Compassionate Heart

Lin Qi's words were not mild, and could be said to have made Simon feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He had been doing stable, non-competitive business for so long that he had forgotten what competition really looked like.

But it was precisely Lin Qi's unsettling words that put Simon at ease.

Perhaps the truth is not entirely as fair as Lin Qi claims, but even if there are some differences, he doesn't think it's a big problem.

Over the years, he had accumulated a vast network of connections locally. It could be said that during the Preton Merchant House's monopoly period, the sales channels in Nagaril were firmly controlled by people Simon.

They are the only ones who have goods to sell. If people want to buy anything of good quality, they have to come to them. They have a well-established sales channel.

Even if competition intensifies in the future, as long as he can keep the price within an acceptable range, people are unlikely to abandon him.

This is obvious. People always cherish the old. They may try new things before there is a clear difference, but they will eventually choose the old ones.

"There's one more thing, Mr. Lin Qi ..." Simon's face softened with a smile, "If I want to invest in the Nagaril Joint Development Company ..."

The woman, kneeling on the ground, glanced at her husband discreetly, her tone slightly conciliatory yet tinged with humility, before quickly lowering her head again.

This was the first time she had seen Simon display such a humble attitude in front of anyone other than Mr. Preton. Most people might not have noticed it, but she could sense it.

An arrogant man, who would never be so humble even when facing Provincial Governor, set aside his arrogance at this moment.

This also terrified the woman. She didn't quite understand the current situation in Nagaril; she only knew that some things seemed to have begun to change.

Lin Qi shook his head. "That won't work. It's not that I don't want you to invest, but you know, the company is full of big shots, and I only own three percent of the shares..."

He stubbed out his nearly finished cigarette, and the woman reacted quickly, immediately holding the Ashtray up to catch the cigarette butt; she was used to serving others in this way.

Lin Qi didn't say thank you. He had heard Asier say that when he thanked his brother's wife, his whole family thought she was seducing him and had even arranged for them to spend the night together.

He didn't want Simon to keep this woman around, so he neither thanked him nor even glanced at her again.

He leaned back in the wicker chair, one hand gently resting on the armrest.

The originally soft vines become hard after processing, while still retaining sufficient toughness.

They brushed a layer of something like varnish onto the surface of these vines to protect them from the effects of the natural environment. They felt very comfortable to the touch and were not prickly at all.

"I know what you're worried about, but you don't need to think about it at all. Please forgive my unintentional offense, but even if the company allows you to invest, you don't have much money to spare."

Lin Qi said with a half-smile, "Each one percent of the shares is worth ten million Federal Sol!"

Simon gasped. Over the years, he had accumulated profits of three to four million, some of which had been sent back to his country, and the rest was still substantial.

This is why he said that if he lost his current business, he would be left with nowhere to turn. Once Lin Qi and the Federal businessmen start to purge the original foreign businessmen here, simply prohibiting people from buying their properties would be enough to give them a headache for a long time.

His expression at that moment was... somewhat bizarre; his muscles twitched a few times, and his eyelids twitched a few times as well. Perhaps the large number Lin Qi mentioned had frightened him.

One percent is ten million, one hundred percent is one billion Federal Sol! But the blows didn't end there. Lin Qi didn't mind continuing to say things that terrified him, "Those were just the prices when we raised funds. The prices have increased a lot now, just like I said earlier!"

"It's not that we don't welcome you to join the United Development Company, it's just that our starting point is indeed a bit high," he said with a smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

This made it sound like Lin Qi was looking down on Simon, so he apologized for it.

"No, it's alright, you don't need to apologize, Mr. Lin Qi, I understand what you mean..." Simon waved his hands repeatedly, "You're right, even if I put all my strength into it, I can't afford even one percent, or even 0.1 percent of the shares."

Simon had by now pretty much figured it out. After doing monopolistic business here for so many years, he had a general idea.

In fact, the market value of the Nagaril Joint Development Company is roughly equal to their short- to medium-term profits in Nagaril.

Previously, the less stringent monopolies were enough to earn Simon hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. What about the whole of Nagaril?

A country's annual profits of tens of millions will only drive the United Development Company's stock price higher and higher, eventually reaching astronomical levels.

He can't keep up now, so there's no need to think about catching up in the future.

His gaze as he looked at Lin Qi again was filled with emotion, disappointment, and confusion.

Lin Qi is very young; even though his appearance is old-fashioned, he still gives people a very youthful feeling.

This young man was able to come up with 30 million to buy shares in the United Development Company, while he, the "Simon" people talked about, was still worrying about that insignificant amount of money.

This is the gap, which brings envy, jealousy, and a sense of loss and bewilderment after comparison.

He then asked about other things he was concerned about, such as getting the goods.

Previously, these foreign merchants obtained their goods through the Preton Merchant House. The company would ship goods directly to them according to their quotas, and they would sell whatever was sent to them.

Because it was a monopoly business, they didn't need to worry about not being able to sell their goods, and the Provincial Governor was one of their customers.

Now, he can get goods directly from the United Development Company's distributors, and he can get whatever he wants without any restrictions, including price restrictions.

Everything seemed to be changing for the better in a way that Simon hadn't considered, and the conversation made him feel relaxed.

After chatting about some interesting local anecdotes, Simon invited Lin Qi to his home before leaving with his wife and children.

Standing in the yard, looking at the cars in the distance, Lin Qi shook his head and looked away.

These merchants cannot be let go; they are in cahoots with the Preton Merchant House, exploiting the Nagaril People through monopolistic practices.

If it were just about exploiting others, that would be one thing, but they've also made a mess of the market. If someone could look through some records or have some elderly people recall, the business environment in Nagaril wasn't as bad as it is now before the Preton Merchant House was founded.

A limited but free Trade Market has led to a boom in trade across the country, with people exchanging more of what they don't need for money or what they do need.

The abundance of goods in the market created demand, and people began to think about making money to change their lives. That period was almost the peak of Nagaril's development in recent years.

If it weren't for Preton Merchant House's interference, things might be better now.

Monopolies and the exchange of power for money destroyed these things. The market continued to shrink, and the circulation of currency began to be restricted. These people were the culprits.

Once they've had their fill of blood, leaving won't be so easy.

Lin Qi had even thought it through: if Simon wanted to leave safely and avoid encountering storms, pirate remnants, or greedy crew members at sea, he'd better give back what he'd swallowed.

Of course, throwing such a large sum of money into the entire region wouldn't be of much use, so Lin Qi reluctantly set up some kind of foundation to safeguard these illicit gains on behalf of the Nagaril People.

I'm so damn noble! As I turned around, the Sergeant was already walking over.

"Boss, everything's arranged!"

Lin Qi nodded. "Let's eat first, and then we'll leave."

There was no conversation during lunch.

Around 1 p. m., three high-chassis sedans arrived—these things actually looked more like Business Travel Car, SUVs, or bigfoot sedans.

Its chassis is much higher off the ground than a normal sedan, and its shock absorption is even more extreme. This kind of car can only be found locally.

The city center is full of rough, muddy roads. It's a little better when the weather is sunny, but if it rains, there's a good chance that beneath what looks like a shallow puddle of water lies a huge pit.

In addition, the rain loosens the soil, and the road conditions have never been very good. Almost all vehicles that come to Nagaril need to be modified to drive properly.

In addition to several cars, there was also a small truck loaded with goods.

When the convoy appeared, it attracted the curious glances of some locals, and some who had nothing better to do followed it.

Due to road and environmental issues, the vehicle speed was not fast.

As the convoy entered a local Orphanage, the emotions of those who had spontaneously followed seemed to change.

Nagaril has Orphanage but no nursing homes. There used to be, but as more and more families sent their elderly to nursing homes to eat and drink for free, the nursing homes gradually closed down.

But this did not stop families from sending the elderly away; instead of sending them to nursing homes, they drove them out onto the streets.

But Nagaril has Orphanage, and children are hope; even in such a backward place, people know this.

The government allocates some funds to Orphanage in various regions every year, but the amount is not very large and is only enough to barely keep them afloat.

Today, Lin Qi is here to give back to the community, and many reporters from local newspapers have also come to witness this historic moment.

After the vehicle came to a stop, Lin Qi got out with a heavy expression. Looking at the fifty or sixty children of all ages in the yard, and seeing the fear in their eyes, his expression became even more solemn.