Chapter 259: One Hundred Million Gold Shields

Teacher.

Lei En called softly, "If the Storm Queen refuses to lend money, or demands too high an interest, I can think of another way."

Anxiwodasi turned around at the words, and Lei En continued, "There are many valuable assets in my domain, such as ports and commercial‑street buildings; as long as I put up a portion as collateral, borrowing a few million Gold Shields from the Empire Bank is relatively easy."

The risk of doing so is not small; if Fu Kong Cheng cannot repay, Lei En would have to bear the loss.

Ao Rui En Se's banking sector is fairly developed, with dozens of banks of all sizes, but only the Empire Bank can actually lend such a large sum.

The Empire Bank is a financial institution directly under the Empire; in fact it is the Supreme Council's money bag, and no one dares to default.

Even a Holy Soul Wizard does not dare to breach a contract lightly.

If Lei En does not repay within the deadline, the pledged assets will be seized by the Empire and can never be reclaimed.

This is unacceptable for any lord and is the most wasteful act.

One must not mortgage domain assets unless completely cornered.

Lei En does not want to do this, but he does not want to see Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng collapse; for now he still needs Fu Kong Cheng as his backing support, or rather, he needs a protective umbrella.

After all, he possesses something that others covet.

Moreover, Lei En does not think Weizelan would truly collapse due to lack of funds; Ai Lun E Si is, after all, a world where strength reigns, and the Holy Soul Wizard's power there is the greatest confidence.

Difficulties are only temporary and will eventually pass.

Rather than adding embellishment to a brocade, offering coal in snow during peril more easily wins hearts.

As expected, Anxiwodasi stared intensely at Lei En for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head: "Your contributions to Weizelan are already ample; I appreciate the goodwill, but Fu Kong Cheng is not yet at the point where I need you to mortgage assets."

"But…"

Lei En, half seriously, half joking, tried to speak, but Anxiwodasi smiled and raised a hand to interrupt him.

"Two million Gold Shields are not much to the Storm Queen; she has always supported me, and as long as I lower my face and ask, she will not refuse."

Anxiwodasi stroked his snow‑white beard and laughed, "Lending a sum, earning some interest, and gaining a favor from me—I think many would be very willing."

Lei En does not know the Storm Queen well.

Since the teacher is so confident, he no longer persisted, and with a serious expression said, "Teacher, I will not retract my words; if the need arises, please do not hesitate to ask."

"I could become the Earl of Glamorgan thanks to the teacher's strong support; I originally planned to give Fu Kong Cheng an annual fund as repayment. Mortgaging some assets is nothing; even if I sold the entire domain, as long as Weizelan runs smoothly, I will have no complaint."

At once, Anxiwodasi's face showed emotion.

He looked deeply at his student, nodded, and said, "Very well!"

Lei En relaxed, knowing that in the teacher's eyes his status and importance have risen considerably.

In fact, this is also a form of indirect investment; a few words earn the reliance and trust of a Holy Soul Wizard, a guaranteed huge return, countless benefits, and there is no more profitable deal.

However, he still does not understand: since the teacher is sure the Storm Queen will lend money, why is there still worry?

Anxiwodasi walked over and sat behind the desk.

He saw Lei En's hesitant demeanor, sighed, and said, "Two million Gold Shields is a minor issue, easily solved; I am more concerned about Fu Kong Cheng's future. Even if it is not dragged down by debt, it will be hard to restore its former glory."

"Debt…"

Lei En felt a slight chill and, curious, asked, "Teacher, exactly how much does Fu Kong Cheng owe?"

"About a hundred million," Anxiwodasi replied lightly.

"One hundred million!"

Lei En's eyes widened, nearly falling off his chair from the shock of the number.

The teacher's "one hundred million" naturally refers to Gold Shields; one hundred million Gold Shields translates to a thousand billion copper coins!

Mo Du workers earn a higher average monthly salary than Longshande workers, nearly a thousand copper coins; the millions of workers in Mo Du would need to work without food or rest for a hundred years to earn enough to clear Fu Kong Cheng's debt.

Lei En is now counted among the Empire's wealthy.

In a few years he could rank among the top few dozen richest, yet the massive hundred‑million Gold Shield debt still makes his head dizzy and his eyes blurred, and he remains dazed for half a day.

Anxiwodasi laughed twice, "Actually it's less than a hundred million; specifically it should be about ninety‑eight million Gold Shields, the amount changes daily, and I can't pin it down."

Lei En was instantly speechless.

Does ninety‑eight million differ from a hundred million?

"Teacher, how could Fu Kong Cheng owe so much?" Lei En felt incredulous; as far as he knows, the Duke of Silver Star, in building Fu Kong Cheng, plundered Longshande for centuries, and the funds raised never reached a hundred million Gold Shields.

In other words, constructing an entirely new Fu Kong Cheng would not even cost a hundred million Gold Shields.

"A large part of the responsibility here lies with me."

Anxiwodasi's eyes showed a hint of regret, as if recalling the past, "It should have been seven hundred years ago; during those decades I was engrossed in studying magical knowledge, neglecting proper management of Fu Kong Cheng, the council met rarely, and one year we suddenly found ourselves without funds."

"Coincidentally, from that era onward, more and more Wizards entered Fu Kong Cheng."

"Each Wizard must cultivate; they consume magical elixirs, alchemical materials for practice, equipment, and daily expenses—all costing money. Weizelan is in a rapid expansion phase; every ten‑plus years someone ascends to legend, prompting the construction of a Wu Shi Ta for them."

"At that time I didn't think much, so I borrowed a sum from the Empire Bank, only a few hundred thousand Gold Shields, assuming I could repay within two years, so I didn't worry."

"But later, Weizelan's reputation grew, the number of Wizards increased, and the cost of maintaining Fu Kong Cheng rose year by year."

"I could only continue borrowing from the Empire Bank."

"When one debt matured, I borrowed another to repay it; although the interest is low, I worked to repay the principal, but after centuries the debt swelled like a snowball and is now essentially unpayable. The annual interest alone to the Empire Bank approaches a million Gold Shields; if you add up all the principal and interest repaid over the years, it would far exceed a hundred million."

As he spoke further, Anxiwodasi began to have a headache, tugging his beard in worry.

Lei En, after listening, felt both helpless and amused.

This sounds all too familiar; in his past life countless people fell into this borrowing trap, ultimately unable to extricate themselves, ruining their lives.

He did not expect a Holy Soul Wizard to be duped as well.

However, Holy Soul Wizards differ from ordinary people; as long as they are willing to drop their dignity, ignore reputation, no one dares to do anything to them, they can become the most powerful chronic defaulter in history.

Of course, given the teacher's character, he certainly wouldn't be able to do that.

Lei En thought it over and realized he also lacks the ability to help the teacher solve the problem; a hundred million Gold Shields is truly too much—perhaps only a handful of people in the world could muster it.

My schedule is reversed; there's still a chapter tonight. Looks like monthly tickets are doubled—please send tickets, ha!

(End of chapter)