Chapter 227 That’s hard to say
Horace stood at the construction site near the Horace Textile Factory, holding the wooden box containing money in both hands, and a trace of pain flashed across his face.
"Once I give out this money, I feel a little bad... This is all the money I saved by living frugally." He muttered softly, his eyes wandering.
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] walked forward and said with a smile and a hint of sarcasm.
"Mr. Hollus, I am a reasonable man. If you really can't bear to go back on your word, that's fine. I won't force you."
The corners of his mouth turned up, and there was a playful gleam in his eyes.
When Hollus heard this, a flash of panic flashed across his face.
Especially when he thought of the scene of the Grizzlies' revenge, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine, shuddered, and quickly put on a stiff smile.
"Look at what you said. I, Hollus, am a person who always abides by the spirit of contract... How could I go back on my word?"
The spirit of contract.
That's a really new word.
[The rich man who eats dirt] looked at him with a smile, not taking his fart to heart at all.
Horace knew he was asking for trouble, so he stopped talking and handed over the cash box reluctantly.
At the same time, he cursed in his heart, wishing that Saint Sith would send down his holy light and send these greedy jackals to hell.
Saint Sith! The business environment in Thunder City is so bad. Her Highness Irene Campbell was so busy caring for the poor that she didn't pay any attention to such a pious and poor man!
If it weren't for the gold coins, he really wanted to leave here.
Of course, he hasn't decided where to go after leaving here yet...
[The rich man who eats dirt] took the box of money and threw it on the construction materials beside him with a nonchalant look on his face.
After all, they came from the cemetery and used ghost money, so they had no idea about these gold coins.
Watching Horace leave, [Jade-faced King with Hands] curiously picked up a gold coin, played with it in his hand, and said with interest.
"We've been playing this game for a while, but this is the first time I've seen this kind of golden currency."
The rewards given by the Adventurer's Guild are mostly copper coins and silver coins, and ordinary daily necessities can be purchased with copper coins. Only some alchemical props and magic equipment produced by the human kingdom require silver coins.
The sunlight shines on the gold coins, reflecting a dazzling light, attracting everyone's attention.
[Iron-Blooded Fat House] His eyes rolled, an idea popped into his head, and he shouted excitedly.
"Why don't we use these gold coins to buy things from NPCs, and then move to the cemetery to exchange them for ghost money. Maybe we can make a fortune!"
"That's just like taking off your pants to fart," [Jade-faced King] rolled his eyes, "The bank in the cemetery can exchange NPC money anyway."
"Oh, yes, I forgot about it, hehe... By the way, what was the exchange rate, do you remember?" The fat man touched the back of his head embarrassedly.
Several players looked at each other, and [Canglang Lame] closed his eyes in silence, exited the game and opened the official website forum to check.
Apart from the most reliable rich guy, the second most reliable person in the entire adventure group is this lame guy.
After a moment's wait, his eyes reopened, his pupils flickering with excitement.
Without waiting for other players to ask, he said in a trembling voice.
"I found out... 1 gold coin is equal to 10,000 copper coins, and the exchange rate between copper coins and ghost money is 1:1."
He swallowed, looked at those pairs of astonished eyes, and said the second half of the sentence with difficulty.
"That is to say, we have 5 million in our hands..."
5 million! The moment they heard this number, everyone took a deep breath. Even Brother Hao, who had originally not cared, looked at the wooden box with surprise.
"Fuck... this thing is so valuable?!"
[Iron-Blooded Fat House] was also so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth, his jaw almost dropped to the ground, and he kept muttering "Oh my God..."
Five million ghost money is not a lot for top players, but it is an astronomical figure for them who just joined the game in version A08!
They worked in the maze for more than a week and didn't even earn a fraction of the money, but they ended up beating up a group of hooligans and the huge sum of money flew into their hands automatically! Not only that!
After the entire project was completed, Horace would have to pay them a huge balance! It was not until this moment that they realized how much wealth they had in their hands.
At the same time, they also saw the huge business opportunities and development space hidden in Thunder City!
"Calm down... calm your breathing first! Huh!"
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] took a deep breath, calmed down with his excited companions, and began to discuss the use of this fund.
It is possible to exchange all of it for ghost money, but it is obviously not the option with the greatest benefit.
After some discussion, they first went to the pub to inquire about some information and learned about the operating rules of the local construction industry, and then went to the bank with most of the funds.
In order to ensure smooth coordination of subsequent procurement matters, the "Rich Man Who Eats Dirt" brought along Carl, the "Chief Architect" of the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group.
When Carl learned that he had to go to the bank to coordinate funding and purchasing matters, he was surprised at his boss's ability to take action and was also pleasantly surprised.
The elderly gentleman straightened his clothes, then took the design drawings and related materials and walked towards the bank with the "Rich Man Who Lives on Earth".
He had no intention of making any money beyond his job title, so it was best for the boss to understand the rules.
This can also reduce the trust cost between both parties.
The bank in the industrial zone was not far from Horace's textile factory. It was located in the center of a factory area, with thick smoke billowing from the surrounding chimneys.
The main body of the bank building is made of thick bricks and stones, and tall columns support the wide porch. Although there is no luxurious decoration, it exudes a calm and majestic atmosphere, demonstrating its extraordinary style.
The emblem on the door is a modified version of the Andes family's coat of arms.
Walking into the bank, the hall is spacious and bright, with a simple magic chandelier hanging from the ceiling, emitting a dim and soft light.
The floor was paved with slightly rough stone slabs, and the footsteps of people coming and going echoed in the hall.
The staff in dark uniforms are busy behind the neatly arranged wooden counters. They look focused and their movements are skillful, handling various business in an orderly manner. The counter mainly handles the business of nearby factories, and the account books are densely recorded with the factories' financial transactions.
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] and Carl walked towards an account manager, and [The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] spoke first, clearly stating his intention to make a deposit and his desire for the bank to connect with Carl for purchases.
The account manager received him warmly, and then guided them to complete a series of rigorous deposit procedures in accordance with standard procedures, and properly deposited 400 gold coins into the account.
The banks owned by the Andes family are very professional in handling financial transactions. After all, they have a history of hundreds of years and even have their own factories and mines as supply channels, which they can introduce to customers in need.
Even though there are many flaws in the industry norms of this world, the emblem of the Andes family is enough to serve as a convincing guarantee for all parties.
This is also the biggest reason why they can last forever in the financial industry. Even the royal family borrows money from them.
After completing the deposit, Carl took out the design drawings and communicated with the account manager in detail about the purchase details, confirming everything from the types and specifications to the quantities of building materials.
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] supplemented his own ideas and requirements, and solemnly asked the account manager to work closely with Carl to accurately control and record in detail the flow of each fund, and to do his best to ensure that the construction of the dormitory building meets expectations.
After listening to the customer's needs, the account manager in formal attire patted his chest and made a promise.
"Please rest assured, we will handle every matter according to your requirements and ensure that every penny of your money is spent where it should be spent."
"This is the best." Karl took off his hat and shook the account manager's hand solemnly, "Happy cooperation."
The account manager smiled and shook hands back.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you!”
After finishing all the tasks, [The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] said goodbye to Carl and returned to the construction site.
Standing in the middle of the construction site, he cleared his throat and called out the names of Tom and others.
Not long after, a group of team members including Tom gathered from various construction areas, covered in dust and confused, not knowing why the boss called them over.
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] took a deep breath, solemnly took out the heavy 50 gold coins from his pocket, untied the rope of the purse and shook it in front of everyone.
The gold coins collided with each other, making a crisp sound, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"Brothers, listen carefully. As long as you work hard for me, you will not only get the agreed salary, but also a gold coin bonus after our project is completed! That's right, all of you will get a share!"
He spoke each word clearly, his voice firm and powerful, carrying far in the noisy construction site.
When Tom and others heard this, they were stunned at first, as if they couldn't believe their ears.
That's a gold coin! They've lived for so long and they've never even seen what the emperor printed on the gold coin looks like?
When they came to their senses, excited expressions gradually appeared on their faces. Some people were breathing rapidly, some had flushed faces, and some even had wet eyes.
Especially Tom, his lips trembled with excitement, he clenched his fists, and made a loud promise with a choked voice.
"Don't worry, boss. We will do our best!"
Not only him, a hunchbacked man in coarse linen clothes stood out from the crowd and shouted urgently, raising his voice.
“就是！老大这么信任咱，咱可绝对不能掉链子！”
那声音说出了无数人的心声，很快得到了一声声的附和。
“没错！”
“咱可得把这活儿干得漂漂亮亮的，不能辜负老大的这番心意！”
周围的团员们你一言我一语，虽然语言朴实无华，但眼神中满是坚定与感激。
看着他们激动的模样，【吃土的富豪】心中也不禁微微触动，深吸了一口气说道。
“放心，只要你们不辜负我，我一定不辜负你们！”
激励完团员之后，【吃土的富豪】回去和其他玩家会合，小心翼翼地将剩下的 50金币重新收起来，妥善保管。
他们心里清楚，这剩下的 50金币至关重要，是应对突发情况的日常周转资金。
在这充满变数的游戏世界里，谁也不知道下一秒会发生什么。
而有了这笔资金，就如同多了一份底气，在面对未知的困难时，他们能多一份从容与应对的能力。
由于工地上有着太多的事情要处理，四个玩家一番商量之后，决定推迟返回迷宫的时间，打算等到在新厂区这一带站稳脚跟再抽身离开。
反正他们已经落后新活动太多进度，现在想要追上去也没那么容易，倒不如把心思花在A08版本更新的人造人玩法上，看能不能从地表的人类社会赚取更多的好处。
就这样，日子又过去了三天。
无敌至尊冒险团打跑灰熊帮巴尔克的消息就像一阵强劲的旋风，以超乎想象的速度在这条街上迅速传开，弄得人人都知晓了。
尤其是巴尔克这些日子都没出现，更是佐证了传言的真实性。
那些平日里习惯了精打细算、谨小慎微的工厂主们在听闻这一消息后，顿时如同发现了新大陆一般，纷纷按捺不住内心的激动，马不停蹄地来到了工地，渴望能与这支声名鹊起的冒险团寻求合作。
与此同时，霍勒斯纺织厂宿舍楼的工地，正是一片热火朝天的景象。
新打下的地基旁堆积着粗糙的石块和泛黄的原木，工人们赤着膀子在阳光下奋力劳作，所有人都卯足了力气，疲惫却又充满希望。
简易的脚手架歪歪斜斜地搭建着，不远处几匹健壮的马匹正拉动着简易的绞车，将沉重的石块缓缓吊起，发出沉闷的“嘎吱”声。
空气中弥漫着尘土和汗水的气味儿，混合着新砍伐木材的清香。
【吃土的富豪】双手背在身后，巡视着他的“领地”。
而他的“部下”卡尔则站在不远处，身姿挺拔，有条不紊地指挥着工人们作业。
老绅士面色红润，威风凛凛，仿佛年轻了十几岁一样，指挥工作得心应手。
而【吃土的富豪】也乐得将这些麻烦的事情交给靠谱的人去打理，毕竟他也不是很专业，只是对建筑行业略懂一二罢了。
游戏世界和现实世界不同，这里的社会背景得参考工业革命早期，建筑行业的体系尚不完善，设计师常常身兼包工头之职，有时候还得亲自上手。
毕竟没人比设计师更懂自己绘制的图纸，而那些前来做工的农民，很多甚至连字都不识，更别提理解复杂的设计意图了。
就在他眺望着施工现场的时候，一位身形富态的胖工厂主从工地入口仓促赶来，脸上堆满了讨好的笑容。
不等【吃土的富豪】询问他的来意，那人便热情地开口说道。
“尊敬的……呃，‘吃土的富豪’先生？我最近手头有个全新的工厂项目，规模可不小呢！我是真心诚意地想请你们出手帮忙施工，价钱方面咱们都好商量，绝对不会让你们吃亏的！”
这家伙的名字有些怪，他打听到之后，跟着念了好久才记下来。
【吃土的富豪】微微愣了一下，随即哭笑不得的说道。
“实在不好意思，我们现在手头上的活儿都还没干完，人手也不够，实在抽不出人来接新活儿了。”
胖工厂主一听，顿时急了，连忙说道：“怎么会缺人呢？流民营地到处都是便宜的人口，您要是需要，我可以帮您去联系！”
他一边说着，一边还不停地用手帕擦拭着额头因为激动和焦急而冒出的汗珠，眼神中满是期待。
最⊥新⊥小⊥说⊥在⊥六⊥9⊥⊥书⊥⊥吧⊥⊥首⊥发！
【吃土的富豪】还没组织好语言回应，嘈杂的工地又传来一阵脚步声。
他转头望去，只见另一位身形略显瘦削的工厂主大步流星地赶了过来。
和那个大腹便便的工厂主一样，他的脸上堆满了讨好的笑容，还未站定，便迫不及待地高声说道。
“尊敬的’吃土的富豪‘先生，我那儿也有个新厂区的施工项目，正愁找不到靠谱的团队！你们的名声我可早有耳闻，这合作的事儿务必考虑考虑我啊！价钱方面都好商量！”
那如出一辙的台词充满了即视感，【吃土的富豪】脸上不禁浮起怪异的表情。
胖工厂主闻言眼睛一瞪，粗着脖子嚷道：“你这家伙想干什么！是我先来的！”
那个身形瘦削的男人也不甘示弱，冷笑一声怼了回去。
“你先来的又怎样？我手上有上十亩的地等着开发！你就是在娘胎里签好了合同也给我往后稍一稍！”
两人你一言我一语，就在一脸傻眼的【吃土的富豪】面前激烈地争吵起来，唾沫星子横飞。
听到动静赶过来的【铁血肥宅】也忍不住嘟囔了一句。
“……真是太阳打西边出来了。”
两个老板争执不下，眼看着就要动手，【吃土的富豪】连忙拉开了他们。
沉默片刻后，他接过了两人递来的名片，顺手塞进了上衣口袋，点头应道。
“我会认真考虑二位的建议，但请给我一点时间。我会在明天太阳落山之前给你们答复……如果我们能找到足够的人手的话。”
两人连忙脱帽，欠身致意，连声道谢后，心满意足的转身离开了。
由于爱德华的新政，雷鸣城根本不缺便宜的人手，尤其是工地上的活儿都没什么技术含量，只要有一身力气就行。
在他们看来，双方的合作已经妥了。
就在两人心满意足的离开工地不久，那工地的正门方向又是一片尘土飞扬。
随着急促的脚步声渐渐靠近，那嘈杂鼎沸的人声也越来越清晰了。
还没从那天上掉下来的馅饼中回过味儿来，【吃土的富豪】便看见一大波衣衫褴褛的流民聚集在了工地的入口。
他们大多是住在附近的流民营地的人，由于救济粥的减少，渐渐养不活一家人的他们只能被迫出来寻找养家糊口的机会。
听闻这儿的报酬优厚，完工之后还有奖金可以拿，他们顿时如同抓住了救命稻草一般从四面八方赶了过来。
望着站在工地上的【吃土的富豪】，一个衣衫褴褛的年轻人挤到了人群的前面，扯开嗓门大声的喊道。
“老板，让我加入吧，我有力气，而且年轻，啥活都能干！”
他的话音刚落下，不等豪哥回答，一个身强力壮的男人也跟着大声喊道。
“老大，请看看我吧，我保证听话！您让我揍谁我就揍谁！”
几个玩家听见此言，眼睛都瞪直了。
好家伙。
这是来找正经工作的？【玉面手累王】忍不住插了一句嘴。
“下迷宫的活你干不？揍魔物那种。”
那个身强力壮的男人闻言表情顿时一滞，讪讪笑着缩了下手。
“那个……老大，我要是有这本事，干嘛不自己去当冒险者。”
玉面手累王：“……”
好吧。
看来这些人本质上和他们之前招的那一批失地农民没什么两样。
要说唯一的优点儿，可能也就是有自知之明了。
【铁血肥宅】忍不住咽了口唾沫：“妈耶……这是触发隐藏任务了？”
【苍狼瘸腿】懵逼摇头。
“不知道。”
【吃土的富豪】看着簇拥在工地门口的人们，又看了看手中的名片，心中一阵感慨。
遍地黄金的哪里是迷宫……明明就在迷宫之外的雷鸣城。
心中几番犹豫，他最终还是下定决心，清了清嗓子，用威严的声音开口道。
“想加入就留下，但必须遵守团里规矩，认真干活！”
他的话音刚落下，人群立刻爆发了欢呼声。
明显，这帮家伙只听见了他的前半句话，那句想加入就留下。
“哦哦！！”
“放心吧，老大！”
“我们什么都听您的！”
众人听闻，脸上瞬间绽放出欣喜的笑容，就像找到了组织一样，欢呼雀跃着如潮水般涌进工地，眼神中满是对未来的憧憬与期待。
看着那涌入的人群，刚立下雄心壮志的豪哥忽然又有些发怵，连忙补充了一句。
“我们只要200个人哈，多了养不起，你们可别把亲戚朋友都介绍过来了！”
His voice was drowned out in the sea of people. In just a few minutes, the number of people in the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group doubled and was heading towards the 200 mark.
Several players were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
That's better.
They originally came to the surface with the idea of getting rid of those burdens, but ended up having more and more burdens hanging on them.
Tom and others who were working on the construction site looked slightly depressed, and a trace of worry appeared in their hearts - would these newcomers take away their hard-earned job opportunities? But when they thought that this was the boss's decision, they could only suppress their dissatisfaction.
After all, those four adventurers were their benefactors, not to mention that they had long been accustomed to obeying what life had given them.
Although no one pointed it out, in their subconscious, the four powerful adventurers had become their de facto lords and shouldered the feudal obligations and powers of the lords.
The only difference is the change of name.
Man is a highly adaptable animal, and when new production relations are formed, a group of people will naturally evolve a new order to match them.
It's almost an instinct.
With the addition of new members, those working on the construction site also felt a sense of urgency.
Including people who join the construction site.
They all knew that if they wanted to gain a foothold here, they had to work harder.
So everyone gritted their teeth and worked harder, sweat rolling down their foreheads and dripping onto the ground beneath their feet.
From this moment on, they are no longer a simple mob——
But the organized kind.
[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] walked to Carl's side and said with a sigh.
"Something went wrong... I'm afraid I'll have to take on two more jobs in the next two days, so I'll have to trouble you again then."
Karl laughed, his old face flushed with red, and he looked full of energy.
"How can it be a problem? Sir, just take the job. I am not afraid of trouble. I can also take on a few more apprentices."
These people were easy to talk to and he enjoyed working with them.
Especially in his opinion, they are truly good people who not only have moral bottom line but also value tradition.
Carl calmed himself down, looked at the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] and continued speaking sincerely.
"I have an immature suggestion. If you are just taking temporary jobs, the identity of an adventurer is enough. But if you want to expand your business, it is better to register a company. This way, it will be easier to handle taxes and simplify some procedures when drafting contracts."
"I'm planning this." [The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] nodded slightly, "What do you think of the name Invincible Group?"
Karl was stunned for a moment, and after holding it in for a long time, he gave an ambiguous evaluation.
"Well, I think...it's not bad."
A name is just a title anyway.
Moreover, compared with the gentleman's own name, the name of this company is not strange. At most, it is a little flashy, but it is not an overstepping of authority.
[The rich man who eats dirt] had a satisfied smile on his face.
"It's decided then."
Until now, no one has discovered their identity as artificial humans, it seems that they have been quite successful in sneaking into Thunder City.
perhaps……
Going bigger and stronger is also a good idea.
He suddenly wanted to test the limits of this game.
By the way, I also tested my own limits...
Horace stood outside the construction site, looking at the bustling construction site and the two people chatting in a friendly manner. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and his fear of the "rich man who eats dirt" increased a little more.
More than 200 people...
When the Grizzlies Gang had its most people, there were only 20 or 30 of them. What was this guy planning to do by gathering such a large group of people? Opening a factory? Nowadays, even adventurers have begun to get involved in the business of the new factory area. The sun is really rising from the west! He muttered, shook his head, turned around and left the construction site, and returned to his textile factory.
At this moment, whether it was the "Rich Man Who Eats Dirt" himself, the workers busy on the construction site, or Horace who turned and left, and everyone else, they did not realize that a new condensation nucleus was gradually taking shape.
It was like a seed, like many other seeds, that fell on the soil outside Thunder City that was watered by flesh and blood, and took root, sprouted, and grew wildly...
(End of this chapter)