Chapter 198: The Caravan

The rising morning sun brought new vitality to a new day.

Wilson, the Administrator—no, the newly promoted Administrative Chief—rose early.

After quickly washing up, he took only two pieces of bread and hurried out of Zhaozebao with his Assistant, preparing to begin another busy day.

The air was humid, with even a faint, fishy smell of soil, yet Wilson found it quite refreshing.

He took a deep breath, letting the air of Swamp Town enter his chest; it was truly intoxicating.

"Administrator, good morning!"

Sailin, who had been waiting outside the castle gate, stepped forward and greeted Wilson respectfully.

A few days ago, Luoning had dismissed Sailin from his post as the Administrator of Swamp Town and prepared to make him an ordinary subject.

However, during the subsequent inspection of the territory and the process of understanding the administration of Swamp Town, Sailin's professionalism had regained Luoning's favor.

Coupled with the fact that he had wholeheartedly assisted Wilson in taking over the administration here over the past few days, earning Wilson's praise, Luoning had allowed him to continue handling administrative affairs.

However, Sailin was not restored to his former position; he was temporarily serving in the role of "Administrative Clerk," one rank higher than an Assistant, with his specific duties subject to Wilson's arrangements.

"Mr. Sailin, Lord Wilson is no longer the Administrator."

The Assistant at his side whispered a reminder: "Yesterday evening, the Lord appointed Mr. Wilson as the Administrative Chief of Wubei Territory."

Administrative Chief?

Sailin was somewhat stunned; he had never heard of this official title, but combining it with the meaning in the Assistant's words, he knew this position must be an upgraded version of the Administrator.

"Congratulations, my Lord!" He quickly straightened his expression and offered his congratulations.

Wilson gave a shy smile, "This is all the Lord's great favor; it is the Lord's benevolence and trust that have made me who I am today!"

He turned and bowed toward the castle, "Praise the Lord!"

Since the boss had taken the lead in bowing, the others followed suit.

Wilson actually enjoyed this feeling somewhat; he had never expected that one day he would have subordinates of his own. Summoning the courage to apply for the position of Administrator at Shanlin Castle was truly the wisest decision he had ever made in his life.

Coming back to his senses, Wilson led his men slowly away from Zhaozebao, saying as they walked:

"Sailin, your ability is good, and you have a deep understanding of the administration of Swamp Town. Although you are currently a Clerk, as long as you serve the Lord wholeheartedly, it is not impossible for you to serve as the Administrator of Swamp Town again."

Sailin shook his head bitterly, "The Lord will not let me be the Administrator; after all, I once served Baron Leisen."

"The Lord is benevolent!"

Wilson emphasized: "Sailin, do not look at Lord Luoning with worldly eyes. You know that Knight Tangmu who went to Muma City, right?"

Sailin recalled for a moment, then nodded, "I remember; he was one of the knights who came to Swamp Town earliest with the Lord."

"Correct!"

Wilson said: "Tangmu once worked for Leisen and even drew his sword against the Lord, but the Lord not only did not kill him but instead gave him a chance and let him follow."

"Now, Tangmu has not only gained the Lord's trust but is even highly valued by the Lord."

Speaking of this, he looked at Sailin and said earnestly: "So, work hard; the opportunity is right in front of you, it just depends on whether you can grasp it."

Sailin's eyes flickered; he had not expected Tangmu's experience to be so fascinating. Moreover, wasn't this similar to his own encounter?

If Tangmu could be reused, why couldn't he?

"I will!"

He believed Wilson's words.

"Haha, good!"

Wilson laughed loudly: "Then today, let us distribute the craftsmen in Swamp Town according to the list!"

On the other side, Luoning, having finished washing up after waking, was enjoying his breakfast.

Bread, milk, paired with boiled prawns from Swamp Town and fresh vegetables—the taste was only average, but it had the advantage of being nutritionally balanced, and he was used to eating it.

"My Lord, do you need me to have someone notify Gallon and Beila from Shanlin Town to come over?"

Chahaer asked softly while respectfully handing over a towel for wiping his mouth.

Although Zhaozebao had recruited new Servants, it had not recruited personal valets or maids, so Chahaer had been the one serving him these past two days.

But Chahaer also had things to attend to during the day and was often away, so he worried that no one would take good care of the Lord.

"No need, I will be returning to Shanlin Town in a few days."

Luoning took the towel and wiped his mouth, "I haven't even had a chance to go see Kalesi's Iron Smelting technology and Jim's Kiln, which you said have made progress."

He handed the towel back, "Has that person named Pi'er-sen arrived?"

"He arrived long ago; I have already had him waiting in the living room for quite some time," Chahaer replied.

Pi'er-sen, a lean, tall middle-aged man, was currently waiting in the living room, sitting uneasily.

Although the Servant at Zhaozebao had poured him a glass of water, he did not dare to drink it easily, because he did not know why this new Lord had summoned him here.

Was it to hold him accountable for his service to Leisen?

Or was it like Sailin, to let him continue serving Zhaozebao?

Pi'er-sen hoped it was the latter.

Over these years, he had grown accustomed to traveling around with the Caravan of Zhaozebao to make sales; if he were forced to give up this career and pick up a hoe to farm, to be honest, he would have trouble adapting.

Footsteps sounded, and Pi'er-sen stood up like a spring. He turned his head, looking at the young man walking toward him with both nervousness and anticipation.

Silver hair and black eyes—the mark of the Wushan Family.

He bowed deeply: "Greetings, my Lord Viscount!"

"I am very pleased to see you, Mr. Pi'er-sen."

Luoning raised his hand, "Please, sit."

Pi'er-sen sat down tentatively, his back straight, and asked cautiously: "I wonder what instructions you have for summoning me here, my Lord?"

"You don't need to be nervous."

Luoning's tone was very gentle; he knew that many people in the town felt pressure in his presence, as he had not used peaceful means to replace Leisen.

"I heard that you have always been the one leading the Caravan of Swamp Town; I would like to hear about your experiences."

Pi'er-sen secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the Lord was not here to cause him trouble, and he could seemingly smell an opportunity in this.

Following this, Pi'er-sen began to recount the details of his work over these years.

The goods sold externally by Swamp Town basically consist of only two categories: Black Water Buffalo and aquatic products.

As for the sale of Black Water Buffalo, it is generally led by Leisen; after all, only nobles can afford to buy them and purchase them in bulk.

Pi'er-sen is mainly responsible for the transportation and care work, ensuring that the goods can be successfully delivered to the customers' hands.

The situation is different for the sale of aquatic products.

High-end fish and shrimp are monopolized by the Gelin Family of Lake Town, so the aquatic goods sold by Swamp Town are generally targeted at ordinary people living in towns.

Luoning could not help but wonder, did Leisen have business considerations when he took action against the people of the Gelin Family before?

Pi'er-sen is mainly responsible for the aquatic product sales sector, and according to him, he has already established cooperation with many merchants in other places over these years.

Whether fresh or dried, the aquatic products of Swamp Town can all be sold.

"My Lord, according to past statistics, Swamp Town has an annual income of three to four hundred gold coins from aquatic goods like fish and shrimp."

After finishing the introduction of his work, Pi'er-sen decided to recommend himself, "Swamp Town needs a Caravan, and I am willing to serve you!"

Luoning nodded, feeling very satisfied.

Don't look at how much money he has on hand now; not much of it was earned through solid business.

Swamp Town having an annual income of three to four hundred gold coins just from selling aquatic products is already very considerable for a Baron Territory.

Luoning naturally would not give up this income.

"I do indeed need a Caravan."

Luoning looked at Pi'er-sen, "I also recognize your ability, so next, I think we can talk about the remuneration for you and your Caravan members."

Since the other party has ready-made sales channels, there is no need for Luoning to give up on using Pi'er-sen and go to the trouble of reorganizing a Caravan.

As for whether the other party would embezzle sales funds, this kind of issue actually does not need too much consideration.

There are records before every shipment, and even if the other party can manage to get a little extra, that is the other party's ability.

Business and sales can never be calculated that clearly and cleanly.

For Luoning, as long as there is enough money entering his account, that is sufficient.

However, there is one thing that still needs to be considered.

Pi'er-sen is just an ordinary person, and his subordinates are also ordinary people.

If transporting valuable items, such as selling Black Water Buffalo in bulk, or selling Silk, porcelain, and the like in the future, it will not do to have no Knight in the team to provide protection.

"When the time is ripe, I will still need to find a Professional Knight to take on a role like a transport officer." (End of chapter)