Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty-Two: A Fresh Start in Inkstone Market

In the central district of Inkstone Market Town, an imposing wooden edifice stood in stark contrast to the surrounding shops.

Its grand facade and meticulous ornamentation bespoke significant effort, and upon closer inspection, a plaque above the entrance revealed four large characters: “Exquisite Bank”.

On this particular day, Lu Yu had risen early and meticulously adorned himself. He paced back and forth before the bank’s entrance, a flamboyant greatcloak, utterly mismatched to his physique, draped over his shoulders. “It’s almost noon,” he muttered impatiently.

Beside him, a brawny man craned his neck, peering into the distance. “Shopkeeper,” he asked, a note of doubt in his voice, “is he not coming?”

Lu Yu clasped his hands behind his back, his expression unusually grim. “He truly shows me no regard…”

“You are, after all, the esteemed head shopkeeper of Exquisite Bank, a prominent figure whose wealth rivals that of a nation. He is merely a local gentry…”

Before he could finish, Lu Yu cut him off. “A mighty dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Speak less of such things in the future; if their ears and eyes catch wind of it, our lives will become difficult.”

“Understood…”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just then, a retinue of well-dressed household guards emerged at the end of the street, escorting an opulent sedan chair.

They advanced menacingly towards Lu Yu and his man, much like a gang on a territorial display.

“Shopkeeper, look, he’s here!”

“Finally, this ‘great Buddha’ has arrived…”

The man they awaited was none other than the head of the Lin family in Inkstone Market Town—Lin Qinglong.

The moment Lin Qinglong alighted from his sedan chair, Lu Yu advanced with a radiant smile, looking every bit like a welcoming attendant. “Master Lin,” he gushed,

“we’ve awaited your esteemed presence with such anticipation! Look, my eyes are brimming with tears of joy!”

Lin Qinglong’s expression was haughty, his smile a mere formality. He made a perfunctory bow. “Shopkeeper Lu, are you well?”

“Thanks to your kind regard, all is well. Master Lin, please, come in!”

“Shopkeeper Lu, you are truly too courteous!”

Despite his words, he immediately strode forward, crossing the threshold of Exquisite Bank without the slightest hesitation.

Accompanied by the bank’s guards and the Lin family’s retainers, Lu Yu and Lin Qinglong proceeded to the inner reception hall of the bank.

The room was meticulously designed, its four walls partitioned by thick wooden boards and adorned with decorative velvet rugs, ingeniously achieving soundproofing—a true sanctuary amidst the bustle.

The decor boasted only the finest materials, including exotic iridescent stones transported thousands of miles from the north, and countless exquisite crafts serving as embellishments.

Most captivating were the central table and chairs, crafted from high-grade cloud wood and coated with a delicate cloud-patterned lacquer. Such furnishings were undeniably beyond the reach of anyone without substantial wealth.

No sooner had they settled than Lin Qinglong began to lavish praise. “This hall of yours is truly exquisite, clearly a testament to unique craftsmanship. It’s far more impressive than our Lin family’s reception hall!”

“Oh, don’t say that. Compared to the Lin manor’s reception hall, it still lacks a certain… ambiance.”

“Ambiance?”

Lu Yu grinned, “Mainly, it lacks a master truly worthy of it!”

“Hahaha—” Lin Qinglong burst into laughter, delighted by the flattery. “Shopkeeper Lu, you truly exaggerate. You make this old man feel undeserving!”

With his words concluded, a bank guard brought in the pre-prepared tea. Lin Qinglong expertly lifted the cup and sniffed it, his eyes widening immediately. “Shopkeeper Lu, what kind of tea is this?”

Feigning ignorance, Lu Yu turned to the guard who had served the tea. “Answer Master Lin.”

“This is the newly introduced Green Tip Tribute Tea from the capital region, brought directly from Heavenly Oracle City overnight, without pause, as per your instructions.”

“Green Tip Tribute Tea?!” Upon hearing this, Lin Qinglong’s face lit up with uncontainable joy, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

He brought the teacup closer to his nose, inhaling its aroma with greedy pleasure, then cautiously took a sip. Finally, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Excellent tea…”

“I, your humble junior, am no connoisseur of tea,” Lu Yu said modestly, “but I thought that since we were to entertain Master Lin, we absolutely had to choose the finest tea. How else could we repay you for gracing us with your presence?”

“Shopkeeper Lu, you are truly thoughtful!”

“Master Lin, I have a matter to request of you during this meeting; I primarily wish to discuss the issue of land rent.”

“Oh?” The word ‘land rent’ seemed to strike a sensitive nerve in Lin Qinglong, and his face immediately stiffened.

“Shopkeeper Lu, with your vast enterprise, land rent is but a drop in the ocean. Why would you concern yourself with such paltry sums?”

“Indeed,” Lu Yu conceded with a nod. “For Exquisite Bank alone, our receivables are certainly more than sufficient to cover land rent. However, the same cannot be said for other merchants.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s speak plainly. Setting aside Huangnan Prefecture, even across the entirety of Huangxia, the land rent in Inkstone Market Town is the highest I have ever witnessed, bar none.

Do you truly believe it is reasonable to arbitrarily inflate land rents in such a manner?”

“Heh heh, Shopkeeper Lu, you are truly sympathetic to these incompetent merchants. What concern are their livelihoods to you?”

“The interests of merchants are intertwined. Since they are clients of my bank, their fate directly impacts the future profits of my Exquisite Bank.”

“Shopkeeper Lu, this old man believes that rising land rents benefit everyone in Inkstone Market Town. Firstly, it quickly weeds out unprofitable businesses, leaving only those that truly generate wealth.

Secondly, the value of the townspeople’s homes rises in tandem with the land rent, compelling newcomers to work harder to afford property here, thereby creating more labor for merchants.

Thirdly, to acquire local property sooner, these external laborers will frequently seek loans from Exquisite Bank, and merchants, in turn, will request funds for larger-scale operations from Exquisite Bank.

Would this not be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both of us?”

“Firstly, a merchant’s profitability is entirely dependent on their operating costs. Once these costs decrease, they can lower product prices to quickly capture market share, and price directly influences sales volume.

If operating costs are excessively high, not only will product prices be steep, but profits will also be meager, leading to stagnant sales, unreclaimed investments, and ultimately, business failure due to poor asset management.”

Lu Yu’s words struck Lin Qinglong like a barrage of cannon fire.

“Secondly, the housing prices in Inkstone Market Town are ridiculously inflated, yet the townspeople need homes to live in; they cannot simply sell their houses for cash.

Even if prices are exorbitant, they cannot be converted into purchasing power, offering no benefit to local industries. Thirdly, have you considered that external laborers must exert every effort to buy property?

If the market declines and merchants collapse one after another, where will they find the stable income to repay their substantial loans?

In the end, Exquisite Bank will not only fail to profit but will instead suffer immense losses, will it not?”

Lin Qinglong pondered Lu Yu’s words carefully, offering no reply, merely sipping his tea in silence.

Seizing his advantage, Lu Yu pressed on with his persuasion.

“Currently, the entire market resembles a chain with countless links. Should even one link collapse, the others cannot escape unscathed. At that point, the entire industrial chain of Inkstone Market Town would face utter catastrophe.”

“Aren’t you being a bit overdramatic?”

“Not at all. Consider this: if merchants cannot pay wages, if laborers cannot repay their loans, and if housing prices and land rents plummet, not only will my Exquisite Bank suffer utter defeat, but even your Lin family will not be spared.”

“This… what does this have to do with my Lin family?”

“If the entire Inkstone Market Town’s industries wither, some will inevitably choose to end their lives.

When deaths occur, and the authorities investigate, it will be revealed that your Lin family maliciously inflated land rents, leading to these misfortunes…

Heh, if you were His Imperial Majesty, would you let the Lin family off the hook?”

“This…” Lin Qinglong, having heard his words, found himself unable to utter a single coherent sentence.

“Master Lin, land rent is not a one-time transaction. If you wish to earn money in the long term, you cannot allow merchants to collapse one by one. Instead, you must strive to help them establish and grow their businesses.”

“What you say has merit,” Lin Qinglong mused for a moment, then nodded at him. “Continuing this way would indeed cause more harm than good. This old man will give it serious consideration!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu immediately stood and bowed respectfully to Lin Qinglong. “Then, on behalf of all the merchants, I thank Master Lin in advance!”

Just then, the brawny man approached and reported to Lu Yu, “Shopkeeper, a young lad is asking to see you at the front door. He says you promised him a task.”

“Oh…” Lu Yu nodded. “Indeed, there is such a matter. Take him to Old Fang and have him wait there.”

“Understood—”

Seeing this, Lin Qinglong rose, preparing to depart. “This old man has many matters to attend to at the manor, so I shall not impose further.”

“I will see Master Lin out.”

“Stay where you are. If the opportunity arises in the future, this old man will certainly seek out Shopkeeper Lu for another long talk.”

“Of course, of course,” Lu Yu replied, smiling as he took a few feigned steps, then instructed the surrounding guards, “The few of you, see Master Lin out on my behalf.”

“Yes, Shopkeeper!”

Only after personally confirming that Lin Qinglong, under the protection of his retainers, had left the bank and departed in his sedan chair, did Lu Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. He muttered under his breath, “He’s truly easy to bluff…”

Not long after, the brawny man rushed back, his face a mask of panic. “This is bad, Shopkeeper, something has happened!”

“What is it?”

“No sooner had that lad reached Old Fang than a wild girl arrived right after him, bringing a group of people. By the looks of it, they intend to forcibly abduct someone…”

Lu Yu clasped his hands behind his back, stating with an air of authority, “Let’s go, let’s see!”

The moment he turned, he saw a rather feisty-looking young woman approaching them, followed by a group of Lin family retainers.

The retainers were escorting a bewildered He Junan. “Wait a minute,” He Junan protested, his face a picture of innocence, “what is going on? Why are you kidnapping me?”

Lu Yu stepped forward, intercepting her. “Miss Lin, forcibly abducting an innocent young man in broad daylight, right here in my Exquisite Bank, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

“Mind your own business, get out of my way!”

Lu Yu showed no intention of moving. “Where you cause trouble is none of my concern, but in my Exquisite Bank, you cannot act as you please. Release him at once, or don’t blame me for being impolite.”

“This brat publicly shamed my brother, so it’s only right that I take him back,” Miss Lin declared, her arms crossed, her gaze fierce, and her tone aggressive. “If you don’t get out of the way, do you believe I won’t have my people bash your head in?”

Upon hearing this, He Junan mumbled softly, ‘Does the Lin family monopolize all the villainous roles?’

“Miss Lin, everyone here conducts themselves with propriety and honesty. I must ask you not to brazenly abduct people in my bank. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise, what?”

“Otherwise, I will personally come to your door to propose marriage. Taking advantage of your imminent adulthood, I will marry you directly and ‘discipline’ you day and night at home, ensuring you never dare to act so maliciously again!”

The moment these words left his lips, He Junan’s expression became one of utter astonishment, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.

“You—!” Miss Lin, seemingly humiliated once more, flushed crimson with rage. “Hmph, don’t be so arrogant! My father would never approve of someone like you!”

“Whether your father approves or not is his concern. You little brat, stop causing trouble on my territory! Believe it or not, I’ll marry you first, then divorce you!”

“You—”

The retainers behind her rolled up their sleeves, ready to act. “How dare you bully our Young Miss?!”

At that precise moment, the bank guards uniformly positioned themselves behind Lu Yu, instantly bolstering his imposing presence. “I dare you to try!”

“You, you, you! You’re ganging up on me, you’re going too far!”

Lu Yu straightened his back, retorting righteously, “What right do you have to complain?”

“Ugh… I’m going home to tell Daddy and my brother to come teach you a lesson!”

“Please, do,” Lu Yu stated calmly.

Miss Lin, though appearing nearly adult, possessed the mindset of a mere three-year-old. After a few exchanges, her cheeks puffed out in anger, and she stormed out of the bank with her subordinates, muttering curses.

Looking at their indignant retreating figures, Lu Yu let out a cold laugh, mumbling under his breath,

“Though the Lin family is arrogant and domineering, fortunately, their intelligence isn’t particularly high. It seems Heaven has eyes, leaving a path for the common folk of Inkstone Market Town to survive…”