The Development of Escort Agencies

After eating and drinking his fill, Qin Jianghe kept in mind the matter Aunt Yang had entrusted to him about helping to find her family.

So, he brought out a few plates of ordinary dishes with minor spiritual effects that Jiang Youfu had specially prepared for him, taking them to the escort agency in the front courtyard to treat his escort brothers to a meal.

The escorts on duty in the front courtyard, who were already practically drooling over the aroma of the food from the backyard, saw Boss Qin bring out several large plates of food. Instantly, their mouths watered uncontrollably.

They knew it, the boss wouldn't forget them!

And here it was, bringing over a share of the delicious food for them!

"Happy New Year, brothers! These are some dishes brought from home. I'm sharing them with everyone as a late New Year's greeting!"

As he spoke, someone with a good eye for the situation quickly set up a table for him to place the food on.

"The boss's home-cooked food sure smells amazing! We could smell it all the way out here in the front courtyard, haha! We're really benefiting today!"

"Boss, come quickly, have a few bites with us!"

Seeing this, Qin Jianghe smiled and sat down. He then reached into his pouch and instructed a nearby errand boy to go buy a jug of wine.

"We still have work to do today, so I won't get too much. Just a couple of sips per person as a token gesture."

After they had their fill of food and wine, everyone gathered comfortably around the table to rest and chat.

Qin Jianghe found a suitable opening in the conversation and mentioned:

"By the way, an aunt of mine heard some time ago that her family members suffered a disaster and went missing. There's been no news since, and she doesn't even know if they are alive or dead. She's extremely worried and thinks about it constantly. She can't eat or sleep well, and it's truly pitiful to see.

I was wondering if I could ask you brothers to take a moment to ask around when you're out on escort missions."

The most senior among the escorts, a middle-aged burly man named Master Gao, was usually quite righteous. Hearing Boss Qin, who had always treated their group of brothers so well, say this, he immediately waved his large hand and spoke up:

"Don't worry, Boss! From now on, whenever I'm out and have a spare moment, I'll ask around for our aunt. I'll definitely bring back some solid news for her!"

Because Qin Jianghe usually treated the brothers he had recruited very well and never slighted them.

Furthermore, the people in the agency had all gone on escort missions with Qin Jianghe and had witnessed his capabilities. They had never looked down on him because of his young age.

Therefore, now that Qin Jianghe had spoken up and even treated them to such good wine and food, how could anyone refuse? Following Master Gao's lead, they all patted their chests and promised to help him inquire carefully.

Having received everyone's agreement, Qin Jianghe detailed the names and general circumstances of Yang Jinshu's parents, as well as the location where they had initially gone missing.

Thus, Yang Jinshu's wish to find her family had finally taken its first step.

It couldn't be helped.

Yang Jinshu, widowed early in life, had already found it incredibly difficult just to raise her two children under the oppression of the Liu family's old estate. She simply had no spare energy to search for her parents and relatives.

Now, because of cultivation, her life had undergone earth-shattering changes, and she could finally pursue this matter.

Having handled Aunt Yang's matter, Qin Jianghe chatted and laughed as he helped everyone clear the table. He then returned to the backyard to review the agency's affairs during the New Year period.

Inside the agency's study.

Looking at the ledger in his hands, Qin Jianghe tapped his fingers on the desk rhythmically, his mind wandering slightly.

During his return home for the New Year, no issues had arisen in any of the agency's affairs. His two older male cousins had now thoroughly familiarized themselves with all the agency's operations.

The fixed business channels here were also fundamentally stable.

In that case, perhaps it was time to expand.

Qin Jianghe thought to himself.

Previously, due to the bandit who was a Qi Condensation realm cultivator, many escort agencies in Songyang County had suffered heavy losses. Some had gone bankrupt, while others had stopped taking that route.

Only the Lingxiao Escort Agency had emerged out of nowhere, monopolizing all the escort missions on that route without losing a single one.

It could be said that they were an instant success, and the Lingxiao Escort Agency's prominence in Songyang County was unmatched for a time.

Although the government later released news that the bandits on that official road had been eradicated, and other agencies gradually began to dare to take missions on that route again.

But they had long missed the prime opportunity.

Many large merchant firms only trusted the Lingxiao Escort Agency, and some had even signed long-term contracts directly with them.

Therefore, during this period, the Lingxiao Escort Agency could be said to be raking in wealth.

However, Qin Jianghe did not just leave the other agencies in the county with no way to survive.

The merchants didn't seek out these agencies, but Qin Jianghe himself went to them to discuss cooperation.

Simply put, he wanted these agencies to align with them.

They would regularly pay a protection fee based on their mission volume each year, and in return, Lingxiao would act as their backer and guarantor.

Although it might not sound very pleasant, because the percentage of the protection fee Qin Jianghe collected was not high, these agencies, after careful consideration, felt it was acceptable.

Because even though the news of the bandits being eradicated was released by the government, within the escort industry of Songyang County, everyone was secretly spreading rumors that it was actually the Lingxiao Escort Agency that had annihilated those fierce bandits.

Even the industry in the neighboring county had heard about it.

Therefore, these agencies in Songyang County considered that if they aligned with the Lingxiao Escort Agency, they would only need to give up a tiny bit of profit on each mission. In the future, whenever there was trouble, they could rely on the Lingxiao Escort Agency to clear the way and solve it. They wouldn't face a situation like before, where they couldn't do business on a crucial official road because of bandits.

This would guarantee their agency's long-term business. No matter how they looked at it, these agencies felt it was quite a good deal.

So they all signed contracts with the Lingxiao Escort Agency one after another.

The smooth business, combined with the income from leading the escort agencies in Songyang County, gave Qin Jianghe the capital to expand.

However, if they were to expand to other places, it might not be as smooth as in Songyang County, where they had encountered such a convenient stepping stone.

But Qin Jianghe was certainly not someone to retreat in the face of difficulties. Therefore, he called Gu Yuxiao and his two older cousins over to discuss the matter of outward expansion.

While the young people discussed their careers, Mother Qin and Tietou's Mother were not in the least bit interested.

They were fully implementing their purpose for leaving Xiushui Village this time.

Broadening their horizons.

Every day, apart from their unwavering morning cultivation just like when they were in the sect, the only thing they did was go out and wander around aimlessly.

Qin Jianghe didn't restrict them either, letting them play around as they pleased. He wasn't afraid of them causing trouble; he would clean up the mess.

His only requirement for them was that if things looked bad, they should run away immediately.

Therefore, the two of them practically ducked into every alley they saw and joined every bustling crowd they encountered.

Because they explored the alleys so thoroughly, they even accidentally eavesdropped on a wide variety of private conversations.

This period of time truly counted as an eye-opening experience for the two women.

They weren't afraid of getting lost, though.

Anyway, Lin Xiao had provided the agency with many positioning teleportation talismans. The master talisman was right there in the agency, so even if they got lost, it didn't matter; they could just teleport straight back.