Lauter was a small merchant in the Marquis of the Dolphin of the Brad Empire. He had been doing business in the Marquis of the Dolphin for more than ten years. He had sold spices, moved charcoal, and even managed aristocratic accessories. In the end, all of them failed.
It was not that he did not know how to do business, nor was it that he was not diligent enough. It was just that he was an ordinary civilian.
In the Brad Empire, without the backing of the noble bloodline, any business that had a slight upturn would find it difficult to continue. It would either be annexed or crushed by the nobles.
After Lauter's business hit a bump in the country, he sold the farmland in his hometown. With the last of his capital, he came to Duohuang and started international trade.
The black pork in Marquis of the Dolphin cost 10 copper coins per catty. If transported to Duohuang, it could be sold for more than 50 copper coins per catty. The price immediately increased by more than five times!
As for the bobo fruit, which could be seen everywhere in the Elven Empire, when they were transported to the Marquis of the Dolphin, they would be crazily snatched by the nobles.
The profits of a round trip to Duohuang would be more than 10 times!
Lauter immediately believed the widely circulated poem.
"Love or hate is up to you. Invite him to Duohuang. There will be people in Heaven and people in Hell."
In Duohuang, merchants could become rich as if they were in Heaven. In Duohuang, merchants could easily die and go to Hell.
As a small merchant, Lauter's appetite was not big enough, so he could only do business on the small streets.
Blood Crime Street was a place that Lauter loved and feared. Although he had hired a team of guards, he still did not feel safe.
In Blood Crime Street, he had seen a Level 5 expert with the violent ape bloodline being hacked to death. He had also met a merchant who was haggling with him a second ago but was then involved in a fight between experts in the next second and turned to ashes by a bolt of lightning.
This time, he pulled ten trucks loaded with 80 live black pigs. After selling them and deducting the cost and the fees of the guards, he could earn a net profit of 100 gold coins.
Thinking of the gold coins, Lauter was full of courage. He came to Blood Crime Street with a smile.
He saw a group of barbarians who were taller than beastmen patrolling the street.
A bearman walked into the street and was stopped by the barbarian patrol team.
"Look at the notice on the wall before entering Blood Crime Street!"
The bearman was impatient and about to protest when he suddenly saw a scene in front of the street.
It was a pile of bloody heads piled neatly on the wooden table. At a glance, there were at least dozens of heads. The stench of fresh blood attracted many flies, and vultures circling in the sky that liked to eat carrion.
Magis grinned and said to the bearman, "No fighting is allowed in Blood Crime Street. Those who violate the rules will be killed without mercy!
"Anyone who does business in Blood Crime Street must trade according to the market guide price. The extreme battle group collects 5% of the trading volume as tax. Those who dare to quote prices to disrupt the market or refuse to pay taxes will be killed without mercy!"
Bean-sized beads of sweat flowed down the black fur of the bearman. He, who had always been domineering, appeared weak and helpless at this moment.
"I... I'm here to fight in the arena. Can I fight in the arena?"
Magis revealed his neat white teeth.
"Yes."
Lauter commanded the convoy and obediently entered Blood Crime Street. He first read the notice carefully. Under the notice, there were all kinds of goods with guide prices.
Black pork: 50 copper coins/catty, bobo fruit: 1 silver coin/catty
Lauter saw the price of the black pork and bobo fruit immediately. This price was the market price in the past, and he could accept it.
As he walked along the street, Lauter noticed the changes at once.
The streets in the past were dirty and messy. The smell of sweat, feces, and urine mixed, and the stench was unbearable.
Now, the streets were clean and hygienic. The strange smell in the air was completely gone. On both sides of the streets, there was a simple hut called "Public toilet."
The previous notice mentioned that those who came to Blood Crime Street were strictly forbidden to urinate or defecate at will. If there was a need, it could be solved in the public toilet.
There were no more drunkards and bloody fights that happened at the slightest disagreement on the street now. Lauter's heart inexplicably relaxed.
"Hey! Old buddy, it's so good to see you again!"
"Stingy Lauter, I've been alive and well even after you died a hundred times. How many black pigs did you bring this time?"
"A total of 80, weighing about 35,000 pounds."
"I have to weigh them again. God knows how miserable these black pigs are living during the transportation."
Lauter laughed. "Old friend, it's rare that you know how to joke."
"Of course. I have a lot of sense of humor. It's just that I've been suppressed in the past. You've seen the price. 50 copper coins per catty. We'll have to pay the tax later, 5% each. Don't forget, or else you'll go before me."
After the black pigs were weighed, they had indeed lost weight. It was only 34,051 catty. Lauter completed the transaction according to this weight.
The old man handed him a list. "Lucky Lauter, you have earned a large sum of money again. This list is your proof of paying taxes at the center of the street. You must keep it well. If you don't pay the taxes, you won't be able to walk out of Blood Crime Street."
Lauter nodded. He had earned more than 100 gold coins by selling the black pigs. It was completely acceptable for him to pay taxes of around 8 gold coins.
He did not want to make a joke of his head.
Lauter took the voucher and did not go to the center of the street. Instead, he went to an elf shop first and bought 16 tons of bobo fruits. Then, he filled the empty truck again.
Bobo fruits were kept fresh by the elves' magic. They would not spoil even if they were kept for a month. If they were transported back to the Marquis of the Dolphin, the price would double.
With another voucher in his hand, Lauter took two vouchers to the center of the street to pay taxes.
In the past, every time he came to Blood Crime Street, he had to compare the goods with the other shops. He had to bargain with each other, and it would take at least three days to complete the transaction.
In less than half a day, Lauter had finished the business.
In a good mood, he went to the restaurant for the first time and invited the guards and helpers to eat.
In the restaurant, more than ten businessmen were sitting at the next table. They were wearing the same uniform and looked like a small chamber of commerce.
"Ridiculous, the extreme battle group dares to levy taxes? Duohuang has been developing for hundreds of years, but no one has ever levied taxes here. I, Old Lars, will not accept this!"
"Yes, yes, yes, President Lars, you have been in Duohuang for more than 20 years. Your seniority and prestige are high. We are willing to go with you to Street No. 111 next door to do business."
"That's right, Duohuang has 118 streets. We can go to any street we want to do business on. Can the extreme battle group force us?"
Seeing that his words were supported by everyone, Lars stroked his beard in satisfaction.
"Let's go to Street No. 111."
Lars stood up and the few lackeys who had just voiced their agreement also stood up.
The awkward thing was that half of the merchants on the table did not stand up.
One of the short and fat merchants said, "President Lars, I'm not greedy. I just need to do some small business here at the Blood Crime Street."
"That's right!" Another person said, "Our Chamber of Commerce can't all go to the same street. If the supply is too large, it will also affect the selling price."
Lars looked astonished at the person who was sitting. His face was livid. He said coldly, "You guys can stay in Blood Crime Street and be slaves of the extreme battle group."
After saying that, he walked out of the restaurant with a few of his underlings.
Seeing this scene, Lauter understood very well that this kind of dispute occurred in this small chamber of commerce. It was not because of feelings or interests, but just because their ideas were not consistent.
Taxation was a very sensitive matter for merchants. Some merchants could not accept it and would leave Blood Crime Street.
However, some merchants were willing to pay the price of taxes to enjoy a safe, fair, and more efficient business environment.
Lauter believed that as time passed, more and more merchants would come to Blood Crime Street.
The future of Blood Crime Street would become more and more prosperous. If it continued to develop like this, it would be just a matter of time before it became the most prosperous street in Duohuang.
Thinking of this, Lauter was full of respect for Lord Ning Shi, the Lord of the extreme wilderness who had rebuilt the order of the Blood Crime Street!
He couldn't help but raise his wine glass and toast to the merchants who chose to stay on Blood Crime Street at the next table.
"Praise Lord Ning Shi, the Lord of the extreme wilderness!"
The merchants were stunned for a moment. After they reacted, they also raised their wine glasses.
"Praise Lord Ning Shi!"
"May Lord Ning Shi rule Blood Crime Street forever!"