This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 652 - 572: A Stronger Aggressiveness in Business_3

Chapter 652: Chapter 572: A Stronger Aggressiveness in Business_3

Selwyn felt that Amberser’s words made a lot of sense and felt like his vision had reached a new level. Had he already stood at the highest place in the world when he first took over the business? It seemed that his own perspective was too small, unable to keep up with his mentor’s strides.

"But, teacher, if you use force, would that not..."

Selwyn was still a lawful person. Although Amberser possessed power that towered above the Alchemist Association, business was still business. To use direct violence—isn’t that the same as robbery?

Amberser’s business was huge; if others would stoop to robbery, how would business continue? It would certainly degenerate into chaotic warfare, and then Selwyn would lose any reason for existence.

Amberser laughed heartily, "What are you thinking? I’m also a businessman. Even with the most vicious rumors, the most they say is that I’m insatiable. Who has ever claimed I stopped doing business in favor of killing and strong-arming?"

Selwyn smiled awkwardly. What Amberser said seemed indisputable. Everyone knew his mentor was greedy—even birds passing by would be plucked of a feather—but everyone also knew that working with him was profitable, and nobody had ever heard of any agreements being torn and items taken by force.

"But, teacher, you said I have low aggressiveness..."

"I’m talking about aggressiveness in business, what else would I mean?" Amberser shook his head, "If it were me, I would have not killed those small maritime trade convoys from the start. Not only that, I would have made a great show of pointing to the ocean and claim that I’ve placed the most valuable treasure in the world out there, ushering in the Great Voyage Era.

"But do you think those oceanic races are easy to get along with? The Sharkwa Fishman, Kuotuo Murloc, Yixi Manta Ray, even the Mermaid Clan don’t like outsiders passing over their heads. Only I have the power to travel the seas unimpeded; if they want to make money, they’ll continue to pay me. Whether it’s for ships, nautical charts, or even purchasing sailing times.

"Just as you said, if we increase their maritime costs, they naturally won’t pose a threat to us. But you chose blockades and threats, I choose taxation. You still understand aggressiveness as in using force; what I want to teach you today is commercial aggressiveness—attacking their wallets until they are drained dry.

"It’s the same with the Alchemist Association. They are the richest folks after us; their wallets are much fatter than those of small traders. Just poke a hole, and Gold Coins will fall out, distressing them so much their faces contort. They want the Dragon Race’s alchemy materials, right? Let them yearn—we’ll undermine their foundations."

"Undermine their foundations?"

Selwyn asked with confusion, "Teacher, I don’t understand."

Amberser sighed. Selwyn had a good talent for business, much better than that boy, Harvey. The only problem was her limited experience; it was too much to expect her to fully understand his business all at once. But after all, she was his student, so he could only patiently guide her.

"I ask you, what’s the most important thing to the Alchemist Association?"

Selwyn wondered and said, "Alchemy technology?"

"Close."

Selwyn thought again and soon answered with newfound clarity, "The Alchemists!"

Amberser said approvingly, "Smart, much better than that boy, Harvey. Indeed, the largest asset of the Alchemist Association is actually the Alchemists. Setting aside those of Legendary Rank, just the sheer number of Basic Alchemists and apprentices alone is the world’s foremost. Even after they’ve suffered a severe blow, the foundation accumulated by Alchemy City is still very robust; nobody can compare to them.

"Gustavo Flint, that old geezer, is relying on this batch of lower and middle-tier Alchemists to prop up the operations of the Alchemist Association, sustaining this massive alchemy industry business. If we take away these Alchemists, then the Alchemist Association will collapse with a bang. No matter how powerful Gustavo Flint is himself, he can’t replace a thousand Alchemists.

"At that time, they’ll no longer think about snatching materials. Without people, what use are the materials?"

Selwyn felt sudden enlightenment, unable to believe such a tactic existed. Truly worthy of his teacher, a Legendary magnate who could even package and sell deities!

Selwyn asked eagerly, "Teacher, how are we going to coax away these Alchemists? If we just pay to hire them, the cost might be high, and we don’t have that many mature Alchemy Factories. If we bring the people here, we would just be supporting them, wasting resources."

"What do you think the Alchemist Association uses to retain them?"

"Benefits and knowledge."

Selwyn rattled off these things immediately; she had made great efforts to understand the Alchemist Association and, after being guided by Amberser, many pieces of rote-learned information suddenly made sense to her.

"Correct, benefits, and knowledge, with the latter being even more important. The Alchemist Association has a complete talent training system. Joining the Alchemist Association allows them to enjoy a clear path of advancement, which is an irresistible temptation for most Alchemists. But if you study it carefully, you’ll find that this path is quite insidious.

"The Alchemist Association has only so many positions, their plate is only so large, so this path of advancement continually limits the number of higher-tier Alchemists. They monopolize knowledge and then start to strangle the young people’s upward mobility by all means, occasionally dangling a carrot like for a donkey at the mill, or they continue to work for them."

Amberser couldn’t help but think of Isabel, the Alchemy Apprentice who, after many years, didn’t really know anything. Because their alchemy tools were custom-made to "prevent self-learning", "prevent cracking", without a teacher to explain the principles, Isabel didn’t even know the inner flame is different from the outer flame.

"But, teacher, in terms of knowledge about alchemy, how can we compare with the Alchemist Association?"

In Selwyn’s view, with the Alchemist Association’s long-standing heritage and many Legendary Alchemists, they really had no competitive advantage.

Amberser questioned, "You don’t know? When Alchemy City was destroyed, they packed up most of their materials and gave them to me, and my mentor is the God of Alchemy. What technical advantage can Gustavo Flint have over me?"

Selwyn’s eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out.

The God of Alchemy is his mentor’s mentor?!

Was this some kind of mistake? No one told her this!

Had the Alchemist Association lost their minds, provoking a student of the God of Alchemy?!