Chapter Fifteen: The Second Countermeasure

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Chi Zhiyong stared at the water carts slowly entering Chang’an, his hands and feet icy cold. The covers weren’t even closed, so the fish inside could be seen leaping about in chaos.

“Captain, should we make a move?” his aide whispered anxiously.

From head to toe, Chi Zhiyong felt a chill. Take action? These were clearly the fire brigade’s water wagons from Chang’an, and even if he seized them, what would he gain? Nothing but a wagon full of fish, and he’d likely lose his own position as captain for it.

A muffled, thunderous grunt jolted Chi Zhiyong to his senses.

He saw a young man, tall as an iron tower, staring at him with an overwhelming ferocity that made it hard to breathe. Chi Zhiyong had always prided himself on his own bravery, but he realized that if he had to fight this youth, his chances of survival were nearly zero.

This was a threat from Mohist Village.

“Tie An, let’s go. He’s nothing but a clown,” Mo Dun said indifferently, not even sparing Chi Zhiyong a glance as he led Tie An into Chang’an.

Only after Tie An disappeared through the city gate did Chi Zhiyong recover from the pressure of his presence.

“You won’t be pleased for long!” Chi Zhiyong’s face flushed with humiliation and anger.

A sigh swept through the crowd at the gate. They had expected a fierce confrontation, but it turned out to be just a show of bravado.

Outside the South Gate, Mohist Village had dug a pond as a holding station for live fish. The fish market was only two li away from the South Gate, a distance negligible for live fish. Though it took some effort, this completely cut off any chance of leaks.

With this, the city gate was no longer an obstacle for Mohist Village. In just a hundred steps, the problem was solved, leaving Chi Zhiyong helpless and fuming.

“It seems Mohist Village is no easy opponent,” many thought to themselves.

“But Chi Zhiyong is in for trouble now. With the Mohists’ secret method for live fish no longer passing through the South Gate, his role as gate captain is useless. Let’s see if he can withstand Mohist Village’s counterattack,” some watched Chi Zhiyong with ill-concealed glee.

Chi Zhiyong was well aware of his predicament, cursing inwardly, “So close!”

He’d been caught off guard last time and Mo Dun’s backup plan had let them slip by. This time, he thought he’d left no chance for the Mohists, yet they had gone a step further, cutting off his opportunity altogether.

He groaned in deep regret. Offending a founding baron of the empire was not something a mere captain could afford.

Mohist Fresh Fish Shop.

The backyard had long since been dug out for a pond.

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The pond was over a meter deep, lined with blue bricks on the bottom and sides, and filled with clear water so transparent that the twenty cartloads of fish inside could be seen swimming from the bank.

“The Mohist live fish have been upgraded—choose any fish you like, supplied continuously all day!” the fishmonger called out with practiced ease.

“They really do sell fish all day now!” Manager Pan exclaimed in disbelief.

Only a few days ago, the Mohists would pack up and leave at noon, regardless of whether the live fish were sold out. At midday, one might still buy some, but by evening it was impossible to get live fish.

Yet the busiest time for restaurants was at night. If live fish were supplied all day, the Pan family restaurant’s business would surely soar.

“Of course. This is just the first batch from Mohist Village. We have two teams, each making two trips, so another sixty cartloads will arrive in Chang’an. Forty carts in the morning, forty in the afternoon—ample supply guaranteed,” Mo Dun announced loudly to the buyers.

“Fantastic!” the crowd cheered. Most were managers of restaurants and bulk buyers. In this era without refrigeration, being able to buy fresh fish in the afternoon greatly improved quality for dinner service.

“Please, select at your leisure. If you miss out, don’t worry—another batch from Mohist Village will arrive before midday,” Mo Dun said with a smile.

“I’ll take five!”

“Give me ten!”

“I’ll have two!”

...

With Mohist Village now openly supplying live fish, there was no more panic buying. The process was orderly, with customers pointing out fish in the pond for the villagers to net.

The novelty of picking one’s own live fish was a delight, and soon word spread, drawing more and more people to the shop.

As the stock began to run low, it seemed they might not last much longer.

“The second batch has arrived!” Uncle Fu shouted in delight.

“Just in time!” Mo Dun breathed a sigh of relief. Without it, they really would have run out.

With cart after cart of fresh fish arriving, Mohist Village’s upgraded debut was a resounding success.

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“It’s finally over!”

When the last customer left and the doors were shut, everyone from Mohist Village breathed a collective sigh of relief.

A whole day of nonstop selling had left them exhausted. Even Mo Dun had to pitch in when things got busy.

Still, fatigue was nothing compared to the sight of their earnings piled high. Any complaint had vanished. What did it matter if they were tired? So long as Mohist Village prospered, and even the young master worked alongside them.

Wang’s Fish Shop.

Crash! Manager Wang smashed his favorite porcelain to pieces in rage.

“And Chi Zhiyong still has the nerve to come to me! He couldn’t even handle one simple task—ended up alerting the enemy instead. Tell him to stay away and keep his mouth shut. If he dares to spread a word, I’ll make sure he regrets it,” Wang thundered.

“Yes, sir!” A shop assistant hurried off.

Accountant Zhang watched Manager Wang’s outburst with a wry smile. Now that Chi Zhiyong’s move had failed, the Mohists no longer brought their fish carts through the city gate, making it impossible to get their secret for transporting live fish.

“Accountant Zhang, how did our shop do today?” Wang demanded.

“Sir, sales of dead fish are unchanged, but live fish sales have plummeted. Some restaurants are already buying Mohist live fish,” the accountant replied.

Wang’s face turned livid. “Ungrateful wretches! They begged me for live fish once, and now they drop us at the first chance.”

He had once controlled the largest live fish market in Chang’an, making things difficult for restaurant managers who came begging. Now, the tables had turned, and as soon as another option appeared, those same managers abandoned Wang’s shop.

“The remaining restaurants are saying their customers are specifically asking for the Mohist live fish. If you don’t come up with something soon, the rest will go over to their shop as well,” the accountant said bitterly.

Crash! Another porcelain piece met its end in Wang’s hands.

“Mohist Village has gone too far!” Wang shouted in fury.