As the city of Eastwood looms over the city of Eastwood, greedy merchants sell off their wares for extra profits, and countless townspeople are drawn to the hive of panic buying at the door of their shops, joining the farce of fraud and lies, adventure and daydreaming.

No one is a winner except for the businessmen who have been violent for a short time, and the market is in a suffocating depression, and the commercial avenues that used to be bustling with traffic are now also full of people who are quietly restless. As for the ordinary people who have hoarded salt at home for decades and drank endless barrels of wine, they will face the end of having nothing when they blindly use up their savings.

With most of the gold and silver currency used in the market in the hands of merchants, Eastwood was reduced to a primitive society of barter, but this somewhat alleviated the current suffocating predicament. Everyday necessities, such as food and vegetables, are gradually regaining popularity, and several famous street markets are coming back to life after a few days of desertion.

In terms of commodities, as the merchants refused to buy back at the original price, the town hall resisted the pressure of the earl and effectively protected the interests of the supporters and financiers behind him, which was an unimaginable profit. However, since most of the buyers belong to the middle-income group with rich wealth and status, such as jewelers, gardeners, legal advisers, caravan stewards, etc., the lack of desire to consume has led to the closure of many shops for people like them, which has greatly delayed the recovery of the market, and many families have lived on pawns.

Flea markets have sprung up everywhere, and they are so tenacious and alive that many citizens on the verge of bankruptcy have been able to obtain scarce daily necessities and maintain a decent and decent life. Due to the convenience of the port, caravans came and went, and the little supplies that had accumulated in Eastwood City were gradually absorbed by the neighboring cities.

Fortunately, after this lesson, no one dared to listen to the gossip of the market, and the citizens of Eastwood City began to be pragmatic in their attitude towards daily consumption, and everything began to get on track, and the beneficial aspects were working, and as for the loss of the credibility of one of the most valuable assets to the merchants, their good days seemed to be coming to an end.

Except for some well-established wealthy merchants, who have strong spokesperson friends in the town hall, such as those councillors who seem to be in charge of everything, can continue to maintain normal trade, as for the ordinary shops without supporters, due to the long-term desertion, and the slander of the townspeople, their business has plummeted, not only spit out the profits they have earned, but also begin to eat their own old capital.

Some hanged themselves, some jumped off buildings, some committed suicide by poisoning, and the ruthless greedy were to be treated equally, and there was no sympathy for their fate, and the only regret was their peers, but they quickly collected their feelings, turned their heads and rejoiced that their competitors had dwindled again, and stubbornly believed that they would hold out until the end.

After the revelry, the wounds were gradually healing, but the pain was still tormenting Eastwood, and the difficult recovery continued, and no one knew when it would end. The night has come to the darkest dawn, some of whom are no longer visible, while others are still stubbornly waiting for the dawn.

The collapse of the mines, the depression of the market, and the bad news came one after another, and it seemed that the misery of Eastwood City was felt, and the weather began to deteriorate, and it rained heavily for several days, and the roads and fields were full of mud, and the daily training of the Night Watchman had to be interrupted.

In the underground world, which was also hit hard by the wind and tide, the bigwigs launched several secret wars for territory, just like the jungle where the weak eat the strong, and the injured beasts had to hit their accomplices in order to fill their hunger and maintain the consumption of their huge bodies. However, with sharp claws and huge size, the identities of hunters and prey can be changed at any time, and conspiracy, alliance, discord, provocation, assassination, and other terrible methods emerge one after another.

As the situation became more and more chaotic, the Earl dispatched the city guards, and even sent the Knights of the Cold Mountain, due to the appearance of the children of war, coupled with mutual helplessness, there was no final winner, and the underground world finally ushered in a short period of peace.

Some of the badly damaged forces began to enter the trade with a decent income, hoping to obtain funds for the operation of the organization, which was easily bought off by the town hall, and the count, who had been holding up a club and punishing him, made unexpected gestures of goodwill, or were happy to see them happen. Such a reasonable performance made the bosses of the underworld overjoyed, and after that period of chaos, the original boundaries seemed to become blurred, and the marginalized people in the gray area took the opportunity to bleach their identities, Eastwood City ushered in a rare prosperity, and the silver streams flowing with wealth seemed to reappear.

The situation then eased and calmed, and no one wanted to live a precarious life, and now that the opportunity had come, there were many people who wanted to seize it.

The normal night watch became less regular due to the rain, and the White Dove Tavern in the middle of Amber Avenue was crowded with idle night watchmen sipping bland ales and bragging and gossiping.

Suddenly, the door of the tavern, which had been sheltered from the wind and rain, was pushed open by emaciated hands, and a stranger in a hooded cloak entered, and stomped, shivering as if he were afraid of the cold, and the poncho swayed from side to side, like a wet old dog, looking a little funny and embarrassed.

A cold wind blew in from outside, and several night watchmen frowned and let out a cold snort of dissatisfaction, and the stranger was very clever and discerning, and quickly turned around and closed the door. Unfastened the wet poncho and prepared to put it on the hanger, but as soon as I looked up, I saw that all the places on it were filled, and there was not even a single gap.

Embarrassed, and not wanting to anger the unprovoked Night's Watch for no reason, he took out a pinky iron bar from his belt, rammed it into the crack in the wall, about chest-high height, and hung the poncho on it.

As the water rolled down and crackled on the floor, guests came to the bar and asked for a large glass of ale and two slices of toast, which they enjoyed slowly.

Aldrich Tris, who was sitting beside him, looked up and down unhurriedly, and when he saw the feathered stripes on his cuffs, he immediately judged that he was an employee of the town hall, a postman who delivered letters to the country estate.

'Maybe I've just finished today's task, and I've finally managed to squeeze out my free time, stop at a passing tavern, and replenish my body's consumption with some wine and food by the way. The knight made a secret estimate, his instincts had always been good, and with the Night's Watch reminding him from time to time, he had entered the role, and was fully qualified for his duty.

"Uh!" he burped, worked dutifully, never slackened or lazy, and worked hard to support his postman with his industrious hands, stretched out on the spot, and his pleasant voice echoed in his throat for a long time.

"It's late, go home early and rest. The bartender at the bar gently straightened the cups and plates with a clean rag, trying to wipe them clean and dusty. He didn't need to be so diligent, but he had recently lost a lot of his peers, among whom there were many skilled people, and if it weren't for the affection accumulated over the years of work, his position would have been replaced long ago.

Business has been quiet for a while and has gradually picked up, but it has always been his goal to win repeat customers, so the service attitude has to be greatly improved, or at least he has to feel at home.

The postman, who was still very young and had a frosty eye in the corners, couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Go home!" I have increased the rent by 30 percent, and I heard that it will go up, so I plan to move and plan to share a cheap apartment with my friends. ”

Aldridge sighed softly and noncommittally when he heard the complaint and helpless anger in his tone, 'If I am not mistaken, this messenger who worked hard until late at night has also lost a lot in the rush to buy. However, they are also employees of the city hall, and their salaries are below average, which should be able to support the rent of ordinary apartments and a more decent life, and it seems that the bad effects of the aftermath will continue for some time. ’

Those who hope to get rich overnight will end up destitute, hoping for the favor of Vitria, the daughter of good luck, and the rain of gold coins will fall from the sky to bury them, and in the end they will only lose everything.

Looking at the messenger who had finished his last sip of ale and put on his poncho and left the tavern, Knight Triss secretly wondered how he could use the many gems he could use to get his first pot of gold and start his business. Where do you start? Do you run it yourself directly or indirectly? How do you ensure the loyalty of qualified business managers? Buy a business that has broken the capital chain and go bankrupt and use it as a backdoor basis, or is it a completely new business? The former has a reputation, although not many and has been hit repeatedly, but has a certain network of contacts and relevant experienced practitioners, while the latter has to start from scratch and spend a long time building credibility and valuable contacts and business partners.

Aldrich rubbed his aching forehead, feeling the embarrassment of nowhere to start for the first time, unlike previous battles, there was an invisible enemy in front of him, and there would inevitably be a test of money everywhere in the process, and the source of faith would be tempered and beaten thousands of times without interruption.

However, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the current market depression, the advantages of the location and the port are working, and the market is gradually recovering, although slowly and undetectably, but the good news will come sooner or later.

"What are you thinking? The first time I saw you wandering, it was a surprise. Captain Rufer West approached and sat down beside Aldrich, half of the burnt bread in his hand, chewing in his mouth, creaking and crunching.

Triss suddenly touched inspiration, and his eyes lit up a little, "I have an idea, how about running a flour business?"

"Okay! Rufer Vest was very pleased, his face softened, and he seemed to see the lost child return to the right path in life, and his heart was relieved, "I thought you were a flawless traditional knight, but now that I have been nurtured, my brain has finally opened up." ’

"Production, wholesale, sales, processing, which part of the business do you want to engage in?"

"May I ask the difference? Captain West, maybe you can give me some good advice so that I don't go down the wrong path. ”

Rufer West, who claims to be a life coach, ate two or three slices of burnt bread, coughed and cleared his throat, took the opportunity to think about the details, and then said: "The threshold for production is too high, the area with good river flow rate is occupied, the hydraulic flour grinder is very valuable, the people who install and maintain it are not ordinary people, and the salary is not something that ordinary flour merchants can support." The same is true of wholesale, which are all large businessmen who maintain contact with the Earl's family, and some are even members of the Earl's family, and the town hall tries to share the benefits of it, but it has never succeeded. It's best to distribute retail, but it's sandwiched in the middle, angry at both ends, and the profits don't seem to be much, and you have to face competition from your peers, so you can't lower the price, and you will soon be kicked out. ”

"There's another link you haven't talked about. Aldridge whispered that although he knew something about it, he still wanted to hear Captain West's opinion.

"Bakery! There are more than 300 shops in Eastwood, small family workshops, with only a handful of hired laborers, who add all sorts of garbage to them in good conscience in order to make a few bucks. Sawdust bread, confetti bread, and gravel bread are fine, but at least add some things to the flour, and some bad merchants add flour to the garbage, so you can imagine what it tastes like. ”

Aldrich remembered the events of his previous life and was dumbfounded for a moment: "No one will buy it, and sooner or later it will close down." ”

"On the contrary, as long as it is cheap, there are people who buy it, and it is nothing more than the poor who are destitute. Well...... Your compassion is starting to flood again, and this may be the reason for you to change your mind? ”

Seeing that Knight Tris's face had changed, Rufer West began to guess, and provoked him with words, but he didn't expect that she really guessed it.

'Oh my God, I thought you had changed, but I didn't think you were still a respectable and pitiful traditional knight, it's really ingrained. However, if you are engaged in business-related industries, Huang Chengcheng's gold coins, and dazzling silver Dele, you are not afraid that you will not fall into the quagmire of wealth, and you will fall deeper and deeper. ’

Seeing a knight fall into the gray area like himself made Rufer West feel an inexplicable anticipation in his heart, and he decided to reach out and push him when his life choices were forked.