Volume 5: If you are poor, you should be alone Chapter 145 Irreplaceable
City Lord Philip's face turned black... No matter how tactful Xiao Yun's words were, they could not hide his contempt for Marcus. His own son slapped him in the face in front of him. Philip, who had a bad temper to begin with, could not stand this kind of anger. He immediately frowned and said stiffly: "Mr. Ayun, what do you want to say?"
"Hehe..." A natural smile slowly emerged on Xiao Yun's face. Damn, he licked the elves because they were too close to him and he couldn't afford to offend them. Also, the elves were so awesome. As an adult, he should have the qualities of an adult and know how to keep a low profile in front of the big guys he couldn't afford to offend. I'm still licking a worthless local noble across the inland sea, but my tongue isn't that cheap.
Seeing Xiao Yun smiling so "normally", Sean's heart suddenly went alarmed and he tried to interrupt him, but it was too late.
"Mr. Philip, I personally admire your courage to bet the future of the family on your only son. Perhaps you hope that your son can turn back from his wrong path under heavy pressure and know how to take on family responsibilities? Such a deep love between father and son is really touching." Xiao Yun smiled kindly and spoke very quickly, "But unfortunately, this admiration is limited to me personally. It does not mean that our Snow Wolf Clan needs to accompany the Philip family to take such a meaningless risk. After all, even small businessmen will look for capable partners when doing business, and businessmen with conditions will carefully select agents. What do you think, Mr. Philip?"
The elegant Marcus looked shocked.
Philip's nose was crooked with anger, and he slammed the table: "You rude guy! You, you are so presumptuous!"
Xiao Yun's face was stern. "Mr. Philip, I think it's best to ask yourself what you have done and whether you are qualified before you criticize others for raising doubts. Your son should be an adult human male. His hands are more delicate and white than all the human females I have seen. He has nails that delay work, which means he is not responsible for any practical matters. He may not even hold a feather pen. Let our Snow Wolf tribe rest assured to hand over hundreds of tons of goods shipped thousands of miles across the inland sea to such a human male who raises him like a golden bird. If it were you, would you accept it?"
Marcus was furious and stood up, about to ask the butler to kick out the rude guest, when Xiao Yun's next words came out heavily.
"Mr. Sean has guaranteed the payment for this batch of goods with his reputation as a legendary magician. We, the Snow Wolf Tribe, of course, trust Mr. Sean. We can accept only half of the deposit, and then collect the balance after you sell the goods."
Xiao Yun said sternly, "Lord Philip is too busy with government affairs to manage the family finances, and he cannot take out 12,000 gold coins at a time. We, the Snow Wolf Clan, can understand this, after all, Lord Philip is very 'diligent'. Then, Mr. Philip, why does your son's outfit cost at least thousands of gold coins? As far as I know, the Philip family is not involved in the top jewelry and clothing business, and Marcus's dress is not for the purpose of promoting the family business. So, Mr. Philip, do you love your son so much that you don't care about the family's financial situation and let him squander it, or can your son use your name to collect money everywhere and sell your father's power at a low price? Regardless of the former or the latter, Mr. Philip, which one do you think can make our Snow Wolf Clan have a little more trust in your son and the sincerity of the Philip family?"
Marcus's voice calling for the butler was stuck in his throat, and Sean looked at him in astonishment.
Philip's face turned red, then from red to green, and smoke almost came out of his head.
Xiao Yun could tell the value of Markas's outfit because the tribe kept Balk, the showy green dragon. If Sean looked carefully, he would also find that he had a discerning eye. The legendary spellcaster frowned immediately: "Forest elf jasper? Sea tribe water pattern beads? Philip, Markas is wearing a manor on his body. Is he like this all the time?"
Marcus's face turned red with embarrassment and he immediately walked away.
Philip's eyelids drooped and he said nothing.
Seeing his old friend's attitude, Sean was immediately disappointed... Then he looked at Xiao Yun's expression and found that he was looking at him with a sneer.
"It seems that Mr. Philip knows what his son did behind his back. This kind of deep fatherly love is really admirable." Xiao Yun sneered, "If Mr. Philip can at least pretend to stop his son and give him a few mild scoldings, then I think we can still talk. Now... Mr. Sean, what do you think?"
Sean cursed in his heart, but he couldn't say that Xiao Yun was wrong - it was indeed his fault that he did not do his preparations well and should at least get to know Marcus before mentioning anything else. Now that Xiao Yun pushed the problem to him, he really couldn't say anything.
Philip was exposed so rudely that his face turned red and white. He was extremely ashamed and angry. He forced himself to speak stiffly: "This is Valentine, a foreigner! Without my permission, who do you want to trade such a large amount of goods with?!"
Sean sighed. Well, now he didn't have to mediate.
"Haha." Xiao Yun showed an unpleasant smile again and slapped his thigh. "Let me think about it with my knees. City Lord Philip was so bold to let his son, who he knew very well was a idiot, take over a business that only cost 12,000 gold coins and had a profit of 20,000. He must be very confident that his idiot son would not make mistakes and waste these goods that a pig could sell. In other words, City Lord Philip was very confident that his son could quickly find a 'next buyer'."
"Then how many super buyers can there be in Valentine City who can pay at least 30,000 gold coins at one time? My left knee tells me that there is no other choice but Lamia Chamber of Commerce." Xiao Yun said sarcastically, "Mr. Sean is eager to consider the long-term future of the Philip family, but the city lord only intends to use Mr. Sean's enthusiasm to make some quick money, just to encourage his son to cheer up?"
"Philip?!" Sean was shocked and looked at his old friend in shock.
Philip's face looked extremely ugly. He didn't know whether it was because he couldn't refute the fact that his son was called a fool, or because Xiao Yun had guessed his intention.
Xiao Yun looked at Sean sympathetically. This sentimental elder brother was very considerate of his old friends. He was willing to use his own reputation as a guarantee so that the Philip family could win over the hearts of the people in the Bolton Territory before they abdicated safely. The shipment of this batch of goods from the Snow Wolf Tribe could directly extend the life of the Bolton Territory, which had not benefited from the Valentine Port at all. In the future, with the follow-up of other governance measures, means of winning over the hearts of the people, and maintaining trade with the Snow Wolf Tribe, within five to ten years, the Bolton Territory would become the Philip family's impregnable base.
Sean was very attentive in this regard. He even bowed his head and asked Xiao Yun for advice on how to manage the territory, and sold himself to Xiao Yun for this... and even signed the "Language Law" contract.
But Sean is so wholeheartedly making long-term plans for his old friend, but the other party only intends to take shortcuts... I really feel sad for this handsome old guy.
"Philip, you...I..." Sean looked at his old friend with great sorrow, his voice trembling a little, "Did I not explain it to you clearly, or have we...no longer been able to trust each other like we did in the past over the years?"
Philip could ignore Xiao Yun's contempt, but he couldn't stand Sean saying that. The old man's stubborn shoulders collapsed instantly, and he trembled and said, "No... Sean, I, I only have this one son - if Marcus can't cheer up, then after I die, what will Philip's family do?"
Xiao Yun rolled his eyes. Self-interest is far higher than public interest (especially the public interest of their own base), and family is more important than national group. This is a common problem among feudal power holders. Although ancient Chinese bureaucrats were also of this rotten character, at least they knew how to save face. No matter how thieves and whores they were in private, they had to put up a memorial archway to cover up their shame. This world is different. There is no need to put up a memorial archway. We just expose our butts outside. So what?
But don’t say that this is a real villain who is better than a hypocrite. People who have been beaten by society will know that a hypocrite who at least has some shame is much easier to deal with than a real villain who has no shame at all.
Of course... Xiao Yun had no interest in making sarcastic remarks. The general environment was like this and Philip was not the only one like this - even on Earth, social order and morality tacitly accepted that national interests came before family interests, and China was the only country whose leader would frankly state that "I will have no self".
Sean stared blankly at his old friend who didn't dare to look him in the eye. He found that... Philip was indeed old, and his friend had lost to the years.
This discovery made Sean extremely uncomfortable, and he was speechless for a while.
Xiao Yun counted calmly in his mind. Guilt can make people reflect in a short period of time, but over time, guilt will be transferred and turned into aggression towards others, so as to relieve the inner pressure. He was angry at Sean for not knowing people at his age, and angry at Philip for treating others as idiots, but in the end, business still needs to be done! Otherwise, he can't sell the goods to Lamia Chamber of Commerce!
Although this is not impossible... Opposing positions does not hinder business! In the adult world, there is no right or wrong! Xiao Yun can bow his head for the sake of money, and Lamia Chamber of Commerce can also bend.
The key point is that before Carlisle gives Lamia a good beating, Xiao Yun, as a teacher, cannot help the enemy...
Besides, Sean was willing to "sell himself" in the final analysis to exchange his remaining life for a chance to give his old friend a chance to continue. No matter how much Xiao Yun despised Philip, he couldn't just kick this old man who treated others as idiots away. Otherwise, what would happen if Sean became discouraged and lost the enthusiasm to engage in magic technology!
The time given for reflection on guilt was almost up, so Xiao Yun spoke up: "I think some principles are common whether on the grassland or in the human kingdom. If someone achieves a position that cannot be replaced by others through his own hard work, then this person must be very reliable and worthy of the trust of those around him, because he will work harder than anyone else to maintain this position."
"On the contrary, if a person can obtain this kind of 'irreplaceable' important position without doing anything, then no matter how talented or gifted he is, he will definitely become a waste." Xiao Yun said bluntly, "Because the instinct of all intelligent creatures is the same virtue: love leisure and hate work. If you can be valued without working hard, then why should you be serious?"
Philip was unmoved, though he was not entirely unaware that he had ruined his son.
Sean sighed again.
Xiao Yun rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, and said with a piercing look: "Mr. Philip, you do have only one son, but Marcus is not your only blood relative. Don't you also have a smart granddaughter, Laura? If your granddaughter Laura can become the youngest and most talented earl in Bolton, then your son Marcus can continue to be 'irreplaceable'."
Sean looked at Xiao Yun in astonishment. Philip raised his eyelids with a look of astonishment.
Under the rules of the "Game of Thrones" in this world, if you have connections, resources and background, even a pig can sit firmly on the position of a noble lord... provided that the pig will not be let out to run around and do bad things; supporting an underage female lord is definitely easier than supporting a middle-aged man who is even more useless than a pig - well, there is no need to say this, it will attract too much hatred, and it is better to stop scolding the son in front of the father.
Xiao Yun didn't say it clearly, but it wasn't difficult for Sean and Phillip to understand... The two old friends looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes - yes, there's also Laura! Although Laura is only thirteen years old, what does it matter!
After returning to the side hall, Marcus angrily smashed the furnishings in the hall to pieces.
A noble (middle-aged) young master like him, who had been blessed by his powerful father since childhood, had never suffered any hardship, and even rarely met people who made him unhappy. After all, he was Philip's only son, and Philip was the lord of Valentine, who was respected even by King Kroning. He worked diligently every year to save a large amount of taxes for the Kroning Kingdom, and countless Kroning nobles had to rely on his father to make money.
Of course, his father had carefully instructed Marcus about this meeting with the foreigner, asking him not to upset the guest under any circumstances - this guest could bring at least 20,000 gold coins to Philip's family, and was also a friend that Sean, the "End of Illusion", valued. For the sake of the gold coins and Sean's uncle, Marcus, who always waited for others to please him, rarely straightened his attitude and hid his contempt for this barbaric foreigner during the meeting.
Marcus, who thought he had given enough face, never expected that before he could generously show his "equality" and "closeness" to the other race, the other party would mock and even humiliate him so rudely on the spot - and during this time, his father did not try his best to protect his dignity, and Sean even questioned him based on the words of the vulgar barbarian, which almost made Marcus furious!
After smashing the last vase, Marcus, who was gasping for breath while leaning against the cabinet, could not help but feel heartbroken after his impotent rage - more than 20,000 gold coins slipped through his fingers, and he lost the chance to deepen his friendship with Eddie!
His father had always been at odds with the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, which was something Marcus was very critical of. The Lamia Chamber of Commerce was so powerful and rich that Eddie, the deacon of the Valentine branch, could easily throw out hundreds of gold coins worth of jewelry and fine clothes, which was even more generous than him, the only son of the city lord!
Marcus firmly believed that if his father, the Lord of Valentine, was willing to join the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, the wealth of Philip's family would definitely increase exponentially within a few years; the good business introduced by Uncle Sean would undoubtedly allow Marcus, who always felt that he was inferior to Eddie, to stand on the same position as Eddie. Although he did not show it on the surface, Marcus was actually quite happy about it.
But now there is obviously no such opportunity.
That rude and rude barbarian had no respect for aristocratic etiquette and trampled on his face right in front of him. Uncle Sean's disappointed look made him feel like a thorn in his side. Marcus was so angry that he kicked the cabinet door to pieces. Ayun from the Snow Wolf Clan! He remembered this name! !
"Dad?" The young girl who came with the housekeeper from the big house next door saw the side hall smashed into ruins in the corridor, and hurriedly ran in nervously.
"Lola, don't come over here, watch your step." Marcus rushed over to stop his children from stepping on the broken vase. "I'm sorry, baby, Daddy was in a bad mood just now and destroyed the room you often stay in."
"It's okay, Dad. Are you okay?" the girl asked with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine...Butler, take Laura back." Marcus didn't want to say more.
"Master, the master has ordered that the young lady be invited to the living room." The butler bowed hurriedly.
Makas was immediately furious: "What? Let Laura go to see that rude and rude barbarian?!"
"Well...it was the guest who asked to greet the young lady." The butler said awkwardly, "Mr. Sean and the master both agreed."
Marcus was petrified on the spot.
Marcus can be as willful as he wants to his father, because he knows that no matter what he does, his father will forgive him. But he is an adult after all, and he knows that outsiders will not be as unconditionally tolerant of him as his father is... For example, Uncle Sean, Marcus would not dare to question the decision of this legendary magician.
Marcus forced himself to smile and waved as he watched his beloved daughter walk away and look back. He felt the anger in his body boiling up again, almost rushing to his head...
After wandering around the side hall for a long time in annoyance, Marcus finally couldn't help it. He walked out of the side hall and went to the living room, stopping in the corridor near the garden.
The windows on the east side of Philip Mansion face the garden, and a little to the right is the corridor. When Marcus stood there, the sounds from the living room could be heard faintly.
"... I hold the opposite opinion, Mr. Sean. Miss Lola is still young and it is not easy for people to guard against her. If Miss Lola shows up, the local nobles in Bolton Territory will be less vigilant and more likely to look down on her... Of course, this will inevitably attract covetousness, but isn't it a good thing to let those guys who may affect the Philip family's rule over Bolton Territory jump out and deal with them in advance?"
This was the voice of that vulgar barbarian. When Marcus heard this voice, his anger instantly exploded, and the content of the words made him extremely angry.
"That's a good idea, Philip. What do you think? Although the Bolton Territory is not rich, it still has more than a dozen noble families. If we can control the Bolton Territory before you leave office, we will be able to handle the handover more easily..."
Hearing Sean's words, Marcus was so shocked that he didn't even care about being angry - what does that mean?! My father is going to resign as the Lord of Valentine?!
Marcus couldn't hear what was said next. He just felt dizzy and had no strength left...
Even though he was a loser who depended on his father for blood, Marcus had been the Prince of Valentine for so many years, so he naturally stood higher than others. Even the loser could develop good eyesight. How could he not understand after hearing these words: he was abandoned.
Even his father gave up on him.
Marcus had always believed that he would take over his father's position sooner or later, after all, he was his father's only son. This time, his father tacitly allowed him to use the resources of aliens to do business with the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, which made Marcus more certain of this - he did not think he had his father's ability, but with the support of the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, what was so difficult about being a city lord?
But after he was rejected by that alien, his father actually changed his mind!
Marcus leaned against the wall in despair, his heart in turmoil.
His father did not think he could serve as the mayor of Valentine, and even looked for a way out for Philip's family after he stepped down.
The father would rather let the thirteen-year-old Laura come to the fore than continue to support his only son.
This realization made Marcus feel heartbroken. He really couldn't accept this reality. Instinctively, he transferred his anger to the culprit who caused all this to happen - Ayun of the Snow Wolf Clan!
Hatred can give people strength. Marcus, who was so weak that he could not stand just now, was instantly full of strength . He stood up straight, looking towards the living room window with blazing eyes. He wanted revenge and teach that bastard barbarian a lesson!
Xiao Yun was invited to stay overnight. Of course, what was more important was that he was asked to give the young lady from the Philip family extra lessons overnight and teach this clever girl how to make more efficient and full use of the supplies provided by the Snow Wolf Tribe.
Sean personally escorted him to the guest room, and after Xiao Yun took off his coat, he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
"Mr. Sean, do you think that my behavior today was too rude and that I seriously offended a number of your old friends, especially that Young Master Marcus?" Xiao Yun's face no longer had the previous unhappiness, and he smiled and asked Sean to sit down.
"...I admit that I didn't handle this matter well. I took it for granted that Philip would understand my painstaking efforts and that Marcus would be able to take on the responsibility of being a member of the family." Sean sat down in front of Xiao Yun with a wry smile. "If you hadn't pointed it out, my whole journey would have become a joke. But...Mr. Ayun, although Philip has always been at odds with the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, Marcus...may not necessarily have the same stance as his father."
It was no secret that Sean was a native of Cronin. And any Cronin man with enough vision would frown at the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, which had grown into a giant. The reason was that the power of the Lamia Chamber of Commerce had exceeded the expectations of the federal countries. This multinational capital group, which was tightly bound together by interests beyond the imagination of ordinary people, was too powerful.
Although the Lamia Chamber of Commerce is still controlled by the governments of various countries in the Federation...but what about the future?
Everything has its pros and cons. If you can only see one side, you cannot be considered a qualified politician.
Xiao Yun smiled slightly. People like Sean who have a low enough standard are worthy of being friends... Although he was a little annoyed that Xiao Yun did not give his old friend face, he was more worried that Xiao Yun would get into trouble by doing this - the loser has no ability when doing good things, but when doing bad things, his destructive power is quite amazing.
"Mr. Sean, this business is just an ordinary transaction for us Snow Wolf Clan. We only charge 10% of the freight to sell the goods to the Philip family. It is actually no different from the elves and Saint Bridge picking up the goods at their doorstep." Xiao Yun said with a smile, "After all, the biggest beneficiary of this business is the Philip family... If the young master of the Philip family sincerely wants to destroy his own business, then I think City Lord Philip should be more concerned than us."
"No one knows a son better than his father. After all, Marcus is his son." Xiao Yun said meaningfully.
Sean smiled bitterly and shook his head… He had seen too much from Ayun, and now the other party's rationality and calmness beyond his age were not enough to shock him.
After seeing Sean off, Xiao Yun closed the door of the guest room and the expression on his face turned cold.
Sean is a person with a very low level of moral integrity, and Xiao Yun respects such a person, just as although he accepted Evelyn as his disciple, he also respects Evelyn's attitude and feelings.
For people with such high standards, there are some things that must never be said, and some things must be done in a covert manner...
The moment Xiao Yun saw Marcus, he decided that this kind of person had no value for training. The reason was simple. Only those who pursued something could use righteousness to guide profit, use profit to guide righteousness, and finally achieve righteousness. Merchants could just talk about profit, but Xiao Yun was not a pure merchant now. He had clear political goals and political demands, so the profit he talked about must be derived from righteousness.
A guy who grew up in luxury and debauchery with a silver spoon in his mouth and is still as free as a little princess and prince at his old age, what kind of righteousness and profit is that!
Before discussing cooperation with the Sea Tribe and obtaining worker resources from Kroning, Xiao Yun had the idea of combining both Saint Bridge and Kroning. After picking up the two "old grandfathers" Sean and Pripian for free, Xiao Yun was even more determined to "put an eye" on the Snow Wolf Tribe in the Kroning Kingdom; but it was undoubtedly unsafe to send the tribe members to such a far place, so the only choice Xiao Yun had was to support "agents".
This logic is totally correct and very reasonable.
"If Marcus causes trouble, Philip will definitely try his best to save him...if both of us will lose the money...hehe." Xiao Yun murmured silently with a kind smile on his face.
There is no psychological burden at all when it comes to cheating nobles!
