After putting aside the issue of the end of the world, the three of them returned to the main topic.
"Limestone is very important for the future construction of our territory. No one else can receive it except the cement factory. Even the cement factory must strictly control every link and not allow anyone to have the opportunity to smuggle." Zhou Bai continued to explain to Bayer.
Don't be afraid of ten thousand things, just be prepared for the worst.
She really didn't want her people to work so hard only to be used as a tool for others in the end.
"Yeah." Bayer nodded. He also knew how important cement was in the territory now.
"There is also the Penglai Village mentioned by Baron Charlotte just now..." Zhou Bai had already opened the lord's control panel while speaking, and saw Penglai Village at the bottom of the ranking. "It is currently a level 2 village, but according to Baron Charlotte, its strength has far exceeded level 3, but its ranking seems very reasonable. I wonder how it managed to avoid the system's detection."
What worries Zhou Bai even more is how many Penglai villages there are in these territories.
Fortunately, she was happy that she got her territory.
Unexpectedly, others were hiding things, but I laid everything out.
Do you want to hide it too...
...
...
As soon as the thought came up, Zhou Bai suppressed it.
no the same.
From the very beginning, Hope Village’s development direction was different from theirs. Only by showing its “goodness” can Hope Village attract more and more tourists.
Hope Village has developed to this stage. If it hides its strength, it will be dangerous.
It is better to continue on the original path.
"Speaking of this, I have something that I haven't given to the lord yet." Bayer, who was listening at the side, suddenly spoke up.
"What?"
The next moment, Bayer took out a whole stack of documents and handed them to Zhou Bai.
Zhou Bai flipped through the pages, a hint of surprise flashing across his eyes, "Bayer, when did you prepare these?"
Bayer gave Zhou Bai information about various territories. These territories were all level 3 villages open to the outside world, with the largest number of local territories. The information included basic information such as their population, specialties, and geographical location.
and
Although they are only a minority at present, it can be predicted from these that if most of the territories are collected, the map of the entire human kingdom will be unfolded from there.
She had always been very curious about the territories of the human kingdom and other kingdoms, but after asking many local territories, most people only had a vague understanding and only knew about their own little piece of land.
Some of those who know only know a small part of the information, and it is difficult to connect the dots. And among those who are connected, many are unwilling to disclose the relevant information because that information is wealth to them.
But now, their territory itself is taking action, even if only in part.
Bayer smiled and said, "It was mainly done by the Xiaoyao Mercenary Team. Lord, you said before that you wanted to learn about the information of other territories, so I sent out this task. Yun Juncai, the captain of the Xiaoyao Mercenary Team, found me and said that their mercenary team would take on this task. I gave him the lion's share and told him to settle the income according to the number of territories they explored. I didn't expect him to give me such a perfect answer. This is what they have sorted out, and they will continue to add to it later. In addition to their mercenary team, there are other professionals who have accepted the task. These professionals are part-time, which is better. We don't have to draw out too many people."
After hearing what Bayer said, Zhou Zhengping couldn't help but move closer to Zhou Bai to take a look. When he saw the outlined part, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Are there many mercenaries from our territory going to other territories?" Zhou Bai asked.
Although the Xiaoyao Mercenary Team is the main force, the other mercenaries also contribute a lot!
"Quite a lot. Currently, the number of mercenaries outside has reached six or seven hundred. Some of them passed through other villages and went to the towns and cities near these villages. Those who went out basically accepted exploration missions. I believe that after they come back, the scope of our map will be expanded several times." Bayer was quite excited when he said this.
This is a big event for any territory.
Listening to Bayer's description, Zhou Bai's eyes also revealed a bit of yearning.
It would be really nice to visit some of the great magical cities.
She wants to go too.
However, this is a critical period for the territory, and it is not easy for her to leave.
Wait until later!
"It's good to go out more often." Zhou Bai looked at Zhou Zhengping and said, "Dad, the soldiers in the territory are now taking turns to go to the vicinity of Benguela Town to hunt and kill intermediate-level monsters. You should also prepare to level up when you come back, right?"
"That's what I was planning!" Zhou Zhengping said directly, "But if you do this, will the people in Benguela have any objections?"
"No, Count Olcott of Benguela Town is still in Hope Village!" Zhou Bai said directly.
"He's in Hope Village?"
"Maybe he came here to cause trouble at first, but for some reason he put it aside later. He stayed in Hope Village because he was attracted by the delicious food. Now he can be seen in various food shops every day, and he knows how to enjoy himself." Zhou Bai explained.
Zhou Zhengping listened and frowned. He was still not very reassured about these nobles.
"Are you planning something bad?"
"Maybe, but at least so far, he hasn't done anything." Zhou Bai said indifferently.
"That's right. We can only entertain them." Zhou Zhengping said, and suddenly he remembered the Lord of Barnes Village who had been eyeing him covetously before, "Is there any movement over there?"
Zhou Bai did not answer. Bayer stood up and said, "The Glasgow village lord sent someone over. If nothing unexpected happens, the two territories will reach an agreement in the near future. After that, the two territories will find an opportunity to divide up Barnes Village together."
Zhou Zhengping listened, paused, and said nothing more.
It is also normal for them to fight back when others want to attack them.
Next, after Zhou Zhengping learned about the recent situation of Hope Village, he had a general idea in his mind.
In just a few days, Hope Village has undergone significant changes.
But fortunately, everything is developing in a positive direction.
Afterwards, Zhou Zhengping left the lord's mansion.
As a result, as soon as he left the lord's mansion, he met Li Xingteng who was waiting for him.
Seeing Li Xingteng approaching him with a smile, Zhou Zhengping felt an ominous premonition in his heart.
Could it be that this guy came here specifically to find him?
The next moment, Li Xingteng put his arm around Zhou Zhengping's shoulders like a good brother and said, "I heard that you completed the mission very successfully. Congratulations!"
"Not bad." Zhou Zhengping said cautiously.
"You've gained a lot of contribution points. You'll be promoted to 5,000 soon, right?"
"Well, it's almost done." Zhou Zhengping nodded.
"Oh! I still envy you! Unlike me, my contribution has been reduced recently in order to advance..." Li Xingteng continued.
Zhou Zhengping: “…”
Zhou Zhengping: "...Okay, I know you have been promoted to an intermediate professional. Congratulations."
Finally hearing these words from Zhou Zhengping, Li Xingteng was satisfied, and then said: "Haha, it's rare that I advanced earlier than you, so I naturally came to you to show off, but I'm still not as good as you. After you brought back the limestone, everyone who knew the inside story went crazy. Bi Jiamu from the construction team
Zhou Zhengping listened and responded "OK", but he was thinking about taking his beloved wife with him.
**
In the territory, intensive construction has indeed begun due to the return of this batch of limestone. The cement factory in Hope Village has started to work overtime again. More and more limestone has been turned into cement and transported back to the warehouse, and then from the warehouse to the construction sites where it is needed, such as holiday villas and roads.
Especially for holiday villas, after going through the initial running-in stage, the construction speed became faster and faster, and with sufficient materials, one building after another sprang up in the holiday villa.
Within two days, the main structure of the holiday villa was completed and the decoration stage began.
The original fences began to be removed, and the exquisite holiday villa began to come into everyone's view.
The quaint buildings are old and beautiful, with unique carvings and a sense of time... Anyway, this unprecedented architectural style instantly made the holiday villa the focus of tourists' attention.
“This building is really beautiful!”
"I've never seen this in any other territory."
"And this house can be built so high? It is really rare in other village-level territories."
"It's not just that they are built high, but there is no magical aura on these towering buildings. This means that the buildings are not strengthened by magic, but are supported by their own building materials."
"Yeah, how did you do that?"
"I heard that it was because of the building materials that Hope Village made itself."
"cement?"
"Yes, yes, that's it. Currently, this kind of building material is only available in Hope Village. The walls of Hope Village and those new buildings all use this new material. The buildings built with this material are very strong and are no worse than those buildings protected by magic circles."
“Can this kind of building be sold?”
"No, at present, Hope Village only uses it for its own use, but several territories seem to have reached an agreement with the territories, and they need to provide shells in order to purchase cement from Hope Village."
"Shells? Can shells be used to make cement? Did Hope Village just tell others about the raw materials?"
"Yes! Hope Village has never concealed this."
"But shells are rare! Apart from some saltwater lakes, they can only be found in the sea. But that is the territory of the dragon clan. If you are not a Saint-level professional, you dare not easily set foot in it. If you are caught by the dragon clan, you will be taken as a slave by them. The dragon clan also likes to capture humans. If you want to get out of there, you have to spend a lot of gold coins."
"You know that well?"
"This cement is so exciting! The effect is so strong. If I can buy it, I can sell it for ten or a hundred times the price. Do you believe it?"
"letter!"
“…”
Similar remarks were heard near the resort.
The rise of holiday villas has deepened people's impression that cement is a good thing.
Many nobles came upon hearing the news.
Although they came to Hope Village to see why this territory became so prosperous in a short period of time, after arriving, they were really attracted by the life here.
During this period, I would come here every day and go back at night.
It’s because the accommodation environment in Hope Village is really not suitable for nobles like them.
When I came to Hope Village today, I heard countless people discussing the news that the holiday villa was about to be completed. In addition, these people praised the holiday villa so much, so they naturally came here.
Only after actually seeing the resort did they feel that what they had heard before was true.
There is something special about this holiday villa.
That small watchtower-like building is actually seven stories high. Standing next to it, you can have a complete view of the entire Hope Village. It is definitely an excellent viewing spot.
Of course, what concerns them most is the height of the building.
They had long known the benefits of concrete made of cement for the defense of city walls, but what they had not expected was that this cement could also be made into such a tall building, and they didn't even feel any magical fluctuations on it, which meant that they could use this building material to build multi-story buildings without magic.
This saves a lot of effort.
I think, no matter how expensive cement is, it is not as expensive as the investment in the magic circle.
"Are you really not selling the cement from Hope Village?" a lord couldn't help but speak up.
I was already interested in cement, and now I am even more interested.
But they all knew that the cement in Hope Village had never been sold. They even thought about bribing the staff, but the final result was always the same: no one agreed. Not only were they unwilling, but most of the people simply did not have the corresponding channels.
After a while, they let it go temporarily.
After all, they all knew that in addition to cement, magic circles were also used to enhance the defensive power of the city walls.
Magic circles are not as rare as cement.
However, this time, the great success of cement in construction made them pay attention to the value of cement again.
"Previously, a lord reached an agreement with Hope Village to exchange seashells. This is true. I know one of the lords who reached the agreement. He lives near my territory. They have already sent a team to the seaside."
"Did they really go to the beach to look for shells? Aren't they afraid of the dragons???"
"The probability of encountering a dragon is not 100%. The most important thing is that if you really fall into the hands of the dragon, you can redeem it with money. It's OK as long as they think it's worth it."
"That makes sense. How about we go too?" A lord couldn't help but suggest.
After these words were spoken, there was silence for a moment.
Many lords remained silent, but they were calculating the pros and cons of doing so.
As long as the benefits are sufficient, some risks can indeed be taken.
"We'll talk about it when the time comes! We'll see after we have a territory to trade with Hope Village." One of the more conservative lords spoke first.
As someone just said, some territories have already tried it! So they just have to wait and see.
They only need to do it if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Many lords thought this made sense and expressed their willingness to wait.
Finally, the attention returned to the holiday villa.
“When will this be finished?”
"If this place opens, then staying overnight in Hope Village would be a good option?"
"Yes! Living in a taller building and overlooking the entire territory is definitely a visual enjoyment."
"It should be done soon! Now the only thing left seems to be decoration?"
"I've heard them say that decoration is the most important thing."
“It’s really exciting!”
“…”
Just as these lords were sighing and looking forward to it, Earl Olcott and Baroness Charlotte also arrived.
The two met by chance on the road, and even Baroness Charlotte did not expect that Earl Alcott would live in Hope Village.
But when he got here, he realized that he had still underestimated Hope Village.
A small level 3 territory can actually attract so many lords.
Seeing Earl Olcott and his companion, the group of lords saluted one after another.
They were all accustomed to the presence of Earl Olcott.
The other party parades around in Hope Village without caring about their identity. Every time they see him, they have to salute him. They have to salute him several times a day. How can they not get used to it!
As for Baroness Charlotte, it is incidental.
The other party's title is lower than theirs, but he is an envoy from the royal capital, so his status is also unusual.
"You're welcome." Earl Olcott responded with a smile, and then his eyes turned to the holiday villa.
The wait is finally here!
Still worth it!
As for Baroness Charlotte, she also looked him up and down.
This is the holiday villa!
It’s a pity that he is leaving today, so I can’t wait for him this time. I’ll have to stay for a while next time he comes.
"What were you talking about just now?" asked Earl Olcott, who had just overheard when he approached, but could not hear clearly.
Several lords at the scene looked at each other.
Finally, one of the lords took the initiative to step forward and briefly talked about shells and cement.
Earl Olcott listened, a hint of thought flashed across his eyes, then he thanked him and said nothing more.
Upon seeing this, these lords seized the opportunity to leave.
Anyway, the fun is over.
After they left, Baroness Charlotte looked at Earl Olcott who was in deep thought and said, "Why? Are you interested in this cement?"
"A little bit." Earl Olcott said honestly, "It is indeed a good thing that the wall's defense can withstand the city without the use of magic circles."
There are so many good things in Hope Village that it really makes people more and more excited.
Baroness Charlotte looked at the dark light in Earl Olcott's eyes and raised her eyebrows. "Then Lord Earl, can you send a team to the seaside? It's a little difficult for these small territories, but it's not difficult for you, Lord Earl. Lord Earl, the territory of one of your younger brothers is very close to the seaside, as I remember?"
Lord Olcott listened and glanced at Charlotte, "My Lord Baron knows the situation of my family."
"It just happened that I went there to award honors before." Baroness Charlotte said with a smile.
"So Baron Charlotte is interested in collecting shells?"
"Yes, I believe you can see the value of this cement. I am certainly interested in anything valuable."
"So Baron Charlotte plans to join me?"
"Yes, I can send two saint-level professionals." Baron Charlotte said seriously.
The news he got from Hope Village made him feel a little bit of crisis. During the past few days in Hope Village, he had asked many people from these new territories and used special methods to dig out a lot of information about the other side's world without them knowing. It matched what Zhou Bai said, which made him tend to believe that what Zhou Bai said was true.
In this case, he naturally has to prepare early.
Cement, a building material that can improve defense, will definitely be a very important strategic material if a disaster really strikes.
Hope Village must also know this, so it is impossible to take it from Hope Village without paying a price, so the only thing we can do is find a way to exchange it.
Of course, in addition to exchange, he can also try to study it to see if he can figure it out.
There are two saint-level professionals!
Lord Olcott was a little surprised.
Looking at Baroness Charlotte's expression again, his mind moved slightly.
Baron Charlotte cares so much about this matter. Could it be that this cement is more important than he thought?
Thinking of this, Earl Olcott already had a plan in mind.
Then he nodded and said, "How about we find a place to discuss it together?"
"OK."
And soon after they finished their agreement, both of them packed up and left.
Zhou Bai had expected Baroness Charlotte's departure, so she naturally wouldn't care too much about it. However, she had to care about Earl Olcott's sudden departure.
"Why do you think Earl Olcott did that?" Zhou Bai called Bayer to discuss the matter.
"They left after seeing the resort. The hottest topic in the territory right now is the cement that can be used to build a seven-story building," Bayer replied.
Zhou Bai nodded as he listened. "It seems that what they discussed was related to cement. Also, after Baron Charlotte learned the news from us, he was concerned about defensive building materials. The two of them might have really reached a cooperation. I just don't know what Baron Charlotte coveted from Earl Olcott."
After all, the family behind Baroness Charlotte is not small. If she really thinks the shells are useful, she doesn't need to rely on Earl Alcott.
"Forget it. No matter what it is, as long as they can bring back more shells and exchange them with us, we will be the ones who benefit." Zhou Bai said.
Bayer, however, expressed a different opinion at this time. "What if they use Shell to research cement themselves? By then, they will have access to raw materials and this market is likely to be seized by them."
Zhou Bai listened, paused, and then said calmly: "It is possible that someone could figure out the formula for cement. As our new territories continue to enter other people's field of vision, this day will come sooner or later. It is expected that they will study cement. The market for cement is huge, and we don't have to think that our territory can take it all. In addition to shells, there are also limestone mines! While they focus on shells, we can go find more limestone mines to increase our own reserves."
"Bayer, our strength is limited, and we don't have that much energy to travel thousands of miles to the seaside to look for raw materials. Besides, there are dragons on the seaside! It's too dangerous to go there with the strength of our territory's personnel. It's not worth it."
Zhou Bai naturally knew that Bayer wanted to send his own team to find as many shells as possible to produce cement and take the initiative, but the strength of Hope Village was far from that level, and the loss would outweigh the gain.
She still prefers to take it slow, step by step.
"So, as long as you have the ability to obtain shells, your lordship wouldn't mind taking control of this business, right?" Bayer suddenly said.
"Yes." Although Zhou Bai was surprised, she still responded. If there were enough raw materials, she would be willing to open up sales in exchange for large amounts of gold coins. Wouldn't it be nice to invest in other industries at that time?
It must be said that the sudden involvement of Baroness Charlotte and Earl Alcott made her feel a little bit of a crisis.
"My lord, have you forgotten? In addition to the dragon clan, there is another place that is also close to the sea. It cannot be said to be close to the sea, but it is in the middle of the sea." Bayer said with a smile.
Zhou Bai looked at Bayer and couldn't help but utter four words: "Kingdom of the Dead?"
"Yes, the Kingdom of the Dead."
"But isn't there miasma outside the Kingdom of the Dead, making it impossible to get close? And you haven't mentioned this idea before." Zhou Bai couldn't help but say.
"I originally thought so, so I never had this option. But just before I came here, Virgil came to me and said that he had a way to get it from some undead magicians in the Kingdom of the Dead." Bayer said.
Virgil? The merchant NPC summoned from Valhalla? Does he really have a solution?
"Call him over! Let's talk." Zhou Bai's heartbeat quickened.
If it is feasible through the Kingdom of the Undead, their raw materials will not be in constant supply. Even if other territories produce cement, they hope that the village can still control this business, and even quickly occupy this market and expand the market scale.
By then, money will roll in.
"Yes." Bayer replied and walked out of the office.
In a moment, he brought Virgil over.
"Greetings, Lord." Virgil looked at Zhou Bai and saluted directly with a polite smile on his face.
Zhou Bai was looking at Virgil.
My impression of this businessman was that he was a profiteer, apart from the first impression I got from the undead, later on, I heard about him from her mother Ding Qiurou.
He is definitely a capable person, but he has become relatively low-key after entering Hope Village.
As Virgil made such a choice and he did his job perfectly, she really didn't have much time to think about him.
Zhou Bai was really surprised when the other party showed up this time.
"Do you know how to get a large number of shells from the Kingdom of the Dead?" Zhou Bai asked directly.
Virgil nodded and said confidently, "Of course."
"Why are you telling me now? What do you want?" Zhou Bai continued to ask. She didn't think that the other party's ability came suddenly.
Virgil didn't expect Zhou Bai to be so direct, and then he casually said: "I just suddenly want to earn some contribution points and become an official. I think the Business Management Office is pretty good."
Before, Virgil didn't really have any thoughts about Hope Village. He just felt very comfortable there and was able to work with ease, which allowed him to enjoy the freedom that he didn't have in the Kingdom of the Dead.
By eating and drinking in Hope Village, I can make up for the hardships I have endured in the past few years bit by bit.
But after making up for himself for a while, he felt that life was a little boring. In addition, Lord Zhou Bai never looked at him differently. He didn't believe that she couldn't learn about his great achievements in the Undead Kingdom from the mouths of Bayer and other undead. If the other party didn't invite him, he would naturally stay in the corresponding position arrogantly.
However, later on, as he watched the endless good things and various novel business measures emerging in Hope Village, he realized one thing, that is, there are many talented people in the business of Hope Village, and he can make it prosperous on his own.
After realizing this, he felt that he should act sooner, otherwise, as time went on, he felt that he would easily be marginalized.
So he had prepared everything and was waiting for the opportunity.
Today, when the holiday villa has once again made cement the focus of everyone's attention, he knows that his time has come.
Not only can he take this opportunity to enter Zhou Bai's field of vision, but he can also use this incident to try to take control of this business. He believes that with his abilities, he can definitely play the greatest role.
Zhou Bai listened to the other party's request and had an idea in mind. He said directly: "If you have this idea, I can directly transfer you to the Business Management Department. However, if you want to manage this department, it depends on your own ability. The purpose of the territory has always been to place capable people in the borough."
The other is someone who knows how to show his or her abilities.
Speaking of which, the population of Hope Village now has more than 10,000 people. Even if Zhou Bai is the lord, it is impossible for her to go out and pan for gold in the waves and select talents by herself. Not to mention whether it is fair or not, she doesn't have the energy to do so!
The selection system and contribution system she provided are already very fair selection methods. As long as you have the ability and the intention, you will definitely not miss it.
Virgil looked at Zhou Bai's serious expression, chuckled and said, "Okay! Then you can wait for more than 20 days and get a large number of shells."
"Have you started the acquisition?" Zhou Bai was stunned for a moment, then calculated the time. Suddenly, he remembered that it was a month since Virgil was summoned a few days ago. He seemed to have taken a day off.
It turns out that you started preparing so early, that’s awesome!
What Zhou Bai admires most is people with such deep thoughts.
"Yes, I bought some when I went back to the Kingdom of the Dead two days ago, and I brought back a lot of things. Things in Hope Village are very popular in the Kingdom of the Dead!" Virgil said with a smile, "Also, let me tell the Lord a piece of news. The fact that Hope Village can summon and employ the undead is already widely known in Hope Village! Not only ordinary undead, but also some holy-level undead magicians are very interested in Hope Village!"
Zhou Bai: “…”
"But don't worry, I can help you solve this problem. I wonder if the Lord is interested in opening a store in the Kingdom of the Dead? If we sell the things in Hope Village there, we can exchange them for gold coins and various resources that are only available in the Kingdom of the Dead. Although some resources cannot be used openly, they are definitely a powerful weapon if used privately. Given Hope Village's current situation, we can prepare more trump cards!" Virgil continued.
Zhou Bai: "...If you need any resources, just write a list to Bayer and he will transfer them to you. You are fully responsible for this matter."
Listening to Zhou Bai's words, Virgil's eyes flickered, and he smiled slyly, "Lord, aren't you afraid that I'll take the things and run away?"
"Do you have any other way to enter and exit the Kingdom of the Undead? If you can't enter and exit the Kingdom of the Undead, some of the advantages you have built up by relying on our territory will be gone. I can still rely on other undead to do business in the Kingdom of the Undead based on your ideas, right? Besides, even if we don't do this business, we hope that the village will not lose too much." Zhou Bai asked back.
The current dependency relationship is that Virgil needs to rely on Hope Village.
This kind of dependent relationship is the reason why Hope Village dares to trust Virgil and many undead spirits.
Worst case, just change it.
Hope Village has a way out, but they don’t.
Another point is, trust people when you employ them, and don't employ people if you don't trust them. This is a principle passed down by our ancestors, and it is really applicable in an environment like the Stan Continent.
After hearing what Zhou Bai said, Virgil smiled again, and this time his smile was much more sincere.
"My Lord, leave it to me. I won't let you down."
Hearing this, Zhou Bai let out a long sigh in his heart.
It seems like another general has been "conquered".
This big fat chapter with four updates combined into one, please give me votes and recommendations for next month, xoxo!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
