Chapter 86 The Temptation of Returning to the Village After the victory celebration banquet, although Lin Yue was very...

After the celebration banquet, although Lin Yue really wanted to strike while the iron was hot and hold a debriefing meeting that lasted all night, he wisely chose to keep quiet when he saw everyone's tired faces that said "I just want to lie down".

"Alright, alright, stop pushing yourselves," he waved his hand, herding everyone towards the door like ducks. "Go back to sleep! There's a tough battle to fight tomorrow morning. Remember, health is the foundation of everything."

Early the next morning, as the first rays of dawn shone into Blackstone City, a debriefing meeting was being held in a private room on the second floor of Hope Store No. 1, to discuss how Hope Trading Company could gain a foothold in Blackstone City in the future.

Attendees included: Lin Yue, the behind-the-scenes boss and chief conman of Hope Town; Ryan, the local bigwig and chief partner of Blackrock City; and Carwin, the newly appointed branch manager who felt he had reached the pinnacle of his life.

“Young Master Ryan, Mr. Carwin,” Lin Yue pushed a draft cooperation agreement, filled with charcoal drawings, directly in front of the two men. “We all saw the opening yesterday. Business is good, but more eyes are watching us. If we want to stay here for a long time, just having good products won’t be enough.”

Carwin nodded in deep agreement. He spoke first, "Boss Lin is right. Those people who came yesterday are all shrewd. That old fox of a grain merchant kept subtly probing for our grain production and transportation routes. That one-eyed man from the Mercenary Guild is extremely interested in our ironware, but his eyes are full of greed. The most troublesome one is the manager of the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild. He didn't say a word from beginning to end, just sat there drinking tea, but his eyes were like venomous snakes, scanning our shop from top to bottom several times. I bet the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild will definitely make a move after he goes back."

Ryan, on the other hand, seemed much more composed. He picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and said calmly, "They're just a bunch of opportunistic bastards. They'll never amount to anything. The foundation of the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild is nothing more than my foolish brother's private coffers and my father's indulgence of them. As long as we can cut off their roots and uproot them, this crooked tree of theirs will naturally fall."

He turned his gaze to Lin Yue: "Brother Lin Yue, you hope that everything produced in the town—snow salt, starlight wheat flour, ironware, ceramics…—is our most powerful weapon. But relying solely on retail is too slow. I hope we can establish factories in the suburbs as soon as possible to expand production. Then we can use these factories to provide jobs for those struggling to survive, such as refugees and artisans, so they can have food to eat and work to do. Only by restoring the city's ability to generate its own revenue can it avoid completely collapsing."

His words made Lin Yue think even more highly of him.

“I understand.” Lin Yue felt reassured. He pointed to the first part of the draft: “Therefore, I suggest that we establish a closer business alliance. We hope that the town will be the exclusive supplier of core products, responsible for producing hard currencies such as snow salt, starlight flour, ironware, and ceramics.”

He then looked at Carwin: "Mr. Carwin, as the first manager of Hope Trading Company in Blackrock City, your task is to use your connections and experience to spread our goods to every corner of the city. At the same time, you are also responsible for integrating those old partners who are willing to work with us and extending our sales network from the city to the surrounding towns."

Finally, his gaze fell on Ryan: "As you said, young master, we need a solid backing. We hope you can continue to provide us with protection and ensure that our trade routes and shops are not subject to unnecessary harassment. Of course, we will not let you help us for nothing."

He pointed to the second part of the draft, which clearly outlined the profit-sharing scheme and resource swap agreement.

For example, basic materials such as cloth and leather that Hope Town cannot produce on a large scale for the time being can be purchased from the Chamber of Commerce that has a cooperative relationship with Ryan at a preferential internal price.

The city's biggest grain merchant, that smiling, chubby man, will also become their partner. Hopefully, the trading company will purchase large quantities of a local specialty, a drought-resistant crop with a texture similar to millet—yellow millet—from him. This yellow millet is inexpensive and has a stable yield, and will serve as the main ingredient in the branch's future fast-food meals and Hope's Soup, further reducing costs and providing more staple food options for ordinary people who cannot afford Starlight Wheat.

"As for the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild..." Lin Yue's lips curled into a cold smile, "Don't they like to monopolize things? Then we'll play a game of open strategy with them. Their coarse salt is bitter and astringent, and it's full of sand, yet it's ridiculously expensive. Our snow salt is expensive, but it's of high quality and we use less of it, so it's actually more cost-effective. We'll use our absolute quality advantage to gradually take over their market. I don't believe that those nobles and wealthy merchants who are used to snow salt can still swallow their rubbish."

This plan thrilled Carwin and gave Ryan a golden opportunity to weaken his brother Carl's financial resources.

“Alright!” Ryan slammed his hand on the table and immediately made the decision. “That’s how it will be, Brother Lin Yue. I’ll figure out the manpower and resources you need. I’ll take care of the city guards. As for the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild… Hmph, I’ve had my eye on them for a long time.”

“Young Master Ryan,” Lin Yue continued, “our foundation is still too weak. To truly change this city, we must have our own industries. Therefore, the construction team we are collaborating with can be officially established.”

"Tell your people not to rush to recruit workers in the city. Send a group of the most trustworthy and willing learners to our base on the outskirts of the city to learn from the foremen of Hope Town, starting with the most basic skills of mixing mud, firing bricks, and building walls. Once they have mastered the basic techniques, we can come back and take on renovation projects in the city. In the future, once our reputation spreads, we might even be invited to build new manors for nobles in the surrounding towns and even the capital."

“Also,” he pulled two stones from his pocket, one limestone and the other red clay, “send someone to search the mountains near the city to see if these two materials are available. If they are, we can build a kiln in Blackstone City to fire them directly, saving us the trouble of transporting them from there.”

Ryan looked at the two unremarkable stones. Although he didn't understand their mystery, he nodded solemnly.

Then he took the initiative to say, "Brother Lin Yue, all of this requires a lot of labor. I will continue to keep an eye on the slave market for you. As long as there are suitable ones at a fair price, I will buy them for you and send them to the base in the suburbs. These people will become the most important foundation for our future industry and the first sparks for us to change this city."

With the branch store's operations officially on track, Lin Yue, the hands-off manager, is preparing to return to his base in Hope Town.

Before leaving, Old Bad found Amu and Mia busy in the shop. Looking at his son, who had shed his childishness and become steady and reliable, and his daughter-in-law, who was equally capable, his eyes were filled with relief and reluctance.

"Amu, Mia," he placed his two rough hands on top of the two children's hands, "Daddy is going back. You two stay here, do your jobs well, don't embarrass the mayor. Take care of each other and be careful."

He then looked at Mia, a kind smile spreading across his face: "Mia, you two have been married for several years now, and life is finally settled. Dad is looking forward to holding his grandson."

Mia's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and she lowered her head shyly. Amu, on the other hand, scratched his head憨厚ly and chuckled foolishly.

"Father, don't worry." Amu held his father's hand tightly. "We know. Please take good care of yourself when you go back, and don't overwork yourself."

Lin Yue saw all of this and said with a smile to Amu and Mia, "You two shouldn't overwork yourselves. I'll send other town officials over to take over for you in a while, and then you can go home and rest."

After saying that, he solemnly instructed, "While I'm away, the daily operations of the branch will be handled by the two of you. Mr. Carwin is very experienced and will assist you. Remember, our rules cannot be changed, they apply to everyone. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, go to the Iron Bull and the others in the suburbs to discuss them, or go directly to the City Lord's Mansion to find Captain Renault. He will help you contact Young Master Ryan."

"Also, the menu needs to be updated promptly based on the supplies we receive and the daily availability of ingredients. If a large customer needs to order a large quantity of items that we don't currently have in stock, have them pay a deposit in advance and register it. Our Rock-Walking Lizard team makes a round trip every three days to bring the information back. If there's a real emergency, just send someone directly or have the caravan pick up the goods in our town themselves."

He then took out a heavy money bag from his pocket and handed it to Mia.

"This is a portion of the profits from this opening. I authorize you to use this money, along with the daily income thereafter, to continue rescuing those fellow villagers who are in distress, depending on the actual situation. After rescuing them, send them to the base on the outskirts of the city so that they can start a new life through labor. Those who perform well can be freed from slavery and become our official workers. In the future, if they wish, they can even apply to settle in our homeland."

Looking at the heavy money bag in their hands, Amu and Mia felt the weight of responsibility on their shoulders.

Lin Yue then turned to the group of young girls, including Aque and Lingdang, who had gathered around. They were key employees who had been transferred from Hope Town and promoted from among the new workers.

Lin Yue's expression softened considerably: "A-Que, Lingdang, and everyone else, you're all the same. It's not like home here; people's hearts are complicated, so be careful in everything you do. You're all girls, so please be careful when you're out and about. If you have any difficulties at work or anything you're not used to in life, don't keep it to yourself. Talk to Mia and the others. We're all family; there's no problem that can't be solved by discussing it. Understand?"

Several young women, their eyes reddening, nodded emphatically as they looked at the mayor with the concern he showed them, as if he were an older brother.

“Don’t worry, Mayor,” A-Que answered loudly as the representative, “We will take good care of ourselves and the shop.”

...

The team returning to Hope Town this time was much larger than the one that came.

After completing their guiding duties, Aunt Leah and Old Bud will return with Lin Yue. Accompanying them will be Aunt Leah's brother's family.

What made Lin Yue even more gratified was that through a new system he had recently implemented at the suburban base, the "guarantee responsibility system," the first batch of worker families who passed the review were also granted the right to return to Hope Town.

The so-called guarantee responsibility system is a simple method that Lin Yue came up with to solve the problem of integrating new and old members, a method that has already been implemented on Earth.

In simple terms, it allows long-time residents of Hope Town with good credit, such as Aunt Leah and Old Bud, to act as guarantors for their relatives or fellow villagers working in factories in the suburbs. If the guarantor performs well in the factory, follows the rules, and accumulates enough basic working hours, they can apply to return to Hope Town with their guarantor and obtain temporary residency.

This guarantee isn't done for nothing. If the person being guaranteed gets into trouble or misbehaves in Hope Town, the long-time resident who acted as the guarantor will also be punished accordingly, such as having some work points deducted or being disqualified from providing guarantees in the future.

This system not only gives newcomers a clear, achievable goal through hard work, but also encourages long-term residents to spontaneously supervise and guide their sponsored relatives and friends through the principle of collective responsibility, greatly reducing management costs.

At this moment, the first batch of ten families of workers who had performed well in the suburban factory and were guaranteed by Aunt Leah and the others were following the group with trepidation and excitement, preparing to go to their legendary paradise-like home.

Of course, some people chose to stay. They felt that no matter how good Hope Town was, it was still a place of terrible curses in legends. Here, although they still had to work hard, at least they could eat and dress warmly, and their housing was better than before. There was no one to beat or exploit them. Apart from not being very free for the time being, everything was very good.

Lin Yue also expressed his respect for their choice.

Just as the group was about to leave Blackrock City, Lin Yue suddenly remembered something.

He stopped the convoy, then unloaded a newly carved, huge wooden plaque from the Hope No. 1 heavy truck and solemnly handed it to Kavin and Feiye, who had come to see him off.

The wooden sign bore several lines of eye-catching text written in the largest font:

[Joint Recruitment Notice from the City Lord's Mansion and Hope Trading Company]

Construction team hiring: We are sincerely seeking strong, hardworking, and obedient young men. Three meals a day and accommodation provided. Excellent benefits!

[Textile factory seeking female workers (in preparation): We sincerely invite skillful, patient women who are willing to learn new technologies. Excellent compensation and benefits; details to be discussed in person!]

Those interested, please inquire and register at Hope No. 1 Store.

“Mr. Carwin, Fei Ye,” Lin Yue said with a smile, “put this in the most conspicuous spot at the entrance of our shop. I believe that before long, we won’t need to go to the slave market to ‘purchase’ goods anymore.”

On the way back, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than on the way there.

Lin Yue sat on the back of the cart, feeling like a victorious general returning home. Bored, he started bothering Gray, who was on guard duty nearby.

"Hey, Gray," Lin Yue said, making conversation, "How was your stay in Blackrock City this time? Do you think the girls in the city are... uh... better at dressing up than the girls in our town?"

Gray stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed straight ahead: "I don't know."

"So, in your opinion, which is more formidable, the guards in the city or our blue-vested soldiers?"

"...some parts are strong, others are average."

"So, how about you compare to Captain Renault? You two seem to get along quite well. Have you sparred before? Who won?"

"...I didn't hit him."

"So what do you think...?"

"..."

Lin Yue asked a series of questions, and Gray's answers totaled only about ten words.

Lin Yue finally lost his temper and became angry: "What's wrong with you? You went to Blackrock City and interacted with even more people, but you're actually talking less than you were at home? Do you look down on me, the town mayor? Sigh, it's almost summer, why is your heart so cold!"

Gray, unable to bear the harassment any longer, turned his head and stared at Lin Yue without saying a word.

Lin Yue chickened out.

“…Never mind.” He rubbed his nose sullenly, exclaiming that he couldn’t afford to mess with him, then jumped off the cart, ran to the other side of the line, and started harassing Old Bard and the others.

Before they left, Lin Yue had already brought back a detailed plan for household registration system reform to Hope Town through the returning lizard beast transport team.

While Lin Yue and his group were still on their way back, the old village chief's wife, Uncle Shi Quan, with the assistance of Elder Farador and Norm, had officially launched the first generation of household registration management system in Hope Town.

Every official resident of Hope Town, whether human, Silent One, or dwarf, received a wooden plaque made of hard ironwood, engraved with their name, number, and the production group they belonged to.

For those who once possessed identification but lost it during war and exile, this small wooden plaque is a symbol of their regained identity. And for those silent individuals who have never been recognized by any official body, this is the first time in the world they have a recorded, acknowledged, and protected identity.

It signifies that they are no longer rootless duckweed, but an indispensable member of a large family called "Hope".