Although the Candel Empire's attitude puzzled Xu Yi, aside from Otoff, the other merchants from Pompey City whom Russell had brought this time were very serious about negotiating cooperation with the Xinfei Merchant Guild.
Several of these merchants had actually visited Nixi City in the Rulson Kingdom to investigate. They had witnessed the prosperity of Nixi City and Nixi Harbor firsthand and were eager to achieve the same.
As one of the Candel Empire Navy's bases, Pompey City was itself a coastal city. It had a military harbor reserved for the Candel Empire Navy, as well as a civilian harbor under the city's jurisdiction. Like Nixi Harbor, the latter took its name from its city and was called Pompey Harbor.
The first step in the cooperation these merchants wanted to pursue with the Xinfei Merchant Guild was to introduce its various civilian magic machinery products. After discussing this with Xu Yi, they decided to begin by working with the Xinfei Merchant Guild to develop Pompey Harbor.
They were extremely enthusiastic about the project. Even before coming here, they had jointly persuaded Pompey City's lord and obtained his approval to invest in developing and expanding Pompey Harbor.
Of course, Pompey City would not have to invest even half a copper coin in the project. The merchants would fund it entirely themselves, so the city lord had no reason to object.
Xu Yi warmly welcomed their proposal to develop Pompey Harbor, but he was much less enthusiastic about their suggestion that they invest jointly with the Xinfei Merchant Guild, with each party holding a share in the harbor.
No matter how well Pompey Harbor was developed, it would ultimately remain under the Candel Empire's jurisdiction. That posed no problem for the merchant guilds from Pompey City, but the Xinfei Merchant Guild, which