CHAPTER 227: CHAPTER 225 TALKING BUSINESS_1

The grain merchants gasped in shock upon hearing Yan Xing’s second purchasing scheme.

They marveled at the grand gesture of the Eternal Commerce Guild.

Anyone with a bit of sense knew how important grain was.

Hadn’t Count Theodore granted Yan Xing so much land and so many privileges precisely to help him suppress grain prices and stabilize Nuta City as a critical rear base?

Now, Yan Xing planned to establish the Eternal Grain Investment Firm, intending to bring together numerous grain merchants as shareholders. He also mandated a unified approach to planting, purchasing, managing, and selling grain, aiming to centralize control and manipulate its supply and demand.

The potential profits were substantial enough to ignite everyone’s greed.

But they could all see that the risks involved were no small matter either.

Any natural or man-made disaster could lead to investment failure.

Yan Xing had now presented both of his formulated grain purchasing schemes.

The first option was safe, risk-free, and guaranteed capital preservation.

The second was slightly speculative—if you bet right, you could make a fortune following Lord Yan Xing.

If you bet wrong... everything would be lost.

Which to choose?

Some grain merchants bowed their heads in thought, while others discussed with friends they trusted.

No one knew how to decide.

Yan Xing wasn’t in a hurry. He said, "Such an important matter doesn’t require an immediate response from all of you.

"Choice one, choice two... it’s for you to decide. I won’t force anyone; I only wish to clear up any misunderstandings.

"And incidentally, help those friends who invest in the Eternal Grain Investment Firm make a substantial profit.

"I’ll give you all three days to consider. If I don’t receive a reply by then, I won’t be making such exceptions again."

After saying this, Yan Xing decisively left, leaving all the grain merchants behind.

Ultimately, whichever scheme the grain merchants chose for selling their grain would benefit Yan Xing.

If they selected the first, it would facilitate the issuance and promotion of Grain Tickets.

If they chose the second, Yan Xing’s control over arable land would expand significantly. Then, he could implement unified management and use modern high-yield grain varieties. Leveraging the grain merchants’ established distribution and sales channels, along with their experienced personnel in the grain trade, would allow the harvested grain to be sold off rapidly.

High yields and low costs equated to colossal profits.

Furthermore, Yan Xing’s eagerness to collaborate with the Goblin Alchemy Factory on truck research was driven by the goal of reducing transportation costs and time, thereby maximizing profits.

Yan Xing estimated that the smaller grain merchants would likely opt for the first purchasing method. Some were noble speculators hoping to make a quick profit during the war; unable to bear significant risks, they would naturally prefer the safer option.

Larger grain merchants, with a greater capacity to withstand risks, could more clearly see the vast potential profits hidden behind the Eternal Grain Investment Firm.

These individuals would likely choose to invest in the firm. They possessed the capability to undertake its operational duties and could assist Yan Xing in rapidly establishing the grain sales channels.

After letting the grain merchants consider their options, Yan Xing proceeded without delay to another venue.

His hosting of the Thunderous Swamp Envoy Mansion’s opening banquet in Nuta City this time was not merely for show.

So much money had been spent; it had to be put to good use.

Besides inviting the grain merchants to a meeting, he had also invited many itinerant merchants stranded in Nuta City.

Itinerant merchants, by definition, were traders who traveled extensively.

Unlike large businesses that controlled production resources and capabilities, these itinerant merchants relied solely on their convoys to travel between cities and remote towns and villages.

Most itinerant merchants made a living by buying low and selling high, profiting from the price difference.

The earnings were modest, and they had to pay various tolls while risking being targeted by bandits when peddling their goods.

Their hard-earned money was often looked down upon by the larger, established merchants.

Eden himself had once been an itinerant merchant, struggling to get by. He only made his fortune and gained some status within the Golden Oak Chamber of Commerce after doing business with the Werewolves of Thunderous Swamp.

After Yan Xing pushed him out of Thunderous Swamp, he was fortunate enough to secure the agency for plastic buckets from Yan Xing. Now, his life was even more comfortable than when he had frequently traveled to Thunderous Swamp.

He now associated with members of high society, people who could afford plastic buckets.

For this banquet hosted by Yan Xing, Eden, being one of the merchants closest to him, was naturally on the guest list.

Yan Xing had not only invited Eden, formerly an itinerant merchant himself, but had also used Eden’s connections to invite all the itinerant merchants currently in Nuta City.

Consequently, the number of attendees was quite large.

The Envoy Mansion lacked a conference room large enough, so the meeting place for the itinerant merchants had to be set up in the backyard.

An open space was enclosed with simple fencing, lights were installed for illumination, and chairs were arranged to create a makeshift venue.

While Yan Xing was meeting with the grain merchants, Eden had already gathered the itinerant merchants here.

In truth, they had nowhere else to go.

The forecourt of the Envoy Mansion and its main villa building were hosting Nuta City’s prominent figures—either nobles or major merchants.

Although these itinerant merchants also bore the title ’merchant,’ in the eyes of those influential figures, they were little different from commoners.

The itinerant merchants didn’t dare to linger in the forecourt, so they all followed Eden to the backyard.

This made the entire backyard rather chaotic.

Eden, having only recently shed his status as an itinerant merchant, had not yet become snobbish. Leveraging his relationship with Yan Xing, he had the Envoy Mansion’s attendants set up a separate banquet in the meeting area for the itinerant merchants.

Although the food and drink were not as lavish as in the forecourt, it did not make the itinerant merchants feel neglected.

Eden also entertained the itinerant merchants on Yan Xing’s behalf, keeping the atmosphere lively.

However, one itinerant merchant, holding a plate of desserts, carefully took out a pouch and poured the sugar from the pastries into it.

Another filled his waterskin with the provided alcoholic beverages.

Still another kept glancing towards the lights, trying to figure out how to dismantle and take away the beautiful magic lamps.

Finally, Eden couldn’t restrain himself any longer and shouted, "My friends, please control yourselves! This is a very formal banquet, and everyone who received an invitation is a person of status.

"You have also received Lord Yan Xing’s invitation and should feel honored.

"Do not act in a way that is unbecoming of your status and is disrespectful.

"If you upset Lord Yan Xing, you will lose far more than whatever you might steal!"

Eden’s warning finally made the itinerant merchants somewhat restrain themselves.

An itinerant merchant acquainted with Eden asked, "Lord Eden, do you know why Lord Yan Xing has summoned us here?

"I saw that everyone who came here is an important figure, and Lord Yan Xing is also an important figure.

"In their eyes, we really are not worth mentioning."

"Maize, you must eat all the pastries from which you scraped off the sugar," Eden scolded his itinerant merchant friend. "Lord Yan Xing is generous and kind, but he detests the wasting of food.

"I don’t know why Lord Yan Xing invited you itinerant merchants; he merely gave me the invitations to distribute to you.

"I believe Lord Yan Xing has invited you because he undoubtedly needs you to do something for him.

"Therefore, strive to please Lord Yan Xing!

"Even the gold dust that slips through Lord Yan Xing’s fingers is a fortune that you, as lifelong itinerant merchants, could never earn in your entire lives!"