Chapter 486 Thunder City Citizens Lacking "Strategic Vision"
The loans from the Andean Bank solved the immediate crisis for a large group of importers and cargo owners. These bosses, who had been severely harassed by the lizardmen, almost knelt down and begged for their fathers' forgiveness.
Silver coins can be counted slowly, but business opportunities are fleeting.
Missing out would be tantamount to handing over a market of seven million square kilometers to others, and no one could bear such a terrible loss.
The group that received the loan quickly paid the money to Mr. Sak Gale, the cousin of the chief of the Wind Howl tribe.
The money didn't even leave the Andean bank.
Since the Wind Howl tribe has an account with the Andean Bank, transactions are completed directly through account transfers, which is quite convenient.
After all that commotion, the dockworkers resumed their work, moving boxes of goods from the United Kingdom of Gutaf into the port's warehouses.
The dockworkers, who earned their wages daily, went to the foreman and lined up to collect their wages for the day.
The foreman, who had just received the silver pounds from the payment merchant, hesitated for a while and negotiated with his dockworkers who were paid by the day. In the end, most of them chose the silver pound over 100 copper coins, and then happily took the "silver pound" to the Andean bank to cash it.
Previously, 100 copper coins and 1 silver coin were equivalent, but recently the exchange rate between the three currencies in Thunder City has become distorted.
Copper coins became vouchers for bread. Except for Edward's bread, which remained at 4 copper coins, all other goods increased in price in copper coins.
Normally, no one would be willing to pay workers silver coins as wages, because there weren't many silver coins circulating in the market, and Campbell's silver coins were even fewer. On the contrary, there were plenty of copper coins that minor nobles had minted indiscriminately. The prosperity of Thunder City attracted money from the entire northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea, including "bad money."
Therefore, issuing "silver pounds" is actually a disguised form of salary increase.
Foremen who had doubts about paper money used this to transfer risk, since their ability to withstand risks was too poor, and they would go bankrupt on the spot if they could not redeem the money.
Those day laborers who received silver pounds benefited, because this time the daily wage was paid in silver coins!
As for risks, they are not a problem for them at all.
After all, in their view, even if the Andes family went bankrupt immediately tomorrow, they wouldn't be unable to redeem even this piece of paper in their hands. At worst, they would go and reason with His Highness Edward, who was a benevolent ruler!
In fact, they weren't wrong, because behind the Andean Bank stood their respected Grand Duke.
As expected, Andes kept his promise, and the bank tellers gave every worker who came to exchange their money the full amount of silver coins, and they were the kind that bore the Campbell family crest.
Under Edward's orders, the mint in Thunder City has been working overtime for the Andes Bank these past few days in order to cope with this situation.
However, the two bigwigs' worries were unnecessary, because with "overseas credit" as a guarantee, many foremen who came to exchange their wages were intercepted at the door by others who came to exchange money.
These despicable unscrupulous merchants used those "Ryan iron pieces" to fool the hardworking dockworkers, saying that Ryan silver coins and Rhodes silver coins were also silver coins and no different from Campbell silver coins. Then they exchanged those shiny banknotes for them. In the end, the manager of the Andes Bank had to come out and clarify.
In the short term, there is indeed no difference between the two.
At least in the first week of the issuance of the silver pound, the "silver pound" was equivalent to a "voucher" for silver coins, and its scarcity had not yet translated into exchange rate differences.
In particular, the silver pounds were mainly injected into the "supply side" through loans from the Andean Bank, and did not flow into the shopping baskets of ordinary citizens at all.
Those importers and exporters who received loans from the Andean Bank were busy using the money to settle large trade transactions with merchant ships from the United Kingdom of Gutaf and the Principality of Corin. Only a few loose banknotes were used to pay the workers' wages, and no excess banknotes overflowed into the consumer market.
However, this is only temporary.
As time went on, when people discovered that the "silver pound" was stronger than the various silver coins, the real exchange rate was eventually reflected in the market.
This widening exchange rate gap became even more pronounced after dockworkers realized they didn't need to exchange their banknotes for silver coins.
It's unclear when exactly, but one imperial silver coin can no longer be exchanged for one silver pound.
At dusk, at Warner Jewelry on Queen Street.
The wind chimes on the door jingled crisply as Mr. Jarvis, a well-known fur merchant in Thunder City, walked in arm in arm with a young female companion.
This century-old jeweler is one of the top luxury brands in Thunder City, and is loved by the city's wealthy and socialites.
It is said that the brooch Princess Eileen wore to the banquet was designed by them, although Eileen herself may not have known it.
As a regular customer of this store, Jarvis greeted the owner casually as he walked towards him with a friendly smile.
“Wonag, my old friend, I have a banquet tonight, and the guests are all very important. I need to pay close attention to them. Please help me choose a suitable piece of jewelry for this beautiful lady. I am sure your taste will not disappoint me.”
"You've come at the perfect time, Mr. Jarvis! I just happen to have a new shipment that will guarantee you and your lady will be the most eye-catching stars at the party."
Knowing that the owner was not concerned about the price, the shop owner, Wernag, immediately took out a newly arrived diamond necklace from the velvet tray and presented it to the two of them with courtesy and elegance.
The women of Thunder City all love sparkly things.
The moment the beautiful girl saw the diamond, she was instantly captivated; it shone as brightly as the "Eye of Irene" on Edward's crown.
Seeing that his female companion liked it, Jarvis felt a surge of warmth in his heart and nodded in satisfaction.
"Great, this is the one."
Without asking the price, he pulled out a stack of brand-new "silver pounds" from his pocket and pretended to count the money to show off his wealth.
It has to be said that these nouveau riche really have no real substance.
If it were Prince Colin, he would never count money in front of a woman; instead, he would first hang the necklace on her fair neck and compliment her on her fair complexion—
Oh no, it's that the shimmering light that really resembles your eyes.
However, the nouveau riche of Thunder City lacked any real foundation, and the apprentices of the century-old shop were clearly no better. Their inheritance was feudalistic, based on the so-called "master not teaching real skills," and the old-fashioned skills of guarding the house and property, a system of "what the superiors teach, the inferiors follow."
Although Fitz, who was serving the shopkeeper, was very obedient, he clearly lacked tact and did not understand, like his "master," that times had changed.
Upon seeing this important customer pull out some scrap paper, the young man's eyes widened instantly, and he instinctively wanted to open his mouth to refuse.
"Sir, we don't—"
"We never let our customers down!"
The shopkeeper, like a squirrel whose tail had been stepped on, interrupted Fitz's "righteous indignation" with a loud voice and glared at him fiercely.
"Fitz! What are you standing there for! Go and bring Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis the best tea and snacks! You ill-mannered fellow!"
"Yes, yes!" Fitz looked bewildered and gave his master a wronged look, wondering what was wrong with him.
Didn't you tell me not to accept this kind of thing?
As an apprentice, he dared not argue and could only hurriedly run to the tea room behind the counter to prepare black tea and pastries for the customers.
The shop owner turned around and quickly apologized to the distinguished customer.
“I’m sorry… Mr. Jarvis, I didn’t tell him.”
"It's okay, I don't mind."
Jarvis watched with interest as the clueless young man ran to the break room, exchanged a few jokes with his smiling female companion, treating it as mere fodder for conversation.
After dismissing the apprentices, the shop owner personally went to the counter to calculate the accounts.
Because the Empire's monetary system could no longer keep up with Thunder City's booming economy, prices on Queen Street had unexpectedly diverged into three distinct tracks—
Gold coins, silver coins, and the more recently introduced "silver pounds".
As for the copper coins, they weren't even on the table.
After nearly five minutes of calculating the bill, and only after the black tea and pastries were served on the table, the flustered shopkeeper finally returned to Mr. Jarvis's side with the bill.
He handed over the bill with a broad smile, saying with a friendly grin.
"Mr. Jarvis, the diamonds used in this 'Brave Sun' came from the kimberlite mines of the Sun Stairway Mountains on the continent of Gana. It is said to be a treasure discovered by an explorer while crossing a dense stream. As for the silver ornaments, they also came from the Wind Howl tribe on the continent of Gana—"
“Just tell me how much it costs, our banquet is about to begin.” Jarvis took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and reminded his old friend.
The shop owner quickly stopped talking and got straight to the point.
"If you pay in 'silver pounds,' you'll be favored with exactly 2,000 silver pounds! If you pay in Imperial silver coins, it will cost approximately 2,500. Of course, if you have gold coins, that would be even better; 19 will suffice."
Because of the soaring price of gold, he hadn't seen anyone come here to buy things with gold coins for a while, so he just mentioned it casually.
As for why paying with silver pounds is cheaper than paying with other miscellaneous silver coins, it's because the silver and diamonds in this necklace were purchased with "silver pounds".
The caravans of the United Kingdom of Gutaf and the Principality of Colin have now announced that they will only accept "silver pounds" or silver coins issued by the Principality of Campbell. He can't possibly use all sorts of "kingdom iron pieces" to pay the suppliers on the continent of Gana.
Furthermore, there are very few Campbell silver coins circulating in the market. Their scarcity and rising actual purchasing power have created an "exchange rate difference" between them and other silver coins.
It effectively became the sovereign currency of the Principality of Campbell, though it did not claim to be independent of the Empire's sovereign currency system.
Jarvis was not surprised by the offer. He took out the stack of banknotes again, counted out 20 100-pound notes and placed them on the tray handed to him by the shopkeeper. Then he left the jewelry store with his inseparable female companion.
Warnag and his apprentice Fitz respectfully escorted Mr. Jarvis and his lady-in-waiting to the carriage outside.
Watching the carriage disappear around the street corner, Fitz sensed that his boss had calmed down and finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.
"Boss, I'm completely confused." He scratched his head. "I remember you said yesterday that anyone who takes this stuff is a fool. Why did you change your mind today? And... you even gave me a discount?"
Werner did not answer immediately.
He squinted, looking in the direction of the Andes Bank on Queen Street, a meaningful smile on his face.
"I went to the bank yesterday, and guess what I saw?"
Fitz stared blankly at his boss.
"……What?"
“I saw long lines of carriages blocking the road, pulling mountains of chests filled with imperial silver coins.”
The newspapers in Thunder City are full of correct but useless nonsense, but the choices people make with their feet are not false.
Warnag didn't trust the Andean Bank, nor did he entirely trust Edward, but he believed in the choice that his wealthier bosses had made without prior agreement.
He had doubts about those people's character, but never about their intelligence.
"...Since all the city's wealthy are so eager to exchange their stock for the stack of papers in Mr. Jarvis's hands, why should we refuse?"
He smiled as he spoke, then turned to his dumbfounded apprentice and patted the young man on the shoulder.
“Be proud, kid. You were born in a rapidly changing era. Opportunities are everywhere on this street. If you missed Prince Colin, there’s Mr. Sack Gale. Even nouveau riche like Jarvis has endless parties… I wish I were as young as you.”
In the past, that idle, nouveau riche would have been furious, perhaps even wasting an hour to harass a weak apprentice in order to regain the dignity he had lost among the nobles.
But now, that guy has become quite the gentleman, and he's even started to care about table manners like Mr. Jan Andes.
Who knows, he might still be fantasizing about turning his leather goods business, which has been established for less than two years, into a century-old establishment, living as long as the Principality of Campbell.
Once upon a time, these wandering merchants were no different from vagrants, making a quick buck and then moving on to another place.
From this perspective, Warnager felt he had an advantage over Jarvis, at least he wasn't a nouveau riche.
His family has been making jewelry for the royal family for a long time, and their craftsmanship and reputation have been passed down from generation to generation. Their history is a full hundred years longer than Jarvis's fur shop. It was only recently that the story of Princess Irene and Prince Colin brought them into the spotlight.
While feeling superior, Werner couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.
These nouveau riche are catching up so fast that Queen Street in Thunder City has never been more crowded than it is today, and it gets more crowded every year.
Gazing at the thriving streets, he murmured to himself, reserving his last words for himself.
"...Our Werner Jewelry Store also needs to keep up with the times."
...
Horace Textile Factory, New Industrial District, Thunder City.
The air was thick with the dust of cotton fibers and the roar of machinery, making it hard to breathe. Some textile workers coughed so hard they felt like they were coughing their lungs out.
No one could enjoy this air that seemed to be mixed with sand, except for a middle-aged man who was as thin as a dried orange peel.
His name was Horace.
At this moment, he was rubbing his hands together, his face full of a fawning smile, as if he had seen Saint Sith himself when facing the dragon god's people who had come from afar.
“Mr. Sak! The wealth of the Wind Howling Tribe is truly eye-opening. It is my honor to serve you and the Dragon God behind you! May our friendship be as sincere and enduring as the ancient covenant from a thousand years ago!”
This guy is clearly reading a fan-made history; the story that Sak Gale heard from the tribal priest is not this version.
However, he had no intention of arguing. He simply inspected the last batch of packed fabrics with a blank expression, faithfully fulfilling the shopping task assigned to him by Prince Colin, and nodded slightly in satisfaction.
"The quality is acceptable. The deposit for the next batch and the balance for this batch can be settled now."
The Demon King wants all the lizardmen of the continent of Gana to have clothes and shoes to wear as a reward for their faith and loyalty.
Although he didn't know where the money came from, the Demon King said he had it, so he had it.
Upon hearing about the deposit and the final payment, Horace's eyes instantly lit up.
The people of the Dragon God are truly different; they speak and act as straightforwardly as dragons! Unlike some merchants from the Kingdom of Ryan, who, relying on the reputation of their merchant guild and the fact that their master is the king, actually try to buy on credit from the duchy's factories.
Horace used to accept the lack of orders by holding his nose and letting the workers suffer. But now he's not going to tolerate those lackeys who fawn over the king!
Just wait and see!
Their wise Archduke Edward will surely give that muddle-headed old king a good kick sooner or later!
In a sense, the conflict between the Duchy of Campbell and the Kingdom was not just Edward's ambition, but a shared aspiration of most Campbellians.
If it weren't for that divine intervention that brought the Light of Praise into Eileen's hands, perhaps Archduke Edward would have already led them into battle with his ancestral sword.
As for the joy of some and the sorrow of others, that's another story.
In response to Horace's "prayer," Sack did not signal the guards to bring the heavy money box as usual, but instead pulled out a stack of brand-new "silver pounds" from the leather bag carried by a human attendant.
Upon seeing the stack of banknotes, Horace's smile didn't falter; instead, it broadened even further. He respectfully accepted them with both hands, then began counting rapidly with his saliva-covered fingers, like a spinning machine rolling downstairs.
Sack was his biggest and most generous customer; whatever money the lizardman specified, he had to use.
Otherwise, the other party will just turn around and go next door.
Furthermore, he had been working with Andes Bank for many years and knew very well who was behind them, so accepting the money was risk-free.
The only downside is that it's too troublesome to always use cash for transactions. He has to go to deposit the money after get off work, and there are risks along the way.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Sack!"
After finally finishing counting the banknotes, Horace locked the silver pounds in the safe, and seeing Sack eagerly approaching again, he lowered his voice and said...
"I have a small request, though. Next time, you can just transfer the money directly to my Andean bank account, or give me a check! You know..."
He glanced nervously towards the workshop downstairs, his voice lowering, "There are too many people and too much noise in the factory. Keeping so much cash here will attract the attention of greedy people."
This greedy fellow was completely unaware that he was the greediest person in the entire house, even more so than the dragon.
Sack had no interest in human affairs, but he remembered the resentful looks the textile workers had given him as he passed the workshop, and casually offered a reminder.
"You'd better be nicer to your own people. The way they look at you is like you're an enemy. The Wind Howl Tribe needs stable partners. I don't want to see a different chief in your tribe next time I come."
Horace was startled by these words, not because he remembered the fear from months ago, but because he was wondering how this old man had found out about his embarrassing affair.
I've heard that the lizardmen of the Gutaf United Kingdom are not only generous but also kind, and they can't bear to see the pitiful. Because of their overflowing compassion, they even went to the southwestern swamps and built a city to take in their compatriots who couldn't return home with the Dragon God back then.
Without a doubt—
Someone is talking badly about him behind his back and making things difficult for him!
"Mr. Sack! I swear to you, I will definitely mend my ways and treat my employees better!"
Horace hurriedly defended himself, not forgetting to make a few sarcastic remarks about their competitors.
"Actually, I've treated them quite well. Other textile factory dormitories are eight-person rooms, cramming their compatriots in like sardine cans. I wouldn't dare do that. You know, I'm a servant of Saint Sith, I have faith!"
When he said this, he made no mention of how he was forced by the "profit-driven" Invincible Group to build a three-story dormitory, and how he paid a lot of extra money for it with tears in his eyes.
Actually, there was no need to build dormitories in the first place.
It's all Erin's fault for that 10% "special tax"! Anyone who doesn't solve the employee accommodation problem has to pay money to the refugee camp in the new industrial zone.
Horace was speaking enthusiastically, but Sack was completely confused, wondering why this hairless monkey was telling him this.
I should have known he wouldn't have said so much.
“...Ahem! Also, Mr. Sack, to avoid any misunderstanding, I must correct you. I am not the chief, but the factory manager. Strictly speaking, what you mentioned are the duties of our esteemed Princess Eileen and His Majesty Edward, not mine.”
Having finally finished speaking to the humans, Sack seized the opportunity to give a blank "Oh," leaving Horace standing there anxiously, and walked away with his human followers.
...
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
Horace didn't sleep all night, and his family was very worried, but no one dared to ask any questions.
It wasn't until he sat back in his office the next morning, hearing the clatter of the loom, that the miser's spirits lifted somewhat, and he made up his mind—
He wants to rent an office in the city and then move his office from the factory there!
He used to be extremely stingy and would never have been willing to part with this money. If it weren't for having a house, he would have moved his family into the staff dormitory to squeeze in.
In addition, he made a small concession on employee benefits, deciding to exchange the monthly salary of 3,000 copper coins for the full amount of 30 silver coins.
Although his faith was not so devout, and could even be described as blasphemous, he still had a little more reverence than those who believed in nothing.
He always felt that Mr. Sack's appearance was a divine reminder to him.
The first group of people who saved him were a bunch of mentally unstable "mountain people," the second group was "Eileen," and this time, "Sack" might also be here on a mission.
Perhaps the dragon god's messenger saw something, which is why he warned him that if he didn't do something soon, he would be in grave danger again.
This time, no one will save him.
Just then, a knock came at the door, startling Horace, who was feeling the pinch of money, so much so that he almost fell off his chair.
"Come in!"
Upon hearing the shrill scream, the knocking on the door paused for a moment, and then his accountant cautiously entered.
"Boss, it's time to pay last month's wages..."
"Last month?" Horace broke out in a cold sweat, finally remembering what Sack had meant. He rushed forward, grabbed the accountant by the collar, and cursed, spitting as he spoke, "Wait, damn it, why didn't you tell me sooner!"
The accountant looked aggrieved and said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“I told you last time…you told me to get lost, and said to wait a little longer, that silver coins could be exchanged for more copper coins, and that paying salaries with copper coins would save a lot of money.”
"Did I say that?" Horace was stunned.
That shouldn't be the case.
He would usually just say "get lost," without explaining why he should leave, let alone expressing his true feelings.
The accountant glanced at him furtively and whispered.
"I think I said that, but I can't remember exactly... but that's what everyone says."
Moreover, he felt that his boss probably thought so too, and whether he said it specifically or not was probably just a misunderstanding on his part. Out of resentment, he took the rumor as fact.
Horace remained silent for a long time before finally releasing his grip on the collar, coughing, stepping back, and adopting a dignified demeanor as he spoke.
"This is... slander!"
"I swear I never thought that way. The reason the factory hasn't paid out is because the trading companies in the Kingdom of Ryan haven't settled last year's final payments. Blame that damned king."
"But it's all right now. The Wind Howling Tribe settled their final payment yesterday. You've come at just the right time. I was just about to talk to you about getting paid."
Upon hearing this, the accountant's eyes lit up instantly, as if All Souls' Day were approaching.
"Really?! That's great! To be honest, boss, my family is almost starving! By the way, I heard that those lizardmen pay with silver pounds! Can, can I use that to pay my wages? One silver pound can buy two more bags of salt than one silver coin these days!"
It also comes with a few copper coins!
Horace's lips twitched upon hearing this. He wanted to give the accountant a good scolding, but then he remembered Mr. Saxe Gale's "meaningful" expressionless face as he left—
'You'd better be kinder to your own people.'
He finally forced a nod, suppressing his pain, and forced out a generous but stiff smile.
"certainly……"
"To be honest, that's exactly what I'm planning!"
(End of this chapter)
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