Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 767 - 741: Infighting
"What can’t be conveyed through a Communication Stone that you have to come to me in broad daylight?" Shi Kesong had just finished his business with two beauties and was preparing to sleep.
Upon hearing that Li Dehai had come knocking, he was quite displeased.
If it weren’t for the fact that his ancestors had once saved the five merchants of Silver Valley by chance and helped them grow into a monopoly over the tens of thousands of Demon Cultivators and Demon Beasts in the area, Shi Kesong wouldn’t bother with him at all.
Ancestral favors should be settled among the ancestors, what does it have to do with the descendants?
Does one favor mean that their family should be indebted for generations?
Letting Li Dehai inherit the most profitable exclusive fire stone business without intervening at all was already a sign of gratitude and acknowledgment of past favors by the descendants of the Five Great Merchants. What more does he want?
"Invite him to the inner hall, and also get the other Patriarchs to come over." Shi Kesong, chosen from a young age by the old master to become the Patriarch, although newly taking over, knew the importance of avoiding suspicion in cooperation.
Li Dehai had come to him during the rest hours of all, without even a close servant, so as the Patriarch of the Shi Family, he should avoid raising any suspicions.
To prevent the other four families from suspecting a private meeting without reason.
Meet all at once, or don’t meet at all. After all, the fire stone transport from Sand Hill City was stuck in Silver Valley, and of the Five Great Merchants, the Shi Family was the head, making one Li Dehai insignificant. If a fuss broke out, it would be easy for the five families to abandon the Li Family business.
"Everyone, stop dawdling, we’re in a desperate situation!" Li Dehai was anxious as he finally saw the Five Great Merchants enter the room and slapped his thigh, asking, "There’s fire stone for sale at Moon Snail Mountain, do you know what’s going on?"
With such a direct confrontation, he secretly observed the five, especially Shi Kesong’s immediate reaction, trying to catch any clues or signs.
However, these Patriarchs were cunning old foxes, their faces only slightly stunned before exchanging glances, shaking their heads with a smile, "Who fed you those rumors? All the fire stones in our treasury have been exhausted by you; if you have no stones to sell, there’s no way outsiders have a source."
"Indeed, it must be rumors again, didn’t it happen a few years ago?"
"You’re too young and impatient; it’s normal for the mines to be in debt consecutively. Production will resume soon, at most two months, two months is the limit, then there will be fire stones for delivery."
"Shopkeeper Li, we know you’re anxious, but calm down first. Such a large business, with all fuel sales bundled with fire stones, if they don’t buy fuel from you, they’re not eligible to buy fire stones. How can business be bad? Stand tall and be confident!"
"Indeed, look at us, we’re not in a rush. Selling fire stones makes a lot; who doesn’t want to earn more? But if there are none, there are none, nothing we can do. Stay calm, we’ve waited three or four years, what’s a few more months?"
Listening to their casual chatting and teasing, Li Dehai’s internal fury was ignited.
The decree given by the guild master was no joke; he had to return with fire stones, or the entire family would face consequences from the Demon Realm Alliance, and it would be utterly over!
"Wait two to three months? I can’t wait two to three days!" He suppressed his anger and explained, "Those old clients, I don’t know what came over them, are forcing me to deliver now. Without release from you, where do I get fire stones to give them?
Everyone, think of a way, even if I have to spend more money... Yes! I’ll hire death warriors to mine! Even if the quantity is small, a few thousand pieces will do to appease the old clients, to keep them steady."
The five exchanged glances, thinking that Sand Hill City hadn’t made any moves, so where would they have fire stones for him?
The talk of the mine was just a pretext to prevent speculative merchants from disrupting Sand Hill City, saying that the fire stones were solely produced from Silver Valley. Even if a Sky Pit existed in Silver Valley, without the natural mining abilities of the Furious Fire Bear Race, ordinary Demon Cultivators couldn’t handle the task.
Knowing it was impossible, the five shook their heads and found excuses to reject his proposal;
Shi Kesong leisurely shook his fan, shook his head and said, "There’s simply nothing I can do now, the last fire stone in the treasury you coaxed out of me two years ago. If there are none, there are none, not even the King of Heaven can change that."
Li Dehai, already suspecting foul play, heard this and it immediately took on another meaning, his face darkened, "Ruan Yanluo at Moon Snail Mountain is selling fire stones in bulk, the news is accurate. As you all say, it’s strange, her fire stones couldn’t have fallen from the sky, right?"
He glanced around suspiciously, with a cold smile, "Could it be, one of you finds my profits attractive, wants to kick me out, and secretly gave the goods to someone else?"
With this, the gaze they exchanged with allies carried doubt.
Fire stones are a high-margin business, controlling the Angry Fire Bear mining and setting low prices, the resale yields multiple fold profits. If someone has indeed collaborated with Ming Qingyan secretly, aren’t they monopolizing this business?
"I’ve heard of quite a few coming to Silver Valley to inquire about fire stones, trying to intervene," Li Dehai continued fanning the flames, "Has the mine truly not produced a single fire stone in three to four years? Could fire stones already be secretly transported through some channel..."
As a merchant, he knew there were no eternal enemies or friends, only shared interests connected merchants tightly. Making the Five Great Merchants feel their interests being harmed, they would identify who was releasing the fire stones internally!
Indeed, the impulsive Liang Li was the first to be provoked, sarcastically saying, "No wonder the messages I sent to the miners got no response. Could it be that something really happened at the mine and the firestones have been transported away?"
"Are you stupid? The teleportation array rotates every month, and each family has a steward watching over it. How could they transport firestones without getting noticed?"
"What if they’ve been bribed? Miners can be bought off, let alone mere stewards!"
"So what you’re suggesting is that the business controlled by the five families for so many years has been secretly taken away by someone or some people?"
"Otherwise, why is there still no news from the mine boss?"
"It truly defies common sense, so many miners need food and drink, their supplies surely can’t last this long!"
"Could it be that the so-called mine fire was fake from the very start..."
......
Seeing that infighting was about to break out, the oldest, Old Qi, coughed a few times to interrupt the argument, and said gravely, "I know everyone is worried about the business. Let’s not argue and harm our harmony.
Each family should have its own channels to gather information. As for whether there are really firestones being sold at Moon Snail Mountain, and how much is being sold, why don’t we investigate first?
If it turns out that a large number of firestones really has been released, either someone is secretly selling off stored goods at a high price, or someone wants to cast off other families and swallow this business for themselves. The former is not a big problem; whoever did it can just come forward and admit it, but if it’s the latter..."
His sharp old eyes swept around as he coldly laughed, "The five of us have been helping each other for ages and have gotten along well. Don’t take others for fools."
The matter was important, so the few of them took out their communication stones to gather information.
Meanwhile, Li Dehai finally received a definite reply—Indeed, Unrestrained Commerce had firestones. Although they prioritized fulfilling promises to old patrons and didn’t let them out, from what could be deduced, the amount released this time wasn’t small. It was definitely not simply someone privately selling a hoarded stash at a high price.
The messages sent to Ruan Yanluo vanished without a trace, further convincing him that the other side had stolen his business, otherwise, with that girl’s cleverness and tact, she would never remain silent.
Moments later, the atmosphere inside the hall grew heavy and tense, filled with suspicion.
"No wonder the mine boss hasn’t visited or made any moves. Turns out someone is already secretly working with her, leaving us out," Liang Li was the first to sneer, scanning his allies, secretly guessing who was responsible.
Shi Kesong leisurely said, "This month, the Qi family is in charge of the teleportation array, while the other four families’ stewards are merely overseeing. Old Qi, you might want to quickly investigate the teleportation array to see if they’ve been bought off, if they haven’t, you owe us an explanation."
Being directly targeted, Old Qi hurriedly said, "Everyone can check the usage records of the teleportation array, as well as the corresponding energy transfers. Transporting firestones requires considerable consumption; a comparison will naturally reveal if anything was shipped!"
"Money stirs people’s hearts since ancient times. Even guards can be bought; teleportation records can naturally be forged."
Li Dehai, anxious, immediately urged, "There’s no point in checking those, just go to the mine! Whether they’ve stopped work will reveal the truth at a glance. Especially since so many miners couldn’t possibly all be bribed. A trip there will clarify everything. If there are indeed firestones, hurry and get me some to take back. Everything else can be discussed later, but as for this..."
He didn’t dare to continue. The matter of collecting payment in advance was his own doing and not discussed with them.
Knowing that he had made so much money and spent it all, these cunning old foxes would surely seize the opportunity to extort him with the firestones!
"You think I don’t know if you don’t say? Don’t even think about the mine," Shi Kesong lazily exposed, "I’ve heard long ago that Shopkeeper Li, wealthy as he may be, spent millions of immortal jades to create some Cloud Top Immortal Realm. All that money must have been from collecting old patrons’ payments in advance.
Though our ancestors had life-debt bonds with one another, for thousands of years, we haven’t treated the Li family unfairly. We accepted that firestones bought from us for one spirit stone could be sold for ten just like holding our noses.
But now, you collected payments in advance without consulting us. Now chased by debts, you’ve come to scheme over the mine. Shopkeeper Li, even as a demon, one can’t be so greedily insatiable."
Millions of immortal jades?!
The huge profits indeed shocked all the patriarchs present. Each looked at Li Dehai with some malice.
Rather than let this guy make the difference, why not take this chance, when he’s eyeing the mine, to justifiably sever ties with the bloodsucker. Five Great Merchants joining forces to split millions of immortal jades—how delightful!
Of course, they also needed to root out the internal traitor who had long been eager to act. Then, they would restructure the cooperation, sharing with one or two less families, to earn even more!
