9: Chapter 9 Taking the First City

"Large chambers of commerce?" Loren smiled.

"Most of the large chambers of commerce with any real strength already have noble backing and established cooperative relationships. Partnering with them would merely be the icing on the cake, with little impact.

On the contrary, their immense strength might even become a constraint for me.

Besides, my family elders have taught me to be kind to others and that there is no need to create conflict with other nobles.

Moreover, the elders have a plan to evaluate me; what achievement could be more impressive than rising from humble beginnings?

Believe me, President Robert, partnering with a small chamber of commerce is a choice I made after careful consideration. Otherwise, the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce wouldn't have had this opportunity."

After pausing for a moment, he changed the subject, his tone filled with endless temptation.

"After joining the Bauhinia Trade Alliance, without the burden of expensive taxes, the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce might increase its scale fivefold or even tenfold within three years, capable of employing ten thousand people and becoming a chamber with immense power.

When the time comes, if you wish, you could even venture into the Endless Wasteland alone, become a Frontier Lord, build a territory of your own, and obtain the lofty status of nobility..."

These inflammatory words made many people's breathing quicken.

To become a noble!

These words echoed in their minds like a magic spell.

As the ruling class, becoming a noble was almost everyone's ultimate dream.

Just as the greedy desire immense wealth and those craving power desire high office, in this world, 'noble' is synonymous with power. There is no title that makes people's breathing quicken more than this.

Fiana, who had been silent behind him, watched the shift in the room's atmosphere and instinctively turned her head to observe Loren closely.

The determined and confident negotiating posture of this heroic youth was simply like a different person compared to his state yesterday, where he couldn't even speak clearly in front of those nobles.

How could a person's change in such a short time be so immense?

Robert felt conflicted upon hearing this.

Large chambers of commerce with any strength would seek a noble to affiliate with. Although they had to pay a substantial fee to those nobles, doing so not only provided protection but also resulted in significant tax reductions, so few people would remain indifferent to that.

The Jasmine Chamber of Commerce hadn't been without attempts to seek noble protection in the past, but no one had looked down upon them at all; the bitterness of that experience was something only those involved could understand.

As his thoughts raced, Robert already had a preliminary judgment in his heart.

"Lord Loren, I naturally believe you, but if we agree to join your trade alliance, how can we ensure that our interests will not be encroached upon by other allies?"

Loren looked at the wavering Robert, his lips curling slightly.

"I will sign a contract with you in the name of the Bauhinia Family, and it will be filed at the City Hall of Decker City.

Believe me, the reputation of the Bauhinia Family is worth far more than your money.

Furthermore, the first contract will be tentatively set for one year. If you find it unsatisfactory after a year, or if your interests are compromised, you can withdraw at any time, and I will not charge you any exit fees.

The form of the trade alliance is loose, and I will not force you to do anything.

However, there is one condition: if I require certain goods, you must prioritize selling them to me if the price is equal.

I hope you understand that I am forming this trade alliance to facilitate the construction of my territory, not simply to make money."

Hearing this, the worry in Robert's heart quietly faded away.

With a Platinum Rank guardian protecting his safety, coupled with such an outstanding and remarkable temperament, everything Loren displayed was nothing short of perfect; it was far too consistent with the status of a high-ranking noble descendant.

Even if he had doubts in his heart, would someone capable of commanding a Platinum Expert go to such great lengths to plot against their small chamber of commerce?

It was impossible no matter how he thought about it; that was a Platinum Expert, why would they be so cheap?!

After pondering for a moment, Robert felt he couldn't find a reason not to cooperate with Loren.

However, his inner vigilance prevented him from agreeing immediately, so he turned his head to look behind him, wanting to hear opinions from the members of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce.

But after glancing at his subordinates, he couldn't help but feel speechless.

At this moment, the members of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce were more excited than the last, their minds already swayed by Loren's words, appearing as if they couldn't wait to cooperate with him.

These stupid pigs…

Robert cursed inwardly. His teammates were unreliable, so he had to bite the bullet himself.

"Respected Lord Loren, your terms are too generous. If the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce were solely my own, I fear I would agree to your terms immediately.

But the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce is, after all, a partnership, so I need to discuss it with the shareholders. Could we perhaps give you an answer in ten days?"

Loren raised an eyebrow, his expression turning cold. He stood up directly, looking down at this shrewd President of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce, his tone cold.

"You may come to the Wanderer's Inn in the city center to find me before nine o'clock tomorrow morning. After this time, the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce will be disqualified."

After speaking, he paused, then said indifferently,

"Robert, you need to understand one thing: right now, it is not I who am begging you to cooperate with me, but I who am bestowing upon you the opportunity to cooperate with me...

If my territory had not suffered an attack by the Bloody Corruptor and were not currently lacking funds, do you think you would have any qualification to stand here and talk to me?

What is the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce?!"

After speaking, he flicked his hand, not even bothering to look at Robert's expression, and turned to leave with his head held high, without any hesitation.

Everyone in the room was shocked; they clearly hadn't expected that Loren, who had been so easy to talk to just moments ago, would flip his face so suddenly, leaving them with absolutely no room for further negotiation.

Just as they were about to chase after him, Fiana, who was following behind Loren, turned her head and glanced coldly at everyone in the room.

Seeing that icy gaze, everyone's scalp went numb, almost forgetting that there was a Platinum Rank expert here…

After Loren's figure disappeared, the room was suddenly filled with sounds of regret, but they didn't dare to chase after him again.

"President, why didn't you agree to Lord Loren just now…"

"Sigh, what a pity to miss this opportunity. No, wait, we can still go tomorrow morning…"

Hearing the complaints around him, Robert almost exploded. He turned to look at everyone and roared,

"Get out, all of you! Why didn't I see any of you step forward just now!! That is a 5 million joining fee!!

The annual profit of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce is only a little over two million; how could we dare to take such a risk?! And are you just going to believe him without investigating his background?"

The room finally went silent.

After Loren left the Jasmine Manor, the arrogant expression of being angered just now instantly vanished, and he returned to the calm he had before arriving.

He turned his head with interest to look at the open door of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce behind him, his tone casual but incredibly firm.

"One down. Let's wait for them to come to our door with money tomorrow morning. We can get ready to head to the next one…"

His negotiation strategy wasn't complicated; it consisted of three steps. First, use the noble status of a high-ranking noble and Fiana's strength to control the initiative.

Second, use temptation—letting them know that affiliation with the chamber of commerce could lead to tax exemptions and protection to make them interested.

Third, leave to exert pressure. This step was to make them make up their minds as quickly as possible. When such a big benefit is delivered to their door, the other party will inevitably have doubts.

But after he leaves without hesitation, those guys will definitely reflect on whether they made a mistake, and the clear time limit will bring huge psychological pressure on them.

When the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce comes begging again, he will have even more initiative in his hands.

Step by step, each link connected to the next; if any step were missing, today's plan would have run into complications.

He had many ways to make money, but they all required quite a bit of time to operate, and the time given by the system was only three days. Therefore, utilizing the resource of his identity as a noble descendant was undoubtedly the most effortless method.

Background is inherently a part of strength. To have resources and refuse to use them, insisting on starting from scratch without relying on anyone, is purely the behavior of those with insufficient intelligence or 'white rabbits' in an ivory tower who have never been beaten by society.

This world is inherently a world where connections are interdependent. Having experienced too many fierce battles in the business world, Loren had long ago flushed his naivety down the toilet…

The shock Fiana felt in her heart at this moment was no less than that of the Jasmine Chamber of Commerce.

Looking at Loren's back, there was a hint of unhidden complexity in her blue eyes.

If it weren't for the fact that his soul aura hadn't changed, the girl would have even suspected that this guy had been possessed by an evil spirit.

She had originally thought that Loren came here to use force and extortion to blackmail them for money. But she hadn't expected this kind of ending.

The huge contrast made it hard for her to accept Loren's change.

How could this almost perfect style of conduct be the work of that cowardly and timid guy?

After a long silence, Fiana couldn't suppress her inner curiosity.

"Why not seek cooperation with those large chambers of commerce? With the name of the Bauhinia Family, I don't believe those large chambers of commerce would dare to make things difficult for you."

Loren was slightly stunned upon hearing this, turned his head to look at the cold-tempered girl, and smiled.

"Small chambers of commerce like the Jasmine Chamber are easier to control for us, who are currently penniless.

Partnering with a large chamber of commerce, I fear they would soon figure out our true situation. It is not uncommon for things to become too big to control, and if they were to turn the tables, we would have to engage in internal conflict.

I hate trouble.

Therefore, the best approach is to have those chambers of commerce that have some strength but are also easy to control join. This way, their dependence on us will increase significantly.

My bargaining chips will also be more valuable, and we won't be as likely to become dispensable as we would with a large chamber of commerce.

Additionally, we don't have many connections in Decker City; having some obedient chambers of commerce to handle things for us can save a lot of time and energy.

Moreover, after the territory grows in the future, is it possible for these small chambers of commerce to maintain an independent stance?"

Although his tone was calm, he did not hide his wild ambition; he wanted more than outsiders could imagine.

In his deep eyes, there was a faint sense of vicissitudes and a sharpness that could see through people's hearts. Combined with his extremely handsome face and elegant noble demeanor, Loren at this moment possessed a unique temperament that made people's heartbeats accelerate.

Fiana looked at the dazzling Loren, and for a fleeting moment, a look of trance appeared on her cold, beautiful face.

It was as if she were meeting Loren for the first time; this heroic youth was, at this moment, filled with a fatal charm. It made one's heart tremble.