Survival Game: Call Me an Honest Businessman

1000 gold is not a lot.

She spent 1600 gold coins on the last microcrystalline energy converter she bought.

The Rock Nest tribe did not show much enthusiasm for her investment.

However, there is a difference between a one-time payment of 1000 gold and an annual payment of 1000 gold with future additional investments.

The Rock Nest Clan merchant showed interest, and the seated Rock Nest Clan masters also seemed somewhat tempted.

"What are shareholders?"

"I will give you 1% of the shares as honorary shares to signify your joining the exchange and your endorsement of the exchange. In the future, when the exchange makes money, you will receive 1% of the profits."

"And what is an exchange?"

Li Zhi explained the role of the exchange and warehouse receipts in detail. Several Rock Nest Clan masters were clearly out of sorts, but the Rock Nest Clan merchants' eyes were already shining.

"So you mean, if this exchange is established, we can use warehouse receipts to purchase all the goods stored on the exchange, including the latest research findings and weaponry from other races?"

That's right.

The Rock Nest Clan masters understood now.

"Such a good thing?"

Li Zhi: "As long as the microcrystalline energy converter can open up the market, it will definitely become famous in the Tianqi Continent. I have full confidence in the strength of the inventors of the Rock Nest Clan. Giving the Rock Nest Clan shares in advance is also to use the Rock Nest Clan's strong inventive strength to endorse my exchange, so that everyone will trust my exchange more."

"I'm a straightforward person, so I'll be frank. Giving shares to the Rock Nest Clan may seem like I'm giving money to them, but in reality, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"After all, I'm a businessman; I can't do business at a loss."

The masters of the Rock Nest tribe immediately sat up even straighter.

"That doesn't seem wrong."

"This is an honest child; we can discuss this collaboration."

"There's no downside from any perspective..."

Several masters whispered among themselves to the Rock Nest Clan merchant.

After a moment's thought, the Rock Nest Clan merchant said, "I do find it difficult to refuse your request, but I do not have the right to decide. I need to consult the elders of the clan. Could you wait a moment?"

Li Zhi: "Of course."

She thought that "waiting a while" would be at least several hours or days.

Not long after the Rockhound merchant left, another Rockhound merchant wearing a cloak arrived.

The Rock Nest tribe merchant introduced, "This is the captain of our Rock Nest tribe caravan."

The captain was younger than I expected, and looked about the same age as Riley.

"I am Forging." She smiled, revealing her white teeth. "I'm so glad that my Rock Nest Clan has gained another friend."

Li Zhi grinned: "Li Zhi, it's nice to meet you."

Forging: "I already know you want to invest in the Rock Nest Clan and are willing to give us 1% equity, as long as we deposit our new inventions in your exchange. However, there are still many details to discuss. I'd like to know, what do you think is the most difficult aspect of our cooperation?"

Li Zhi bluntly stated, "It's probably because this exchange is also controlled by the Forging Group."

The exposed teeth disappeared instantly.

The masters of the Rock Nest tribe stared wide-eyed.

"What did she say? The Forging Clan?!"

"You actually want us to cooperate with the Forging Clan?"

"This is an insult and a provocation to the Rock Nest Clan!"

Before the masters could stand up and reveal their muscular physiques, Li Zhi quickly said with a fawning smile, "Please listen to me first. If you feel I've offended you after I've finished speaking, how about I give you all a beating?"

Duan pulled out a chair, pressed a button, and the chair lifted her up until her line of sight was level with Li Zhi's, then it grew a bit longer before stopping.

She looked down at Li Zhi: "You can speak now."

Li Zhi spoke frankly: "Gentlemen, the microcrystalline energy converter you auctioned at Black Iron Port was the one I won. I offered a high price of 1600 gold coins at the time. Don't you have any doubts?"

Duan seemed to be deep in thought: "What are you trying to say?"

Li Zhi said angrily, "That was Celia of the Melting Forging Clan who forced me to participate in the auction! The Rock Nest Clan doesn't allow the Melting Forging Clan to enter the market. She used my name to force me to bid for the Microcrystalline Energy Converter for her. I... I was resentful but helpless, so I could only ask someone to help me raise the price."

Several Rock Nest Clan masters were taken aback. Seeing Li Zhi's increasingly red eyes, their expressions were no longer as resistant as before.

"That's exactly what the Forging Clan would do!"

"No wonder it fetched such a high price at the time."

"She's a newly emerging race, so it's not surprising that she's being bullied by the Forging Clan..."

Duan remained unmoved: "Have you considered that now that you're telling us this, and you've reappeared on Rock Nest territory, we might retaliate against you?"

Li Zhi shouted, his neck stiff, "No! I believe the enemy of my enemy is my friend! Celia has humiliated me so much! I must unite all forces I can to overthrow the Forging Clan!"

Duan was stunned, and murmured:

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend..."

"Unite all forces that can be united..."

With each repetition, her eyes grew brighter: "Yes! You're absolutely right! The enemy of my enemy is my friend! Unite all forces that can be united! This is the right path for my Rock Nest Clan to return to the top!"

Li Zhi grabbed Duan's hand: "I knew you'd understand me!"

Duan Ben wanted to pull his hand back, but seeing her aggrieved and agitated expression, he hesitated for a long time and still didn't move: "What do you plan to do?"

Li Zhi: "I want to make myself and my allies strong first."

She looked at the round window of the treehouse, devout and focused, as if she could already see a bright future:

"With the centennial rating approaching, only by obtaining the latest inventions from the Forging Clan and all the high-tech rating races can we know the gap between us and them, and only then can we catch up and close that gap. My exchange is doing the most difficult thing, taking that step from 0 to 1—"

"I've convinced the Forging Clan to become one of the exchange's shareholders, but Celia... you should know very well how greedy and domineering she is."

"She demanded 50% of the shares in order to control the exchange, leaving me, the founder, and small shareholders like you, the Rock Nest Clan, with virtually no say."

"Let the exchange become her personal playground!"

"What I'm doing now is bringing in more races to become shareholders of the exchange. Before the exchange is officially established, all shareholders will unite to redistribute shares and hold the power in their own hands so that they will have a real say in the future."

Li Zhizheng declared with unwavering resolve: "What I've never wanted is power or profit, but rather to contribute to my race in crucial moments!"