Chapter 363 - 305: The Crazy Loan Contract

Chapter 363: Chapter 305: The Crazy Loan Contract

"Is this the total loan amount you can offer?" Shire put down the contract, his gaze drifting discontentedly toward the Commerce Bank employee sitting across from him. The man seemed completely unaffected by his words, instead sitting bolt upright while savoring his coffee.

"Mr. Shell," the bank employee said calmly, slowly setting down his coffee cup. "Twenty thousand Gold Coins is more than enough to show our sincerity. While your company has joined the Alliance, you haven’t paid the membership fees yet. And..."

He paused, glancing at the short owner of the White Shell company before him. The man was completely bundled up in clothes, as if unwilling to let anyone see his face. "According to our investigation, although your company has been working with many artisan workshops and has been paying on time, you’ve been primarily leveraging the Church’s name. If the Church were to stop commissioning you for procurement, your company’s business volume might not be so large."

"You see," the employee added with a small smile, "this ’Drink Undying’ alchemy workshop didn’t have a very good reputation among Adventurers before. The fact that it can now run a ’buy ten, get one free’ sale on Healing Potions... I imagine that’s related to the Church as well."

"You certainly did your homework." Shire chuckled. The man across from him on the sofa maintained a professional demeanor, but he did nothing to hide the deep-seated arrogance beneath it. In fact, it seemed he hadn’t even considered hiding it. ’Then again, that makes sense,’ Shire thought. ’In the Fran Kingdom, there are only three Commerce Banks, and they all collude behind the scenes. Many small businesses are at their mercy. The fact that this bank employee was willing to make a personal visit is already a huge show of respect.’

’It’s just that the corner of his mouth twitched unnaturally when he drank the coffee, as if he found the brew Mary made disgusting.’

’And this was coffee he’d just bought a few days ago! It might not be the fine blend the nobles drink, but Uncle Musa had bought it for him specifically.’

"Next time, I’ll have to let you try some cat-poop coffee. Without the cat," Shire muttered, then nodded. "Of course, you have a point. The Earth and Life Church is currently commissioning us to procure goods. Lady Sofia Earth herself even came to inspect the company previously. I imagine many people saw that."

Seeing the man still sipping his coffee, Shire continued, "Our partnership with the Church is going very well, and the prospects are immense. Couldn’t the loan amount be raised a little higher?"

"Mr. Shell," the bank employee began, then paused as if tasting the strange name itself. "That’s all in the future. Besides, we all know that those Churches are clueless about business. They won’t be tied to an ’ordinary’ company for long. Unless, of course, you can produce a long-term commission contract. If you had one, I’m sure the bank would consider raising the amount accordingly."

"Well..." Shire hesitated. "I can’t produce one, it’s true. But the artisans can all attest that my company has a very promising future."

*CLINK.* The bank employee set his cup down again and crossed his legs. "Everything you’re saying, the artisans already told me during my investigation. But sometimes, I prefer to trust my own eyes."

He scanned his surroundings with a hint of arrogance. This reception area, tucked away in a corner of the warehouse, looked rather small and extremely crude. There was even a strange smell in the air.

The employee sniffed involuntarily. "My apologies."

’What are you sniffing at? That’s the smell of Magic Beast Materials,’ Shire complained internally. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say that out loud, so he just let his face fall. "Is it really impossible? My company is in desperate need of this capital."

Seeing Shire’s reaction, a corner of the bank employee’s mouth curled up. Though he couldn’t see the man’s face, he could imagine the expression. He said nothing, however, merely lifting the coffee cup slowly for another sip. Then he shook his head, though it was unclear if he was commenting on the terrible taste of the coffee or the lack of a higher loan limit.

Ten seconds passed in silence. Finally, the bank employee sighed. "Alright, Mr. Shell. I can only say that those hardworking artisans have helped you out."

He turned and pulled another contract from a well-made, square leather briefcase beside him, placing it on the coffee table. "This is the best plan I can personally offer. If you can’t make the repayments, the consequences for me will be disastrous."

Shire’s eyes narrowed. He quickly snatched the contract from the coffee table and began flipping through it.

"Fifty thousand Gold Coins... The interest rate is very low..." He muttered the key points of the contract as he scanned it. "And the repayment schedule is flexible."

"That’s right," the bank employee said, leaning back. "Supporting small and medium-sized companies and businesses is the core principle of the Commerce Alliance, as well as the philosophy our Commerce Bank operates by. I believe this contract should be very suitable for you."

"Fifty thousand Gold Coins," Shire said, holding up the contract with one hand and stroking his chin with the other. "Forgive me for being blunt, but it seems fifty thousand Gold Coins isn’t quite enough either."

"Yes, fifty thousand Gold—what..." The bank employee was still sipping his coffee arrogantly, but Shire’s words made him lose his composure. He jolted forward, splashing coffee all over his clothes. "What did you say? Fifty thousand isn’t enough? That’s fifty thousand Gold Coins! Do you have any idea how much fifty thousand is? That’s enough to..."