"Deputy Dean, you see, now our Arcane Academy has taken over the management of the Arcane City. This is both an opportunity and a heavy responsibility."
"This arcane city is far more prosperous than it seems. Take the streets for example. Although they are bustling right now, they are mostly messy cobblestone roads. When the rainy season comes, water accumulates into puddles and the streets are muddy. Not only is it inconvenient for the people to travel, but the transportation of goods is also hindered. If this continues, it will definitely affect the further expansion of business."
"If we can use this money to re-pave wide and smooth brick roads and improve the drainage system, we can ensure smooth traffic in all seasons, which is crucial to improving the efficiency of urban operations."
As Merlin spoke, he walked to the map of the Arcane City hanging on the wall and gently tapped a few areas.
"Looking at the regional planning of the city, it is also chaotic and disorderly. Commercial areas, residential areas, industrial production areas, etc. are all mixed together. This not only causes noise nuisance to residents, but also makes workers easily disturbed by the outside world, and even poses a safety hazard."
"We need to re-divide the land and create a dedicated commercial area to concentrate all kinds of shops to form economies of scale and attract more merchants and tourists. We need to plan independent residential areas and build supporting leisure gardens and small magic protection facilities to make residents live in peace and comfort. We also need a dedicated magic research area to strictly restrict entry of unrelated personnel to ensure the purity of the research environment. Such detailed planning cannot be achieved without financial support."
He paused and turned his gaze to Vice President Jenny, his eyes firm.
"Public facilities are of the utmost importance. Think about it, our Arcane City doesn't even have a decent large library. Magicians want to consult rare books but have nowhere to find them, and students who are thirsty for knowledge can only be limited to the collections in the academy. If we can build a magnificent public library, gather magic books from all over the world, and open it to the public for free, it will play an immeasurable role in the dissemination of knowledge and the cultivation of talents. There will also be a public magic training ground, so that those fledgling young magicians can practice their skills and improve their strength. This is also a reserve force for our Arcane City, and it can also attract more magicians to settle in the Arcane City."
Merlin became more and more excited as he spoke, waving his hands in the air. "Speaking of tourism, this is a huge potential stock for the future development of the Arcane City. We have a unique magical cultural heritage. There are many mysterious magical relics in the Warcraft Mountains, and there are wonderful magic performances in the lower city. These are all golden signs to attract foreign tourists."
"But currently, there are almost no supporting facilities. Tourists have nowhere to stay and no fun activities to experience. If we use the funds to build a number of special magic-themed hotels, design immersive magic travel routes, and hold regular magic festivals, the Arcane City will surely become the most popular tourist destination in the entire continent, and people and capital will continue to flow in. By then, the return to the academy will be more than just tens of millions of gold coins. This is a long-term plan to catch a big fish, Vice Dean, you have to think about it carefully."
Vice Dean Jenny stood aside, frowning and full of doubts at first, but as Merlin explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way, her eyes gradually became thoughtful, and she nodded slightly, as if she began to agree with Merlin's point of view, and fell into the imagination of the future blueprint of the Arcane City.
After Merlin's passionate explanation, Vice Dean Jenny's slightly furrowed brows did not completely relax. She still had some concerns. She bit her lower lip lightly and said after thinking for a moment: "Merlin, the blueprint you described is indeed beautiful, but the money it will cost is not a small amount. Not to mention the construction of those large facilities, just replanning the area and paving the roads will require a huge amount of gold coins. The family assets accumulated by the academy over the years cannot withstand such expenses."
The vice president paced around the room worriedly, and then said, "Besides, even if our academy is willing to spend money, will the nobles, big businessmen, and aristocratic families who have settled in the Arcane City actively cooperate? These people are good at calculating and may not be willing to give up their own interests for the so-called city development. If they interfere, won't our plan fail?"
Merlin smiled confidently, crossed his arms, and responded calmly: "Vice President, your concerns are not unreasonable, but please rest assured that they will definitely cooperate. The construction of this arcane city is not just the business of the academy, but for the benefit of everyone. Think about it, if the roads are unblocked and the commercial areas are reasonably planned, their business will only be more prosperous, with more customers and more money. Why not? Improved public facilities can attract more outstanding talents, provide them with sufficient labor, and help industrial development. There is also tourism development, which is simply a gold mine waiting to be mined. As long as they participate in it, they can get a share of the pie."
Merlin walked over to Vice Dean Jenny as he spoke, staring at her firmly, and continued, "It is undeniable that the initial investment will cost a lot of gold coins. But once it is completed, the return will be immeasurable. We must take a long-term view and not shrink back because of temporary financial difficulties."
At this point, Merlin's eyes suddenly stern, and his tone was filled with unquestionable majesty: "Besides, even if they can't figure it out for the time being and don't want to cooperate, do they dare? Who is in charge of this Arcane City now? The Academy controls the management power, and I, Merlin, am behind the scenes to negotiate with all parties. If those nobles and merchants dare to disobey, they will be against the development trend of the entire Arcane City. They must be aware of the interests involved."
As Vice Dean Jenny listened to Merlin's words, the worries in her heart gradually dissipated. She stopped pacing and looked at the map of the Arcane City on the wall again. There was a thoughtful gleam in her eyes, as if she was weighing the pros and cons and considering the feasibility of this huge plan.
"Okay, you've convinced me. I'll ask the Arcane Academy's finance department to approve your application!" Vice Dean Jenny sighed. She was a whitebie who knew nothing about business anyway. Otherwise, she wouldn't have turned the Arcane Capital into what it is today after so many years.
"But Merlin, what you said is really strange, like "we", "be the boss", "why not do it", are these your hometown dialect? So I learned these words and started saying this kind of thing. "Vice Dean Jenny said with some resentment.
Local dialect? Merlin looked up at the bright stars in the night sky. "Yes, my hometown dialect is concise, isn't it?"
"Brief and to the point? That word is really... strangely appropriate?"
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