Chapter 257 - 251, Underground Intelligence Stationl
Fang Hao’s swift agreement took the maid aback.
Even though she had followed her mistress’s orders and brought this young textile businessman to view the store, she had never actually expected him to make a purchase.
This location was on one of Lysis’s three bustling commerce streets, and the prices of the stores had been inflated to exorbitant levels.
Even as a personal maid to the City Lord’s wife, with a job that many envied, she would have to work without spending a penny until she was over 500 years old to afford a shop here.
This was assuming house prices would not rise.
“Is there any paperwork needed?” Fang Hao asked again.
The startled maid quickly recovered her composure and asked again with a confirming tone, “Sir, are you sure you wish to purchase this shop? The price recorded by the Mansion of the City Lord is 700,000 gold coins.”
When she mentioned the price of 700,000, her voice trembled slightly.
This number was terrifying. Only established traders or families could afford to set up a shop here with such an amount of money.
“Is there a discount?” asked Fang Hao.
“Sir, I’m not sure about that. Maybe you could inquire with the lady.” the maid replied.
“You guys accept the Warfire Card, right?”
“We do.”
“Then let’s go. Take me to handle the procedures.”
“Ah!”
As Fang Hao left the shop with Anjia, the maid only realized what had happened after a moment and quickly followed them out.
Could this young textile merchant really be this wealthy?
Just such a casual glance, and he decided to buy?
She had seen many rich nobles and businessmen, but she had never seen anyone like Fang Hao, who could spend tens of thousands of gold coins so swiftly and indifferently.
The trio went back to the carriage and headed to the City Lord’s Mansion’s property registry to purchase the title deed to the shop.
From now on, this shop belonged to Fang Hao.
The maid’s job was finished, and there was no need for her to lead the way anymore.
After making a slight bow, she bid Fang Hao and Anjia goodbye.
Back at the shop, he used his own key to open the door.
This was his second shop.
“What are you planning to do?” said Anjia, kicking a wooden cup on the ground with the restlessness of a hyperactive child.
A series of clanging sounds rang out.
“Hotpot restaurant, let’s start making some money back.” He answered.
Unlike the fashion and accessory industries, opening a hotpot restaurant was simple and showed quick results.
All he needed was a clean storefront, bring in the stockpot that Eira had prepared, and they could officially open for business.
Given the scarcity of food in this era, hotpot was popular among people. Even the common folks could afford it, and it tasted great.
“Makes sense.”
Clang Clang Clang!!
The sound of the rolling wooden cup reverberated, as if it had rolled down a staircase.
Both of them exchanged a glance then walked towards where the wooden cup had flown.
At the back of the staircase, they discovered an entrance leading downwards. The wooden cup had fallen down from there, producing the clattering sound. The entrance was dim. It should be the shop’s basement or storeroom. Fang Hao pulled out a ‘Nightstone Lantern’ from the Book of Lords and stretched it into the entrance of the basement.
The soft light from the nightstone illuminated the basement.
It was cold, spacious, and carried a hint of moldy smell.
After confirming that there was no danger, he completely opened the cover and stepped down the wooden stairs into the basement.
“What’s that smell?” Anjia complained as she covered her nose.
Indeed, there was a moldy smell.
“It was probably the wine cellar of the tavern before.”
“Now that you’ve said it, I don’t feel like drinking for a month.” Anjia said.
He hung the lantern on the ceiling, illuminating the surrounding space.
This place was indeed a wine cellar. There were traces of wine barrels being moved away.
Upon a cursory search here, he unexpectedly found five bottles of [ ‘Essence of Wine’], yielding an unexpected gain.
“Fang Hao, there’s a Trade Alliance mailbox here!” Anjia exclaimed from a nearby area.
A Trade Alliance mailbox?
“Where are you?” Fang Hao asked.
Anjia came out and led Fang Hao to a small room sealed by a hidden door.
The cabin was small, in the middle of which stood a wooden table and a black mailbox bearing a sickle hook pattern.
This was not the symbol of the Trade Alliance but that of the No Face Cabin.
In other words, this place was ostensibly a tavern but also served as an intelligence agency of the No Face Cabin.
It relayed the information gathered.
Perhaps what the maid had mentioned about being captured, was also related to this.
After all, every power would buy intelligence from the No Face, but also resented them.
“Is it the Trade Alliance?”
“It’s the No Face Cabin, an information trading agency,” explained Fang Hao. All the items in the desk had been removed, leaving only debris scattered all over.
However, Fang Hao still managed to dig up a charred letter, with only a corner left intact.
The letter read: Capture the transmigrator, send to…
The rest had been burnt off.
But these few words, were enough to make Fang Hao frown.
The term “transmigrator” was understood only by their circle.
Even if the natives knew they were outsiders, they would not use this term.
It was either mentioned by the transmigrators themselves or understood by some special means.
Instantly, Fang Hao was reminded of the witch with a crystal ball he had met before.
Magic and the Undead both exist, so the methods to search memories would not be too strange.
“Is there a problem?” Anjia, seeing Fang Hao frowning, asked softly.
“No big problem, call our people to come over and tidy up a bit first.”
“Okay.”
The two of them climbed up the stairs and called over the heavy sword infantry, who were on standby in the inn, to remove all the useless waste from the shop.
The next day.
By dusk, Fang Hao and his party returned to Pruell City.
The Enjoyable Hotpot Restaurant was somewhat desolate today.
Although it was dinner time, there was not a single customer in the restaurant.
“Why isn’t there anyone?” Fang Hao asked.
Little White looked gloomy and apologized, “I’m sorry, master, I don’t know what happened today, suddenly no one showed up.”
The bunny maids on the side also lowered their heads.
“You said ‘suddenly’?”
“Yes, the number of people who came from yesterday afternoon started to decrease, and today even not a single guest came.” Little White replied.
This was somewhat strange.
In this era, for a shop to suddenly lose customers.
Unless someone was poisoned to death in the shop, otherwise this situation should not occur.
“Do you know the reason?”
“Not really.”
“It’s okay, let me go and ask at the tavern across the street, if no customers come, you guys can take a break earlier.” Fang Hao consoled them.
“Oh, okay, master.”
After leaving the restaurant, Fang Hao headed straight to the Rose Tavern across the street.
Just like his hotpot restaurant, there were no customers in the tavern either.
The landlady sat dejectedly.
“Why is today so quiet?” Fang Hao took a seat at the counter.
The landlady glanced at him and heaved a heavy sigh.
But she still got up and placed two glasses of beer in front of Fang Hao and Anjia.
“It will probably be quieter in the future.”
“Huh? Why?”
The landlady glanced around warily before whispering, “They say there’s going to be a war. The whole city’s worried. Who’s in the mood to drink?”
“War? Stop kidding, we couldn’t even wipe out the bandits, who are we going to fight?”
Fang Hao couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Previously, both the bandits and Fire Wolf Mercenaries were eliminated by Fang Hao.
And now if someone is saying that the small town of Pruell is going to war, he didn’t believe it at all.
The landlady looked at Fang Hao, saying solemnly, “To fight the undead up north. As of this morning, all the wealthy and powerful people have left. Only those who can’t leave remain in the city–those who have nowhere else to go.”