Chapter 162: The Order

"Purchasing spell potions?"

Byron raised an eyebrow and asked softly.

After briefly introducing himself, Powell immediately stated the purpose of his visit.

"Yes, yes, of course, if that's not possible, supplementing with a portion of medical supplies is acceptable as well."

Powell said quickly, then, feeling that might not be appropriate, added, "Of course, the more spell potions, the better."

Byron and Lehman exchanged glances, and two words flashed in their minds simultaneously:

A fat sheep!

After a brief communication and analysis, Byron instantly determined that this fellow was a prime customer.

Adhering to the principle that the customer is God, Byron immediately signaled Lehman to entertain him properly.

"I wonder how many alchemical potions Your Excellency requires?"

Byron smiled warmly, the sudden change in attitude catching Powell somewhat off guard.

"Well, more is definitely better, as long as the budget stays within one million."

"That's perfect. We have a million-tier promotional package that matches your exact needs."

With that, Byron made a sweeping motion in the air, pulling out a scroll adorned with golden patterns.

Powell's eyes nearly popped out of his head. With his experience, he immediately recognized that the gold leaf trimming was pure gold.

"Isn't it a bit too extravagant to edge a scroll with gold..."

Just then, Lehman brought over tea and pastries.

Not to mention the rich aroma of the tea, even the pastries emanated a fragrant, milky scent. They were served in exquisite white porcelain cups and saucers, naturally also trimmed with gold leaf.

Even the most ignorant person would know this was a delicacy meant only for top-tier nobility.

In Byron's world, tacky gold and gilded edges were outdated trends, but in this world, no one had ever done such a thing before.

At most, people showed off by using golden bowls and silver forks. Byron's stylized decorations instantly elevated the sense of prestige and sophistication.

The sense of superiority Powell had just felt vanished completely.

In business, presentation is crucial. Even though everyone knew the Lehman Chamber of Commerce was immensely strong and wealthy, Byron still placed special emphasis on procedure and ritual.

This was also a form of invisible publicity and influence.

When advertising becomes deeply ingrained in people's minds, purchasing choices gradually form fixed consumption habits—this is the core of advertising.

A form of alternative hypnosis, a large-scale hypnosis that imprints the product deeply into people's hearts!

This explains why internationally renowned enterprises still spend vast sums of money on advertising every year.

Although the strength of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce was evident to all, Byron always emphasized style and class.

Even simple things had to be made complex and distinctive to project a sense of ritual.

After establishing the alchemy workshop, Byron shifted the chamber of commerce's positioning toward the high-end clientele, which was why he wasn't worried even when the lower classes caused a ruckus.

It wasn't that money couldn't be made from the lower classes—the Lehman Chamber of Commerce had started out by selling affordable medical drugs.

Precisely for that reason, a gradual transition was necessary. The lower classes had limited consumption power and discernment, making them prone to producing "nightmare customers" who would argue with you for half a day over trivial issues, draining excessive amounts of your energy.

In the past, Byron's operations were small-scale. Even after capturing the majority of the healing potion market, it was still not prestigious enough, and people didn't press too hard out of respect for Count Iolem.

But things were different now. Whether it was the alchemy workshop or the glazed crystal, they posed a huge threat to many chambers of commerce. One could imagine how many commercial giants the Lehman Chamber of Commerce would face in a "strangulation" campaign when spring arrived next year.

Commerce is a pyramid; the position at the very peak is always limited. Once you move up, someone else must step down, and suppression is inevitable. It was foreseeable that the basic business of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce would be entirely cut off next year.

Therefore, during this winter, the Lehman Chamber of Commerce was supporting the front lines regardless of cost to win the favor of the military. As long as they clung tightly to the military's coattails, the Lehman Chamber of Commerce would remain invincible.

Next came the shift to the high-end market. Glazed crystal was merely a brick used to open the door; Byron had a whole arsenal of wealth-harvesting tools in his mind.

Looking at the package prices on the scroll, Powell swallowed hard.

The accompanying perks also made his eyes turn red; no matter where he looked, he felt tempted.

For instance, under Package A, he could become a senior member of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce, enjoying VIP treatment and a ten percent discount on purchases at all Lehman branches.

Package B offered an even greater discount coupon, giving up to a thirty percent discount on future orders exceeding one million.

...

Observing Powell's expression, Byron smiled faintly and took a gentle sip of black tea. He already knew that this deal was firmly in the bag.

During the subsequent negotiation, Byron demonstrated to Lehman what real salesmanship was, ultimately stretching the one-million-gold order to 1.5 million.

Securing nearly 2.1 million worth of goods for 1.5 million, Powell was completely dazed by Byron's smooth talk. He even signed the contract on the spot and left all the gold coins he had on hand as a deposit.

Afterward, the Lehman Chamber of Commerce even sent people to escort Powell back to the City Guard.

Standing at the gates of the City Guard, chilled by the biting wind, Powell finally snapped back to his senses. Looking at the departing carriage and then down at the contract in his hand, his heart turned ice-cold. He had exceeded his budget by five hundred thousand; he had no idea how to explain this to his superiors...

"Boss, is this really going to be okay?"

After Powell left, Lehman asked with some concern.

After all, Powell was merely a representative, and whether he had the authority to make such decisions was questionable, not to mention that the budget had been exceeded by so much.

"Don't worry, they will pay. The money should be delivered in the next couple of days."

Byron smiled faintly.

Although he didn't know how the boss was so certain, since Byron said it would happen, it surely would.

"However, our raw materials are running low..."

Before Lehman could finish his sentence, Byron waved his hand, and crates filled to the brim with spell potions materialized on the ground.

Instantly, Lehman's eyes went wide. He knew better than anyone how many raw materials the Lehman Chamber of Commerce had left; there was no way Byron had extra materials to brew potions.

Byron smiled slightly. "One must always keep a reserve of stock."

"The Holy Radiance Chamber of Commerce's order might just be a 'bait,' but the City Guard's order is genuine. However, since someone wants to make an issue out of this, it's not difficult for them to find out that the City Guard placed an order with us."

"The boss means—?"

"Playing at fishing? We can do that too. Although we can roughly guess whose faction is behind this, since they are playing within the rules, we must also abide by those game rules. First, find out the specific individuals involved and lock down the target."

Byron grinned broadly.

"And then crush them!"

Lehman shivered slightly. It had been a long time since he last saw the boss wear that particular smile. He remembered the last time the boss wore it was shortly after the founding of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce, when a few gang factions in the West District simply vanished from Sevenfold shortly afterward.