Reading the message didn"t give me even a single clue as to what could"ve happened. We talked only yesterday, so why does Venna summon me again? Or maybe someone got a clue of the scheme that I was trying to make and this was just a bait to get me into a secluded place?
That"s the problem of being just a small tool for someone else. Without any other backer that I could relly on, if Venna"s faction decided that it was better for them to get rid of me, I would be close to powerless to stop them!
After only a few minutes of following the messenger, we arrived at the building site. In every direction that I looked, I could see crowds and crowds of people rus.h.i.+ng to finish their tasks, with a big, old building being the centre of their attention. From the number of various materials and furniture gathered on the courtyard, I could see that this was some serious investment, but I didn"t want to believe that it was Venna who actually stood behind this!
Does she even know the meaning of doing something covertly? I would be down even for a quasi black-market, yet she actually made such a mess? What the h.e.l.l am I working with?
"You are finally here! My master was losing her mind while waiting for you! You need to hurry up inside!"
The moment that I stepped into the area directly in front of the building doors, a familiar fatso came out to fetch me.
"What the h.e.l.l happened here?"
Unable to hold back my curiosity, I probed Ham with this simple question. Considering how he was just a servant, there was no point trying to get him to tell me any details because most probably, he had no clue about them!
"While I can"t say for certain, it seems that other faction saw our movements and decided to b.u.t.t in. Representatives of every influential organisation, family and sects are already inside! Venna can stall them only for so long, so hurry up!"
Jiggling his fat to all sides as he tried to hurry up, Ham leads us to the s.p.a.cious room, made by demolis.h.i.+ng most of the inner walls on the top-most floor of the property.
"...for him! If you don"t believe me, then just ask the author of the idea!"
Before we even reached the end of the stairs, I was able to hear Venna"s annoyed voice as she argued with other people. Rus.h.i.+ng past Ham, I stepped into quite a big commotion made out of several dignified looking people. Since there was a chance that Katenari had someone sent by them as well, I made Eve wait on the first floor in one of the rooms that were yet to be demolished.
"I"m here, is someone willing to fill me in what seems to be a problem?"
Seeing that she was already cornered, I couldn"t help but come in from with a haughty att.i.tude. If they caught the news that Venna was investing in a new auction house, they wouldn"t swallow any explanation that came out of her mouth. Seeing that she pushed the burden of explaining things on me, I was free to pretend that I had no clue what was going on, giving some legitimacy to her claim that I was behind everything.
"This woman that you seem to collude with broke our agreement by following your idea. If you did realise that the whole Bakari house was just a joint ruse of all the sects, who gave you the b.a.l.l.s to interfere with it?"
The first person to speak wore a dragon"s head emblem on his shoulder, while dressed in elaborate robes, screaming how expensive they were. While looking at him, I was unable to gauge his cultivation strength or even approximate realm that he was in, but with Venna"s here, I doubted that they would make a move on me as long as I provided them with a believable lie.
"So strong yet so blind. How the h.e.l.l did you come to the realisation that I ever intended to interfere with your business? Even if I had the intention to do so, do you really believe that with my strength that you can clearly decipher, I would be able to provide any expensive items for the auctions? Wake up from your hatred and start thinking business!"
If I acted covertly and cowardly, they would instantly force their own views on me, binding Venna"s hands in terms of protecting me. Only by acting harshly would I be able to give them a piece of my mind!
"Your auction house deals with expensive and rare materials, but every major sect or family still needs to supply all kinds of cheap and common resources for their disciples. Be it spirit stones, blood tonics or even energetic food, if you dare to auction it in your house, that would only sully its reputation and anger your valuable customers. Am I wrong?"
Giving them bait and allowing others to come up with the answers themselves. If I were to explain everything outright, they would take it as a bunch of lies for the sake of salvaging the situation, but if they proposed the solution themselves…
"You want to make this an auction house for all those thrash things? Why would anyone even bother to bid for them if you can simply get them from the market? You should"ve come up with a better lie!"
Good, they caught the hook, now it"s time to pull on the cord.
"But what if a sect brought a big batch of new disciples? What if some kind of genius required intense grooming and deprived them of some resource that is needed for others? I never said that I intend this place to trade with small amounts! Imagine, what if this place took the burden of roaming the market for all those resources, or even forced all the providers to go through them? This way everyone interested would just bid for a batch of things they require, instead of wasting manpower to scout the entire city to gather what they need!"
Coming up with something like this was as easy as leading a random girl to a climax for me. I might not have been the brightest member of the society back on earth, but all those F"s on the tests managed to force some of the basic knowledge in my formerly fat head. If there is a demand but no supply, there is a place for a profitable business. And with the control over the city that all of those people had when combining their forces, it was the most obvious way to create some easy money!
While all I was doing was creating some excuse for them to leave us alone, I had to bring up a legitimate way of making the money if I wanted them to believe my words!
"The prices for all of those products are already set! The only reason that you buy stuff in bulk is to get a lower price! How do you intend to profit from it then?"
One of the senior members of the crowd interjected while ma.s.saging his beard in contemplation. Just from the look on his face, I could recognise that he was actually interested in my words!
"When people are selling those commodities, they need to accommodate all the costs of setting up the stall, paying the taxes, compensating for all the loses caused by thieves… If we manage to convince them to sell through this auction house, we will save them a lot of risks, work and costs, so we will be able to force their prices down. Even if the end price won"t change at all, not only would that eliminate one of the platforms that would create conflicts between all the sects steeming from the natural fight for resources, we would be able to streamline the entire process and minimalize the losses!"
Hearing his question, I can"t help but answer earnestly. What"s the point of digging my own grave by lying, If I can just come clean and present the entire ruse as something legit?
"And if you want to know where is the profit for me in all of this… While those small discounts that we will be able to get by pus.h.i.+ng all of this minor trade through us, I will be able to not only pay for the operating costs of this place but make some real money for myself as well. Is it wrong for the younger generation to try to lift the burden of grooming themselves from the shoulders of the elders from their sects? But all we are doing is speaking empty words. Let"s say that in one week from now, I would like to invite disciples from your sects to the auction, but accompanied by at least one elder to make sure that no bets will be empty. This way, respected elders would be able to see my idea in motion themselves!"