"Did you report this to the Steward?"
Xu Chang’an rose to his feet.
"Yes."
The Antelope Demon nodded.
"I’m very sorry. The Steward might have his reasons."
He had thought it would be a simple matter of reporting it, that things would go smoothly.
But who could have known? The brokerage’s Steward had actually refused.
He had even tried to argue with the Steward about it just a moment ago.
However, the result was far from ideal, and he had even earned a scolding for his trouble.
"You’re supposed to follow the Contract! Making him pay the penalty Demon Stones is perfectly justified! What was there to report or ask for permission?"
"Sir Steward, his shop really does have two Tier One Middle-grade Arrays. In terms of value, they’re worth far more than the penalty in Demon Stones."
"Use your head! If he could dismantle those Arrays, he would’ve done it long ago. Did you really think a deal that good would fall into your lap? The only reason they’re still there is because dismantling them costs extra Demon Stones. Just stick to the terms of the Contract. In the end, won’t those Arrays belong to the shop anyway?! No wonder your performance has been so poor after all these years. You’re a blockhead! Utterly clueless!"
"But..."
"But nothing! Now get a move on and handle it. Remember, be polite, but you must follow the terms of the Contract to the letter!"
Recalling that conversation with the Steward, the Antelope Spirit spoke, his expression troubled.
"Valued guest, how about this? I can try to contact some people I know about your two Arrays, see if I can get you a cheaper price for dismantling them."
It wasn’t that the two Tier One Middle-grade Arrays couldn’t be dismantled, but it was a troublesome process that also required a payment of Demon Stones.
All in all, it wasn’t a good deal for Xu Chang’an.
That was why Xu Chang’an had proposed to use the Arrays to offset the penalty Demon Stones for breaking the contract.
The brokerage wouldn’t lose out on the deal, either.
For one, they could find a new client to rent the space to without having to dismantle the Arrays.
For another, even if the Arrays had to be removed, the brokerage specialized in this line of work. Their costs would be lower, so they would still turn a profit.
So, Xu Chang’an’s proposal should have been a win-win.
But now...
’Something must have gone wrong.’
"Take me to your Steward!"
Xu Chang’an said coolly.
’It’s not that I care about losing a few Demon Stones. It’s the principle of the thing—taking a loss for no good reason leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My initial intention was to use the Arrays to cover the penalty Demon Stones. That intention was mutually beneficial, not a selfish act that would harm others. Now that there’s an obstacle preventing this from moving forward smoothly, I have to find out why. It’s a matter of setting things right!’
The Antelope Spirit looked troubled.
’If I take this Gray Rat Demon to see the Steward, I’m afraid I’ll be permanently labeled a "clueless blockhead."’
"Is there a problem?"
"No."
Gritting his teeth, the Antelope Spirit finally decided to take the Gray Rat Demon to see the Steward.
He might get a dressing-down, but he couldn’t get over his own conscience.
The Antelope Spirit led Xu Chang’an out of the private room and toward the second floor.
Just as they reached the second floor, they saw a Yellow Dog Demon hurrying down the stairs.
"Sir Steward. This is..."
The Antelope Spirit had barely begun the introduction before the other demon cut him off.
"Whatever it is can wait. The Chief Shopkeeper is here! Hurry up and come with me to greet him!"
The Yellow Dog Demon rushed past the two of them in a flurry, not even sparing them a glance as he headed straight for the Brokerage Shop’s main hall.
’The Chief Shopkeeper!’
The Antelope Spirit froze.
Down on the first floor of the shop, demons were already shouting orders. Numerous Little Demons scrambled about, making for an extremely lively scene.
It looked as if they were preparing to welcome an important guest.
"Valued guest, our Chief Shopkeeper has arrived. I have to go down and greet him. We can discuss the matter of the Contract deposit later."
The Antelope Spirit gave Xu Chang’an an apologetic look.
"Alright."
Xu Chang’an gave a cool nod. He had a decent impression of the Antelope Spirit and had no intention of making things difficult for him.
’Judging by the commotion in the shop, someone important must be here.’
Seeing Xu Chang’an’s agreement, the Antelope Spirit quickly ran toward the first floor.
Xu Chang’an, however, was in no hurry. He paused on the second floor for a moment before slowly making his way downstairs.
"We respectfully welcome the Chief Shopkeeper on his inspection!"
"Welcome, Chief Shopkeeper!"
"..."
He was only halfway down the stairs when he heard a chorus of welcomes erupt from within the Brokerage Shop.
A Tiger Demon with black and white stripes was striding into the shop, a large crowd of demons thronging around him.
The Yellow Dog Demon was beaming, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face. He wasn’t positioned close to the Tiger Demon, but rather toward the edge of the crowd.
Although he was a Steward at the brokerage and held a respectable position, he wasn’t the Shopkeeper.
A spot in the inner circle wasn’t for him!
"Hm!?"
The Yellow Dog Demon’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly spotted a Gray Rat Demon up ahead, calmly and unhurriedly descending from the second floor.
’The Chief Shopkeeper is heading to the second floor. He’s bound to run into that Gray Rat Demon.’
"Get him out of the way, quick!"
the Yellow Dog Demon barked at a nearby Little Demon.
The Little Demon was sharp enough and immediately ran over.
"Excuse me, valued guest. Could you please make way?"
The Little Demon’s tone was polite enough, but his words were lacking.
Xu Chang’an glanced at the Little Demon and continued his slow descent down the stairs.
The Brokerage Shop’s staircase was wide enough for two demons to pass each other.
’There was no need to step aside.’
"Valued guest!"
Seeing no reaction from Xu Chang’an and with the Chief Shopkeeper about to ascend the stairs, the Little Demon panicked and couldn’t help but step forward to block his path.
"Hm!?"
Xu Chang’an frowned, an imposing aura naturally radiating from him.
The Little Demon froze, his heart trembling. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.
He was stuck, unable to advance or retreat.
"What are you dawdling for? Get out of the way!"
Seeing the Little Demon’s attempt to communicate fail, the Yellow Dog Demon ran up the stairs himself.