"No, Laurent, perhaps we still have an opportunity to cooperate."
Laurent looked at Li De in confusion. How could they still cooperate when he was on the verge of bankruptcy?
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he beca visibly excited. "Lord Li De, do I have a talent for magic?
By the Goddess, isn't it said that the older you get, the weaker your magical talent becos?
Am I the magical genius the bards sing about? Lord Li De, I am willing, I am willing to beco your apprentice!"
Li De's face darkened. With your current state, your talent for begging is undoubtedly your strongest suit—especially once you go bankrupt.
"No, Laurent, forget about becoming a mage. The Goddess of Magic is not a generous deity."
"Rather than magic, I am more inclined to leave the Golden Wheat rchant Guild in your hands."
Laurent was visibly disappointed. Did I really have no talent for magic?
Li De's words left him stunned. Leave the Golden Wheat rchant Guild in his hands?
"Lord Li De, are you saying you want to invest in our Golden Wheat rchant Guild?
Oh Goddess, your vision is worthy of praise from the Goddess of Wealth herself."
Laurent felt as if he had been chosen by the Goddess of Wealth. A powerful mage from Green City wanted to invest in his guild.
This was even more exciting than discovering he had a talent for magic.
"No, Laurent, you're overthinking it."
Li De's slow, deliberate words instantly dashed Laurent's hopes, as if the last lifeline had been cut.
"Lord Li De, you, you..."
Seeing the mix of despair and faint hope in Laurent's expression, Li De shook his head.
"I have no interest in investing in the Golden Wheat rchant Guild."
It was over.
Li De's words extinguished the last glimr of hope in Laurent's heart. He was still a rchant on the brink of bankruptcy.
"However, I am interested in acquiring the Golden Wheat rchant Guild.
I will help you repay all your debts, and the Golden Wheat rchant Guild will beco my property. This includes your headquarters, your slaves, and all your assets.
As for you, Laurent, you can continue to manage the Golden Wheat rchant Guild, and I will pay you a salary of 10 gold Pucks per month."
"No, Lord Li De, our guild's headquarters, slaves, and sales channels are worth far more than 200 gold Pucks. Even if the Green City rchant Guild takes everything back, I wouldn't owe them much."
"Haha, do you really think those things will still be worth that much once you're unable to repay your debts? You know how the nobles operate. They will bleed you dry."
Li De finished the hot milk in his cup and fixed Laurent with a piercing gaze.
"Mr. Laurent, this opportunity cos only once. If it weren't for our familiarity, you wouldn't have caught my attention.
You must understand that a high-level mage with a seat in the Green City Mage Guild could easily establish a rchant guild. With a single word, countless people would offer their guilds to ."
Li De completely controlled this lopsided negotiation. Laurent had no right to refuse.
The choice was clear: beco a bankrupt debtor, worse off than a beggar, or cling to a powerful patron and remain the manager of a rchant guild.
Any sensible person would know what to choose.
Although Li De's decision to acquire the Golden Wheat rchant Guild was sowhat impulsive, he had considered the deeper implications.
As the ancient castle developed, a large number of humans would eventually settle there.
At that point, a significant amount of daily necessities would need to be purchased from the outside world.
Without his own rchant guild, each purchase from an external guild, while not a major issue, would over ti expose them to risks and incur substantial additional costs, as rchant guilds naturally sought profit.
Having a guild entirely under his control would eliminate these problems.
The Golden Wheat rchant Guild was simply the right opportunity at the right ti. A guild on the verge of bankruptcy due to lack of funds, yet with its comrcial channels intact, was an excellent choice.
Most importantly, in the mories of the Vampire Progenitor, Laurent was a rchant with no background but considerable skill in business. In fact, he was extrely shrewd.
If not for the lack of a powerful backer and the constant exploitation by various forces in the city, his guild would have been much larger.
Establishing a new guild from scratch would be a waste of ti. Recruiting personnel, securing a base, and establishing channels would all have to start from zero, which didn't align with his current interests.
The fixed assets of the Golden Wheat rchant Guild were easily worth more than 200 gold Pucks—Laurent simply lacked the ans to make the nobles acknowledge this.
This investnt was a no-lose situation.
If managed well, it could beco a powerful asset in the future. This was a calculated risk for long-term gains.
The investnt was only a little over 200 gold Pucks. Even if it failed, the loss was negligible. He could afford it.
Laurent didn't deliberate for long. He had no leverage to negotiate with Li De.
The title of "high-level mage" was enough to make him swallow any bargaining words.
"I agree, Lord Li De. As long as you help repay my debts, the Golden Wheat rchant Guild is yours."
Laurent's voice was bitter, but he gritted his teeth and spoke the words.
Although it pained him to see the guild he had built over a lifeti beco soone else's property, a sense of relief washed over him. At least he wouldn't have to bear the 200 gold Pucks debt to the Green City rchant Guild.
The Green City rchant Guild was backed by nobles. He could only imagine what would happen if he failed to repay the debt.
His guild, his ho, his wife—everything would be seized by those despicable nobles.
"A wise choice. After we return to the city, co to my mage tower to sign the contract. You will beco a man with a high-level mage as your backer.
From today onward, those underground forces will no longer trouble you, and the troubleso nobles will no longer harass the Golden Wheat rchant Guild.
All of this is the result of your wisdom."
After hearing this, Laurent suddenly felt that selling the guild might not be such a bad idea.
Dealing with the various underground forces in Green City was the most headache-inducing task for a guild like the Golden Wheat rchant Guild, which had no powerful backing. At least 60% of the gold Pucks he earned each year were extorted by these underground forces.
Many of these underground forces were backed by nobles, so rchants had no way to resist.
"Lord Li De, this is your grace. Laurent Orlando swears loyalty to you."
Laurent was a man who knew when to hold on and when to let go. Once his position was confird, he imdiately knelt on one knee and pledged his allegiance to Li De.
Ding~ Laurent Orlando has pledged allegiance to you. Do you accept?
Hearing the system prompt in his ear, Li De was montarily stunned. There was such a feature?
Accept.
He casually helped Laurent to his feet and opened his attribute panel in his mind.
Na: Laurent Orlando
Class: rchant [Level: 12]
Innate Talent: Business Acun
Skills: Insight, Negotiation, Intimidation, Bargaining, Information Gathering
Description: This is an outstanding rchant who may be capable of managing a large-scale guild.
Affiliation: Crimson Mage Tower (Li De Kachar)
After reviewing Laurent's attributes, Li De was sowhat surprised. He hadn't expected this guy to be a professional rchant, and his level had even reached 12, two levels higher than his own.
He couldn't help but feel like he had stumbled upon a treasure.
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