The elegant noble girl sitting across from Li De raised his eyebrows.
Winnie Alex
Age: 24
Level: 11
Class: Tempest Warrior
Description: The most beautiful tulip in Green City, the eldest daughter of the Alex family, president of the Alex Merchant Guild, and disciple of the Tempest Duke.
The attributes were simple, but each carried significant weight.
Level 11, one level higher than his own.
Moreover, her class was the Tempest Warrior, a hidden class he had never heard of. Undoubtedly, this was a rare and powerful profession, something a marquis's daughter wouldn't study unless it was exceptional.
The string of titles that followed was equally impressive.
Especially the title of being the personal disciple of the Tempest Duke, which surprised him.
The Tempest Duke, from the Vampire Progenitor's limited memories of the Nolan Empire, was one of the empire's strongest warriors.
His level had long surpassed 20, reaching the transcendent tier, and there were rumors that he was seeking to ascend from transcendent to legendary.
He was a big shot among big shots.
Li De hadn't expected to meet the disciple of the Tempest Duke in Green City, a southern city thousands of miles away from the royal capital.
"Lady Winnie, you're too kind. Today, I'm here mainly to ask for your help."
After some thought, Li De decided to get straight to the point. From their earlier conversation, it was clear that this noble lady with an astonishing background was no naive person.
Beating around the bush wouldn't achieve much.
"Please speak, Lord Li De."
Winnie was slightly surprised. She had expected Li De to spend half a sun-hour or more chatting and building rapport before finally revealing his purpose—this was the usual noble approach.
She hadn't expected him to be so direct. The words she had prepared were now stuck in her throat, and she looked at him with interest.
"It's an honor to earn your trust, Lord Li De.
If there's anything the Alex Merchant Guild can assist with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Though her words were polite, Li De knew better than to take them at face value. Believing them outright would be a sign of naivety.
"Lady Winnie, I need to purchase a large quantity of grain.
Due to the war, Green City has issued a ban on bulk grain sales.
The Alex Merchant Guild controls over half of Green City's grain supply, and there's no better choice in the city than your guild.
Lady Winnie, I wonder if the Alex Merchant Guild can fulfill my request."
Having decided to be straightforward, Li De laid it all out.
If Winnie refused, he would have to activate his backup plan.
If he were a player who could respawn at will, he wouldn't hesitate to face anyone. But as a vampire hiding among humans... it was better to play it safe and wait until he was fully equipped.
Winnie's exquisitely beautiful face revealed a meaningful smile. She could sense that Li De truly didn't understand the nuances of noble conversation.
Rumors said he was from a small border town noble family. At his age, to have achieved such magical prowess through self-study, perhaps he had spent all his time exploring magic.
Winnie filled in the gaps in her understanding.
"Lord Li De, I must point out that the ban was issued by the City Lord's Mansion.
And the Alex Merchant Guild must unconditionally obey the City Lord's orders, especially during this critical period of the Beastmen invasion.
As you must know, the impact of this year's war is immense. Many of our civilians will go hungry, so controlling grain sales is justified."
Li De wasn't swayed by this excuse. He looked directly into the girl's beautiful violet eyes, his tone sincere.
"Lady Winnie, I'm willing to pay a 10% premium—no, 20%—as long as I can purchase the grain before winter.
I believe you'll help a friend, won't you?
I need this grain, and I need your help."
His eyes seemed to speak, free of deceit or concealment, filled with an unshakable determination.
It was as if Tony Leung had possessed him…
[T/N: Tony Leung is a successful Hong Kong Actor and singer.]
Negotiation strategies varied—some relied on toughness, others on persistence, and some even involved treating the other party to a luxurious experience to get things done.
Grain was an essential necessity for his farming plan, irreplaceable. No matter the cost in gold pucks, Li De had to secure it.
He was using money to buy time.
With players arriving in less than three years, if the ancient castle didn't accumulate enough strength, the crisis he would face couldn't be resolved with a few gold pucks.
Winnie looked into Li De's deep black eyes.
She smiled.
"Well said, Lord Li De. I will help you.
And I'll do so at the current market price."
Hearing this, Li De felt somewhat reassured and gave her a deep look.
"Thank you, Lady Winnie. You are a friend worth knowing, and I am deeply honored."
Though he didn't entirely believe his own words...
Winnie picked up the black tea on the round wooden table, imported from the distant Eastern Empire, and took a delicate sip.
"No, Lord Li De, there's no need for thanks.
Everything I've done is solely to win your friendship."
She paused, then continued, looking into Li De's profound eyes, "Even if it means offending the City Lord's Mansion."
Li De's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this.
Had this marquis's eldest daughter, the disciple of a transcendent warrior, been captivated by his charm?
Truly, my handsomeness knows no bounds.
But her unwavering gaze told him he was overthinking it.
A noble girl like her had seen countless handsome nobles, even princes from the royal family might not catch her eye.
The essence of any transaction was the exchange of value. For her to say such a thing meant she recognized his worth, or at least the value he represented.
He smiled faintly.
"Though I don't understand why I'm worth such effort from Lady Winnie, I am sincerely grateful.
So, is there anything I can help you with, Lady Winnie?"
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and Li De wasn't naive enough to think otherwise.
Winnie smiled gently.
"No, you're overthinking it, Lord Li De. Not at the moment."
Li De caught the emphasis on "at the moment."
"And in the future?"
"The future? Perhaps when Lord Li De becomes a grand mage, or even a transcendent mage, you'll be able to help me.
No need for excessive gratitude, Lord Li De. I'm simply investing in your future."
Li De's eyes narrowed slightly as he took another look at the girl known as Green City's most beautiful tulip. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The talent nurtured by this decadent feudal society was truly not far behind modern times.
He had too little information. Even now, he couldn't figure out what this girl was truly planning.
The discussion had reached this point, and Li De was fairly certain that there was a 60% chance the Alex Merchant Guild had deliberately obstructed the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild's grain purchase plan. But now that cooperation had been established, whether this was true or not no longer mattered.
In business dealings, using certain tactics to achieve cooperation was entirely normal. There was no right or wrong—it was simply a matter of differing positions.
On the surface, he had taken a small loss, but in exchange for a vague promise, he had gained precious development time and space. In the future, he could even leverage this point to secure more benefits. The minor loss now was beneficial for long-term growth.
Li De suddenly felt as though he were negotiating with an angel investor, who generously offered 80 million, asking for a share of his company's future success upon its IPO.
But the future was uncertain.
Wasn't this business deal a bit like getting something for nothing?
In this exchange, Li De didn't know Winnie's plans, and Winnie didn't know Li De's either. Yet, both strangely felt they hadn't lost out.
The only thing that left Li De feeling uncertain was this girl with violet eyes had an astonishing background.
What exactly did she want?
Though he wore a smile, he was now highly wary of this girl.
Had she done all this simply to win his friendship, as she claimed?
If he could believe that, he might as well return to Earth...
As for countermeasures? Li De shook his head. The Alex Merchant Guild was too massive for the Crimson Mage Tower to challenge in the short term. For now, focusing on growth was the priority.
Once he became strong enough, he could do whatever he wanted.
After leaving the Alex Merchant Guild, Vina and Cohen eagerly asked,
"Lord Li De, how did your discussion with Lady Winnie go?"
"Did Lady Winnie agree to help us?"
Laurent also looked on with anticipation.
Li De remained silent for a moment before heading straight for the carriage.
Seeing his demeanor, the three of them felt a bit disheartened. Even Lord Li De's intervention hadn't worked.
Vina, in particular, felt a sense of frustration. If she had a noble status, she would definitely help Lord Li De solve these problems.
"Return to the mage tower. Laurent, after returning to the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild, head to the Alex Merchant Guild in the eastern district to receive the grain."
Hearing Li De's voice from inside the carriage, the three of them, who had been feeling down, instantly perked up as if energized by magic.
"Lord Li De is truly amazing. I knew it—even Green City's tulip couldn't stand in his way!"
Cohen was filled with pride, proud to have such a mentor.
Apprentices could only address Li De as "mentor," while disciples could call him "teacher."
Vina swept away her earlier disappointment.
Lord Li De was still the omnipotent Lord Li De. How wonderful.
Laurent's face split into a wide grin. The Golden Wheat Merchant Guild's first mission hadn't ended in failure.
Praise the Goddess, finding a patron had indeed been the right decision.
Though Li De felt that today had only resolved some minor issues and that he had even taken a small loss due to being at an informational disadvantage, in the eyes of the three, this was no less than a victory.
After all, this was the eldest daughter of the Alex family, the president of the Alex Merchant Guild, and Green City's most beautiful tulip. To make progress with such a dazzling lady was a glorious achievement.