Chapter 7 Act IV-1

After arriving on the street, Lawrence realized that there was no room for him. The festival that continued after sunset was the complete opposite of the daytime activities, and did not exude a pleasant atmosphere at all. Needless to say, the marchers with makeup, even the dolls made of wheat straw or wood also kept fighting with their weapons, and the huge dolls that could not hold up weapons were directly used as weapons. At the same time as the roar sounded, the giant straw dolls collided with each other.Cheers ensue whenever the fragments fly apart.The musical instruments playing around the scene were full of momentum, not losing to the wild atmosphere of the fighting, and the people in black were responsible for singing the creepy fighting songs.

Lawrence avoided the crowd and walked in the north direction.The noise kept churning in Lawrence's head, and it was unbearable for him. Although Lawrence kept walking on the long road, the noisy atmosphere still existed. He couldn't help but feel that the noise of the festival would never stop.Lawrence was being tortured by the noise, and his spirit seemed to be gnawed by the witch's curse: while all the interactions with Holo just now came to his mind.Seeing himself standing in front of Holo, Lawrence wanted to scream at the sight of himself, but he held back. Because Lawrence still had at least some rationality, he told himself that if he had the strength to shout, he might as well put that energy and energy into improving the situation.

Given Holo's current state, perhaps she might really accept Amati's marriage proposal. Because in this battle of soaring prices, Amati may be the first merchant to make a move, so he should have earned quite a lot of benefits. If he doesn't think of a way soon, maybe Amati will take out all his property and declare that the contract has been reached without waiting for tomorrow's sunset. Lawrence felt as if his stomach was being pinched by tension, and he couldn't help making a whimpering sound. He looked up at the dark sky, then closed his eyes. If Lawrence can't stop Amati from continuing to make huge profits, he can only go back to the hotel and reconcile with Holo Baigui.

However, it is clear that reconciling with Holo is more difficult than stopping Amati from continuing to make huge profits. "Who are we from you?" Holo's question made Lawrence fall into thinking on the spot. Even after a while, Lawrence still couldn't answer this question. Lawrence really wanted to travel with Holo, and the thought of Holo actually marrying Amati made him fidget. However, Lawrence regurgitated what had just happened like an ox: an ache stronger than stomach acid surged in his heart, and his face couldn't help but contort. In Lawrence's heart.He really thought that Holo was a very important existence, but if Lawrence was asked to answer what kind of existence it was, he couldn't give a clear answer.

Lawrence rubbed his cheeks, trying to forcibly relax his stiffened face. How can this happen? The joyful and lively atmosphere of the festival at that time is like a dream in retrospect.Presumably even the Almighty God would not have expected such a change in just a few hours. Lawrence saw a parade marching on the street while dancing sword dance.The completely changed parade exudes a brutal and ominous atmosphere, which makes people feel nothing of the feast atmosphere of the day.Lawrence felt that this was like Holo's relationship with him now. Lawrence regretted leaving the letter on his desk.He thought that if the letter had not been left behind, such a thing would not have happened.If an appropriate timing is found to explain, I believe that Holo, who is so sensitive, will not lose her mind so much.

Also, what Holo said pointed out Lawrence's selfishness and lack of determination.Even if he went back to Holo indifferently, Lawrence didn't think he could have a good conversation with Holo. Although the atmosphere in the city makes people feel as if every corner is crowded with people, this is the northern area after all, and there are very few pedestrians even on the street.It seems that the festival procession will not come here. In such a complete silence, Lawrence was finally able to calm down and take a deep breath. He turned and walked slowly again, thinking again. First of all—at this point, it is impossible to make Holo calm down and obey only by sincerity.What's more, even Lawrence didn't have the confidence to look directly at Holo.

That being the case, regardless of whether he can reconcile with Holo, at least Holo can't have a fair reason to leave and fall into Amati's arms. As long as Amati couldn't raise a thousand silver coins, Holo remained bound by the chains of debt.Although it is still uncertain whether Holo will obediently follow her side, at least she can make a claim on the grounds of debt. Thinking about it this way, I feel that I still have to think in the direction of preventing Amati from reaching the contract. Under the unique atmosphere of this festival, the price of pyrite can be said to have risen abnormally. According to Mark's judgment, the price will rise again in the future.Although I don’t know how many pyrites Amati has and how much money he has made: However, it is said that the current value of pyrite is several times or dozens of times the purchase price, so Amati’s investment is enough If there is more, it is possible to have earned a thousand silver coins.

In this regard, however, it is fortunate that pyrite is not the most heavily mined ore. Even if the profit is several times or dozens of times the purchase price, if the investment amount is too small, it will not make much money at all. However, Amati doesn't necessarily need to earn a thousand silver coins from pyrite, but this kind of thinking is just self-comforting. In any case, Amati must be prevented from continuing to make huge profits, and it should even be said that Amati must be made to lose money.Because if Amati is willing to spend all her property, with the determination that it doesn't matter if it affects future business, it is possible to raise a thousand silver coins.

However, if it is difficult to prevent Amati from continuing to make huge profits, it is even more difficult to make him lose money. It is impossible to confront Amati with a frontal attack.Because the price of pyrite is soaring, Amati can indeed earn profits, so he doesn't need to be brave at all. Since there is no need to be brave, you will not be deceived. How to do it... I don't know how many times I thought about it, but Lawrence still encountered the same problem. He suddenly looked to his side and said, "Qin, He—" Although Lawrence did not say "Lo" out of his mouth, he managed to make up for it, but after all, he couldn't escape the strange look from the man dressed like a craftsman who passed by him.

Lawrence once again felt the size of the petite figure who always smiled arrogantly beside him. He couldn't help wondering how he had walked through the years alone in the past. If it was Holo, maybe she would help to think of a good way; if she didn't think of a good way, she might help to mention it. Lawrence sensed once upon a time.I already have such a dependent mentality on Holo. "Who are we from you?" Looking at himself like this, Lawrence didn't dare to answer this question with his head held high. That being the case, Lawrence should have said, "How would Holo think?"

Of course, Lawrence didn't think he could completely imitate Holo's incredible thinking logic. Still, Lawrence was a businessman after all. Once a businessman learns of an unfamiliar idea, he must turn this unfamiliar idea into his own the next day, so that he can continue to surpass his competitors. The focus of Holo's thinking was to take a careful and thorough look at the overall situation. Moreover, facing the situation in front of her, Holo would not differentiate, but would think from various angles without omitting any details. This way of thinking may seem simple, but it is actually quite difficult.Sometimes an idea that seems to come from outside the sky has an extremely natural essence. Amati profited from the rise in the price of pyrite. Is there any way to make him lose a lot of money? Of all the methods, what is the simplest and least thought-provoking idea? Lawrence pondered.He thinks with a mind unencumbered by businessman's common sense. In this way, there is only one answer that can be expected. "As long as the pyrite depreciates." After Lawrence said this aloud, he smiled with an extremely stupid expression. He was laughing at himself for wanting to imitate Holo, but he could only do so much. If pyrite could be devalued, of course it would make people happy to want to shout hooray. However, the price of pyrite has been rising all the way, showing no downward trend at all.In any case, the value of pyrite has increased by more than ten or twenty times.The value of pyrite will continue to climb, and—"And?" Lawrence stopped, and he noticed something important. "Ten times? Twenty times? Like this: Will it be twenty times next? What's next?" Lawrence thought he saw Holo laughing at him with her nose. The price of pyrite cannot continue to rise without a limit.One of the laws of this type of hot business is that sooner or later the moment of failure will come. Lawrence almost let out a cry like a whimper, and he hurriedly closed his mouth to swallow the sound back. If this is the case, then two points must be considered. The first point is when the time for failure comes.And whether it is possible for Amati to fall into failure. Lawrence, who still kept his mouth shut, was thinking as he walked. Even if the price of pyrite were to plummet, would Amati carelessly fall into the plummet and lose money by doing nothing?Lawrence didn't think so, because it would underestimate Amati too much. In this way, it means that Lawrence must work hard on this point.As long as he could give the question a concrete form, Lawrence believed that his mind would not lose to Holo. An ideal deal appeared in Lawrence's mind, and a cold and heavy feeling settled in his heart, which was a familiar feeling Lawrence had experienced several times.This feeling is not based on theory, but intuition that informs the upcoming showdown. Lawrence took a deep breath and began to think about the most important point, which is when the crash would happen. It goes without saying that it is impossible for the market of pyrite to rise abnormally all the time, but when will it start to fall?What's more, Lawrence didn't know if it was possible to start falling before the contract period he made with Amati, that is, before sunset tomorrow. Even a fortune teller can't calculate the plunge time.No one but Almighty God can predict the time of the plunge. However, a picture appeared in front of Lawrence's eyes. The picture was that the villagers in the wheat producing area were trying to use human power to complete the work that had been controlled by the gods for a long time. If you have to wait tremblingly for the gods to decide the time of the plunge, then you might as well make the decision yourself instead of the gods. Just when Lawrence had such a wild idea in his mind, cheers came from a distance, so he raised his gaze. Unknowingly, Lawrence had walked a long way, and he came to the intersection in the middle of the town again. The wheat straw dolls at the intersection collided with each other with roars, and every time they collided, the shattered wheat straw fragments would scatter and cause cheers.It was like a real battlefield. Overwhelmed by such courage, Lawrence couldn't help but put aside the strategy that had been churning in his mind, and watched the ceremony for a long time.Lawrence suddenly discovered something, and then came back to his senses. Asked for a moment, Lawrence even felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. Amati. Amati's figure appeared in front of her eyes. In such a crowded crowd, to meet Amati by chance, could it be God playing a prank?Lawrence changed his mind all of a sudden. He realized that even if it was accidental, it still had meaning. Lawrence stands right in the middle of Camelson. It is the intersection of the main streets leading to the east, west, north, south, and four directions. Amati walked with her back to the hotel where Holo was staying. Then, Amati stopped and turned around slowly. Lawrence thought for a moment that Amati was looking at him, but Amati didn't notice him at all. Lawrence immediately followed Amati's gaze. Of course he knew where Amati was looking. However, Lawrence had to know what Amati saw in order to say anything. After Amati walked slowly, she looked back at the location. Holo, with a scarf around her neck, appeared by the window on the second floor of the hotel facing the street. Lawrence felt a tense feeling around his stomach that was similar to abdominal pain, and the anxiety that was similar to anger gave Lawrence a particularly bitter taste. Holo put her mouth close to the scarf as if feeling very warm, and nodded slightly. On the contrary, Amati put her hand on her chest with the appearance of a church knight who is devoted to the gods. Lawrence didn't know if Holo had invited Amati into the room, or if Amati had the cheek to do so. However, judging from the current situation, Lawrence doesn't have many optimistic clues to deny the suspicion in his heart. Immediately after that, Amati turned forward and walked with her back to the hotel.Seeing Amati leaning forward and leaving quickly as if fleeing, the doubts in Lawrence's heart became deeper and deeper. In the blink of an eye, Amati's figure disappeared into the crowd, and Lawrence turned his attention to the hotel room again. Then, he gasped. Because Lawrence was pretty sure Holo was looking at him. Lawrence was able to spot Amati in the crowd, and of course Holo, who had good eyesight, couldn't spot Lawrence in the crowd. However, Holo didn't look away immediately, and of course she didn't smile, she just stared at Lawrence. After an unknown amount of time, Holo suddenly walked away from the window just as Lawrence was about to let out a gasp. If Holo just closed the wooden window like that, maybe Lawrence would lose his motivation. However, although Holo left the window, she did not close the wooden window, but left it open. The wooden window pulled Lawrence's feet like a suction, making him walk in the direction of the hotel. Lawrence certainly didn't naively think that Holo and Amati were talking through the wooden window. Because Holo is not a simple city girl, and Amati's feelings for Holo are in an extremely unstable state, so of course Lawrence thinks that the two must have talked about something in the room. Even so, Holo didn't show panic or surprise, she just looked at Lawrence quietly, because Holo didn't do anything that Lawrence couldn't see. In this way, it means that Holo is deliberately trying to provoke Lawrence. And is there any man in the world who is stimulated by others and remains indifferent? Lawrence remembered his conversation with Holo in Rüppenhagen.Holo would understand, he thought, if he just said what was on his mind. As soon as Lawrence opened the door of the hotel, the happy banquet scene jumped into his eyes. Every table is lined with all kinds of food, and people are chatting or singing while enjoying the fun of drinking. Thinking that he and Holo were supposed to be sitting happily at one of the tables, even Lawrence, a businessman who prided himself on not having regret in his dictionary, couldn't help but sigh. However, there must be a chance of redemption.If Holo had completely refused, she would have closed the wooden window. With such confidence, Lawrence stepped onto the stairs next to the bar leading to the second floor. The moment Lawrence stepped onto the stairs, someone stopped him. "Mr. Lawrence." Lawrence, who was not at peace in his heart, heard this and turned around in surprise, while the other party seemed to be surprised as well. Leaning out from the bar, the hotel owner who called Lawrence kept blinking his eyes. "...Sorry. What's the matter?" "Ah, that's right. I am ordered to deliver this letter to you, Mr. Lawrence." Hearing the words of the letter, Lawrence couldn't help but feel uneasy in his chest. He coughed to calm down.Lawrence walked down the stairs, then approached the bar to receive the letter from the boss. "Who is this letter from?" "It's your companion, who sent it just now." Lawrence's expression didn't show any change, which made him want to praise himself. Needless to say, it is clear that as the owner of the hotel, of course he has a grasp of all the guests staying in the hotel and the people who enter and exit. Lawrence left Holo to go out alone. While Lawrence was away, Amati came to visit Holo. Holo who was visited did not talk to Lawrence directly, but planned to send a message to Lawrence. It would be strange if the boss didn't feel that the situation was different after seeing the interaction between the two of them. However, the boss looked at Lawrence with an expression of ignorance. Town merchants have deep horizontal ties. Lawrence thought that if he didn't behave properly now, rumors would spread immediately. "Can I borrow a light?" Lawrence said as calmly as he could.The boss listened, nodded slightly and took the silver candlestick from behind. Under the strong light of candles instead of tallow, Lawrence could not help worrying that the uneasiness beneath the mask would be revealed. Lawrence sneered at himself for having such thoughts in his heart, he pulled out the dagger on his waist and carefully peeled off the wax on the letter. Although the hotel owner walked away as if he would not be rude to peek at the contents of the letter, Lawrence still felt that the owner looked here from time to time. After Lawrence coughed lightly, he unwrapped the envelope and took out the contents. Inside the envelope was a piece of parchment and another piece of plain paper. Lawrence felt his heart pounding, but if he hesitated now, it meant he didn't trust Holo. In terms of probability, it is not surprising that the letter contains hope and reconciliation. Lawrence slowly opened the half-folded paper, and the fine sand also scattered from the paper. Lawrence guessed that the fine sand was used to dry the ink quickly, which made him realize that Holo had only just finished writing the letter. Is it a letter of severance, or a letter of reconciliation? The words on the paper jumped into Lawrence's eyes. "Two hundred silver coins in cash, and the pyrite holdings are worth about three hundred silver coins. It can be sold..." Lawrence looked up in astonishment when he saw the content of the narration that was written directly without any preamble. cash?Pyrite? Lawrence had originally thought that the letter would contain something as if Holo could be heard speaking, but in fact it was just some cold and emotionless arrangement of words. However, Lawrence pulled his gaze back to the paper again, and what was written on the paper made him grit his teeth hard. "...worth three hundred silver coins. The salable property is about two hundred silver coins." No need to think about it, this is Amati's property list. Like hard bread being poured with hot water, Lawrence felt the strength in his whole body gradually dissipate. Holo invited Amati into the room in order to get this information from Amati. If that's the case, Holo must be doing it for Lawrence's sake. It was Holo's oblique reconciliation letter. Although a smile could not help appearing on his face, Lawrence did not intend to hide it at all. In addition, at the end of the text description, it is written "This article was written by others" There are many people who can read but cannot write.Holo must have left the room under the pretext of going to the bathroom after asking for this information, and then asked the businessman who happened to be passing by to help her write down these contents.Because Lawrence had seen Amati's handwriting on the contract, he was sure it was not Amati's handwriting. Lawrence carefully folded the letter paper with hidden value more precious than a thousand pieces of gold and put it in his bosom, then picked up another piece of parchment. He thought to himself, maybe Holo is up to something tricky, maybe getting Amati to sign a scary contract. In Lawrence's mind, the image of Amati, who just had a tryst with Holo, with a happy face appeared. ——Holo wanted to travel with me——Lawrence was intoxicated by such a sense of security and superiority, and at the same time, he lifted the parchment paper without hesitation. "In the name of God..." The handwriting on the parchment is strong and majestic.There is no doubt that this is Amati's handwriting. Lawrence suppressed his anxiety and continued reading. His eyes followed the first, second, and third lines of text. Next—"The two take an oath according to the above and officially become husband and wife" The moment Lawrence read the entire sentence, he felt that the world seemed to be spinning. "……what?" Lawrence grunted, the voice so weak that it seemed to be coming from afar. Even though he has closed his eyes, the content of the article he just read is still vivid in his mind. Marriage certificate. The marriage certificate, sworn under the witness of God, bears the names of the young fishmonger, Femi Amati, and Holo. Holo's guardian slot is still blank. However, as long as the guardian's name is filled in the field, stamped with a seal, and sent to any church in any town, Amati and Holo can officially become husband and wife. Holo's name was written in ugly handwriting. At a glance, you can tell that it is a font written by someone who can't write. Lawrence saw Holo awkwardly signing the marriage certificate while looking at the handwriting written by Amati. Lawrence took out the letter that was hidden in his pocket and was more valuable than dry gold, and opened the letter paper to read the content again. Presumably the letter must contain the list of Amati's property.Because what is written in the letter is not an unrealistic figure, but the amount that Amati is likely to have. However, Holo would ask the amount of these properties not to help Lawrence, but to tell Lawrence how harsh the current situation is. Why would Holo do this?Lawrence even thought it was foolish for him to have this question. As long as you look at the marriage certificate, you can get the answer immediately. Amati is one step away from closing the contract with Lawrence, and Holo is planning to leave Lawrence. Lawrence and Holo were originally together because of a chance encounter. Young, reckless, and straightforward, yet brilliant and single-mindedly in love with herself, perhaps Holo thought Amati would be a suitable new mate. Lawrence could find nothing to disprove this idea. Even if Lawrence grabbed the marriage certificate and ran up to the second floor to ask Holo not to get married, he would be repelled by the top-notch Holo. That being the case, Lawrence had no choice but to strengthen his determination. The reason why Holo revealed Amati's property list must mean that if Lawrence successfully defeated Amati, she would be willing to listen to Lawrence's explanation.However, the opposite means that if you can't beat it, you can't talk about it. There is indeed a way to defeat Amati.Rest assured, there is still hope. Lawrence, who told himself this, quickly put away the letter paper and marriage certificate, looked at the hotel owner and said, "Help me take out all the cash deposited here." To Lawrence, a trip with Holo was worth more than dry gold. Without breaking the law, it is possible to make Amati impoverished. The question, however, is whether Amati is willing to accept a deal that includes that possibility. According to Lawrence's guess, it's very likely that Amati didn't know the type of deal he was going to propose.It's not that Lawrence looks down on Amati, but that Amati's industry has nothing to do with this kind of transaction. No one is willing to accept transactions that they are not familiar with. What's more, it was Lawrence, who could be called the enemy, who proposed the deal. Therefore, the probability ratio of Amati accepting and not accepting the transaction is at most one to nine.Even if he uses instigation or provocation, Lawrence must try to get Amati to accept the deal. Moreover, although this is a normal transaction on the surface, Amati must also be aware that the content of the proposal is a completely hostile business transaction. In this case, Lawrence can just face Amati with a quarrelsome attitude full of incitement and provocation. This wasn't about business, Lawrence hadn't even thought about making money. When a businessman considers things other than business profit and loss, it is considered a loss: and such a natural idea has long been thrown out of the sky by Lawrence. After Lawrence asked the hotel owner where Amati might stay, he searched one by one, and finally found Amati in the fourth bar.Although the street was full of lively festival atmosphere, Amati was drinking alone in the quiet bar. Amati's face looked a bit tired, maybe it was because the tension dissipated after he completed the lucky and important task of signing a marriage certificate with Holo.Or maybe it was because he hadn't raised a thousand silver coins yet. However, Lawrence didn't care about Amati's state of mind at all. Business is not something that can always be carried out with complete preparations.At this time, if you want to make the business go smoothly, you have to rely on the ability of the businessman. Because the deal that Lawrence intends to propose belongs to this type that cannot be delayed. After taking a deep breath, Lawrence walked into Amati's line of sight before Amati noticed him. "what……" "Good night." Amati didn't seem to think that meeting this annoying guy, Lawrence, was purely accidental. Although Amati was speechless in shock, within a few seconds, he had recovered the expression of a big fish seller. "You don't have to be so vigilant, I'm here to discuss business." Even Lawrence himself was surprised that he could have a faint smile on his face.However, when Amati heard this, she said with an expression that wasn't funny at all, "If you're here to discuss business, you should be more vigilant." "Haha, that's true. Then, could you spare me some time?" Amati nodded, and Lawrence sat down at the same table.Facing the bar owner who seemed troublesome and came to order, Lawrence only briefly said "wine". The opponent sitting face to face has a slender figure like a girl, but he is a big fish dealer who came here alone and is in sight of success.Lawrence told himself not to be fooled by his opponent's boyish appearance, nor to take it lightly. At the same time, you can't let the other party be wary. Lawrence coughed naturally, and after looking around for a while, he said, "It's very quiet, it's a good place." "You can't drink quietly in other bars, this is a rare place." After hearing this, Lawrence couldn't help wondering if there was a meaning behind Amati's words, "but now I'm being disturbed by this annoying guy". However, even Lawrence hoped to finish the matter as soon as possible. "Then, I think you must be very surprised to suddenly mention the business to you. However, you also surprised me by something, so it will be evened." Lawrence didn't know what kind of sweet words Amati said to please Holo, so that Holo signed the marriage certificate.Lawrence thought that no matter how fast Holo reacted, it was impossible for her to have the idea of ​​signing a marriage certificate. In this way, it means that Holo must have been instigated by Amati to do this. However, Lawrence has no right to blame Holo. Holo was the one who let Amati into the room, and Lawrence was the cause of the situation. Although Lawrence didn't know how Amati managed to persuade Holo, he raised his right hand to stop Amati who was about to explain the matter. "No, I didn't come to talk about that. It did, however, lead to the reason why I came here to bring you business. I don't intend to pursue that. Anyway, how to decide all this, It's all Holo's freedom." Amati stared at Lawrence a little angrily, then nodded slightly. Although Amati's eyes revealed that he still had doubts about what Lawrence said, Lawrence did not intend to explain more to resolve Amati's doubts. Because Lawrence had to say something even more suspicious next. "However, after all, it was that incident that made me think of this business, so I dare not say that this is a normal transaction." "What is your plan?" Amati said sharply. Lawrence, however, continued unafraid, "I'll cut to the chase, I'd like to be able to sell you pyrite." Amati stared at Lawrence's blue eyes for an instant and didn't know where to look far away. "what?" "I hope to be able to sell pyrite to you. Based on the current market price, the pyrite is worth about 500 Trini silver coins." Amati, who opened his mouth half-opened, pulled his gaze back from the distance. He smiled lightly, then sighed and said, "Don't be joking." "I'm not kidding." Amati withdrew her smile instantly, and looked at Lawrence with almost angry eyes. "You should know that I made a lot of money by reselling pyrite, right? You know that, but you said you want to sell pyrite to me? The more inventory you have, the more money you make. I really can't believe it You would do that. Or—" After a pause, Amati said with eyes that really exuded anger: "It is rumored that as long as you can get back the loan, you don't care about Miss Holo's life. Is it true?" Amati's speech made Lawrence instantly understand what Holo said and what Amati was thinking. The frank nature of the knight exuded by him made Lawrence feel a little glaring. "No. Holo is very important to me." "In that case, how could-" "Of course, I won't simply sell it to you." If it is a bidding with vicious words, perhaps Amati will be more comfortable, but if it is a one-on-one negotiation, Lawrence has the confidence not to lose to Amati. Lawrence picked up the pace of Amati's speech, he controlled the dialogue.Let the situation develop in your favor. Lawrence uttered the line he had planned in advance with an extremely calm voice: "I hope to use the method of credit sales." Perhaps because of hearing a familiar word, Amati asked back: "Occupation...sale?" "yes." "What the hell is this..." "It means that I hope to sell you the pyrite worth 500 Trini silver coins tomorrow evening at the current market price." When Holo boasted of her good hearing, she would always say that she could hear the frown, and now Lawrence felt as if he could hear it too. It can be seen from this that Amati's expression shows how incomprehensible this matter is to him. "In that case, you can give me another order tomorrow evening..." "No, I want to be paid now." Amati looked even more surprised. Unless Amati has as good acting skills as Holo, he must have no knowledge of credit selling. If a businessman lacks intelligence, it is like being blindfolded and going to the battlefield. Lawrence tensed his bowstring and prepared to release his arrow. "In other words, I am here to collect five hundred silver coins from you, Mr. Amati, and then I will hand over the pyrite worth five hundred silver coins to you at this point in time tomorrow evening." Amati frantically racked her brain to think.The superficial system of credit selling is not difficult to understand. If Amati hadn't noticed, the chances were high that he would reject the deal. Amati opened her mouth: "This is actually no different from ordinary business, right?" Amati couldn't understand. Lawrence suppressed his desire to be speechless.In order to make Amati understandable, he was preparing to give an induction explanation. At this moment, Amati stopped him. "No, there should be a difference." Amati smiled with a contented expression.His boyish face turned into a face of a businessman who only showed emotions of joy, anger, and sorrow because of profits and losses. "You hope that you can at least make some profit from this business that you sold one step too late. Right?" Lawrence didn't seem to need to explain further. Merchants don't make meaningless transactions.If it doesn't make sense at first glance, it means that you don't really understand it. "If credit purchase is a method of obtaining goods without funds on hand, then credit selling is a method of selling goods for cash without having goods on hand. If credit purchase is based on the price of a certain commodity on hand As long as the value of the cash rises, it will bring benefits when using credit sales. That is to say, as long as the price of the sold goods falls, it will bring benefits.” Moreover, when conducting transactions, even if there is no such commodity in hand, it does not constitute a problem. Because this is a transaction under the promise of "delivery at a later date" to obtain credit. "Haha, so there is still this kind of business to do. You don't know how big the world is if you only trade fish. The reason why you choose me as the trading partner of this business is... no, you know the reason without saying it. If I bought additional pyrite worth 500 silver coins from you. When the price rises, the profit I get will of course increase, but when the price falls, the loss will also increase. When you gain profit, it is me When losing money." Amati puffed up her chest, her expression became confident. Lawrence felt that his face had become expressionless instead. The hand that tensed the bowstring trembled nervously. Amati continued, "This means..." Lawrence shot the arrow one step faster. "Mr. Amati, I am challenging you to a duel." The corners of the fish dealer's mouth raised. That smile is very much like a businessman. "This can be called a duel." However, such words were hanging in the mouth of the merchant. "The so-called duel should be conducted under equal conditions, but this transaction is not equal at all. Mr. Lawrence, you don't mean to say that this credit sale is only meaningful between you and me? " "what do you mean?" 「您不会打算不签写证书，就要进行交易吧？我的意思是这证书可以转让给其他人吗？」 除非是相当偏远的地区，否则普遍都会进行债务债权的买卖交易。 当然了，信用贩卖的证书也不例外。 「我如果提出如此不自由的交易，想必您也不愿意接受吧？这样风险未免太大了。」 「没错。就算事情真如罗伦斯先生所想像般，黄铁矿的价格到了明天傍晚会下跌，但只要价格在明天白天上涨到我需要的金额，我就会卖了黄铁矿。如果这时被限制卖出，我就会犹豫该不该接受这笔交易。只是，您若是愿意接受这点，这就不算是条件对等的交易。」 罗伦斯沉默地聆听，阿玛堤接续说：这样对罗伦斯先生太不公平了。因为只要价格再上涨一些，我就能够达成目标。只是，为了保护自己的利益，我也不愿意接受对罗伦斯先生有利的交易。 也就是说，不管条件如何，阿玛堤都不愿意接受这笔交易。 不过，商人不会因为被拒绝一次就放弃交易。 罗伦斯沉稳地说：「如果只是看这笔交易，或许您说得没错。但是，如果把视野稍微放大一些来看，这点程度的不公平其实恰到好处。」 「……您的意思是？」 「我的意思是赫萝有可能撕毁结婚证书。您手上也有一份吧？」 阿玛堤楞楞地看着罗伦斯。 「就算您还给我一千枚银币的借款，您仍然避免不了只要赫萝摇头不答应，就什么事都做不成的风险。和您的风险比起来，我这点程度的不公平算不了什么。」 然而，阿玛堤的脸上立刻浮现笑容，并用鼻子哼笑了一声做出反击。 「哈！我想这您应该不用担心吧？听说两位大吵了一架呢。」 罗伦斯感觉到身体在发热，仿佛背部被烧得火红的铁棒刺伤了般。不过，罗伦斯使出所有他身为商人的经验和力量，在脸上显露出翻腾情绪之前，做出反击说：「赫萝在旅行途中，曾经三度在我的怀里哭泣。」 罗伦斯这么一说，就让阿玛堤的脸上先显露出了情绪。 阿玛堤带着浅浅笑意的脸就这么僵住，他缓缓发出细长的深呼吸声。 「虽然哭泣时的赫萝相当可爱，只可惜她的个性倔强别扭。有时候她老是喜欢做出一些违背真心的言行举动。也就是说……」 「我接受交易！」 阿玛堤强势地中断了罗伦斯的话，他的表情就像接受决斗的骑士。 「我接受您提出的交易！」 「真的可以吗？」 「别啰唆了，我接受！我是：：我是担心如果最后我夺走了您的一切，那未免太残酷，所以才说出刚刚那样的话。不过，既然您都这么说了，我就接受吧。而且，我还会夺定您的财产以及所有的一切。」 阿玛堤因为愤怒而满脸通红。 这个时候怎能教罗伦斯不笑呢？ 罗伦斯露出像猎人抓起掉落陷阱的猎物时的笑容，然后伸出右手说：「您愿意接受交易吗？」 「正合我意！」 使出全力握紧的手是彼此企图夺走对方宝物的手。 「那么，我们就立刻签写合约吧。」 然而，罗伦斯以冷静的头脑判断并做出结论。 就进行这笔信用贩卖交易的这个时间点来说，双方可说势均力敌，甚至应该说阿玛堤处于下风比较妥当。 阿玛堤是否察觉到了这点呢？不，就是因为没有察觉到，所以阿玛堤才会接受交易吧。 不过，阿玛堤就是现在才察觉，也来不及了。 两人向酒吧老板借来纸笔，当场签订了合约。 但是，因为阿玛堤要准备五百枚银币的现金有所困难，所以罗伦斯同意以阿玛堤拥有的三匹马补足现金不足的两百枚银币。两人约定在明天市场开放的钟声响起时交付现金，马匹的交付时间是在傍晚过后。 如果赫萝提供的情报可信，阿玛堤手上应该有两百枚银币的现金、价值三百枚银币的黄铁矿库存量，以及价值两百枚银币的可变卖财产。 虽然这么对照下来，阿玛堤手上的现金多了一百枚银币，但是他会以三匹马来补足两百枚银币，就表示这三匹马是他拥有的可变卖财产吧。 这么一来，阿玛堤就等于拥有价值八百枚银币的黄铁矿。这代表着只要黄铁矿的价格上涨二成五的比例，就能够筹足一千枚银币。如果实际金额多于赫萝给的情报，只要更小的上涨比例就能够筹足。 即使如此，罗伦斯也不认为自己处于下风。 「就让我们明天傍晚一决胜负吧。」 在最后盖上印章时，阿玛堤抬起头兴奋地说道，罗伦斯沉稳地点头回应。 罗伦斯提到赫萝在他的怀里哭泣似乎起了很大的作用。 如果立场互换，罗伦斯相信自己也会有相同的反应。 商人只要一扯上与生意无关的事情，似乎就会变得没用。 「那么，我先告辞了。不打扰您品尝美酒。」 完成合约后，罗伦斯这么说，并离开了酒吧。 罗伦斯射出的箭矢直直地射中了阿玛堤的胸口。虽然罗伦斯相信阿玛堤也察觉到自己中了箭矢，但是还有一件事情罗伦斯隐瞒着没说。 那就是这支箭矢涂上了唯有熟悉信用交易的人才知道的迟效性毒素。 商人是在卑鄙与诚实之间进行狩猎。 根本没有必要说明一切。 因为商人都是阴险的。 罗伦斯与阿玛堤签订完黄铁矿的信用贩卖合约后，便直接前往市场。 虽然市场当然已过了营业时间，但这时的市场气氛与白天一样热闹。商人们赖着月光的照明排开酒宴，就连夜警也涉入不断展开的喧骚之中。 罗伦斯一来到马克的摊贩，便发现马克果然就在摊贩里，而非住家。 马克没有与人共饮，只是独自伴着喧骚气氛喝酒，那模样显露出了他曾是旅行商人的事实。 「嗯？怎么了？不用陪伴公主吗？」 马克一看到罗伦斯走近，随即开口这么说。罗伦斯耸耸肩露出苦笑。 马克笑着说了句「先喝再说吧」后，便将陶器瓶子里的啤酒倒入啤酒杯。 「会不会打扰到你？」 「哈哈。如果你一直保持清醒就算打扰，如果喝醉了就不算。」 罗伦斯在裁短圆木制成的椅子上坐了下来后，一边放下装了银币和金币的麻袋，一边喝起马克为他倒的啤酒。罗伦斯含了一口泡沫充足的啤酒，啤酒芳香瞬间在口中散开，令人发麻的苦涩味道顺着喉咙滑落。 这代表着啤酒里的啤酒花充分发挥了效用。 马克不愧是小麦商人，辨别啤酒的好坏似乎也难不倒他。 「这啤酒好喝。」 「因为今年不管什么麦子的收成斗很好。如果碰到收成不好的时候，就连制造啤酒的大麦都会被拿去做面包，所以要好好感谢丰收之神。」 「哈哈，说的也是。不过……」 罗伦斯把啤酒杯搁在洽谈桌上说道。 「我有件事想跟你说，只是这事情可能不太适合当酒席的助兴话题。」 「嗯……嗝。是能够赚钱的好事吗？」 「不，这很难说。视状况发展，或许赚得到钱。不过，我的目的不在于此。」 马克夹起一片盐渍鱼肉往嘴里送，然后一边发出呗嚼盐巴的沙沙声音，一边开口说：「你也太老实了吧。你应该说会赚钱，这样我才会乐意帮忙啊。」 「我当然会付给你手续费。而且，视状况发展，或许会替你带来利益。」 "How to say?" 罗伦斯擦去沾上嘴角的啤酒泡沫后，开口说：「在祭典结束时，麦子会集中买卖吧？」 「会啊。」 「到时候我希望你帮我散播一个谣言。」 马克露出了挑选面粉好坏时会有的表情。 「我可不干危险的事喔。」 「如果是你亲口说，或许会有危险。不过，如果是由小伙子来说，应该就没什么问题吧？」 其实罗伦斯不过是想散播一件小事。 不过，谣言拥有相当可怕的力量。 据说在很久以前，有一个大国只因为某城市的一名少年说出国王好像生病了的话，就走上灭亡之路。少年说的话几经流传，并传进了周边各国，最后导致联盟瓦解，而大国的领土也遭到占领、分割。 人们拥有的话题其实并不多。 而人们的耳朵就是为了聆听微乎其微的谣百，好让嘴巴大肆宣传而存在。 马克顶出下巴示意要罗伦斯说来听听。 「当我发出指示时，我希望在某场所帮我说——就说麦子的价格差不多会上涨了吧。」 马克听到的瞬间，彷佛时间静止了似的停止动作，他的目光注视着远方。马克是在思考罗伦斯的话代表着什么意思。 不久后，马克露出难以置信的笑容，拉回了视线的焦点。 「你是存心想降低那矿石的价格啊？」 「差不多是这个意思。」 罗伦斯猜测会出手买卖黄铁矿的多半是来到城里卖出商品，然后在离开时会采购一食品回去的人。 这些人离开时会采买最多的货品想必是麦子。 在麦子集中买卖时，如果听到麦子的价格会上涨，大家一定都会卖出只是买来赚点外快的黄铁矿，然后赶紧采买真正设为目标的货品。 这么一来，黄铁矿的价格必然会开始下趺。 而且，价格一旦开始下跌，只要过了某个时间点后，就会一路暴跌。 小麦商人大口喝下啤酒后，冷静地说：「没想到你是想法这么单纯的人。」 「如果我说同时遗要卖出相当金额的黄铁矿，你还会这么认为吗？」 马克的眼睑抽动了一下，他梢作思考后，问了罗伦斯一句「多少金额？」 「一千枚崔尼银币。」 「啥……一千枚？你是笨蛋啊？你这么做，不知道会亏损多少钱呢。」 「价格跌多少都无所谓。」 马克露出再苦涩不过的表情，来回抚摸下巴让胡子唰唰作响。他的视线飘来飘去，嘴里发出呻吟声。马克的模样看来，像是猜不透罗伦斯在想什么的样子。 「只要能够再买到价值五百枚银币的黄铁矿现货，不管最后它的价格是涨是跌，我的荷包都不痛不痒。」 罗伦斯向阿玛堤提出的交易是阿玛堤处于下风。 这么说的理由就在于此。 「可恶，原来是信用贩卖啊。」 如果手上的商品价格上涨，那当然不会伤及荷包，但价格下趺也不会伤及荷包的特殊状况并不多。 卖出的商品价格如果下跌，只要以下跌的价格买回商品再交给交易对象就好，而手上的商品价格如果上涨，就会直接带来利益；只要利用前者的信用贩卖搭配上后者的一般交易，就能够做出无论黄铁矿的价格上涨或下跌，罗伦斯的财产既不会增加、也不会减少的状况。 而且，罗伦斯最具决定性的优势在于商口叩被大量卖出时，其价格势必会下跌的事实，以及因为阿玛堤无论如何都得获取利益，所以他必须让黄铁矿的价格上涨。 也就是说，罗伦斯的企图是拿信用贩卖给阿玛堤所收取的五百枚银币，以及手头上的现金到处搜购黄铁矿，然后一次卖出所有买来的黄铁矿来引发价格暴跌。 只要能够把利益置之度外，就做得出这种事。 曾是旅行商人的马克立刻察觉到了罗伦斯的企图。 当然也察觉到了罗伦斯的对手是谁。 「因为无知而受骗的可怜贩鱼大盘商遗真教人同情啊。」 罗伦斯耸了耸肩回应马克。 然而，乍看下如此具有优势的计画，却有一点让罗伦斯无法稳下心来。 世上根本没有完美的计画。 「那家伙看起来，应该会知道进行不熟悉的交易有多么危险才对啊。」 「是啊，他应该知道有危险，但还是接受了交易。我不会连这个都不提醒他的。」 马克用喉咙发出轻轻笑声，跟着喝光剩下的啤酒，一改表情说：「那，你只要拜讬我这件事吗？」 「还有一件事。」 「说来听听。」 「帮我搜购黄铁矿。」