Realm of Power

798 Blood of Winter (7)

In the lobby of the Remel Business Alliance branch, clerks holding various business contracts in their hands were flowing in and out of the stairwell. A desk more than ten meters long was dotted with four windows. In front of the window Already occupied by merchants

"Quick, 1,600 kilograms of black rye wheat need to be loaded into the truck immediately!" A businessman crowded at the front desk handed the contract in his hand through the iron-barred window. His fat face was covered with sweat, and his fat hands were hard. He stretched out from the narrow iron window. There were too many people behind him. Even with his size, he could only try his best to maintain his position in front.

"Hurry up, hurry up, those in front of you, hurry up!" The merchants behind formed a long queue. This year, Ruidian's northern black wheat is growing well. The price of this low-cost food crop is comparable to the price of food in Wikiya. The difference is one-third. If the black wheat here is transported to Wikiya for sale, one trip can be equal to the income of a small grain merchant for a quarter.

"I'm sorry, sir, there are some small problems with your contract!" Behind the bars, the clerk of the Business Alliance wearing a feather hat on his head, after carefully comparing the copies of the documents, neatly stamped the seal of departure on the contract. Then he handed it back to the businessman on the opposite side and said, "Please pay another 1135 gold coins."

"How could this happen? It shouldn't be! My goods were verified when loading. How could I have to pay additional freight for no reason?" The businessman was anxious and quickly took the contract and looked at it carefully. His face was as bitter as an eggplant beaten by frost. For a small businessman like him, 1,135 gold coins was not a small amount. It even exceeded the trading profits obtained this time.

He tried to raise his head and argued to the clerk in front of the desk, trying his best to resist the crowd behind him with his strong body. Today is the day for the business alliance deacons to submit their applications.

Every time an application is submitted before a meeting, some good news will be announced, so many businessmen will choose to temporarily sell out their business at this moment in order to retain enough mobile funds to be able to spend money at the moment the new news is announced. Only those who can seize the first pot of gold as quickly as possible and take the first step can earn the greatest benefits from such an opportunity. Everyone knows that no matter how good the business is, as the number of participants increases, the benefits will increase. Getting weaker and weaker,

Especially in the morning, someone announced that the price of grain in the three northern counties of Ruidian will rise sharply this time, and it will not double, but will increase multiple times. To purchase grain, you must place an order through the business alliance. ,

In order to escape the hurdles of the business alliance, many businessmen signed contracts with each other. First, in the name of transportation, they controlled as much food on the market as possible, and then hoarded it, waiting for the price to skyrocket, and making a lot of money. Now wait The merchants who signed the contract have packed the business alliance's office hall, and even queued up outside the door. Thousands of people are falling in the sky, and the crowded crowd is like a long black dragon.

"Sir, the quantity of your goods exceeds one-tenth of the standard quota! So we must charge handling fees according to the third tax point." The clerk glanced at him and explained impatiently, "According to the new regulations just promulgated, all Grain transported within Ruierdian requires an additional tax point. If the transportation cost is outside Ruierdian, one less tax point will be levied.”

"When were the new regulations promulgated?" the fat businessman shouted reluctantly, and the businessmen behind him were also shocked. "How is it possible? How come we don't know when it happened!"

"Thirty minutes ago!" The clerk held up a new document and hung it on the service window in front of all the businessmen. "This is a temporary resolution of the Business Alliance Deacons' Meeting to stabilize prices. This is before the Deacons' meeting." Routine!”

"What can we do? One tax point is one-tenth of the profit!" The businessmen lamented sadly, and the businessmen queuing outside began to disperse.

Tax points are what the business alliance calls the transportation fees for goods. One tax point represents 10% of the total value of the goods. The highest level is five tax points. It is often only targeted at the hugely profitable arms trade, while food trade falls under the second tax. points, which are less than luxury goods, weapons, and minerals, but higher than ordinary daily goods. Now a tax point is suddenly raised, which almost puts food on the same level as minerals.

The merchants who originally wanted to make a lot of money suddenly felt like being doused with ice water. They shook their heads and left with pale faces. No one expected that the Business Alliance would take such measures to deal with the evil that appeared in the city earlier. The rush to buy food,

Although there was news that grains would rise sharply, not only did they not rise, but they greatly increased the cost of hoarding and transportation. This has caused misery to many businessmen. They cannot transport grains, or the more they transport, the more they will lose. This situation can be described as a fundamental earthquake for the private trade in grain that is now rampant in the north of Ruidian.

"You said that woman issued a decree to increase taxes in the name of the deacons?" When the three Kangsao people who were celebrating their victory in the hall heard the news, they thought they had heard it wrong. After confirming it several times, they issued ecstatic cheers

"Tax increases must be approved by all the deacons of the Business Alliance. This woman must be crazy. In order to highlight her absolute authority, she actually came up with such a self-destructive method!"

Another deacon, Asld, also laughed with ecstasy and said, "Who does she think she is, so that she can suppress the price of food and make other deacons think that she still has the power to control everything?"

"Haha, Lord Asld is right. We have a proverb in Rimel that if you want to destroy something, you must first make it crazy!" Bokandi smiled with a smile on his face. "This woman has forgotten her original status. It’s prosecutorial work, not giving orders. The cross-continental business alliance is not a toy that she can play with casually. She arbitrarily promulgated tax increase regulations without convening a deacon meeting, which touched not only us, but also those who The deacons who originally remained neutral,

Today she can raise our taxes, and tomorrow she will raise other people's taxes. I can guarantee that if others still have some foresight, even if they won't openly oppose her, they will never support her again!

Bokandi's voice paused, with a bit of pride in his eyes, and a pointed smile on his lips, "She is digging her own grave, so you can't blame us for being ruthless. Since the other party can't wait to take action, we can't We should take action immediately! Otherwise, it doesn’t mean that we are not even afraid of a woman! It doesn’t matter if we make more trouble this time, those merchants who have hoarded food should take action!”

"Taking action? What do you mean...?" Kang Suo's face was stunned for a moment, then he showed a look of realization, stretched out his right hand to Bokandi and gave a thumbs up.

"Gao, why didn't I expect that this time when we released the news in advance, the merchants in the entire city of Rimel purchased a large amount of grain. Now that such a decree is suddenly issued, those merchants will definitely oppose it fiercely. That is More than 3,000 people and nearly 400,000 tons of grain. This Such a big loss is enough to make those businessmen crazy. They will definitely attack the branch of the business alliance. At that time, we can convene an emergency meeting in advance for the reason that businessmen are the foundation of the business alliance and let the woman Get out now before the formal meeting!"

"To be honest, this woman's abilities are quite good, but unfortunately she is still too young and frivolous. She really doesn't know how high the sky is!" Kangsuo shook his shiny bald head, and then changed his words, revealing a fake look like a cat crying like a mouse. A compassionate gesture,

The situation in the city was exactly as the three predicted. The businessmen who learned about the temporary tax increase gathered at the door of the Business Alliance branch with angry expressions. In order to prevent accidents, the iron gate of the Business Alliance was tightly closed, and people gathered outside the door. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger, and some suspicious-looking pale faces are mixed in the crowd, waiting for opportunities.

In a building not far from the branch, Kang Suo looked at the dark crowd gathered outside the Business Alliance branch with some pride. The muddy water had been stirred. Every step he took, the woman did not delay a step. It's a little more turbid, like water bubbles floating up from nowhere, and there are some sounds Echoing each other, there are also the whistles and scoundrel shouts of the minions sent by Bokandi. They are revealed in the noisy crowd, making people feel that the accumulated water is like a herd of animals, and feel the heat all over the body. The air flow came to him, and everyone became one,

“Against tax increases!”

Instigated by some people with ulterior motives, the hot-blooded rage finally began to move towards the closed iron gate. With anger in their eyes and murderous intent in their mouths, some people hiding behind three or four rows began to throw stones at the big iron gate. , many people were looking at the windows facing the street, as if they were watching a play, and some people were fanning the flames inside, shouting the loudest, but they did not move a step forward.

The iron gate made an unpleasant creaking sound under the squeeze of the crowd, like a frail old man fighting a group of strong men who were robbing property, and was eventually trampled to the ground by countless pairs of feet. The gate was tragically lost, and the business alliance behind it The staff fled in front of this torrent.

"Come on, rush in, it's all that woman's fault!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and then the dark crowd rushed into the door of the Business Alliance branch. Under the anxiety of the crowd, everyone felt that they were full of courage. They had long forgotten their original intention and lost their minds. , being carried by the crowd, smashing everything in sight like a wave, struggling to trample the neat short-legged evergreen trees into a mess, it seems that this is the only way to vent their anger.

"Dailan, it seems that your opponent is not weak either!" The fat man was in a room on the second floor across the street, looking coldly at the overthrown iron gate of the branch and the crazy crowd who were smashing it inside. , and next to him, Sokutus Stellan, who was wearing a black dress, looked even more embarrassed and pale.

Although she expected some extreme behavior, she did not expect that these businessmen, who were usually law-abiding, would turn into ferocious thugs in an instant. Although the law contained some unauthorized elements, it did indeed curb the current rapid increase in food prices. The price, and the quickest way to establish your authority in front of many deacons

"It is Dailan who is incompetent and caused such an unmanageable situation today. Please punish me!" Sokutus Dailan knelt down on one knee in front of the fat man. Her black hair was lightly draped over her shoulders. Her originally pale face was slightly distorted. Somewhat flushed, the thin cherry red lips opened slightly, wanting to speak, but in the end they still pressed them tightly.

"I was too negligent, and it has nothing to do with you!" The fat man sighed slightly with a solemn expression, and helped Sokutus Stellan up with his hands, a sharp cold light flashed in his eyes, "These guys are used to living in peace. The environment seems to have forgotten the most basic things. All interests first arise from absolute power.

Without the country, there is nothing. Just like Rui Erdian in front of me, if the Dongting Cavalry is still wreaking havoc here, it will be strange that they can still do business calmly. There is nothing wrong with merchants making profits, but if the foundation of the country is shaken , even if he has three heads and six arms, I will definitely kill him. This is the country. The essence of the country is the largest violent machine on the mainland that protects its own interests! "

"Your Majesty wants..."

Sokutus Stellan, who stood up from a half-kneeling position, trembled slightly. It was the first time he heard His Majesty Falcon's murderous words. He looked out the window and looked at the people gathered in the Business Alliance branch, who were still smashing and looting. Merchants, Sokutus Stellan responded with pity. There are thousands of them. If His Majesty gives a killing order, the army from outside the city will move in. In an instant, this place will turn into a river of blood. The Shura Hell,

"Your Majesty, these people are just being deceived by others. There is actually someone else behind the scenes, and they are not a mob, they are just businessmen. In order to develop this group of people, we have spent a lot of effort, please Your Majesty... "Thinking of this, Sokutus Stellan, who couldn't bear to see such a scene, knelt down again and said.

"About half of these thousands of merchants are local merchants in Ruidian. They are a very valuable resource for the business alliance that has just established a base in northern Ruidian. These people will be the mainstay of the business alliance in Ruidian. Erdian's news, the business alliance needs these people

The fat man grabbed her hand, and his strong arms held her squatting body tightly.

"I know what you want to say, but before that, I think you should take a look at this first!" The fat man waved his hand to stop Sokutus Stellan from continuing and picked up a document from the table in front of him.

"Who is this person?" Sokutus Stellan took the document in confusion and flipped through the first two pages. When he saw a portrait inside, his face suddenly turned pale and his body almost collapsed due to loss of strength and shock. come down

"He shouldn't be here, he...why is he here!" Sokutus Stellan held the portrait in his hand, with tears in his eyes, and said incoherently,

Under such a sudden blow, it was impossible for anyone to remain calm. She had already lost contact with her family. Although she left with hatred, she never thought that one day she would be able to see her again.

The portrait shows a thin old man with old eyes, gray hair at the temples, and orange eye frames. Over the past few years, he has looked older than before.

If it weren't for those eyes and that familiar and disgusting smile, Sokutus Stellan would hardly have recognized the person in the painting. He was the gambler who lost his family's fortune in gambling a few years ago and wanted to sell himself to a brothel. Father,

Seeing Sokutus Stellan's extreme loss of composure, the fat man clasped his hands behind his back and said slowly, "You may not know yet, but this man just took over a batch of 700,000 tons of grain outside Rimel City. If there is no interception in the middle, If you do, this man and 700,000 tons of grain will quietly enter the warehouse outside the city without your knowledge.

Then, under someone's righteous correction, it was proved that the reason why you raised the food tax without authorization was actually because this person collaborated with you to embezzle a large amount of food. In order to avoid competition, you came forward to use high tax rates to take away the goods from other businessmen. Force all the food out, then restore the tax rate and make a fortune! At that time, even if you have nine mouths, you will have absolutely no chance to defend yourself."

"Father and 700,000 tons of grain!" Sokutus Stellan's mouth opened slightly in shock. Such a large amount of grain, coupled with the appearance of his father, everything became very clear. This was a frame-up, and he was framed. If you step into a trap where you can't even defend yourself, you will be doomed.

"Bang bang"

There was a knock on the door, and Mao Monaqing walked in from the door wearing a water-colored leather jacket. Her two straight long legs fully reflected her slender figure. The face of a peerless beauty, full of charm, First, he nodded slightly to Sokutus Stellan, and then said to the fat man.

"Your Majesty, according to the report, among the twelve deacons, five deacons, Ancanlius, Sawyer, Listi, Anduinfei, and Yayakadu, have left the hotel and are rushing towards the military camp outside the city. Go, it seems that he is planning to persuade the army outside the city to intervene, so that they can have a basis to investigate the warehouse outside the city."

"Oh, it's pretty fast!" The fat man touched his chin and asked, "Where are Conso and Asder? Have they moved?"

"There is no news yet," Mao Mo Naqing said hesitantly. "Since they entered the hotel yesterday, they have not come out again, but we saw a servant running in and out frequently.

Just in the first two hours, when the businessmen began to gather, we saw Conso's confidant Zivazedo leaving the hotel and visiting the hotel where the twelve deacons were in turn."

"Haha, there are really two old foxes and a little fox, so calm!"

The fat man was a little surprised and then sneered, "Since the real master doesn't want to show up yet, let these little guys make trouble first. I also want to know what these guys want to do in the end. Order the fourth and seventh men outside the city." Anyone who moves the flag regiment without orders will be killed!"

At the headquarters of the Seventh Banner Regiment outside the city

Flag Captain Andras walked to the gate of the camp almost wearing a robe. As expected, he saw five famous business alliance archdeacons pacing back and forth anxiously outside.

"Five of you, what are you...?" Flag Captain Andras asked in a daze. These are five big shots who can make the continent tremble with every stomp of their feet. Why are you so generous at this moment? See you in the future. Everyone must make an appointment, and now five of them have arrived at once. When the guard came to report just now, Andras thought he was sleepwalking.

"Do you know about the riots in the city? Those thugs attacked the branches of the Commercial Alliance and smashed shops. As the local garrison, you must stop them immediately," the grumpy Anconlius said with a face covering his face. "Also, we need a A team of soldiers will help us go to the warehouse in the west of the city. We want to find the source of the rebellion and find out who is behind it! "

"Riot?" Flag Captain Andras was a little flustered. The Business Alliance's deacon meeting was about to be held. The Falcon Dynasty Military Department specially deployed two main flag regiments to garrison, just to avoid any unexpected incidents in Rimel City. The transfer order also has His Majesty Falcon's autograph and Falcon coat of arms, which shows how seriously His Majesty Falcon takes this matter. He also treasures the order as a family heirloom.

If there is really a rebellion here, how can I repay my superiors with my appearance?

"Ring the bell immediately and order the entire army to assemble immediately! Andras, the leader of the flag regiment, shouted to the sentry at the door. The messy military camp was full of soldiers.

"Hurry up, hurry up, give me all your strength!" Just as he shouted loudly, a black armored cavalry rushed from a distance like a whirlwind.

"Are you the flag commander?" the black-armored cavalry spat in front of Andras. His keen eyes paused on his flag commander's epaulettes, and threw the document in his hand to him who looked confused.

"This is..." Flag Captain Andras picked up the document in confusion. The signature and coat of arms on it were the same as the order book, which made his expression change.

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