"Yes," Andrew replied frankly.
"Alright, now I understand. The information I received was accurate." Saying this, Bi’an the Sixth picked up a pen and marked something in his notebook. Then he grabbed his wine glass, sipped it while glancing at the notebook in his hand.
Leaning back in the chair, Andrew looked around. "This place is pretty impressive, a nice spot."
"Not bad." Putting down the wine glass, Bi’an the Sixth wrote something in his notebook again before closing it. He then turned his gaze back to Andrew.
"To be honest, I’m quite surprised that the boss behind the adventurer hall is actually a goblin. I thought it would be a human, someone like your staff."
"Would you be even more surprised if I told you that the bosses of other adventurer halls are also goblins?"
"Huh?" Andrew froze for a moment.
"The other two bosses are my two brothers. Together, they own the remaining four adventurer halls. One of them just left this place a moment ago. If you were right outside, you probably saw him." Taking a deep drag of his cigar, Bi’an the Sixth slouched against the armrest of the sofa, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he grinned and said, "Our family has been running Linlopes’ adventurer halls for generations. In fact, all the buildings under the adventurer guild were financed by us. We’ve also sponsored many famous mercenary groups. For us, life’s greatest pleasures are only two things, one of which is money. Gold, countless gold coins. No matter how you look at it, you can’t help but love it."
Saying this, Bi’an the Sixth grinned, exposing a mouth full of teeth stained black from tobacco.
"That’s very goblin," Andrew chuckled. "And the other?"
"The other is discovering mercenary groups with potential." Bi’an the Sixth extended a finger and said seriously, "Take note, it’s mercenary groups with potential. We’re not interested in famous ones, as there’s no more profit to be made from them. That would just be routine business."
"So the second thing is still gold?"
"Not as straightforward. Beyond gold, there’s also the sense of achievement in earning excess profits. Running adventurer halls isn’t just work for me; it’s a hobby. Combining work with passion—this is the most perfect mode of life. If I were to earn the same amount of money, I’d much prefer it to be because of my unique vision rather than the natural output of an inherited business. You get what I mean, right?"
"I understand." Andrew nodded.
"Christina has always been someone I’ve placed high hopes on—at least until I was deeply disappointed in her. However, these past two days, my hope has been rekindled. I’ve looked into your records and found them rather impressive, exactly what I’d hoped to see. In such a short time, you’ve built a solid reputation and shown remarkable efficiency. I’m even beginning to believe that Christina might have actually changed. Murphy... that Guard Commander who brought you here, he said you’re still hoping to renew our contract, which makes me quite happy. It shows that the issues between us are being resolved. Your performance has changed my mind, and Christina doesn’t seem to hold a grudge against me for reluctantly canceling the agreement. So, I’ve decided to reopen negotiations. However, before that, I’d like to ask a question. I hope you’ll answer seriously."
"What’s the question?" Andrew asked.
Bi’an the Sixth took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaled a plume of smoke, then grinned as he stared at Andrew and asked, "Who are you?"