In an apartment, a family of five was expelled from their home. They wept bitterly, clutching their children's heads, embracing the elderly, pounding on the landlord's door, pleading to be let into the warm house.
After a while, the man's remaining will was frozen and destroyed by the cold outside. He pulled a sharp knife from his luggage and plunged it into his heart.
"Doesn't it look like magic?"
Idiot, always watching from a corner, heard Blood Extinguisher's cold laughter echo in his mind again. As the woman's frantic screams and the children's pitiful cries filled the air, a look of admiration appeared in its bloody eye.
"Two days ago, this town was thriving, and everyone made a fortune, becoming rich. But two days later, people began to go bankrupt, turning into paupers. Hahaha! Is there any magic more powerful than this?"
The fool continued to watch indifferently as ropes were hung from the trees by the roadside, and one by one, those stripped of their wealth and livelihoods used them to end their lives. He took a bite of his bread and looked down…
The baby girl was asleep, but for some reason, her face had a cold expression. Perhaps it was because of the frigid night she spent in the snow.
Thinking this, the fool held the baby girl tighter. He stood up and walked out of the alley. He followed the street, now filled with "hanging trees," towards the trading post…
Gloom and death began to replace the prosperity of the small town. The streets were filled with those driven to death by creditors and those who took their own lives in despair, spreading the stench of corpses everywhere.
Inflation had been out of control, catching the attention of some still sober-minded individuals who started to move their assets.
The ratio of gold to silver coins had gone insane in Kuwait Town, but it remained stable elsewhere.
However, to exchange currency out of town, one had to pay a 50% tax. Moreover, the minimum tax required was no less than 1,000 gold coins or 6,204 silver coins in other normal regions. By transferring funds, one could save half of their remaining wealth despite the loss.
Yet, this massive tax was something common people couldn't afford.
...
Idiot went towards the trading post in the desolate town. But even before he could reach it, he heard a cheer of madness and raucous emanating from the direction of the trading post. Mixed with the sounds were cries, tears of joy. It seemed as if the people were celebrating their narrow escape from the brink of destruction.
He entered the trading post and saw that the exchange rate between gold and silver coins had been revised to 1:6.204. Next to the exchange rate board, a freshly posted official document from the government laid out two policies aimed at stabilizing this crumbling town.
"1. The silver coin is declared as the official currency of the nation and must not be refused when trading things in this town. Those who reject silver coins will be charged with the crime of obstructing public order and subject to a 5-day imprisonment."
"2. The currency exchange rate in Kuwait Town will now align with the national rate and will no longer be affected by market fluctuations."
Gold coins had always been valuable in the town. Under the influence of the policies, since the exchange rate between silver coins and gold coins was forcibly restored and silver coins couldn't be refused when purchasing goods, the credit and value of silver coins were naturally restored.
The young beggar, with his pitch-black eyes cold as ever, remained expressionless as he read through the documents, contemplating silently. It was as if these policies, which made an overwhelming blow to his plans, were not unexpected to him.
"Hahaha, brat, aren't you furious and anxious? At the peak, the exchange rate reached 1:20. But if you wanted to buy a national train ticket worth 50 gold coins or 310 silver coins with your measly 13 gold coins and 2 silver coins, you would need an exchange rate of $310/13=23.846. A futile effort, kid."
(The train station belongs to the nation, so prices of train tickets won't be affected by the town's exchange rate)
"..." The beggar didn't reply.
" Also, I don't understand why you paid 13 gold coins for many bags of bread at different places and hid them secretly before going here. Although the moment you paid gold coins was at the peak of its value( when the exchange rate was 1:20), which means that, with 13 gold coins, you just bought more than three times the amount of bread than now (now the exchange rate was 1:6.2), you didn't earn more from purchasing that bread, compared with exchanging these gold coins at the peak price for silver coins."
" Now, what are you going to do? I'm expecting, brat"
"...do nothing but write another letter to the baron"
" So you have given up and want to beg him? Then how about pulling me out to rob and kill the baron? There must be much wealth. And that's the fastest way to get enough money to your destination, right?"
" No. And...I won't use your power again."
"Haha, hope you can always resist it, we'll see."
...
At this moment, in the Baron's mansion, a massive figure was continuously smashing furniture and cursing non-stop to vent his anger.
He regretted. When the exchange rate reached 1:20, he didn't immediately exchange with those foolish commoners. Afterall, it wasn't long before the exchange rate for gold and silver coins went from 1:6.5 to 1:20, even within a day,.
He could have made a significant profit by exchanging his hoarded gold coins for the commoners' silver coins before leaving the town after paying taxes at that exchange rate.
But human hearts are always greedy. Once he discovered how fast and easy it was to make money, he would greedily want to earn more, much more. So, he didn't exchange a single gold coin.
He thought to himself, in less than a day, it became 1:20. If it's two days later, wouldn't it be possible for it to become 1:40, or even 80, 100?!
Of course, he knew the government was likely to take action, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon. He had originally planned to use the gold coins he hoarded to exchange a large amount of silver coins from the commoners two days later. But the sudden policy trapped him now.
Just as he vented over, one of his servants walked in.
The baron gritted his teeth, picked up a glass, opened a bottle of red wine, and tried to pour himself some to calm down. But his hand was trembling, and he couldn't accurately pour the wine into the glass. In frustration, he threw the glass away and drank directly from the bottle.
"Sir! Sir! There's a child requesting to see you!"
A servant rushed in.
"A child? Chase him away! I don't have time to deal with those beggars!!"
The baron's mood was very bad. He threw the wine bottle to the ground and scolded loudly.
The servant was startled but still tremblingly said, "But… but sir… that child said Lawnold asked him to deliver a letter to you…"
"Lawnold? A letter?!"
In an instant, the baron remembered the boy who delivered the letter yesterday and the mysterious Lawnold. This man also reminded him that the national government may react soon to the exchange rate so he should act fast, but he didn't care too much last time. This time, he would follow and care for all the content the man wrote.
It was at this moment that his twisted face, distorted by anxiety, began to radiate infinite light!
"Quickly bring that child in! Let's see if the esteemed Mr. Lawnold has any way to protect our wealth. It affects his earnings too. We are in the same boat."
Perhaps from birth until now, the baron had never shown such an excited and thrilled expression. He straightened his formal attire, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sat upright on the sofa, waiting for the beggar to enter.
The beggar holding a baby girl walked in, placing the letter he was holding on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
"Sir, Mr. Lawnold instructed me to convey to you that as long as you follow the instructions in the letter, you can still make a fortune. But he can't do it himself, so he can only ask for your help."
The baron laughed, a very happy laugh. While busily opening the letter in his hand, he asked the servant to give him tea and snacks brought in for the beggar to enjoy.
"Child, where is this Mr. Lawnold? Can you please ask him to come and meet me in person? No, tell me where he is, I want to go and personally pay him a visit!"
The beggar still didn't respond. He seemed lost in thought and after a moment, he replied.
"Sir, Mr. Lawnold only told me to deliver the letter. I don't know where he lives, and I haven't been there. He always comes to the slums to find me. Last time, when I told him about the Baron's invitation to a banquet, he said that after everyone makes a big profit and completes this business, he will definitely come to the Baron's mansion for the banquet."
But at this moment, the baron just stared at the content of the letter, silly and continuously smiling. There was even saliva drooling from the corner of his mouth. It seemed like he didn't hear a word the beggar said, completely immersed in the brilliant money-making plan outlined in the letter.
...