Rise of Rurik

Karl stood up in anger.

After being re-declared by his father that "he must be the only candidate for the next generation leader and leader of the alliance", people in the center of power can easily lose themselves, even if Carl, who has not yet controlled the supreme power of the alliance, has become more and more unable to see himself in the past few years. of jin liang.

He felt that he was already a powerful "behemoth".

As a result, the mysterious Rus nobleman who suddenly popped up was so disrespectful to himself, how outrageous!

He was always brooding about the humiliation and threats he had just encountered, so he gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "I don't need the support of a group of idiots who can only bicker. Hey, it's you! A stupid young man, you are irritated. I, you have to pay the price!"

Carl stared at Arik with cannibalistic eyes. Arik's inner fire ignited instantly. His right arm, which was as thick as a thigh and full of muscle texture, was pulled directly from the mink coat he was wearing. The strong muscles really scared him. Carl one.

Arik was aggressive: "Shut up, pretentious person. Maybe we should try and kill each other to prove who is the warrior."

"Fight then! I won't kill you, I'll break your legs, smash your teeth, poke your eyes out, and let you know what it's like to be disrespectful to the noble."

Another quarrel, and almost fighting each other? ! Olekin shouted: "Shut up! I'm the leader of the alliance!"

Rurik closed his eyes and listened to the quarrel between the two big men. To put it bluntly, on another occasion, they had already begun to fight for their lives.

Finally, when Rurik had to speak out, he put on an angry face, and his delicate face was wrinkled. He bowed slightly in a polite manner, and said in a soft voice that it was extremely threatening Words: "Great ally, I have endured for a long time, you can't take my patience as weakness. You let us surrender? However, your son humiliated my brother, that is humiliating me. There is no reason in this world. Love and hatred, since the businessman tells you a lot of things, you should also know that we Russ are not really weak, and we still have the ability to break the net.

We recognize you as the leader because our bilateral transactions have always been mutually beneficial, all because of the gift of the leader. However, your eldest son despised us so much, maybe one day he really inherited your power, maybe what awaits us is the threat of war. "

"A kid who was weaned yesterday, do you want war?" Carl shouted arrogantly.

Rurik looked at the man with contempt, and then looked at the leader with a complicated expression: "So, is this his attitude or your attitude. We are not your slaves,

We're going to stand and do business. "

Now Olegin really can't stand the chatter of his son, as if this guy wants to drive away the big customers of the tribe for his own face, and then he will drive away the Rus people who finally announced their return. Obviously Karl has offended the Rurik brothers, and he estimates that the brothers will continue to do business pragmatically, and will not let go of the hatred caused by the neglect and humiliation they have encountered. Apologize? Carl won't apologize, and as the leader of the alliance, he won't.

Olegin had his own principles of birth.

The leader of the alliance must force other tribes to surrender through powerful deterrence. What about Carl? An ordinary person's arrogant character will suffer a lot in daily life. Carl is not an ordinary person, so the entire tribe may suffer. If he cannot become a strong man in the future, will Melalen's power decline? At least the Russ must be the second or third strongest tribe in the alliance, and they are definitely not the weaker ones described by Rurik.

Otherwise, how did they get a lot of silver coins?

In the final analysis, today's meeting is to finalize the grain trade.

Regarding the transaction of other goods, Olegin did not want to talk about the minutiae.

"Now let's talk about the most important thing, I hope our harmony is still there." Saying that, Olegin stretched out his right hand and showed five fingers: "Half a million pounds of oats! Gould will definitely take care of this matter. I told you. I can sell you so much wheat, so what about the money?"

As far as food transactions are concerned, he is so refreshing? Rurik couldn't stand how quickly things were changing, and he was about to quote his pick-up price, but wait.

Rurik pretended to be calm: "I'm sorry, that's a very heavy payment. A lot of silver is on Gould's island, and is closely guarded by our Ross warriors."

"How much? Fifty thousand pounds really? Or more?" Olegin's outstretched head showed his thirst for money.

The specific amount, Rurik deliberately did not say, he did not want to show his cards, "Let's talk about your price, my leader."

Olekin shrugged, and he secretly muttered to himself that this brat from Ross was quite calculating. In trade since ancient times, whoever puts forward the price first often suffers the most.

He squeezed his chin and made a somewhat embarrassing gesture: "Rurik, maybe you have seen it with your own eyes, the weather this year is very bad, and the growth of the wheat is very bad. According to past experience, we Melalen will not have a good harvest this year. , and because of this, the price of food will skyrocket.”

"Huh? The weather is bad, what does it have to do with your food?"

All of a sudden, Olegin was questioned.

He stared at the innocent performance of the child in front of him, covered his face with his big hands, and said in embarrassment, "You are entertaining me? Don't you know that the wheat will not be harvested when the weather is cold? Don't you know that this spring is very late this year."

"I know. But, what does this have to do with you planting wheat."

"This is very common sense, you don't understand?" Olegin's tone became stronger, "Listen, because of the cold weather, the lack of harvest, and the rise in prices, you can't buy more food with money."

"Oh, I get it!" Rurik deliberately glanced at the corner of his mouth, "Are you actually telling me that you don't want to do this business?"

"No, I didn't say that." Olegin responded instantly in a hurried tone.

At this point, Rurik had already figured out what the other party was thinking, and to put it bluntly, Gould had negotiated with this person the price of ten pounds of wheat for a silver coin, and now Olegin wanted to change it for a higher price.

How can that work?

The condition of the farmlands of the Melarens, Rurik or through reports from Gould and others, and even his own fieldwork, all came to bad conclusions. Obviously, it is a foregone conclusion that Melalen's agricultural failure this year is a foregone conclusion, and their farmers will only have a hard time in the coming year.

Rurik boasted that his kindness was only for his own people. In theory, the Russ and the Melarens were the leaders of the alliance, but these days, the guests who lived there did not have a good impression of them Rurik. Sympathy for those peasants is love, ignoring them to only do their own business is duty, and now Rurik doesn't care about their life or death.

What did Olegin think of Rurik's opinion? He couldn't tell whether the child really lacked common sense or whether he was deliberately pretending to be confused. Anyway, no matter whether you are pretending to be confused or not, the idea that you want to trick them doesn't seem to be so easy to operate.

Now that he has guessed the opponent's mentality, he has an idea on how to play the card.

"Seventeen pounds of dry oats for a silver coin. That's last year's market. I'm bringing the money, and I'll buy it at this price."

"No!" Olegin flatly refused.

"Huh? Do you really want to do business?"

Olegin laughed, "Of course the business is going to be done, and you may regret my offer. Eight pounds of oats for one silver coin, be careful, we don't have time to dry the new wheat."

"Twice as expensive!"

"Yes. This year's situation is not good, Rurik, it is a fact, I hope you will take care of our difficulties."

"But, who can measure us? Although my people can live a good life by fishing, they like the taste of porridge. We Rus put together a huge sum of money and found you to do business. I just don't want to be exploited by those businessmen in the middle. Unexpectedly, you actually want to trap us?"

Olegin glared: "Hey! Boy, why should I harm you? You think the price is not right, we can talk."

That's what Rurik wanted. "Fourteen pounds."

"No, I said nine pounds."

"It's still too expensive." Rurik shook his head vigorously.

Olegin was really anxious, he suppressed his urge to curse, he really didn't want to say that he was losing money for every eight pounds of wheat that he quoted.

"Nine pounds, Rurik. I hope you don't lose your child's innocence and be a good man."

"Twelve pounds!" Rurik gritted his teeth, "Can't go any lower."

"You!" Olegin held his breath and said sternly: "The harvest season is now, and the situation is bad this year, when the price will skyrocket, I can't control it. At that time, a silver coin can't buy seventeen pounds, and I will buy more Less than ten pounds, maybe only five pounds. In the worst case, farmers won't sell their own grain at all, and you can't buy food without me."

These words spoke to Rurik's heart.

Rurik claimed to have a high level of insight in the manufacture of related machinery, but because his brain was packed with a lot of knowledge, the elementary economics knowledge he had had a huge advantage in today's era.

Olegin's gloomy prediction is likely to come true.

The Melalen people who have been farming for a long time, when the food is not harvested, they go crazy and sell the food on the market? I'm afraid that not only do they have no surplus food, but after deducting the crops, there is not much left! In the coming year, a family will either borrow to survive, or find ways to fish or even catch groundhogs, eat bugs, or even become robbers to plunder.

Farmers do not sell grain, and the market is naturally sluggish.

Do the Rus people want to carry a sword in the right hand and a purse in the left, forcing farmers to trade?

It is inappropriate and impossible for the Rus to do this. The only person who could possibly do this was Olegin.

They were in trouble, and Rurik just pretended to be confused and didn't do it. His bottom line was the price that Gould had negotiated with Olegin before. One silver coin was ten pounds of wheat. If he bargained for an effect, it would be worth the effort now.

Rurik countered: "Did we come with a lot of food and can only buy insignificant food? Instead, we Russ would rather fish and hunt day after day, save silver coins, and wait until you have a good harvest. Wouldn’t it be great to buy grain again when it’s time? Leather and other trades are good to say, only grain matters, if you have such an attitude, farewell!”

Rurik stood up suddenly, even with Arik. He deliberately put on a gesture that the negotiations had broken down, but just as he turned around, he was stopped by Olekin.

"Wait a minute!"

For a moment, Rurik's heart was overjoyed, he turned around again, and saw Olegin's gloomy face, which was extremely difficult to see.

Olekin's face was solemn: "Ten pounds! It's like the price of a normal year, ten pounds!"

Rurik sat down again, although this has reached his psychological bottom line, since Olegin is very urgent about business, can he do it without rip-off?

“Still not! Too expensive”

"You!" Olegin stretched out his fist, as if a father was trying to fix his son.

"What? You're going to hit me."

"Damn..." Olekin's fist clenched to crush his own hand bones. Recalling the speculation just now, he can judge that this child is really a tough stubble, and the so-called grains are all disguised.

"Eleven pounds. This is my final price! Great leader, we don't have to discuss this matter, and I won't add even a single copper coin. If you don't agree, the grain trade will not be done this year. "

The child in front of him looked like he couldn't get in. Olegin never dreamed that he would be very passive in front of a child.

Rurik, who was "blessed by Odin", also had to sigh with emotion. Aside from those strange titles, this child really had something in his mind. At least, he can be called a "young wise man".

Seeing the devastated appearance of the leader of the alliance, Rurik continued: "I really brought a lot of silver coins, it is enough to sink a sturdy cargo ship (deliberately exaggerated). We Rus people are also very worried about pirates looting, just in Gould Island has built a fort and deployed a lot of troops. Great leader, this money is what we used to buy food. The whole operation was planned by my father Otto. He told me that only the leader has the courage, Take out a lot of food at once."

It sounds like this is flattering to himself, and it also proves Otto's recognition of his own status, Olegin still feels unhappy when he hears it. Rurik's words had a clear hint that the island controlled by Merchant Gould was not under the direct jurisdiction of Melalen, and the Ross warriors were ready to fight against any pirates.

If you want to use some extreme means to get those silver coins, you really need a head-on war.

Exchange food for silver coins, Olegin really felt a pain in the flesh, but now, he has no choice.

When Olegin was in a dilemma, in order to facilitate his compromise, Rurik decided to make a little more "concession". Of course, there is no real concession here, just a verbal promise.

"Leader, I am willing to spend 45,454 silver coins. Ah bah! I will give you a profit, and I will buy you 500,000 pounds of wheat for 45,500 silver coins (455 pounds). I will continue to give you a profit."

"Just omitting a fraction, what is there to say?" Ao understood helplessly.

"It's one that you'll be interested in. I can give you a discount on the iron trade."

"Really?!" Hearing that, the dark clouds on Olekin's face were light.

In the final analysis, Olegin's core purpose of exchanging food for silver coins is to exchange silver coins for iron, and finally expand his armament to deal with the growing threat of war from the Danes.

Rurik continued: "You're going to buy a hard sword and a hard spear. I know your price. I can give you a 10% discount on this. If I'm in a good mood, I can give you a better price."

"Oh? So are you in a good mood now?" Olegin's urgent eyes said everything. Rather than asking for silver coins, this guy craved weapons.

Is it worth it to make the Mellarens virtuous? Will they be attacked someday? Attacking the Rus with their weapons, Rurik could not guarantee that such backstabs would not exist. In today's negotiation, the guy named Carl has stood in the position of Melalen's "Prince", showing the fangs of military threats.

But the business still has to be done, otherwise, what is the purpose of ordering the Kewen people in the northernmost fort Elon Orava to smelt ferrochromium so desperately to make weapons? Of course, the best human version of the weapon is for the Russ, and the monkey version is for them.

A little comfort in the arms trade, Olegin felt he had no choice, and accepted Rurik's offer.

So far, all trade agreements have had a verbal result.

Just verbally...

Of course it doesn't work!

Rurik immediately proposed to engrave the transaction between the two parties on a wooden board in written form, and the contract should be in duplicate, so as to urge both parties to the trade not to violate the contract.

Olegin was afraid that the Russ would change their minds, why didn't Rurik think so?

Soon, Rurik and the other three entered the inner court of the leader's house. In a more private room, witnessed by several priestesses of the Melalen tribe, the contract on the wooden board began to be quickly carved.

To Olegin's surprise, Rurik already knew a lot about the Rune alphabet system at a young age and was able to read vocabulary proficiently. That's all, he's still a simple child?

Today's events are too miraculous. Olegin rarely signs written agreements with people, and daily contracts are more common in oral.

It seems that all Russ are like this? Pay attention to written contracts?

Olegin couldn't help but admire a little. Since the contract has a written proof, the Russ people shouldn't be the first to do the verbal denial of the past, right?

This contract clearly states that after the grain is harvested, the Melarens need to provide 500,000 pounds of wheat for the Rus, and the Rus will deliver 455 pounds of silver coins (measured by weight, avoiding the fineness and Incomplete loss).

The second is about trade in leather, iron and other commodities. Only in the traditional commodity such as leather and the cutting-edge trade in high-quality iron, any direct trade between the chief family of Ross represented by Rurik and the chief family of Melalen , enjoy a 10% discount.

It was also determined in the contract that it was the family of the leader of Ross who had the final say on how many goods to sell for the leader of Melalen, and in fact it was Rurik who had the final say.

If the profits are made for a long time, wouldn't the Russ suffer losses in the market trade? Do not! Rangli is for greater profits in the future!

Therefore, the duration of this contract depends on how long Olegin can be the leader of the alliance.

Rurik did not publicly oppose Karl's succession as leader, but the contract had clearly revealed the maliciousness of the Rus. The so-called Olegin really died or suddenly resigned as the leader of the alliance, all the terms of this contract were voided, and any trade agreement had to be renegotiated.

After all, it is not a trade agreement between the two tribes. It only represents two powerful families. To put it mildly, it is a private trade, but this trade will definitely affect the fate of the two tribes.

In desperation, Olegin, who was eager to get a lot of silver, a lot of leather, and a lot of iron, estimated that he was still at a disadvantage, but the Ross tribe was the only one who could provide a large amount of these three important materials at the same time.

Rurik was also interesting at the last moment. He pulled his reluctant cousin Arik and Carlota, who was certified by the leader, and the three gave the leader a tactical salute to kneel on one knee. The so-called let the leader save face. get some satisfaction.

They walked out of Olegin's mansion under the soft afterglow of the setting sun with the deed boards engraved with words, and ended the transaction and returned to Gould Island.

But the real deal is about to begin.