Volume 3 Chapter 5: Acting a play for the Lord City Lord

Sarkozy entered the Cantona Chamber of Commerce's office set up in Koror Village and immediately caused laughter.

"Hey, old man Sarkozy, what are you carrying that iron shovel for? Could it be that you're planning to go farming?"

"That's right, didn't you always hate the new Lord City Lord? Could it be that you've changed your mind and want to go back to the farm?"

"Old man Sarkozy, you're being insincere like this. Everyone agreed to ignore that idiot City Lord, now you're betraying us?"

"Betraying your head!" Old man Sarkozy put the shovel on his shoulder by the wall and said with a strong snort, "Even if I die, I will never listen to that idiot City Lord's words! If Lord Count Sean came back to ask us to go back to our farms, I might consider it."

"What is there to consider?" A man who looked to be around thirty loudly said, "Not to mention this Count Stagg, even if Count Sean came back to be the City Lord, I wouldn't consider going back to farming. Farming is so hard and it doesn't earn any money, I would rather be punished then go back to it."

"You can't say this." A man who looked to be around fifty shook his head and said, "It's wrong if you don't have anything to eat. So no matter what, some people have to farm, so we can't say that Count Stagg is wrong."

"Pei! Isn't it easy to have food?" Old man Sarkozy said in disdain, "With the help of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce's agricultural magic machines in the past two years, our farming has become much simpler. A single person can take care of several mu of land just by themselves, why do we all need to be here? I think that this Count Stagg is just doing this for his own achievements. He did all this because he was aiming at the Frestech Chamber of Commerce and chairman Xu."

There were several coughs in the room. Cantona stood up from the other side of the table and waved at old man Sarkozy, signaling for him to sit down.

"Alright, since old man Sarkozy is here, we will officially start the meeting." Cantona looked at the several faces at the table and seeing everyone looking at him, prepared to listen, he nodded before continuing, "I think that everyone understands why I held this meeting today. Because of the City Lord Manor's orders, our Cantona Chamber of Commerce needs to return the farmland we rented from you before, so I'm here to ask everyone's opinions."

"What is there to ask, I don't agree." The thirty year old man waved his hand and said, "If we give your Cantona Chamber of Commerce the farmland, not only do we not need to pay rent to the City Lord Manor each year, we can receive rent from your company. Why would I be bored enough to return to the farm and work myself to death?"

"Right, I also don't agree."

"I also won't do it. Who would give up a rich and easy life to torture themselves?"

"That's right, those fellows at the City Lord Manor have no brains, but we can't just be the same, right?"

......

The surrounding people echoed this and they reached a unified opinion not long after. They all expressed their opposition to this.

Cantona nodded before shaking his head and saying with a nod, "I understand everyone's thoughts and agree to your opinions, but everyone has to understand that the City Lord Manor's orders are things we can only carry out. So the farmland that our company owns must be returned to you, otherwise the City Lord Manor will definitely cause trouble for our company. You also know that even a large company like the Frestech Chamber of Commerce can't take the pressure of the City Lord Manor, so how could a small company like our Cantona Chamber of Commerce do anything against them? I hope that everyone can understand our difficulties."

"Then according to what you said, we have to take back this farmland and then throw away our good jobs to return to farming?" The thirty year old man indignantly said, "The City Lord Manor's fellows really are crazy! We peasants have just lived two good years and they want to ruin it. Those noble masters, can't they see that we peasants have good lives?"

"Ai, you can't randomly say that. The bastards at the City Lord Manor can't be blamed on the nobles, at least Count Sean thought about us before. Then again, I've heard that chairman Xu is also a viscount now, so he could be considered a noble." Another farmer from Mexilan Village said.

"That's right.....But the noble masters like Count Sean and chairman Xu are just too little." The young man said in an emotional voice.

"Alright, this is all useless." Old man Sarkozy waved his hand and cut them off. He turned to Cantona to say, "Chairman Cantona, for you to specially bring us here, isn't it to specially tell us something?"

Cantona laughed, "Old man Sarkozy is right. That's right, I had everyone come here today to think of an appropriate solution. Everyone can think of a solution to solve this without the City Lord Manor causing trouble for us."

Sarkozy looked at Cantona before saying with a snort, "Alright, look at you. You already have your ideas, just say it, there's no need to keep it from us."

"Alright!" Cantona gave a strong slap, "Old man Sarkozy is right, we're all friends here, I won't beat around the bush. That's right, I already thought of a method to solve this and I just want to know if everyone will agree to it."

"Cantona, just say it. As long as it stops me from going back to the farm, it's all good!" The thirty year old man loudly said.

"Right, as long as I can keep my current job, everything else is easy to take care of."

"That's right. Cantona, just tell us."

......

"Alright, then I'll just tell everyone." Cantona gave a nod and said with a serious look, "My idea is that our Cantona Chamber of Commerce will return the farmland on the surface, but we'll still be operating it like we discussed before."

"Oh? How will it be done?" Sarkozy asked in a curious voice.

"The specifics is that the farmland will be given back to you in name, but the ones cultivating them will be our Cantona Chamber of Commerce. As for the crop and rent, we will manage it according to our previous agreement. To be honest, it's just changing names."

That means that we will be working with your Cantona Chamber of Commerce to put on a play for the City Lord Manor?" Sarkozy asked.

"It's said to be a play.....but there's actually no problem with the procedure." Cantona said with a laugh, "That is because in name, we have given the farmland back to you and you're looking for our Cantona Chamber of Commerce to help you farm. I think that the Lord City Lord wouldn't send people to force you back to farm, right?"

"Would he dare?" Sarkozy knit his brows and said, "Those fellows have already caused my son to lose his job, do they want to kill our entire family? Do they believe I wouldn't go all out against them?"

"That's right. It's our field, we can look for whoever we want to grow them, as long as it doesn't go against the kingdom's laws. What can the City Lord Manor do to us? Cantona, your idea isn't bad, I support it."

"I also support it. Since we can't do anything against the Lord City Lord, then we'll just follow him. As for how we do it.....he won't care since we'll still be giving him our harvest and rent each year."

"Good, we'll do this. Cantona, can you tell us how we should put on this play?"

......

"Everyone, let's not be hasty. Come, let's first take a look at the contract that I have prepared and if there are no problems, please consider signing it." Cantona waved his hand and a young girl who had been silent distributed a pack of documents to these people.

Sarkozy looked over the document before throwing it on the table. He looked at Cantona and walked out.

After a while, Cantona followed him and asked in a soft voice with a smile, "Old man Sarkozy, is there a problem? If there is anything you want to request with the contract, please tell me."

"I don't care about the contract, I believe you." Old man Sarkozy shook his head. He looked around before hesitating a bit and asking in a low voice, "That.....Cantona, do you frequently see chairman Xu?"

"Chairman Xu?" Cantona shook his head, "How could I possibly see someone as important as him frequently? Do you need him for something?"

"It isn't anything big....." Old man Sarkozy was a bit conflicted and hesitated a bit before saying, "Cantona, you know that my son, that kid Qurik lost his job at the Sundial Chamber of Commerce. He's already been at home for half a month without a job, I'm very anxious seeing this. I wanted to.....ask chairman Xu if he could give my son a chance to work at the Frestech Chamber of Commerce. It doesn't matter what the wage is, it's fine as long as he has work. What do you think?"

Cantona saw the expectant look on Sarkozy's face before saying with a bitter laugh, "Old man Sarkozy, it isn't that I don't want to help you, but my relationship with chairman Xu isn't that good. You should know how competitive jobs for the Frestech Chamber of Commerce are in our Banta City, if chairman Xu was willing, everyone in Banta City would go begging him. Do you think.....I can help you?"

Seeing that Cantona didn't agree, Sarkozy gave a deep sigh, "Actually I know that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce isn't easy to enter. That kid Qurik didn't seize the chance to join before and now it's even harder. Ai, it's all that damn Count Stagg and that agricultural promotion policy, his head was simply kicked by a donkey. It's all good now, a bunch of people in Banta City have lost their jobs from his damn policies, he doesn't care if we live or die at all."

Cantona had a strange look as he stared at Sarkozy. After thinking for a bit, he asked with knit brows, "Old man Sarkozy, to be honest, although many companies have left the city and many jobs have disappeared, didn't the «Banta Times» say that now that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had moved to the Falling Rain Valley, many companies are moving there too. In the end, there are a lot of jobs at the Falling Rain Valley, so why don't you have Qurik go take a look?"

"He doesn't want to leave Banta City, that's why he didn't go with the Sundial Chamber of Commerce to the Falling Rain Valley. Otherwise he wouldn't have lost his job." Old man Sarkozy gave a sigh, "But are there any good jobs in Banta City right now? Not to mention one with a wage of more than ten gold coins a month......"

"More than ten gold coins a month?" Cantona knit his brows before suddenly opening his eyes wide open, "Right, I suddenly thought of something. When I was talking to chairman Xu, he said that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce was opening something in the city and wanted to recruit some people with flexible minds. They need to know how to speak.....Right, it was called publicizing products. I remember that kid Qurik has a quick mind, why don't you have him take a look?"

Sarkozy's eyes immediately lit up, "Really? Is there really such a job in Banta City?"

"Really, chairman Xu was the one who told me. The Frestech Chamber of Commerce hasn't started recruiting yet, so if you have Qurik go to the Falling Rain Valley to ask and if chairman Xu likes him, perhaps he could be hired ahead of time." Cantona said in a certain voice.

"That's great! I'll go tell that kid Qurik right now and have him take the public transport carriage to the Falling Rain Valley right away! The sooner the better!" Sarkozy excitedly turned and left.

"Hey, old man Sarkozy, you forgot your shovel and you haven't signed the contract yet!"

"Just leave the shovel there and you can just sign my name on the contract, I agree anyway."

Sarkozy's voice quickly faded as he had already disappeared from sight.