Rey thanked Morgan for letting him witness the auction process firsthand.
Morgan felt happy after hearing Rey's praise and thanked him for his assistance in auctioning such precious treasures.
After their conversation, Rey left Morgan's mansion and returned to his villa.
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In the afternoon, while Ray was enjoying his lunch with Lily, Ryan, along with his brothers and the village chief, came to visit him.
Ray then asked them to join him for lunch, but they declined and sat in the hall, waiting for Ray to finish eating so they could talk to him.
After waiting for 15 minutes, Ray finished his lunch and came to the hall with a glass of juice in his hand.
He handed the juice to the four guests to quench their thirst in the intense heat.
They drank the juice in a few gulps, placed the empty glasses on the table in front of them, and the three sons of the chief turned to him, signaling him to start the conversation.
The chief awkwardly started his talk.
"Ray, how's it going here? I never imagined you would rent a villa instead of a single house," Chief began the conversation.
Ray chuckled at the chief's odd way of beginning the conversation and responded.
"I'm fine, chief. How was your trip during the mercenary task? I hope no one was attacked or injured by monster beasts or bandits," Ray asked with concern.
"No, we're doing great. The repair and towing of the passenger ship went smoothly, and we even received a bonus. My mercenary group's rating increased because we took on this task and completed it without any issues," Chief replied proudly.
"That's good. So, what's the reason for your visit today?" Ray asked with a mischievous smile.
"Hey Ray, we heard there was an auction that started yesterday in the city. We tried to get in like we always do, but the auction manager said they're only allowing invitees this time."
"And we learned that the plot previously occupied by the Black Fang gang was the first item auctioned off during the event."
"We just wanted to check if you received the invitation and made it to the auction."
"And if you have won the auction for the plot, there is talk about the plot being sold for a sky-high price in this auction session."
"It's the talk of the town, and many are wondering who it is. Even if you haven't won it, do you remember who did? We could cooperate with them and lease a small space to start our business," Chief asked.
Ray patiently listened to the chief and didn't want to trouble the already tense person, so he slowly took out the bundle of contracts from his robe, where he had placed them earlier.
Ray slowly put down the contract papers on the table and spread them out so the chief and his three sons could see the details.
The chief, with shaking hands, took the documents on the table and saw that the name of the landowner for the next five years was noted as Ray and was approved with the City Lord's stamp at the bottom of the document.
Ryan, who was sitting beside the chief, immediately leaned over the chief's shoulder to see the document. He then started jumping up and down with joy, hugging his brothers who were beside him.
After they shared the joy together for a few moments, the chief calmed down a little and scolded his sons for forgetting their manners, then asked them to sit down first.
"Ray, what are your plans for the plot you won?" the chief asked seriously.
Ray also became focused and replied, "I want all the existing shops to be demolished after paying them the required compensation, and I want to build shop complexes, restaurants, bars, and luxury hotels there."
"I will cover all the expenses needed for the demolition and rebuilding of the street."
"While I will select the building materials and the builders for demolition and construction, I will leave the maintenance and security of the street to you."
"While the streets are being built, you can choose a location and construct houses to accommodate everyone with you,".
"After you have settled down, I will hire the non-security personnel as shopkeepers and workers for shops, pubs, restaurants, and hotels according to your recommendation."
The chief grew tense upon hearing the initial sentence but felt relieved after the subsequent conversation.
"But Ray, instead of demolishing the existing shops, you could ask the decors to try remodeling them. It will cost you less and be done in a few days."
Although I'm not sure why more people are coming into town daily, I guess there must be another important event being hosted. With the increased flow of arrivals, I suspect it might be held in a few days.
"If you can contract decoration shops in the city, they will do it in a few days if you pay them more money," the chief advised Ray.
Ray thought for a moment, agreed to the chief's suggestion, and informed him that another auction would be held in the city in a few more days.
Ray then told the chief his guess was right and praised him for his foresight.
Ray then asked the chief if he was free today as he has a small Favour to ask for him.
"Yes, I'm absolutely free today. My mercenary work was completed just two days ago, so I'm taking a long break," the chief replied.
"Chief, I need you to visit all the shops on the street, let them know about the change of ownership, and ask how much compensation they want to vacate the shops. If they ask for a reasonable amount, pay them since we're inconveniencing them," Ray requested the chief.
The chief happily accepted the task, slowly got up, and prepared to leave immediately to do the work.
Ray asked the chief to take the land management documents, mentioning they might come in handy during the operation.
The Chief carefully took them into his hand and left with Ryan and the others following behind.
After leaving the villa, the chief immediately went out of the inner city and entered the street where the shops were located. He started visiting them personally and invited the shop owners to a meeting in a nearby restaurant.