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Ending the interlude, no matter for what purpose Baron Pound sold the ancestral home, it couldn't change the fact that Aaron was about to acquire an entrance to a ruin.
Aaron, in a joyful mood, whispered a few words to Soro Bint, who was closely following him, telling him to quietly trail Rafter-Pound to observe his actions and reactions tonight, which was easy for a Sequence 5 Mentor of Disorder.
Watching Soro Bint disappear into the crowd, Aaron, with the contract in hand, returned to the banquet hall and said with a smile to his Mother and sister, "Don't worry, it's resolved. I even bought a property."
Mrs. Celine, after hearing Aaron's explanation of the situation, nodded slightly and looked at Aaron with satisfaction, saying, "You did very well. You can reimburse the butler for these 5,500 pounds tomorrow."
Aaron shook his head, politely declining his Mother's suggestion. These 5,500 pounds had to come from him to ensure there would be no dispute over ownership later, and to secure his priority in future ruin explorations based on his identity, maximizing his interests.
After the small interlude, the conversation at the banquet gradually shifted to the Pound Family and the Baron Pound who had just left.
Listening to the mockery and ridicule about the Pound Family from those around him, Aaron, who knew their true identities, simply poured himself a glass of sonia blood wine and slowly savored it, feeling a bit wistful inside.
As the banquet drew to a close, Aaron walked to the second floor, arriving at the study he had arranged with the butler earlier. Pushing the door open, he saw old Earl Wolfe sitting peacefully in the main seat, with his uncle, Nide Wolfe, seated beside him.
After greeting his two elders, Aaron sat down and spoke to them directly:
"The repeal of the Grain Act has passed. Food prices are bound to fall, and rent income will inevitably drop significantly."
"I presume both of you elders are aware of the characteristics of most old-fashioned nobles. They pride themselves on land ownership, rely mainly on rent income, and prioritize decorum above all else."
"Many, even if in debt, must maintain a lifestyle befitting their status, with annual expenses of thousands or tens of thousands of pounds on clothing and jewelry, as well as persistent hunting activities, social banquets, and occasional grand weddings and lavish funerals."
Uncle Nide Wolfe wanted to explain but found himself at a loss for words. Old Earl Wolfe, on the other hand, sighed slightly, speaking with a hint of helplessness:
"Indeed, this is precisely the criticized aspect of us old-fashioned nobles."
"But regrettably, apart from a few bold nobles who long ago shifted their focus to industries like steel, coal, railways, banking, and rubber, the cost of entering these industries now would be unimaginable, and the losses would be no less than those from this Grain Act upheaval."
Looking at the expressions of the two elders, Aaron smiled and said:
"I've established a company called East Tucker Bicycles. Currently, the East Tucker Family holds 90% of the shares, while Earl Hall has invested 100,000 pounds for a 10% original stake in East Tucker Bicycles, and will provide assistance in subsequent product advancement."
"I came here this time to invite Earl Wolfe to invest in the company, which will not only address the impact of the Grain Act's repeal but also form an alliance of interests with Earl Hall."
Old Earl Wolfe and Nide Wolfe exchanged glances, both seeing the eagerness in each other's eyes. Ultimately, old Earl Wolfe made the decision, agreeing to invest 100,000 pounds for a 10% original stake and to provide assistance in subsequent product advancement.
As the dinner concluded, Aaron, before leaving, informed his uncle Nide Wolfe, who was seeing him off, that the bicycles would begin advancement and sales next week, asking them to prepare.
Mrs. Celine held the energetic Avonie to prevent her from running around, watching everything with satisfaction. She was very pleased with Aaron's attitude towards the Wolf Family and the help he extended.
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Rafter-Pound, with his wrinkled suit, slightly disheveled hair, swollen eye bags, and a constant scent of alcohol, left Earl Wolfe's residence with slightly unsteady steps.
He hailed a taxi carriage and got in. Soro Bint quietly appeared nearby, frowning as he looked in the direction the carriage was heading; it was not towards Williams Street, where the Pound Family ancestral home was located.
Soro Bint pondered for a moment, then quietly followed.
The clip-clop of hooves ceased as the carriage stopped at 29 West Vilas Street, Empress Borough. Rafter-Pound alighted and entered, showing no signs of abnormality.
Soro Bint sat quietly on a nearby rooftop, monitoring all suspicious movements at 29 West Vilas Street, but unfortunately, he found no suspicious clues until dawn.
Aaron, who had already gotten up and changed, frowned slightly after hearing Soro Bint's report. After a moment of thought, he said:
"You've worked hard. I understand. You don't need to concern yourself with this matter anymore. Tell Darren to assign two Hunters and Arbiters to monitor Rafter-Pound in shifts."
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On Wednesday morning, Aaron, dressed and bathed in the morning sun, felt the digestion of his potion and frowned slightly.
Aside from the significant digestion of his Sheriff potion from last week's joint operation with the Church of the Evernight Goddess to Encirclement and suppression Jason Beria and that Devil dog, the potion digestion feedback from his nightly hunting activities over the past week had been minimal.
At this rate, it would take at least another month to fully digest the Sheriff potion. Aaron exhaled, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness.
Without delay, he went downstairs, preparing to head to St. George Borough, Backlund. Today was the official establishment day of the East Tucker Bicycle Company, and since yesterday, all the newspapers in Backlund had been vying to report on it.
Walking downstairs, Aaron looked around but didn't see Avonie. He looked at Mrs. Celine on the sofa with some confusion:
"Mother, where is Avonie? Didn't she want to see the opening ceremony, which is why she postponed her plan to return to East Tucker County?"
Mrs. Celine chuckled and replied, "Avonie said she couldn't wait and wanted to go see it first, so she took Evelyn and left by carriage, but I've already had Mr. Butler follow them."
Aaron looked around and indeed couldn't find Evelyn either, shaking his head and smiling wryly.
Wednesday afternoon, Backlund, Empress Borough, Duke Negan's residence.
The current Duke Negan sat on the sofa, silently looking at The People's Daily on the coffee table. A photo of Aaron, Earl Hall, and old Earl Wolfe shaking hands and jointly cutting the ribbon appeared on the front page of The People's Daily, while the surrounding footmen and maids were silent as cicadas.
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Meanwhile, Lenberg's capital, Azshara.
A team disguised as merchants gathered in the eastern suburbs of Azshara, consisting of 5 carriages and dozens of people.
Checker stood among the crowd, watching the clerics of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom Church change into merchant attire, a slight sneer on his lips.
Just as he was about to chat with a colleague beside him, he noticed an old man in a plain white robe with brass-colored threads appearing next to the bishop who was leading their team.
Checker smacked his lips and muttered in a low voice, "Tsk tsk, that old man has terrible taste in clothes. The robes of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom Church really need improvement."
As soon as he spoke, Checker felt a gaze fall upon him. His spirituality pulsed, and he looked up to see a pair of deep, bottomless grey-green eyes, belonging to the white-robed old man.
Checker couldn't help but want to slap himself. Ever since taking the Sequence 8 Provoker potion, perhaps due to its influence, he had developed a habit of chattering, and some words just came out inexplicably.
Checker quickly lowered his head, not daring to look into those eyes again, and suddenly felt the Provoker potion rapidly digesting.
Checker paused slightly, then suddenly remembered the description of the Church demigod's appearance from His Excellency the Blessed One, and couldn't help but feel bitter inside. Could he really be that unlucky?
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