Chapter 29: Straying Further Down the Path of Crime

Wu Qingsong’s eyes burned with intensity as he stared at the two individuals seated across from him. To his disappointment, however, Bernar maintained an air of composed indifference, and Ram retained her enigmatic smile, her emotions unreadable.

The atmosphere left him with the troubling sensation of having swung at thin air, a profoundly frustrating experience.

“Bernar mentioned that you lack common sense, and it appears he’s right,” Ram finally broke the strained silence, her smile undiminished. “Your ideas aren’t fundamentally flawed, but your grasp of costs and profits leaves something to be desired.”

“Oh?” Wu Qingsong seized the chance to readjust his posture, hoping to alleviate some of his unease.

“As a half-elf, you ought to have a better understanding of elven intricacies than I do. Yet, you seem quite uninformed, don’t you, Wu?”

Sweat began to bead on Wu Qingsong’s back, but, fortunately, Ram chose not to dwell on the point.

“Do you know who currently controls the soap business?” She took a sip of her tea and set the cup back on the table. “Publicly, it’s the Feget Trading Company from the East. The real power behind them is Grand Duke Feget, one of the Empire’s most influential nobles. He is a member of the Imperial Senate, the Vice President of the Imperial Magic Association, an honorary professor at Padamia Magic Academy, and also one of the honorary members of the Imperial Federation of Commerce. Grand Duke Feget stumbled upon soap nearly 250 years ago, but it only became a luxury item about a century ago and has since soared in popularity. To my knowledge, the Feget Trading Company funnels more than 200,000 gold sols annually to his family, primarily supporting his magical research. Soap plays an unquestionably significant role in this income. Although the Duke doesn’t bother with day-to-day affairs, his underlings are keenly attentive. Anyone or any organization daring to make strides in this sector would be mercilessly snuffed out by the Feget Trading Company. Why else do you think soap commands such extravagant prices?”

“Are you actually scared of such risks?” Wu Qingsong countered. The reality might indeed be grimmer than what Harold had outlined, but that was precisely why he chose to partner with Nina.

These people were anything but law-abiding citizens. As rebels, they needed a significant financial cushion to sustain their operations. Endurance without ample resources was impossible. The meager mountain villages he had visited were clearly insufficient to maintain even a modest resistance group for an extended period. Nina wouldn’t be generously extending an olive branch to a relative stranger like him unless she had other sources of income.

The rebel group must have their own channels and support structures. This was the very infrastructure Wu Qingsong sought to capitalize on.

“You’re overestimating us,” Ram interjected. “No one is fearless in the face of high elves. If they weren’t so lost in their own hedonistic pleasures, too preoccupied to bother with worldly matters, we wouldn’t dare even contemplate resistance. Thankfully, we only have to deal with their underlings.”

Wu Qingsong found himself speechless, but Ram mercifully refrained from further interrogating him.

“The business is incredibly lucrative,” Ram continued. “This shop alone nets nearly a thousand renals in gross profit per year just from soap sales. The essence of luxury items is their exclusivity, available only to a select elite. If every beastfolk could afford such items in bulk, do you really think the profit margins would remain as high? A single cargo ship full of soap can generate a hundred thousand renals in gross profit for the Feget Trading Company. They could monopolize the entire industry by controlling just a handful of craftsmen. Contrast that with what you’re proposing. Even if a ship could carry a hundred thousand units, the profit would only amount to a few thousand renals. To achieve comparable revenue, they’d have to engage more labor, invest more effort, and distribute the gains more broadly. Do you honestly think they avoid the lower-end market due to cost issues?”

Ram’s words were soaked with both cynicism and brutal reality, slicing through Wu Qingsong’s naïveté like a scalpel. She laid bare the intricate weave of power structures and economics, forcing him to confront the harsh complexities he had previously overlooked.

The weight of her words left Wu Qingsong utterly deflated.

“If our goal is to profit from this venture while dodging the scrutiny of the Feget Trading Company, ask yourself this. Is it easier to hide small-scale production of a few hundred soap bars, or is it simpler to mask the creation of tens of thousands for the same profit?” Ram’s smile grew, intensifying Wu Qingsong’s discomfort. “Imagine us going to great lengths, bribing dock guards or city officials, to sneak in a crate of goods camouflaged among unrelated items into a city. The higher the value of the smuggled goods, the better for us. So, you see, we have little choice in the matter.”

‘It appears the resistance’s main source of income is smuggling,’ Wu Qingsong mused, wondering what else they might have smuggled in the past.

This revelation was entirely contrary to his initial expectations. It appeared to be a necessary evil. But it also meant that they couldn’t ramp up production too much, or they would inevitably draw the unwanted attention of the Feget Trading Company.

All his previous assumptions had completely collapsed, rendering his ambitious business dead before it could even take shape.

“We could initiate the venture by experimenting with small batches,” Ram proposed. “We’ll supply the spices and medicinal herbs and take care of sales, leaving you responsible for production. How does a 70-30 profit split sound to you?”

Wu Qingsong pondered the offer. The cost of spices alone was higher than that of the refined plant ash he used. In that context, the investment in resources, personnel, distribution channels, and even the risks they would assume far outweighed his own, which primarily comprised technical expertise and relatively lesser risks. If the aim was merely to cater to small-scale smuggling, he might not even need additional hands, he and his two beastwomen companions could manage it all, thereby further reducing both risk and cost.

If they were transparent about pricing, Ram’s proposition seemed astonishingly generous, far more fairer than anything Harold had ever put on the table.

He cast a sidelong glance at Ram. The generous terms she offered made it evident she had larger ambitions in mind for this deal.

“I’ll need some start-up capital,” he finally stated.

“Would ten sols be sufficient?” Ram asked without missing a beat.

Her immediate response reminded Wu Qingsong of Nina, but there was a utilitarian edge to Ram’s alacrity, missing the genuine warmth that made Nina’s demeanor so pleasant.

“That should work,” he affirmed, nodding.

Ram then delved into further logistical details, outlining how they should communicate, exchange materials, and even conceal their true activities.

“Unless it’s absolutely necessary, we should minimize our face-to-face interactions,” Ram advised. “You’ll need a workshop, otherwise, you won’t be able to justify your purchases of raw materials, water usage, or waste management. And discretion is of the utmost importance. Do you have reliable people you can trust?”

She clearly aimed to take the upper hand in this transaction, but Wu Qingsong hesitated to accept more of her assistance. Doing so would integrate him too deeply into the resistance, shifting his role from that of a collaborator to a subordinate.

How then could he justify retaining his 30% share of the profits? And what secrets could he keep from them anymore?

“I’ll manage that issue myself,” he assured Ram.

“I hope you will,” she responded, her tone imbued with layers of unspoken meanings. “Then, let’s look forward to a successful partnership.”