Chapter 58: The Beginning of Changing the World
This was Dragonstone. Stannis's dictionary might not even contain the word "polite." Guided by the guards, the Night's Watchman quickly walked out of the castle gates, facing the dark night. The kind-hearted guards gave him a torch. Of course, there were no wolves or White Walkers on the island, and for a Night's Watch ranger, walking a few miles at night was nothing to be afraid of. Bathed in the dim moonlight, Aeg stumbled towards the fishing village by the shore.
The ship had not left, and Aeg breathed a sigh of relief. The captain and the old miner and his son anxiously asked what had happened. Naturally, he couldn't tell the truth to these ordinary people in front of him. He made up an excuse about a case of mistaken identity, and went straight back to his cabin.
Returning to King's Landing from Dragonstone was different from the journey there. sailing against the wind and current at night, if they set out in the middle of the night, Dragonstone might still be in sight by dawn. There was no choice but to let the ship stay in Dragonstone's small port for another night, setting sail only when it was light.
Standing at the stern, watching the island gradually fade into the distance, Aeg sighed: Arranging the mining of dragon glass was a casual move made in the midst of a busy schedule. According to the original plan, all subsequent matters would be handed over to the old miner and his son. he would only provide funds and wouldn't bother to interfere at all. Who would have thought that such a short trip would inadvertently involve him in the struggle between the Lord of Light and the Cold God, and learn so much "inside information" of unknown truth from Melisandre?
Since it was unknown whether it was true or false, there was no point in worrying about it. People should live in the present. It was time to get down to business.
Sailing against the Blackwater Rush flowing eastward into the narrow sea, the small boat rocked back and forth on the water for another day and night before arriving at the port of Blackwater Rush near King's Landing. Four days after leaving the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, Aeg once again set foot on the land of Westeros. After briefly explaining his address and subsequent matters to the old miner, he entered the city through the Mud Gate and returned to the Albatross Inn where he had previously stayed, just past noon.
Tyrion came to find Aeg as soon as he learned of his return.
"You're finally back! While you were on Dragonstone, I didn't even feel like going to the tavern or the brothel."
The dwarf's opening words left the Night's Watchman completely baffled. Fortunately, he quickly followed up with an explanation: "I've been thinking about the 'finance' you mentioned, over and over again, day and night, to the point where I couldn't eat or sleep."
"Have you come up with anything?" The fact that the other party seemed even more anxious than him took Aeg by surprise. However, compared to Melisandre suddenly calling him a heretic and catching him to bleed, this conversation was completely within the Night's Watchman's plan. If it were Eddard Stark or Stannis Baratheon, they would probably dismiss the game of money as a scam without a second thought, but Tyrion was different. Smart people are smart because they can objectively and rationally view new things, which is why Aeg liked dealing with his peers. it saved effort. "You must have realized that if the game of power is about fighting for the right to distribute the pie, then the game of money is about making the pie bigger. Regardless of which game is more important or complex, the latter's contribution to the world is far greater than the former."
"I won't argue, but you shouldn't try to confuse concepts and deceive, at least not with me." Aeg's analogy of resources as a pie was refreshing to Tyrion, but he maintained his seriousness. to be honest, he really wasn't suited for this expression, it made him look a bit ridiculous: "No matter how you explain or cover it up, you have to admit that this is a scam."
Indeed, you can't fool a smart person. Four days had passed, and with Tyrion's brain, he could figure it out no matter how convoluted it was. Aeg was nervous, wondering how to respond: "Tyrion."
Tyrion could tell from Aeg's expression what he was thinking: "Don't plan your excuses, just admit it."
"Alright, I admit it." Aeg was struck by a thought, suddenly realizing that if Tyrion intended to refuse to participate, he wouldn't have said so much nonsense. His tone didn't seem to be a rejection of his fundraising plan: "Yes, I'm trying to carry out a financial scam. There was once a man named Charles Ponzi who used this trick to deceive tens of thousands of people, so this scam is also called a Ponzi scheme."
"How was his scam exposed?"
"To compete with legitimate financial projects, he offered outrageous returns without making any real investments or operations, and even squandered the wealth raised. this led to the quick breakdown of the financial chain. When he couldn't even pay the promised returns, excluding the principal, even if the investors didn't suspect, the scam couldn't continue."
"Just as I deduced." Tyrion raised his eyebrows and looked up, announcing solemnly: "Aeg, I'll join your plan, as long as you agree to three conditions."
Just like that? Standing at the door of a simple single room in the Albatross Inn, Aeg suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of emotion. He realized that this conversation between friends, straightforward and almost exaggeratedly simple, could very well affect the future history of Westeros. He paused for a full second before coming to his senses and nodding: "Go ahead."
"First, every step of the 'fundraising' must be discussed with me, you must explain to me clearly why, and let me participate. Second, the accounts and funds will be managed by me, the money will be kept in an independent residence I rent, and all transactions will go through my hands." Tyrion tried to maintain a serious expression to show his friend he wasn't joking: "Third, if the attempt fails, I will cover the losses to fill the hole. You are not allowed to stubbornly try elsewhere. I will find something for you to do. With your mind, you can live well without resorting to scams. That's it, decide."
The first two conditions were easy to understand. Under Aeg's deliberate approach and friendship, the two had become as close as old friends in just a few months. but they had only known each other for a few months. Tyrion was afraid that Aeg would squander money like the originator of the Ponzi Scheme or even run away with a large sum of money. Aeg had no such intention, so he agreed to the constraints. And if they couldn't get the fundraising going in King's Landing, the population and economic center of Westeros, with the help of a Northern Hand and a Lannister, how could they possibly succeed elsewhere with the same tactics?
Aeg didn't hesitate for a second: "Reasonable requests, I agree to all of them."
"Very well," the dwarf liked Aeg's decisiveness. He nodded, finally having the leisure to re-examine his adventurer friend, and soon frowned: "Did you really go to Dragonstone? You look like you've been soaking in a brothel for three days and nights, looking incredibly weak."
"Is it that exaggerated?" Aeg was actually unable to stop thinking about what Melisandre had said, trying to discern the truth from the lies. He was just suffering from insomnia. Tyrion didn't even believe in the existence of White Walkers. in terms of skepticism, this native of the world was probably more thorough than him: "I got seasick, didn't sleep well."
"Do you want to rest?"
"I'll make a list first. Have Morres and Jack go shopping. I'll take a short nap, and when everything is ready, we can start."
"Very well, I'm eager to get started." Tyrion was like a child about to unwrap a new toy, feeling more energetic than ever in his life, "The game of money. just thinking about it is more exciting than drinking and bedding women."
"Tyrion, you are the most adventurous Westerosi I've ever met."
"Hmph." Tyrion was highly immune to flattery: "You said it yourself, just the most adventurous 'Westerosi', this adventure won't affect my drinking or womanizing, nor will it endanger my life, that's why I find it more interesting than the latter two and dare to try. Compared to you, who has seen the world and crossed the Sunset Sea to get here, I'm just a hick from the backwoods."
"Tsk, forget it, let's save the mutual flattery between us. I'll give you the list of supplies we need right away. This afternoon, we'll start preparing to issue Night's Watch bonds."
*****
Dear Readers,
Hello there!
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out and explain the recent hectic pace in our usual daily releases. The past few days have been quite the whirlwind, which has, unfortunately, led to some unpredictable scheduling. However, I'm hopeful that we can now settle back into our regular rhythm and be able to resume our daily journey through the pages of our shared story.
I also encourage you to take a peek at my other literary endeavors. I'm confident that you'll find them captivating. They're waiting to whisk you away on new adventures.
Your patience during this time has been truly appreciated. It means the world to me, and I can't thank you enough.
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Here's to many more chapters yet to come.
Warmest regards,
BoredIdler