Preview of Chapter 51:
In the last chapter, Zayd learned that Amir Fahad ibn Rashid, son of a wealthy and powerful noble family, was quietly moving into the same market. Fahad's methods were clean on the surface but full of hidden tricks — using influence, money, and bribes to get officials on his side. Zayd realized this was no ordinary merchant, but a rival who could challenge him head-on.
Zayd sat in his study that evening, a lamp burning softly by his side. Qadir was sorting through the latest accounts of the carriage shop, while Hamid had just come back from a walk around the bazaar.
Hamid dropped onto a cushion with a sigh. "Brother, I've heard the whispers. Fahad's men have been offering gifts to inspectors and tax collectors. That's why his stalls always pass checks without trouble. Even the guards treat his caravans with more respect than ours."
Zayd leaned back, fingers tapping against the desk. His eyes were sharp, calm. "So he's already started greasing palms. Typical of a man born into power. He believes loyalty can be bought like a sack of dates."
Qadir frowned. "That puts us at a disadvantage. If the officials lean toward him, he'll have fewer barriers and more support. Should we confront him?"
Zayd shook his head. "No, never confront a man like him directly. He thrives on open rivalry. We will move in the shadows. If he buys loyalty, we will break it."
He stood up and paced the room, speaking clearly, his voice firm. "First, we find out who has been bribed. Every inspector, every clerk, every guard. Then we divide them — some we buy back, some we turn with fear, and the rest we expose."
Hamid grinned. "Expose? How?"
Zayd smirked. "By giving the right whispers to the right ears. If a city official knows his rival has taken Fahad's coin, jealousy will do the work for us. Men in power hate to see others grow richer than them."
Qadir nodded slowly. "That sounds dangerous… but clever."
"Business is war," Zayd said simply. "And in war, every weakness is a weapon."
That night, Zayd drafted his plan.
He sent Hamid to befriend clerks in the city offices, using small gifts and friendly conversations.
He asked Qadir to quietly invite an inspector to dinner, offering better pay than Fahad without ever saying it directly.
And he himself wrote letters to two influential merchants who had no love for Fahad's family, reminding them that a new power could balance the old.
Within days, results began to show. One inspector, tempted by Zayd's promise of steady payment, began giving him early notice of tax raids. A guard captain, irritated at being ignored by Fahad, accepted Zayd's quiet gift and agreed to "lose paperwork" when needed.
But Fahad was not blind. He noticed his influence slipping, and for the first time, he looked at Zayd not as a young merchant, but as a true rival.
At a private gathering in the governor's mansion, Fahad spotted Zayd across the hall. Their eyes met. Fahad raised a cup in mocking salute, his smile sharp. Zayd returned a calm nod, his face unreadable.
Inside, he thought, So, Amir Fahad ibn Rashid… you want a game of power? Then we will play. But understand this — I don't fight to win. I fight to destroy.
End of Chapter 52