Poison Genius Consort

brother—the eldest son of the first wife—let him off.

The spot closest to the right hand side of the seated figure was empty, but next to that stood Ouyang Ning Jing.
She was the second young Miss, also born from the first wife.
Unlike other girls, she typically dressed herself in men’s garb and tied up her hair in a bun.
She wasn’t hiding her gender on purpose, but simply felt that women’s clothes liked to get in the way.
Men’s clothing were much more efficient and to the point.
Her figure was quite average, with a middling height and slim form.
Because of that and the fact that she never wore any accessories, everyone had gotten used to the sight of seeing her in men’s clothes despite knowing that she was a woman.
Her quiet and thoughtful eyes belied her young age, making her appear quite capable, experienced, and reliable.

The empty spot next to her belonged to the eldest young Miss, who was never present at the Cloud Realm Trade Consortium meetings.
This time was no exception.
Naturally, the man sprawled in the chair was the Di Clan’s eldest son by the first wife and the current clan head.
His name was Ouyang Ning Cheng1—or more accurately, his real name was Ning Jing.
When the “Cheng” in his name was combined with Ouyang Ning Nuo’s “Nuo,” the two of them made a phrase: chengnuo, or “an oath or promise.” Of course, there was a deep meaning to that phrase, but only they knew the story behind it.

“Big bro, everyone’s here!” Ouyang Ning Nuo announced.

Ouyang Ning Cheng ignored him, still lost in his own thoughts.
Before Ouyang Ning Nuo could speak up again, he saw Ouyang Ning Jing glaring at him and shrugged in silence.
Just like that, everyone remained standing for two whole hours before Ouyang Ning Cheng rose to his feet and tossed out, “All dismissed.”

Then he left.

Just like that, Cloud Realm Trade Consortium’s most top-secret meeting ended without any conclusion.
Everyone leveled questioning looks at Ouyang Ning Jing.
Since she was their president now, she owed them an explanation.
Ouyang Ning Jing only swept her gaze across them and said coldly, “What’s with all the impatience? The clan head naturally has a plan to deal with this!”

“President Jing, then Medicine City…” someone couldn’t help but ask.
Multiple supplies from the city had all but halted recently, all of them items in high demand.
If this kept on, it’d affect their business in the drug trade.

Ouyang Ning Jing didn’t hesitate.
“Spread orders to stop all business with Medicine City immediately.
Since the city’s violated their agreement with us first, it’ll have to make reparations! Before we settle claims, Medicine City won’t get an iota of Cloud Realm Trade Consortium’s medicinal ingredients!”

Everyone was alarmed by her proclamation.

“President Jing, please reconsider!”

“President Jing, without the drug trade, we’ll be the ones who suffer the greater losses!”

“President Jing, now isn’t the time to be stubborn.
You’ve been in Medicine City for so long, wouldn’t this waste all your efforts?”

As the clamor rose in the room and threatened to drown Ouyang Ning Jing in protests, she stood there loftily, her chin raised high as she aim icy glares at those present.
Her boldness, aura, and determination were no less inferior than a man’s.
Gradually, her prolonged silence made her detractors shut up as well.
Ouyang Ning Jing settled to sit on the table and crossed her arms.

“Those against the idea can step out.
This president will give you one year’s time to negotiate terms with Medicine City.
If you can get to an agreement, the president’s spot is yours! Does anyone want to do it? Come out!”

Silence greeted her words.
Nobody dared to step out.
Although none of them knew the exact situation between the Chu Clan and the Duke of Qin, all of them knew that Han Yunxi was the Pill King’s disciple.
Medicine City, in turn, revered the Pill King, so they wouldn’t dare to offend Han Yunxi.
The best way to keep her on good terms was to cut off cooperations with Cloud Realm Trade Consortium and offer all their products to Pill Fiend Pharmacy instead.
Ouyang Ning Jing had failed to break through with them after months of talks.
How could any of them do any better? Even a decade wouldn’t be enough!

After waiting a while with no results, Ouyang Ning Jing asked coldly, “Since you all know that it’s impossible, why are you still wasting time debating about it?”

One person timidly said, “President Jing, although negotiations aren’t going well, you can’t sever agreements just like that.
We may not lose any money, but in the long run…”

“In the long run?” Ouyang Ning Jing cut him off.
“How long would that be? Do you know how many branch stores Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s opened up already?”

“53 shops…” the man answered.

“Wrong! Yesterday another shop opened up in a seaside city in Tianan Country! Now there are 54! How many shops do you think Pill Fiend Pharmacy needs to open before it controls the entire medicine markets across Cloud Realm Continent?” Ouyang Ning Jing asked next.

“They should need about 300 shops,” the man said again.

“Wrong! 100 stores will be enough, because Pill Fiend Pharmacy began selling wholesale last month.
Its retail stores are already supplying smaller drugstores! Moreover, they’re selling their goods at an extremely low price.
Not only are they not making any profits, they’re paying for transportation fees out of their own pockets.”

Ouyang Ning Jing’s words stunned the crowd.
Even Ouyang Ning Nuo, who hadn’t spoken a word, found himself shocked.
Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s methods were too clever.
Like this, they would take over all of the medicine market within half a year!

“Compared to fruitlessly negotiating in Medicine City, it’s better to stop now and accuse them of reneging on their contracts, so we can keep all profits made in the interim to ourselves!” Ouyang Ning Jing declared.

The profits made between Cloud Realm Trade Consortium and Medicine City’s trades were always split at the end of the year.
The consortium typically took away the cost of transportation and fees before giving the net profit for their business to Medicine City.
Currently, that amount was still sitting in their hands! Compared to Ouyang Ning Nuo, Ouyang Ning Jing was shrewder and more decisive!

The crowd was sincerely convinced by her argument.
Still, Ouyang Ning Jing’s next words raised their admiration even more, because she said…

Ouyang Ning Cheng (欧阳宁承) – Ouyang is a two-character surname, Ning is “peaceful, tranquil,” while Cheng means “to bear/hold/sustain, undertake contract/continue, be indebted to, granted a favor.”