Chapter 434: Business

In the main seat of the reception hall, two Bao family elders sat down, one sipping tea slowly, the other with eyes lowered, as if wandering in spirit.

After the elder on the left finished a cup of tea, he said: "Time is almost up, so you two tell me how to do business."

Wei Yuan said: "Should Brother Zhao speak first?"

Zhao Fusheng said: "My Qiongshan has always had many business dealings with the Bao family, so there is nothing to say. No matter how much profit you can give, I will let out double."

Wei Yuan said: "Double is a bit deliberate, you just need to give one tael more than me."

For such a provocation, Zhao Fusheng naturally accepted it, saying: "That's fine."

Wei Yuan bowed to the two Great Elders in the main seat and said: "Then the junior will speak boldly. Now one of the core industries of Azure Void is armor forging, and the breastplates produced are mainly sold to Zhao Guo and Western Jin, currently in short supply.

If the Bao family is interested, you can invest fifty thousand taels of immortal silver to expand the forging workshop by one-fifth; this part has an annual net profit of about twenty thousand taels, and it can be recovered in two and a half years."

Zhao Fusheng snorted and said: "A mere twenty thousand taels! My Qiongshan can let out twenty thousand and one taels of profit to the Bao family."

Wei Yuan added: "If you don't like armor forging, you can also acquire mines in the surrounding areas, such as essence of five metals, rare metals, thunder sand, etc., which the Bao family should be able to take down with their connections. As for the output, I will collect as much as there is. This piece also has an annual net profit of about thirty thousand taels, and if a large mine can be discovered, it can even double."

"Hmph hmph! My Qiongshan will add another thirty thousand and one taels of profit!"

"The Bao family can also acquire spiritual wood forests around my Azure Void, and sell all the spiritual wood produced to me, also collecting as much as there is. Or opening a spiritual wood forest in Azure Void is also fine; doing so takes a longer time, but the return after growing up is far more than twenty thousand taels.

Besides this, I am preparing to open a brocade firm recently. This piece requires one million taels of silver, with an annual net income starting at about forty thousand taels. Originally, I must occupy fifty percent of the brocade firm, but if Sister Bao can go to Azure Void for training, then giving the whole brocade firm to the Bao family is not impossible."

Every time Wei Yuan said a sentence, Zhao Fusheng would sneer, and then say he would add one tael. But after saying it several times, even he felt something was wrong, and slowly stopped talking.

Every business Wei Yuan mentioned was very concrete and detailed, even forming an industrial chain, clearly prepared. And Zhao Fusheng only knew how to say "add one tael, add one tael." Comparing the two, he looked like a straw bag.

Zhao Fusheng was anxious, but the industries on the Immortal Island were things he was too lazy to look at usually, so how could he say anything? Furthermore, as the Young Island Master, he had unparalleled talent, and advancing bravely in cultivation was the right path, so how could he have time to waste on petty business?

However, Zhao Fusheng thought again, this Wei Yuan didn't seem to have fallen behind in cultivation either.

At this time, the elder who was originally closing his eyes and resting opened his eyes and said slowly: "These businesses are not bad, but they are all somewhat mediocre; only the spiritual wood forest is a bit interesting. Are there any more fierce ones?"

Wei Yuan hadn't thought about this question, but he pondered for a moment, looked at the options given by the mortals, drew a few items from them, and said: "The fiercest is conquering territory; last time I swept the Shaman Domain, I snatched back over a million taels of supplies. The products of the Western Regions and the East Sea are completely different and can complement each other.

If the Bao family is interested, you can invest to set up an army, and I can provide weapons, equipment, and logistical supplies at a low price. This army can follow my grand army to conquer, or the Bao family can send their own generals and act independently. It's just that during a big battle, you need to obey my orders. All their spoils of war belong to the Bao family, but how much they can win depends on themselves."

That Bao family elder nodded slightly, looking interested.

Wei Yuan added: "There is another plan, which is to build a city in my Azure Void, and I can give twenty thousand strong people initially, and the follow-up depends on your own management. I can provide the materials needed for building the city at a low price, and after it is built, just pay taxes according to the system.

Building an army of ten thousand elites requires about one million taels, and the follow-up annual maintenance requires twenty thousand taels. As for building a city, the initial requirement is one point five million taels, and how to develop it later depends on the Bao family."

The Bao family elder who was drinking tea suddenly said: "Bring the map to see."

Wei Yuan manifested an Azure Void map, quite detailed, and fully marked. The two elders were shocked after looking at it, and exclaimed: "Already four hundred li?"

The tea-sipping elder scanned the map point by point, looking at the mountains and geography very carefully, and seriously looked at the locations of the several existing cities, constantly calculating something in his heart.

Another elder said: "One hundred taels of immortal silver to arm an elite? What is the standard of your so-called elite, and what equipment do they have? Might as well speak in detail."

"Soldiers must be above the Blood Merging Realm, each equipped with a pack horse, usually riding to catch up, and dismounting to fight on foot during battle. The equipment is mainly breastplates..."

Zhao Fusheng felt more and more wrong; how could these two sides really be talking?

The elder listened carefully and nodded: "The Blood Merging Realm can lift five hundred catties, can run one hundred li in one breath, which is indeed the standard of the Great Tang border army. With this equipment, it can indeed be called an elite. How many such elites are there in Azure Void currently?"

"A little over one hundred thousand."

The two elders were slightly moved. They naturally knew that the Grand Beginning Palace didn't give Wei Yuan much assistance at the beginning, and at the very beginning, it was a group of classmates who went to help from ten thousand miles away, and all families secretly sent people to watch from the sky. So how Azure Void developed initially, all families saw in their eyes.

In just two years, Azure Void already possessed one hundred thousand border elites; with this kind of military strength, in any of the nine countries, Wei Yuan could be called a qualified Military Governor.

However, the two elders didn't know that the "a little over one hundred thousand" Wei Yuan just mentioned actually referred to two hundred thousand, and those with higher cultivation weren't calculated in.

"What restrictions are there for this city and army?" An elder asked.

In the time the two elders were asking and thinking, the mortals had quickly perfected the two plans.

Wei Yuan said: "The city should be based on Azure Void's laws, and the city can set its own detailed rules, but it must not conflict with Azure Void's existing laws. Besides this, if noble family children have privileges, they can only exercise them within the city, and they are the same as others when leaving the city. In addition, a city defense army can be set up in the city, with one hundred city defense soldiers for every ten thousand people." This authority was basically the standard configuration of a border military city, slightly smaller than the authority of a noble family in their own ancestral land.

Wei Yuan added: "The army cannot be mobilized at will within the boundary, and can only be stationed in the designated camp. In addition, if I have a conscription during a war, you must obey military orders. However, if conscripted, I will make up for all the losses in the big battle afterwards."

Zhao Fusheng had been quiet for half a day, and at this time felt he must say something, otherwise he would really look like he was unlearned.

He pondered for a while and said: "Obey your conscription during a big battle? How do I know you aren't using the Bao family's troops as cannon fodder? Why can't it be commanded by the Bao family's generals?"

Wei Yuan said: "How to deploy the troops depends on the battle situation at that time. If they should be on the front line, they will be on the front line, and if they should be covering the rear, they will be covering the rear. As for the generals commanding independently, that is absolutely impossible. During a big battle, the first priority is unified command, and the most taboo is orders coming from multiple sources. Brother Zhao probably hasn't fought many battles; you will experience more battle situations in the future."

Zhao Fusheng was furious, but didn't know how to refute. The East Sea was vast, and battles were mostly naval battles, while Zhao Fusheng mainly fought high-level cultivators in bloody battles, so he really hadn't commanded large-scale land wars.

The two elders exchanged a look without changing their expressions.

If the city and the army were combined, it would be equivalent to building an enclave in the Western Regions. It's just that in this way, the Bao family's hand reached out a bit too long; this matter was significant and needed to be discussed with other elders.

The tea-sipping elder said: "Wei Yuan's concept is indeed unexpected, the old man needs to ponder it. If there is nothing else, you can live in the house for a few days, there are many beautiful sceneries in Guanchao Port, you might as well walk around and see."

Wei Yuan said: "There will probably be a big battle in Azure Void in the near future, the two elders might as well wait for the big battle to end and see the results before making a decision. It's just that the price might be raised a bit by then."

"The old man understands."

!.

Leaving the reception hall, there were Bao family cultivators who took Wei Yuan to the guest courtyard where he lived. This time, the Bao family arranged the top-level guest courtyard for Wei Yuan, with five courtyards in front and back, a three-story main building, and one side facing the cliff, where one could look at the sea from the cliff, and the scenery was excellent.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Bao Manshan's voice sounded in Wei Yuan's ear: "Come here."

Wei Yuan followed his words to the cliff, and saw Bao Manshan and an old man playing chess. Bao Manshan's eyes were still fixed on the chessboard, pointing to the chair beside him.

Wei Yuan sat down by the chessboard to watch, but his chess-playing way was only a rough understanding of the fur, and he couldn't understand it at all. But to prevent the elder playing against Bao Manshan from testing him, Wei Yuan's heart stirred, and this game was manifested in the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers.

Subsequently, three immortal plants were activated as nodes, driving thousands of mortals' spiritual senses to run at high speed, deducing every possible step, and thousands of moves could be deduced in every instant.

At this time, the old man opposite made a move, Bao Manshan pondered for a moment, and responded with a piece; Wei Yuan frowned slightly.

The piece Bao Manshan played was not in the plan deduced by the mortals. And after the mortals re-deduced according to the new move Bao Manshan played, they concluded that he would lose eighty percent.

Wei Yuan's expression changed slightly, but both elders noticed it instantly. Bao Manshan was slightly surprised: "You also understand chess?"

"Only a little fur." Wei Yuan told the truth.

At this time, the old man made another move, Bao Manshan saw that the defeat was set, and suddenly said to Wei Yuan: "You come to play for me, let the Seventh Elder see your chess skills."

The elder opposite knew this was Bao Manshan's old trick; he hadn't used this means to escape losing chess more than once. The elder didn't care, anyway, the victory was set, just in time to test Wei Yuan's chess skills.

Unexpectedly, Wei Yuan dropped a piece, and both the elder and Bao Manshan were very surprised; this piece was simply incomprehensible.

Bao Manshan subconsciously said: "Simply playing nonsense!"

But after the elder looked carefully, he found that this piece could not be ignored, so he responded with a piece casually.

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment and played another strange move. The elder had read scores for many years and had never seen such a move, so he was somewhat surprised. Bao Manshan also shook his head repeatedly.

In the blink of an eye, over ten moves passed, and the old man played slower and slower. Wei Yuan was not relaxed either; at this time, even Su Ruyu was activated, all immortal plants were enabled, and over twenty thousand people were studying this game, then giving responses.

After a few more moves, Wei Yuan seemed to be playing nonsense, but actually slowly pulled the situation back! After a few more pieces, the old man snorted, his face livid, and had to throw the piece and admit defeat.

He snorted heavily, flicked his big sleeves, reopened a game, and said: "Can't see that the little friend's chess skills are so high. The old man asks himself that he has some attainments in the way of chess, come, come, come, let's reopen a game, this time let's have a good one!"

According to the rules, Wei Yuan, as a junior, should play first. Wei Yuan picked up a piece and, according to the response given by the mortals, played a piece on the 3-3 point.

The Seventh Elder snorted, his face immediately displeased. This Wei Yuan was simply playing nonsense; with the chess skills he showed in the previous game, it was impossible not to have memorized the scores. Playing this move was clearly looking down on him.

The Seventh Elder's chess skills were the best in the entire Bao family, so he dropped a piece heavily, intending to teach this ignorant boy a lesson.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 435 =====