Chapter 313 - 308: The Most Terrifying Method

Chapter 313: Chapter 308: The Most Terrifying Method

Another dawn broke. Clad in magnificent new attire, the esteemed council member of the Chamber of Commerce—a man who now possessed both wealth and status—emerged from his suite in the Chamber of Commerce Center.

He walked to the exclusive office for honorary members in the main hall. Everyone who saw him, be they Beast Slave, merchant, or receptionist, greeted him with the reverence reserved for wealth.

"I want to register a new Merchant Group."

Hama Pi stood before the service desk. His fingers, adorned with a variety of Gemstone-inlaid rings engraved with Technique Arrays, tapped on a catalog of Merchant Groups as he spoke calmly.

"Of course, sir. The security deposit required to establish a Merchant Group is a trivial sum for you. What would you like to name your Merchant Group? You should know, good names are always in high demand. I will help you conduct a thorough search."

As an honorary member of the Chamber of Commerce, his designated clerk was a beautiful female Akenis—beautiful by Akenis standards, of course.

"Hmm, my new Merchant Group... I want to call it ’Dawn’!"

The new tycoon announced the name, barely able to contain his excitement.

"And one more thing. From today onward, my name is Pipi. You can handle the paperwork for that as well."

In some Akenis circles, "Pipi" meant "to gather treasure." As for his old name, it had been given to him by the school, and he no longer wanted to be called that; the way Gou Dandan and Doudou addressed him was far more comfortable.

Changing one’s registered name was a trivial matter for an honorary member, with no real cost. However, the name of a Merchant Group was far more important than a merchant’s own.

"Dawn?"

The female clerk repeated in surprise.

Looking at the registry, which was filled with names signifying wealth—Gold Mountain, Light of Treasure, Gemstone, and the like—the word "Dawn" was truly unique. She hardly needed to check to know it was likely available.

A quick search confirmed it was indeed available. He wouldn’t even have to spend money to buy a good name.

Some merchants would register a slew of Merchant Group names in advance, only to sell them to newly rich merchants later on. Today, they were destined to be disappointed.

After confirming the details once more, Pipi walked out of the Chamber of Commerce Center.

Four powerful Beast Slaves followed behind him.

These slaves from the Lobelica Origin Realm possessed considerable combat prowess and reliable loyalty, making them highly popular among high-status Akenis.

However, the domestication techniques were controlled by the Chamber of Commerce, so not just anyone could own them—unless you were lucky enough to acquire one through other channels.

Of the four before him, one was the standard gift for an honorary member, one was standard for a council member, one was standard for an arbiter-judge, and one was a bonus for being named a "Centennial Outstanding Merchant." It was quite an impressive lineup.

Once the loyalty Magic Technique was unlocked, they were no longer Beast Slaves that any Chamber of Commerce administrator could command. For the rest of their lives, they would have only one master: Pipi.

Stepping out the door, he glanced back at the four big fellows.

’Heh. Two of them together might be able to take on a Reserve Level member of the Silent Knight Order, assuming it’s an unarmed brawl. Hmm, but if guns are involved, they probably wouldn’t last two seconds...’

The Knight Order’s kinetic firearm series, enhanced with Technique Arrays and also known as Magic Steel Hand Cannons, were each incredibly difficult to produce.

Even though the complementary Anti-Magic Bullets were still under research, they were still immensely powerful when firing ordinary large-caliber rounds. A 20mm caliber round should probably be called a cannon shell. In any case, no one would want to take a hit from one.

...

The Business Achievement Conference was always a grand affair, but it wasn’t actually that important, as it was held once every year.

Of course, everything is relative. For successful or senior merchants, the conference naturally wasn’t a major event. In fact, quite a few Akenis Merchants couldn’t be bothered to attend due to business obligations.

But for young merchants looking to make a name for themselves—especially those who had just recently completed their studies, or were even still students—the Business Achievement Conference was a grand event they yearned for.

Every year at this time, the Commerce Capital would be flooded with the Akenis elite. They would flock to admire the dazzling wealth of their predecessors, then throw themselves one after another onto the path of commerce.

Many died, many gave up, and many disappeared without a trace or were captured by monsters from various realms. Very few truly achieved dazzling success.

But the brilliance of the successful always concealed the darkness beneath, and every Akenis believed they would be the next success story.

The figures of the Akenis were active in every world, bringing a false prosperity to their own people.

Yes, a false prosperity. Walking the city streets, observing everything before him, he saw what looked like a bustling scene, yet he could rarely spot a sincere smile. Not one. There wasn’t a single one!

Every Akenis who saw Pipi revealed looks of awe and envy, and most of those ahead of him would subconsciously step aside.

He was heading toward the slave trade market. The forging method for Magic Steel Alloy had not yet been found within the Chamber of Commerce—or perhaps no one had put it up for trade—so he planned to try his luck at the slave market.

However, as he walked, he could already overhear some idle chatter.

"Did you hear? Another merchant caravan not only had their goods stolen during a trade, but the merchants themselves were devoured."

"Who can they blame? The merchant’s business skills just weren’t up to par."

"But this is already the sixth time the Doriel Horned Demon Beast has done this."

"Then why are idiots still going over there?"

"Because it raises the reward significantly each time, yet the goods are just sweet ice. Out of ten trades, four were successful, and they all made a huge profit. It pays with its own shed scales!"

The two speakers were young students from the Chamber of Commerce school. Seeing Pipi pass by, they hurriedly made way.

He, however, stopped. The four Beast Slaves behind him exuded an immense pressure on the small-statured Akenis. ℯ

"The Doriel Horned Demon Beast isn’t truly interested in sweet ice, but in the flesh and souls of Magic Creatures."

After saying this, Pipi started walking away again. As the two young Akenis watched him go, another sentence drifted back from the successful merchant’s retreating figure.

"Using only its useless shed scales, it lures large groups of weak Magic Creatures to deliver themselves to its doorstep. If there are many, it devours them. If there are few, it lets them go. It’s a better merchant than any Akenis."

The students and the nearby Akenis, whether they were merchants or not, were all stunned for a moment. A sense of oppression weighed on their hearts.

The Chamber of Commerce student who had spoken earlier thought for a moment and realized that the four successful trades were indeed the ones with the fewest merchants out of the ten attempts.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Weike Wei’s novel new shop had opened for business. With the convenience of Magic Power and various commercial tools, a store that didn’t require special decoration could open quickly as long as it had a storefront and the proper registration.

Weike Wei was the very Akenis who had nearly been stripped of his merchant qualifications. The investing partner in his new shop was none other than Pipi.

With the latter’s status and connections, the paperwork was a mere formality.

The product was simple, yet it was a novelty never seen before, and something that every Akenis would inevitably be interested in: a periodical titled the *Business Opportunities Information Guide*.

The only entertainment for an Akenis was wealth. Who would have thought to use that very fact to pique everyone’s interest?

It was a stroke of genius. Weike Wei was in absolute awe of Pipi. He was also the first merchant to request to join the Dawn Merchant Group upon learning of its impending creation. Of course, his desire to join stemmed not from gratitude, but from a hunger for profit.

Weike Wei used the Magic Energy Crystals Pipi had given him to buy an engraving workshop, and in just two days and a night, he had produced five hundred copies for a trial run.

Before the morning was even over, they had completely sold out.

Passing by the newly opened periodical shop, Pipi and the shopkeeper, Weike Wei, shared a knowing nod.

In his dream, before the fireplace, his Mentor’s words still echoed in his ears.

"And public opinion is always a powerful tool for stirring emotions! The only prerequisite is figuring out what it takes to draw attention to that opinion!"

"But Mentor, I learned a lot on Earth. It’s impossible to have an endless supply of business opportunities to write about."

"Don’t forget your ultimate goal. The successful will always be in the minority. Include some success stories, reframe old experiences from a new angle to keep them interesting. And business opportunities don’t always have to be discovered—they can also be created."

The first issue of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide* pointed out some novel ideas and also featured insights written by the now red-hot tycoon, Pipi. While some of these "get-rich-quick" type lessons were already gaining a bad reputation on Earth, here they were completely unheard of.

Additionally, in the form of rumors, it mentioned a mysterious figure who was acquiring novel and rare technologies, as well as some peculiar knowledge and strange tales.

But in smaller sections of the periodical, it also detailed the tragic fates of Akenis Merchants: being snubbed, deceived, or murdered by their trading partners, or even betrayed and framed by fellow Akenis.

Some of the helpless first-person accounts easily resonated with the young, struggling merchants who had yet to make their fortune. The subtext was deeply ironic, insinuating that friendship and kinship came at a very high cost!

"Success and failure... the contrast deepens the memory when they’re placed side by side...."

Pipi stood at the entrance to the slave market, muttering to himself as he watched a young merchant walk by, carrying an inaugural issue of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide*.

He had once thought that something drastic was needed, but what his Mentor taught him was so gentle. Yet, when he had asked about this, his Mentor had told him it was the most terrifying method of all.

"The prerequisite for inciting anger is to first awaken self-respect!"

Even though it was only a dream, the figure before the hearth still seemed so tall that he couldn’t see its end.