The Founder of the Great Financial Family

“But it seems like you need money too, sir? I would have thought you’d already have a lot,” 

At those words, the goldsmith shook his head, soullessly, 

“That’s not it… it’s just I’m rather sad about this deal. Isn’t it smuggling after all? But if the return is small compared to the risk, then, of course, it’s disappointing,”

“The lord came by before to take out a loan. Must you not earn a lot with that? Can’t you make a lot of money by lending money to the lord since he has good credit?” 

“Of course, I earn a lot of money with that,” 

He didn’t want to show it, but he seemed to feel discomfort with Rockefeller’s words, so he reluctantly agreed. 

“Yes, there’s 6% interest there… no, it was already reduced to 4%. You’re right, I may look rich to others, but in reality, it’s really not much,” 

Rockefeller displayed his acting skills and put on a surprised face, 

“But you have a lot of money, don’t you? Are you saying it’s still lacking?”

“Hey, you brat, you should think about my perspective too. Of course, the more money you have, the better,” 

“Well, it’s true that no one hates having money,” 

“The thing with money is that no matter how much you have, it’s not enough. You’re still young and don’t know yet but wait until you grow up a little. You’ll be crazy about money,” 

Rockefeller had no intention of contradicting him. 

‘I know that too – after all, I’m someone who is crazy about money, just like you.’

Instead, Rockefeller, acting as though he knew money, threw out a very simple question, 

“But sir, I just thought of this, but you make money by giving other people loans and receiving interest payments, right?” 

‘What else is he trying to say?’

Carter nodded and replied dryly, 

“Of course,” 

“Then you lend out a lot of money. Won’t you earn a lot in interest?” 

“Right,” 

“Then why don’t you lend out lots of money? That way, the interest you receive would increase by a lot, right?” To be honest, he didn’t expect that – even by a child’s standard, it was a pathetic question to ask. 

Who doesn’t know that?

“Right, as you said, if I lend out a lot, the interest income would increase – but there’s a problem,” 

“Is there?” 

“Of course, if I had a lot of money, wouldn’t I be able to lend a lot too? But do you think I have so many gold coins in my business in a rural area like this?” 

Rockefeller tilted his head as if he had been waiting for that answer, 

“Isn’t there a lot of gold coins here? Although one of your jobs is making gold coins, as far as I know, you’re also someone who stores gold coins owned by others, right?”

Carter frowned as he answered, 

“Those aren’t my gold coins, right? It belongs to the people who entrusted those gold coins to me. They’re not mine.” 

“Does that mean you can’t lend out the gold coins other people have left here?” 

“What a fool! Think about it! What would happen if, after doing such a thing, the people who entrusted me with their gold came to me and told me to give them their gold coins right away?” 

Carter thought Rockefeller didn’t know much about reality. 

“Listen well. For a goldsmith like me, reputation and trust are my lifelines – if such a rumour spreads, would anyone entrust their gold coins to me?” 

Carter clicked his tongue, 

“Tch, you can’t do that. I’m a big fan of gold coins too, but I’m not that crazy. And what would happen if the rumours got to the lord? Getting punished would come second – I would be chased out of this place first,” 

Carter thought that the silly people who had asked the stupid question would have understood what he was trying to say.

‘If this guy had worked at a Banco like me, he would have run it like those big businesses in Lyon. Different from his first impression, his thoughts are dangerous.’

But that was his mistake – Rockefeller was still facing him in that clumsy way that hid his cleverness. 

“That’s weird, sir. Have you ever experienced it in your life, a time where all the people who had entrusted you with gold coins came to you, all at once and asked you to return their coins to them?”

Unable to answer the question, Carter was momentarily speechless. He had met an ambush in a conversation he thought he had won. 

“Well, that’s….” 

For a moment, Carter paused to think if there ever had been such a case. 

Not even once. 

As Rockefeller said, a day where all the people who had entrusted him with their gold coins coming to take them back –

“Such a thing hasn’t happened… but what if there is such a case one day? After all, it’s simply being careful and taking precautions, just in case,” 

Rockefeller’s eyes turned up as he smiled softly at Carter and continued his words, 

“In any case, I don’t think there would be a situation where everyone who has left their gold coins with would come to get them all at once. Then, in that case, if you lend out a portion of those gold coins, wouldn’t it be possible to return their money while also making a profit by earning interest?” 

At this point, there was only one thought in Carter’s mind, 

‘Yeah, there’s a reason why the guys in Lyon have the guts to do business like that,’

Not everyone goes to collect their gold coins at the same time. They had the guts to do business because of that. 

‘Well, I’ve never had an empty safe in my entire career – not even once,’

At that time, Rockefeller landed the final blow to nail the hammer. 

“As long as the credibility and reputation you’ve built up every day of your life until now is in place, even if the safe in the store is completely emptied, wouldn’t the people who entrusted the gold coins not worry at all? Because they would think that their gold coins are safe and sound at the shop.”