When Decius stood outside his lobbyist friend's door, he felt that something was amiss. He did not know how things got to this point.
He just took on a good job that did not require him to do much work. All he had to do was lie still, and he could get the emperor's appreciation. Now, he had to help Zhang Heng look for a man with a red birthmark all over the city. However, as Zhang Heng said, since things had come to this, he could only try his best to find the mastermind behind all this. Otherwise, if Commodus got angry, not only would he lose his job, but it would also affect the emperor's trust in his family.
However, unlike Decius's nervousness, Zhang Heng looked very relaxed from beginning to end. He even had the mood to look at the tenants coming and going in the corridor.
Decius was a little confused about what was going on with Zhang Heng. Could it be that the bronze statue was not delivered on time, and as the consultant, he did not have to bear any responsibility? Or was Zhang Heng ready to push all the blame to him? If that was the case, he would be in deep trouble.
With a nervous heart, Decius knocked on the door of his lobbyist friend's house.
The latter was still taking a nap, and he was awakened by the knock on the door. He got up from the bed, took some time to put on his clothes, and stepped on the floor until it creaked. After that, he hurriedly opened the door and poked his head out.
"It's you. Aren't you busy casting the bronze statue? Why are you here?" Decius's lobbyist friend was a little surprised when he saw the person outside the door.
"We have some trouble, and we need your help." Decius glanced at Zhang Heng while speaking. He did not know how much he should say about this matter, and Zhang Heng did not say anything. In the end, Decius just said, "We are looking for a man with a red birthmark on his face."
"A man with a red birthmark on his face?" Decius's lobbyist friend shrugged, "Uh … I have never heard of such a person. Is there anything else?"
"Huh?" Decius was taken aback when he heard that. "No … nothing else."
"Then I hope you find the person you are looking for as soon as possible," Decius's lobbyist friend said as he was about to close the door.
But the next moment, a hand blocked the door that he was about to close.
"Do you mind if we go in and have a seat?" Zhang Heng asked.
"To be honest, I do mind. It's very messy inside." Decius's lobbyist friend rubbed his disheveled hair.
"It doesn't matter. We are not here to flirt with you anyway." After Zhang Heng finished speaking, he stepped in.
Decius's lobbyist friend wanted to stop him, but his small body was quickly pushed aside.
"Ah! Who are you? I don't know you at all! Why did you break into my apartment? "Decius's lobbyist friend screamed in agitation.
Zhang Heng ignored him and looked around the small apartment. As the owner said, it was indeed a mess. Wine bottles and dirty clothes were thrown everywhere, and there were two drunk women on the bed. Besides, this was a room on the second floor with a balcony. The rent was not cheap. Zhang Heng's apartment by the Tiber River was similar to this one.
Decius tried his best to smooth things over. "This is my friend, Klaus. He is a lobbyist for the senators."
"A gladiator? No wonder he likes to do things with brute force. I'm different. I rely on my brain and mouth to make a living." Klaus snorted and sneered.
"If you're really smart enough, you should be more polite. Otherwise, if I'm not happy, I might throw you down from here," Zhang Heng said leisurely.
Klaus's expression changed slightly when he heard Zhang Heng's words. He did not dare to look at Zhang Heng. Instead, he shifted his gaze to his friend, Decius. "What's going on? Can you explain it to me?!"
"This is a misunderstanding," Decius quickly explained, "We are tracking down a man with a red birthmark on his face. Consultant Zhang Heng thinks that he should be working for someone with a high position in the Senate. I know you know a lot of people in the Senate, so I came to look for you."
"You really know how to make things difficult for your friend." Klaus pulled the sheet over and covered the two women on the bed. "I have made it very clear when you were outside the door. I don't know such a person exists."
"Uh, think about it carefully. This matter is very important to us," Decius said with a smile.
On the other side, Zhang Heng also said, "I heard from Decius that when a bill is submitted to the Senate, you will act as a go-between and persuade those who originally approved or disapproved of it to change their stance."
"Hmm, what's wrong?" Klaus' attitude towards Zhang Heng was still not good, but because he was worried that Zhang Heng would really throw him out of the building, he did not dare to provoke him anymore.
"I believe there must be a lot of shady deals involved. How about I send two guards to follow you?"
"How can you do that?!" Klaus was furious when he heard what Zhang Heng said.
"Because I am the emperor's advisor. It is my job to investigate the secrets of the Senate and make the empire develop better."
"You want to investigate the secrets of the Senate? Even if you are the emperor's advisor, I don't believe you dare to offend so many nobles." Klaus sneered.
"Who said I want to offend so many nobles? I just want to find a suitable reason to send someone to keep an eye on you." Zhang Heng said indifferently, "I don't care how despicable the Senate is, and I don't care what your peers do every day."
Klaus was shocked and angry this time. He finally knew what Zhang Heng was planning to do. For people like him who carried out private activities and reached agreements on behalf of their employers, keeping a low profile was their way of survival. If he had two guards following him, he would not be able to do anything. And the competition in this industry was also very fierce. In less than a month or two, he would be replaced by other lobbyists.
"If I were you, I would answer his question honestly." Zhang Heng pointed at Decius.
Klaus's expression changed several times. After that, he walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, drank it to ease his emotions, and asked, "Why are you looking for him?"
But this time, before Zhang Heng could speak, Klaus continued, "Forget it. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"As expected of the Senate's trump card lobbyist. Wise choice," Zhang Heng praised him.
Klaus quickly wrote an address on the papyrus and handed it to Decius. "The person you are looking for is also a lobbyist like me. Forgive me for not telling you where he lives before. In our line of work, the biggest taboo is to meddle in other people's business. It's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"I can understand." Decius accepted the note and apologized, "I'm sorry this time. I will buy you a drink when this is over."
"No. You will be thankful if you forget that you still have a friend like me," Klaus said with a sullen face.
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