Watching President Cruz walk slowly away with a thoughtful expression, Delier could not help asking Xu Yi, "President Xu, didn't you say that profit was the most important thing to a merchant? But from what you just described, this new source of profit could bring enormous returns. Why would you hand it over to the Amli Merchant Guild?"
"I'm not handing it over entirely," Xu Yi replied with a smile. "You should have noticed that this new source of profit would actually benefit both the Amli Merchant Guild and our Xinfei Merchant Guild. If we cooperate and things go well enough, it'll be a win-win outcome. Although the Amli Merchant Guild might end up making more money, our Xinfei Merchant Guild has no foundation in the construction industry. If we tried to take on everything ourselves, we might not succeed, and we'd have to spend a great deal of time and energy. Those happen to be the two things I lack most."
Delier fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "No wonder the elder worries about your lifespan. President Xu, if only you could live for several hundred years like us elves."
Xu Yi laughed. "Life and death are matters of fate. I'm human, so I have to accept the limits of a human lifespan. As long as I can devote myself fully to the things I want to accomplish during my limited life, that's enough for me. Besides, it's not as though I have no chance of becoming an Archmage or even a Grand Archmage, is it?"
Delier remained silent.
"All right, since we know life is short and time is precious, let's not waste any more of it standing here. Come with me."
Xu Yi beckoned to Delier and led her toward the presidents of the other