Chapter 269: Kazekage Ninja- - 58: Iron Ore Is Iron Ore—Not Gold Dust!
Land of Wind, Yuexi Peninsula, Crystal Palace, Hall of Winds, Luxury Suite
Today, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind was, for once, not glued to a gambling table. Instead, he lounged in comfort, sipping tea and listening to his retainer’s report. Even his tea was special—a second-grade Blood Mist Red that Third Kazekage Jinghang had specially procured from Kirigakure. Though not the very best, it was still a rare treasure. One sip filled his mouth with lingering fragrance, clearing his mind and refreshing his spirit.
"Currently, I’ve mortgaged most of your assets to the eight major banks of the Land of Wind and used everything to purchase iron ore. Our entry price was 251 ryō per ton," reported Mute, bowing low.
"Hmm. What’s the price of iron ore now?" the Daimyō asked.
"It’s already up to 483 ryō. Your assets have nearly doubled!" Mute replied with a smile.
"Haha! Well done! You may rise."
"I dare not. I took the liberty of investing your wealth, my lord—that should be a capital offense," Mute said, bowing even lower.
If I hadn’t invested, would you and your entire entourage be left starving on the Yuexi Peninsula? Without investing, where would you get the cash for million-ryō poker games in the Hall of Winds, or for nightly visits to the top courtesans in the pleasure district...
"Sigh, this all came up so suddenly. You handled it well. I’ll pardon your offense. Now, are our assets enough to buy back those... properties we lost before?" the Daimyō asked.
"Uh, still... a little short," Mute replied, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
A little short? Miles off, more like! If only you knew how much you’ve lost these past six years—besides Dragonfly City, there’s barely any land left in the Land of Wind that’s still yours...
"I see. Keep working at it. Anyway, my poker game’s about to start. Prepare 200 million ryō in cash for me."