Sha Qingsui added, "And my conditions aren't high either. I will invest in your synthetic starch technology and transfer Hu Jinglin to be your assistant. He has more than a dozen smuggling routes and some factories in Shabao. He will become your biggest helper."
Qin Che smiled and said, "Is this your personal request?"
Sha Qingsui nodded: "If necessary, you must help me get out of here unscathed."
Qin Che asked, "What do you plan to use to invest in my technology? Besides money..."
Sha Qingsui frowned, looking at Qin Che with a puzzled expression.
Qin Che paced around the room, still holding a wine glass in his hand, and said, "The starch technology is very mature and does not require any technological investment."
“I have a lot of money,” Sha Qingsui said slowly. “And as much as you want… as much as you can eat.”
Qin Che looked at him with some surprise.
Sha Qingsui spread his hands and said, "Mr. Qin, you underestimate me as a leader. Even though I have been sidelined by power, I still control the two banks in Sand Castle, the currency printing, a portion of the livestock farms, and the water resources. Have you forgotten that this is a desert, and many people lack water..."
Outside, cities like Wind Fortress and Garbage Mountain are extremely short of water, and they need to purchase water from outside.
Why is Sandcastle so short of water that even its own citizens have to conserve it? The truth is that a large portion of the water resources are being smuggled out by these high-ranking officials.
Vast sums of money are built on the hunger and thirst of the lower classes.
Qin Che understood, of course, that the legal system was meant to be used against ordinary citizens, not against powerful figures—a very simple principle…
He had only just arrived in Sandburg and knew nothing about these people.
Even if the leader is sidelined, the wealth he has accumulated over the years is enough to ensure a worry-free retirement, allowing him to make a fortune as a crocodile boss.
It still smells very good.
Qin Che remained silent for a while before saying directly, "You can trade your water resources business with me. You won't lose out."
Sha Qingsui thought for a moment and nodded.
It's actually quite easy to figure out which is more important. Sandcastle has water, and Lingbi City, Xibao, the Oasis Alliance, and some other small cities also have water. But food is a different concept. Qin Che's food doesn't require arable land or seeds, naturally isolating him from being held hostage by others in these two areas. Moreover, the more mature the starch production technology becomes, the better, as it will be cheaper and more economically valuable. I believe he can soon expand his business to the entire desert.
But water resources are different. Everyone has the same resources, but if people don't buy from you, they can buy from other places.
Furthermore, Sha Qingsui's water smuggling business doesn't have a large market outside. The Oasis Alliance has more water, and the price is lower. They also have a huge transportation fleet, which is something Sandcastle can't compare to in any way.
So Sha Qingsui frowned and thought for a moment. It was very likely that this Mr. Qin wanted to use water resources as leverage to cut off the smuggling business outside the sand fortress...
As for banks... their profit margins are actually not that high. The value of paper money, unless you have a top-tier banknote, will never catch up with the value of bottle caps and chips.
Animal husbandry... I heard that Black Street has started raising piglets, chickens and ducklings. They use starch-processed feed, which they can digest themselves, and the production cost is not much.
This Mr. Qin must know better than anyone else that what he is doing is an extremely profitable industrial chain, and if the business continues to expand, no one will be able to compete with it in the future.
Sha Qingsui didn't care.
What he wanted was a sense of security and a guarantee for his retirement, so he immediately clung to Qin Che's coattails.
"It's a pleasure to work with you."
"It's a pleasure to work with you."
The two clinked glasses.
Sha Qingsui laughed again: "You want Chen Fusheng to be a dictator?"
Qin Che was silent for a moment, then nodded: "That's more convenient."
In fact, judging from his perspective as a time traveler, extreme systems are necessary to survive in extreme environments.
Qin Che didn't really think much of the various democratic systems in this desert.
This is not a time of peace.
What kind of democracy are you talking about? Are you kidding me?
"After Chen Fusheng takes over as dictator, I will let him serve three consecutive terms, and then secretly reorganize the resources and population of Sand Castle. I don't like having opponents, whether they are citizens or crocodiles, as this will make management easier." Qin Che said these terrifying words with ease.
Sha Qingsui replied, "The First Wall opposes the dictatorship and autonomy of various cities, and if you want to eliminate the dissenting voices within Sand Castle, it will be a huge challenge for Chen Fusheng. He... does not have that ability."
Qin Che glanced at Sha Qingsui and said with a half-smile, "He doesn't need to deal with those troublesome crocodile heads, nor can he."
Sha Qingsui's heart skipped a beat, already able to foresee the various bloody incidents targeting Crocodile Head and opposition officials that would occur on Sand Castle in the future.
With an extraordinary figure in charge... it truly transformed Sandcastle.
...
After leaving Sand Dune Tower, Qin Che had someone pick him up and headed to Campaign Office Number One, where he met Chen Fusheng, who was waiting for him.
"How is it?" he asked.
Qin Che said, "A deal was made, but it has nothing to do with you."
Chen Fusheng nodded, as if he had expected it all along. "The leader wants to withdraw unscathed?"
"Um."
"Only you can help him."
Qin Che sighed, sat on the sofa, and said, "I really didn't expect that Hu Jinglin was actually Sha Qingsui's man. He used this to reach an agreement with the Old Crocodile Head Group, ensuring his safe departure from Sand Castle and allowing him to comfortably become Crocodile Head."
Chen Fusheng nodded in agreement: "Going out is the right thing to do. If he, as a leader, makes a mistake while deeply entrenched in the center of power, many people will want to climb over his dead body to take his place."
After saying that, Chen Fusheng asked curiously, "What benefits did he promise you?"
Seeing Chen Fusheng's burning gaze, Qin Che rolled his eyes at him helplessly, "Water."
Chen Fusheng was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh and said, "Damn it, this old ghost is serious!"
"He can't fake it in front of me."
"So what are the conditions?"
Qin Che said, "Starch."
Chen Fusheng sat opposite Qin Che without speaking. After pondering for a moment, he said, "The water resources in Shabao are far from being monopolized, and the smuggling market is not large. Making money by exploiting the citizens will only lead to consequences that you have to swallow yourself. There is also little room for maneuver. Sha Qingsui is good at calculating, and this deal is very worthwhile for him."
“I know I didn’t bring it over to sell myself.”
Chen Fusheng blinked, then frowned and asked, "Starch production doesn't require much water, does it?"
"But the sandcastle needs it, the factory will need it to increase production, so it needs it everywhere."
“Then we’ve lost out…” Chen Fusheng sighed.
Qin Che glanced at him and chuckled, "You've been up there for too long, and you've become a carnivore. Actually, it's not a bad deal. As long as you can rule Sand Castle and establish a dictatorship, this bargaining chip will provide us with enormous benefits..."
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