Codd was a big merchant in the Calor region. His family had been doing business for generations. When he was young, he once ventured out alone. He was quite famous in the northern part of the Southern Territory. He had a keen eye, dared to take action, but was also cautious. He was a standard merchant who could seize any profit and still abide by the spirit of the contract. His family business covered many fields, such as furs, spices, and potions. Because he had a wide network of friends, he had channels in the Whitsunday Plain and the Eastern Region.
Phal was Codd's eldest son. If there were no accidents, this young man with a talent for business would inherit his father's business.
Gawain looked at the great merchant in front of him and compared him to the information he had in his mind. This was the first time he had seen Cord in person, but he was quite familiar with this merchant. Two things about him had left a deep impression on him.
The first was the reorganization of the Calor Business Association. After the war of unification in the Southern Territory, the Government Office took over the Calor region. The originally loose association of local merchants was reorganized and put under the management of the Government Office. At that time, Mr. Codd was the first big merchant to sign the agreement. After that, he actively promoted the reorganization of the business order in the whole region, which attracted the attention of the local governor and earned him a place in the Government Office.
The second thing was earlier. After the rise of Cecil's alchemy potions, the cheap industrial potions quickly spread throughout the Southern Territory. Almost all merchants involved in the potion business were affected, and Codd's family was no exception. However, when the merchants fled, changed their profession, or sought refuge with Count Hoffman, Mr. Codd did a shocking thing. Without hesitation, he abandoned all the finished potion business of his family and started a wholesale business of herbal raw materials and alchemy potions. He became one of Cecil's earliest raw material suppliers and alchemy potion wholesalers.
He was an excellent businessman.
"Take a seat. Don't stand on ceremony." Gwen chose to meet the father and son in the study. Naturally, he would not show a superior attitude. "Betty, prepare some refreshments and send them to the study."
There were tables and chairs in the study. Coade and Buer calmed their nerves and sat down as gracefully as they could. To be able to sit face to face with such a noble was almost an unimaginable opportunity for commoner merchants like them. Even with Coade's mental fortitude, it was difficult for him to remain calm. However, this great merchant did not lose his basic judgment. He noticed that this was a study, which was undoubtedly a good sign.
The living room was the most common place to receive guests, but the study room was even more secretive. Most of the time, the things that could be discussed in the study room could not be brought to the living room.
There was a big deal today.
Gwen observed Coade and Phal's reactions and smiled. "Don't be nervous. Today, we are going to talk about your field of expertise. Padrick recommended you to me. Mr. Codd, as far as I know, you have a wide range of trade routes. "
"It's all about making a living." Codd carefully weighed every word. "It's nothing in front of you."
"You don't have to be modest. The value of merchants is very important to the Duchy. Mr. Codd, I heard that you even have business in the Eastern Region?"
Codd's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he did not know how to answer. Sweat slowly appeared on the back of his neck.
The Eastern Region and the Royal Army were at war. Although the Southern Region was not involved in the civil war, the merchants with a wide range of trade routes were more or less affected.
Other than the Southern Region, Codd's business also had a large market in the Holy Spirit Plains. At the same time, he also had some dealings with the merchants in the Eastern Region.
Due to the change in the situation at Firmrock Stronghold, the trade route to the Holy Spirit Plains was not smooth. To avoid losses, many merchants who did business in the Holy Spirit Plains were looking for other ways to do business. Codd had also strengthened his ties with the Eastern Region. Using the land corridor in the Gilan area as a transit point, he had recently sent several large quantities of goods there, mostly potions.
He did not violate Cecil's laws. He had paid all the taxes and registered all the goods. But now that the duke suddenly asked this question … should he answer yes or no?
Gwen Cecil was the founding duke of Ansu. So, who did he support in this civil war? In terms of legitimacy, he might support the Royal Army … but to be honest, in this civil war, was there anyone who was 100% legitimate?
Countless thoughts flashed through Codd's mind in an instant. A sea of interests weighed one after another. But he had to answer. So, after a short two seconds of hesitation, he said, "… There are some channels, but because of the civil war, the channels are not very smooth …"
"To me, the Eastern Region and the Royal Army are the same," Gwen said slowly. "It's just a fight between the younger generation."
Codd's face turned serious. "But the channels are much smoother recently."
"That's good." Gwen nodded satisfactorily. "The Duchy needs your business."
Cord controlled his expression well, but he still couldn't help but hold his breath.
Big! Life! Will!
A bigger business than he had imagined!
The merchant's face was almost glowing. "I'm willing to serve you. This is the highest honor of my family!"
Gwen nodded satisfactorily again. Then, he said, "Then, you should understand this business …"
Codd listened carefully, not daring to say a word.
As he had expected, the Duke wanted to do business with the Eastern Region. He wanted to sell potions to the Eastern Region.
This was a big business, but it could not be done with too much fanfare, so it needed an agent.
Codd and his family would be this agent, carrying out the Duke's will and managing the flowing gold coins.
The Duke's offer was very generous. Although the family would no longer enjoy all the profits of the potion business in the Eastern Region, but they would have to hand over most of the profits to the Duchy. But this part of the "loss" was not worth mentioning compared to the upcoming profits.
With the support of the Duke, how many times would the family's potion business in the Eastern Region expand? Ten times? Twenty times?
It would only be more than that!
Codd knew what kind of business it was to be an agent of the nobility. He was a commoner, so he knew that there were many people like him who would fight for such an opportunity even if they had to part with most of their family's wealth. This was a way to enter the upper class and obtain the special honor of the bloodline.
An excellent agent could obtain a real title for his descendants, and for this possibility, they were willing to pay a huge price.
Although the nobles in the Southern Region did not have much real power, only honorary titles and limited hereditary treatment, but on the other hand, the Duke did not require him to pay a huge price, and he could even earn a lot. There was nothing better in the world than this.
After most of the things were explained, Gwen looked into Codd's eyes and asked, "So, do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Excellency, I completely understand," Codd quickly nodded and said. Then he pulled his bow tie, calmed down and cautiously asked, "But I don't understand … why did you specifically choose me?"
"You are capable and smart," Gwen leaned back in his chair, "Besides, I didn't specifically choose you. Patrick recommended twelve candidates, and I just picked you out of the twelve alternatives."
Codd blinked, and a trace of understanding appeared on his face. Then he stood up and bowed his head deeply, "I understand. Codd Baldwin, in the name of my family, swears that I will be loyal and will never betray my oath to you."
"You will." Gwen nodded with a smile and took out a stack of documents. "Then let's sign the agreement. After that, Patrick will contact you and prepare everything for your business. As for how to develop the business in the Eastern Region … you don't need anyone to help you. "
Coade solemnly took the stack of documents and carefully read them from top to bottom twice. The agreement drawn up by the Duke was more strict and formal than he had imagined. It was even more professional than the contracts signed by many merchants. He could not find anything to be suspicious about.
So he signed his name on it. As the last stroke fell, he let out a long sigh.
The young man named Phal just watched quietly. He remembered his father's teachings and did not say a word on such occasions, and did not miss a word.
After the agreement was signed, Codd was completely relieved. Then he looked at Gwen cautiously with a trace of hesitation on his face.
Gwen was ready to return to his previous work, but when he noticed the reaction of the merchant, he asked, "Mr. Codd, do you have any other questions?"
"Your Grace, I have a very presumptuous question … or maybe a few questions. I hope you don't feel offended." Codd chose his words more carefully than before. After getting Gawain's permission, he continued, "When we came here, we saw the new cars on display in the square … Those incredible magic cars left a deep impression on us. I'd like to ask … Are they for sale to commoners? If you want to buy them, what are the conditions? "
Looking at the look of anticipation on the merchant's face, Gwen could not help but laugh. "Of course they are for sale. Like the mining machines, the magic car can be bought and sold. Of course, it will be very expensive in the early stages, just like the earliest mining machines. But for a rich businessman like you who needs it, it's an affordable price. Besides, because it's a new thing, the factory's production line is still being adjusted, and some of the follow-up management systems have not yet been made public. You will probably have to wait for a while before you can buy it. As for the conditions … First of all, you must be trained to master the way to control it. Secondly, you must abide by the corresponding traffic laws because it is a faster and more powerful means of transportation than cattle and horses. We must ensure its safety in the process of using it. "
"Oh, I totally understand that." Codd nodded. "I've seen the mining machines, and I can imagine how powerful a vehicle powered by a magic engine would be. When this thing is running on the road, it's not good to be careless."
Gwen was happy to see that someone had realized the function of a new thing so soon after it was born, and took the initiative to try and use it. He saw that Codd still had something to say, so he encouraged him. "If there's anything else you want to say, just say it. I'm not a strict person, and you don't have to be nervous."
"Thank you for your understanding, but I have another question." Codd said as he organized his words. "About the magic network broadcast … There are no broadcast devices in the Calore region, but there are in the Monolith City in the north and the Kant region in the south …"
Gwen listened to Codd's words and sighed slightly in his heart.
The merchant was telling the truth. The coverage of the magic network broadcast devices was indeed quite limited compared to the newspapers. This was because the production capacity of the magic network terminals was limiting its installation. The limited number of terminals determined that Gwen could only install them in the necessary places. The Monolith City was a frontline fortress, and the Kant City was a new industrial city. These two places were naturally included. As for the Calore region … the development could only be delayed.
"The number of magic network terminals is limited. That's why we weren't able to cover the entire Calor region in time. However, you can rest assured that Cecil will not abandon any piece of land or its citizens. Our next step will be to install magic network terminals in all the tier 2 towns, including Calor."
After hearing Gwen's explanation, Codd expressed his gratitude. "Then if the Calore Association of Commerce is willing to provide funds … We will pay for the machines, install the relay towers, and pay for the maintenance. Can you give us priority in installing the machines? I only have a small request … "
Gwen was slightly startled. He then looked at Codd with a scrutinizing look. "What request?"
Codd cleared his throat and began to describe his idea. "It's like this. On the way here, I've asked about a lot of things related to the Magic Net broadcast. I thought of … something. It's similar to the 'program' on the Magic Net, but the content is different. I want to use it to introduce the specialties of Calor and our business projects …"
Gwen's expression did not change, but his heart was already in shock. As he listened to Codd's words, he could not help but look at the unfinished proposal.
Codd, on the other hand, was already in the zone. His nervousness finally subsided, and his speech became smoother. "People say that Calore has no specialties, but we actually have a good cheese. It's delicious when paired with the local ochre wine. But almost no outsiders know about it, and it's hard to sell. When I heard that I was coming to Cecil City, a few of my friends discussed it with me for a long time. They wanted to rent a small space in the 'newspaper' to introduce the specialties, but no one knew how to do it. We studied all the laws published by the government office, but we didn't find any prohibition on this. So I decided to come here to try my luck. But after seeing the magic network broadcast, I think it's better than the newspaper … "
Gwen could not help but interrupt him. "You want to advertise in the newspaper?!"
"Advertisement?" Codd was stunned for a moment. He had never heard of this term before. But Gwen used the root word formation method, which was a combination of 'widely disseminate' and 'inform'. So it only took him a moment to understand the meaning. "Ah, so you've already thought of this thing?"
"… No, it's your creation." Gwen pinched his eyebrows and waved his hand. "Go on, Mr. Codd. Go on. All your ideas, all your ideas. Tell me."
"Yes. I think the Magic Net broadcast is a better thing. Look, it gives people a deeper impression, and the images of the event can directly show the goods. Furthermore, it spreads faster than newspapers. But if we can also publish 'advertisements' in newspapers, that would be even better, because newspapers can be distributed to a wider area … "
Codd seemed to be emboldened by Gwen's encouragement. He was so excited that even Phal was stunned. The young man had not seen his father so excited for many years.
"In fact, we also considered whether to spend money to buy a printing machine and print our own publicity materials, but the government office told us that it's illegal …"
"There are many merchants in Calore who want to buy machines to build textile factories and brickworks. The government office approved our request, but it's difficult to recruit people, and the products we make are not easy to sell. We are strictly following the government office's requirements, but it's too difficult to advertise the products." "That's right.
Gwen listened to the merchant's narration one by one. When the merchant finally finished, he sighed softly.
"Your Lordship," Codd seemed to realize that he had been too bold just now, and his face showed an uneasy expression. "These are just some bold and presumptuous ideas, you can …"
"These ideas are very interesting," Gwen interrupted him. "And very valuable."
Codd looked overjoyed. "Then … do you agree?"
"I think it's feasible. Of course, it requires a strict plan and supporting institutional constraints." Gwen nodded. "Can you imagine what will happen if the merchants are allowed to advertise in the newspaper and radio?"
Codd frowned and thought. "The things will be easier to sell, and more people will know about the specialties of distant places …"
As he spoke, he hesitated for a moment, but he continued. "… There may also be people who make up exaggerated descriptions, or even completely false information … If the situation gets out of hand, people will no longer believe the things in the newspaper and radio programs …"
Gwen nodded to himself. Codd was indeed a smart man and a qualified businessman.
Even before advertising was born, he had already thought of false advertising — although it seemed that he did not intend to use it.
"As you said, Mr. Codd, this kind of new thing needs to be treated with caution," Gwen said. "Before we let it go, we have to formulate stricter rules to prevent people from cheating and deceiving the audience. We have to set up an audit system and a punishment system. On the other hand, we also have to set up a management system for the people in charge of the audit in the government office to prevent them from abusing their power for personal gain and using the audit as a tool for profit …"
Strict institutional constraints — Codd could not help but think of the soldiers in front of the outpost who did not accept a single copper coin.
Although he did not know what means the duke used to restrain the soldiers, he believed that strict institutions and discipline played an important role in it.
The great merchant bowed his head in front of Gwen and said sincerely, "Governing a piece of land is more complicated than I thought. I took everything for granted."
"Governing a piece of land is indeed complicated, but I'm more glad that there are people like you who are diligent and willing to think. Every problem you raise is making progress for this piece of land." Gwen stood up, left the desk, and came to Codd. He took the initiative to extend his hand. "Mr. Codd, thank you for your contribution to Cecil. I'll remember your needs. Please go back and wait for the good news. "
The great merchant took his son away in fear and trepidation. Gwen stood quietly in the study for a while, then turned back to the desk and sat down.
He looked at the draft plan and the half-finished articles on it. After a moment of thought, he raised his hand and brushed the paper.
The unfinished page was instantly reduced to ashes.
Then Gwen stretched his hand to the blank paper next to him, ready to rewrite the plan. But before he could do that, Amber's annoying voice came from the empty windowsill. "Oh ho — it's useless."
Gao Wen didn't even look back as he tossed a ball of paper over. Hearing the exclamation of "Oh my God" coming from outside the window, he picked up his pen again and took out a special notebook from under his desk. After opening it, he wrote a few words in Chinese characters:
Ansu, 8th of Misty Month 736, a new lesson.
The people don't need you to teach them.
Don't make such a mistake again.
(Recommended book, "Dungeon Player", full of silly (crossed out) fun dungeon production and construction stories. Worth reading.)
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