Volume 2 Chapter 187: Business Union that survived in name only

"Chairman Xu, you....really are too impulsive." Chairman Rank looked at Xu Yi and said this with a soft sigh.

After meeting the new City Lord Count Stagg, Count Stagg said that he didn't need any merchants to accompany him. So the Banta City merchants had all scattered and then gathered at chairman Rank's private hotel.

At this temporary conference of the Business Union, Xu Yi once again became the center of attention.

Although many people admired Xu Yi secretly, thinking that he had refuted Count Stagg to the face because of how he treated merchants, most people thought that Xu Yi was too impulsive and he didn't consider the consequences.

Count Stagg was the new City Lord, Xu Yi and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce were in Banta City, so they would be in his jurisdiction.

Now that Xu Yi had gone against Count Stagg so openly, it would be strange if Count Stagg didn't cause trouble for him and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.

"Why are your expressions so serious today?" Compared to everyone else, Xu Yi had a relaxed expression, "The one who refuted Count Stagg to his face was me and not you, Count Stagg will definitely come looking for me to cause trouble, he definitely won't go looking for you."

The others looked at each other before revealing bitter smiles.

Chairman Vincent gave a sigh before shaking his head and saying, "Chairman Xu, what everyone is worried about isn't him causing trouble for one person, rather it is the attitude that the new Lord City Lord had."

"That's right." Chairman Cruise also gave a sigh, "This new Lord City Lord doesn't like us merchants, so I suspect it'll be hard to do business in Banta City in the future."

"This....shouldn't be that serious, right?"

Through the public transport system that was a core part of Banta City, the Fersen Carriage Company had also joined the Banta City Business Union. This time chairman Pompeii was taking part as a non-voting delegate. Seeing his peers sigh around him, he couldn't help speaking up for the first time.

"Now that Banta City's developed much faster and last year's tax income is around ten times more than usual, not being modest, it is all because of us merchants. We pay for most of the tax revenue and with how much Count Stagg looks down on merchants, once he received this information, wouldn't he try to do something to us?"

"Humph, he won't do anything?" Chairman Cruise said with a snort, "Didn't you see what happened today? If we're talking about contributions to Banta City's development, who would be able to say that they could compare to chairman Xu and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce? He was clearly deliberately looking for trouble with Xu Yi! Of course, speaking of this, Xu Yi, you really were too impulsive. Even if Count Stagg causes trouble for you, you shouldn't oppose him that strongly, right?"

Xu Yi gave a shrug, "Since I know he is causing trouble for me, what meaning is there in avoiding it? He is the new Banta City's City Lord, how could I avoid it if he wanted to cause trouble for me?"

"But there's no need to offend him, right?" Chairman Cruise said with knit brows.

"You think that.....a great person like Count Stagg would be insulted by a few trivial words from me? His attitude towards me was already set before he came here, it can't be changed."

Chairman Cruise fell silent.

It was because everyone knew that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce and Xu Yi was on the same side as her highness Seveni. The Stagg Family had already announced their support for his highness Eric to become the next king.

Count Stagg causing trouble for Xu Yi and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce wasn't just because of a few words. Rather it was already decided before he became Banta City's City Lord.

The conference hall fell into a strange silence. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a while.

After a while, a thin looking merchant with sharp eyes said, "Actually I feel that.....even if Count Stagg is aiming at chairman Xu, it doesn't mean he will aim at all of us Banta City merchants. So I think.....I think.....that if the Frestech Chamber of Commerce withdraws from our Business Union, wouldn't it be better for everyone?"

Everyone's gaze fell onto the thin merchant. Their eyes were filled with shock, doubt, confusion, and a trace of excitement.

"Chairman Lawrence! What do you mean?" Without waiting for Xu Yi to speak, chairman Cruise slapped the table. He pointed at the thin merchant and angrily said, "At this time, you actually want to make the Frestech Chamber of Commerce withdraw from our Business Union? Don't you have a bit of conscience at all? Did you forget? Your company almost went bankrupt and it was because Xu Yi didn't charge you a single cent for the Magic Kettle technology, renting the magic production machines to you for free, and sending technical staff to help you that your company could come back to life. What is the meaning of your words now? You truly are ungrateful!"

Chairman Lawrence's face turned red in shame and he lowered his head as he refuted in a soft voice, "I.....We miss paying him back a single copper coin afterwards....."

Chairman Cruise was even angrier as he slapped the table again and cursed out, "You think that Xu Yi didn't help you because you paid him back? If it wasn't for Xu Yi helping you, you might have jumped into the Sandy River and killed yourself! What qualification would you have to sit here now and say these kinds of words?"

Chairman Lawrence was probably angered by chairman Cruise's straightforward words, so he suddenly raised his head and said with a red face, "That's right! Chairman Cruise did help us before, but I am thinking from the viewpoint of all the small merchants in Banta City! We are just small and weak merchants, how could we resist the Lord City Lord? Now that the Lord City Lord has set his eyes on chairman Xu, we can't just use ourselves to block him, right?"

"Nonsense! You're clearly someone who has no gratitude, but you dare act this righteously, it really is disgusting!" Chairman Cruise spat onto the ground and prepared to curse at him more, but Xu Yi reached out a hand to stop him.

"Alright, chairman cruise, let's stop. Although I am very disappointed with chairman Lawrence, his proposition is quite good. I have already accepted being targeted by Count Stagg's rage, but I don't want to implicate my peers. So I've decided....." Xu Yi turned to chairman Rank, "President Rank, from this day forth, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce is withdrawing from the Business Union."

The hall was silent for a second before it suddenly exploded.

"Chairman Xu, are you joking?"

"You're actually leaving the Business Union? Is this a mistake?"

"Your Frestech Chamber of Commerce is one of the biggest companies in our Banta City, how could it just leave the Business Union?"

"That's right. If even your Frestech Chamber of Commerce withdraws, what meaning will there be in this Business Union?"

"You can't really withdraw right? I think that chairman Lawrence is just blind with worry."

"That's right, you don't need to....."

.....

Everyone chattered for a bit, but Xu Yi just listened with a smile without saying a word.

After a while, people just naturally stopped.

Seeing the expression on Xu Yi's face, everyone understood that Xu Yi had already made his decision and there was no changing it.

Chairman Rank shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Chairman Cruise, why do you always do things so intensely?"

Xu Yi replied with a smile, "Because time waits for no man. I don't have time to use a gentle method to achieve my goals."

Chairman Rank gave a deep sigh, "I can see that. The ideal in your heart is much bigger than my imagination. Alright, since you've made your decision, I have nothing to say. As the Business Union's president, I authorize your Frestech Chamber of Commerce's application to withdraw from the Business Union."

"Alright, many thanks for president Rank's understanding." Xu Yi gave a nod before saying to the others, "I pledge to everyone as the Frestech Chamber of Commerce's chairman, although our Frestech Chamber of Commerce is withdrawing from the Business Union, we will still be everyone's best partners. Withdrawing from the Business Union will not affect our cooperation. Of course, that depends on if you have the courage to cooperate with our Frestech Chamber of Commerce, ha, ha....."

Xu Yi's joke was too cold, no one could reveal a smile.

The others just looked at Xu Yi. Some wanted to say something, but they found that there was no meaning at all, so the conference hall fell into silence.

After a while, chairman Cruise suddenly slapped the table and said to chairman Rank, "Since it's like this, that's fine. Our Amrit Chamber of Commerce also wishes to withdraw from the Business Union. President Rank, please approve this."

The others looked at chairman Cruise in shock.

Xu Yi was someone in his twenties, so it was understandable that he was young and impulsive. But Cruise was a fifty year old middle aged man, how could you be as impulsive as Xu Yi?

However, this astonishment was just beginning. After chairman Cruise, there were over ten different chairman that also applied to withdraw from the Business Union.

To qualify for joining the Business Union, naturally that company had some status in Banta City. Although the company of those ten people couldn't compare to chairman Cruise's Amrit Chamber of Commerce, they weren't small companies.

Now that they had withdrawn from the Business Union, half of the companies at this conference had chosen to withdraw.

Chairman Rank revealed a bitter smile as he looked at Xu Yi and said, "Chairman Xu, the Banta City Business Union has been formed for close to a hundred years. I never thought that it would only survive in name once you withdrew today. I really don't know whether to be angry with you or to admire you."

Xu Yi gave a laugh before saying with a sigh, "President Rank, you should be clear that this isn't my meaning, rather it's everyone's choice. I can only say that.....the times are changing."

Chairman Rank looked at the chairmen who had chosen to withdraw before finally looking at Xu Yi. He said with a slow nod, "That's right, the times are changing....."