âBut what use does it have for me? When I concoct pills, my success rate is only a third of those around me! If someone came looking for me to create a pill, potion, or whatever, itâd only be a fluke if I succeed!â
âSince I took the effort to recruit you, naturally it means I believe in you. If youâre willing to follow me, sign this agreement.â Within the game world of Conviction, any contract was valid as long as it was within the scope of the real worldâs laws.
Bird suspiciously glanced at the contract in Nie Yanâs hands before taking it and carefully reading over its contents. As he slowly read it through, word for word and line by line, he realized the clauses were rather simple. In laymanâs terms, Nie Yan would provide him with the ingredients and materials required to train his Alchemy. In exchange, jurisdiction over how his creationsâpills, elixirs, tonics, potions, and so onâwere used would all be decided by Nie Yan. Moreover, he would receive a thirty percent share if the sales of his concoctions produced a net profit.
The conditions on this contract were roughly the same as the ones given by guilds when they recruited an Alchemist. However, he could see one key difference: the contract Nie Yan presented him stated a thirty percent cut. In contrast, nearly every guild would only share twenty percent of the revenue at most, even if the Alchemist was highly valued. In terms of benefits, Nie Yanâs terms were much more generous than those guilds. Yet, nurturing an Alchemist gave rise to enormous expenditures, all of which would be taken on by Nie Yan. The number of responsibilities he needed to assume were staggering.
âThis contract... Youâre really willing to let me sign this contract under these terms?â Bird asked, his heart stirring with emotion. Even if you searched high and low, it would still be quite difficult to find such generous terms.
âMhmm.â
âSince the moment I learned Alchemy, Iâve always been a failure in concocting. Why else would have my guild kicked me? Calculating the worth of all those medicinal ingredients Iâve destroyed to this day, it would probably reach two silvers at the very least! Please donât blame me if you end up making a loss. Consider carefully; itâs still not too late to renege on this.â Bird presented the contract back to Nie Yan, gesturing he could take it back. As the piece of paper fluttered in his hands, he felt a mix of apprehension and anxiousness in his heart. What if Nie Yan were to take it back? What would he do then?
âIâm not lacking in money. Even if I make a loss, then so be it. I know how to recognize my own faults. However... my insight has never been wrong. Rarely do I ever make mistakes when it comes to these things.â
âStill... Isnât thirty percent too high of a price to pay for me?â Birdâs voice was lacking in confidence. Even in those guilds that paid well, their Alchemists would still receive no more than twenty percent.
âItâs already been decided. I believe youâre worth the price,â Nie Yan replied, waving his hand and motioned Bird to hurry up. To gain his absolute loyalty, it wouldnât do if he simply gave him money. No, Bird needed to have good will, and bolstering his confidence and making him feel appreciated was a good place to start.
Bird truly didnât understand just where Nie Yanâs trust in him came from. However, he could tell, from both actions and words, that Nie Yan believed in his ability. When a person was at their lowest point and felt like a failure, what they needed the most wasnât anyoneâs pity, but rather only a single line of acknowledgement. Nie Yanâs words were unremarkable; his tone was normal, and there was no hidden meaning. Yet they were able to bypass the guard Bird had raised and entered his heart.
âAlright.â Bird paused for a moment to compose himself. âIâll sign the contract! Iâm also fine with you lowering my share, but please donât blame me if you make a loss.â Bird couldnât help but repeat the last clause as he gave his response.
âRest assured. Even if you fail, I wonât blame or trouble you,â Nie Yan replied in a calm tone. After travelling back to the past, he had absolute confidence in himself, and he certainly wouldnât be short on money, be it inside the game or real life. The first opening month of the game was merely the starting point of when the real world economy would connect to the in-game one. Roughly two and a half weeks later, in-game property would be available to purchase or bid on: shops, auction houses, land, and so on would all transform into privately owned entities. Various guilds backed by financial groups would certainly go into a bidding and buying frenzy for them. When real world currency could be converted into in-game currency and vice versa, the value of these properties would skyrocket. The players would discover the shops they bought for tens, hundreds, or even thousands of gold would go for millions, possibly even tens of millions of credits. As for auction houses, even if you listed them up for a hundred million credits, they would sell in an instant. This was the result of various large financial groups and adventure capitalists frantically investing in the scene. Nonetheless, owning a store or auction house truly would enable a player to reap enormous profits.
By using prophetic foresight, earning a profit certainly wouldnât be a problem. Why would he be afraid of raising an Alchemist like Bird? Come the day this Apprentice Alchemist truly becomes the Alchemy King, his returns would be well worth the initial investment!
The reason failure struck his father after he invested into Conviction was because... he had come too late! He had missed the opportunity to buy in-game properties before the real world and in-game economy fully connected. By the time his father entered the scene, the large financial groups had already long divided the game worldâs assets between themselves and formed stable markets. When his father tried to forcefully enter, he was inevitably met with an iron plate known as the large financial groups.
Nie Yan entered Conviction before his father did in order to lay out a path. Only then could his family avert the tragedy that befell them in his original timeline.
The number of tasks he needed to complete in the first month before the real world economy connected were many. He needed to amass great wealth, and he needed to coax others to join him so he could increase his influence. In the future, the properties he would need under his banner included equipment shops, alchemy shops, auction houses, banks, large amounts of land, and general stores. Although he possessed the enormous advantage of being from the future, he still understood the logic that a lone tree could only support so much. What did this world need the most? Talent! And in front of his eyes was one such talent! He had stolen Victorious Returnâs future Alchemy King from right under their noses, and he was now fostering their Alchemy King under his own banner! Weakening your enemiesâ strength while simultaneously increasing your ownâwhat reason could he possibly have in not doing this?
The sole reason he became Birdâs benefactor was because he wanted his loyalty and dedication.
After receiving Nie Yanâs unconditional trust, Bird couldnât deny that he wasnât at least somewhat swayed. He silently made his resolve. Come hell or high water, he would dedicate himself to Nie Yan in order to live up to that trust. He had been similar to a drowning person, in desperate need of a lifeline. The lifeline happened to be someoneâs acknowledgement, and Nie Yan happened to be the person who threw it. As for why Nie Yan would go out of his way to recruit him or trust in his ability so much, he didnât know. Though, he felt this was fine, because those questions no longer mattered to him. Bird grabbed hold of the game generated pen and scribbled his signature on the contract.
Hereafter, all of Birdâs crafting profession related expenses would be recorded by the system and covered by Nie Yan. In the event Bird violated his contract, he would have to pay an exorbitant fee. However, if Nie Yan voluntarily chose to null the contract on his own, he wouldnât receive a single cent from Bird.
âFollow me,â Nie Yan said before directly heading to the auction house.
As he followed Nie Yan, he still had no clue what fate had in store for him. Am I really suitable as an Alchemist...? he wondered. In the future, if he still remained a failure, would Nie Yan tell him to pack it up and go? All these questions were like a riddle that lingered in his mind. The expenses required to improve the Alchemy skill were immense. Would Nie Yan really be able to provide him with the necessary supplies?
...
Two people, one in the front and the other in the back, entered the auction house.
âAs long as you concentrate on concocting, Iâll be satisfied. Let me prepare a few ingredients and materials to start you off. If you run out, feel free to send me a message at any time,â Nie Yan said. As they walked down the auction houseâs halls, he turned on his bidding device.
Nie Yan began to sort through the prices of the goods and bought four bags in a row.
âWhy did you buy so many bags?â
âHow could I not? An Alchemistâs bag is too small.â
âTheyâre for me...?â Bird asked in surprised tone. Out of the guild leaders he had met in the past, not a single one was willing to purchase these bags for their Alchemists. The only times these guild leaders would go out of their way to purchase various gifts were when the Alchemist was extraordinary or in danger of being snatched away by others.
âWho else would I be giving them to?â Nie Yan replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He also purchased an entire set of Alchemy-related wares. They were of a higher quality and possessed the additional property of increasing an Alchemistâs success rate by five percent when concocting. The price for the set cost him three silvers. Apart from the set of wares, he also purchased a large quantity of medicinal plants and formulas.
Bird witnessed one item after another being purchased, and all of them were for him! Besides being surprised, he couldnât help but feel touched as well. He had good reason to be surprised too; Nie Yan was so wealthy! He felt truly fortunate to have found a backer with such large capital. The reason he felt touched was because Nie Yan was actually spending so much money for his sake! This boss of his was definitely worthy of his admiration and respect. However, at the same time, a certain question popped up in his head. Was Nie Yan certain he had to ability to return a profit?
Nie Yan had a large sum of wealth in his pockets. He could use it to rapidly nurture Bird into the Alchemy King. In the coming years, a high-level Alchemist would become as precious as gold! Many of them would be valued at upwards of a hundred million credits. The Alchemy King in his original timeline had a worth in the several hundred millions, and out of all Alchemists, he was ranked number three!
Considering his current financial strength, he didnât believe he wouldnât be able to nurture Bird into the king he was before.