Munitions Empire

A corpulent elf shuffled his heavy steps down the wharf, swept by the sea breeze. Despite years of trying to maintain his image, John had started to lose control. He was now fat, truly fat. His once slender figure had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a body of over 230 pounds. What consoled him, though, was that his bulky frame was wrapped in expensive fabric, masterfully tailored so that each piece of his attire fit perfectly, each detail impeccable. Bespoke tailoring was never cheap, especially when seeking out Chang'an's fashion Godfather to personally cut a Tang suit—such a luxury was staggeringly pricey. Today's Tang suit was the equivalent of the western suit, a term that would not exist in this world. Originating from Brunas, the western suit had now acquired the formal designation of "Tang suit." Exquisite Tang suits were incredibly expensive, and the one John wore was so precious it moved people. A normal person couldn't fathom spending 500 Gold Coins on a single set of clothing, but John was far from ordinary. This tough figure overseeing Great Tang's entertainment industry had almost completely lost the concept of money. The earnings from one of his casinos in a single night were enough to make a minor tycoon envious for a long time. He had cautiously offered his loyalty to Tang Mo, who in return had granted him the power to make or break trends in certain realms today. Never question such power, John had become the world's fashion and entertainment barometer, or rather, the standard by which people spent money. If he wished to popularize something, a simple snap of his fingers was enough. By the next season, the price of that commodity would skyrocket. Once lauded by this big shot, any wine would instantly become the sought-after treasure at banquets. John's capability in this area was beyond doubt; he indeed had the prowess! The best example was the previously exalted "Brunas Four-Year" wine, which had been relegated to second-rate status all because John hinted that the subsequent releases from the Laines Empire's Brunas series were mediocre in taste... The world now unanimously recognized "Chang'an Fine Series" as the best-tasting wine, which came in three tiers: bronze, silver, and gold. Gold-tier Chang'an, apart from special allocations to Tang Mo, rarely circulated in the market. Thus, many prestigious nobles and wealthy merchants who had come to Chang'an following Tang Mo's footsteps held the silver-tier Chang'an in high esteem, praising it as a divine brew descended to earth. The irony was, Tang Mo knew very well he hadn't improved any brewing techniques. The now-celebrated silver-tier Chang'an was actually made with the same formula as the damn Brunas Three-Year. Every time he saw those so-called wine masters swirling the clear liquid in their glasses and describing to a group of devout and tasteful nobles the ethereal texture of silver-tier Chang'an, Tang Mo felt the world was becoming increasingly fantastical. As Tang Mo's invisible hand in the fashion and entertainment world, John had indeed achieved everything Tang Mo hoped for. Now, businessmen who had made more in recent times than they could in the past hundred years, found that even a hundredfold increase in their wealth was still not enough to indulge their lavish lifestyles. In Brunas, they thought a Rolls Royce was already very expensive, but in Chang'an, they realized it was merely an appetizer. The Chang'an supercar was small and fast, offering a driving experience that a Rolls Royce could never match. Of course, the price of a sports car was naturally higher, as a better engine meant higher speeds, more aggression, and cooler appearance—all enhancing the driver's taste. Therefore, it became commonplace for a car to be priced comparably to a Tank; if you didn't buy one, you couldn't claim to be a car enthusiast. After the wives and lovers of these wealthy merchants attended a banquet hosted by the Princess, they returned to find that love could be so... expensive. At the banquet, two dignified Princesses each wore a diamond ring. While such sparkling gems were never cheap, no one had thought they could be so exorbitantly expensive. "A diamond is forever, a legacy enduring," was a clichéd slogan that gained a hint of validity once spoken by the royal family, priceless as it was. After John's packaging and foundation-building, diamond products that cost thousands of Gold Coins appeared. Suddenly, they became the testament of love, a status that seemed threatened without a diamond ring for the noble ladies and esteemed women. Just as these spendthrifts thought they had reached the pinnacle of luxury, John, under Tang Mo's direction, introduced something even more frightening. Yes, yachts! Why settle for mere cars and watches? The true symbol that proved the wealthy could indeed flaunt their wealth was the yacht! This isn't the kind of "small boat" that's just a few dozen meters long, what Tang Mo introduced was the nearly one hundred-meter long "true· luxury"! Real tycoons must own this kind of luxury! The price of a yacht can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins, lavishly furnished and technologically advanced; in the 21st century, this was an important means for top tycoons to show off their wealth. When John invited a few tycoons, who had more money than they knew what to do with, to Linshui for a tour of the yacht docked at the Linshui Wharf, those who considered themselves rich suddenly felt their earning speed might not be fast enough. It's not often they feel this way... "Like it?" John's chubby fingers, holding a cigarette, exhaled a puff of white smoke as he looked at the yacht, which had a displacement of over 3000 tons, with smug satisfaction. As he smoked, he turned back to the several super-rich who were too shocked to speak and continued to tempt them, "Imagine painting your favorite name on the hull, how would that feel?" "You could take a hundred naked girls out to sea, no one to disturb you, swimming on the ship, fishing, counting the stars in the sky at night..." John's face bore a smile, looking like he had a few people's number. "I'm very rich, Mr. John," a tall man remarked as he gazed at the snow-white yacht docked at the wharf, with its high hull, "I used to think so... until today. I saw this, and now I know that I might not be rich enough." "Hahaha! The money you made last year could have bought you a King in the past," another woman rich in lavishness, with several diamond rings that screamed for an "IQ tax" on her fingers, laughed heartily. After having her laugh, the woman turned to John, "If I bought a yacht like this and named it Fralas, do you think Fralas would be willing to marry me?" Fralas was a star recently promoted by Great Tang Entertainment, a hot commodity, and his latest movie, "Chang'an Love," was absolutely on fire. The wealthy woman before him was also a fan of Fralas, and quite possibly an archetype of a brainless fan. However, she knew the rules well; you couldn't make a move on a celebrity under Great Tang Entertainment without John's nod of approval. "That would depend on whether your Fralas would be moved by Fralas herself," John squinted, saying innocently. The savvy rich woman caught on to John's implicit approval, and her smile widened. John's words meant he wouldn't interfere with her pursuit. The subtext was: as long as you don't go through improper channels, Great Tang Entertainment would not interfere. With John's assurance, the wealthy woman naturally knew the deal was more than half done. No star could refuse such a pursuit, especially since she wasn't ugly—in fact, one could say she still had her charms. In a sense, a twenty-year-old man falling for a forty-five-year-old woman is definitely true love, especially when the woman owns a yacht. "Thanks! But you'll have to take extra care of our Fralas's career," the woman said as she lit a cigarette, bargaining for a new condition. John was startled, it seemed the wealthy woman was serious this time. He nodded in agreement, giving her due respect: "Fine, I'll get him another movie..." "Speaking of movies, that's when I'm wide awake," a burly tycoon chimed in from the side, "I've recently taken a goddaughter under my wing, and she's got potential. Mr. John, my old friend, since you're planning another movie, how about looking out for my daughter?" "Sure! You've asked, how could I possibly refuse?" John flicked a cigarette butt worth one Gold Coin onto the ground and stamped it out, "There's a 3% discount for orders placed today and it won't last beyond that." "You've just given me another reason to make money," the burly man feigned a wry smile, "One yacht! I'll send the check over tomorrow." "I'm taking this one, it looks good," the rich woman said while smoking, "The Fralas! I can hardly wait to take my little Fralas to see this ship." "I'll take one too," said the middle-aged man standing on the side who hadn't spoken until now, "However, you mentioned earlier... can the style be customized?" "As expected of the Marquis of Bailu..." John clapped and laughed, "As long as you pay, we naturally have to meet your requirements." The wealthiest of the group, the Marquis of Bailu, truly deserving of the magnate title, nodded, "The person I admire most in my life is your master, Tang Mo... In this world, he earns money better than the God of Wealth himself." "It's all for business," John said with a smile, unable to hide his admiration for Tang Mo. With his personal effort today, he had sold three yachts, which made his trip worthwhile. Almost at the same moment, far away in the palace of Chang'an, Tang Mo was preparing the next round of money-making plans—having sold private yachts, it wouldn't be too excessive to sell a few private planes next, would it?