Chapter 311: Preyton Trading Company

Seeing Mr. Simon, who looked like a local native, and hearing his question, Lynch smiled and asked in return, “Do I need to know about this Preyton Trading Company?”

Mr. Simon paused, then laughed warmly—his somewhat plump appearance made him seem kind rather than threatening. Most overweight people don’t come across as intimidating; their demeanor often feels simple and honest, which is why few see them as a threat.

“Mr. Lynch, if you’re just visiting Nagaryll, knowing about the Preyton Trading Company doesn’t matter much. But if you plan to do business here, you’d better learn about it and what it involves.”

Simon’s tone was no longer as calm as when they first met. Though his voice hadn’t changed much, his attitude carried a sharp edge—he was warning Lynch, or at least emphasizing the company’s importance.

Lynch wasn’t easily intimidated. Regardless of whom he faced or his ability to resist, he wasn’t someone to be threatened or coerced lightly.

After a moment of silence, Lynch nodded. “Then please, Mr. Simon, introduce this… what was it called?”

“Preyton Trading Company!” Simon emphasized, showing displeasure that Lynch seemed to pretend to have forgotten a term they just discussed. He was certain Lynch was doing so deliberately.

Simon began his explanation.

Strictly speaking, the Preyton Trading Company wasn’t owned by any single person, nor did it operate like a typical trading company. It was more like a merchants’ guild.

Every quarter, the company held a shareholders’ meeting. Many foreign merchants investing in Nagaryll were shareholders.

In these meetings, they peacefully discussed how to allocate business and quotas for the upcoming quarter.

This sounded exaggerated; a guild-like organization shouldn’t wield so much power, but it did.

Much of this power stemmed from its largest shareholder, Mr. Preyton, who had been in the navy before going into business. He had a special passion for the sea and a spirit of adventure.

Simon’s mention of Preyton’s naval past made sense to Lynch. Sea transport—the main long-distance trade method—was far less safe than people imagined.

Shipwrecks happened daily worldwide, though some were reported and others ignored.

Preyton gained people’s trust by setting fair rules everyone, including himself, followed. Everyone wanted newcomers to join as well.

“That’s the general picture, Mr. Lynch. Joining the Preyton Trading Company offers much more than what I’ve just described.”

“For example,” Simon’s voice rose slightly, “we share real-time info on what’s popular, what’s losing value, and so on.”

“You won’t have to deal with hateful intelligence brokers. One call can get you timely market prices worldwide, greatly easing our international trade.”

“Sometimes we’d rather pay breach penalties than unload goods at ports early. Without these channels, our losses would be far greater.”

It may sound extreme to prefer breaching contracts, but in international trade, especially during volatile price swings, this was common.

A shipment worth 10,000 in the morning could be worth a million by night. Paying three to five times the breach penalty to forgo a contract was worth it to protect bigger profits.

During war, prices for ores and key industrial materials fluctuated daily.

Sometimes a group’s conquest of a region caused prices to crash due to new mineral finds; other times bombings halted production, sending prices soaring.

Such changes happened daily, even now. Postwar reconstruction often demanded as many materials as wartime—sometimes more.

Construction always requires more than destruction.

Having a rich, stable information network was vital. Using discreet means and shared intelligence, Mr. Preyton united many Nagaryll merchants into a powerful interest group.

This was why local rulers disliked them. United, they became hard to oppose—and increasingly greedy.

Naturally, when competition exists, a few top powers get fat first, leaving scraps for others. Though profits seemed fairly distributed, that wasn’t really true.

When the top earners lost income, many small, less competitive merchants benefited. To satisfy some demand for higher profits, increasing net profit margins became the main strategy.

Higher prices and profits looked like greed to local rulers.

“Mr. Lynch, this is a good opportunity. I invite you to join us. Chances like this are rare!” Simon urged.

Besides a direct call from Mr. Preyton, recent events around Lynch had shaken Simon deeply.

Within Preyton’s sphere, Magulana province was Simon’s main territory. Spices, animal pelts, jewels, and gold were his core businesses.

All this had been peaceful until now. He knew Mishehaye and others were making things difficult for Lynch.

Everyone had faced such troubles at some point. Simon and some merchant friends even joked about how long Lynch could endure the local rulers’ pressure and what methods he’d use.

When Lynch was pushed to the brink, Simon and others planned to appear, invite him into Preyton Trading Company, help him through, grant him quotas, and let him taste some profit.

The plan was sound, but the outcome strange. No one knew how Lynch had responded. They only knew he agreed to some of Mishehaye’s demands. In return, Mishehaye—the provincial governor—might grant Lynch exclusive rights for some goods and import-export trades.

Simon grew uneasy. This threatened his interests severely. If Lynch and the governor aligned, Magulana’s trade patterns would shift immediately.

Local merchants faced an awkward future, forced out by the ruler’s changing stance and Lynch’s rising power.

After years here, giving up business and profits would be devastating.

Coupled with Mr. Preyton’s call, this led to Simon arranging a meeting with Lynch.

Looking at Lynch’s young face, Simon felt both admiration and anxiety. He searched for clues in that youthfulness.

Lynch was silent for a moment, weighing pros and cons. He was quite interested in the Preyton Trading Company. Shared international trade information was a remarkable advantage.

Globally, apart from a few countries connected by phone or relay lines, many lacked direct communication links.

For example, there was no direct phone line between the Federation and Nagaryll. Telegraphs were expensive and unreliable, so people preferred letters.

But letters were too slow. Even at best, delivery took a week; sometimes half a month or longer. Trade opportunities came and went quickly.

What good was waiting half a month?

The ashes have long cooled.

But that didn’t mean Lynch was willing to join the Preyton Trading Company. He was thinking about how to gain the benefits exclusive to members without actually joining.

He looked back at Mr. Simon with a hint of amusement, which made Simon suddenly uneasy. Simon checked his clothes and touched his chin to make sure everything was in order, then forced himself to meet Lynch’s gaze. “Have you made a decision, Mr. Lynch?”

Lynch raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “I can’t answer that right now. I need time to think. I never force others, and I don’t want to be forced myself. Do you understand what I mean?”

Despite his displeasure, Simon forced a smile and nodded. “You should be cautious…”