Protect Our Clan Leader

Chapter 2538: Chapter 61: It’s the Surge!

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Tianrui Holy City.

Lower City District.

This place is a mix of dragons and snakes, with all sorts of tea houses and taverns.

One particular street is the gathering place for various small grain and medicine merchants.

Dongye Fantian is the shopkeeper of a small grain store.

On this day, as usual, he opened the shop for business, gave a few instructions to his staff, and took a pot of tea to the grain shop across the street.

Compared to his shop, the grain shop across the street clearly wasn’t doing well—there were only a few employees in the large store, creating a rather bleak atmosphere.

Inside the shop, a middle-aged man in a brown robe was busy working with his head down.

The robe he wore was of decent quality, but it had been washed so much it was a bit faded, with frayed cuffs, indicating it had been worn for many years.

“Bohong, my friend.” Dongye Fantian took a sip of tea, smilingly looking at his former competitor, and spoke in a leisurely tone, “Still selling your Spirit Rice? Tsk tsk, not to criticize you, but the price of Spirit Rice has been low for over a decade, and sales are also stagnant. How can you sustain yourself this way?”

A hundred years ago, Dongye Fantian and Beigong Bohong were friends, but ever since each opened a grain shop opposite each other, their relationship had gradually become distant and cold.

Rivals in the same trade are bound to be enemies, which is understandable.

But more than ten years ago, both families stocked up on a lot of Spirit Rice, only for its price to suddenly plummet. After trying to sustain for a year or two, Dongye Fantian, being more flexible, realized that the bleak grain market couldn’t recover soon, and when buyers secretly offered to buy, he sold at 40% of the price.

Although this loss was significant, it freed up his capital. After some consideration, he decided to shift to the spiritual medicine business, which over the next decade gradually allowed him to recuperate financially.

On the other hand, Beigong Bohong’s stockpiled grain is still sitting in the warehouse, with him refusing to part with it to buyers. Over the years, his shop has declined, and his funds have become increasingly strained, even losing several employees.

This made Dongye Fantian even more grateful for his decision, often coming over to mock Beigong Bohong.

Facing Dongye Fantian’s mockery, Beigong Bohong kept working silently, personally wiping the counter.

Seeing this, Dongye Fantian let out a soft snort and said indifferently, “Bohong, my friend, I advise you not to hold on stubbornly. Why not close this shop, sell both the stock and the store to me, and take some money to return to the countryside early?”

These words Beigong Bohong had heard countless times over the years. He really didn’t want to bother with Dongye Fantian, treating his words as the wind in his ears, and continued working by himself.

Dongye Fantian didn’t mind either, and after satisfying his sense of superiority with some sarcastic remarks, he prepared to return with his teapot.

But just then.

An extremely excited voice came from the street: “Brother-in-law, it has increased, it has increased~~”

Dongye Fantian scanned with his Divine Sense only to find it was Beigong Bohong’s brother-in-law at the Early Stage of the Heavenly Human Realm. The young man seemed very excited, flying over in a rush with a movement technique.

“What has increased?” Dongye Fantian halted his steps, scolded, and criticized, “You young rascal, don’t fly around recklessly. This is the Sacred City; if you run into some big shot, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

“What business is it of yours?” The brother-in-law glared at him, then turned to Beigong Bohong with an ecstatic expression, “Brother-in-law, the grain price doubled overnight.”

Dongye Fantian was the first to look stunned, “How is that possible?”

Although it seemed there was indeed a slight grain shortage, the Prince Wen Yu’s related industries were still suppressing grain prices.

Prince Wen Yu is a figure with great influence; if he wants to suppress the grain price, who could make it rise?

However, Beigong Bohong remained as calm as ever, “Wenle, what Fantian said is true. Your rashness is indeed improper.”

Just as he was speaking.

A group of people suddenly appeared on the street.

Leading them was the Store Manager of the renowned Li Family Trade in the Lower City District.

This Store Manager immediately walked up to Beigong Bohong with a smile, “Congratulations, congratulations, Bohong, my brother~”

Grain merchants who, like Beigong Bohong, stubbornly held onto their stocks for over a decade, refusing to sell at low prices, were rare, and he had long become famous among the grain merchants in the Lower City District.

“Boss Li.” Beigong Bohong dared not neglect, hurriedly returning the gesture.

“Is the stock still there?” Boss Li cut to the chase after some brief small talk, “The current market price has doubled; I’ll offer an additional 20% to buy all your grain. What do you say?”

Beigong Bohong frowned and was about to speak when another group of merchants arrived.

The leader was the Store Manager from Zhao Clan Trade, also a well-known businessman in the Lower City District.

Compared to these two big trading companies, both Beigong Bohong and Dongye Fantian were nothing more than small fry.

“Boss Li is too stingy; I offer an extra 40%!” Zhao Store Manager immediately took a competitive stance.

“I offer an extra 45%!”

“I offer an extra 50%!”

The other merchants were equally unwilling to back down, starting a bidding war. The scene suddenly resembled an auction.

Dongye Fantian looked at one, then the other, his eyes growing increasingly shocked, his face growing paler.

The price had already far exceeded the highest grain price back then.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com