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Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Zhong Shan and Lü Buwei

"Your Majesty, you instructed me to monitor the surrounding news. Just after I went out, I heard something unusual in [***] City!" Zhao Hai reported immediately.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan was slightly surprised.

"A mountain of Xumi stones was sold for an astronomical price!" Zhao Hai said quickly.

"An astronomical price? Xumi stones?" Zhong Shan was surprised.

Xumi stones are used to make storage bracelets, and the quantity of Xumi stones determines the size of the storage space. Xumi stones are as common and irreplaceable as spirit stones in Shenzhou. In the past, Zhong Shan used Xumi stones in his Sky Collapse Plan. A mountain of Xumi stones would naturally contain a large quantity.

"Yes, a mountain of Xumi stones, which should have been worth only a million high-grade spirit stones at previous prices. However, this time, after someone brought the Xumi stone mountain, it was bought by a shop for ten million high-grade spirit stones, ten times the price! As soon as the news spread, the entire city was in an uproar," Zhao Hai explained.

"Oh? Ten times the price?" Zhong Shan frowned slightly.

"Yes, ten times the price. That\'s just the purchase price. The shop plans to resell it, and if they do, they\'ll make at least a twenty percent profit!" Zhao Hai added.

"Did our Da Rong Chamber of Commerce participate in the auction?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Yes, our chamber\'s largest shop in the city specializes in Xumi stones. When outside goods arrive, our shop naturally participates. According to the old shopkeeper, the people at the auction went crazy, driving the price up to ten times the normal rate. The old shopkeeper did not continue bidding," Zhao Hai explained.

"What is the public\'s reaction?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"They\'re watching and waiting. The public\'s attention is completely focused on the Xumi stones," Zhao Hai replied.

"Ten times the price? How many Xumi stone shops are there in the city?" Zhong Shan asked.

"There are fifty in total. Our Da Rong Chamber of Commerce\'s Xumi stone shop ranks among the top ten. With the price surge, most Xumi stone shops are buying and selling small quantities, and prices are skyrocketing," Zhao Hai said.

"Skyrocketing?" Zhong Shan frowned, sensing something unusual.

"Yes, our Da Rong Xumi Stone Shop is in a difficult position," Zhao Hai said worriedly.

"Oh? Why?" Zhong Shan asked.

"When the shop was established, I promised that prices would only decrease and never increase for a hundred years. But now this situation is making me look bad. If we don\'t raise our prices while others do, everyone will rush to buy from us. Once we sell out, our reputation will be affected, and it will be hard to develop further," Zhao Hai explained, worried.

"Hmm, your reasoning is sound," Zhong Shan nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhao Hai managed a rare smile.

"What kind of shop bought the Xumi stones at ten times the price?" Zhong Shan asked seriously.

"It\'s called the \'Lü Chamber of Commerce.\' It appeared in [***] City four months ago. As soon as it arrived, it caused a huge stir. In just four months, it became one of the largest shops in the city, developing at an astonishing speed. Every day, countless spirit stones flow into the Lü Chamber of Commerce. In four months, it\'s become a market trendsetter. If it raises prices, others follow; if it lowers prices, others do the same," Zhao Hai said in amazement.

"Oh? The Lü Chamber of Commerce? It arrived just four months ago and has already caused such a stir?" Zhong Shan was surprised.

This rapid rise and influence suggested something extraordinary. Zhong Shan knew this needed careful consideration and investigation.

"Yes! On the first day of its opening, it was packed with people, and within a month, it was bustling every day!" Zhao Hai exclaimed.

"How did the Lü Chamber of Commerce achieve this?" Zhong Shan asked seriously.

"On the opening day, the Lü Chamber of Commerce didn\'t put on any grand display. They simply put up a sign, and countless people flocked in," Zhao Hai explained.

"What did the sign say?"

"The sign said, \'Anyone who finds a defective item in the Lü Chamber of Commerce will be rewarded with a million spirit stones!\' Because of this reward, everyone who saw the sign immediately went in to scrutinize all the goods. The news spread rapidly by word of mouth," Zhao Hai said.

"A word worth a thousand gold pieces? Lü Buwei?" Zhong Shan\'s eyes narrowed.

This was exactly one of Lü Buwei\'s old tricks. He had once used the same tactic with his book, "Lü\'s Spring and Autumn Annals," offering a thousand gold pieces for anyone who could suggest a single word change. Scholars from all over flocked to read it.

"A word worth a thousand gold pieces?" Zhao Hai didn\'t understand the reference.

"Never mind that. Tell me, did anyone find a defective item?" Zhong Shan asked.

"The Lü Chamber of Commerce is very large, with over a million items. It was impossible for every item to be flawless. On the second day, someone did find a defective item. The Lü Chamber of Commerce publicly awarded them a million spirit stones!" Zhao Hai said.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow.

"But instead of deterring people, the discovery of the defective item only increased the crowd. The profits of the Lü Chamber of Commerce grew daily, and in just four months, it became one of the top shops in [***] City," Zhao Hai said with amazement.

"Profit drives people. They are naturally willing to go there because they know they are getting high-quality goods. And if they happen to find a defective item, they get a million spirit stones. Who wouldn\'t want that?" Zhong Shan sighed.

Lü Buwei, a seasoned master of commerce, had taken the concept of "a word worth a thousand gold pieces" a step further with "breaking to rebuild." That single defective item ensured the longevity of his business. It was likely that the defective item was intentionally placed by Lü Buwei.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Zhao Hai asked worriedly.

"Have the Xumi stone shops in the city unified their prices?" Zhong Shan asked.

"No, most have adjusted their prices, but the increase varies. It seems they are waiting for the Lü Chamber of Commerce to set the standard. Once they do, many will likely follow suit. The public is hesitant to buy now, fearing the prices might drop again," Zhao Hai said.

"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded.

"Your Majesty, there will be another auction for Xumi stones in five days. Should we bid, even at a high cost?" Zhao Hai asked.

"I will go with you," Zhong Shan decided.

"Yes!"

The next day.

"Your Majesty, it\'s out. The Lü Chamber of Commerce has raised the retail price of Xumi stones by ten times!" Zhao Hai hurriedly reported.

"The Lü Chamber of Commerce raised their prices? What about the other Xumi stone shops?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"They raised their prices too. Most of them matched the Lü Chamber of Commerce\'s increase. Nearly twenty shops followed suit exactly, while the rest have varied prices. Only a few, including ours, haven\'t raised prices yet," Zhao Hai said worriedly.

"And the public?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Some people are already rushing to buy Xumi stones. Early this morning, there were noticeably more buyers than usual," Zhao Hai said.

"Significantly more?" Zhong Shan asked, his expression serious.

"Yes, Your Majesty, there are no Xumi stone mines near [***] City. To procure new stock, we would need to import it from the outside world, which takes at least eight years round trip, not to mention the dangers along the way. Xumi stones can\'t be stored in storage bracelets, as they lose half their effectiveness if damaged and retrieved again. Moreover, if a storage bracelet has someone else\'s bloodline imprint, it means others can open it too. Such Xumi stones don\'t sell well," Zhao Hai explained with a frown.

On the third and fourth days, more and more people came to the Da Rong Chamber of Commerce to buy Xumi stones!

On the fifth day, Zhong Shan and Zhao Hai went to inspect the store. Outside the Da Rong Xumi Stone Shop, a long line of people had formed.

"Your Majesty, look, these people are all here to buy Xumi stones. I\'ve set a limit—each person can only buy a pound of Xumi stones per day, but there\'s still such a crowd!" Zhao Hai said, frowning.

"Hmm! Let\'s go and see this auction," Zhong Shan said, frowning as well.

"Yes!"

The two quickly arrived at a large valley. At the center of the valley was a flawless white jade mound made entirely of raw Xumi stones. Another mountain of Xumi stones.

Several big merchants had already gathered in the valley, forming various small groups, all evidently there for the Xumi stone mountain.

With Zhao Hai\'s credentials, no one stopped them, and the two walked right in.

Zhong Shan looked at the Xumi stone mountain and then at the surrounding merchants. Suddenly, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck and turned to see someone watching him from a corner of the valley.

He saw a well-dressed man sitting at a table, surrounded by numerous attendants, leisurely drinking wine and sampling food while waiting.

"Your Majesty, that\'s the head of the Lü Chamber of Commerce, the one sitting over there. No one knows his real name; we call him Mr. Lü. He rarely shows himself, and I\'ve only met him once," Zhao Hai whispered.

Mr. Lü? Zhong Shan looked at the elegantly dressed man, who seemed to have been watching Zhong Shan all along. The man raised his wine cup toward Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan was slightly surprised but then smiled and walked over.

Zhao Hai followed closely behind.

"Mr. Lü?" Zhong Shan greeted with a slight bow.

"Mr. Zhong, please have a seat," the man in the elegant robes replied with a faint smile.

Zhong Shan had already guessed that this person was Lü Buwei, but he didn\'t reveal it. Lü Buwei, knowing exactly who Zhong Shan was, also didn\'t disclose his identity, instead inviting Zhong Shan to sit.

Feeling a bit strange but remaining calm, Zhong Shan said, "Then I shall accept your kind offer."

Zhong Shan sat down while Zhao Hai stood behind him.

Seeing Zhong Shan so composed, Lü Buwei showed a hint of appreciation and a bit of amusement in his eyes.

"Would you like to try some local delicacies from [***] City, paired with our finest wine, Mr. Zhong?" Lü Buwei asked.

"Why not? I\'ll try Mr. Lü\'s recommendations," Zhong Shan replied, slowly sipping the wine.

Lü Buwei watched closely, as if trying to read Zhong Shan.

"Smooth yet not overpowering, clear yet not cold, rich yet not greasy, refreshing and invigorating—truly excellent wine!" Zhong Shan praised.