Chapter 61 Libra: Who is the real shrewd businessman? When Lin...

As Lin Yue pretended nothing had happened and sat back down at the table, warmly inviting them to continue enjoying the honey-roasted rock-baked potato chips, Fernando's smile had become somewhat stiff and unnatural.

He picked up the fragrant tea again, but hesitated to drink it. His shrewd little eyes darted around, and finally he couldn't help but ask in a seemingly casual tone, "Mayor Lin Yue...were those...your friends just now? They were truly...truly amazing...I've traveled all over the country for so many years, and I've never seen such...such extraordinary people."

He deliberately avoided using the word "elf".

"Oh? You mean them?" Lin Yue feigned sudden realization, then waved his hand warily, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "Shh... Manager Fernando, you can't say things like that. They're not my friends, just... some... um... nature-loving neighbors living deep in the forest. They have bad tempers and don't like being disturbed by outsiders. I only occasionally exchange goods with them, and we're just acquainted. Really, we're not close, not at all."

As he spoke, he glanced nervously towards the woods, his attempt to cover up a huge secret—a look that seemed to say, "I'm telling you a secret, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone, or I'll be dead"—was more convincing to Fernando and Karl, two shrewd men, than a direct admission.

Not familiar? If you're not familiar with each other, why would you greet me so warmly?

Bad temper? Don't like being disturbed? Then why are we allowed to have your settlement of a few hundred people firing bricks and forging iron in your backyard?! Don't think we didn't see the ironware under your thatched roof!

Just exchanging some mountain produce? Then where do you get these magical crops and those alchemical potions from?!

Fernando and Karl exchanged a glance, instantly understanding the same message in each other's eyes: this young man, his settlement, and the legendary Elven race had an extremely close relationship, and he was doing his best to conceal and protect this relationship.

Having figured this out, Fernando's mind completely shifted. His attitude became more respectful and enthusiastic than ever before.

“I see, I see. We were being presumptuous. Mayor Lin Yue, rest assured, the reputation of our Golden Scales Chamber of Commerce is such that we will never ask what we shouldn’t ask, nor will we look at what we shouldn’t look at.”

Without mutual suspicion and probing, the trade negotiations between the two sides proceeded exceptionally smoothly and efficiently.

Fernando stopped objecting to the prices on the menu and instead displayed the generosity and decisiveness expected of a manager of a major chamber of commerce. With a wave of his hand, he decided to represent the Golden Scales Chamber of Commerce in conducting the first major transaction with Hope Town.

“Mayor Lin Yue,” Fernando rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with the warm smile typical of a merchant, “our chamber of commerce will take all of your refined snow salt and starlight wheat flour. As many as you have, and the price will be as listed on your menu. Such divine goods are worth the price.”

Lin Yue was overjoyed, but he shook his head with feigned difficulty: "Manager Fernando, you are too kind. It's just that... the production of these two specialties is really limited. They are mainly for the people in our town, especially those... um... nature lovers. The quantity that can be traded this time is really not much."

Upon hearing this, Fernando's expression became even more respectful, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Understood, understood. Then... I wonder how much your town can spare for us this time? Even if it's just a small portion."

Finally, after some friendly negotiations, Lin Yue agreed to sell fifty bags (500 grams each) of Starlight Wheat Flour and one hundred packets (50 grams each) of Refined Snow Salt to the Golden Libra Chamber of Commerce.

Just as the deal was about to be finalized, Fernando made a new request.

"Mayor Lin Yue, I'm also very curious about the rock-skinned potatoes in your town." He pointed to the potatoes whose shells were being cracked open by the residents with hammers, his eyes gleaming. "These potatoes have a unique flavor, and... I've noticed they seem to store very well. Our merchant caravan travels all year round, and what we need most is this kind of food that can be preserved for a long time. I wonder... could you trade some with us? Of course, we only want to buy some finished products as rations for our journey."

How could Lin Yue not see through his little scheme? It was true that he wanted to take them back as food, but as long as there were whole potatoes, there would always be a way to make them sprout, so that he could conduct research and trial planting.

“Well…” Lin Yue looked troubled, hesitated for a long time, and then slowly shook his head. “Manager Fernando, I’m truly sorry. This stone-skin potato is the foundation of Hope Town, and the last blessing bestowed upon us wanderers by the gods. We don’t even have enough to eat ourselves…”

Seeing the disappointment on Fernando's face, Lin Yue changed the subject: "However, while whole potatoes can't be sold, our newly developed travel snacks are still available. These are honey-roasted potato chips, made by slicing potatoes thinly and baking them with honey and salt. You just tasted their deliciousness, didn't you? They're crispy, delicious, and easy to carry—a must-have for travel. As for the price… considering our pleasant cooperation, I'll give you a 2% discount!"

Fernando: "..."

Looking at Lin Yue's sincere "I'm thinking of you" expression, he cursed the cunning sand jackal eight hundred times in his heart, but he still had to force a smile on his face: "Then... then thank you for your kindness, Mayor."

Besides these core specialties, Fernando also showed great interest in the exquisite ceramics produced in Hope Town. He was particularly fond of the glazed, smooth, jade-like bowls and plates, as well as the Moonlight Cups that Ella and her friends had tried to make by mixing moonlight moss powder into the glaze and firing them, which emitted a soft glow in the dark.

Finally, after an afternoon of counting and accounting, the first major transaction between Hope Town and the Golden Libra Chamber of Commerce was officially completed.

Lin Yue traded fifty bags of Starlight Flour, one hundred packets of refined snow salt, five hundred portions of honey-roasted potato chips, fifty sets of exquisite celadon ceramic tableware, and ten precious Moonlight Cups from Fernando for the supplies that Hope Town urgently needed. The price was still exorbitant in Fernando's eyes, but in Lin Yue's eyes it was a friendly price.

The transaction didn't turn out to be the exaggerated scene Lin Yue had imagined, with three large boxes filled with gold coins. According to the common currency system on the mainland, one gold coin was roughly equal to one hundred silver coins, and one silver coin was roughly equal to one hundred copper coins. An ordinary family's annual expenses would likely amount to only a few gold coins.

Although Lin Yue's luxury items were valuable, their quantity was limited. Ultimately, after Fernando's precise calculation, the total value of the transaction was approximately eighty gold coins.

This sum of money was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for the incredibly wealthy Golden Scales Chamber of Commerce. But for the impoverished Hope Town, it was a fortune.

Fernando paid twenty gold coins in cash, while the remaining sixty gold coins, as Lin Yue requested, were converted into urgently needed supplies.

Hundreds of bolts of high-quality linen and cotton cloth, including two bolts of silky fabric said to be woven from some kind of silkworm silk, were provided. Now all the residents of the town had their winter clothing sorted.

In addition, there were large quantities of ropes, tarpaulins, beeswax, and other essential supplies that Hope Town urgently needed but could not produce itself.

This transaction was an unprecedented windfall for Hope Town. It was their first pot of gold in their development history.

Everyone was immersed in great joy, their faces beaming with happiness as they looked at the warehouse full of supplies.

However, just one day before the transaction was completed and the caravan was about to set off, Fernando approached Lin Yue again and made a request that everyone found unbelievable.

He actually... wanted to buy a ceramic flush toilet from Hope Town.

“Manager Fernando, you…you’re not kidding, are you?” Lin Yue looked at him with disbelief. “This thing…you’ll have no use for it. Without our waterworks and sewage system, it…it’s just a decoration.”

“Of course I know.” Fernando shook his head with a wry smile, then lowered his voice and whispered in Lin Yue’s ear, “Mayor Lin Yue, to be honest, our trip to the north this time is not only for business, but also to visit a very important figure who is crucial to our chamber of commerce. This important figure has a very… peculiar temperament and preferences. She has an almost obsessive demand for personal hygiene and the cleanliness of her living environment.”

He pointed to the ensuite bathroom in the model apartment, his eyes filled with longing: "We prepared countless rare treasures for this visit, but we always felt something was missing. And this... this magical toilet of yours is simply tailor-made for her. If I can present her with this creation that represents ultimate cleanliness and civilization as a gift, I'm sure I can win her crucial favor. As long as she's satisfied, all our hard work will be worthwhile."

Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat: "But... the manufacturing process for these toilets is extremely complex, and the yield rate is very low. We don't even have enough for our own needs..."

“I understand, I understand.” Fernando immediately understood. He gritted his teeth and tentatively offered a price: “Mayor Lin Yue, I’m willing to offer… fifty gold coins. No, one hundred gold coins! To buy this toilet of yours, this is absolutely the most sincere price on the continent!”

Lin Yue smiled and shook his head: "Manager Fernando, we don't lack gold coins right now. I don't intend to measure the value of this divine object in money."

He paused and slowly said, "I am very interested in the rock-walking lizards from your caravan. If you are willing to exchange them for one male and one female lizard, this toilet is yours."

"What?! This is impossible!" Fernando jumped up without thinking, his face changing color. "Mayor Lin Yue, you're practically trying to swallow a fully grown lava giant lizard whole. The rock-walking lizards are an important asset to our caravan, the core power source pulling the main wagon. Without two, how are we going to travel such a long distance with all our goods, relying solely on the remaining rock-walking lizards?"

"Then there's nothing I can do." Lin Yue shrugged, looking regretful. "It seems this deal is off. Oh well, I was just thinking of studying the toilet's internal structure further to see if I could optimize it..."

Seeing Lin Yue about to turn and leave, Fernando became anxious. If he missed this opportunity, he might never encounter a gift that could so move that important person again. He gritted his teeth and quickly calculated in his mind.

Just then, Lin Yue casually added, "Of course, to show my sincerity, if the deal goes through, I can also offer you a set of mortise and tenon furniture, handcrafted by the best artisans in Hope Town, featuring intricate craftsmanship and beautiful patterns unavailable elsewhere. Just imagine, a pristine white toilet paired with elegant, naturally styled furniture, presented as a gift… what a sight that would be…"

This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Fernando instantly pictured the look of surprise and satisfaction on the face of that great man when he saw these two imaginative creations.

But he still couldn't make up his mind. Exchanging two Rockwalker Beasts was too much of a price to pay. What if he couldn't explain it to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters when he got back? He subconsciously glanced at his assistant Karl, who had been silent all along, with a pleading look.

Karl, who had been standing in the background the whole time, lowered his eyelids slightly after receiving Fernando's gaze, and then nodded slowly with an extremely slight gesture.

This action gave Fernando the courage to make a decision.

He stomped his foot hard, as if he had made a huge decision: "Fine, Mayor Lin Yue, I'll trade! It's just two lizard beasts, right? As long as that person is satisfied, it's worth it! But... I want two sets of that table and chairs, and I also want the one carved with moonlight vine patterns!"

"make a deal!"

So, on the day the caravan left, a peculiar handover ceremony was held at the gate of Hope Town.

Uncle Shi Quan and Amu, looking pained, carefully carried out the brand-new, pristine white ceramic toilet, the culmination of their countless efforts, and handed it over to the staff of the Golden Libra Chamber of Commerce.

The caravan members reluctantly handed the reins of the two enormous rock-walking lizards, each as big as a small mountain, to Lin Yue.

Both sides got what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

"Mayor Lin Yue, this transaction was very pleasant. I hope we will have the opportunity to cooperate again in the future. Your Hope Town is a place full of miracles, and I believe that it won't be long before its name resounds throughout the entire continent."

"Thank you for your kind words," Lin Yue said with a smile, then handed him a small, exquisite jar. "Manager Fernando, have a safe journey. This is a small token of our appreciation from Hope Town. It's a calming tea made with calming mushrooms and several herbs, which we hope will help ease your travel fatigue."

Thank you.

The caravan slowly set off, its massive wheels once again rolling across the wasteland, heading towards the distance.

Lin Yue stood on the city wall, watching them depart into the distance.

This transaction was of great significance to Hope Town. They not only obtained the first pot of gold they needed for development, but more importantly, through the Golden Scales Chamber of Commerce, they made their voice heard in this unfamiliar world for the first time.

Fernando, sitting in the swaying wagon, stroked the smooth ceramic toilet wrapped in a thick blanket, his mind racing. This time, he would not only report in detail about the mysterious Hope Town to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, but also present the magical snow salt and starlight flour to the higher-ups. He sensed that this small settlement, hidden on the edge of the cursed land, would one day unleash a storm that would sweep across the entire continent.

Both sides had their own thoughts and were full of expectations for the future.

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Author's Note: Lin Yue: Actually...

Fernando: I understand, I understand everything!