Chapter 216: The Noble Young Lady’s Strategy to Buy Back Her Freedom

This time, Father Auden was genuinely somewhat rattled. Lowering the handling fee for Money Laundering to below five percent was already practically breaking the rules, but free?

This was no longer stealing business, this was practically destroying the market!

It felt like having a well-paid nine-to-five job with vacations, doing everything perfectly without making a single mistake, with the boss having no complaints.

Then suddenly someone appeared and started competing to the death, proclaiming that not only would they work overtime every single day, but even fawning over the boss by saying I don’t need a salary, I’m just here to gain experience. Who could tolerate a scab like that?

“What’s wrong, Father Auden? It’s rare to see you lose your composure like this.” Faced with the rattled Priest, Adele instead raised the corners of her lips.

She had been driven to grit her teeth in anger by Father Auden time and time again. This reversal of positions immediately gave her the satisfaction of finally getting even with him.

This time, just being able to infuriate Father Auden made it worthwhile!

Father Auden glanced at Leon and discovered that Leon was also watching him with a somewhat schadenfreude-filled expression.

Leaving aside whether he would adopt Adele’s proposal or not, occasionally seeing Father Auden react like this was actually rather amusing.

Father Auden realized that his agitated reaction was inappropriate. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, then said: “Free things are the most expensive. All I want is money, but you don’t even want money, so may I ask what exactly you’re after, Miss Adele? Do you want to get hold of more evidence so you can use it against us later?”

“If I become involved with you, what use would possessing evidence be? Besides, I don’t have any means to protect myself. Before I could do anything harmful to you, I’d definitely die first, wouldn’t I?”

Adele calmly rebutted him, “If we’re counting things that way, Priest, what about you? Why don’t we discuss the possibility of you betraying us? You have so many connections spread so widely that you’ll always leave yourself a way out. If something happens, even if you don’t betray us, you’ll be the first to run away, won’t you? Are you truly more trustworthy than I am?”

Father Auden felt that she was exceptionally troublesome. All along, Adele had constantly resented the fact that she was under Leon’s control, but now this little girl was actually turning around and using that very situation to demonstrate that she was easier to control and posed a lower threat!

“You still haven’t directly answered my question!” Father Auden emphasized.

Adele had yet to explain her objective. Father Auden did not believe that she would voluntarily jump into their criminal organization without having an objective of her own. She would inevitably propose conditions.

“I only have two conditions. First, sign a long-term loan agreement with me. This year, you lent me five hundred thousand. If I can repay the principal and interest at the beginning of next year, I hope the limit can be increased to one million. If I can still repay it normally by the end of the year, then increase the limit again.

And the interest rate should decrease year by year. We can negotiate the upper limit of the loan amount and the lower limit of the interest rate. Then, please allow me to invest in assets within the territory.” Adele looked at Leon as she spoke.

“So in the end, you still want money. That loan itself has value.” Father Auden said.

“At least I’ll repay the principal and interest, and Leon can still profit from lending. Moreover, what I’m investing in is Arend Island. As the current Viscount Arend, Leon can also receive another share of dividends through the investment agreement.” Adele said.

“What if you lose the money? If you incur debt and can’t repay it, wouldn’t that still become a bad debt?” Father Auden asked in return.

“Even if I lose every bit of the borrowed money, it still might not amount to more than the handling fees you directly take away, Priest. Moreover, I’ll submit a financial report every quarter. If there’s any problem with the report or if I fail to repay the money, the agreement can be terminated at any time.” Adele said.

“So, you don’t want me to directly pay you. Instead, you want me to lend you money so you can earn your own money?” Leon spoke at this moment to confirm with Adele.

“Yes, I’ll earn my own share of the money myself.” Adele replied with a determined expression.

Leon nodded with great interest and continued asking: “Then what’s the second condition?”

“Didn’t you say before that if you obtained another noble title, you would consider returning the title of Viscount Arend to me?” Adele said.

“You want me to formally promise?” Leon said.

“Not merely promise, but accept genuine notarization. I hope you can establish an agreement with me through notarization procedures that once you obtain another noble title, you will return the title of Viscount Arend to me.” Adele answered.

Once notarized, that agreement would carry legal force. Once Leon formally obtained another noble title, even if he had not divorced Adele, Adele could still reclaim the title through the notarized agreement.

“So in the end, you still want to bite off a huge piece.” Father Auden said coldly.

Adele did not respond to the Priest, instead turning toward Leon and saying: “At that time, you can take all the liquid assets, and I can also compensate you for any immovable assets that remain. Then the mine and dock on the western side of the island can still maintain long-term lease agreements with you. I won’t need that portion anymore.”

Leon looked Adele over, then confirmed with her: “So ultimately, you intend to use the services you provide me to buy your family and your noble title back from my hands, is that right?”

“Revitalizing everything Grandfather left behind has always been my goal. This way, at least you won’t need to doubt my motives. Before the goal of the agreement is achieved, my motive is beneficial to you. I’ll do everything in my power to serve you, help you manage the industries within the territory, assist your development, and help you obtain a new noble title. For that, I’ll spare no effort!” Adele said with exceptional determination.

“That’s a pretty good ambition.” Leon smiled, “But the prerequisite is that you truly possess that ability.”

“As long as you give me this opportunity, I can prove myself. We can begin with the problem right in front of us. If I can help you successfully obtain approval for the charitable association you need and properly handle the first sum of money injected into it, then we’ll establish the agreement, how about it?” Adele said in a negotiating tone.

“That actually sounds pretty good.” Leon nodded thoughtfully.

“You’re seriously persuaded?” Father Auden rubbed his temple with a troubled expression, “If you let her try, what am I supposed to do with the procedures I’m already halfway through processing? Withdraw all of them? Have you thought about what happens if she can’t accomplish it? There’s only this much time.”

This was an important project where failure would mean having to start another Underworld War. Clearly, staking everything on Adele, whom they had never cooperated with before, was taking too great a gamble.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing as usual, old friend. Who said the two of you can’t proceed at the same time?” Leon asked in return.

“You mean……” Father Auden narrowed his eyes.

“Each of you use your own channels to help me get that charitable fund settled. Naturally, the money still needs to be laundered as well. The target for both of you is ten million, and the deadline is the end of next month.” Leon said.

Having Father Auden and Adele advance along two tracks at the same time was the safest choice for him. This way, regardless of who succeeded in obtaining approval for the charitable fund, the objective could be achieved. As for laundering a little extra money, that was no major issue. After all, the money he ultimately needed to pay Johnny alone was far more than twenty million.

“So, this means you want me to compete with Father Auden?” Adele understood.

“Exactly. If you can solve this problem before the Priest does, I’ll sign the agreement with you. Your Money Laundering ability will also be evaluated as a supplementary item, so let’s see how you perform. Of course, there can’t be any mistakes during this process. Make one mistake and you’ll have no opportunity at all.” Leon paused as he spoke, then added, “The Priest already got a head start of more than half a month, but considering that he genuinely has an established foundation of cooperation with me, he should have that advantage.”

“No problem, that’s very fair. His application this time will definitely still be rejected anyway.” Adele had no objection to this.

Father Auden said nothing, merely crossed his arms and let out a long breath through his nose to express his displeasure.

“Priest, what do you think?” Leon looked toward the Priest and asked.

“What can I think? Do I have a choice?” Father Auden said angrily and helplessly.

“Then it’s settled.” Leon said.

Before his words had even finished, Adele immediately stepped forward and handed several prepared documents to Leon: “Since it’s settled, then please stamp and sign these first. I’ll immediately begin handling everything for you!”

“You’d better read them carefully. There might be an IOU mixed in there.” Father Auden said sarcastically.

“If you’re worried, come take a look yourself. Aren’t you my Advisor?” Leon said while examining the documents, “During this competition, the two of you can supervise each other. I’ll be the judge. Whoever plays tricks gets eliminated first.”

“I have no objections.” Adele was the first to state her position, deliberately gesturing toward the Priest, “Please, Father Auden.”

“……” Father Auden silently stepped forward and helped Leon inspect the documents Adele had submitted beside the desk.

As he continued reading, his expression became exceptionally serious. Adele’s documents truly did employ a different application approach from his own, but whether it would work or not, even he could not be certain.

At the very least, there truly were no major flaws he could pick out.

Leon himself finished reading them and found no problems, then glanced at the Priest. The Priest merely shrugged, indicating that he had nothing to say.

Leon quickly finished signing and stamping them, after which Adele immediately began gathering up the documents.

“Then I’ll go handle this for you right now.” Adele picked up the documents and prepared to leave the study, saying farewell, “Remember your promise!”

Leon nodded and waved toward her.

The moment she walked out of the room, Adele could no longer suppress her excitement and quietly clenched her fist.

Success! She had finally secured an opportunity!

But ultimately, this was still only the first step. To obtain Leon’s acknowledgment, she had to produce the final results!

Leon listened to Adele’s footsteps gradually recede until only he and Father Auden remained in the room.

“Does this mean I can retire now?” Father Auden turned toward Leon.

“In the future, in Southport County, in River Valley County, and in the territory left behind by the Earl that we’re about to obtain, there will be markets and profits several times larger than what we have now waiting for us. The future business was never something you could handle alone in the first place. When it comes to affairs within this territory, she’s ultimately the person most familiar with them. If she really can be useful to me, why wouldn’t I let her try?” Leon said.

“Provided your business truly manages to expand successfully.” Father Auden said.

“As long as she gets this matter done, expanding the business will basically follow naturally. In that case, regardless of whether she succeeds or fails, you don’t lose anything.” Leon said with a smile.

“Hmph.” Father Auden did not deny it.

“Ah, right.” Leon suddenly remembered something and turned toward the Priest, “Didn’t you say earlier that the handling fee could be renegotiated? How low can you go?”

Father Auden’s cheek twitched upon hearing this, then he said to Leon: “You know something, Fenrir? Although we’ve only known each other for a year and a half, you’re already the client who has pissed me off the most out of everyone I’ve ever worked for in my entire life!”