"What?!"
The association manager froze for a moment. He realized that the situation had turned around. Instead of the Dragon City needing the association, it was them who needed the Dragon City as a passage.
There was no discussion about this in the government previously, so he couldn't help but notice that this idea might be presented by the young man.
He might have underestimated this young man too much. At first, Hao Yu looked like a puppy that could be devoured at any time. But it seemed that he was the hidden dragon of the Dragon City.
The manager asked, "Are you sure that there will be more roads in the future?"
"I said what I said. If you only want to talk about this, then I don't want to waste my time. The magistrate only tasks me to resolve the conflicts between the common people and the merchants. He doesn't tell me about the method, so removing the merchant altogether will be enough to resolve the conflict."
Hao Yu completely berated him. But considering the previous treatment he received earlier, this seemed to be light.
The association manager took a deep breath before resigning to his fate. "I understand. What is…" He stopped for a moment when he saw Hao Yu's cold gaze and hurriedly corrected himself to be more polite. "May I know your demands?"
Hao Yu raised four fingers. "First, the merchant will lower the price back to the normal level. Even if you don't do this, the price will go down once the Dragon City turns into a hub."
"I understand. I'll tell the rest of the merchants, and if any of them don't comply, I shall expel them from this city or even the merchant association."
"Second, the government won't pay the merchant to visit the city anymore."
"That's…" The manager gritted his teeth, looking very frustrated. But if the dam was completed, the merchant would be grateful to pay the Dragon City just to cross it. After all, the Dragon City's location was strategic, and instead of wasting a lot of time and being prone to bandits, it was better to use the Dragon City.
So, instead of fighting Hao Yu over this, it was better to agree to this arrangement, getting used to the situation first. "Understood. But if I may… I would like to explain the dam's plan to the rest of the merchants. It will be easier to convince them this way."
"I don't mind." Hao Yu nodded and raised three fingers. "The third demand is to create a festival that will last for a week. The merchant will sell their goods for a discounted price."
"Wait. That's…" The manager's face became even more distorted. The first two demands were still acceptable. While it hurt their profits, those were the profits they shouldn't make in the first place. But a discounted price? It was the same as telling them to make a loss. And Hao Yu even demanded it to last for a week.
"After all the profits you've taken from the Dragon City black-heartedly, don't you think you should be punished a little?" Hao Yu glared at him.
The manager didn't seem to be willing to accept it. That was why Hao Yu added, "And it's not like this is going to be that much of a loss for you."
"What do you mean?"
"If you comply with this demand, the people will have a boost in their morale, which allows them to work faster. And with the increase in my reputation, I can influence the government more and demand them to build the dam faster. In other words, you can use the new road in three months."
"!!!" The manager widened his eyes in shock. If one wanted a road on top of a dam, one needed a grand dam that was strong and wide enough for the carriage to pass through. Unlike the bridge that would be hard for a heavy carriage to pass, a dam like this would make their travel smooth.
But to build such a grand dam would require a massive amount of funds and a long time. If Hao Yu could promise that the dam would be finished in three months, the merchant association would greatly benefit from it.
"Three months…" The manager muttered.
"Yes. I promise you that as long as nothing happens, the dam will be finished in three months." Hao Yu confirmed it without hesitation. What the manager didn't know was that the original plan was actually three months. They were going to employ more than a hundred workers to complete it, which would speed up the process.
But because the manager didn't know about the original plan, he fell for Hao Yu's words, stating that he would speed up the progress.
The manager nodded his head. "Understood. I can agree with this festival. But it will take some time to explain and arrange the festival. I promise I will hold it in seven days… no, three days are enough."
"The government will take care of the rest." Hao Yu nodded. "As for the last demand, I have to check the goods."
Hao Yu's demand became bigger and bigger. Instead of being distorted, the manager looked like he was scared for his life. "Definitely not. You can demand anything, but not that!"
Hao Yu seemed to have caught something. "According to the report, the merchants are bringing goods much more than what is seen in the market. Don't you think it's suspicious?"
The manager gritted his teeth and repeated his words. "Definitely not. You can demand anything, but not that. Please…"
This time, he actually pleaded with Hao Yu, which raised suspicions even more.
Since the situation had been turned around, the merchant association couldn't refuse the government. In fact, the government had every right to inspect their cargo. But previously, the merchant could refuse and threaten the government that they would leave the city. This time, if they didn't comply, it would be the government expelling them.
"Ah… look at you. Scared. Did you smuggle banned goods?" Hao Yu smirked. Looking at how terrified the manager was, Hao Yu tried to find the culprit by testing his reaction. "I see. Cultivators, huh…"
In that instant, the manager's heart sank.