The middle-aged man who was competing for salt from the salt merchants took a leisurely carriage ride around the outside of the city, then walked for a while and quietly returned to the dock.
He walked around several piles of goods with ease, and then came to a small building.
Dozens of burly men in casual clothes stood around the small building, vaguely guarding the warehouse.
Although the big men tried their best to pretend to be doing nothing, their every move and gesture showed that they were well-trained, strong and arrogant professional soldiers.
As soon as they saw someone approaching, they all put their hands on their waists and watched the person with vigilance. It wasn't until they saw the other person's face clearly that they relaxed again.
The middle-aged man didn't care, said hello to everyone, and then went straight into the building.
He walked along the stairs to the top floor, calmed down outside the door, and then knocked softly.
The door opened immediately and silently.
The man stepped in, then bowed deeply and said, "Your Highness, Your Excellency."
But the room was bright.
Lorraine was sitting on the sofa in front of the window, sipping red wine in a glass.
Leo, however, had no formal appearance. He was imitating the appearance of super enjoyment. He sat in a swivel chair and crossed his two fat, white radish-like legs on top of the large desk, with his head in front of his eyes.
A pair of black, round, and finely crafted black crystal glasses.
When he heard someone coming in, Leo turned his head, picked up his glasses, rolled his big black and white eyes, and looked over the top of his glasses.
After he saw the other person clearly, he immediately put the glasses back on his little nose, and then said in an official tone: "Jerry, why didn't I realize that you have acting talent before? To be honest, have you ever insulted me?
Money?”
Jerry immediately trembled with fright.
He grimaced and said: "Your Highness, aren't you entertaining me? With Miss Vera watching over there, even buying toilet paper has to be registered, how dare we~!"
Leo proudly put his hands on his hips, raised his head and laughed, feeling that it was a very wise decision for him to ask Vera to be the Audit Minister.
Lorraine put down his wine glass, and then said with approval: "Well done. You have to work hard today. When we build the commodity exchange tomorrow, it won't be so troublesome."
Jerry hesitated for a moment, and then said worriedly: "Sir, can the 'Xinke' exchange you mentioned really bring together all the merchants and let them all trade commodities there obediently?"
Lorraine smiled, and then corrected: "Jerry, it's not 'New York', it's 'New York' Ten Thousand Commodities Exchange."
But Leo couldn't help but said: "Boss, didn't you say before that things like stocks and futures are very troublesome? Even if we go to the casino, we can't do this?"
Lorraine said: "The key to trouble or not depends on the banker. If we are the banker ourselves, then everything is ok. We can kill whoever we want to kill."
Leo still protested: "But after this is built, how can we evade taxes in the future~!"
Lorraine hesitated, and after a long time, he smiled bitterly and said: "I can't do anything about this. If you have any questions, go to Nicole. I just suggested building a commodity exchange at the time, but I didn't expect that I would get involved because I was happy to patronize it."
Seeing an opportunity, Nicole swarmed the tax collector and took a ride to collect the transaction tax."
Leo immediately jumped up like a little wild boar whose tail had been stepped on.
He stepped on the chair with one foot and the table with the other, waving his fat little arms angrily, and said: "I knew it, I knew that as long as she got involved, something bad would happen~"
He glared at Lorraine bitterly and said, "You don't care about your girlfriend, you just let her run out and harm others."
Lorraine also refused to give in and said: "She is your sister, why didn't you tell her?"
Leo was immediately stunned.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time, then suddenly let out a long sigh and said in unison: "Oh~! Forget it, forget it, just think of spending money to buy peace..."
When the two of them were quarreling, Jerry tried his best to appear irrelevant and pretended that he was just a vase. But in the end, he knew clearly in his heart: Although he looked bad, the governor looked quite powerful.
Yes, and the young prince is also full of bad intentions, but the one who is really in charge is the iron-fisted governor of the Eastern Province and the eldest princess of the empire.
Lorraine turned around and saw a faint smile on Jerry's face, and snorted coldly.
Jerry immediately lowered his head and looked down at the toes of his shoes.
Lorraine coughed slightly, and then said: "By the way, Jerry, after we build the exchange and bring in all the salt merchants in Nai'an, you will continue to fan the flames and encourage them."
Jerry quickly replied: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, but when it comes to business methods, they are far behind our Flying Eagle Company."
Once things are linked to gold coins, they spread faster than the speed of light (n years ago, at home in Hulao, we often heard about so-and-so winning lottery tickets, ranging from televisions to fighter jets. Looking back now, I think about it.
, they are all deceptive tricks and a means of speculation by merchants.)
Especially now when the eyes of all Naian people are fixed on the price of salt, everything related to salt affects the nerves of Naian people. Those who speculate in salt are afraid of falling prices, and those who eat salt are afraid of rising prices.
"A certain salt merchant spent a lot of money to charter a ship of salt at the port." This topic was discussed in every corner of Nadel City that night. Don't discuss or debate it repeatedly.
The common people held bowls, drank the tasteless soup, and cursed their mothers angrily. The businessmen were covetous of this lucky guy, and a group of salt merchants saw opportunities in it.
That night, like coyotes who smelled fishy smell, the local snakes who were manipulating the salt price behind the scenes got together again.
However, after knowing that Lorraine was not like the Marquis of Maleton, who liked to simplify complex problems and talk to everyone directly with a knife, he remained indifferent.
Everyone became more courageous now.
They regarded Lord Lorraine's insidiousness as weakness, and thought that Lorraine was just a very successful pretty boy, nothing more.
Now they are no longer like before, working hard to disguise themselves and then risk being sexually harassed by going into dark caves, and they start gathering openly and openly.
This group of wealthy locals were not afraid of revealing their secrets at all. They hugged their mistresses and secretaries while shouting "our business" around the table.
When Lorraine learned about their behavior afterwards, he smiled disdainfully and gave them the comment of "a crown of glory".
The loud slogan "our cause" is worthy of these idiots.
The Cosa Nostra Committee at that time gathered the most outstanding Mafia families in the United States. These brave people dared to use rocket launchers, grenades, and Thompson submachine guns to fight in the downtown area of New York.
When they hold a plenary meeting, the people standing guard at the door are all FBI people. Moreover, their reputation is better than that of the government, and the leader's words are more effective than those of the governor.
The Corleone family in The Godfather are awesome, but they are just ordinary members of the committee.
Bribing governors, buying off judges, shooting witness certificates, these are still small and inconspicuous tasks. There are even rumors that the US President Mr. Kennedy was killed, which had a lot to do with them.
This group of local gangsters, who are greedy for money and are afraid that Lorraine will kill them, dare to say such big words. They really don't know the heights of heaven and earth.
Although these local dignitaries have formed an offensive and defensive alliance, more supply of goods means more profits. After more than a month of crazy price increases, as profits soared, these people's appetites unconsciously grew.
, there was a huge quarrel at the conference table.
"Work together and monopolize the supply of goods on the dock, and then everyone will share it among themselves. If anyone dares to raise the price with us, find someone to kill him."
"Kill him? I'm not laughing at you, do you have the courage? That pretty boy's men are waiting for us to break the law. Lao Ka is lonely in prison, do you want to accompany him?"
"You black-hearted ghost, you still have the nerve to mention Lao Ka, who instigated him to turn workers into slaves. Lao Ka is dead, but I heard that you took over all his properties." As soon as he said this, everyone around him
Everyone immediately moved their chairs away from that person.
"That's nice to say, but how are we going to divide the goods after we buy them? Should there be so many of us?"
"Of course whoever pays more will get a bigger share."
"You think we are idiots, but that doesn't mean we took the money and spent it on you."
"That's it, everyone gets it based on their abilities. Who doesn't know that your family has the most hoards and is making a lot of money, right?"
"We are all allies. Wouldn't this cause chaos?"
"What are you afraid of? We have abundant funds now, and who in the local area dares to compete with us? As long as the supply is bought by people like us."
"Okay, there are quick hands and there are slow hands. Everyone depends on their abilities."
Overnight, the salt merchants who had received orders from above packed their bags and gathered on the pier, eagerly watching every transport ship arriving at the port. In order to compete for a favorable position, these allies even fought at the port.
The bosses waved their meaty fists and rolled around the harbor like hooligans.
It was originally a hard job on the dock, exposed to wind and sun, but the next morning, after a burst of noise, an exchange sign was hung on a room in the port.
There is a large blackboard hanging inside the exchange. The goods arriving at the port can be written on the blackboard, waiting for interested parties to discuss. Apart from the tables and chairs, the most conspicuous thing in the room is the tax collector's seat.
The people sent by the salt merchants saw it, and they were overjoyed and said: "This is really convenient for us people. This lord is really a caring person to us~!"
At that moment, I shouted "Long live~!" to Lord Lorraine several times.
When Lorraine found out, she smiled and said, "I originally prepared it for you~!"
That morning, another transport ship loaded with salt docked at the port.
The ship owner went directly to the exchange and wrote on the blackboard, "Fifty thousand pounds of salt."
The salt merchants below looked like hyenas, with red eyes and howling 'ouch'.
They immediately surrounded the boat owner.
"I'll pay twenty!"
"twenty-two"
"If you die, I will give you twenty-five dollars, give it all to me."
"Twenty-eight, let's see who of you still wants to fight with me."
"Hmph, even a small character can dare to jump up and down. Thirty silver coins a pound."
"..."
The boat owner was stuck in the sea of people but didn't care. He looked at the enthusiastic faces in front of him, and his old face that had been weathered by the weather was so full of wrinkles that he smiled.
The boat owner paused for a moment, then raised his hands and shouted loudly: "Everyone, everyone, listen to me."
When the people around him calmed down, the boat owner said loudly: "It's such a mess. Everyone has quoted their prices, but I can't find anyone. Bosses, please sit down and let's auction it so that it's clear who belongs to whom."
"Okay, hurry up, hurry up, take this boat, we're still waiting for lunch."
"Come on, who is afraid of whom?"
"Fifty thousand pounds of salt, sold at one time, with a base price of twenty silver coins per pound. Start!"
After the last shipment of salt was sold for thirty-one silver coins per pound, Jerry walked out of the exchange rubbing his hands and turned into Leo's temporary office.
A piece of white paper has just been pasted on the door of the office. The glue has not yet dried. On it is written "Advance Command" crookedly. It can be seen that it was Leo's handwriting.
Jerry looked at the words on the door, grinned bitterly, knocked on the door and walked in.
Leo was sitting behind the desk, in scholar Lorraine's usual manner, with his feet on the desk and his hands behind his head, lying on the chair.
Milena was sitting boredly on the sofa opposite Leo, holding a doll.
Seeing Jerry come in, Leo muttered: "What? It's not comfortable at all to sit like this. Jerry, how's the situation?"
"It's a great deal, my lord. The price has gone up again today. It's thirty-one silver coins per pound."
"It's up? Okay!" Leo shouted, sat up, picked up the pen in his hand, dipped it in ink, and started counting on the paper: "One pound and thirty-one, fifty thousand pounds is
...that is... fifteen thousand gold coins, one ship per day, which is 450,000 a month. It is more than five million in one year, and more than 50 million in ten years!"
"Oh!" Leo jumped down from his chair excitedly, slapped the table and shouted, "Five million! Why should I sell the mill? I've made it, I've made it."
Milena snorted dissatisfied and said, "Leo, this is the twentieth time today. You don't have to call me every fifteen minutes."
Leo raised his nose and snorted, saying: "I have money now, so I won't argue with you. Jerry, isn't there another boat in the afternoon? You go on to raise the price. The higher the price is, the richer your bonus will be. I understand."
Is it done?"
Jerry nodded and bowed with a smile: "Yes, Your Highness."
At Leo's signal, the atmosphere in the exchange became more lively in the afternoon. The frenetic atmosphere in the auction could easily make people lose their minds, especially when everyone around them was waving their hands and shouting. Leo sent
The subordinates fanned the flames at the auction, and the ship owners cooperated with them. Every time a ship arrived, the price of salt would rise a little. People watching outside the exchange lamented after every transaction: It has gone up again.
Catherine controls the amount of salt released, and Leo personally directs it on site. The salt from the salt field is continuously transported along the river.
Lorraine and Catherine carefully grasped this measure. If too much salt was released, these people would not only doubt the origin of the salt, but the price of the salt sold would also fall. If they sold less, Leo would
There was a big fuss at the dinner table.
Every morning Catherine and Leo would fight over today's quota, but Catherine always won, and Leo would get a few slaps at least, or a good beating at worst.
However, after the fight, Leo wiped his nose and began to think about maximizing today's benefits.
Although the local dignitaries who speculate in salt boast that they have ample funds and have recently made huge profits from salt speculation, they are just a group of local snakes after all. For half a month, Leo released an average of one boat of salt every day and a half, and every day
The total price of ship salt is around 50,000 gold coins. Leo has already absorbed half a million gold coins. The liquidity in the hands of these people has been almost exhausted.
After all, they are desperately trying to monopolize the supply of goods just to keep the price of salt high. Now most of the money in their hands has been converted into salt and stored in warehouses.
The price of salt shipped to the port on the exchange has begun to decrease. After reaching the highest level of thirty-five silver coins per pound, the price of salt will basically drop by one silver coin every day.
Moreover, there are fewer and fewer bidders participating in the on-site auction. Speculators who have no money have withdrawn from the market, and they are holding on to their hoards of salt and starting to dream of getting rich.
The price here has dropped, but the price of salt sold on the market is still rising, mainly because these speculators have consumed the working capital in their hands and are now eager to earn cash.
At today's dinner table, Leo complained dejectedly: "Damn it, these people are so incompetent now. The price has dropped for the sixth consecutive day. Now a pound of salt can only be sold for twenty-eight silver coins. Moreover,
Not many people bought it at the scene. I almost bought my own salt today. It really pissed me off."
After saying that, he bitterly snatched a piece of ribs from Vera's hands.
Leo stuffed something in his mouth and muttered: "Why are you bragging about having a good supply of goods? These are just a bunch of idiots who are talking big words."
Lorraine thought for a while and said: "It's almost time to end it. It seems that the salt merchant has no liquidity in his hands. If he continues to play, the secret may be exposed."
Leo hurriedly said: "No, boss, I am avenging you. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to make them more money?"
Catherine said: "I don't know what you think yet. No, I'll sell it tomorrow. It's been two months and it's time to end. Besides, we should go back to the city."
Leo smiled flatteringly and said, "I'll sell it for another day tomorrow, just one day."
"No, one silver coin per pound is already a huge profit." Seeing Leo's smile getting sweeter, Catherine snorted, lowered her head and stopped looking at Leo, and casually added: "Besides the tax increase."
Leo hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands, nodded vigorously, and then sighed helplessly, saying: "I used to sell a boat for fifteen thousand, but in the future I can sell a boat for five hundred gold coins. Alas... I'm still alive."