Chapter 904 – Countermeasure, Decision, and a New Strategy
"Hahaha, good that it's you. Hehe, I came to inform you that our cooperation has ended, and the agreement shall be canceled." Looking unrestrained, the young disciple's slender eyes glanced across Great Dragon Turtle Demon and the others with disdain. Raising the brown letter in his hand, he continued, "This is the document stating that the Yuan Ming Chamber of Commerce's cancellation of trade with the Heaven Wasteland Domain. Lord Ling is busy and thus specially sent me here. Please hand over the deposit we paid earlier."
The Yuan Ming Chamber of Commerce was a third-rate chamber of commerce who started off in the dyestuff industry. It had three stations among the nineteen cities of chaos and was considered a small force. The Lord Ling mentioned by this young Demon Race expert was rather well-known by the officials present. He had been in charge of communicating with the Heaven Wasteland Domain on business matters previously. Some time ago, he would come to queue outside the Heaven Wasteland Building before dawn every day, pleading to meet Great Dragon Turtle Demon and the others.
"Busy? Then how did he come to the Heaven Wasteland Building and await a meeting every day a while back?" Adviser Xu responded with a tinge of anger. "It's impossible for you to get back the deposit, which shall be forfeited because you broke the agreement first."
"Are you really not returning the deposit?" A sinister look emerged on the young man's face. "Have you thought about the consequences, you lower domain bastards?"
The Great Dragon Turtle Demon laughed calmly, "Breaking the agreement is equivalent to reneging on your word. The deposit cannot possibly be returned."
A small deposit was nothing to the Heaven Wasteland Domain, but if they really returned it, it would be akin to receiving a slap in public and their dignity would be trampled upon. Moreover, it would lead to the other chambers of commerce which also tore up their agreements following suit, such that the scene would quickly get out of hand.
"Do you really want to do things the hard way? You'll probably fall under a different leader in a few days' time anyway. You really want us to waste more time here? Besides, the Dragon Human Race has already declared that anyone with any kind of relation to you would become their enemy. We're just a small group and cannot afford to offend the Dragonblood Dynasty and the Dragon Teeth Army." The young disciple casually tossed a document onto a side table, appearing terribly impatient. "I'll give you one last chance. Will you return the deposit or not?"
Unable to bear it any longer after hearing this, Si Yu'an abruptly stood up. "Try asking one more time." Everyone familiar with him knew that these words were said when he was about to go mad.
The young man was also startled by Si Yu’an's vigor. Taking several steps back, he put on a tough front. "Why? Are you looking for a fight?"
"I certainly cannot change your decision, but the deposit you paid cannot be returned, as this counts as a unilateral breaking of contract by your side after all. Also, go back and tell Lord Ling to think about the price that should be paid if you ever want to cooperate again with the Heaven Wasteland Domain in the future." As calm as ever, the Great Dragon Turtle Demon said unhurriedly.
"Hmph, the Heaven Wasteland Domain is already hanging by a thread, what future? Haha, are you for real? Maybe in your dreams." The young disciple cursed and was about to say more, but seeing the gloomy expression on Si Yu’an's face, he held back his words and turned to leave in a huff.
The main hall became quiet again.
The overly-arrogant demeanor of this Demon Race youth made everyone feel as disgusted as having swallowed a dead fly.
"If we were in the Heaven Wasteland Domain, this fellow would've died a thousand and one times already." Si Yu’an bit his teeth, looking gloomy.
It was extremely tough for him to restrain himself earlier.
"As short-sighted as a mouse." Adviser Xu shook his head. "This Yuan Ming Chamber of Commerce won't last very long."
"Hoho, let them dig their own graves… However, this matter has reminded me that there are many things to do ahead." The Great Dragon Turtle Demon waved his hands and interrupted, then said after thinking for a while, "Give orders to reply to all chambers of commerce and forces who have sent documents about breaking their agreements with us by saying that we'll agree to end the cooperation but won't return the deposit… Also, compile a list of all their names. Hehe, when this fuss has died down, they'll certainly come back on their knees and beg us. We must then make them pay a million times higher price than today's!"
"Yes, my lord," several officials responded.
Everyone took a deep breath and began to await that day.
The day when they could settle accounts with those recorded on the list.
…
The small episode that took place in the Heaven Wasteland Domain's representative station helped Great Dragon Turtle Demon and the others to straighten out how to respond to this wave of agreement breaking.
As expected, after the Yuan Ming Chamber of Commerce came, several other forces arrived in succession to cancel their agreements. They were received graciously and offered similar replies. The Heaven Wasteland Building's attitude in and method of handling cases of contract breaking began to spread throughout Heaven Connect City. In many people's eyes, however, they were merely putting up a last-ditch struggle.
Meanwhile.
"Chief, should we still send this letter?"
In a quiet room of Tong Yuan Chamber of Commerce on the north street of Heaven Connect City, Chairman Wu Yuan, who was in the prime of his life, was feeling worried as he held the contract-breaking document in a pinch. Beside him was his most trusted disciple, Qian Jin, who had stood for nearly two hours waiting for the usually-decisive former to make a final decision.
"The Heaven Wasteland Building has sent word that chambers of commerce who cancel their agreements will have to pay an enormous price if they want to negotiate a trade agreement in the future." With drooping eyes, Chairman Wu slowly stroked his long beard in hesitation. "This attitude is very strange. I feel like they still have a way to escape from this predicament. What do you think, Little Qian?"
He had built up Tong Yuan Chamber of Commerce from scratch, and it had gained a small reputation in Heaven Connect City in recent decades. At first, cooperating with the Heaven Wasteland Domain was a golden opportunity for them to grow to the next level in the shortest time possible, but who would have guessed that something as unforeseeable as this would happen. He felt that he was in a very peculiar position. He had wanted to imitate the other chambers of commerce and break the agreement, but for some reason, his instincts forbade him from doing this.
These instincts had helped the Tong Yuan Chamber of Commerce to rise from the dead time and again.
"This is very unlikely. At present, the Heaven Wasteland Building cannot ensure its own safety." Qian Jin's eyes flashed as he spoke casually. "The Dragonblood Dynasty is a large force after all, while Xu Wuya is an old War God whose methods are cruel and shrewd. If he wants to take on the Heaven Wasteland Domain, the Vast Thousand Domains will be able to negate no less than twenty percent of his battle division's power. However, this absolutely does not apply to the Heaven Wasteland Domain, whose building would become nothing but an empty shell once it falls into enemy hands. I can't figure out what means they have left."
Qian Jin was the successor who Chairman Wu had worked hard to groom for several decades. He had a handsome appearance and uncommon temperament, and possessed his own opinions on commerce and relationships. Though he was loyal and reliable in doing things, Wu Yuan was a little dissatisfied with his youthful vigor which caused him to become impulsive and conceited at times.
"Aye, little one, you have to look a bit further and cannot just follow what others say. If it's just the Heaven Wasteland Domain, they would naturally be on the verge of destruction. However, you mustn't forget about Ye Qingyu, the [Ice Sword Killing God]. This badass has connections to [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] for crying out loud… Also, the Alliance of Domains still hasn't reached a verdict so far. Reasonably speaking, if this matter was really this simple, there should be a verdict a long time ago. That's why I feel that there are likely to be things we don't know about. If the situation reverses, the Heaven Wasteland Domain will become red-hot again, and at that time, it'll be extremely difficult for us to secure a new agreement." Chairman Wu's eyes became brighter as he spoke.
He suddenly realized something.
The Heaven Wasteland Building is completely unafraid. Could they have found confidence here?
He could not afford to offend the Dragon Human Race and had seen those small groups suffering immense losses which would take decades to repair. He certainly did not want a lucrative opportunity to end up costing him everything he worked hard for in the past century. Yet, on the other hand, most of Tong Yuan Chamber of Commerce's industries were not within the range which could be touched by the Dragon Human Race. Besides, this time, he had paid a considerable price to obtain an opportunity from the Heaven Wasteland Building and steal a march on competitors. The agreement had fundamentally been reached and the benefits over the next few decades would be obtained with extreme ease. If he was to give this up out of fear… perhaps Tong Yuan would not run into such an opportunity for the next hundred years.
And if he was to add insult to injury and offend the administrators of the Heaven Wasteland Domain now, only to eventually discover that his prediction was right, his losses would be even bigger.
"That can't be, right?" Qian Jin frowned.
He was entirely certain about Ye Qingyu's assassination of the old emperor, having spent the past few days gathering news from various sources and reporting them to Chairman Wu.
"The complications behind this matter aren't as simple as what you and I are able to see. Scratch that, let's not send this letter for now. If war really breaks out and the Dragonblood Dynasty comes to investigate, we shall just say that we'd broken the agreement long ago, only to be denied by the Heaven Wasteland Domain." Having made his decision, Chairman Wu crumpled the wrinkled letter.
He decided to take a risk for once.
…
The situation in the city never stopped changing.
Time flew by.
Ye Qingyu had been self-isolating in the quiet room on the fifth floor of the Heaven Wasteland Building all this time.
After another two days.
New troubles appeared.
Outside the Heaven Wasteland Building.
Representatives and disciples from various chambers of commerce, as well as several unidentified figures, appeared outside the Heaven Wasteland Building, blocking off the entire station while cursing loudly.
"Heaven Wasteland bastards, don't be cowards, come out and talk. It's all because of cooperating with lower domain people like you that several elders and several thousand people of my race were killed by the Dragon Human Race… Right now, seven of our ten largest stations have been destroyed. If you guys have a conscience, you must compensate our losses!"
"Ye Qingyu is truly a crazy and heartless beast. He even dared to assassinate the old emperor of the Dragon Human Race, thereby dragging small chambers of commerce like us into catastrophes we don't deserve. We not only lost a huge fortune but also many of our elites. You must give us a good explanation today!"
