Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 5 - 5: Dog Magnate and Conscientious Boss_1

Having previously set his notifications to silent, Leo Ray was quite startled to find a massive influx of private messages waiting for him.

He began browsing through a few of them.

"Master Leo, my family is incredibly wealthy. If you just help me out now, I'll reward you with 100 million once we return! I could even appoint you as the president of our public company! What do you say?"

"Master Leo, I have some fame; you might recognize me from a variety show I was on before the crossover. I'm begging you, could you please spare some food? I’m desperate."

"Brother Leo, can you take me under your wing? I have 10 million YouTube followers, please look at my attached photos (sending love)."

...

Leo Ray’s expression remained cold and indifferent after scanning the messages for a while.

The inbox contained pleas from individuals who were once famous or held high social standing in their former lives.

However, the wealth and status they possessed before the crossover offered them zero advantage in this current reality.

The messages followed a predictable pattern: everyone was looking for guidance or a powerful patron, and many of the women had included provocative attachments.

Intrigued, Leo Ray inspected a few of these files, his face turning solemn as he systematically moved them into his favorites folder.

Naturally, he had no intention of responding to any of these inquiries.

As things stood, the end of the three-day protection period would inevitably lead to a significant loss of life.

It was the survival of the fittest; the weak would be purged.

The ruthless law of the jungle was the only rule that applied here.

This was likely the true nature of their collective displacement to this world.

It was clear that the only path to genuine authority in this bizarre new realm was to relentlessly increase one's strength.

Leo Ray harbor no delusions of being a savior; his goal was simply to thrive.

Growing up in an orphanage had taught him a vital lesson from a young age.

No matter the environment, it is far better to find a path to power than to beg or rely on the charity of others.

At this moment, he required neither allies nor the dead weight of others.

With that thought, he wiped his inbox clean and accessed the trading center.

The primary trading phase was about to begin.

Global announcements and rewards were reserved only for the first Lord to achieve specific milestones.

Following his established strategy, Leo Ray intended to upgrade his Lord’s Mansion to level 3 under the shroud of anonymity.

It was time for the "Anonymous Bigshot" to resurface and stir the pot once more.

He withdrew the 1,000 portions of snake meat he had initially prepared, adjusted the pricing, and listed a portion of them for sale.

During this task, Leo was surprised to note that over 20 portions of snake meat had already been traded, despite his steep exchange rates.

It appeared there were indeed "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" among the Lords...

The requirements for a level 3 Mansion upgrade were substantial: 6,000 units of wood, 3,000 units of thatch, and 1,500 units of stone—exactly triple the previous costs.

Consequently, Leo listed 300 portions of snake meat, setting the price roughly thirty percent higher than his previous beef listings.

The Anonymous Bigshot had to maintain his image as a greedy profiteer, after all!

[Trader: Anonymous][Items for trade: 300 portions of snake meat (1 portion per trade, 0.5 kg per portion)][Required item 1: Stone (30 units)][Required item 2: Wood (60 units)][Required item 3: Thatch (120 units)]

As predicted, the moment the snake meat appeared, the chat channel—which was already obsessed with food—erupted in a chorus of complaints.

"Anonymous is selling 300 portions of snake meat? The price is way higher than Master Leo’s! Dammit, it must be that same black-hearted dog from before!"

"I refuse to trade! No way! This price is pure robbery!"

"I wonder what snake meat tastes like in another world? For the sake of curiosity, I'll test it for you guys!"

"I worked for a boss before the crossover, and now I’m working for this black-hearted bigshot. My life is miserable! Hmmm... actually, this snake meat is delicious!"

"Sigh, I skipped breakfast and I've been working for over two hours. I'm starving. Forget it, I'm trading for one!"

"Could I ask the black-hearted dog... I mean, Anonymous Bigshot, to please lower the price a little?"

"Hey, the guy above me, do you really have time to haggle? There are only 150 portions left! If you don't move now, you'll miss out!"

"Who would actually pay this much? Idiots! Wait... is it almost gone? Fine, give me one portion too..."

...

Despite the flood of grievances in the chat, all 300 portions were sold out in under thirty seconds.

There was no avoiding it; food was the ultimate scarcity. Especially for those performing manual labor, meat was a vital necessity for restoring stamina.

As long as people had the resources, they were willing to pay to survive.

"So this is the power of a monopoly? Quite a rush," Leo Ray thought, grinning broadly at the massive haul of resources he had gained so easily.

While his tactics certainly exploited the desperation of others, in a time of famine, both sides were getting what they needed.

Furthermore, Leo Ray’s listings had genuinely provided a lifeline for many.

After moving the materials into his storage, he tallied his total: 12,000 units of wood, 7,200 units of thatch, and 1,200 units of stone.

"The wood and thatch are sufficient. Including the 100 units of stone I already had, I'm still short 200 units of stone..."

Reflecting on this, Leo Ray checked the chat channel again.

To his amusement, the users had split into two rival factions and were bickering intensely.

"That anonymous dog is a parasite! His prices are triple Master Leo's! An hour of my work is gone; I miss Master Leo’s 'conscience meat'!"

"Exactly! By buying from him, we’re just feeding his arrogance. I regret it so much!"

"Give me a break! You're complaining now after you already ate the meat? You people are shameless!"

"Exactly! If it weren't for the Anonymous Bigshot, would you even have meat? Please!"

"What? People are actually defending that black-hearted dog? As Master Leo’s biggest fan, I won't stand for this!"

"So what? We support the Anonymous Bigshot. He’s low-key and high-end!"

"Watch out, I have a short fuse! As a hardcore Leo fan, I'll sliding-tackle anyone who supports that greedy dog!"

...

Leo Ray watched with a helpless smile as his secret identity gained an unexpected following.

However, the majority of the messages were still pleas for the top-tier Lords to provide more food.

"Can you guys stop talking? If you have time to argue, you have time to work and save resources. Isn't that more productive?"

"I'm so hungry I'm seeing stars. I don't have the strength to work! The people in this chat are so talented and speak so well, I'm just here for the company..."

"I wonder if Master Leo is watching? Could you please list more 'conscience meat'? I was one unit of wood short earlier, and I missed the snake meat too! My luck is terrible..."

"Supporting the request! Master Leo, please restock! I have my resources ready!"

"Everyone, stay calm! Watch me summon Master Leo!"

"What a moron! Master Leo is a busy man; you think you can just summon him? If he shows up, I'll do a handstand as a tribute!"

...

Seeing that someone was willing to perform such a feat, Leo Ray chuckled and, for the first time, typed a response into the chat box.