Chapter Four: The Contract

With quiet concentration, Withered Dragon studied Su Ziye’s face, realizing that this handsome youth showed not the slightest hint of jest.

“What exactly do you mean by this?” Withered Dragon asked, gazing at him.

“It means there’s no deposit,” Su Ziye explained calmly. “I’ll pay for as much as I take, and the upper limit of what I take is the upper limit of my order.”

“But if you’re just toying with me, I’ll have stocked over a thousand goldleaf herbs in my warehouse for nothing,” Withered Dragon replied, watching him closely.

“But what loss is there for you?” Su Ziye said unhurriedly. “Everything I’ve ordered is hard currency, and the quantities aren’t so high that you couldn’t sell them elsewhere.”

What Su Ziye said was undeniably true, yet Withered Dragon’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. “The most important thing in business is rules. You can’t expect me to break them.”

Of course, placing an order required a deposit. Even though Su Ziye’s request was for common goods, not rare items difficult to sell—goods that could be cashed anywhere—rules were rules.

“That’s the reason the Academy is involved,” Su Ziye replied, pinning the Nightleaf Academy badge to his chest. “I’ll guarantee this in the name of the Academy. However, for special reasons, I can’t provide a deposit.”

“Or,” Su Ziye turned to look at Liu Ru, who had remained silent all this time, “what if my master stands as guarantor?”

Withered Dragon also turned his gaze to Liu Ru.

Compared to Su Ziye, Liu Ru was the one he’d been watching all along, yet from beginning to end, the girl had been almost too quiet.

“The Academy has special reasons for needing these goods,” Liu Ru finally spoke. “Can you make an exception?”

In contrast to Su Ziye’s warmth, Liu Ru was as sparing with her words as ever. Still, this fit her persona perfectly, and Withered Dragon found himself sneaking a couple more glances at her, quickly weighing his options.

To be fair, neither the goods nor the funds involved meant much to the Goldenflash Chamber of Commerce; it was a trivial transaction, neither necessary nor especially profitable.

What truly interested Withered Dragon was the prospect of direct dealings with Nightleaf Academy.

The supplies Su Ziye ordered were all everyday necessities, not even cultivation resources. The Academy consumed these in large quantities, paying for the food, clothing, and shelter of all its students. But the Academy already had fixed suppliers—local merchants with whom they had long-term relationships. As a newcomer, and with headquarters in the Commercial Federation, the Goldenflash Chamber of Commerce would find it hard to get a slice of this business.

If this transaction could help deepen ties with the Academy, that was what Withered Dragon truly dreamed of.

“Let me think it over,” Withered Dragon mused aloud. “So you mean, you’ll buy and pay cash right away, but you need me to prepare the goods in advance, is that correct?”

“That’s right,” Su Ziye nodded.

“In that case, it’s simple. We won’t sign a delivery contract; we’ll sign a futures contract instead.” Withered Dragon smiled. As a seasoned merchant, he had more than enough ways to work around such rules.

“What’s the difference?” Su Ziye asked.

“There’s a big difference,” Withered Dragon explained. “A delivery contract stipulates delivery by a deadline and payment all at once. But a futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell goods at a set price at a future date. Mr. Su’s requirements fit a futures contract perfectly.”

“Very well,” Su Ziye nodded. “Then, may I first take goods worth one goldleaf herb?”

As he spoke, Su Ziye produced a gleaming goldleaf herb.

...

The purchasing power of a single goldleaf herb was astounding. If one were to buy only white sugar, a single goldleaf herb could almost buy half a ton. Even with all sorts of spices and miscellaneous ingredients added, it would still be enough for two hundred kilograms of goods.

But for Su Ziye, this was no problem at all—he had spatial artifacts well suited for such occasions. Withered Dragon, for his part, was not surprised by this in the least.

His willingness to be involved in this transaction was partly because the Academy’s reputation was so valuable.

But another reason was that the Goldenflash Chamber of Commerce in Nightleaf City was simply too idle these days.

With so much free time, why not accept business that comes knocking at your door? Moreover, with a merchant’s instinct, he found himself more interested in the youth named Su Ziye than in the more celebrated Liu Ru.

...

As promised, Su Ziye fulfilled his end of the deal.

They returned to Nightleaf Academy on time before three o’clock.

Liu Ru even suspected that the real reason she’d been brought along was to serve as a guarantor. In that regard, she had acquitted herself admirably.

Back at the Academy, Liu Ru hurried off to class. Su Ziye instructed her to find him after her lessons—though he didn’t say what for, she had no right to refuse.

Su Ziye himself returned to the Tower of the Sun, ascending to the seventy-ninth floor.

The Sun, Moon, and Star Towers all followed the same design, each with one hundred and eleven floors. The seventy-ninth floor of the Sun Tower was empty—or perhaps not quite; someone was already waiting for Su Ziye.

Qingyi, with aquamarine hair and eyes, stood there awaiting him. She spoke first: “I didn’t expect you to act so quickly.”

“Or perhaps the Vice Chair’s network is that efficient?” Su Ziye smiled. “I’d barely left the Goldenflash Chamber before you heard about it?”

“I asked the Scarlet Heart Dojo to keep an eye on your activities,” Qingyi explained coolly. “Routine surveillance, nothing more. Karotes believes you’re capable of handling this affair; I remain skeptical, so I intensified the observation.”

“You certainly have the leisure for it, Vice Chair. Or are you really so idle?” Su Ziye asked, standing his ground.

“This is an assignment from the Chair herself. I have no choice,” Qingyi replied evenly. “But why did you buy so much sugar? A single goldleaf herb can buy nearly half a ton—a supply that would last the entire Academy ten days or more. What do you need so much for?”

“And this is only the first day—you’ve already spent all your funds. I wonder what tricks you’ll pull next.”

“As for that,” Su Ziye smiled, then calmly took a small glass vial from his pocket and handed it to Qingyi.

She accepted it, discovering a dark brown liquid inside. She swirled it and asked, “And what is this?”

“Would you like to try it?” Su Ziye suggested.

“No,” Qingyi refused righteously. “I won’t sample anything of unknown origin.”