

Otherwise, although the streets are crowded, it wouldn’t be so crowded that one sweats profusely in the dead of winter.
“Owner Liang, it’s been months—you seem even more vigorous with age,” Lin Dong said politely with a smile, somewhat puzzled by Liang Gufeng’s deliberate wait for him.
Logically, with the spread of wetworm disease, Lin’s Inn wouldn’t gain any advantage, nor would Maple Forest Restaurant.
“I’ve aged; I’m not like Owner Lin, who can stroll around so calmly, with such composure and focus…” Liang Gufeng tutted. “I must admit defeat.”
“Where is that! Jiang is always sharp in old age. Owner Liang grows stronger with age—who in Lingnan City doesn’t know that?” Lin Dong wasn’t keen to continue the pleasantries and said, “It’s getting late. Please, Owner Liang.”
“Please, Owner Lin!” Liang Gufeng replied politely but didn’t miss Lin Dong’s intentions. Smiling, he gave a thumbs up and praised, “Owner Lin, the Pipeline Flower Fragrance you launched at Lin’s Inn over half a month ago is truly remarkable!”
“It’s Maple Forest Restaurant’s two signature dishes that are truly outstanding,” Lin Dong replied indifferently. “Throughout Lingnan City, I doubt there’s any other restaurant’s signature dishes that can compare to these two newly introduced dishes by Maple Forest Restaurant. It’s no wonder Maple Forest Restaurant has a presence throughout the Great Han Kingdom.”
“Owner Lin is too modest. In my opinion, it’s Lin’s Inn that comes up with brilliant strategies. Things like Pipeline Flower Fragrance are just as effective as the Spirit Stone Fan or VIP cards.” Liang Gufeng smiled, squinting. “Our Maple Forest Restaurant has been overshadowed by this Pipeline Flower Fragrance—we’ve had hardly any business these past few days. I guess Lin’s Inn must be doing well these days, right?”
Lin Dong frowned slightly. This Owner Liang seemed a bit overconfident. At their level as competitors—Lin’s Inn and Maple Forest Restaurant—there was no need to meet and exchange such insidious sarcasm.
But why was this Owner Liang so overconfident?
As far as Lin Dong knew, Liang Gufeng was known for his composure in Lingnan City. If anything made him overconfident, it might be the heavy loss he suffered at Lin’s Inn last time, but more importantly, he probably had a way to counter Lin’s Inn.
Suddenly, Lin Dong felt that this trip to the county office might not be just about donating silver. Perhaps Liang Gufeng already had some contingency plan in mind.
“Owner Lin seems preoccupied. Are you thinking about Lin’s Inn’s next move after seizing all the business from the city’s major restaurants?” Liang Gufeng knew he was being overconfident, but he just couldn’t help it.

The scene from months ago is still vivid in his mind. Every time he thinks about it, Liang Gufeng feels like gritting his teeth. Having finally found a way to crush Lin’s Inn once more, he simply can’t bear not to share it with Lin Dong.

It was for this reason that he waited outside the county government office, sending over a dozen of his men to spread out along the entire street, ready to report to him as soon as they saw Lin Dong.

Seeing that Lin Dong remained silent, Liang Gufeng felt a long-suppressed resentment burst forth like a flood. The sense of satisfaction and pleasure made him almost want to laugh out loud.

“Shopkeeper Lin, this time Lin’s Inn has used the scent of pipe flowers to strangle our Fenglin Restaurant into silence. On top of that, there’s been a massive outbreak of the wet worm disease, so the wealthy patrons dare not go to other restaurants. This is the perfect opportunity for Lin’s Inn to become the undisputed number one in Lingnan City’s restaurant industry,” Liang Gufeng said, seizing the moment. “Shopkeeper Lin, your luck is beyond my reach!”

Lin Dong stayed silent and quickened his pace slightly. This was different from last time at Lin’s Inn—he believed that even if Liang Gufeng were killed, he wouldn’t reveal his trump card in a fit of anger. So, there was no point in arguing with him here.

Liang Gufeng had no choice but to speed up and catch up. Though out of breath from exhaustion, he continued cheerfully, “Fate truly is something that ordinary people like us can’t predict. If Heaven wants to help someone, no matter how powerful their opponent is, it can easily bring them to ruin. Don’t you agree, Shopkeeper Lin?”

Lin Dong nodded agreeably.

Liang Gufeng beamed as if he’d found a treasure. “So, Shopkeeper Lin thinks the same as I do—Heaven’s will is unfathomable! The outbreak of the wet worm disease is like a timely rain. After you dominate the restaurant industry in Lingnan City with this advantage, I hope you’ll be kind enough to let our Fenglin Restaurant follow behind and make a living.”

“If you have the guts, go shout it outside the city,” Lin Dong said calmly. “I guarantee that within three days, Fenglin Restaurant will be packed with customers.”

Liang Gufeng’s momentum faltered for a moment before returning to normal, still smiling. “Shopkeeper Lin truly is one of the greatest philanthropists in Lingnan City. Your ability to remain compassionate even in such difficult times is something I deeply admire.”

Lin Dong suddenly stopped, causing Liang Gufeng to halt as well in surprise.

“Shopkeeper Lin, this…”

Before Liang Gufeng could finish speaking, Lin Dong took a few quick steps forward. Liang Gufeng hurriedly followed, and just as he was about to catch up, Lin Dong stopped abruptly, leaving Liang Gufeng unable to brake in time and falling behind by a meter or two.
“Shopkeeper Lin…”
Lin Dong’s pace quickened instantly. Liang Gufeng stumbled along for a few steps, only to be left behind again by Lin Dong’s sudden stop.
“Shopkeeper Lin…”
“Shopkeeper Liang is quite cute!” Lin Dong said with a smile and applause.
Liang Gufeng was stunned, then his face turned red.
Lin Dong smiled leisurely and strode toward the back courtyard.