Chapter 266 - 21: Hilde Chamber of Commerce_2

Words : 1473 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 266: Chapter 21: Hilde Chamber of Commerce_2 Hilde is a place where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold; gardens are practically nonexistent. This is because gardens have no practical value in business. As for their residential value...if you have enough money to build a garden in Hilde, why wouldn’t you just buy a castle and move out of here instead? And that particular building stands in the bustling heart of Hilde, not only possessing a garden but a rather large one at that—at least five times the construction’s own footprint. So much so that looking down from above, the previously cramped center of Hilde appears as though there’s a dramatic indentation in the middle. "That’s the Chamber’s headquarters. Take this, and you can step inside. Within, you’ll find anything you might need. Prices are slightly cheaper than on the outside. Of course, only slightly cheaper. In fact, for many items, the price is exactly the same as outside." "The same prices? Then why bother going inside? I can just buy what I want outside, can’t I?" Jones asked, his face full of confusion. Adelle merely smiled, lightly patted Jones on the shoulder, and said meaningfully, "Because everyone you do business with inside will also be individuals holding the same kind of badge." Jones paused for a moment, then asked quietly, "Generally speaking, what conditions must be met to obtain such a badge?" "You must be recognized as a reputable merchant or lord." "That’s it?" "I believe there’s also a requirement regarding assets—whether it’s twenty million Gold Coins or fifty million Gold Coins in wealth, I can’t quite recall." Jones couldn’t help but sharply inhale. Alright, to put it bluntly, it’s just a super-rich-members-only club. Originally, Jones intended to politely decline Adelle’s good intentions, but when factoring in the "potential slight savings," he decided to quietly pocket the badge instead. After all, Adelle’s "slight"—who knows how large that "slight" might actually be? And anyway, as things currently stood for Jones, let alone saving one Gold Coin, even saving one silver coin would pique his interest. He was, after all, broke. Truly broke. Walking among these people, Jones might as well be indistinguishable from a beggar; all of his assets are negligible and unworthy of notice anyway. ... Departing from Adelle’s residence, Jones headed straight for the Hilde Chamber of Commerce’s clubhouse. From afar, the building seemed impressive enough, but upon closer inspection, it was downright colossal. Especially the main doors. Standing in front of the entrance and looking up, Jones gazed at the building. Meanwhile, two Blood Clan guards at the door were glancing at him, either intentionally or unintentionally. After hesitating for a long while, Jones finally summoned the courage to step forward. Undoubtedly, the super-rich-members-only club would deal him billions of points worth of emotional damage, but poverty had made him practical. For the sake of potentially reduced expenses, he resolved to embark on this "Hilde Chamber of Commerce day tour." Whatever the case, asking about prices first is always a smart move. To avoid the embarrassment of being turned away at the door, Jones had preemptively pinned the badge to his chest. The guards didn’t stop him, but as soon as he stepped inside, a formally dressed Blood Clan Waiter intercepted him right at the entrance. "May I ask who you are...?" Jones pointed to the badge on his chest. "Young Master, I see your badge. What I’m asking is—who are you? Are you one of our members?" Immediately, the surrounding people turned their gaze toward Jones. Jones’ face flushed red, and he could only muster up the courage to say, "I’m Jones Dracula." "Dracula? But we don’t have any members from the Dracula Family." "I borrowed my badge from Adelle Sambo; he’s a friend of mine." After some thought, Jones added, "I’m a member of his fraternity. Is it not permissible to borrow badges for use?" "Ah, I see. Of course, that’s allowed. Please, this way." The Blood Clan Waiter smiled and immediately guided him forward. The surrounding people resumed their own business. "Then why the hell did you bother asking?" Jones muttered under his breath, stepping forward to follow the Blood Clan Waiter. The waiter glanced back as they walked and said, "Young Master Jones, if I may be honest, visitors of your age are almost unheard of here, so the moment you stepped inside, I couldn’t help noticing. That’s why I asked a few extra questions. I hope you didn’t misunderstand. We are extremely committed to credibility here and would never allow any unidentified individuals to enter, as that would undermine the interests of our members." "But I only told you my name; you didn’t even verify my identity. How is that different from allowing unidentified individuals inside?" "As long as your badge is authentic, that’s sufficient for us." "Hmm?" It must be said, this place is genuinely luxurious. Generally speaking, where Blood Clan resides, the décor is either pitch-black or gleaming gold. The black aesthetic is easy enough to understand. But why gold? Because Blood Clan’s lifestyle revolves around night living, and during nighttime, light sources are required. Firelight has hues of red and yellow, meaning any purely white object would slightly lean toward golden under firelight. Over time, they simply developed a preference for gold hues. However, this place was different. The lighting here came from thumb-sized white spheres hanging from the ceiling, radiating soft white light. Though only the size of a thumb, the illumination emitted was remarkably brilliant, making the entire environment at night feel as if it were daytime. At such times, the ambiance of the place truly stood out. Almost everything was white. White tiles, white walls, white sculptures, silver-colored doorknobs and frames—even the artwork hung on the walls leaned toward lighter tones of the color spectrum. The whole environment exuded a cozy warmth, markedly distinct from the typical aesthetic of vampire dwellings. The Blood Clan Waiter led Jones along a winding path, through long corridors, up stairs, and taking several detours before arriving at the door to a room. The waiter knocked lightly on the door. Jones asked, puzzled, "I heard this place is for conducting business. Aren’t you going to ask what I’m here for?" "You don’t have a designated consultant, do you?" The waiter countered. Jones nodded emphatically, "This is my first time here..." "Would you like me to introduce a consultant for you?" "Yes, please." "Alright, then please wait here for a moment." As they spoke, the door was opened. The person opening the door was another Blood Clan Waiter dressed in formal attire. The man silently glanced at Jones, gave a respectful bow, and stepped aside. It was an exceptionally spacious room—or more appropriately, a grand hall. Scattered across the space were six or seven coffee tables, each surrounded by a ring of sofas. At one corner of the hall, there was a bar counter. At the moment, the room already contained over a dozen Blood Clan dressed in opulent suits. Among them were three waiters, five individuals split into two groups seated at sofas near two of the coffee tables deep in conversation, and several others who appeared to be attendants accompanying them. Apart from these two tables, all the other tables were vacant. "What is this place?" Jones asked, a bit awkwardly. "This is the guest lounge reserved for the Sambo family," said the waiter who had brought Jones here. "Why bring me here?" "Because you’re using a badge from the Sambo family. By wearing it, you’re entitled to the same treatment as a Sambo family member. I would venture to guess that you’re very close friends with Young Master Adelle." "Is that so?" Jones laughed awkwardly. "Certainly," the waiter said softly. "Badges are not usually lent lightly. Lending one implies staking your own credibility to vouch for someone. As you might imagine, in the world of business, anything can happen. Extending such guarantees comes with risk." Jones’ smile became increasingly uneasy. Apparently, he’d once again received quite a substantial favor. He had assumed it was just a minor gesture—like receiving a discount coupon. "Please wait here for a moment while I summon a consultant exclusively for the Sambo family." "Do they have many consultants?" "Of course. The Sambo family runs such an extensive portfolio of businesses; a single consultant wouldn’t possibly suffice." "Ah...you have my thanks." "It’s my duty." The waiter gave a polite nod and departed. Jones tiptoed into the guest lounge and chose an empty coffee table to sit at, quietly waiting. The Sambo family members engaged in business discussions couldn’t help but curiously glance over at Jones. Just then, Jones froze for a moment, realizing that one of the individuals conducting business was none other than Adolf, whom he had encountered before!

Chapter 266 - 21: Hilde Chamber of Commerce_2

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