Chapter 107 The Chief Advisor's First "Menu" "Oh?...
“Oh?” Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly, picked up his teacup, made a “please” gesture, and showed an expression of great interest. “Tell me about it. I’m very curious, given your style, Brother Lin Yue, what kind of conditions would you propose?”
“My conditions are very simple.” Lin Yue didn’t mince words, directly throwing his well-thought-out combination of demands onto the table: “I’ll provide the manpower and technology. Blackrock City needs to provide us with three things: land, power, and a stable environment where no one will cause trouble.”
He held up one finger: "Land. I need a large enough and well-located plot of land in the city, and the ownership must belong entirely to Hopetown."
The second finger then rose: "Power. I need you, in the name of the city lord, to grant me full authority over all infrastructure projects within the city. From road repairs to housing renovations, and even future water conservancy projects, all planning, recruitment, and resource allocation must be decided by me. Of course, you have a veto right."
Finally, he held up a third finger, his gaze fixed intently on Ryan: "As for a stable environment... I think Young Master Ryan knows better than I do what needs to be done. I emphasized this repeatedly when we first started working together. I don't want to see any uninvited guests on our construction site, whether they're wearing Red Scorpion uniforms or just random cats and dogs from the streets. My workers just want to work and eat quietly; they have no interest in dealing with those troublesome things."
These three conditions are all extremely harsh, almost to the point that they intend to firmly grasp the lifeline of Blackrock City's future development in their own hands.
After listening, Ryan fell into a long silence.
"Brother Lin Yue," he finally spoke after a long silence, "are you... going to turn the entire Blackrock City into your second Hope Town?"
“No.” Lin Yue shook his head and corrected, “It’s not mine, it’s ours. It also belongs to everyone in this city who still wants to live.”
He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed to the lifeless city outside: "Young Master Ryan, what do you think is the biggest problem in this city right now?"
"It's poverty, it's chaos, it's..."
“It’s because people’s hearts are dead.” Lin Yue interrupted him. “When everyone is living in hunger and fear, and can’t see tomorrow, what’s the point of talking to them about order or development? It’s all nonsense. So the first step in our cooperation, the first menu you, as the chief development consultant, submitted, is not to build some profitable factories, nor to create some fighting army.”
He turned around and said, word by word, "Instead, let all the people in this city who are starving to death have a full meal first."
...
Lin Yue declined all the good locations offered by Ryan. He pointed to the map and accidentally selected the abandoned square at the intersection of the slums and the artisan street, a place that had been destroyed by fire and was avoided by everyone.
"I want this land." Lin Yue's tone left no room for negotiation.
Ryan's advisors exchanged bewildered glances, almost doubting their own ears. That piece of land might have been a prime location before, after all, it used to be the busiest market in Blackrock City, but now, apart from its large size, it was practically worthless. It was located on the periphery, the environment was dirty and chaotic, and it was also known as an ominous place. Even if it were given away for free, few merchants would be willing to take it.
Ryan's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply stamped the contract without hesitation. He knew in his heart that Lin Yue never did anything that would result in a loss. This piece of land, which was considered a wasteland by others, must have some value that Lin Yue saw but that others couldn't see.
Thus, amidst the doubts and mockery of various parties, the ownership of this ruin, a symbol of decay and despair, was quietly changed, and it was officially transferred to the name of Hope Town.
“This is it.” Lin Yue stood in the center of the ruins and said to Li Ge and Tie Niu, who had also rushed over upon hearing the news, “This place is big enough, conspicuous enough, and dilapidated enough. It’s perfect for showing everyone how we turn ruins into a treasure trove. Li Ge, Tie Niu, do you remember that two-story building design we’ve been wanting to try but didn’t dare to do in Hope Town?”
Li Ge and Tie Niu's eyes lit up instantly.
"Of course I remember!"
"In half a month, I want to see a brand new building rise from the ground here."
This order, which seemed like a fantasy to anyone else, was met with a simple exchange of glances from Li Ge and Tie Niu, who confidently replied, "Yes, Mayor!"
Meanwhile, Hope Store No. 1's Blackstone City branch quietly reopened after simple renovations.
But in stark contrast to the low-key opening, there was a newly erected, giant job posting at the entrance of the shop.
[Hope Town/City Lord's Mansion Joint Construction Team Urgently Recruiting!]
We are sincerely recruiting strong, hardworking, and obedient young men to participate in the reconstruction of public facilities in the city.
[Benefits: Three meals a day (full portions), daily wages (in small amounts), outstanding performers may have the opportunity to learn new technologies and even become permanent employees!]
[Registration Location: Hope No. 1 Store or the First Processing Plant in Hope Town, on the outskirts of the city!]
This straightforward and blunt job posting instantly ignited the underbelly of Blackrock City.
Three meals a day included, and you get to eat your fill? You can earn real money just by working a day?
For the starving homeless and unemployed, this was like a windfall!
For a time, the entrances to Hope No. 1 Store and the suburban factory were packed with people who came to register.
Following Lin Yue's instructions, Li Ge and Tie Niu selected 500 of the strongest-looking young men with the most eager eyes to form the first Blackstone City branch of the Hope Town construction team.
For the next ten days, all the residents of Blackrock City watched a construction show that overturned their worldview and could be described as a miracle, all for free.
The processing plant on the outskirts of the city, which had been highly anticipated, was now operating at full capacity. Ryan had sent people to find the red clay and limestone mines that Lin Yue needed. Although the quality was not as good as those around Hope Town, the quantity was much larger. Dozens of newly built brick and cement kilns were belching black smoke day and night, like tireless industrial behemoths.
Meanwhile, Li Ge led the core members of the construction team, who were drawn from Hope Town and were full of energy, as instructors, and the original suburban slave workers and newly recruited workers as the main force of construction, staging a miracle of speed and passion on this ruin.
There was no magic, no mysterious rituals. There were only precise measurements, efficient division of labor, and standardized construction processes they had never seen before.
The enormous rock-walking lizard, pulling the Hope No. 1 heavy truck, cleared away loads of rubble and debris, and continuously transported loads of freshly baked red bricks and cement to the construction site. Only the more difficult-to-fire blue tiles still needed to be transported from Hope Town regularly.
Leveling the foundation, pouring cement, building brick walls... every step is done so quickly it's dazzling.
The newly recruited Blackrock City workers initially approached the job with a "just getting by" mentality, clumsily following behind and doing odd jobs. But when they saw the foremen of Hope Town skillfully using tools they had never heard of before, how they mixed dusty powder and water into magical glue, and how they built straight and sturdy walls from red bricks, they were all deeply impressed.
What amazed them most were the kitchen facilities that Li Ge and his men called the "Hope Stove." These massive, one-piece stoves, built with red bricks and refractory mortar, featured independent chimneys and multiple burners. The heat was concentrated, the thermal efficiency extremely high, and there was almost no smoke. These dozens of highly efficient and energy-saving stoves alone were enough to make all the cooks in Blackrock City's taverns envious enough to quit their jobs on the spot.
Ten days later, when a huge two-story building, covering nearly a thousand square meters and with a simple yet sturdy and bright structure, actually grew out of the ground, the entire Blackrock City was in an uproar.
This building perfectly embodies the brutal aesthetics of prioritizing practicality.
Its exterior walls have no superfluous decorations; they are simply solid and heavy red brick walls grouted with high-quality cement. To solve the lighting problem, rows of tall and narrow arched windows were designed on the exterior walls of the first floor. The windows are made of polished ironwood strips forming a dense grid, which ensures both ventilation and lighting while preventing outsiders from easily climbing in.
The roofs are all covered with uniform, bluish-gray ceramic tiles produced in Hope Town, ensuring that rainwater flows smoothly into the pre-planned drainage channels on rainy days.
Stepping into the hall, the spaciousness is breathtaking. Instead of an impractical column-free design to support the second-floor slabs and the massive roof, a dozen enormous wooden pillars carved from whole ironwood trees, combined with sturdy stone foundations, form a robust load-bearing framework. The pillars and beams are connected by intricate mortise and tenon joints and reinforced steel fasteners, exuding a sense of solid strength.
The ground floor space is cleverly divided into several functional areas by these massive pillars. Near the entrance is a huge communal dining area, furnished with hundreds of sturdy hardwood tables and chairs. At the far end is a semi-open kitchen with dozens of highly efficient and energy-saving stoves.
A wide wooden main staircase leads to the second floor. Considering the need to transport heavy objects, a ramp was also designed next to the staircase specifically for pushing wheelbarrows to transport goods – a truly remarkable design.
The second floor is designed as a multi-functional area in a U-shape surrounding the atrium. A large central courtyard connects directly to the first floor, ensuring ample natural light and ventilation throughout the building. One side of the corridor surrounding the atrium is open, enclosed by sturdy wooden railings, allowing people to enjoy panoramic views of the entire square on clear days. The other side is divided into individual rooms, including a council chamber for large meetings, several private rooms for business negotiations, and even a small reading corner with rows of wooden bookshelves displaying copies of "Introduction to Basic Arithmetic" and "Hope Town Residents' Code of Conduct," both personally translated and handwritten by Lin Yue in charcoal.
People spread the word and called the building that rose from the ground the Temple of Hope.
Lin Yue gave it a more down-to-earth name – [Hope Canteen].
The cafeteria's menu was also carefully considered.
In the early days of opening, in order to quickly win over people and stabilize the situation, the canteen did not offer any complicated dishes, but only three things, which can be called the "Hope Three-Piece Set".
The first, naturally, is the already renowned upgraded version of Hope Soup. This time, the broth is made with the cheapest yellow millet provided by that fat grain merchant, mixed with a large amount of animal bones and Hope Snow Salt. The soup is thicker and more filling than the previous wild vegetable soup. The price of this soup is still outrageously low; a large bowl can be bought for just one copper coin. Moreover, to demonstrate the benevolent rule of the Chief Development Advisor, Lin Yue announced that during the first month of the canteen's opening, all residents of Blackrock City can get a free refill once a month by presenting their identity token (a new policy implemented in cooperation with Ryan).
The second item is the most produced hard currency in Hope Town—rock-baked potatoes. These potatoes have thick skin and are bursting with energy; one copper coin can buy two. For low-income laborers who need to replenish their energy, they offer unbeatable value.
The third item is the limited-edition Starlight Sleep Aid Bun, a kind of miracle drug. It costs three copper coins each, and only one hundred are sold each evening. Its purpose is not to fill an empty stomach, but to create a sense of scarcity and spiritual comfort, allowing those tormented by life and unable to sleep at night to spend a small amount of money to get a good night's rest.
On the first day the canteen opened, tens of thousands of starving poor people and homeless people poured out from all the dark corners of the city as if they had seen a lifeline, crowding the huge square in front of the canteen.
For a single copper coin, they received a steaming bowl of tempting, savory soup of hope and two hard, but substantial, roasted potatoes. As the warm, salty soup slid into their stomachs, already numb with hunger, many couldn't help but burst into tears. This was more than just a bowl of soup; it was hope for survival.
The appearance of the Hope Canteen caused an unprecedented stir in Blackrock City. After eating their fill, the hungry civilians spontaneously came to help, maintaining order and cleaning, becoming Lin Yue's most loyal first supporters.
However, this also completely threatened the interests of unscrupulous merchants, led by the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild, who relied on monopolizing the grain and salt industries to exploit the people.
"Boss, we can't let Hope Trading Company continue like this." In the headquarters of the Anchor Merchant Guild, a manager was anxiously reporting to a figure sitting in the shadows. "Once their shabby canteen opened, no one in the city will buy our coarse salt and black bread anymore. If this continues, our business will be completely ruined!"
The figure in the shadows slowly raised its head, revealing Karl's face, slightly distorted by jealousy and anger.
"What's the panic? They're just a bunch of starving peasants, what can they possibly do?"
A wicked glint flashed in his eyes: "Since they like doing good deeds, let them do it even more thoroughly."
An even more insidious and malicious conspiracy targeting the Hope Canteen is quietly brewing.
Lin Yue seemed completely unaware of this. He stood at the window on the second floor of the cafeteria, looking down at the long line of people quietly queuing to receive their food, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
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Author's Note: Ugh, another cafeteria added... Sometimes it's really frustrating. Knowing the plot only a few hours before everyone else... well, it's freshly made, at least it's not a pre-made chapter. [Chilled]
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