Chapter 357: Grafting

Cashmere Rust Nail Tavern, lobby.

Huolake sat in the corner of the lobby. The dining bowl on the table in front of him had long been taken away by the waiter and replaced with two glasses of bubbling ale.

The dwarf Suoerding sat opposite him.

Because the tavern didn't prepare chairs specifically suitable for their race, the wooden chair, which allowed ordinary people to fully expose their upper body when sitting on it, was clearly unsuitable for this short, sturdy person.

Sitting down normally, the edge of the wooden table almost reached his chest, and his two hands had to be raised slightly to fall onto the table normally, making him look like he was propped up on the table with both hands.

As he swayed, the chair creaked under his sturdy and dense body, looking a bit funny.

However, perhaps because he was already used to it, or because his personality was relatively big-hearted, Suoerding didn't care about this, just drinking the ale in front of him sip by sip.

Obviously, for him, being able to drink so freely early in the morning was a very enjoyable and comfortable thing.

There was no need to worry about delaying the task due to drunkenness and making any mistakes.

With his lv4 【Shield Warrior】 physical fitness, for this kind of drink with low alcohol concentration, to some extent, it was impossible to get drunk even if he drank it as water.

It was purely for the sake of his mouth.

In contrast, Huolake at the other end of the wine table didn't perform as boldly.

When Suoerding had already poured three glasses into his stone belly, the wine in the merchant's glass had only gone down a small layer, looking as if it had hardly moved.

He looked thoughtful, his fingertips tapped the table unconsciously, his slightly distracted eyes looked dazed out the window, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

He was indeed the owner of the caravan, but when his business reached his level, he was no longer responsible for specific matters and handed over the affairs to be handled to the caravan manager A-Fu. At this moment, Huolake actually seemed a bit idle.

He chatted with Suoerding, who was acting as a temporary guard, one sentence after another.

"I heard that the ore produced there is of good quality and cheap. How is the channel? Are there any good partners?"

"Too far." The heavy, fan-like hand shook in the air, and Suoerding dropped the wine glass in his hand heavily on the wooden table, "It's separated by nearly three provinces. Even if it's your Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce, if you want to transport things from the mountains to Niumu and Hegu Town, I'm afraid the consumption during transportation will exceed the value of the product itself."

"Is cost dispersion feasible? Perhaps you can find other organizations to negotiate in the middle. If the price is high enough..."

Obviously not interested in this topic, the dwarf lay on the wine table and yawned:

"This is your business. For the vast majority of dwarf clans, being able to exchange ore in the mountains for food and wine is considered a completed task."

"As for how to deal with it later, that's your own business."

For dwarves living in mountains and mines, although there is no lack of so-called "brewing masters" in the race, and some food crops that can adapt to the terrain in the mines and grow freely have been bred through generations of cultivation.

But after all, there are few who are truly willing to put down their pickaxes and stay away from the furnace, and their output is not enough to supply the needs of the entire huge clan.

Therefore, during non-war periods, when the clan has no obvious external pressure, dwarves tend to exchange some minerals that are relatively not so good for them for the supplies they want from the intelligent creatures in nearby settlements.

It was just a casual mention, and he didn't take it to heart. Hearing the other party say this, Huolake didn't feel disappointed.

Seeming to think of another topic, he opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he saw the dwarf Suoerding across the table suddenly look up and look to the side.

His gaze followed.

He saw the inn owner, the round middle-aged man with a red face, walking over with a smile, carrying two glasses of ale.

"Mr. Huolake." The inn owner's voice carried a sense of appropriate concern, "Seeing you sitting here for a long time, and the wine hasn't moved, are you feeling unwell, or is the wine in our shop not to your taste?"

"How about I change you a glass of the ale we just arrived? Don't worry, the strength is absolutely enough, and the taste is mellow!"

Huolake subconsciously looked at the dwarf in front of him, and seeing the other party nod slightly, he turned to the inn owner, smiled politely, and declined:

"No, no need. The wine is good, I just... don't have the heart to drink."

The inn owner didn't seem to understand the refusal in his words, but took advantage of the situation to pull the chair at his table and sit down, leaning forward slightly, creating a posture of concern.

"Sigh, it's hard to avoid encountering some annoying things when you are away from home."

"Is there trouble in business, or are you tired of staying in our small place?"

While speaking, the owner's eyes fell tightly on Huolake's face, carefully observing every expression of his.

"That's not it." Huolake spoke very slowly, as if he was organizing language in his heart while speaking, wanting to give the other party a reasonable explanation without exposing information related to the gem as much as possible.

"Yangjiao Town is very good, quiet and peaceful."

"It's just... the business in Hegu Town can't wait. The agreed transaction date is coming soon, and we can't delay here any longer."

"We plan to process the goods as soon as possible and then hurry to set off."

"Leaving immediately?" A look of somewhat strange surprise appeared on the inn owner's face.

"Yes."

Huolake nodded, his tone flat but firm.

"Now we are just waiting for when the supplies needed on the road can be prepared."

Hearing the other party say so, the inn owner's expression also carried some regret.

"That's a real pity! I thought you would stay in town for a few more days!"

As he said, he paused suddenly, as if he suddenly thought of something, and at the same time, a pair of eyes stared tightly at Huolake in front, watching the other party's expression change.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Huolake, will you have some regrets if you leave so quickly?"

"I just received some news this morning about what you asked me about when you first arrived yesterday. How about... you wait a little longer? Perhaps there will be unexpected gains."

Hearing this, Huolake was stunned.

He certainly knew what he had asked the other party at that time.

When he first arrived in Yangjiao Town yesterday, he hadn't yet broken free from the mental charm effect with Xia Nan's help. Naturally, he only wanted one thing—

Pastel gem!

However, at that time, facing his inquiry, even if he offered a generous reward, the inn owner still showed great impatience, almost driving him away.

Why did he say such things again at this time, when he had already broken free from control and decided to leave the town?

His brow subconsciously furrowed, a flash of undetectable vigilance flashed in his eyes, and he shook his head gently at the other party.

"No, thank you for your kindness."

"I will let the caravan manager hand over the reward mentioned earlier later, but the itinerary has been set and it is not convenient to change it, so... please understand."

Seeing his decisive and neat refusal, the inn owner's face, which was full of friendly smiles, stiffened for a moment, and then quickly returned to normal.

He chuckled twice and stood up from the table.

"Understand, understand, business is important!"

"Then I won't disturb you anymore, I wish you a smooth journey!" ===== CHAPTER 358 =====