CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 138: SHIPPING_1

"Having a problem is still better than letting the merchant group be drained and dismantled, right?"

Lance didn’t care at all. He knew the woman was referring to him leading his men to raid those people’s homes and kidnap their families.

Listening to this, the woman felt the same. At this point, extraordinary measures were the only option.

However, she soon remembered another matter and asked with a furrowed brow, "Is my father really still alive?"

"Walter asked me to bring your family to Hamlet. You’ll know when you see him there," he replied.

"And who are you? Why are you helping me?"

"Help you?" Lance couldn’t help but laugh. This merchant group was his now; he had always helped himself.

But Lance didn’t spell it out. Instead, he left her with a vague statement.

"You can ask Walter about that when the time comes."

His mysterious attitude deepened the woman’s curiosity further—Why on earth hadn’t her father returned?

"You can at least tell me your name, right?"

"You haven’t said yours, so why should I say mine?"

"Tiffany."

"Lance."

Lance could feel her intense curiosity, but he wasn’t about to let her control the conversation. He promptly took it back.

"The merchant group’s problems aren’t solved yet. Tell me about the issues it’s facing right now."

Tiffany fell silent. She knew things weren’t over; the most critical issue remained unresolved. So, she set aside her questions and began to explain.

"York might be arrogant, but he wasn’t wrong. You brought back a batch of grain, but we’re still short for the contract. The only one in Ovando City with surplus grain now is that Gene fellow."

"Hold on. What’s the deal with this Gene fellow?"

"In the regions near Ovando City, our merchant group has always been quite strong. The Gene Commercial Group is our biggest competitor, mainly in the grain trade."

"If your strengths are comparable and he’s still operating normally, there must be something special about him. Just tell me."

"His sister is married to the head of logistics for the city defense force. That’s why his caravans get their protection and are rarely plundered. Also, his channels are different from ours..."

From her account, Lance quickly understood the situation. Although both were involved in the grain business, they had different focuses.

Nearly every city typically has several outlying farms that supply it with grain and livestock. Ovando City was no exception.

Gene primarily dealt with collecting grain from several nearby farms and transporting it to the city. This route was very short, and with the protection of the city defense force, there were virtually no losses.

Because of this connection, he mainly supplied grain locally within Ovando City. The Walter Conglomerate, on the other hand, was responsible for sourcing grain from much wider, more distant regions, then shipping it here to be transported downriver to Totnes for sale.

A small portion of their caravans also traveled overland, servicing towns and villages along the way, but this only accounted for a small part of the Walter Conglomerate’s business.

What Gene had his sights on were the shipping operations and the Walter Conglomerate’s channels in Totnes.

Only after hearing this did Lance realize that old fox Walter had played him. When Walter spoke to him, he had concealed something: the Walter Conglomerate’s real cash cow was river shipping.

Exactly!

Lance suddenly realized: With a bulk commodity like grain, how much could a wagon train actually carry? On long journeys, the cost of losses would exceed the value of the grain itself. Shipping was undoubtedly the way to go!

He could only blame himself for being an ordinary person, utterly ignorant of these business matters.

Fortunately, I didn’t let him come back.

"Then why don’t you directly transport grain from Hamlet to Totnes?"

"Pirates, of course. That sea route is infested with them. If something happens, the grain is one thing, but a ship costs hundreds, even thousands, of Gold Coins. It’s better to take the river. Even with taxes, at least it’s a bit safer."

Tiffany thought Lance wanted to transport grain directly by sea, so she immediately explained, offering what she considered the best solution.

"Now, we can only use money to cover the shortfall in cargo, prioritizing the preservation of..."

Lance heard this and immediately thought, Absolutely not! That’s my money. Is someone trying to just take it out of my pocket for no reason? Without waiting for her to finish, he suddenly interjected.

"Can you get the travel schedules and routes for the Gene Commercial Group’s caravans?"

Tiffany froze for a couple of seconds but soon realized what the man before her was planning. A look of panic unconsciously appeared on her face, and she shook her head furiously.

"No, no!"

"He’s causing you this much trouble, and even bribed York to try and take over the merchant group. And you’re still afraid of this?"

"It’s not that. Attacking the city defense force would mean serious trouble. Tracing such a large shipment of goods would be too easy."

Lance realized he had indeed been too presumptuous. This wasn’t Hamlet, where he could act recklessly.

He stroked the ring on his hand, pondering for a moment before speaking again.

"Never mind. I’ll find a way to deal with the rest."

Tiffany didn’t know what to say. After all, she had prepared two plans.

Although she knew it was practically impossible to fill the gap, she still harbored a sliver of vain hope for the man before her.

What if he really could get it?

"I want to take a look at Ovando City. Find someone to guide me."

"How about me?"

"It makes no difference to me."

Tiffany was very interested in this mysterious man and eager to understand him. She hadn’t expected him to act as if he were on a real inspection, having her lead him directly to the vicinity of the Gene Commercial Group’s headquarters.

Lance observed that these merchant group headquarters needed a lot of space, so they were all located on the city’s outskirts where land was cheaper.

Also, because the river was on the southwest side of the city, near the port where commercial activity was frequent, everyone chose this area, and it gradually developed into a cluster.

Warehouses, row upon row, also sprang up.

"That’s their warehouse, right?"

"Yes, the three nearby are all their warehouses."

"Do we have any warehouses that haven’t been used for a long time?"

"Yes, one specifically for storing surplus goods."

Although Tiffany was puzzled, she still took him there. She explained that the prices of some goods, like furs, cotton, and wool, could fluctuate greatly, being much more expensive in winter. They would buy them, store them, and then sell when the time was right.

Walter only dared to deal in stable commodities with guaranteed, albeit low, returns. The risk associated with other goods was too great and required considerable expertise; a slight misstep could easily lead to ruinous losses.

When Lance entered the warehouse, he saw a stockpile of goods, but it didn’t even fill half the space.

After a quick look at the layout, Lance found the warehouse to be very basic. A plan began to form; he now knew where to find the missing grain.