At the turn of the Tiber River downstream after passing through the Vatican, the large houses that are rolling and rolling along the east bank of the river look a little messy. If you look at it slightly higher, you can see the complex and intertwined alleys and several slightly wider narrow and winding streets in the gaps of this large house.

Several men in robes walked forward under the eaves of the street. They lined up one after another, and each of them was a distance away. Although this made it difficult for them to talk, at least in this way, no one would be able to escape once they were intercepted.

Each of these people was bulging, some were in their arms, and some were stuffed on their shoulders, all of which were stuffed, but some messy things were exposed outside their pockets, making people think that what was inside was not important.

Sometimes the sunlight shines on their faces through the gaps of the eaves that almost touch each other on both sides of the street, so that they can vaguely see the tension on their faces. Whenever someone passes by them, these people will involuntarily lean against the wall, and then stare at the people passing by with alert eyes.

It was not until they finally came outside an inconspicuous shop that several people looked at each other silently before hurriedly walking in one after another.

This is a grocery shop. There is an equally dim oil lamp in the dim house, which makes it impossible for the people who have just come in to adapt to the light in front of them for a while.

"Why don't you light a light, at least add more oil," one of the young men who came in whispered. He took off a heavy bag from his shoulder and threw it on the ground casually, then sat on it and gasped. "Can you give me some water? My thirsty tongue is almost stuck."

"If you are always so irritable, you will have no way to ask someone for water and drink in the future." An old man with gray hair walked out of the suite inside the shop. He knocked on the young man blocking him with the crutch in his hand and told him to walk away, then walked to the stool in front of the counter and sat down, looking at the people surrounding him, "How are you, what have you brought me today?"

"Dad Yizhak, you will definitely be satisfied with what we brought this time," said a middle-aged man with a little congratulation. "Some guys are short of money, so they not only took out their own things and paid them to us, but also borrowed a lot of money from us."

"What is the interest?" The old man called Yitzhak's father hummed unmoved. "Every time you say you have taken good business, but in fact, those who are willing to borrow usury are all very smart. You don't get much benefits from them. Sometimes I have to pay a loss."

"This time is definitely different. Recently, it seems that many people are short of money. Everyone is trying to find ways to raise money everywhere," another person said quickly. "We have brought you all the loan notes. As long as you lend us some money, we are willing to give you half the profit."

"Half-point profit, you're saying it," the old man showed dissatisfaction. His eyes glanced around the faces of several people, and finally fell on the face of the young man who had just shouted thirsty. "You guys, do you think I don't know how much profit you all get from the guests? You know, if those people don't pay back the money, I will be the one who will go unlucky and bankrupt in the end. I'm taking a big risk, but you are willing to give up half of the profit. In this way, you can go to other people and go to Morakush, and go to his place to inquire about how much profit he will ask for you."

Although the old man was very angry, his voice was not high, and the others did not leave immediately to find the man named Morakush as he said. After less than a while, several people gathered together and began to bargain in a low voice.

"Are the Romans crazy now? It seems that everyone is looking for money everywhere recently. I almost have no savings," After finally discussing the results, the old man returned to the suite and took out a heavy bag from the secret compartment and kept muttering, "The things you brought this time are pretty good. It's best if those people can't afford to pay it back, just redeem them so that we can make more money."

The old man muttered alone, but he didn't hear a few people talking. He looked up in surprise. When he saw the stiff expressions on the faces of several people, he also saw a figure standing behind them who was standing in the dark and unable to see clearly.

The old man's heart suddenly jumped. He quietly put the bag containing gold coins at his feet and kicked him quietly. Then he was about to speak, but he didn't expect that the man had already walked towards him.

"Dad Yizhak, if I wanted me to do business with you, you wouldn't be against it."

When he saw the man's face clearly, the old man was stunned. Then he suddenly whispered to the previous people like a mosquito, "Let's go, I have important things to do. Take this money, leave quickly, and the interest will be as profit as you said. Now leave now!"

In a hurry, the people were inexplicably driven out of the house. Then the old man quickly closed the door and turned around and looked at the uninvited guest later.

"Crien, you are crazy, you dare to come here. Do you want to kill all of us?" The old man whispered angrily, "Don't tell me that Montelo was not done by you, others don't know, but I can guess."

"Dad, you don't have to be so nervous," Crien sat down comfortably and took out a glass bottle full of black powder from the counter drawer and shook it. "This coffee is good, I haven't tasted it for a long time."

"What are you going to do?" The old man sat opposite Crien with a gloomy face. "I am a serious businessman. I don't care what you have done, just don't involve me."

"I'm here to do business," Crien also became serious. "Someone needs a lot of money and interest, as long as you can get it as soon as possible, because it's best that it's all gold coins, so I can only find you."

"How much do you want," I heard that it was the old businessman who looked better. "My interest is very high."

"This number." Krien pushed a note in front of the old man. When he saw the handwriting on it in the dim light, even the knowledgeable old man could not help but be stunned.

"So many, and you still need ready-made gold coins? This is not easy to deal with." The old man frowned.

"That's why I came to you. There are not many people in Rome who can afford such a large amount of cash without any big trouble," Crien said in a slightly complimentary tone.

"That's right, there are not many people in the whole city of Rome that can compete with me, but because it's cash, I have to find all the money I can collect from other places. This cost is quite a bit. How much profit are you going to accept?" The old man looked at Crien with a slightly suspicious look. "We agree that friendship is friendship and business, and I have to take a big risk."

Obviously, I had been tired of the old man's words, so Clarion waved his hand indifferently: "Don't worry, the guests this time are generous, and in addition to interest, you can also give you a promise, which is the promise of a great man who is about to become a cardinal."

"Promise?" the old man snorted, "Don't mention any promises. If you say that person will become a cardinal, then at least he will be a bishop. Do you think the promise of a bishop is very useful? Look at Castilla, those two monarchs. They promised that even if the Moors were driven away, they would not do anything to us. But later, the Moors were saints compared to them. In the eyes of those kings and bishops, the Jewish wallets were warehouses that they did not lock, so don't tell me any promises."

Listening to the old Jewish complaints, Crien frowned impatiently, but said patiently: "It is not easy to get a cardinal friendship. Maybe it will become a pope friendship in the future. Think about it, although there are indeed risks, isn't the reward worth an investment?"

The Jewish expression of anger changed slightly. He sat there, staring at the corner of the counter and pondered, and sometimes looked up at Kerrien, who made a "this" expression to him. Then he finally licked his lips and lowered his voice and asked tentatively: "The person you are talking about, this adult, do you think he is confident that he can become a cardinal?"

Seeing that the Jews were finally moved, Crien smiled, and then he also pressed his upper body on the counter in the Jewish posture and whispered: "I can't assure you this, but there is one thing I can tell you, this adult is very young and healthy, so you don't have to worry. Even if he can't become a cardinal this time, there will be a great chance of becoming a cardinal, but you also know that more people will definitely be willing to fund him in the future. So now if you can help him, no matter whether he succeeds this time or not, you are the one he should repay the most."

Kryan's words lit up the Jews. He turned around and thought to the wall, then turned around and said to Kryan: "This is too big. I can't make the decision alone, and this is also a lot of money. I have to discuss it with more people."

Cryan nodded silently, and he also knew that what he proposed was indeed a very good number, and it was normal for Jews to appear cautious and careful.

"Believe me, if this matter is done, in addition to the future cardinal himself, there will be another noble person who remembers your friendship. By then, your life will definitely be much better than it is now."

Kryan didn't mind revealing more things to strengthen the Jewish determination

The Jew nodded thoughtfully. He was already thinking about how to raise funds. Looking at the numbers on the note, the corners of the wrinkled corners of the eyes trembled slightly.

"If we are willing to provide this money," the Jewish eyes flashed with a shrewd light, and the tone seemed a little deeper. "The interest must be very high, so you can consider repaying this in batches, but this requires some valuable mortgage. You must know that without this guarantee, even the Pope cannot borrow money."

Clian nodded, he knew that the Jews were right, and he had prepared for Alfonso long ago.

"What do you want for land, manor, or debt contract?" Clian asked casually, and seeing the Jews hesitant, he continued, "I know you are worried that these things may turn into a pile of waste paper in the future because of a break of the contract, so I have prepared another thing for you, and I believe you will be interested in this."

As he said that, Kryan took out another piece of folded paper and placed it in front of the Jews.

But when the Jews were about to reach for it, he covered the paper.

"I'm leaving Rome for a while. If you think this business can be done, go to the place where we met before, and someone will contact you."

After saying that, Kryan withdrew his hand and looked at the Jew who picked up the piece of paper slowly opening it with a suspicious look.

Then he saw an incredible look of horror on the face of the old Jewish man.

"Do you want to use this as collateral?"

The Jew raised his head in a daze and saw the back of Cryan who was opening the door and about to leave.

The Jewish looked down at the paper in his hand again. He hesitated and took it under the lamp and looked carefully. After he was sure that it was indeed the thing he thought, the Jewish breathing seemed rapid.

“This is impossible.”

The old Jewish man put down the paper, stared at the shaking lights, and then picked it up and took it carefully.

Then he suddenly grabbed the black fluffy coat placed in the corner of the counter and draped it on his body, and hurried out of the shop.

The old Jewish man walked through several houses along the alley and came downstairs to a two-story building, and slapped the confined street door with great force.

As the street door opened, a teenage boy appeared at the door.

"Are your grandpa and your father?"

After the old man asked, he saw the boy nodding and immediately walked in a few steps.

Not long after, the boy hurried out of the house, and soon several Jewish elders who were quite prestigious in the Roman Jewish gathering area gathered in the house.

Looking at the piece of paper placed on the table, the Jews around the table looked at each other, and for a moment they were a little difficult to make up their minds.

"Isaac, do you think this is reliable?" asked a man who looked at last year's oldest, "you have to understand that this is not a trivial matter, it is all about us, and it is also a lot of money."

"I have thought about it, this business has been done," the old Jewish man's eyes shining with a shrewd light. "But we must meet the person who wants to borrow money so that we can have a guarantee in the future. As for the money needed, is there any Jewish people in this world that is stumped by money?"

The old man's words caused a chuckle around him, and the eyes of several Jews were all focused on a pattern drawn on the paper.

"With this, it's like we have mastered a powerful weapon." A Jewish elder said excitedly.

"I still can't believe this is true. After all, this is too strange. Who would use this kind of thing as collateral?" the old man on the other side said with a suspicion. "Maybe we should consider it again."

"I don't think there is any problem," said the old Jewish man named Yizhak, stubbornly waved his hand. "Think about the riots caused by this thing, it is so important. The Vatican even thought it was punished by God at that time. The people who mortgaged it knew just like us that if we want to borrow such a large amount of money, we must have enough collateral, and we cannot spread this matter, so we dared to use this thing so boldly as collateral."

After looking at the different expressions of the people around him, the old man waved to the child next to him, asked him to bring a very strong box, and then took out a few gold coins from his arms.

"Old rule," the old man sent the gold coins to everyone around him. "He agreed on the front, opposed on the back, and voted on it yourself."

A few crisp sounds came from the box. When the boy gently opened the lid, a few sighs of relief or a slight disappointment rang out in the room.

"So, we have done this business," said the old man, who smiled satisfiedly on his face and said to the old Jew. "Izhak, go and tell our guests that we will soon prepare the money for him and let him prepare the collateral."
Chapter completed!