"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 became 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 becomes?
Am I the magical genius the bards sing about? Lord Li De, I am willing, I am willing to become 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 Merchant 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 Merchant Guild in his hands?
"Lord Li De, are you saying you want to invest in our Golden Wheat Merchant 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 Merchant Guild."
Li De's words extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Laurent's heart. He was still a merchant on the brink of bankruptcy.
"However, I am interested in acquiring the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild.
I will help you repay all your debts, and the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild will become my property. This includes your headquarters, your slaves, and all your assets.
As for you, Laurent, you can continue to manage the Golden Wheat Merchant 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 Merchant 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 comes 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 merchant guild. With a single word, countless people would offer their guilds to me."
Li De completely controlled this lopsided negotiation. Laurent had no right to refuse.
The choice was clear: become a bankrupt debtor, worse off than a beggar, or cling to a powerful patron and remain the manager of a merchant guild.
Any sensible person would know what to choose.
Although Li De's decision to acquire the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild was somewhat 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 merchant guild, each purchase from an external guild, while not a major issue, would over time expose them to risks and incur substantial additional costs, as merchant guilds naturally sought profit.
Having a guild entirely under his control would eliminate these problems.
The Golden Wheat Merchant Guild was simply the right opportunity at the right time. A guild on the verge of bankruptcy due to lack of funds, yet with its commercial channels intact, was an excellent choice.
Most importantly, in the memories of the Vampire Progenitor, Laurent was a merchant with no background but considerable skill in business. In fact, he was extremely 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 time. 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 Merchant Guild were easily worth more than 200 gold Pucks—Laurent simply lacked the means to make the nobles acknowledge this.
This investment was a no-lose situation.
If managed well, it could become a powerful asset in the future. This was a calculated risk for long-term gains.
The investment 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 me repay my debts, the Golden Wheat Merchant 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 lifetime become someone 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 Merchant Guild.
The Green City Merchant Guild was backed by nobles. He could only imagine what would happen if he failed to repay the debt.
His guild, his home, his wife—everything would be seized by those despicable nobles.
"A wise choice. After we return to the city, come to my mage tower to sign the contract. You will become a man with a high-level mage as your backer.
From today onward, those underground forces will no longer trouble you, and the troublesome nobles will no longer harass the Golden Wheat Merchant 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 Merchant 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 merchants 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 confirmed, he immediately 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 momentarily stunned. There was such a feature?
He casually helped Laurent to his feet and opened his attribute panel in his mind.
Name: Laurent Orlando
Class: Merchant [Level: 12]
Innate Talent: Business Acumen
Skills: Insight, Negotiation, Intimidation, Bargaining, Information Gathering
Description: This is an outstanding merchant 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 somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this guy to be a professional merchant, 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.