Chapter 97: Duoli's Investment Conditions

Ka Wei stayed in the house where his father once lived for an entire day.

Luo De did not go to disturb him, and simply stood watch outside quietly.

Several old people came by in the meantime.

Luo De did not know them.

But he knew they had all once received favors from Ka Wei's father, so they wanted to come see the benefactor's child.

Especially those few old people who insisted on staying in the village to teach.

When they mentioned that the knowledge they taught the children was still what Ka Wei's father had taught them, tears kept flickering in their eyes.

"It was he who led us out of ignorance."

"Although he has left, we cannot let his efforts go to waste."

Those were the words spoken by those old people when they left.

Regarding this.

Luo De felt deeply moved.

Luo De had never seen what A Ru Cun was like before.

However, he could still catch a glimpse from these old people's mouths.

Before Uncle Anpu and Kantisi opened up trade between A Ru Cun and the rainforest region, A Ru Cun's situation was actually similar to those desert tribes.

It can be said that almost none of the problems those desert tribes should have were missing.

Among them, ignorance was the most profoundly influential.

Twenty years ago, less than one percent of A Ru Cun's population was literate; to say the average person had even completed prenatal education would be a great exaggeration.

It was Ka Wei's father who brought knowledge, brought the idea that knowledge changes destiny, led the former A Ru Cun out of ignorance, and let this poor, backward village learn for the first time to use knowledge to improve life.

Moreover, he designed many facilities for the village to defend against sandstorms, and to this day those facilities still function.

Besides that, he taught the villagers many simple prescriptions, saving many villagers who in the past could only wait to die.

Altruist.

Idealist.

Pragmatist.

A true man.

This is Luo De's evaluation of Ka Wei's father after hearing all these things.

It must be said.

This father-son pair really are alike.

In every respect, they are too much alike.

When the sky had turned completely dark.

Ka Wei finally came out.

Kantisi, who had been busy all day, also came.

Accompanying her was Dixiya.

The two were talking and laughing, appearing to have reached some happy topic.

Kantisi then proposed inviting Ka Wei and Luo De to sit at the village head's home.

As expected.

Luo De and Ka Wei had no objections and followed behind Kantisi together.

Soon.

Several people arrived at Uncle Anpu's home.

The dining table had already been prepared with a sumptuous dinner.

Don't think that compared to the rainforest region's banquet fare for guests, this table of food looks somewhat shabby, but this is already the highest hospitality A Ru Cun can offer.

Just like Li Shi Di.

Upon seeing Ka Wei for the first time, Uncle Anpu also stared for a moment, then exclaimed: "Those who don't know might think your father has returned to the village."

Ka Wei smiled, no longer looking glum as he had during the day, and then sat down together with Luo De, Dixiya, and them.

Having fasted all day, he also held back nothing, eating heartily there, not regarding himself as an outsider at all, behaving more freely than Luo De.

After everyone had eaten their fill and drunk enough.

Then Uncle Anpu began to speak on the main topic.

This is the matter Luo De had already notified him by letter after reaching an agreement with Ka Wei in Sumeru Cheng.

Ka Wei, the top architect of Sumeru Cheng, will be responsible for helping A Ru Cun design and carry out the construction of basic infrastructure.

Speaking of this matter.

Inevitably, the issue that must be mentioned is the money problem.

Although Luo De helped settle Ka Wei's salary.

But without funding from the Academy, relying solely on A Ru Cun itself, there is simply no way to complete those infrastructure projects mentioned in Luo De's letter.

Moreover, not to mention completing the full set of planned infrastructure, just renovating the school and building a hospital already made Uncle Anpu bitterly admit his purse was empty, truly unable to afford construction.

"I have brought in an investor for you."

"She is willing to lend the village a loan to help the village complete its infrastructure."

"But the precondition is that the village must first show her sufficient sincerity of profitable return on investment."

The investor Luo De spoke of.

That is Duoli, who had been following them earlier but was thrown aside midway.

That was the time when they discussed this matter.

Luo De had racked his brains and used every trick in the book, his lips almost worn raw, before he managed to get Duoli to reluctantly agree to come for an inspection.

As soon as he finished saying that.

Not only Uncle Anpu and Kantisi were staring at each other, Ka Wei also hurriedly asked: "Hey, you weren't saying that to me just now."

"If I didn't say it like that, would you have agreed to come?"

Luo De spoke with righteous confidence, feeling no shame at all for having deceived people back then.

Ka Wei instantly became anxious.

He slammed both hands on the table, jumped up, and roared: "Luo De! Do you have any idea how much this will delay things!!!"

"Mr. Ka Wei, please don't rush. Since Luo De is so confident, he must have already helped me plan what to do, right, Luo De?"

The speaker was Kantisi.

Compared to Dixiya, who also frowned at these words, she appeared calm and composed, her eyes fixed on Luo De as she awaited his answer.

"I really did get these loan conditions from Duoli's mouth."

As usual, the words Luo De extracted from Duoli were obtained with Nadixa's help.

This matter still has to start from when Luo De met Ka Wei at the Harland Tavern.

Back then Luo De thought that if he could hire Ka Wei's talent to help the village, it would surely be a great help.

But because of Ka Wei's terrifying debt, Luo De couldn't think of a way to smoothly bring him to A Ru Cun.

Also, there's the issue Uncle Anpu just mentioned.

Wanting to build infrastructure in A Ru Cun to change life, hoping for the Academy is impossible.

Their allowing open trade permits and granting some privileges is already considered a concession.

Expecting them to allocate funds for free to build infrastructure in A Ru Cun is nothing but a pipe dream.

If this problem cannot be solved,

Even if A Ru Cun could offer Ka Wei a monthly salary of one million Mora, the planned project would probably not be able to proceed.

Thus Nadixa carried out a series of meticulous calculations.

Starting from A Ru Cun's existing assets, to the profitable projects it could build in the future, Nadixa considered every detail, ultimately giving Luo De the negotiation material to discuss with Duoli, which is currently the only feasible operation that could possibly attract Duoli's investment.

Then Luo De began to speak about the investment terms he had discussed with Duoli.

"First, Duoli will occupy a piece of land in A Ru Cun as her mushroom chicken breeding base. This doesn't require the village to spend money; she will give you a land occupation fee, and she will also hire workers to work at this breeding base in the village. You only need to nod and agree to relocate the villagers with proper compensation. As for the remaining land compensation, you can distribute it yourselves."

"Second, Duoli wants to set up her chamber of commerce in the village, whether smuggling goods or legitimate merchandise, all will use A Ru Cun as a transit hub. The village must protect the security of this chamber of commerce, including travel safety and the safety when disciplinary officials come to search. If you don't agree, Duoli will directly withdraw her investment and leave."

"Third, I need to ask you a question first: you've all seen my experimental field, right?"

Kantisi and Uncle Anpu were still exchanging glances about the previous two matters.

Upon hearing Luo De's question, they both nodded and said, "Hmm."

Using grass slime instead of the Fertility Blessing, using jujube coconut trees to block sandstorms, using grass grids to prevent soil and water loss, and using intercropping to make reasonable use of soil fertility.

These are farming methods never seen before in A Ru Cun.

The results are excellent.

Before Luo De went to Sumeru Cheng for the Flower God's Birthday Festival, some early-maturing crops in the fields had already matured. After harvesting, part was taken by Luo De to sell in the village, and part was kept at home for personal consumption.

Now we are just waiting to plant the second crop.

Three months later we can harvest a round of leafy vegetables.

This is not particularly unusual in a rainforest area.

But once the premise of not using the Fertility Blessing is added, this is enough to make people yearn for it.

Next.

Luo De continued speaking.

"Given the great success of my experimental field, Duoli has already agreed to sponsor funds for me to continue cultivating new crops, with the sole requirement that all harvests must be sold to her first."

"Put simply."

"I am selling technology, the fruits of patents."

"As for the subsequent promotion of planting, what is needed is a deep cooperation between A Ru Cun and her, including but not limited to providing land, protecting crops, expelling monsters and bandits, and all other follow-up matters."

"This matter needs to wait until she arrives before we discuss the specific implementation with you, as well as things like purchase price, how to divide responsibility for profits and losses, and what to do in case of natural disasters causing reduced or total crop failure—all of these need to be discussed in detail by you."

"I can only roughly tell you that her requirements will at least include that no competitors can appear in the Sumeru Cheng market, meaning the village can only undertake contracted planting and must not privately sell for profit; even if her competitors offer a higher price, you cannot break the contract."

"The benefit of this is that the village will have an additional stable source of income."

"The downside is that what the village plants in the future will mostly have to follow Duoli's arrangements, and all harvests can only be sold to Duoli; even if Duoli offers little money, you cannot sell to others, otherwise she has the right to claim compensation."

"After this agreement is reached, at least we must wait until the village repays its loan before it can be terminated; then you can discuss a new contract with Duoli."

"Finally, Luo De added: 'Just like the second clause, if A Ru Cun disagrees with this, or has any objections to Duoli's proposed contracting agreement, Duoli will still directly withdraw her investment and leave, to find land and manpower elsewhere. In other words, this is likewise a compulsory cooperation; if you want to build the village, you have no choice.'"

The two consecutive compulsory cooperation demands made Kantisi and Uncle Anpu involuntarily frown and ponder.

This isn't over yet.

Luo De then stated Duoli's fourth request: "Duoli will fund the renovation and expansion of the road from A Ru Cun to Kawanyi. Yes, you heard right—she will pay all the money, but she wants to set up a checkpoint here to collect tolls. Except for her own caravans, any other merchants wishing to pass through the road she builds must pay tolls. The specific toll rates will be set by her, basically calculated based on the weight and quantity of goods. Other travelers, wanderers, mercenary groups, etc., using this stretch of road also need to pay tolls according to what they carry. A Ru Cun villagers and Blazing Light Hunting Beasts enjoy the privilege of toll exemption."

"This is impossible!"

As soon as Luo De finished speaking, Uncle Anpu immediately said: "If we do that, the village will be forever tied to her—won't we have no room for development at all?"

Duoli's willingness to help A Ru Cun build the road is a good thing.

But once her demands are added,

it actually amounts to turning this originally public commercial route into her private commercial route, especially with the restriction on lone travelers, which is tantamount to indirectly driving away those merchants who have long been accustomed to trading in the village.

Moreover, A Ru Cun is ultimately under the jurisdiction of the Academy.

If tolls are privately collected,

it would be tantamount to slapping the Academy in the face.

If the Academy later withdraws the trade permit, the village, which has only with great difficulty managed to operate up to today, would be completely ruined, wouldn't it?

The two previous mandatory agreements can still be agreed to; providing land, manpower, and protection—these aren't very difficult matters.

But once this agreement is reached,

That would be tantamount to handing over A Ru Cun's entire economic lifeline to Duo Li; if Duo Li later abandons them, even if the village is well built, its economy would collapse completely overnight.

Although Uncle Anpu may not have the chance to witness this given his age, he still does not want to leave such a grave hidden danger for his descendants—one that could very well destroy the whole village.

"What if the usage rights of this road belong to A Ru Cun?"

Luo De, who had long known that Uncle Anpu would surely oppose this, calmly dropped another bombshell.

"What did you say?"

Uncle Anpu, who had just been firmly opposing this, was instantly stunned upon hearing it.

Kantisi also raised her own doubt: "That merchant, can she agree?"

If we go by what Luo De said,

The road that Duo Li painstakingly built—was it built for A Ru Cun?

"This is the greatest grace period I have secured for you from Duo Li."

"Initially, the ownership of this road belongs to Duo Li; she enjoys all the privileges she proposed, and she can also grant you the privileges she mentioned for A Ru Cun and the Blazing Light Hunting Beasts."

"Once she has fully recouped her investment in the road, she will return the usage rights to you, with the sole condition being that the privileges previously granted to her are retained."

"As for the Academy, you needn't worry; she will handle the connections, so that not only will no one come to cause you trouble, but the Academy will also send someone to announce the legality of your collecting tolls on this road."

"Alright."

"These are the four matters I discussed with Duo Li in Sumeru Cheng; you can discuss them among yourselves and give a reply when she arrives at A Ru Cun."

After saying that, Luo De rose to take his leave, leaving space for Uncle Anpu and Kantisi to think.

(End of chapter)