Chapter 934: Personality

That very afternoon, Sun Ce personally brought a large amount of gifts to visit Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong. By then, Sun Ce had already learned their identities. He packed two jade discs, two jade tripods, and several large pearls—simple yet valuable gifts—and, along with Zhou Yu, set off to meet them.

Previously, Sun Ce had been ready to go to war with Liu Bei. After all, even the depth of Yuan Shu’s rage was evident to all—he had even shattered his favorite screen into pieces. Under such circumstances, how could Sun Ce not make preparations for war?

However, Yuan Shu never gave the order to mobilize the army. Instead, he quietly dug out some old objects from his home and sat there gazing at them—things he had played with as a child alongside Yuan Shao.

Since Yuan Shu remained silent, Sun Ce simply stayed in a state of readiness. After all, his own domain was in chaos, and there were still many troublesome matters left unresolved. Although the previous battle had eliminated Liu Biao, the greatest threat, it couldn’t be considered a complete victory, as the floods in Jingzhou and the displaced refugees still had not been dealt with.

"We’re really going like this?" Zhou Yu frowned as he glanced at Sun Ce, who was lugging two large jade tripods filled with gifts. He felt a bit uneasy. It wasn’t often they went to personally recruit someone unfamiliar.

"Why shouldn’t we go?" Sun Ce asked, puzzled.

"I just think it looks a bit showy," Zhou Yu said, feeling a headache come on as he looked at the lavish gifts.

"Shouldn’t we bring gifts?" Sun Ce rolled his eyes.

"Alright then, let’s go," Zhou Yu sighed, dropping the matter. Inexperience was inexperience, no matter how clever one was—there wasn’t much they could do about it.

So, with great fanfare, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu brought their gifts to pay a visit. Even before they arrived, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong knew someone was coming to see them.

"It looks like Sun Bofu and Zhou Gongjin," Zhang Zhao said with a smile. "Young men certainly approach things with vigor. And Sun Ce—he’s handsome and full of vitality, truly has the air of a great leader."

"..." Zhang Hong, however, ignored Zhang Zhao. He knew exactly what his brother was thinking. Zhang Zhao didn’t want to go to Liu Bei because Liu Bei hadn’t given them an out.

"I’ll go greet them," Zhang Zhao said, suppressing a bitter smile. He had heard of Sun Ce but had never seen him in person. Now that they had met, he found that Sun Ce indeed had an aura of dominance—there was a certain presence about him as he walked, a stride like that of a dragon or tiger. Zhang Zhao began to feel that maybe this was a good choice.

Alright, perhaps that was all just in Zhang Zhao’s imagination. The truth was, he simply found Sun Ce agreeable, and having seen Sun Ce’s swift capture of Jingxiang, Zhang Zhao believed in his capability. Moreover, Sun Ce had inherited Yuan Shu’s foundation, so he had strong reserves and a solid base.

Zhang Zhao was unwilling to go to Liu Bei’s side. Ever since Zhang Hong suggested returning to Xuzhou, Zhang Zhao had been thinking that if they were to settle for someone, it might as well be someone who appeared to have great potential. And now, Sun Ce seemed like a promising candidate.

"So, what should I do next?" Sun Ce asked, as this was his first time visiting a talented individual. When he went to meet Zhuge Jin, at least there had been an acquaintance, Pang Tong. That visit didn’t even count as recruitment—it was more like catching up with an old friend. Sun Ce didn’t even need to say much before Zhuge Jin agreed to join him.

As for past situations, talented people had always either immediately bowed to him or brought their armies to join him. This was the first time he had ever brought gifts to personally recruit someone, and he found it odd that the other party hadn’t come looking for him instead.

"We’ll present the gifts first to show our admiration. Then we’ll talk about topics of mutual interest," Zhou Yu suggested after thinking for a moment.

"I’m reminded of Ziyu. Let’s just get straight to the point," Sun Ce said, thinking back to the time he met Zhuge Jin. No matter how much Zhuge Jin tried to steer the conversation away, Sun Ce had cut to the chase and overwhelmed him with his charisma.

Zhou Yu could only sigh. He wasn’t too familiar with this process either. But for such an accomplished scholar, they needed someone with status to make the invitation. The problem was that he didn’t fully trust Sun Ce to handle it, so he had come along as well.

Zhang Hong watched Sun Ce and Zhou Yu from the upstairs window and heard their conversation, a faint smile forming on his face. He found himself growing fond of the two, but it didn’t sway his resolve.

Zhang Zhao opened the door and invited Zhou Yu and Sun Ce in. Within moments, the three were chatting comfortably. Even Sun Ce, dense as he could sometimes be, realized he had won over another talented man without much effort.

"Please, come in. My brother Zhang Zigang is inside. However, his temper is not the best, so I ask for your understanding," Zhang Zhao said, after warming up to them with a few words. Zhou Yu immediately understood the situation between the two brothers.

"Greetings, Master Zhang," Zhou Yu and Sun Ce said, bowing with the courtesy of juniors after stepping into the room, while Zhang Hong casually nodded in response.

In the conversations that followed, Sun Ce said very little, while Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao hit it off, engaging in lively discussion. Zhou Yu, who had a basic grasp of administrative affairs, found Zhang Zhao’s insights enlightening. He was able to sort out many issues that had troubled him, thanks to Zhang Zhao’s explanations. Meanwhile, Zhang Hong seemed largely disinterested.

After a while, Sun Ce noticed the disconnect. Zhang Hong clearly wasn’t interested and barely bothered to speak.

Zhou Yu, however, didn’t mind at all. He kept pouring tea and refilling water, not showing any sign of displeasure. In Zhou Yu’s eyes, securing Zhang Zhao alone would already bring immense growth to their strength. While it was unfortunate that they might not win over both brothers, he knew it was best not to offend Zhang Hong either.

"Master Zhang, they seem to be having such a great conversation. Why haven’t you said anything?" Sun Ce, who had grown bored listening to the discussion, began poking at Zhang Hong, displaying his usual reckless spirit.

"I don’t feel like talking," Zhang Hong replied coldly.

Up until now, Sun Ce hadn’t shown anything that impressed Zhang Hong. Naturally, Zhang Hong wasn’t inclined to engage. For Zhang Zhao, there wasn’t much point in trying to persuade him. Each great strategist had their own beliefs, and while Zhang Hong might not be as extreme as someone like Li You, he was still hard to sway.

"Oh, just join me," Sun Ce said bluntly, for some reason finding Zhang Hong’s stoic demeanor rather appealing.

Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao were left speechless. Was this how one recruited people? Diving straight to the point without preamble?

"Give me a reason," Zhang Hong said, looking at Sun Ce with a faint hint of interest.

"I think you’re pleasant to look at," Sun Ce replied truthfully.

"I find you unpleasant to look at," Zhang Hong retorted wryly.

"That doesn’t matter. I think you’re pleasant to look at, and that’s enough. After all, you’ll be working for me, not the other way around," Sun Ce said, dismissing Zhang Hong’s retort outright.

"That’s an acceptable reason, but I still don’t see any meaning in working for you," Zhang Hong said, taking a sip of wine before gazing out the window at the clouds, his tone flat yet filled with rejection.

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