Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Trying to Fish in Troubled Waters? Did You Ask Me First?

Jon made a rough estimate of the time.

Processing the parts and assembling the Arm Crossbow had taken him just over ten minutes—’Did that supervisor fly back or something?’

But he didn’t have to wonder for long.

The commotion outside had already escalated into a clamorous riot. He could faintly hear a crude, malicious roar: "Get the person in charge out here!"

Jon understood what was happening in the blink of an eye.

’Ah, the "competition" has arrived...’

As the saying goes, when there’s blood in the water, the sharks will circle. With him, the "unwelcome guest," having made the first move, it was only natural that the Noble United Commerce Association’s jealous competitors and other ravenous wolves would be drawn by the scent.

What was happening outside was simply someone seizing the opportunity to probe the United Commerce Association’s true strength, or perhaps some jackals trying to take advantage of the chaos for a quick profit.

It was foreseeable that, with instigators fanning the flames, such incidents would keep occurring until the Noble United Commerce Association was either taken over or fell apart completely.

However, since he was here, he couldn’t just stand by and watch the masterminds behind this succeed so easily.

This wasn’t just about increasing his so-called "mission completion rate" for better rewards; it was about building a solid relationship with the Noble United Commerce Association. This was crucial for some of his important future plans in this world.

In any case—

’I’d like to see just who’s trying to fish in troubled waters in this coming tide...’

Jon gave a faint smile and folded the newly assembled Arm Crossbow into its ready-to-fire position. The smooth CLICK of the mechanism locking into place was exceptionally clear in the quiet lounge.

He stood up, strode to the door of the lounge, and pushed it open without the slightest hesitation.

...

The main hall of the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House was now shrouded in an atmosphere of indignant grief and noisy chaos.

In the center of the hall, several mud-caked Adventurers in tattered clothes sat with a corpse that had a collapsed chest, wailing their hearts out.

"You heartless bastards! You despicable noble Merchants!" a high-pitched voice pierced the air.

"Look at this ’fine’ shield you sell! You claimed it was Dwarf-made, excellent quality, but it couldn’t even block a single swipe from a wild bear!"

A short-haired man, who appeared to be their leader, held up the two pieces of a shield’s wreckage, which looked as if they’d been torn apart by claws. With a face full of grief and anger, he lamented to the crowd of onlookers who had swarmed in to watch the spectacle.

"Poor Talian... he was at the Soldier level, he had such a bright future, and a piece of garbage shield got him killed!"

"Can you really cut corners on life-saving equipment?! Huh!?"

As he spoke, the man grew more agitated. He slammed the two shield fragments—so light they might as well have been wood chips—onto the ground with a dull thud.

He then glared at the flustered staff, gritting his teeth as if he wanted to eat them alive.

"The Noble United Commerce Association had better give us an explanation today! Or we’re not leaving!"

The moment he finished speaking, the other Adventurers who had come with him erupted in a clamor. They all started talking over each other, demanding "justice," their shouts growing increasingly shrill.

"Yeah! We’re not leaving!"

"Get your supervisor out here to answer for this!"

"A life for a life! A life for a life! A life for our brother!"

In addition, a woman with disheveled hair was slumped over the corpse, sobbing. Her mournful, desolate cries echoed endlessly through the hall, a sound heart-wrenching to all who heard it.

"SOB SOB SOB... My brother... Give me back my brother..."

Seeing this, the idle onlookers who had come for the show also started chiming in. They pointed at the trading house staff, their murmurs filled with all sorts of accusations and a clear sense of schadenfreude.

"Tsk, tsk... how pitiful. To think they’d run into something like this..."

"Hmph. They’re always putting on such airs. Serves them right, getting their reputation smashed..."

"I always knew this bunch of nobles had no integrity when it comes to business... Ptooey!"

In an instant, the entire hall was a cacophony of shouting, crying, and muttering, and the din showed every sign of escalating!

Faced with this situation, even Pascal—who had been so professional and composed in front of Jon—was now pale and drenched in sweat.

It wasn’t because he had lost his nerve, but because he knew: this group had come prepared!

When the only three security guards couldn’t stop these "Adventurers" and the so-called "onlookers" from storming the hall and creating this scene, the staff had already been forced into a Passive position, able to do nothing but take the abuse.

Until someone who could actually control the situation arrived, any response they made would be the wrong one.

He could only order the three guards to secure the entrance to the counter area and protect the female clerks, who were already pale with fright. He himself stepped forward alone, attempting to stall for time with words.

"Everyone! Everyone, please, listen to me!"

Pascal raised both hands, facing the crowd’s stares alone, his voice trembling with tension.

"We are all very sorry that this has happened!"

He could feel the ridicule, derision, and even malice in their gazes... but he knew he couldn’t back down.

This wasn’t just about protecting the interests of the Noble United Commerce Association he served; it was about protecting his own interests as well.

He had a reason he absolutely could not afford to lose this job!

So, the young attendant had no choice but to bite the bullet. He forced his mind, which felt like it was turning to mush, to work at top speed, trying to find the right words to de-escalate the volatile atmosphere.

"The Noble United Commerce Association has always prided itself on its integrity. If this tragedy truly happened because of equipment we sold, we will absolutely—"

But before he could finish his sentence, a sinister voice, like the hiss of a venomous snake, cut in from the crowd.

"What’s the use of your pretty words now, you hypocritical lackey of the nobles? The man is dead!"

At these words, the leader of the group seemed to be provoked. His already flushed face turned a deeper shade of red, almost a dark crimson.

"Exactly! All your talk won’t bring Talian back to life, will it?!"

He lunged forward in a rage, grabbing Pascal by the collar and hoisting him up with one hand!

"Don’t think I don’t know your tricks, you nobles’ lackeys!"

he roared, spraying spittle all over Pascal’s face.

"You talk a big game, but in the end, don’t you just stall for as long as possible?! When all is said and done, how can Ordinary people like us fight against powerful nobles like you?"

His agitation mounting, he raised a fist the size of a dinner plate, ready to bring it down on Pascal to vent his fury!

Pascal wanted to object, but with the man’s hand tight around his collar, he could barely breathe, let alone speak.

The drama now reached its climax.

The furious avengers, the weeping bereaved, the smirking instigators, the gawking onlookers...

All eyes were fixed on the fist, waiting to see where this punch would take the drama.

Only one person—Jon, who had remained on the sidelines from the very beginning—was not swept up in the hall’s emotional tide.

He simply stood at the edge of the crowd, a silent island in a sea of turmoil, watching everything unfold.

He watched their theatrically exaggerated expressions, then glanced at the young attendant, whose eyes were squeezed shut in terror...

Then, slowly and inconspicuously, he raised his arm.

TWANG—

With an almost inaudible whir, a black bolt shot out from beneath his Arm Shield. It precisely struck the chain holding a magnificent chandelier high in the center of the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House’s hall. The chain let out a long, groaning SNAP, drawing every eye upward.

CREAK—!

Then, the massive chandelier—a full five meters wide, made of iron and glass—swayed twice. Before everyone’s horrified eyes, it came crashing down!

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