Chapter 366

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Ships and holds full of beast sinew, beast hide, straight timber, beans and wheat, hemp rope, salted meat... on the eve of war, almost everything shipped to Malacheng via the West River was military supplies. Compared to previous years, the West River Water Fortress had instead promoted the circulation of goods in Malacheng, causing more ships to come and sell arms.

Besides these raw materials, there were finished crossbow cannons, double-layered and even triple-layered armor, helmets studded with metal plates, knight long spears of 6 meters or even 30 meters, from single-person saddles to 30-ton beast-transport saddle cabins, as well as 8-meter-long knight individual bows, small long-handled trebuchets — these were used to launch alchemical concoctions, typical early experimental chemical warfare.

Before the Temple War, even medicine was transported by large ships tens of meters long, trip after trip. With the transport capacity of the medieval era, the supplies consumed by a single Temple War were no less than a Crusade; no wonder Malacheng had no shipping industry of its own yet was still built on the banks of the West River.

Thinking of the hundreds of city-states of the Fire Dragon Temple, and the Water Dragon Temple on the other side possessing comparable strength, the prosperity of the West Continent was evident.

Even Dai Adi, who had been to the wharf countless times, was invigorated by the bustling prosperity before the war. He couldn't help thinking that even just managing this wharf would be a tremendously lucrative post.

As he was thinking, his hand suddenly sank — Damas had secretly slipped a bag of conch shells into his hand and whispered, "Please, Lord Adi, show us more consideration. Malacheng has already abandoned any thought of continuing to fight; its mind is now entirely on the Temple War."

"Ah, this... really can't be accepted." Dai Adi actually wanted to take it; if this were on Earth, he definitely would have. Unfortunately, Earthlings on the West Continent operated under a points-supply system — monthly points awarded based on a multi-tier evaluation, points being the transaction currency. As for conch shells and copper coins, they were merely secondary auxiliary currency; anyone hoarding too many would have them recalled. Real salary was RMB, accumulated in their Earth accounts, and could be distributed in fixed monthly amounts to family. Under such conditions, accepting a bribe for nothing was truly accepting a bribe for nothing.

This was also because Earthlings and native soldiers were subject to different laws; for the latter, bribery carried extremely severe punishment and would directly affect the ratings of those around them. The application of technological equipment like surveillance cameras made such behavior virtually nonexistent.

Damas pocketed the money bag with great discomfort. Since coming to the West River City Fortress, what he disliked most was these fellows' refusal to take money — if a noble has no right to bestow rewards, cannot make those around him joyful, cannot use rewards to create distance, how can he obtain treatment above ordinary men?

In his eyes, this was the most outrageous aspect of the West River City Fortress. Using the prohibition of rewards to level the gap between nobles and commoners. Just like that little boy who bought the intelligence booklet — he had probably never received a reward in his life, and didn't even know to bow and salute to a noble.

Dai Adi refused the gift, so Damas could only express his respect with an even more reverent attitude.

After touring the civilian wharf, one of Damas's attendants, a Temple official, asked softly, "May I ask, what are the requirements for letting these ships pass?"

"Let pass? Why would they need to be let pass?"

"But... these are ultimately supplying the Temple Forces, weapons for the Temple War. You... didn't you just say you only collect extra taxes?" The Temple official grew anxious.

Dai Adi said uncomprehendingly, "Of course. We will not stop these ships from sailing, nor do we care about their destinations; therefore there is no question of 'letting pass'..."

The Temple official stared stupidly for a long while before hurriedly saying without hesitation, "Then good, then good. We'll continue watching, continue the tour..."

Dai Adi laughed heartily and led the group on with the tour.

The Temple official trailed behind, ashamed of his own cowardice just now. With the dignity of the Temple, a grand city-state, yet forced to this pass by an unknown little city.

"The day the Temple War ends is the day you all die." He swore secretly.

At the same time, Muse was also carrying out his mission: searching within West River City for evidence of the existence or non-existence of "Temple Knights." The Elder Council and the High Priest both wanted to know whether one or more Temple Knights had participated in the recent attack — if not, how was the damage to the city wall caused; if so, did the West River Water Fortress possess a Temple Knight, or had the West River Water Fortress hired a Temple Knight.

Whichever result, it could change Malacheng's political stance.

Muse searched inside the West River City Fortress for two days, then searched outside the city for three days.

In four days he gained nothing, but Malacheng could not endure the endless waiting and ordered Damas to conclude a pact.

The West Continent has hundreds or thousands of city-states, with different Temples; the relations among them are almost all maintained by pacts. Pacts represent the interests of all city-states and are therefore protected by public rights.

The gentlemen of Malacheng believe in pacts; since they believe, Li Changning is also willing to believe.

Of course, under such a position of strength, with such eagerness to achieve merit, he absolutely would not sign an equal treaty.

Three days later, when Chen Yi returned with more supplies, Li Changning also obtained what he wanted — the "West-Ma La Pact."

As the opening of various unequal treaties, the "West-Ma La Treaty" still wore a cloak of benevolence and did not profoundly touch the interests of the Temples and city-states. Therefore, this was a thoroughly commercial treaty, though a bitter one the nobles were unwilling to mention.

In the Rhombus Conference Hall, Li Changning sat at the lower right corner of the table, holding the negotiation document, and read aloud: "Ownership of the rubber forests within the Malacheng City-State belongs to the West River Water Fortress. If a rubber tree lies within a manor whose ownership has already been determined, that manor has the obligation to provide convenience to assist the West River City Fortress in transplanting said tree or for its use. Effective immediately, the Malacheng City-State prohibits private trade of rubber trees; any felling of rubber trees is an illegal act. However, the Malacheng City-State has the obligation to provide convenience to anyone transporting rubber latex, even if they come from other city-states, without exception."

This single clause alone would make countless noble manor lords curse, especially since it was broadly undefined — the West River Water Fortress could, on the basis of a single rubber tree, enter and occupy a manor with impunity.

Li Changning explained this with considerable smugness and said with a laugh, "We originally hoped to add to the latter clause 'even if they come from other city-states and Temples without exception,' but the Elder Council said they could not bypass the Temple to sign agreements related to the Temple, so it was dropped."

"So they'll protect our rubber tapping?" This was Chen Yi's primary concern.

"40,000 hectares of rubber forest, annual output of 60,000 tons is no problem." Yu Weichao answered with a smile. For the entire West River Water Fortress, this was a significant victory. As a large group, even a city, a windfall of a few hundred million RMB is nothing — because where there is windfall gain there will be windfall loss; in the long run the two are equivalent. The most important thing is sustainable returns. 60,000 tons of natural rubber means 1.2 billion RMB in annual income. To have developed from a Martial Arts Hall District of a few hundred people to this point and produce such a report card, he could hold his head high.

Li Changning paused, saw Chen Yi had not spoken, and continued: "Malacheng agrees not to repair the currently damaged sections of the city wall, and to clear the debris to facilitate passage. Additionally, they will return all our shells and bullets to us."

She Lei cried out "Oh oh": "That's a lot of money."

"Several tons of ammunition at least; let the logistics department give the figures." Li Changning looked at Jin Douna and explained, "Some ammunition was picked up by people; actually a great deal. They demanded we provide a figure; the shortfall will be made up in copper coins."

"Isn't this a disguised indemnity?" Jin Douna's eyes lit up as she asked, "What's the bottom line?"

"350,000 copper coins."

"Not bad." Chen Yi's approval made Li Changning inexplicably excited; this one sentence of response was exactly what he wanted. As one of the earliest batches of people to arrive on the West Continent, he hoped to keep his current position, and that required Chen Yi's support; otherwise everything was empty talk.

Li Feng, sitting opposite, took the opening to ask: "How long is the damaged section of Malacheng's city wall? Can we build a highway in?"

"The highway must be 500 meters from Malacheng; any highway approaching within 500 meters must be dismantled." Li Changning spoke somewhat reluctantly of his own concessions, trivial though they were; with the Water Fortress situation so favorable, he worried his concessions might become a crime.

Li Changning quickly steered the topic back, saying: "How much of the city wall is damaged is for us to decide; at present, tearing down the entire east wall is no problem."

"Then good." Li Feng said insincerely.

Yu Weichao, perceiving where Chen Yi's interest lay, now produced Policy Research Office data and said: "We estimate that over the next three months, rubber will be delivered to the wharf. The prices we offer are extremely attractive, especially the various tax-exemption policies; they will absolutely drive merchants to transport rubber to us with desperate effort."

"Good. How is the mineral search going?"

"We have some leads. We found mineral debris in the lake — a symbiotic ore of platinum and silver. Mm, based on the feedback from the mineral debris..."

Yu Weichao and the others would place items to be mailed into mailbags, then load them into special boxes, send them to Earth, where in the Martial Arts Hall they would be unpacked and inspected by Su Yuanchun and others of the Archive Research Room, finally sent to the Post Office. The entire process was integrated into family letters, so Chen Yi did not concern himself with what exactly they were mailing.

As long as it complied with regulations.

"The Malacheng City-State is willing to sell two-thirds of its military supplies to the West River City Fortress at the highest price..." Li Changning read the negotiation agreement again, appearing thoroughly professional.

Chen Yi's hand rested on the table, merely listening quietly.

Outside the window, leaves of some trees began to wither; wild paulownia leaves the size of a man's palm fell on the streets, testing the sanitation workers' muscles.

Even on this scorching continent, there are always some plants that cut back their expenditures.

"Pioneering spirit!" Chen Yi suddenly understood how those Europeans standing on the Americas New Continent, those Russians standing on the Central Asian and Northeast Lands, could burst forth with heroic ambition.

In his view, Jiangning and the West Continent were so different yet so alike. Many differences, but only one similarity: "Both are mine."

Whether it was this heroic ambition at work, when Chen Yi boarded the subway carrying some animals for research, the Second Zone of this thing actually lit up again.

It swallowed half the animals, including a young transport beast, like a hungry snake. And Chen Yi's reward was that the Light Curtain's range expanded by another 100%.

Compared to the latter, Chen Yi cared more about the former.

This thing seems to truly care about Gene Completion.

"Unfortunately, Earth's technology isn't advanced enough." Chen Yi thought: "Otherwise perhaps a Subway could be cloned, just like cloning a herd of Earth Dragons... Well, if the Subway could be cloned like Earth Dragons, and Earth Dragons could be cloned like Dolly."

... (Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)