Chapter 2658: Sending Money and Reviewing Investigation Reports

"Besides the free strategy, we can also find a way to seek an official endorsement from Evereska. We could pay a security deposit to the Evereska authorities to serve as the intangible reputation of the Chamber of Commerce.

"Furthermore, I have discovered that there are no billboards outside of the commercial areas within Evereska city. We could cooperate with the Evereska authorities.

"The Time Tower Chamber of Commerce is willing to sponsor Evereska's urban renovation by providing Magic Street Lamps for the next ten years, in exchange for placing our exclusive advertisements on the lamp posts.

"This duration doesn't have to be ten years; two years would suffice. If that's truly not possible, one year would also work, and we can pay for the advertising space afterward.

"In return, the Evereska authorities could also gain a long-term, stable source of income."

Xia Duo was quite familiar with the Elf World. He found that while the elves were sometimes very open-minded regarding specific advertising schemes, their overall way of thinking still tended to be conservative.

In various elf cities, one could almost only see billboards in dedicated commercial areas. In other places, there were mostly just shop signs, and there were rarely any "neutral" advertising spaces unrelated to shops or chambers of commerce.

Like on Earth, having advertisements hanging on lamp posts was perfectly normal. In cities, whenever there was a spot with a relatively wide field of view, someone would find a way to erect a billboard there.

There were also community rooftops, walls, and so on; as long as one could think of it and people could see it, someone would find a way to advertise there.

When this situation developed to the extreme, it resulted in large advertisements that could be called "psoriasis."

That was still wrong!

Hearing that there were records of other field missions, Xia Shao felt a surge of joy in his heart. However, he did not check those documents immediately; instead, he looked at other bookshelves and asked Dumu:

Before coming here, he had already obtained authorization from the Tower of Time to view some documents with low confidentiality levels. The investigation report on the recent incident where a reconnaissance squad was ambushed and went missing, while not easily taken out, did not have a very high security clearance either.

"Yes, I am Dumu, from Gustav High Tower. Lord Badijiaer has already given instructions to provide you with convenience. Please follow me."

First, they passed through a hall used for Ritual Spells. At this time, no spell rituals were being conducted there; it was empty, without a single elf, and they passed through a corridor from a small door on the side of the hall.

The next place he was going to was the Northland Alliance Headquarters. The location was right next to Dawn Plaza; in the 【Projection Plane · Evereska Independent】, the name of that plaza was 【Duli Guangchang】.

"No need. I already took a look when I first came in; there's nothing worth visiting. I have other business in Evereska, so I won't disturb you."

Taking such a name indicated extraordinary significance. If the Northland Alliance also existed in that projection plane, then Evereska would most likely not allow the Northland Alliance to build its headquarters near Duli Guangchang.

Compared to when Xia Duo first came, a new complex of buildings had been built along the river on the north side of Dawn Plaza, the most magnificent and grand of which was, of course, the Covenant Hall of the Northland Alliance.

After making two more turns, they finally arrived at a room similar to a library showroom, where files were placed on rows of exquisitely crafted bookshelves.

Very soon, Xia Duo arrived at the entrance of the Demon Descendant Intelligence Research Lab. It was an inconspicuous hall hidden within the building complex. Of course, this was only in comparison to other buildings at the Northland Alliance Headquarters; compared to ordinary elf buildings, it was still quite conspicuous.

Xia Duo asked a rhetorical question and then continued to remind Aoruipusi, "Tomorrow's security deposit and even the subsequent street lamp advertising rental fees should be settled with Arcane Crystals. You can discuss the specific amount with the Evereska side; the bottom line is to keep the exchange rate between Gold Coins and Arcane Crystals below 1500 to 1."

It could be said that in terms of advertising, every elf city was a completely blue ocean, just waiting for Xia Duo to develop it!

Xia Duo was not thinking about erecting billboards everywhere for the time being, but retrofitting the street lamps of Evereska and even more elf cities to add street lamp advertising signs was possible, and that was also a significant source of income.

"Yes, I will go prepare that now. Since the Lord has just arrived, would you like me to have someone take you on a tour of this shop?"

……

At first glance, it seemed to have no protection at all, but in reality, the entire Northland Alliance Headquarters was shrouded under an Independent Mythallar. As the department specifically responsible for Demon Descendant affairs, the Demon Descendant Intelligence Research Lab was the top priority for protection.

"The other bookshelves also contain field mission records or investigation reports, as well as some spellcasting records from the research lab that couldn't fit in other archives and were stored here."

But in the Main Plane, the independence of Evereska came too easily, or rather, it was independent precisely because of the maneuvering of various countries, so there was no plaza named specifically to commemorate independence.

"Are you Dumu?"

That was the place where formal Alliance meetings were held. Other buildings were built clustering around the Covenant Hall, roughly symmetrical on the left and right. Xia Duo's destination this time was the Demon Descendant Intelligence Research Lab located on the left side of the Covenant Hall.

"Under normal circumstances, without special reasons, outsiders do not have the Permission Level to view other materials. But if accompanied by a Supervisor like me, Lord Xia Duo can view most of the materials here at will."

Very soon, the two arrived at a bookshelf, and Dumu introduced from the side: "This bookshelf stores the field mission records from the last few months. If any accidents occurred, the investigation reports are also among them."

As he spoke, Dumu was about to lead the way, and Xia Duo did not doubt him, following the other party as they walked inside.

As Dumu spoke, he reached out and pointed here and there within the archives. Regarding the Permission Level, his answer was also quite clever—

"Uh—"

Subsequently, Xia Duo instructed Aoruipusi, "Tomorrow, take my Magic Mark to see Elder Laruian of the Council of Elders. Negotiate the Evereska urban street lamp renovation plan with him, and pay the Chamber of Commerce's security deposit while you're at it."

"What kind of documents are on the other bookshelves? Can I look at them?"

……

If he could only view that one report, then Xia Duo's trip here was actually somewhat superfluous. That report was originally fabricated later; only by seeing other related documents could he possibly piece together a more complete picture of this matter.

Aoruipusi was stunned for a moment before he reacted, blurting out subconsciously, "So that's what the security deposit is used for!"

"Otherwise?"

After saying this, Xia Duo left Number 14 Shop, then left Meilong Market, and headed toward the southeast of the city.

Before he even approached the steps at the entrance, a human wearing a Tower of Time Mage Robe ran out from inside, "Good day, Lord Xia Duo. I didn't expect you to come so early."

If the street lamp billboards in every elf city became carriers for his Cloud Pattern Announcement, then when he conducted Prophecy Rituals in the future, it was highly likely that he would not lack time stamps or event stamps.