"Nice to meet you!" Brian Carter glanced back at the suspension bridge behind him and pretended to be regretful. "Once you cross this bridge, it means you've failed the scholar's exam this time."

Perhaps because he touched a sore spot, the other person's expression clearly became a bit unhappy. "What does that have to do with you?"

"I'm not trying to mock you, nor do I want to pry into your reasons for leaving." Brian Carter said in a gentle tone. "The only reason I'm waiting here is to form a connection with you."

"Just say what you want."

"I hope you can lend me your unused money to give me a helping hand."

"Are you crazy?" The person said in disbelief. "Why should I help you?"

"If I can pass the scholar's exam, I will repay you tenfold in the future." Brian Carter paid no attention to the sarcasm in his words, acting as if he hadn't heard it at all. "Even if I fail, I will still repay part of what I borrowed, with this IOU as proof. What do you think?"

With that, he took out a slip of paper from his pocket—a palm-sized piece usually used for making talismans, but now he had written it as an IOU.

The other person sized him up for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Do you think you're a genius from the Luo family? If you can pass—ha, what guarantee do you have for that?"

"The pass rate for the scholar's exam isn't that low."

"Even so, it's not your turn. Move aside!"

Brian Carter stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

The examinee with the surname Chu glared at him, then walked onto the suspension bridge without looking back. "Since we happened to meet, let me warn you: this place is strange. If you don't have real skills, you'd better leave early, or you might lose your life!"

"Uh... Brother Carter, is this the method you were talking about?" Seeing him walk away, William Grant emerged from behind a large tree where he had been hiding, looking at him strangely.

"That's right." Brian Carter replied calmly.

"Borrowing money in Qingshan Town... I'm afraid that's a bit difficult."

"This isn't 'borrowing money'." He squinted and looked into the distance. "Keep hiding, someone else is coming!"

William Grant had no choice but to shrink back.

The second and third examinees were the same.

But with the fourth, something different happened.

He took Brian Carter's IOU and handed over five taels of silver.

Then came the seventh, and the tenth.

Watching all this from behind the tree, William Grant was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why someone would lend money to Brian Carter after just a brief encounter. What he understood even less was how, on only the second day of the exam, Brian Carter could wait at the bridge and encounter so many people giving up on the exam!

How did he know these people were about to leave Qingshan Town??

It wasn't until the thirty-sixth person that things changed again.

"Sorry, you're too late." The person spread his hands. "The Fei family bought my money, medicine pouch, and talisman paper. Now, except for two sets of clothes, I have nothing left."

"Bought? What did they use?"

"Gold." The person said directly. "They said as long as I hand the proof to the servant waiting outside town, I can immediately exchange it for an equivalent amount of gold leaves."

"Is that so? Then I wish you a safe journey home."

After saying goodbye, Brian Carter called out toward William Grant's hiding spot, "Come out, we can go back to town now."

"You're not waiting any longer?" The latter poked his head out and asked.

"No, there's no point in waiting. The next examinees crossing the bridge are probably just as penniless as that guy." Brian Carter looked up at the sky. "Not even an hour and there's already a reaction... As expected of the disciples of noble families."

"I don't get it." William Grant ran over, unable to hold back his curiosity.

He happily tossed the slightly heavy money pouch in his hand. "You can ask."

"You said this isn't borrowing money, so what is it?"

"This..." Brian Carter smiled slightly. "This is called venture capital."

Chapter 8 Lily Lawson

"Venture... capital?" William Grant couldn't help but repeat.

"That's right, still the same question: if it weren't in Qingshan Town, would ten taels of silver be a lot?"

William Grant shook his head. "Sometimes my family's shop can make that much in a single day."

What a filthy rich guy. Brian Carter curled his lips. "It's just that simple... For those who have decided to quit the scholar's exam, this money doesn't mean much anymore, but for those who are continuing, every single tael is extremely precious, and both sides know this. That's why the agreement can be made. Not caring about short-term gains or losses and focusing on long-term, high-return deals—that's what those people are doing. Even if I disappear later, they can accept this loss without much concern. But what if I succeed?"

At this point, Brian Carter didn't explain further, because he saw William Grant's eyes light up.

Clearly, he had grasped the key point.

—If he succeeds, not only will they get ten times the silver, but also gain the friendship of a fangshi. Even a newly appointed fangshi in the Privy Council is a legitimate official. Compared to such generous returns, the risk of losing a few taels of silver is negligible.

Not everyone can weigh the pros and cons here, but with enough people asked, there are always a few with enough vision who don't care about a little silver.

William Grant continued to think it over and realized there was an even deeper meaning hidden within.