Volume 2 Chapter 188 It was intentional
Count Stagg’s response came very quickly.
When Count Sean gave him Banta City and he officially became the City Lord, in just a week, the City Lord’s Manor released new measures.
There weren’t any problems with it on the surface because the new City Lord was taking office, so deciding to inspect Banta City, especially how the land was being used was a good way to familiarize himself. This was a measure that had good intentions.
But this operation was soon targeted at the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
The first goal was aimed at Sandton Manor.
Sandton Manor used to be the private residence of Viscount Sandton, but after Viscount Sandton’s family went bankrupt, he was forced to sell the manor attached with the territory. It was bought by Xu Yi at a high price and then rebuilt into a small scale production base for the Frestech Chamber of Commerce by Xu Yi.
When Count Sean was City Lord, no one had thought there were any problems.
But when Count Stagg became the City Lord, after checking the land use in Banta City, he raised problems with Sandton Manor’s current use.
According to the notice of the City Lord’s Manor, because Sandton Manor used to be the private residence of Viscount Sandton, this land was considered private use property.
According to the laws of the Lampuri Kingdom, private property couldn’t be used for commercial use.
That meant that although Xu Yi could buy this manor from Viscount Sandton, he could only use it as his private residence and couldn’t use it as the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s production base.
For this situation, the City Lord’s Manor stated that Xu Yi had to change Sandton Manor immediately. He had to move the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s factory from there as soon as possible, otherwise the City Lord’s Manor would have to follow the kingdom’s laws and seize the rights for Sandton Manor.
Once this notice was released, it immediately roused large amounts of disapproval in Banta City.
Sandton Manor had already been the production base of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce for a year now and no one thought there were any problems with it. Even the previous City Lord Count Sean didn’t say anything about it, so why did Count Stagg suddenly order Xu Yi to change it?
But the «Banta Times» published an issue with the headline «Lampuri Kingdom land use laws».
According to the laws, Sandton Manor’s current situation was indeed going against it and the City Lord’s Manor’s actions were following the laws, so there was nothing wrong with them.
Moreover, the «Banta Times» even stated in a corresponding article that there was no avoiding this situation.
If after buying Sandton Manor, Xu Yi had applied to the Royal Parliament to change its use to commercial use and received their approval, there wouldn’t have been any problems.
Although in the laws of the kingdom, the territory of nobles was their personal property, so it was their business how they handled their territory and no one had the right to interfere.
This land belonged to Viscount Sandton theoretically. If he used it for commercial use, indeed no one had the rights to say anything.
But Xu Yi had bought this land from Viscount Sandton. So according to the laws of the Royal Parliament, although the property rights belonged to Xu Yi, Xu Yi didn’t have the same freedoms as Viscount Sandton on how he used it.
In short, the City Lord’s Manor’s notice to Sandton Manor didn’t have any problems on the surface.
“Pei!” Chairman Cruise viciously spat on the ground, “There’s no problem on the surface, but who would only care about that? This Count Stagg, he is clearly aiming at you.”
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile, “What? You only learned this today?”
Chairman Cruise looked at the relaxed Xu Yi with a confused look and he couldn’t help asking, “Hey, aren’t you worried about this at all? Count Stagg is starting to move against you, what are you planning to do?”
“What else can I do?” Xu Yi spread his hands, “You already said it, there’s no problems with this on the surface. Moreover, he is after all our Banta City’s City Lord, so no matter how he handles things, he has his justifications. I am just an ordinary merchant of Banta City, how could I go against the City Lord’s Manor which has the law behind them?”
Chairman Cruise said in a depressed voice, “Then you’re just sitting here waiting for death?”
“What waiting for death?” Xu Yi asked back, “Didn’t I already expect this matter and already start making my preparations?”
Chairman Cruise was stunned, but he soon understood and his eyes popped out. He looked at Xu Yi in disbelief, “I say……It can’t be that you already expected him to aim for Sandton Manor, so you moved ahead of time, right?”
“It’s fine if it was said like this, but I already expected him to make a move against me and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, so I made my preparations. I never expected him to attack Sandton Manor right away, he really is impatient.” Xu Yi said.
Chairman Cruise’s eyes popped out, “Since you already know this, why didn’t you prepare everything? With your relationship with her highness Seveni and Count Sean, can’t you just casually solve a procedural matter like this? How could Count Stagg grab your handle and make you so passive?”
“If I said…..I did it on purpose, would you believe it?” Xu Yi said with a faint smile.
“On purpose?” Chairman Cruise was surprised before he asked with a frown, “Why did you give him a handle to grab? Now you have to change Sandton Manor, what advantage is there to you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce?”
“Of course there are advantages. Although we’ll bear some losses from Sandton Manor, in the long run, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s foundations are at the Falling Rain Valley, so the research department needed to be moved eventually. It’s more convenient to take care of them together.” Xu Yi said, “As for my benefits……you should be asking what disadvantages there are for Count Stagg.”
“Disadvantages for Count Stagg?” Chairman Cruise was even more confused, “What disadvantages? His actions leave no room for error at all, even if her highness Seveni supports you, it can’t be that she can create losses for him because of this matter, right?”
“There are some losses that can’t be seen on the surface.” Xu Yi revealed a smile with deep meaning. He didn’t plan on explaining to chairman Cruise, so after pausing, he changed the topic by asking, “Alright, let’s discuss this problem in the future. How about we discuss what your company should do next?”
“What is there to do?” Once it came to the Amrit Chamber of Commerce, chairman Cruise immediately became angry as he said with a cold smile, “Our dear Lord City Lord needs to make his inspections, so he’s ordered us to stop all our construction projects in the city. Not being able to work, our company’s people have been bored in their homes without anything to do in the past few days! It seems like we shouldn’t think about working at all in the future!”
“Isn’t that good?” Xu Yi said with a smile, “You were always complaining about a lack of manpower and how there are many things you couldn’t do. Now that you’re being forced to stop, you can use the freed manpower in other places. Isn’t it simple to work? Just me alone has a bunch of projects for your company.”
Chairman Cruise gave a sigh and shook his head as he said, “Actually I’m not worried that my company has no work, rather I’m worried that our company’s Banta City foundations will be destroyed. Our Amrit Chamber of Commerce was founded in Banta City and grew stronger in Banta City. If Count Stagg insists on doing this, I might have to transfer the Amrit Chamber of Commerce out of Banta City like you did.”
“What? You also had this idea?” Xu Yi was a bit surprised.
He didn’t think that chairman Cruise was as irreconcilable like him and Count Stagg, so he definitely would leave Banta City like the Frestech Chamber of Commerce did to avoid Count Stagg’s control and influence.
He never thought that not only would chairman Cruise leave the Business Union with him, he would actually make the same important decision as he did.
“Of course, if there is a possibility, I’m not willing to leave with our Amrit Chamber of Commerce. But based on the current situation, I’m afraid there isn’t much hope.” Chairman Cruise looked at Xu Yi and said with a bitter smile, “Based on the attitude of our new Lord City Lord, he should be aiming at us who are working with you. If he won’t let you off, of course he won’t let me off.”
Xu Yi patted chairman Cruise’s shoulder and said with a sigh, “Sorry, I implicated you.”
Chairman Cruise laughed as he shook his head, “What implication. If it wasn’t working with you, how could our Amrit Chamber of Commerce develop to such a scale in this short period of time? It’s because of you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce that I realized the dream of our Amrit Chamber of Commerce being able to match the top companies of the kingdom. I only feel gratitude towards you, how could I be implicated by you?”
Xu Yi was silent for a bit before giving a nod, “Since it’s like this, I won’t say any meaningless words to you. Since you’ve chosen to retreat with our Frestech Chamber of Commerce, we will have the same cooperation in the future. Relax, I’m confident that as long as you cooperate with me, the Amrit Chamber of Commerce will not just be the largest company in the Lampuri Kingdom, it’ll become a company that is second to none on the Sines Continent!”
Chairman Cruise broke out in laughter, “Of course I’m confident in you, but Xu Yi, before this, shouldn’t you find a way for the Frestech Chamber of Commerce to survive? Otherwise, these words don’t have any meaning at all.”
Xu Yi laughed before looking in the direction of the City Lord’s Manor. He narrowed his eyes and he revealed a smile of ridicule.
“Just let the new Lord City Lord act like this. I think that he definitely doesn’t know that he’s acting to the script that I wrote for him a long time ago.”