Chapter 590: Borrowing Manpower
Gu Kaiyuan stared at his brother-in-law without speaking. He just watched him quietly, which left the usually steady Bai Jianbei somewhat baffled. “Brother-in-law, is there something inappropriate about me today?”
His clothes for today’s outing had been prepared by the maids and menservants, so it was impossible for him to be wearing anything out of place.
“No, I just think Jiannan’s outfit today is exceptionally simple and convenient. It’s very thoughtful.”
Bai Jiannan looked down at the short jacket he was wearing and chuckled. “So that’s what it is. I came out this time to broaden my horizons, not to receive guests. Naturally, I should dress a bit more casually. It’s just a pity that we left in such a hurry this time, so I didn’t bring those short jackets from home. Otherwise, I’d be even more agile.”
“I can tell at a glance that you’re someone who gets things done. Under your future leadership, the Bai Family should be able to step up to a new level.”
Hearing Gu Kaiyuan praise him, Bai Jiannan instantly grew wary. “Brother-in-law, we are family. If you have something to say, just say it straight.” With all this sweet talk, he couldn’t help but feel like there was a pit waiting for him up ahead.
Gu Kaiyuan smiled. “That’s why they say you and your sister are true siblings. You’re both equally smart.”
“Brother-in-law, please stop praising me. I’m genuinely afraid you’re going to sell me out.”
“How could I? Even if I sold myself, I could never sell you out. Otherwise, your sister would fight me to the death.” Gu Kaiyuan chuckled and took a step forward, frightening Bai Jiannan into hastily backing up two steps.
“Don’t be so nervous…”
“Brother-in-law, just speak your mind. As long as I can help, I will.”
“Look at how you put it. Of course you can help.” Gu Kaiyuan thought to himself, “He truly is a member of the Bai Family. Even at a time like this, he doesn’t forget to leave himself an out—if he can’t help, he simply won’t, right?”
“Brother-in-law, please speak…”
“Since we’re out here, I was hoping to borrow your guards for a bit.”
When the head of the Bai Family traveled, many people followed him both openly and in the shadows. But once they boarded the ship, there was nowhere for them to hide. Seeing them, Gu Kaiyuan was truly envious.
“So it’s about this.” Bai Jiannan breathed a sigh of relief and said readily, “We are family. My guards are your guards. If there’s any heavy or dirty work, just give them the order, Brother-in-law.”
Gu Kaiyuan looked steadily at his younger brother-in-law. “There’s actually no heavy or dirty work. I just want to borrow them to help me get rid of some people.”
“Brother-in-law, we’re all law-abiding businessmen,” Bai Jiannan said. “We wouldn’t dare do anything illegal.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t indiscriminately kill a single good person,” Gu Kaiyuan replied.
Bai Jiannan walked past him, went straight to the table, and sat down. “We’re already out at sea, and everyone on this ship is one of our own…” He suddenly looked at Gu Kaiyuan in horror. “Brother-in-law, you’re not planning to bump me off, are you?
“But that doesn’t make sense either. If you bump me off, I still have my third brother…”
“You little brat, what nonsense are you thinking?” At this, Gu Kaiyuan could no longer care that he hadn’t achieved his goal. He simply slapped the back of the young man’s head. “Do you know about the Wokou pirates?”
“Of course I do. My father’s ships have been harassed by them quite a few times. Every time, we inevitably had to part with our wealth to avoid disaster.” Speaking of these people, Bai Jiannan gritted his teeth. “Fortunately, we always brought along some skilled fighters on the ships. Otherwise, who knows how much we would have lost.
“However, Brother-in-law, those little dwarfs are all very agile and cunning. I’m afraid they won’t be easy to deal with.
“Did you encounter them the last time you came out? Don’t worry, with my men here, we definitely won’t let you suffer a loss this time.”
Gu Kaiyuan was truly amazed by how wild this kid’s imagination was. He hadn’t even said anything yet, but the boy had already rattled off a whole bunch of stuff. However, his wholeheartedly protective intentions were good. Gu Kaiyuan smiled and patted his shoulder. “Kid, we have to broaden our perspective. Why should we always wait for them to harass us and take advantage? Can’t we turn the tables on them?”
Bai Jiannan looked Gu Kaiyuan up and down. Could he possibly have a solution to something that even the local government couldn’t resolve?
“Brother-in-law, you’re not planning to go harass them, are you?
“I’m telling you, it’s useless. These people are both poor and tyrannical. Even if you strip them naked, you probably won’t be able to dig out a single copper coin.”
Gu Kaiyuan curled his lips. “That’s why I say you’re still too naive. How could they be poor?
“They’ve been throwing their weight around on this coast for so long and robbed so much wealth. Where did all those things go? They couldn’t possibly have eaten it all, could they?”
“That actually makes a lot of sense. So, Brother-in-law, what exactly do you want to do?”
“Since I know where one of their lairs is, I was thinking of borrowing your men to strike first. We can take these people out and, while we’re at it, see if we can rob the rich to feed the poor.”
“I didn’t expect you to have such a chivalrous heart, Brother-in-law…” Bai Jiannan said.
Gu Kaiyuan pointed at himself. “They’re always making a fortune out there. It’s about time they took care of a poor man like me.”
“…That makes perfect sense,” Bai Jiannan replied. Never mind. Since the man could speak so openly about his own poverty, he decided not to spoil the mood. “If you’re short on Silver, Brother-in-law, I can also…”
“There’s no need for that. I prefer doing things myself to provide for my own needs.” Having achieved his goal this time, Gu Kaiyuan happily prepared to go share the good news with his wife.
Unexpectedly, this time Gu Jianan grabbed him instead. “Brother-in-law, wait.”
“Wait for what? Haven’t we already finished discussing everything? Don’t worry, let your men get some good rest now. I’ll give them their orders tonight.”
“Brother-in-law, we don’t even know how many people the enemy has. I only brought about twenty men this time. I’m afraid…” The Bai Family had spent a hefty sum to train these men, so naturally, they didn’t want to make meaningless sacrifices.
“Don’t worry, they’re just a motley crew. Besides, I’ll also be taking my men over to wipe out the bandits. If you’re uneasy, I can lead my men and charge at the front.”
Bai Jiannan felt completely unwell. If his mother and sister heard this, they would flay him alive! Frightened, he hastily waved his hands. “How could I let you charge at the front, Brother-in-law? I was just asking first. If the enemy has too many people, how about we go back and find some more men to bring over?”
“To deal with that motley crew, the men we have are more than enough. If you’re scared, just stay on the ship when the time comes. If anything goes wrong, you can have the helmsman set sail.”
“Brother-in-law, who are you looking down on? Do I look like the kind of person who clings to life and fears death?” Bai Jiannan had never encountered anything this thrilling before. Earlier, he had just wanted to be a bit more prudent. Now that he knew they were just a motley crew, his interest was piqued. “I’ve had some training too. Handling one or two grown men won’t be a problem.”
Gu Kaiyuan looked him up and down and gave a perfunctory nod. “Alright then. When the time comes, you can follow behind with your sister and the others. Your sister carries a lot of medicine on her; ordinary people can’t even get close to her.”
Bai Jiannan felt he was being looked down upon. He immediately puffed out his chest, stood up, and patted it. “Brother-in-law, I’ve learned a few moves from an expert. If you don’t believe me, we can spar right now.” What a joke. Having him hide behind his sister would sound terrible if word ever got out.