71: Please read Chapter 71, this fifty-page contract, word for word.

"Congratulations, sir!" The gavel fell, sounding like a command.

Evelyn immediately strode over with an elegant, cat-like gait, personally delivering a gold-leafed "Preliminary Ownership Certificate for Mining Blocks" to that corner.

Echo, beneath his cloak, did not move. His agent, a seemingly unremarkable wealthy merchant, hurriedly stood up and, with a face full of smiles, accepted the certificate from Evelyn.

While showering Evelyn with flattery, the agent took a two-thousand-gold-coin note issued by the Continental Central Bank from his bosom and handed it over as a deposit.

Evelyn merely smiled as she took it, flicking it lightly with her fingertips as if checking the texture, then turned and returned to Levi's side, handing the note to him.

Levi did not look at the note. His gaze cut through the noisy crowd, briefly meeting the shadow beneath the cloak for an instant.

He could feel the gaze cast from beneath the cloak—cold, sharp, like a viper's tongue, assessing every vital point of its prey.

This feeling was familiar and stimulating. In his past life, the competitors at the negotiation table who wished they could swallow him whole had the exact same look in their eyes.

Echo was observing him as well. The unhurried smile on the young man's face made the killing intent and greed in his heart intertwine and burn ever more fiercely.

He gave a slight nod to the agent, who immediately understood and sat down, ceasing to participate in the subsequent bidding.

With Levi's tacit approval, the agent silently left the corner of the hall.

He walked through the castle corridor to a secluded, empty courtyard, pulled a jet-black bone whistle from his bosom, and blew a sharp note that was inaudible to ordinary people.

A moment later, three dark figures, almost blending into the shadows, appeared like phantoms before him and knelt on one knee.

"The Guild Master's orders," the agent's voice reverted to the dry, cold tone of an assassin, "the plan has changed. Mining Block A-1 has been secured. You are to immediately break cover and join our newly established 'Peak Mining' under the guise of guards and senior miners. Enter the mining area first thing tomorrow morning. Your mission is twofold: first, survey all paths from Block A-1 to the core of the ore vein; second, find every possible opportunity to eliminate the target without triggering the alchemy bombs."

"Understood." The three shadows replied in unison, then melted back into the shadows and vanished.

Inside the hall, the bidding frenzy continued.

Under the diligent incitement of Coaster, the professional shill, almost all the marked mining blocks were auctioned off at high prices.

The nobles and merchants had bloodshot eyes, as if they hadn't bought dangerous underground caves, but mountains of gold coins.

After the final block was won by a slave trader from the south, Levi cleared his throat, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice, amplified by a magical device, clearly rose above all the noise, "congratulations on becoming valued partners of Blackstone Mining. On behalf of Blackstone Heavy Industries, I express my sincere respect for your foresight."

A smattering of applause broke out, and everyone looked at him impatiently, waiting to receive their certificates so they could mobilize their men overnight and be ready to rush into the mines first thing tomorrow to seize the initiative.

"However, before you officially enter the mining area to commence operations, there is one final procedure to complete in order to protect the rights and interests of both sides and clarify our respective responsibilities." As Levi spoke, he turned to the side and introduced Sylvie, who had been standing quietly at the side of the podium, "This is our Chief Legal Counsel, Ms. Sylvie. Next, she will represent me in signing a detailed 'Mining Development and Safety Liability Agreement' with each of you. Only after this agreement is signed will the preliminary certificates in your hands officially take effect."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sylvie picked up a large stack of thick parchment documents and walked down from the podium with steps as precise as a machine.

Her assistants followed closely behind, distributing contracts thick enough to be used as pillows to every representative of the successful investors.

The thickness of the documents shocked everyone.

The contract was over fifty pages long, written in dense Common Tongue with handwriting as small as ants, and filled throughout with obscure legal jargon and complex clause structures that made one's head spin.

An impatient fat noble had no patience to read the content.

After getting the contract, he flipped directly to the last page, found the signature line, picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and prepared to sign his name.

"Please wait a moment, sir."

A cold hand gently pressed down on his wrist.

The fat noble looked up and met Sylvie's emotionless eyes; the gaze behind her lenses was as if she were looking at an inanimate object.

"According to the provisions of Chapter 1, Article 3 on the first page of this agreement," Sylvie's tone was as flat as a string pulled to its limit, "the signatory must first copy the 'Risk Acknowledgement and Liability Waiver Statement' on the first page in its entirety and accurately, and sign it in their own hand to confirm that you have fully understood and voluntarily assume all potential risks. Otherwise, your signature on the final page will be deemed invalid."

Her finger tapped the last page of the contract as she added, "Additionally, according to the auction rules, once the deposit is paid, it is non-refundable."

The fat noble's face turned the color of pig liver instantly.

He looked at the tongue-twisting statement of at least five hundred words, then at Sylvie's "no-compromise" face, and his beard trembled with rage.

What was this? Were they being humiliated by being treated like copyists, they, the respectable nobles?

"Absurd!" Echo's agent was the first to stand up. He held the contract high, attempting to use commercial rules to apply pressure. "We are affiliated with the Silvermoon City Commercial Association and have never seen such a harsh and rude contract! This does not conform to commercial customs, and I have the right to refuse to sign such non-compliant documents!"

His words immediately drew support from many others.

Sylvie just gave him a cold look, as if she had long anticipated this scene.

She calmly pulled another, thinner document from the stack of files she was carrying.

When the document was unfolded, at the very top was a huge, complex seal made of magical runes.

"This is the 'Legitimacy Certification Letter for New Commercial Contract Templates' issued by the Office of the Chief Legal Officer of the commercial city 'Golden Spike City'." Sylvie showed the document to everyone; the shimmering light flowing on the seal could not be faked. "The certification letter clearly states that while such contracts with 'pre-acknowledgment conditions' are not common, their procedure is completely legal. As for the specific terms within the contract, they follow the commercial freedom principle of 'voluntary details, bear your own consequences.' If you believe it is unreasonable, you may choose not to sign."

The expression on the agent's face froze.

He hadn't expected the other party to have prepared even this contingency.

The Chief Legal Officer of Golden Spike City was the most authoritative existence on the continent; since even they had certified it, continuing to quibble would only be self-humiliation.

The pressure tactic had failed completely.

The nobles looked at each other and, ultimately, under the temptation of gold coins, reluctantly picked up their pens. They began, like elementary school students, to hunch over the tables, cursing the ancestors of House Byron while laboriously copying that damned statement.

In the hall, for a time, only the rustling sound of quills scratching across parchment remained.

Levi watched this scene with satisfaction.

The essence of the law lies not in fairness, but in the right of interpretation.

As long as the procedure is legal, no matter how overbearing the content, it's a case of a willing victim.

He turned and left the noisy hall, and Evelyn immediately followed. The two of them, one after the other, walked into a secret room deep within the castle.

In the secret room, only a single magical lamp emitted a dim glow. The financial intermediary, Coaster, was sitting uneasily on a chair, clutching a money bag tightly in his hand—it was the advance payment Levi had given him earlier.

Seeing Levi enter, he hurriedly stood up, his face full of fawning smiles: "Lord Byron, you see... today's scene, was it successful enough? I used every ounce of strength I had."

"Very successful, Mr. Coaster." Levi smiled, took a heavier money bag from Evelyn, and tossed it onto the table in front of Coaster. "This is as agreed: three percent of the total financing amount, your commission."

The dull clinking sound of gold coins made Coaster's eyes light up instantly.

He couldn't wait to untie the bag, and seeing it full of gleaming gold crowns, his breathing became heavy.

He was rich! He had never seen so much money in his entire life!

Just as he was immersed in ecstasy, the door of the secret room creaked shut. Two orc guards, like iron towers, blocked the doorway on the left and right, their cold gazes locking onto him.

The joy in Coaster's heart was instantly replaced by a chill. He looked up vigilantly, eyeing Levi.

The smile on Levi's face remained gentle, but from the other end of the table, he slowly pushed over a one-page agreement and a pen. The title of the agreement was: "Lifelong Confidentiality Agreement."

"Mr. Coaster, we have cooperated very happily." Levi's voice was as soft as a lover's whisper, "For our future long-term cooperation, and to protect our mutual interests, please sign this document."

Cold sweat broke out on Coaster instantly. He picked up the agreement with trembling hands, and after reading only a few lines, his face turned deathly pale.

"What if... I don't sign?" he asked, his voice trembling as he clung to a final shred of hope.

The smile on Levi's face finally vanished, replaced by a business-like coldness.

"That would be a pity. You fabricated false mineral reports and colluded with me to maliciously manipulate the market, which constitutes commercial fraud. As the principal offender, in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of other investors, I would have no choice but to conduct 'asset liquidation' and 'physical silencing' on you, the 'accomplice', right here."

The orc guards at the door cooperated by clenching their fists, their knuckles making a teeth-grinding popping sound.

Fear completely shattered Coaster's psychological defenses. He understood now; from the moment he set foot in Blackstone Territory, he had no other choice.

He grabbed the pen with trembling hands, scribbled his name crookedly on the agreement, and pressed his thumbprint onto it.

"A wise choice." Levi smiled again and patted his shoulder, "Now, you are one of us."

Meanwhile, in another, more secret room, Echo was using a dim oil lamp to quickly flip through the complete copy of the contract brought by his agent.

He read at an extremely fast speed; those assassin's eyes could easily capture any hidden detail. In just ten minutes, he had finished reading all fifty pages.

The room was deathly silent, with only the slight "crackling" sound of the lamp wick burning.

"Heh..."

A cold laugh, suppressing fury, emanated from beneath the cloak. The agent stood to the side, not even daring to breathe loudly.

This contract was not an agreement at all, but a meticulously woven web of law. The trap clauses within numbered dozens.

For example, "The Lord has the right to reasonably adjust mining area management fees according to changes in the market environment," which meant Levi could raise prices at any time and squeeze their profits dry.

For example, "To ensure the safety of miners, all safety equipment, including but not limited to helmets, mining lamps, and ropes, must be purchased uniformly from the Lord's designated sole supplier, 'Blackstone Safety' company; violators will be fined ten times the purchase price." This was equivalent to strangling their logistical supply lines as well.

The most vicious one was, "In the event of force majeure, such as large-scale monster riots, structural collapse risks of the mines, or other emergency states, the Lord has the right to unilaterally and permanently close any or all mining areas for the overall safety of the territory, without assuming any liability for compensation." The so-called "emergency state" was defined entirely by Levi alone.

Echo understood completely.

This young man had never intended for these investors to mine and make money peacefully from the very beginning.

His real purpose was to use these contracts to turn everyone into coolies who worked for him for free and even had to pay for the privilege.

Once they had exhausted all their efforts, using human lives to clear the magic spiders out of the mines and repair the tunnels, he could find an excuse at any time to kick everyone out and monopolize the entire ore vein.

Give up?

If he gave up now, the 12,000 gold coin deposit would go down the drain.

More importantly, he would lose the best opportunity to enter the mines and get close enough to assassinate Levi.

Echo closed his eyes, weighing the options rapidly in his mind.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again, his killing intent deeply hidden.

"Sign it." He said only one word.

The agent was stunned for a moment, but still immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Echo stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the brightly lit main hall of the castle.

Very well, Levi Byron. You use contracts as weapons, wanting to trap us all. Then I will play along and sign this contract of indenture.

As long as my men can enter the mines and control the chokepoints, your alchemy bombs will become mere ornaments. When that time comes, I will let you experience for yourself that in the face of absolute violence, any contract is just a piece of waste paper that can be torn up at will.

The night deepened, and the noisy castle finally quieted down.

All the investors were in their respective rooms, either writing furiously or studying that damned contract with gnashed teeth.

Fatigue and calculation shrouded the first night of financing in Blackstone Territory. No one knew that this fifty-page agreement would, tomorrow morning, officially lead a pack of jackals with ulterior motives into a slaughterhouse prepared carefully for them.