Chapter 328 - 321: Find It (Part 2)

Chapter 328: Chapter 321: Find It (Part 2)

Pipi had gained quite a bit of fame recently, so the applause from the crowd was quite enthusiastic, mostly coming from the younger generation near the Commerce Capital.

A figure, tall and heroic by Akenis standards, strode from backstage to the front of the stage. His vision was so exceptional that even the Akenis seated furthest away could clearly see his face.

"My fellow Akenis, thank you for coming from far and wide to attend this Business Achievement Conference."

"This is the most glorious moment of my life. Heh, you know, I can’t for the life of me remember what I was doing before I entered the Chamber of Commerce’s academy. As a Magic Creature, that’s truly shameful!"

This small, sarcastic bit of self-deprecation sent the dense crowd below—at least tens of thousands of Ear-Piercing Monsters—into a roar of laughter.

Pipi watched the crowd below intently, his gaze sweeping over as many faces as possible in the limited time he had. He made a mental note of every young face that wasn’t laughing.

It wasn’t difficult to spot them, as they were quite conspicuous.

Pipi had already learned which major merchants would be attending today. After he moved the conference venue to the plains outside the city, a large portion of the big shots had backed out. They, too, likely anticipated how massive the crowd would be.

As it stood, Pipi was essentially the highest-ranking person from the Akenis Chamber of Commerce on stage. The others were just managers filling in.

Pipi had already told the team managing the conference venue that all revenue from the entrance fees would be theirs to keep, distributed according to their rank and status.

"My thanks to the great Akenis Chamber of Commerce for bringing us prosperity."

"Personally, this should mark the glorious start of my career. But I, who should be filled with joy, am far from happy at this moment. Of course, this has nothing to do with the great Chamber of Commerce, and it’s certainly not because of this achievement conference."

Speaking on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce was the dream of every young Akenis. How could he not be happy? Grabbing people’s attention by introducing conflict was a tried-and-true method, and this time was no exception.

"All of you know of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide*, right?"

"A book born from a stroke of genius, created by my best friend in all of Akenis, Weike Wei! He was a once-ordinary Akenis Merchant who refused to remain ordinary! A man of immense talent who, because of his principles, once fell into poverty—a man of unyielding integrity!"

Down below, standing among the other Akenis, Weike Wei had never imagined Pipi would say such a thing. He never even knew he held such an important place in Lord Pipi’s heart or was held in such high esteem!

These words, spoken before tens of thousands of Akenis, sent Weike Wei’s heart pounding. He could barely contain his emotions.

’Wait, what were those principles of mine he mentioned? No, that’s not important!’

"Some principles, Weike Wei himself might not even be aware of them!"

As if reading his mind, Pipi offered an explanation from the stage.

"But the emergence of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide* made me realize that Weike Wei possesses certain qualities that ordinary Akenis lack. And, owing to our deep friendship, I am also frequently featured in the journal."

"Honestly, my qualifications are still lacking. I’m not worthy of being ranked ahead of all the senior, great merchants here. For that, I once again thank my dear friend. I wonder if he was able to come to the conference today."

Down in the crowd, Weike Wei excitedly pumped his fist. He desperately wanted to shout, "You’re welcome, you deserve it!" He also wanted to scream to the Akenis around him, "I’m Weike Wei!! Lord Pipi’s dearest friend!!"

However, he took a deep breath and restrained himself. ’I can’t embarrass Pipi while he’s on stage!’

"I’m getting sidetracked. But when it comes to such a meaningful journal, you won’t get impatient learning about its founder, will you?"

The enthusiastic response from the crowd brought a smile to Pipi’s face on stage and left Weike Wei, in the audience, both stunned and overjoyed.

"Normally, a conference like this calls for a grander topic of discussion, but I don’t have much experience with these things, so I’ll just continue with my subject."

"The final piece in the third issue—*Thoughts at the Time of Death*. It’s the most impactful memoir I have ever read!"

This sentiment was shared by everyone in the crowd, including some of the veteran merchants.

"Honestly, when I got the third issue of the *Business Opportunities Information Guide*, I read it very carefully. When I finished the last page, I cried... For as long as I can remember, I don’t recall ever crying before. But in that moment, I cried! I used to think that we Akenis weren’t capable of tears..."

Many of the Akenis empathized deeply. Some of the female Akenis even felt tears welling up as they recalled the story.

"Then, filled with rage, I took my Beast Slave and went to find Kekyiru’s grave. I knew I might be punished by the Chamber of Commerce later, but I couldn’t care less. I’ve got plenty of money, after all! So, you all know what I was planning to do, right?"

Hearing a confession that so closely mirrored their own feelings, the crowd below erupted in another roar of laughter.

"But what I didn’t expect was that the bastard’s grave had already been demolished who knows how many times! Me, an Akenis living right here in the Commerce Capital, one of the first to get the journal, and I was still too late! It’s unbelievable! They didn’t leave a single piece of the gravestone for me! It was all smashed to smithereens by those who beat me to it!"

The crowd below laughed even harder. Some who had participated in the "grave demolition" puffed out their chests with pride. Even those who had gone but hadn’t managed to do any damage wore expressions of shared glory.

"But in all my years, I, Pipi, have never been so happy to be beaten to the punch! I don’t know what that feeling was! But standing there at that bastard’s gravesite, I burst out laughing!"

After a moment, Pipi’s voice grew somber, and the laughter from the crowd gradually died down.

"I must thank my dear friend once again. I wasn’t wrong about him—I am never wrong about people. This journal made me understand that, at the very least, I will not become another Lake Elf. Because I have Weike Wei at my back!"

Weike Wei simply couldn’t hold it in any longer. He stomped his foot and beat his chest, struggling to suppress a few low growls. He didn’t care if the surrounding Kaknisen thought he was a madman, because his entire heart felt as if it was about to burst into flames.

Meanwhile, among the other Akenis, a feeling known as envy began to stir.

Weike Wei’s keen hearing picked up an old merchant not far away muttering to himself, "A shame... I don’t have anyone at my back..."

That desolate tone clearly hinted at a story of his own.

"What does it mean to be a successful Akenis? I can’t answer that for every Akenis, but I believe I can answer it for myself. And I am certain I will find a group of like-minded friends!!"

"I have established the Dawn Merchant Group! It’s a name that might not conform to popular tastes, but I hope that energetic Akenis with conviction will join us—regardless of your background or experience!"

"As the Commerce Group Leader, I hereby swear that the Dawn Merchant Group’s first, and ultimate, trade objective is..."

Pipi fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he unleashed his strongest Magic Power, channeling all his emotion into a thunderous roar.

"Let’s find that ’Water Magic Power Pearl’!!!"

BOOM~~~

The scene erupted in a wave of cathartic shouts, nearly causing a commotion. Countless young Akenis, both students and graduates, began to roar wildly. Even some of the older attendees, who had remained silent until now, were swept up in the moment and began to applaud ceaselessly.

As Pipi left the stage, the applause was thunderous and unceasing, and countless Akenis turned to one another in fervent discussion.

The awards ceremony that followed felt completely tasteless. The segment that was usually the climax of the event, a moment of peak envy, was now utterly lackluster.

For the first time in the history of the Business Achievement Conference, a large portion of the audience left before the event had even concluded. They were all rushing toward the Commerce Capital, heading for the registrar’s office to look for the name: Dawn Merchant Group.

PS: First Chapter for Wednesday.

Okay, I’m a hopeless lazy bum o(╥﹏╥)o, but I really have been mass-releasing Chapters, just look at the word count...