Waiting
I had to play the waiting game again. I saw the boy sell Edward’s insurance policy and instigate a war for it. Nobody believed that the value of the stones would drop and, therefore, obtained an insurance policy. Stones were then sold and bought daily in the city, and it would attract huge groups of merchants eager to… make money. As a consequence, their price continued to soar and soar. Some waited to buy. In fact, lots of signs that indicated they were buyers were hung up. However, there were very few that were sold. Everyone was hoping that the stones in their possession would increase even just a little more tomorrow so that they could then sell them once their value peaked.
In essence, it was stocks or future contracts. The stones that were worthless on their own had become a cornerstone for businessmen’s investments. Women smiled for men’s generous wallets. Didn’t the merchants do squat in the North? Well, they were hauling themselves to procure the stones. Similarly to diamonds, are they worth that much? Besides the industrial value, there was no shortage of diamonds. The belief that the stones represented love was what gave value to the stones.
The businessmen around me were all looking forward to getting rich and had a chance to. Since they bought insurance for the stones, they would get involved with the stone trade. As a result, they’d be here to monitor the stones’ performance. It wasn’t as if they didn’t know that Edward was the one who decided on what they were worth thanks to his monopoly on the stones’ value. The reason they were so heavy was because not many people sold them.
As I wasn’t in the stone business, I couldn’t care less about the price of the stones. I was in the Edward business. Face hidden under my hood, I sat in a corner and drank the cheapest wine in the imperial capital. One of the five days had passed, and there was nothing wrong with that. I couldn’t reveal myself for some of the businessmen recognised me. If they did, a disturbance would likely occur.
Meanwhile, Ross displayed his dexterity as an anthropoid in all its glory, weaving through the crowd. “Lord Lin, I have bought back a fair amount,” reported Ross, panting when he returned to my side.
Ross handed me the parchments, and I told him, “Don’t show me here. You bought them, not me. Put them away. Give them to me after we get back. There’s no need to rush right now, but we must buy them back.”
We, at least, had reclaimed the majority of the insurance policies. I had thirty thousand gold coins and bought back the insurance policies that I had scattered. I also sold the insurance policy, which was worth fifty thousand gold coins, for thirty thousand gold coins. As long as there was a sale, the price would drop a little. As such, I could purchase back the majority of the insurance policies. Even though it sounds strange and wasteful to buy the policies twice, it was actually an integral exchange. As aforementioned, as long as I pawned the coal mine with the bank and then took it back, the mine would be mine.
Yes, I had spent fifty thousand gold coins to shoulder Edward’s insurance policy. What about now, though? Everyone who had the insurance policy transferred to them would have to shoulder the potential losses from the policy. What does that mean? You should be able to figure it out if you have a brain that does more than let you boast you have one.
Ross resumed his errand in the crowd after a simple lunch break.
Five days was plenty of time for me. The dwarves could reach the other side in three days, and then they’d reach the North on the fourth. On the fifth day, I could begin my promotions. As a matter of fact, it would only take a day and a half to reach the North if one went all day and night at top speed. Dwarves, as a matter of fact, might’ve had more efficient methods of travelling for all I knew. I doubted Francis would take everyone from his group as he was just going to verify that the mineral was there.
When the sky was an orange hue again, a tired Ross came back to me with even more parchments in hand. There was no denying that Ross was a genius. Perhaps people had their guard down against him due to his cute cat appearance. Even though had done his best and brought back a decent number, it wasn’t enough, unfortunately. Nowhere near enough.
I scrubbed Ross’ head and praised, “Nice work, Ross. We just need to come again for two more days. Two more days and we’ll have reclaimed the majority of them.”
“Lord Lin, some were unwilling to sell no matter what I said.”
“Don’t worry about them; they’ll regret it when the time comes. We just need to focus on reclaiming the majority of them,” I quietly explained.
“Lord Lin, I honestly cannot understand the purpose of doing this. We could repay the debt with so much money. Why do we need to buy our own belongings with money? Further, as you saw, the price of the stones have not depreciated whatsoever. We are just watching Edward make money. All of them are making money!”
“I know. I know they’re all making money.”
“Then, you…”
Ross worshipped me in the first place since I was able to make money from nothing. In this scenario, I was giving away free money, spending my own money to buy back my own goods.
“Didn’t I tell you, Ross? My goal isn’t to make money.”
“Then… are they not making money?”
I chuckled, “Don’t be hasty. Don’t forget: though they are making money now, they have to shoulder all of the losses if Edward goes bankrupt. Do you know how much Edward owes the bank? Normally, the bank wouldn’t loan money the way they’re granting him loans. Nevertheless, the bank has trusted Edward too much, and that will be his undoing.”
“But how do we make Edward bankrupt? Lord Lin, what should we do next to make him bankrupt?”
“Wait.”
Baffled, Ross repeated, “Wait?”
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