Chairman Gale, sitting at the forefront, felt extrely uncomfortable under the surrounding gazes. Yan Xing’s eyes, in particular, held a multitude of implications, making Gale want to jump up and flee.
Could there be a problem with the Assassin’s Guild? Impossible! The Assassin’s Guild doesn’t even know I was the one who issued the assassination mission; how could Yan Xing possibly know? He must be just guessing.
The Golden Oak Chamber of Comrce was the leader of the comrcial sector in Nuta City; even among the grain rchants present, more than half were its mbers.
Gale didn’t know what Yan Xing ant by summoning them during the banquet at the special envoy’s residence. But whatever Yan Xing wanted to do, he just had to stop him from succeeding.
"Knight Yan Xing, I’ve long wanted to et you to discuss the grain issue," Gale said, adopting the air of a seasoned rchant. "The purpose of rchants doing business is to make money. Only if there’s profit to be made will rchants exhaust their efforts and take risks to transport surplus goods to where they are scarce. Without adequate profit, rchants would absolutely not do such a thing.
"Now, a great war has broken out in the Wildwind Highlands. As part of the human race, we are, of course, willing to contribute to the Duchy. But we are not just individuals. We have families—parents, spouses, children. Our employees also have families, spouses, and children.
"If we don’t make money... what would we eat? What would our families eat?
"If we don’t make money... why would we co to such a dangerous place as the Wildwind Highlands?
"If we are really forced to leave Nuta City, could the Eternal Comrce Group supply the city’s needs all on its own?"
Gale’s words resonated with the grain rchants.
The great war that had erupted in the Wildwind Highlands had traceable origins. Count Theodore had hoarded military provisions early on, reducing the amount of grain sold. The grain rchants had noticed this, which was why they invested heavily to buy grain from the Duchy’s heartland. Transporting it all the way from the mainland to the highlands, coupled with losses during transit, transportation costs, and the expense of hiring rcenaries for protection, all contributed to a very high premium on the grain that reached Nuta City. After arriving in Nuta City, taxes had to be paid, storage arranged, guards hired, and further losses accounted for—all adding to another very high premium.
With costs soaring, the grain rchants were counting on selling the grain at a high price to make a warti profit. But just as they managed to drive up grain prices with the outbreak of war, Yan Xing’s Eternal Comrce Guild began distributing grain to its employees. The quantity was ample, and its quality was even better than what the grain rchants had.
With the residents of Nuta City having food to eat, the price of grain simply wouldn’t rise. Every grain rchant was bleeding inwardly, watching their full granaries with tear-filled eyes. They despised Yan Xing to the core.
Fortunately, as the scale of the war grew, a large influx of outsiders poured into Nuta City, causing an upward trend in grain prices. But who would have thought that Yan Xing, who had been out of sight for a long ti, would initiate another massive recruitnt drive as soon as he returned to Nuta City, distributing grain vigorously once more. They hadn’t even savored the sweet taste of rising grain prices before it was smashed back down.
Count Theodore was naturally pleased, but the grain rchants were utterly despondent. The war had reached a stalemate, but it was certain to end by winter. If the Orc and Elf allied forces advanced, the grain rchants would have no way to transport the grain in their storehouses. If the Orc and Elf allied forces retreated, grain prices were certain not to rise to the levels the grain rchants hoped for. This ant that many grain rchants would face complete financial ruin. rchants in other industries would also suffer greatly as a consequence. Nuta City might very well face a comrcial winter after the war. rchants would shun the place, leading to an extre shortage of supplies.
Therefore, what Gale said was not an overstatent and also echoed the sentints of many grain rchants.
For Yan Xing, however, the departure of these rchants and his opportunity to fill the void was naturally a great advantage. But Yan Xing’s sights were no longer fixed solely on the Wildwind Highlands. To the vast world, this highland was rely a speck of land. If Yan Xing’s Eternal Comrce Guild truly wanted to expand beyond the Wildwind Highlands, it couldn’t resort to exterminating other rchants.
Thinking of earning all the money oneself would only lead to a dead end. Only by making money together could one gather more people to conduct even greater business. However, not just anyone could board his ship.
Yan Xing genuinely didn’t know if Gale was among those who had placed the five assassination commissions with the Assassin’s Guild. But, as the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. If the Eternal Comrce Guild was to lead the establishnt of a new business system, they naturally had to kick the obstructive Golden Oak Chamber of Comrce out of the way first.
Yan Xing waited for the grain rchants to discuss amongst themselves for a while before responding to Gale’s pressing remarks.
"If it were yesterday, it would have been understandable if Chairman Gale believed that the Eternal Comrce Guild could not supply Nuta City’s needs. But now, if you still believe Nuta City can’t function without you, even after seeing my special envoy’s residence, you are truly deceiving yourselves. Eternal Domain and Thunderous Swamp can provide Nuta City with all the daily necessities it requires. And I can supply as much as is needed..."
Yan Xing’s words sent chills down the spines of the grain rchants. They had all seen the granaries in the magic projection behind Yan Xing and knew that Eternal Domain was massively clearing land for agriculture. With the Eternal Comrce Guild in Nuta City, grain rchants basically couldn’t stir up any trouble regarding food supplies.
Looking again at the items displayed in the special envoy’s residence, none were purchased from Nuta City rchants; everything ca from Thunderous Swamp. This indicated that Thunderous Swamp possessed a complete production and manufacturing system, capable of supplying Nuta City’s material needs using the swamp’s resources. The departure of rchants from Nuta City threatened no one.
Realizing that the grain in their warehouses would rot before it could be sold, the rchants were as distraught as if mourning their own parents. So were probably even contemplating suicide.
Chairman Gale hadn’t expected Yan Xing to be so aggressive. Standing up, he shouted to the other grain rchants, "I think we don’t need to stand here and be ridiculed! Let’s all go to my place and discuss a counterasure together. The Golden Oak Chamber of Comrce will definitely find a way to minimize everyone’s losses."
Gale urged the grain rchants to leave.
But at that mont, Yan Xing said, "I invited you all here to discuss the purchase of grain..."
Upon hearing this, the grain rchants who had just started to rise from their seats imdiately sat back down. So even shifted in their chairs, pretending they were rely adjusting their position due to fatigue, not that they had intended to leave with Gale.
How could they leave at a ti like this? Gale still had a warehouse full of grain he didn’t know how to deal with; what plan could he possibly have to reduce the losses for so many rchants? Lord Yan Xing had just ntioned buying grain! Could it be that he intended to buy up all the grain they held? They weren’t expecting him to buy it at cost price. If they could just lose less, everyone would surely be deeply grateful to Lord Yan Xing.
So, all the grain rchants sat up straight like primary school students, waiting for Lord Yan Xing to discuss the grain purchase.
Only Gale stood there, isolated.
Yan Xing smiled and asked Gale, "Chairman Gale, are you leaving, or will you sit down?"
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