"Establish a new consortium?" The old clan leader Fulin was stunned and shook his head. "It's useless. Just our Lane family alone, although we are eligible to apply for establishing a consortium, no one will be willing to join."
Dudian said, "No, we don't need others to join for now! Only nobles and wealthy merchants can apply for a consortium. For commoner wealthy merchants, the application procedures are too cumbersome. Nobles are different. They just need to show their identification. After the consortium is established, we can rent a separate passage outside the Wall from the Holy Church of Light and clear our own area. And this is the thank-you gift I mentioned to you before!"
The old clan leader Fulin smiled bitterly and said, "Although I don't know where you got this information, renting a separate passage to the outside of the Wall requires an unimaginable amount of money. Even the Mellor family and the Blom family need to cooperate and attract other nobles and wealthy merchants to join the consortium to share the cost. It's simply impossible for our small Lane family alone."
"I've said that anything that can be solved with money is not a problem," Dudian smiled slightly. "First, you apply for the establishment of the consortium. In a few days, I will naturally give you a sum of money."
"You?" The old clan leader Fulin was slightly taken aback and looked at Dudian suspiciously. "You're not going to rob someone, are you?"
Dudian smiled and said, "In this world, money is essentially obtained through plunder."
The old clan leader Fulin stared at him for a moment and then sighed, "I just hope you don't make too much of a commotion. Our Lane family is just a small boat and can't withstand your toss about."
"Whether the boat capsizes depends on the operation of the boatman, not the size of the boat," Dudian smiled slightly and suddenly asked, "Has the Blom family approached you these days?"
The old clan leader Fulin nodded slightly and said, "They just came to me not long ago. It's all because of you. I got sprayed with a lot of saliva."
"Then consider it as moisturizing your skin."
"It's easy for you to say. As you wished, the Mellon Consortium has decided to kick our Lane family out of the consortium. The two families have been friends for generations and have a good relationship. The Mellor Consortium will definitely agree. I believe that in a few days, we will be kicked out," the old clan leader Fulin sighed.
Dudian said, "That's just right."
The old clan leader Fulin smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just 心疼 the money. When we are kicked out, they will definitely find a way to play tricks secretly and make our Lane family leave with nothing. All the resources we invested will depreciate."
Dudian shrugged and said, "Anyway, it's not much."
The old clan leader Fulin saw his indifferent look and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Now you and I are tied together. I hope we have a pleasant cooperation," Dudian looked at the sky, stood up, and said, "I should go back."
The old clan leader Fulin sighed. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and asked, "What's the name of the consortium? The Lane Consortium?"
Dudian was slightly taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's call it the New World Consortium."
"The New World Consortium..." The old clan leader Fulin murmured.
...
...
Under the personal escort of the old clan leader Fulin, Dudian left the Lane Castle and returned to the inn in the town.
When the middle-aged innkeeper saw Dudian, his eyes were wary, and there was a hint of hidden worry and vigilance on his face. Obviously, the incident in the morning when the Tribunal knight team came to look for Dudian had made him remember Dudian's appearance.
"Things are settled," Dudian returned to the room and said to Barton and the other two. "In the following days, you can go and live in the Lane Castle. Just say that you're my friends, and they will take care of you."
"Live in a noble castle?" Barton and the other two were a bit stunned.
Dudian smiled slightly and said, "I hope you can learn wisdom in your life. Observe more in daily life. Your future days will be very difficult. Although the current crisis has been covered up for now, once it is exposed, we will be doomed. Moreover, in the near future, we will face more problems. You are our right-hand men, and I hope you can become stronger!"
Barton and the other two looked at each other, and the joy in their hearts immediately faded. Dudian didn't hide from them the fact that he had assassinated Hollett. They also knew what astonishing actions Dudian had taken. Although they had expected that the future days would be rough when they followed Dudian, they didn't expect to fall into such a dangerous situation just at the beginning.
The past days were hard, but relatively comfortable. Now, they were in a situation where they could be destroyed at any time.
"I understand," Barton nodded slightly.
Joseph and Kroen lowered their heads and remained silent, feeling as if the cold wind around them was biting into their bones.
Dudian was quite satisfied to see that the three of them had realized the sense of crisis. Only in a dangerous environment can a fierce wolf be trained, while in a comfortable environment, only a dog can be raised.
...
...
After entrusting Barton and the other two to the Lane family, Dudian returned to the residential area alone. He had entrusted the Lane family to inquire these days. After he was imprisoned, Julia and her husband had been evicted from the house allocated to him by the consortium and sent back to the residential area.
Fortunately, at that time, it was too hasty, and the house in the residential area hadn't been sold. Otherwise, they would have been homeless after being sent back.
Thinking of this, Dudian felt full of guilt in his heart. He took a carriage and returned to Lynn Street. He got off the carriage in a hurry. From a distance, he saw that the small house of Julia and her husband had been tidied up clean again. There were no fallen leaves on the grass inside the fence. It was still early, and there were the scents of Julia and Gray in the house. However, compared with Gray's scent, Julia's scent was stronger, so she should be at home.
In addition to Julia's scent, Dudian also smelled a strange scent, which was mixed with Julia's.
He was taken aback. Seeing that there was no one around, he immediately climbed over the fence quietly and came to a window beside the house. Through the gap in the window, he immediately saw the scene in the room. The furnishings were still the same as before. Julia was sitting at a desk, wearing glasses and reviewing some materials. Beside her, a little boy of seven or eight years old wrapped his wrist around her arm and rubbed against her gently, but he was also very well-behaved and didn't make a sound.
Julia had a smile on her face and would stop from time to time to stroke the little boy's head.
Dudian was slightly stunned when he saw this scene. Suddenly, he felt a faint pain in his heart. After being silent for a moment, he slowly turned around, stepped on the lawn, climbed out of the fence, and left the street.
After walking silently for a long time, Dudian stopped. When he looked up, in front of him was the hidden alchemist stronghold that he had discovered before.
Three years had passed, and the alley was still as shabby and dark as before. There were still walls camouflaged with cloth on the walls. However, through his sense of smell, Dudian could tell that there was no residual scent in the alchemist stronghold. Most likely, the stronghold had been moved.
Just then, the sound of a carriage passed by behind him. The breeze blew the carriage curtain, and a faint fragrance drifted out from it.
Dudian was slightly taken aback, turned around, and looked at the receding shadow of the carriage.