Chapitre 484: Volume 10: Thunderous Movements and Winds Rising, Chapter 19: Merger (2)

Hozer and Zip, as the leaders of the Meine traders, once again joined forces to win the construction project for the road from Mandu to Muscat, with the enormous funds required to be fronted by these saps — the Meine traders — who in Komer's eyes simply couldn't be overcharged.

However, the construction costs that should have been borne by the Lord's Mansion were exchanged by Puber, after some negotiations, for half of the stock rights of the sole iron mine in the Mandu Region. That is to say, Komer didn't have to pay a single Gold Shield; he just needed to hand over the iron mine in Mandu that had ceased operations to Hozer, Zip, and others. In return, he could enjoy half of the iron mine's dividends each year, while the road from Mandu to Muscat would be built for free by the Meine merchants.

To use Komer's words, this was like boiling the Meine traders' own bones to extract their oil.