BXBX NOVEL Chapter 114: Countering with Stratagem
Hector halted abruptly and struck the floor forcefully with his cane.
"You fool! If it were merely luck, how could he possibly obtain such a vast quantity of gemstones? Do you think my luck isn't good enough? Why haven't I acquired that many gemstones, then?"
"But Boss, you are already the most successful businessman. And being able to collaborate with him brings you substantial profits, doesn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Hector sat back in his chair.
"Indeed, partnering with him has yielded considerable profits for me. However, if I uncover the secret behind his success, I wouldn't need him to supply me with gemstones."
Hector had always believed that Jeremy's impressive gemstone acquisitions were due to some hidden benefactor.
Hector aspired to establish direct contact with the person backing Jeremy. This way, he could bypass Jeremy entirely and claim the profits Jeremy was making for himself.
"I wonder how the investigations by those we sent out are progressing. Jeremy should have arrived in Nocturne City just yesterday, tracking his movements within the city shouldn't be too difficult."
In his quest to uncover the secrets behind Dawn, Hector had dispatched a considerable number of agents to conduct the investigation.
Just as Hector finished speaking, a knock echoed from the door.
"Boss, it seems the investigators we dispatched have returned." Hector's butler reminded him.
Hector nodded, "Let them in!"
Two men clad in black entered Hector's room immediately thereafter.
The leader of the duo promptly began to relay the intelligence they had gathered.
"As you anticipated, Boss, Jeremy arrived in Nocturne City with Heber's entourage. Besides the two of them, there was also a senior alchemist in Heber's caravan.
The rest of the group consisted of rather unremarkable individuals. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to ascertain where Jeremy acquired such a vast quantity of gemstones.
All we know is that they passed through Dawn City, which recently experienced a rebellion.
It's possible that Jeremy's gemstones are part of the city lord's treasure." the man in black reported.
Upon hearing this, Hector sprang up from his seat, visibly agitated.
"That must be it! How else could someone as ordinary as Jeremy possess so many gemstones? Only the city lord of Dawn City could amass such a fortune!"
Hector interrupted the man in black, who remained unperturbed, knowing Hector's financial generosity.
"Continue gathering intelligence related to Jeremy, and deploy additional agents to investigate the current situation in Dawn City." Hector instructed, tossing a pouch of gold coins to the man in black. Who promptly exited the room.
"It seems I'm on the verge of uncovering Jeremy's secret. If it's indeed the city lord's treasure, I will personally excavate it myself!"
Hector exclaimed jubilantly, discarding his cane in his excitement.
"Jeremy should be arriving soon. Make sure everything is ready to receive him. Have you procured the energy crystals I requested?" Hector queried his butler.
"Yes, Boss! The energy crystals have been acquired in full. However, the soul crystals were too difficult to obtain, so I didn't pursue them." the butler responded hastily.
"That's not a major issue. Our agreement with Jeremy stipulates the exchange can be done with either energy crystals or soul crystals. As long as we have enough energy crystals, it will suffice." Hector reassured, preparing to bathe and change his clothes.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Heber had already arrived at the entrance of Hector's luxurious residence.
"Our boss has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Please follow me." The servant said, leading Jeremy and Heber into the opulent mansion.
Despite Jeremy's extensive experience, he couldn't help but be awestruck by the lavish decor adorned with gemstones.
"No wonder he's the wealthiest gemstone merchant, even his home is adorned with so many gemstones!"
Jeremy remarked. However, Heber, standing next to him, appeared visibly uneasy, seemingly harboring doubts about their meeting with Hector.
At that moment, Hector emerged from an adjacent room. Upon seeing Jeremy and Heber, an exaggerated smile spread across his face.
"My precious gemstone, you've finally arrived!" Hector exclaimed, enveloping Jeremy in a large embrace.
Jeremy, somewhat repulsed by the embrace, couldn't hide his discomfort. After all, Hector was a corpulent middle-aged man.
"Surely you've brought enough gemstones this time, haven't you? I have all the energy crystals prepared and ready for the transaction."
Hector said, his eyes then shifting towards Heber.
"It's been a while. I thought you had retired from the merchant business! Why haven't we collaborated recently?" Hector inquired.
With a smile, Heber responded, "I haven't been to Nocturne City for quite some time. Lately, I've been managing other trade routes, which is why we haven't been able to work together."
Heber and Hector didn't engage in much communication.
It seemed as though there was a palpable sense of distrust or unease between them.
Nevertheless, since the primary transaction was between Jeremy and Hector, Heber's role was merely to assist Jeremy as needed.
"I've brought all the gemstones. Where would you like to inspect them?"
Jeremy asked directly.
Hector gestured to his servant, who led them to the grand hall. "To ensure fairness, we'll inspect the gemstones right here. This way, neither of us can resort to any deceit."
Jeremy found Hector's arrangement reasonable and had no objections.
In fact, he appreciated the transparent approach.
However, just as Hector's servant began inspecting the gemstones, Jeremy received a prompt from The Eye of Omniscience.
[Note: Hector plans to personally excavate the ruins of Dawn City.]
At that moment, a fleeting expression of surprise crossed Jeremy's face.
Though the note was succinct, it conveyed a wealth of information to Jeremy.
Ordinarily, Hector's intention to excavate the ruins of Dawn City would seem unrelated to Jeremy. However, the prompt from The Eye of Omniscience indicated otherwise, suggesting a connection between Hector's actions and Jeremy.
After a moment of contemplation, Jeremy discerned the crux of the matter.
Hector likely harbored doubts about Jeremy's ability to have acquired such an extensive collection of gemstones on his own.
It stood to reason that after their interaction, Hector would dispatch agents to investigate Jeremy.
During this investigation, Hector would inevitably uncover that Jeremy had passed through Dawn City. Coupling this with the recent news of the rebellion and subsequent destruction of Dawn City, Hector would presumably conclude that Jeremy's gemstones were looted from the ruins of Dawn City.
This realization made Jeremy understand the gravity of the situation and the potential complications that could arise from Hector's misconceptions.
Upon unraveling the entire situation, Jeremy resolved to turn the tables in his favor. He believed that further misleading Hector would be advantageous, as it would divert Hector's attention towards Dawn City, thereby allowing Jeremy to proceed with his own plans more smoothly.
It was certainly more beneficial than having Hector's scrutiny focused solely on him.
Midway through the gemstone inspection, Jeremy abruptly addressed Hector.
"I wonder if you are satisfied with the quality of these gemstones? If not, I can arrange for a batch of even more precious gemstones to be brought to you."
Jeremy's statement caught both Hector and Heber off guard.
Hector almost immediately concluded that Jeremy's confidence stemmed from his ability to re-enter the ruins of Dawn City.
On the other hand, Heber surmised that Jeremy intended to offer Hector the more valuable gemstones that were originally meant for his own allies.
The divergence in their thoughts led to differing reactions.
Hector, wearing a smile yet burdened with contemplation, inquired, "Why didn't you bring those higher-quality gemstones directly?"
Jeremy's strategic maneuver had effectively planted seeds of curiosity and confusion, setting the stage for his next move.
Jeremy hesitated before speaking, "After all, in Nocturne City, I am still relatively powerless. If I were to bring all these gemstones at once, I would certainly become a target for nefarious individuals."
Hector, in reality, did not believe a single word of Jeremy's explanation.
However, in order to maintain the possibility of future collaboration, he refrained from probing further. Instead, he pretended to watch his servant continue the inspection of the gemstones.
Heber, on the other hand, was now looking at Jeremy with a completely changed expression.
He was utterly perplexed by Jeremy's actions. He had a nagging suspicion that Jeremy had a hidden agenda, but he could not fathom what it might be.
This uncertainty rendered Heber increasingly silent.
The room fell into a tense quiet, punctuated only by the sounds of Hector's servant meticulously examining the gemstones. Each of the three men was lost in their own thoughts, contemplating their next strategic move.
Approximately half an hour later, Hector's servant completed the inspection and confirmed that there were no issues with the gemstones. With this assurance, Hector proceeded to provide Jeremy with the energy crystals as agreed.