novelhk Chapter 183 Negotiations Break Down
Chapter 183 Negotiations Break Down
Chapter 183 Negotiations Break Down
He said his name was Daniel Clark, and his nickname was Know-It-All.
I only recently arrived on the Blois Peninsula, but I have already figured out the network of relationships in Tongue Harbor.
Now, he is able to understand everything in this city.
Leo felt he was exaggerating, or at least not telling the whole story.
If he truly had absolute power, he would have been rolling in money long ago. Why would he need to seek out a young traveling merchant like Leo, who doesn't seem to have much wealth, to discuss cooperation?
However, Leo did not think that this person was completely incompetent.
At least his speech was fluent, and Leo couldn't find any major flaws in his words.
This is why Leo chose to follow Daniel to meet the person he was talking about in the deal.
Leo asked, "You mean, the green-eyed person?"
"That's right, the green-eyed person," Daniel said with a polite smile.
"But slaves don't even have their own human rights, so what's worth trading for them?" Leo asked, puzzled.
"Not all slaves are green-eyed, and similarly, not all green-eyed people are slaves. The green-eyed people I took you to see were not slaves."
Daniel laughed.
"In fact, given his distinguished status, it might be more proper to address him as 'Sir' or 'Master' when you meet him."
Of course, green-eyed people don't seem to care about such things, so if you feel offended, just pretend I didn't say anything.
Leo is a businessman, and businessmen only care about sellers and customers, so he has no prejudice against green-eyed people.
Even so, he felt he would find it difficult to lower himself to bow down to those green-eyed people.
This bothered Leo, so he turned and asked:
"You mean, you want to do business with the green-eyed people?"
"That's right," Daniel nodded.
"Regardless of what their goods are, sir, business requires communication, but I don't understand the Green-Eyed People's language. Could it be that they speak the Royal Language?"
"They won't."
"Then how do we negotiate business?" Leo asked, puzzled.
"Don't worry, I know a little bit of Green Eyes language," Daniel gave Leo a confident look, "I'll act as your translator."
Surprise flashed in Leo's eyes: "You speak the language of the Green-Eyed People?"
"A little," Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You forgot, my nickname is 'The Know-It-All,' so it's not surprising that I know a few foreign languages, is it?"
"But this is Green-Eyed Language! To most people on the eastern side of the Sea of Despair, it's the language of slaves. Why do you want to learn that language?"
"I thought I might be able to use this language, so I learned it from slaves for a while. And look, it's come in handy now!"
Leo found it unbelievable: "You're a weirdo."
Daniel didn't mind: "Many people say that."
He seemed to have gotten used to it, but Leo hadn't.
Leo sensed something was off about the whole thing, but if he wasn't going to take the risk, why become a traveling merchant?
Therefore, he couldn't quit halfway, but there was one thing he wanted to confirm:
"What kind of deal is this?"
Daniel turned to Leo and smiled mysteriously:
"A deal that could change your life."
Leo didn't want to entrust his fate to him, but there was no need to say it aloud; he simply pointed to his chest:
"mine?"
"It's mine too."
Is it also related to Daniel's fate? Leo was puzzled. Could it be that his role in this incident was more than just that of a middleman?
Daniel led Leo to a tavern and found a seat in a corner.
He didn't seem to want to attract attention, but Leo understood.
If the person being negotiated with is indeed a green-eyed person, it is indeed necessary to keep a low profile to avoid causing a disturbance, as many people in the kingdom regard green-eyed people as an omen of misfortune and calamity.
After Daniel ordered drinks for Leo, he left temporarily, leaving Leo to wait there alone.
The tavern stayed open all night, and Leo didn't know how long he would have to wait, nor did he know what kind of being the green-eyed man he was waiting for was.
But waiting is always boring. Even though Leo is a businessman, he believes that the most precious thing in the world is not money, but time.
So he decided to make use of this fragmented time.
Leo took a book out of his satchel.
The book cover reads "Disqualification Contract," and it was given to him by his investor before they parted ways.
Mr. Mosley was a librarian at a library, and to be honest, Leo was very curious about how such a job had allowed him to amass such a large fortune.
But perhaps this is property inherited from his ancestors, or perhaps he also runs other businesses.
When Mr. Mosley handed the "Disqualification Contract" to Leo, he gave Leo a few words of advice.
He said this book would surely help Leo, and that he should study it carefully and return it to the library after he had finished learning.
However, after reading it, he found that it contained only some nonsensical ramblings. Leo even thought that it was written by a mentally deranged person after going insane.
But since this was that gentleman's instruction, he still chose to read it despite his reluctance, as a way of repaying this bold investor.
However, Leo has already studied the book extensively.
Although he still found the contents of the book incomprehensible, he believed that the author was absolutely rational when writing it.
Regardless of how bizarre and obscure the content of the book may be, it is at least logical and well-organized.
The book records that there are many mysterious, magnificent, powerful, yet indescribable beings in the world.
They cannot be looked at directly, nor can they be heard, but they can be communicated with, worshipped, and believed in.
More importantly, it allows for transactions.
The book records what price one must pay to enter into a contract with those divine beings of what degree.
Moreover, the book kindly and frequently emphasizes that those great leaders did not possess a spirit of contract and were exceptionally arrogant.
A contract itself does not have the power to bind the other party, so the other party may not act in accordance with the agreement.
They might even become inexplicably angry and vent their emotions on the person attempting to sign the contract.
These bizarre descriptions did indeed pique Leo's curiosity, so he would pick up the book and read it whenever he had free time; at least he was competent at passing the time.
Even though he was just having fun, he could still recite several contract templates.
Is this a businessman's talent? Leo sometimes thought narcissistically.
Leo didn't know how long he had been reading; it felt like only a moment had passed when Daniel suddenly called out to him:
"Mr. Gibson, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Leo closed his book upon hearing the sound, only to find that Daniel was the only person there.
"Where is the other party?"
"He's at the door, seemingly giving his men some instructions. He'll come in later."
Daniel pulled out a chair, sat down, and his gaze immediately fell on the book in Leo's hands.
"The Disqualified Contract—the name sounds unique, what's it about?"
"Just some rambling nonsense," Leo said, putting the book into his bag. "If I had chosen to be a charlatan instead of a businessman back then, what I said might not have been as unrealistic as what's in this book."
"Oh! I think you understand, sir," Daniel smiled, "the most impractical things are often the realities."
Leo smiled wryly upon hearing this: "Who says otherwise?"
"Therefore, I also believe that this book may not be as insignificant as you say."
"Oh? Why?"
"No one would record meaningless knowledge in a book unless they are a pleasure-seeker who enjoys the waste of other people's time."
Leo nodded repeatedly, convinced that the author of this book must be that kind of person.
"But that's unlikely. After all, he can't watch others waste their time, so his happiness is uncertain. I don't think he'd have much motivation to do something that might not even be rewarding."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm just saying, what you consider unrealistic might actually be feasible?"
"Impossible. The book describes a power that is too bizarre and fantastical."
"The existence of extraordinary powers in this world, the recent spate of monsters, and the constant stream of bizarre disasters all demonstrate that this matter is full of strange occurrences. Sir, never think that something is too far away from you; it may be very close at hand."
Leo thought Daniel made sense, so he nodded.
"I've learned a lot; I'll revisit this book later."
"But there's no need to be so serious. I didn't mean to correct you," Daniel said with a smile. "I was just stating my point of view. It's a discussion, isn't it?"
Before Leo could reply, a tall, hooded man stood directly behind Daniel.
Daniel followed Leo's gaze, turned around, and gestured for him to sit down.
He then began to introduce the man: "This is a lord from the New World. In his culture, he is called a chief. He didn't tell me his name, sir, so please just call him the chief."
Leo nodded, and Daniel then began to speak in the man's ear.
Only when the man nodded did Leo catch a glimpse of the man's faintly visible green eyes.
He is undoubtedly a green-eyed person.
The tavern was bustling, with everything making noise, so people at the next table couldn't hear what they were saying. Even Leo, who was at the same table, could only make out a few words.
But he couldn't understand it at all. He knew that Daniel wasn't lying; he could indeed speak the language of green eyes.
Daniel suddenly turned to Leo: "Sir, I have introduced you to each other. Now we can talk business."
"What kind of business?"
"spices."
"Spice?" Leo repeated.
Daniel smiled mysteriously and said something to the green-eyed man. The man then took out a tiny particle and placed it on the table.
He then said to Leo, "Sir, this is the spice. Would you like to smell it?"
Leo picked up the small round bead with some skepticism and brought it to his nose.
A rich aroma quickly penetrated his nasal cavity, entered his lungs, and activated his brain.
Leo's eyes widened: "This is—"
"Spice!" Daniel exclaimed. "Though small, its flavor is intense, but its aroma is merely its insignificant use. If you add it to food, you'll know it's a celestial treasure!"
Although Leo had never tasted anything made with spices, he believed Daniel was telling the truth.
He realized that this was definitely a valuable commodity that would surely make him a fortune.
Daniel is right; this deal could very well change his destiny.
Leo's mind focused instantly, and he immediately asked:
How much stock does he have?
"Out of stock," Daniel replied immediately.
"No stock?" Leo frowned. "What's the point of a trade if there's no stock?"
“He has a partner now, and all his goods are handled by that partner,” Daniel said. “And the other party has an unusual relationship with this chief; he seems to be his brother-in-law.”
"Mr. Clark, I absolutely do not believe that you brought me to this tavern in the middle of the night to meet a green-eyed man just to amuse me," Leo said seriously. "Just get to the point."
“At least for now, this chief really doesn’t have any,” Daniel said. “He’s willing to meet with you so he can find out from you how much the spices are actually worth.”
Leo knew Daniel wasn't telling the truth: "Surely the know-it-all can answer something like this?"
"Haha, of course I can answer that," Daniel grinned, "but if I'm the one giving the answer, then it's not really worth it."
Indeed: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes: "I want you to replace this chief's brother-in-law."
Leo also became serious: "I have no intention of marrying a woman with green eyes."
“I wouldn’t be willing either,” Daniel shrugged. “I just need you to recognize the value of spices and be willing to participate immediately. As for how to replace them, I have other plans.”
Leo realized that Daniel had been setting a trap for him from the very beginning.
Know-It-All is a master hunter who leads Leo into a trap step by step.
Leo, however, was still unsure whether the trap contained spikes or carrots.
Just then, the green-eyed man suddenly stood up excitedly and roared at Daniel.
Daniel immediately looked confused and started saying something with an innocent expression.
The two then argued in a language Leo couldn't understand, and their commotion had already drawn the attention of the other patrons.
Leo asked, "What's wrong?"
"Damn it, I don't know either," Daniel explained anxiously. "His men seem to have been attacked and think I framed him."
Leo wanted to persuade Daniel to explain quickly, but the green-eyed man had already drawn his iron sword.
That was definitely not the green-eyed man's own sword; Leo could tell that the sword was a bit too short.
Daniel retreated several steps in an instant, and the sword pointed directly at Leo.
Leo took a deep breath, not understanding why things had suddenly developed this way.
The sword trembled slightly, and the anger in the green-eyed man's eyes was on the verge of spiraling out of control.
Leo knew that his life hung in the balance.
He must never allow his life to be decided by the other person's emotions.
But in such a desperate situation, what could he do when he was unarmed?
Just then, his perspective changed.
He noticed that something in front of him suddenly became brighter.
What's going on? Leo was completely bewildered.
Suddenly, he realized that these things seemed to be the tradable items recorded in the "Disqualification Contract".
alright-.
Leo took a deep breath—
Either I'm crazy, or the world is crazy—