Chapter 42: Transaction |
The spiritual connection was cut off.
Under the crowd’s uncertain and alarmed gazes, Baruk’s mountain-like body slowly rose to its feet. A heavy pressure spread outward as though it had substance, and even the air seemed to freeze.
‘What is this guy trying to do? He’s not really about to start a fight, is he? Is he really this hot-tempered?’
‘It’s just that he got turned down. He can’t act like this, can he? That’s way too overbearing, isn’t it?’
‘It’s over, it’s over, they’re going to fight! I need to get farther away!’
……
All sorts of guesses and panic spread through the crowd.
The dwarven elder Burlo Warhammer directly tightened his grip on his warhammer, cursing inwardly, “Damn it, who would’ve thought this old bastard was even more short-tempered than us dwarves!”
Ailianna, however, was not too worried. She still sat gracefully in place. She had long since noticed the ‘little moves’ between the fox race and the bear race, but she simply did not know what they had been talking about.
Under everyone’s stunned gaze, his enormous body slowly bent forward, his right fist clenched, and he heavily pounded the position of his heart on the left side of his chest. Using the ancient rite of the bear race’s highest respect and oath, he spoke in a rumbling voice loud enough for all to hear:
“Elder Mick! No matter what the outcome of this trip is! No matter whether I, Baruk, can still return alive! My Blackrock Bearman Tribe will remember your guidance today for generation after generation! This kindness, this favor, will never be forgotten for all eternity!”
As his words fell, before the crowd could recover their senses, Baruk waved a hand toward his clansmen behind him and strode briskly toward the outside of the square.
The elders and citizens of every race on the square could only stare dumbfounded as the fortress-like bearmen rumbled away in a group.
Only after the trembling of the ground had completely disappeared did they come back to their senses, all turning toward the fox elder Mick with expressions of shock and curiosity.
Mick had not expected Baruk to pull something like this either, directly making him the center of attention for the entire crowd.
It seemed his suggestion had worked even better than expected. He only hoped this ‘ally’ of his could come back alive. Otherwise, he would not have the face to accept this favor either……
*
Just as Elder Mick was dealing with the various elders who had come over to strike up conversations and probe for inside information, Baruk had already led his clansmen to the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce headquarters at the port with lightning speed.
“Wait here!”
Baruk instructed in a low voice, “Control your expressions. Don’t scare anyone!”
Only after seeing this group of mountain-like giants force out ‘kind’ smiles did he nod in satisfaction. Then, stooping his waist, he squeezed through the ‘tall’ entrance doors of the Chamber of Commerce.
“Welc—”
The human attendant standing at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce to receive guests was so startled by the huge figure that suddenly appeared that he stepped back twice, and the register in his hand nearly fell to the ground.
He forcibly steadied himself and looked up, only to meet Baruk’s deliberately restrained yet still ferocious-looking face.
“Y-you, hello, my lord, may I ask if you h-have an appointment? Or is there some business you need to handle?”
Baruk replied in a rough voice, “I’m looking for your president. Tell him—the elder Baruk of the Blackrock Tribe has come to discuss a big deal with him.”
Even though Baruk had deliberately lowered his voice, it still made the attendant’s scalp go numb from the shock.
The attendant trembled as he completed the registration. “P-please wait a moment… I-I’ll notify—”
Before the attendant could finish speaking, an old man dressed in the robes of a consecrated elder of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce, looking vigorous and sharp in spirit, appeared beside the two of them and interrupted him.
“You may step down. I will receive this honored guest myself.”
The attendant retreated to the side as though granted a great pardon. Being together with this one felt far too terrifying. The fact that he had not fainted from fright already proved his mental fortitude was excellent.
……
Mills, who was currently dealing with the ‘mess,’ looked at the casualty reports one after another with a splitting headache, nearly on the verge of tears.
These were all elites he had personally promoted and trained, with no telling how much time and money had been spent on them. And yet in a single night, he had lost nearly thirty percent of them!
It could only be said that the Shadow Guild was truly worthy of its name. Even leaderless, it did not stop this pack of desperadoes from being vicious and mad.
“Knock knock knock!”
Urgent knocking sounded at the door.
Mills frowned. Anyone who could still disturb him at this time would definitely have something important.
Helplessly, he called out, “Come in!”
The secretary answered and pushed the door open.
“President, Elder Kent asked me to inform you that a bear race elder has urgent matters to discuss with you, and asks that you go to the Chamber of Commerce’s back garden.”
“The back garden?” Mills was taken aback.
“Yes… it’s just that that one’s build is a bit too robust. Even our largest reception hall also… can’t accommodate him.” The secretary was also somewhat amazed at that person’s height.
Now Mills was curious too. Just how tall did a bearman have to be?
He had eaten before at the Pandaren restaurant, and those Pandaren around two and a half meters tall were already exaggerated enough, but surely not to the point where even the Chamber of Commerce’s largest reception hall could not fit them.
*
When he saw the ‘giant bear’ seated on a flat scenic stone in the back garden, Mills’s jaw nearly dropped.
Standing in front of the other party, he looked as tiny as an egg placed beside an ostrich egg.
“Hello, you must be President Mills of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce.”
Baruk rose first and extended a hand in greeting.
Looking at the ‘giant claw’ stretched before his eyes, Mills tremblingly grasped one of the other man’s fingers and shook it.
If Elder Kent were not also standing beside them, he definitely would have turned and run!
He forcefully steadied his thoughts and recovered the calm bearing of a commercial powerhouse.
“May I ask what business you wish to discuss with me?”
Baruk paused. On the way here, he had been thinking the whole time about how to persuade this Chamber of Commerce president, who was not personally strong but held great authority.
He took a deep breath and said in the calmest tone possible:
“President Mills, let’s speak plainly. I know that the plot in the Shadow Guild’s southwestern district, the one used to store goods, is causing you a great deal of trouble right now.”
“And the other forces all have their own troubles to deal with as well. The Adventurers’ Guild is responsible for the security of the whole city, the Duke’s Mansion and the nobles have to deal with their internal problems, and the Artisans’ Association is of no use at all—on the contrary, they’re mixed into the crowd watching the excitement.”
The corner of Mills’s eye twitched. The Artisans’ Association really ought to thank him. If not for his momentary ‘impulse,’ the Artisans’ Association would probably have been dissolved immediately!
“My Blackrock Bearman Tribe wants to take this job.” Baruk stared fixedly at Mills as he continued.
“I can guarantee that within five days… no, within three days, we’ll resolve the trouble in that area, but I have two conditions.”
Mills knew they had finally reached the key point, and nodded. “Please, go ahead.”
“First, after the cleanup is finished, the goods in the warehouses will belong to us. Although that place is the Shadow Guild’s general goods warehouse, there should still be more or less some valuable things left there. That will count as my brothers’ hard-earned pay.”
“Second,” Baruk said, enunciating each word, “after the job is done, I want to buy that land at its original price.”
“You won’t lose out at all. We’ll bear the losses and risks of clearing out the trouble, and you’ll still recover your costs at the original price. As for us, we only want a place where our people can settle down and do a little business.”