Chapter 2027: The First Employee
“Two paths?” Fuldamantha looked at Jayad doubtfully. It sounded like he was trying to help him, and with no other options, he had to listen.
“The first path is, I give you an interest-free loan, enough for you to clear your debts and start a new business, with no repayment deadline. You can pay me back when you have enough money. The second path is, I hire you as my business consultant. I’ll pay off all your debts at once, but the debt will be deducted from your salary later.”
These two paths were things I instructed Older Brother Jayad to say. In essence, they were quite similar. The fundamental outcome was that Older Brother Jayad would clear his debts for him, and he would then repay Older Brother Jayad, albeit in the form of an interest-free loan.
The difference between the two paths was that in the first, he would remain a free, independent boss, able to conduct his business as he pleased. In the second, he would become an employee from that point on.
“This, in reality, is no different from you directly helping me, is it? And without interest? Where in the world can one find such a favorable loan?” Fuldamantha immediately saw the essence of the two paths Jayad proposed. After all, he was a shrewd merchant.
“You are my good friend, after all. What kind of interest do friends talk about between themselves? You were ruined by usury before. Do you want to get entangled with cursed interest again?” Jayad said with a smile.
“But, without even interest, such conditions are pure charity,” Fuldamantha hesitated. Years of merchant dealings had made him distrust such good fortune.
“How about we play a little joke? I won’t charge you interest, but you want to have some kind of price. So, if you can’t pay back the money, you’ll cut a pound of flesh from your chest to give to me.” Older Brother Jayad chuckled. This came from a famous play story I told him.
Fuldamantha froze. He seemed to have heard a similar story and quickly said, “You jest, hahahaha…”
“Fuldamantha, I’m not entirely joking. I know you’re a person who values face, but you should know that you can no longer repay the money with your own ability. The business world isn’t that gentle; they won’t help you, nor will they give you opportunities,” Jayad said, changing his tone to a serious one.
Fuldamantha was taken aback. Actually, the first time he met Jayad, he had concluded that this person was just an inexperienced youth who understood things superficially. But at this moment, he felt as if this young man before him was an experienced senior.
“You have children and a wife to support, and a whole life ahead of you. Right now, I am the only one willing to help you, and I am likely your last chance. Whether you can seize it depends on yourself,” Jayad said solemnly.
Fuldamantha was stunned for a moment. He thought about it carefully and, with a sigh, had to admit that Jayad’s words were all true. He could only choose one of the two paths Jayad offered.
Of course, Fuldamantha wanted to prove himself by repaying his debts through his own abilities, so he initially leaned towards the first option. But he soon realized that he could no longer guarantee that he would make money smoothly.
If he were alone, he would certainly dare to risk all his assets to do business, even if it meant losing everything and starting over.
But if he carried Jayad’s debt, it would mean that if he failed again, either Jayad, who was helping him, would lose everything, or his children would inherit his debt, a debt that might never be repaid in a lifetime.
Considering further that Jayad was paying off his debts for him and giving him capital to start his business—the amount was already staggeringly large. Even if Fuldamantha made a huge profit, he might not be able to repay it all.
So, he could only force a bitter smile and say, “Mr. Everson, from the start, I had no choice, did I?”
“If you feel you can, then there is still a choice. It’s up to your own will,” Jayad replied.
“I am willing to choose the second option and serve you. However, my creditors may not necessarily accept you paying off my loan for me, and I may not be able to catch Calo’s ship. But I will definitely resolve things here quickly and head to Apennine to meet you,” Fuldamantha said with a deep voice.
“Those are all minor issues. Once you’ve made your choice, leave the rest to me. I believe they will give me some face,” Jayad said with a smile.
Fuldamantha looked at him with doubt. In his eyes, Jayad was just a newcomer to Valencia. Who would give him any face?
“As long as the cash is right in front of them, they won’t have anything to say. Let’s go. We’ll head to the merchant guild, and you can retrieve your IOUs,” Jayad said, standing up.
“Oh, oh, yes, Mr. Everson.” Fuldamantha was still a bit dazed. Had an agreement been reached just like that? No contract, no signature, no seal.
“Also, from now on, you have to call me Boss,” Jayad added as he opened the door. Fuldamantha could only say, “Yes, Boss.”
While sitting in the carriage, Older Brother Jayad sent a telepathic message to me, asking, “Parul, do we really need to take him on as a subordinate?”
“Of course, it’s necessary. In initial contact and social interactions, Brother can easily make them believe you’re a wealthy individual, as we are indeed quite rich. But when it comes to actual business dealings, our entire family is clueless about running a business. We need a professional to manage it for us.”
During my investigation, I learned that before his bankruptcy, Fuldamantha’s business had been consistently successful. Many people praised his sharp business acumen, his deep understanding of market flows, and his skill in managing personnel. He was a merchant with limitless potential. If not for his excessive adherence to principles and his stubbornness, he would have already become a magnate.
Even his failed venture, had it not been for officials extorting and detaining his goods, was believed by others to have been a guaranteed success. The merchant who subsequently gained a fortune by dominating the market had actually followed Fuldamantha’s lead after seeing him procure goods. It was a case of the student surpassing the teacher, ironically leading to Fuldamantha’s ruin.
The fact that he could still act as an intermediary for Calo and his associates, even after bankruptcy, showed two things: First, before his bankruptcy, he was already someone who could connect with and establish relationships with top merchants like them. Second, even if they looked down on Fuldamantha, they still trusted his judgment of character, which is why they allowed a bankrupt merchant to serve as an intermediary.
Good character, principled, trustworthy, professionally skilled—where else could we find such talent? This is precisely the talent we need.
Not only Older Brother Jayad but also the other girls nodded in realization, agreeing with my assessment. Of course, some were completely uninterested in business, like Flame Feather and Weis, who were wrestling and rolling on the ground playing in a corner. Our first stop was Fuldamantha’s home to collect his IOUs, and then we headed straight to the usury money bank.
An hour later, Fuldamantha, holding the cancelled original and duplicate IOUs, muttered in a daze, “How is this possible…”
