Chapter 111 Prince Lloyd

Even Aiwass himself didn't expect that the fish could be hooked directly.

He didn't even say a word. He had just started to bait the bait and hadn't even put the hook in yet... but the fish jumped onto the shore by itself.

——It seems that Mr. Yu is really anxious.

So Aiwass didn't point it out, but followed Mr. Yu directly to Lloyd's.

The Metropolitan District is northwest of the Red and White Queen District. To reach Lloyd's District, one must cross the entire Red and White Queen District... but as a port area, Lloyd's District certainly couldn't allow goods to be piled up and unshipped. There are multiple railways running from the most populous Metropolitan District to the coastal Lloyd's District in the southeast, but they all bypass the Red and White Queen District in the middle.

Lawyer York took Aiwass on the train.

It was just after nine o'clock when they arrived at Lloyd's.

——Although York’s lawyer said they were not a commercial company, what came into view was a skyscraper.

The building, with over thirty stories, was truly impressive given the technological advancements of the era. It was the tallest building in the entire Lloyds District, a stark contrast to the surrounding buildings, which were only one or two stories high.

The Lloyd's headquarters building was bustling with people, all dressed respectably. The entrance was a large revolving glass door, and the marble floor in the lobby was as shiny as new.

There were many small round tables in the hall, with low stools beside them. Some young men in suits, who looked like salesmen, were sitting there, chatting quietly with some other people who were well-dressed but looked embarrassed.

A large display board sat on the side of the hall. On the left were names like Tyson Crude Oil, Nemanja Ocean Group, and Blue Lizard Metal and Timber Company. Behind them were a row of flip-up signs with numbers accurate to the last decimal point. On the right were the names of commodities like cotton, soybeans, sugar, and wine, with their prices displayed on the flip-up signs.

A large number of people in suits and ties gathered there, some discussing in low voices, some looking nervous, some speaking loudly, and some standing in a corner taking notes. From time to time, someone would come over and flip through the number cards, adjusting the numbers to the latest version.

After Lawyer York brought Aiwass and Lily in, someone came to greet them immediately.

A receptionist who looked to be in her early twenties, dressed elegantly and wearing mature and beautiful makeup, came over and politely greeted him, "Mr. Consultant."

"Which senior executive is here?" asked Lawyer York.

"Mr. Boca, Mr. Forbes, Ms. Gray-Green." The receptionist replied.

"Isn't Mr. Lloyd here?" Lawyer York muttered softly, then he ordered, "Please ask Vice President Boca to come to my office and tell him I've brought a new person."

"yes."

The female receptionist responded.

Then, York took Aiwass and Lily to the elevator and said to the elevator operator, "Go to the seventeenth floor."

The elevator operator was a middle-aged woman in her forties. She nodded, turned the dial, and raised the wire mesh door. Then she pulled the gate in front of her, and the half-open elevator wobbled upwards.

This was the first time Aiwass had seen an elevator in Avalon.

The elevator was also incredibly old—when it reached the mezzanine level, red bricks could be seen through the wire mesh door. The elevator also kept shaking and making noises as it ascended, making Aiwass nervous, fearing it would suddenly break and fall from the sky.

From time to time, powder and small gravel would roll into the elevator through the gaps in the wire mesh. The elevator manager was not surprised by this and simply kicked it back down through the gaps in the wire mesh.

Finally, it rose safely to the seventeenth floor, and after a violent vibration, it slowly stopped shaking from side to side.

At least we arrived safely. Lily breathed a sigh of relief without leaving any trace. Her fingers, gripping the wheelchair so tightly, had turned white.

"Have you ever ridden in an elevator before?"

Lawyer York laughed and said, "I've brought many people to Lloyd's headquarters, but they were all quite scared by the elevator when they first came."

So this is just a show of force that you guys prepared, right?

Aiwass complained inwardly.

But he just shook his head slightly and said very firmly: "I have never ridden in an elevator like this."

"This elevator, along with the building, was designed by architects from Xingti."

Lawyer York walked ahead, introducing enthusiastically, "You might not know this, but buildings in Avalon don't usually reach this height. Buildings like the Candlelight Cathedral and the Temple of Silver and Tin are all designed by the Theocracy, but they also don't reach this height."

"Buildings this high require special reinforcement materials. Otherwise, a strong wind would cause the structure to sway and collapse, and it would bend and collapse."

As he spoke, he gestured happily with his hands.

It was as if she had forgotten that he had just returned from a funeral, or as if she had finally let go of something that was bothering her.

It was a natural overflow of ease and comfort. Even his steps became lighter, and he almost hummed a song.

"Not all buildings receive the same regular maintenance from conservators as the Temple of Silver and Tin. It's perfectly normal for most buildings to gradually deteriorate over time. In this case, the advancement of Star Antimony's technology is evident..."

Lawyer York spoke with great admiration for the technology of the Star Antimony Kingdom. He discussed the advanced technologies used in the building, from the architect to the physical structure, and then to the daily traffic volume of the building.

——But you haven't been to Xingti, but I have. Although it was in my past life.

The elevators used by the Stars are much more advanced than this, Aiwass thought.

After listening to Lawyer York's rambling for a while, Aiwass finally couldn't help but interrupt and asked, "Did Lloyd's of London have this building for two hundred years?"

"...You actually knew Lloyd's has a 200-year history?"

Lawyer York was a little surprised, but soon realized: "Yes, you are also a 'Moriarty' after all.

"But unfortunately, no. Elevators have only been around for less than a hundred years, and this building was built about seven or eight years ago."

Lawyer York laughed and said, "This building didn't even exist when I was a kid. I remember it was ten years ago when the old Lloyd's building was attacked and blown up, so the then-president of Lloyd's paid for this new building to be built."

"President Lloyd?"

Aiwass knew where York was going with the conversation, so he added a humorous aside: "Mr. Lloyd... is there any connection between him and the former Prince Lloyd?"

Sure enough, this was the topic York wanted to talk about.

He pushed open the door of his office and said with a cheerful smile, "Since you know Prince Lloyd, it will be easy. Please take a seat, Aiwa - oh, sorry. Miss Lily, please stay here with Mr. Aiwas for a moment. I will make tea for you two."

Aiwass keenly heard that York had deliberately misspoken in order to temporarily interrupt their conversation.

In this way, Aiwas would look around when he was bored. And this position was just right for him to see the whole room and see the layout of the whole room clearly.

The office is filled with well-tended plants, including a caged green parrot with a colorful tail. A nearby tank holds goldfish. Hanging on the wall are heartwarming photos of York and his friends. They're arm in arm, smiling, even playful—from his twenties to the present day. These friends are almost all celebrities or influential figures.

While boiling the water, York did not stop completely.

When he guessed that Aiwass had begun to look at his photograph, he began again to introduce the history of Lloyd's: "How much do you know about Prince Lloyd?"

"A successful businessman, a disgrace to the royal family."

Aiwass replied.

Prince Lloyd's last name was not "Du Lac." He was a businessman named "Lloyd" over two hundred years ago.

——More than two hundred years ago, Avalon’s shipping industry reached its peak.

Prince Lloyd was originally just a coffee shop owner. Because of his excellent coffee making skills, many businessmen would come to his coffee shop. Their conversations also brought a lot of information.

Prince Lloyd, keenly aware of the business opportunity, borrowed money from his own pocket to publish a newspaper called Lloyd's News, published three times a week with a limited edition of 500 copies. It contained a wide variety of shipping news and maritime intelligence, which was extremely valuable to merchants who grappled with the high costs of ocean voyages.

At the time, the newspaper industry was relatively underdeveloped, and news was often delayed. Lloyd's connections were extensive, allowing him to provide the most accurate and reliable information within his industry. Consequently, Lloyd's News commanded high prices among less powerful merchants. Those unable to purchase the newspaper would visit his coffee shop to personally consult him and gain information.

But in fact, the news Lloyd wrote in the newspaper was only "second-tier" news. He also had his own more secret "first-tier" intelligence, which he only sold to those who were willing to deal with him - exchanging his intelligence and favors with their own intelligence and favors.

By running his own intelligence business, Lloyd gained considerable influence. Captains, merchants, and loan sharks were all expected to curry favor with him. Under these circumstances, he established his own rules and developed the insurance brokerage industry.

Initially, Mr. Lloyd did not issue insurance himself, but all "marine insurance" had to go through him, and he would take 5% of the net profit.

This was a highly profitable business with no capital investment, so naturally, there were those who wanted him dead. So, he began running his own private army. Finally, seeing that he had the military power, he began issuing loans himself—Lloyd's Loans—which gradually became a giant. And he gradually entered the upper class.

In the end, as a merchant of common origin with no knightly blood, he fell in love with the queen of the time and became a prince. Even so, he still did not give up Lloyd's, which he had built. Instead, he used the authority of the royal family to grant Lloyd's members the right to operate all insurance business, including marine insurance, and transformed the original Lloyd's News into Lloyd's Weekly.

Prince Lloyd, through his devotion to the Queen, continuously drained the royal family and passed numerous laws that indirectly favored Lloyd's. He also cultivated a sophisticated network of connections, allowing prominent members of the Knights to join or indirectly join Lloyd's. By the time the Queen passed away, Lloyd's had become an unstoppable behemoth.

At this point, even the Round Table is having trouble taking action against Lloyd's, as it is closely tied to the revenues of several sectors.

Prince Lloyd had become a "disgrace to the royal family." Because of him, many royal powers were stripped and restricted. It was also after him that knight families were prohibited from marrying commoners without bloodlines.

But lawyer York didn't care about Aiwas's sharp words and just smiled.

This is the first chapter of over 3,000 words. I haven't finished the second chapter yet, so I'll post it at 6pm! I'll be back to my double update schedule today, meow!

I went to bed at nine last night and woke up at three thirty in the morning.

I feel like I've almost adjusted, although I'm still a little dizzy. Although I think what you said makes sense, I'm already halfway through, so I can't stop adjusting (sad)

Let’s leave it like this for now——

(End of this chapter)