On the other side, at the entrance of the Northland Bank on the third floor of Feiyun Slope, Su Bai looked down at the people coming and going in the streets.
"Mr. Su, we wish you success. The Northland Bank welcomes you at any time," Manager Andrei said with a smile, his demeanor very friendly.
"Of course, I look forward to our next meeting," Su Bai replied calmly, glancing at Andrei.
Regarding his move against the grain merchants, Su Bai had given it much thought. To eradicate them completely, external forces had to be involved. Otherwise, he might only inflict significant damage without ensuring their permanent downfall—a near-impossible feat.
In simple terms, the goal was to bury them in debt.
The price of grain itself isn't very volatile. Even if the cost exceeds the selling price by a hundred Mora, as long as it's eventually sold, there's still room to recover.
But if he could force them to take out loans, struggle under the weight of debt, and ultimately face asset foreclosure...
Either don't act, or act decisively—that had always been Su Bai's nature. An opponent with no chance of recovery was his ideal outcome; it was best if they spent the rest of their lives under his watchful eye.
Thus, after leaving the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Su Bai went straight to the Northland Bank without hesitation. There, he discussed a cooperation with Andrei as a contingency for the future.
"In that case, farewell. Send my regards to Zatt for me. Without him, today's cooperation wouldn't have been possible. The friendship of Snezhnaya runs deep in my heart."
With these parting words, Su Bai turned and left.
"Of course, Mr. Su. I will certainly convey your message."
Andrei stood in place, watching until Su Bai's figure disappeared from sight, before turning and heading back into the bank. He went straight to the manager's office.
Currently, there was no Fatui Harbinger stationed at the Northland Bank. Although Andrei had full authority to handle Su Bai's cooperation, headquarters had issued specific orders:
Any dealings related to Su Bai must be reported in as much detail as possible.
"Set off immediately and deliver this intelligence to the headquarters in Snezhnaya."
Andrei made a copy of the contract and handed it to a Debt Collector.
"Su Bai, truly worthy of Lord Pantalone's high regard. With such audacity, those few didn't lose unjustly. It's a good thing you're not a banker," Andrei mused in the office, examining the original draft of the contract. "Otherwise, I'd have to consider relocating. Oh my..."
"Simply... insane."
Andrei had seen guarantee agreements before—even signed quite a few himself. But guaranteeing a business rival, and with such usurious terms, including prepayment of reserve repayment funds...
Such a thing defied common sense, and even Andrei couldn't understand where Su Bai got such confidence.
However, whether Su Bai won or lost, the Northland Bank wouldn't suffer losses. For a manager of the Northland Bank, that was enough. Such sentiments were merely Andrei's personal admiration.
As dusk approached, Su Bai passed by the general store, which hadn't closed yet.
"Bai Xiao?" Seeing this, he stepped into the shop and found Bai Xiao sitting bored at the counter, a pile of papers covered in writing in front of her.
"Ah, Boss!" Bai Xiao looked up, saw Su Bai, and sprang to her feet.
Su Bai picked up one of the papers and glanced over it, his lips twitching involuntarily.
"Alright, it's dinnertime. Pack up and get ready to close. We'll eat together before you leave."
The paper was almost entirely filled with numerical tables, cataloging the serial numbers, materials, sizes, prices, and more of various items in the shop. The draft paper beside it was densely covered with scribbles and corrections, clearly revised multiple times.
Was this thing useful? Somewhat, but not much. It only facilitated a superficial understanding and could be used for sales pitches.
But Su Bai didn't have the heart to criticize, since the girl had spent so much time on it. Though it was most likely out of sheer boredom.
"In that case, I gratefully accept. Thank you in advance, Boss."
The reality was exactly that. Previously, being constantly by Ningguang's side, she was always busy and fulfilled. Now, working for Su Bai, although she was minding the shop, not a single customer had come in since he left.
As everyone knows, people accustomed to being busy don't relax when suddenly idle; instead, they grow anxious. Bai Xiao was exactly like that.
During Su Bai's absence, she had cleaned the shop twice, taken inventory three times, filled eight whole pages with item registrations, and sat down to categorize all sorts of things...
Su Bai naturally noticed the differences in the shop and couldn't help but look at Bai Xiao with a hint of pity.
Look what Ningguang's exploitation has done to this child. She's almost developing masochistic tendencies.
But what a boon for capitalism. It seems I should assign her more tasks in the future—no point in letting such diligence go to waste.
"Alright, Boss, let's go."
Before long, Bai Xiao had tidied up, locked the door, and caught up with Su Bai, completely unaware of how "fulfilling" her days were about to become.
Chihu Rock, Wanmin Restaurant.
Su Bai hadn't tried other places yet, so he stuck to the usual spot.
However, it was peak dining hours, and the place was quite crowded. The two sat at a small table outside the restaurant. After Su Bai ordered, he sipped his tea, gazing absently at the bustling street, gradually losing himself in the scene.
"Um, Boss, about the delivery time and warehouse restocking..."
Finally, Bai Xiao broke the silence, regretting the decision to eat with Su Bai as the quiet grew unbearable.
"Alright, no work talk after hours. You've written it down, right?"
"Yeah, it's all at the counter." Bai Xiao spread her hands, not knowing what else to say.
"Good." Disturbed from his reverie, Su Bai stopped immersing himself in the lively atmosphere and turned to look at the somewhat despondent Bai Xiao.
"Did you find the work challenging today?"
"Not at all." At this question, Bai Xiao immediately answered with certainty. "Even if the workload were several times heavier, it'd be no problem."
"That's what I thought." Su Bai smiled faintly. "Then, would you have any issues determining the prices of goods?"
"Shouldn't be a problem. I can estimate the prices of most things." Bai Xiao didn't overstate her abilities, as the market is free and prices change constantly.
Clink.
A copper key landed on the table. Bai Xiao glanced at it in confusion, then looked up at Su Bai.
"Boss, what is this?"
Su Bai looked at Bai Xiao with a beaming smile and raised his teacup.
"Congratulations, you've been promoted. From today onward, you should be addressed as... Manager Bai."
Bai Xiao: What in the world??
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters