Chapter 2399: Money is Power
After assigning rooms to his subordinates, they were all surprised to find that they even had rooms at an inn. Originally, these former slaves thought they would have to sleep outdoors or in stables, places that could at least shield them from the wind and rain, as they were already used to such conditions.
They hadn’t expected that servants like them would actually be able to stay in inn rooms. Although they had rooms on the ship, it was still one room for many people, and the ship had been chartered. Every extra room opened here would cost more money, and each room could only accommodate two people.
Fuldamantha didn’t say anything about Jayad opening rooms for all his servants. He knew that a rich merchant had to have the spectacle and demeanor of a rich merchant; if his subordinates didn’t live well, it would also bring shame to their master. Unlike traditional nobles who were relatively reserved and low-key, treating their subordinates as their property and looking down on them utterly, the feeling of a rich merchant lay in the word “豪” (hao), meaning both “wealthy” and “extravagant.”
Rich merchants, in the eyes of traditional nobles, behaved more like parvenus, constantly flaunting their wealth. But in the eyes of merchants, this was a necessary behavior. This was because merchants, unlike nobles, didn’t have the status granted by royal authority like a Duke or a Count. The only way for merchants to prove their status and strength was through money. Only by appearing wealthy would others dare not harbor ill intentions towards them and would be willing to cooperate with them. Therefore, rich merchants of the past, like Calo and Gaspar, were all extravagant in everything from their daily attire to their hobbies.
In reality, their personalities might not necessarily enjoy being ostentatious and showing off, but in the business world, this was a necessity. In an era completely devoid of information technology, how much money you had, what level you were at, could only be shown by yourself. Just as Calo’s luxurious cruise ship could attract a group of merchants to do business with him, this was status. And the followers and subordinates of merchants were an extension of the merchant’s strength, a part of his group, directly reflecting the merchant’s capabilities.
If a Count’s territory had dilapidated villages, impoverished beggars, or even withheld pay from his soldiers, no one would question the Count’s power. At most, they would think he was practicing a form of unsustainable, depleting fishing. However, if a merchant’s subordinates were exposed to the elements and endured hunger, people would immediately begin to question the merchant’s abilities. They would wonder if his cash flow had run out, if his business had failed, or if there was no future in following him.
This was also why we had seen so many luxurious houses and large courtyards along the way. In fact, rich merchants might not necessarily need to live in such large houses or own such extensive courtyards. This was also a manifestation of their own strength, showing that they could afford to hire people to maintain the upkeep and expenses of the courtyard.
Since arriving in Genoa, we had actually seen quite a few subordinates of rich merchants. Whether at the docks, on the roads, or within this citadel, we could see many subordinates belonging to different merchants. Most of them were suited and booted, while their guards and bodyguards wore neat armor and carried exquisite weapons. Even the most ordinary employees were at least dressed cleanly, presentably, and respectably; they were the face of the merchant.
Fuldamantha, having been a big boss himself, understood these unwritten rules. Therefore, upon arriving here, he wouldn’t say anything more about Jayad spending money on his servants. Since Jayad intended to integrate into Genoa, and even into the upper society of the Apennine Peninsula, this was a step that had to be taken sooner or later. It was better to start now. All he could do was to help the boss increase revenue and reduce expenditure, saving expenses as much as possible without sacrificing appearances, and earning more money.
At the inn’s tavern, while everyone sampled their first Genoese delicacy after disembarking, Fuldamantha said to Jayad, “Boss, let’s rest for a day. Tomorrow, we’ll go house hunting. Even if we have to rent, we need to find a temporary place as soon as possible, and then we can look for a suitable one later. Living in an inn continuously is too expensive.”
“Okay, Parul, what do you think? Have you contacted that Pope?” Jayad asked me.
“No, I haven’t contacted him yet. Theoretically, by the time I set foot in Genoa, he should already know. But since he hasn’t approached us, let’s establish ourselves first,” I said, wolfing down a cheese pizza. Originally, the Pope had asked me to come to Genoa and seek refuge with him, but living under someone else’s roof was never as unrestrained. Moreover, I didn’t know his attitude towards Older Brother Jayad and the other sisters. From the start, I preferred to establish myself independently.
“Alright, I feel that finding a residence in this citadel called Camogli would be quite good. It’s also very prosperous and close to the city center,” Older Brother Jayad directly adopted the principle of proximity.
“Agreed, then it’s settled,” Fuldamantha nodded. That day, he demonstrated astonishing efficiency. His old employees had already dispersed, found real estate agents in Camogli, inquired about housing prices in various areas, and identified available properties and those with issues, to avoid being cheated.
There was nothing out of the ordinary that night. The next morning, when Jayad announced he wanted to go into the city to look at houses and asked who wanted to accompany him, most of the girls raised their hands. Except for newcomers like Sandstone, Mari, and Flame Feather, who were reluctant to meet people and were not used to human society, all the other girls wanted to go into the city with Jayad to explore, including Weis and Margaret, the mother and daughter. Their lives on the ship had made them quite restless.
“Alright, then let’s go together,” Jayad decisively agreed, and thus this magical scene unfolded.
Soon, the citizens of Camogli would see a young merchant dressed in clothes inlaid with many gemstones, accompanied by a large group of beautiful women, walking down the street. The girls were curiously looking around and pointing. Although in Genoa, a place where the rich congregated and throwing a stone could very possibly hit a billionaire, there were too many people with beautiful women. However, having a large group of beautiful women was not a common sight.
Because the entire Apennine Peninsula and surrounding regions were deeply influenced by Christianity, the Roman-style architecture commonly found here was actually influenced by church styles. Furthermore, the doctrines of Christianity advocated for monogamy. In the Bible, God created Adam and Eve, one man and one woman. Therefore, most Christian denominations followed the practice of monogamy.
Although the romantic and passionate people of the Apennine Peninsula often had many lovers, and in this world with complex beliefs, all sorts of faiths existed, the common practice, influenced by Christian culture, was still monogamous marriage. It was indeed rare for someone like Jayad to come out with a large group of beautiful women. However, upon seeing that his clothes seemed to be from a foreign minority ethnic group, passersby seemed to understand, thinking it was a different culture.
