What did you do with the dice?

Beer is not worth much money. You can buy a big barrel for 30 copper coins, buy four and get one free, and 1 silver coin can buy five barrels. Basically, anyone who likes to drink and has some spare money will drink this stuff like water.

Coarse bread was even less valuable, two copper coins a piece, enough for a meal. The stingy Rusalka was a human being even though she was not a human being, and provided "refined" coarse bread, which was lightly baked in a mold and oven and had a little bit of sugar in it. The market price was about 4-5 copper coins a piece.

Although the finances of the Pearl Tear Territory were tight, they still had enough money to take out 10 gold coins. This made Rusalka sigh at the outrageous gap between the rich and the poor. To hold such a grand banquet - it was just the money from selling two pieces of armor.

As for peanuts? They were a snack, a more expensive type of food, and not very filling, so Rusalka, a stingy person, wouldn't buy them.

Of course, don’t just focus on drinking, there are other important things to do.

The banquet was divided into three sessions under the arrangement of Sanita. The guards had to be sober to maintain order, but they could not be left behind, so a shift system was adopted to manage order: the iron fist and the inverted vomiting method were used to punish those drunkards who had no idea of ​​their alcohol tolerance and went crazy after drinking.

Afterwards, he asked Rusalka to bring the confused businessman Crown to attend the most crowded banquet in the evening (some people had to work during the day and couldn't attend), and they went up to the podium amid warm cheers and applause.

"Alright! Everyone, look at me! I have an announcement!" Rusalka raised the hand of Clown, who, though she didn't understand what was happening, felt strangely proud, as if she had won a war. She shouted, "This victory is also thanks to the assistance of Clown, the businessman from the Doug Chamber of Commerce. Let's give him a round of applause!"

"Crown! Crown!"

With the encouragement of the Sani Tower, the people were in an extremely high mood. Of course, the alcohol might have played a role. In any case, Crown had become famous without doing anything this time. Even if he was thick-skinned, he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. He was even moved by Rusalka's "loyalty".

Dealing with a true knight was so refreshing that he now sincerely repented for his behavior in selling salt in the beginning, and silently decided in his heart that when he shipped goods to Rusalka in the future, he would give her at least a 95% discount...well, a 97% discount.

----

About three days after the celebration banquet, Rusalka met with Crown and asked him to go alone to the supply warehouse in Ropa Town.

Crown came without any guards this time because he had great faith in Rusalka's military strength, so in order to save money, he just hired a temporary bodyguard on the way.

He thought that Rusalka would meet him in a deserted warehouse for the sake of confidentiality, but when he arrived at the destination, he found that he was surrounded by patrolling soldiers and guards. Everyone knew him, so they just took a look and let him pass. So he walked alone through the checkpoints to the innermost warehouse door, which felt like a single-handed meeting in a Hong Kong drama.

After opening the door, Crown's nervousness was relieved at once - inside were the two die-hard duo of Rusalka and Sanita, and no one else.

Of course, this was not the key point. In Crown's eyes, the presence of these two people was probably the same as if they were blurred out - mainly because of the pile of shiny new equipment piled up like a small mountain behind them.

Most of them were weapons, scimitars, daggers, short spears, leather armor, and light armor placed in the most conspicuous places, but only three pieces were seen. These were not worthless, but they were not as valuable as the "smuggled goods" that Crown imagined.

The most important thing is the crossbows on the side.

He couldn't help but step forward, picked up a crossbow, and examined it in his palm: "Baron Rusalka, can I see it for a moment?"

Rusalka shrugged. "You've already taken it, how can I say no?"

Clown smiled awkwardly, then squatted on the ground and picked and chose for a while, analyzing it for Rusalka for free: "The craftsmanship of this crossbow is very sophisticated. It is produced in a standardized manner. Look at the polishing process of these parts and the fuselage, as well as the crossbow string. The materials used are all the same.

Why do I say it's standardized? The spring here is very fine, but the opening is a bit rough, obviously made by at least two people.

Moreover, if it was a street blacksmith shop, it would not mass-produce so many heavy crossbows at one time. The customers of private blacksmith shops are often adventurers. Adventurers usually like specially made feather cuff-mounted crossbows, which are easy to carry and conceal, and do not affect the use of the main weapon. They are usually used for close-range ambush.

This type of two-handed crossbow was often seen among cavalrymen. Because they fought on horseback, they rarely carried shields and didn't need to hold their primary weapons for extended periods. Therefore, they often drew their crossbows before engaging the enemy. Because of the bumpy ride on horseback, the crossbows needed to be powerful and heavy, so they were designed to be larger and more drop-resistant. In an emergency, they could easily discard the crossbow and switch to their primary weapon, then retrieve it later.

Rusalka: "I didn't expect you to be an expert in this field."

Clown rubbed his head modestly and smiled. "I've only been learning on my own recently, and I've only just scratched the surface. After all, I've joined the Chamber of Commerce and am now in charge of the Kingdom's affairs, so I have to learn a little bit about weaponry. Honestly, the most profitable business here will definitely be arms. How can I make money without understanding it?"

Rusalka: "Go on."

Clown was a little pleased with the compliment, so he showed off all his knowledge: "As far as I know, the only one around here who has the ability to mass-produce this kind of crossbow is Viscount Conesnat, so the goods are indeed very legitimate. Lord Rusalka, you don't have to worry about its source.

Then generally speaking, this kind of crossbow will have a team logo to prove its ownership. Let me see if this batch of goods has it... Ah, I found it. It is indeed the family emblem of Viscount Consenat, which means that this batch of crossbows has been officially put into use by him. In this case, it is really not easy to find the next buyer.

Because this thing could easily lead to disaster, it's unlikely that a noble would sell weapons and equipment bearing their own insignia. I suspect he's facing financial difficulties, but that's okay. Our Chamber of Commerce's main focus is 'service'. After shipping it back, we guarantee that the family crest will be completely polished away, even chipping away a layer of the metal. Even the most skilled craftsman in the world will never be able to restore it."

Rusalka laughed and said, "I just like the way your big chamber of commerce does things."

Clown laughed along and said, "Of course. Even without the Doug Chamber of Commerce, given my friendship with Lord Rusalka, I'll definitely get this done for you."

Rusalka: "Then let's not delay any further. Good things come in pairs. Besides this batch of equipment, can you also bring back some living things, such as trained war horses?"

Klauen, who had been startled at the mention of a living thing, then realized it was just a slightly frightening statement. He immediately smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Of course, Lord Rusalka, I'm not saying you're lucky. You know, the fighting in the Central Government is going on, and the price of war horses has skyrocketed recently. They're in short supply, and our Chamber of Commerce is buying them at a high price. How many horses do you want? If it's just one or two, I'll take them individually."

Rusalka: "About 40. I need to keep a few for myself. So, when the time comes, you can give me some feed or something and deduct it from the transaction price. Can you eat them all by yourself?"

Clown: "Haha, they definitely can't eat it. Feed is a small matter, of course there's no problem. But then again, is Pearl Tear Territory also rich in war horses? I never knew that."

Rusalka joked, "I grew it in my field."

Clown immediately understood, slapped his lips, and whispered, "I see. I was a bit too nosy. But I don't know much about the market for war horses, nor do I know how to judge whether a horse is good or not. I'll go back and find someone who knows about horses to take a look."

Rusalka: “Okay.”

How come this guy has no sense of humor? Rusalka asked Sanita in a private message.

Sanita: (You see, they really understand the principle of “ignorance is bliss”, unlike you, who always asks for clarification on everything and then breaks down your defenses.)

Chapter 51 Doug Chamber of Commerce’s Response

Clown spent money to purchase the "SF Express" service of the Pearl Tear Territory and rode back on the fast horses specially equipped for spies by the Pearl Tear Territory because the equipment was very valuable. He was also worried that the war in the central government would become more intense and the price of equipment would definitely rise. It was hard to say what would happen to Rusalka at that time, but the cunning villain Sanita next to him would definitely ask for a huge price.

The best strategy would be to take advantage of the information gap between him and the Chamber of Commerce regarding the central government's situation and let Sani Tieta, who mistakenly believed that the war was not that tense, quickly give away the equipment on hand. If the war situation and intelligence from the central government were to be passed on to Zhulei Territory, even a fool would know that the price of this batch of equipment would have to be at least three or four times higher if it were sold in the central government.

So, with the businessman's mentality that the sooner you buy, the more you earn and time is money, he didn't dare to waste too much time on the road. After paying the expensive rent that was almost equivalent to buying the batch of fast horses, he went to the Doug Chamber of Commerce branch without stopping.

Knocking on the door before entering the president's office was the most nerve-wracking thing. When the guard inside opened the door for Crown, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief - at least the president was willing to see him, which meant that everything was fine.

Arlot was sitting at his desk. When he saw Crown come in, he took off his glasses and placed them on the table. He gently rubbed his Zanzhu acupoint with his fingers, raised his head, took a breath and relaxed, then waved at the door, motioning Crown, who was standing there rubbing his hands, to come in and sit down.

"Clown, right? You've only been in our Chamber of Commerce for a short time, and your trading experience is only about two and a half years, but your performance is excellent. Among all the merchants from the Kingdom, you're the first to be able to establish trade relations with the nobles as a merchant, which is why our Chamber of Commerce chose you."

Clown chuckled and quickly picked up the teapot to fill Arlot's cup. "President, you're too kind. It's just a bit of luck and honesty."

"Being overly modest will only make you appear more ostentatious. Besides, I've heard you're a merchant who dares to personally go into battle. Your courage is commendable." Arlot didn't touch his water cup. Instead, he addressed Clown, who was about to explain, "Of course, none of this matters. I have a rough idea of ​​why you came to me this time. I guess you have some equipment from the Pearl Tear Territory that you'd like the Chamber of Commerce to help you acquire and resell."

Clown: "As expected of you, Mr. President, nothing can be hidden from you."

Arlot smiled, took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "Since I have guessed correctly, according to the rules of the game, it is your turn to guess next."

Crown was a little confused by this baffling situation, but he put on a very straightforward attitude: "No problem, President, feel free to ask any questions you want."

Arlot: "First, let me tell you the premise. This batch of equipment comes from Viscount Conesnat and has recently been officially put into use. So my question is, guess which unit under Viscount Conesnat's command this equipment belongs to."

Although it was unclear why Arlot knew so much about the transaction that was supposed to be "confidential", Crown did not dwell on it too much. After all, the most efficient spy intelligence organizations in the world were nothing more than two - the Chamber of Commerce and the brothel. It would be strange if Arlot, as the person in charge here, knew nothing.

Clown pondered over it, but the answer to this question was obviously not something that could be guessed. He didn't even know how many troops Viscount Consenat had, let alone their numbers. A serious businessman would only focus on the goods, so why would he care about the names of the troops?

He could only smile and tell the truth: "This... Mr. President, you have really stumped me. I really can't guess it. But give me a few days. Next time I come back, I promise to find out everything clearly."

Arlot waved his hand: "No need for you to come back next time."

Clown was shocked and quickly pleaded, "Master, it was indeed my negligence this time. Please give me a chance..."

Arlot smiled helplessly at him. "Young man, you misunderstood. What I meant was that I would accompany you to meet the Baron of Pearl Tears again. As for the answer to my question, if he agrees to let you sit in on the conversation, then you'll know. If he doesn't, then you can figure it out after you come back."

Frankly speaking, this news didn't make Clown relax even a little. If he committed a serious mistake and was fired, it would only be to be cleared of any connection and kicked out. The Chamber of Commerce would even pay him a penalty for breach of contract, so that neither party owed him anything. He would just have to rely on this small amount of money and the small orders from Rusalka in the future, adjust his mentality and become a businessman who could make a living, not seeking wealth and fame, but just a small living.

But if it comes to the point where the president has to take action personally, the seriousness of the situation may be more terrifying than being expelled.

The worst part was, he had no idea what was going on. What on earth had caused Arlot to personally accompany him? The last time Arlot had accompanied him, it wasn't just because of a large order worth 2000 gold coins. Now that he was in his position, the order and the money were no longer enough to move him personally.

It was mainly because of the reputation and courage of the Test Mine and the new lord Rusalka that made him want to meet him in person. That was all. After returning, he gave a very high evaluation: Not bad, if he can walk steadily, the Chamber of Commerce can support him.

But since we have already met and the mine has been finalized, the meeting this time means that there must be a very important detail that I have overlooked, and the answer lies in the question just now.

I must have disappointed the president by not being able to answer the question. Damn it, I don’t even have a clue!

So in the two days before departure, Crown, who was staying at the Chamber of Commerce Comfort Inn, suffered from insomnia for two rare days.

----

Rusalka always felt that Sanitieta was a man who could predict the future. Sometimes he would have the illusion that his real name was not Xie, but Zhuge.

Although there are differences among the Zhuges, he believes that Sani Tieta is the most handsome one among the Zhuges.

To use a bad homophonic pun, that's Zhuge Liang.

Maybe it's not that scary. After all, as he said before, they both graduated from junior high school, high school and university respectively. Although they have different majors, since they are grouped together, even if the data tells Rusalka that Feige's PL intelligence is the human limit of 20 points, he will feel that he must have some serious illness to make his life trajectory similar to his own, who has an intelligence of 5...ahem, around 11.

At least in terms of card creation, Rushaka felt that there was something wrong with Sanita's thinking. If she were him, she would have been so smart, and she should have given him a 5 for intelligence, and she could have gotten many more points. Although she couldn't be a mage, it didn't matter. If you raised your charisma a little, wouldn't it be better to be a poet or a warlock?

On the other hand, people like me are very wise. They know that even if they click 20, it can only reach about 11, which is slightly higher than the intelligence of ordinary people. That’s why they click 5, which does not take up points and can also expand the advantage.

However, at this moment, his logic formed a strange circle, and he was thinking about a question: If he followed his own idea, then the answer would be the same. No matter how smart he is in reality, he should have an intelligence of 5, right?

Right...right?

Let's put this matter aside for now. Anyway, I received a notice today that the vice president named Allot who I met before is really going to visit again. This can be said to be the first step in realizing the plan of "putting the bomb sheep back into the sheepfold and then bombing the farmer."

The second step is to blast away Lao Deng’s gold coins, blast them away hard.

Kate's Chamber of Commerce is going to explode, and Doug's Chamber of Commerce is going to explode too. This is what we call a healthy society.

Although Rusalka herself knew most of the reasons, Crown was used as a pawn by the Pearl Tear Lord to drag the Doug Chamber of Commerce into the water. Crown was kept in the dark about this, but it did not mean that the president of the Chamber of Commerce would be kept in the dark as well. After all, anyone who sits in his position is bound to have bad intentions.

The guy from Kate Chamber of Commerce before, named Dai Luo, was also quite disgusting. Fortunately, the Divine Judge pulled him to the level of life and death. Under the hard truth that everyone is equal in the face of death, he no longer had that maddening image, as if he was still strategizing thousands of miles away. He looked very embarrassed.

But if he didn't have the ability to pull him over through the Internet and beat him up, even if Rusalka wanted to beat him up, he probably wouldn't be able to figure out the other person's house number. Instead, the other person could write to him anytime and anywhere and ask: Hello Mr. Rusalka, do you want a wreath or takeout?

This is a box of weapons.

Now Rusalka probably also knew the reason why Sanitieta did not kill the other party at that time. The nature of the murdered branch president was too bad, and Kate Chamber of Commerce could not fail to retaliate. If they did not even dare to retaliate against a small baron, wouldn’t that damage the reputation of their own chamber of commerce?

Now that his group was so scattered when fighting against a light cavalry squad, it would be quite irrational to go against a huge business entity like Kate Chamber of Commerce before he had the support of the Chamber of Commerce behind him.

If he lets him go, hatred may accumulate, but as long as he is a noble of the kingdom, he will abide by the unwritten rules between nobles and merchants, and give each other a way out. The other party will not tear his face apart and break this rule.

At most, Dai Luo would try to double his efforts to regain his lost interests from the Pearl Tear Territory, such as this large mine. In that case, for Rusalka, even if he was defeated in the subsequent battle, he would just return to the state when he first crossed over. It is unlikely that there would be any substantial losses at the player level.

Because they let the other person go, their goal shifted from "life" to "money." The saying "A problem that can be solved with money may not necessarily be a problem, but it's definitely no more difficult than a problem that even money can't solve" is universally applicable.

Rusalka was confused again. If that was the case, why didn't Sanitta let her spare the Viscount's second son this time? Wasn't this tantamount to a mortal feud?

Sanitta: (That was a problem we nobles had to solve among ourselves. We don't usually get such a good opportunity. We just happen to have the best opportunity to solve it now: the civil war in the kingdom. During the civil war, even if you easily conquer the viscount's territory, no one will probably hold you accountable under the noble law afterwards. If we don't take this opportunity to act quickly, are we going to wait until the central war is over and new rules are established before playing dirty tricks? How can a baron like us ever be a match for the viscount if we use shady tactics in secret?

It's like playing Texas Hold'em or other games. The small bets he makes are all in for us. He can keep adding to the bets, but we only have one chance. Assuming that our winning rate is 50% every time, it's useless even if we win every time. When we bet for the fourth time, the probability of us being swept away by a wave is as high as 93.75%, which means we are bound to lose.

In the event of a showdown involving force, our odds of winning against him are a fair 73:1. Whoever loses will die, and the outcome will be decided in one wave.)

Rusalka: (Huh? We only have a 70% chance of winning?)

Sanita: (Huh? Are you awake? What you should be asking now is, "How could we possibly have a 30% chance of winning?" This 30% is based on the assumption that the White Horse Rangers won't be able to recover and that the Saint's support is reliable enough.)

Rusalka: (What if the Saint isn't a succubus, and she suddenly dislikes me and doesn't want to help anymore?)

Sanita: (It's okay. If she doesn't want to be a succubus, then you can try hard and become one instead. You have to know that being a gigolo is also a T0-level skill in this patch. And, I think it's very suitable for a guy like you with 20 Charm. Come on, bro, I believe in you. No matter what you do, bro, I'll always support you. Remember, the flower language of steel wool is tenacity and forbearance.)

Rusalka: (That’s enough.)

Chapter 52: Allot's Support

Businessmen are profit-driven.

When the profit reaches 10%, they will be ready to move; when the profit reaches 50%, they will take risks; when the profit reaches 100%, they dare to trample on all human laws; when the profit reaches 300%, they dare to risk being hanged.

Initially, Rusalka was extremely skeptical of this statement. He argued that if a businessman already had money, why would he risk the gallows? Was he hoping to live on his wealth?

Sanitieta knew it was difficult to explain to him what the vortex theory was - the closer you get to the center of the vortex, the greater the tearing force, but the center of the vortex is very stable. Some people seem safe but still risk their lives, precisely because they are already in the center of the vortex and cannot get out at all.

So Sanitieta asked him, "Now you have chocolate and vanilla at home, you have your favorite pink fox, and you even have a doctor named Hua Tuo. Your life is full of joy. But one day, the Little Grass Goddess appears. For her, you need to take on the task of fighting against a specialized version of the Church of God. Will you go?"

Rusalka sneered, "The House of Religious Orders is nothing but rotten eggs. I'm a repeat offender with 524 points."

Sanita changed his approach: "Let me give you an example in terms you can understand. You can understand it as participating in a 'Ultimate Zero Illusionary Supreme Order Academy Desperate Annihilation Battle' instance. The risk of death is extremely high. Are you going?"

Rusalka: Let me think... Well, I still really want to go.

Sani Tieta: Well, this is the insatiable greed brought about by the pursuit of profit, which makes people willing to take risks with their lives.

Rusalka: No, actually, saving the Grass God isn't really important. I'm really interested in the "Ultimate Zero Illusionary Supreme Order Academy Desperate Annihilation Battle" dungeon you mentioned. Are there any regular teams exploring it? I'm free in the evenings, and my logs (output ranking data) are available. Please decline any requests for manuscripts or scams. Please show your logs before joining a team. This applies to women, too. There are no men or women in the high-difficulty dungeons! Only warriors!

Sani Iron Tower: One look at Ding Zhen and I can tell he's playing ff14.

In short, just as Sanita had planned, Allot took Crown with him, with the intention of formally leading the negotiations under his representative of the Doug Chamber of Commerce, and sat in the reception room of the villa in the Pearl Tear Territory.

After the maid served the snacks and Rusalka waited in the office for instructions from Sanita, she arrived at the reception room and sat on the main seat.

He looked at the small cakes and tea on the table, stunned for a moment, then as if remembering something, he said suddenly, "Oh, today is the day when my Phoenix is ​​taking people out to buy groceries, so there are no cookies. Well, I'm sorry for the poor hospitality, President, you can just make do with the honey cake."

Arlot waved his hand: "It's just food. It doesn't matter to me. Baron Pearl Tear doesn't need to care about it."

Sanitta: (Crown didn't disappoint me and brought the important characters here. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that President Arlot came here on his own initiative.)

Rusalka: (I think Clown is more like the villain in a classic cool novel, who, after being beaten by the protagonist, comes back with his parents and wants to get back at the protagonist.)

Sanita: (I have always followed the rules. It is clearly written in black and white. There is not a single lie in it. How can you say that I am bullying him?)

Rusalka: (That’s right, that’s what makes you so annoying.)