Volume 5 Chapter 159 Filling vacancies
The appearance of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had driven the surge of magic machines in the countries of the southwest corner of the Sines Continent, which had greatly affected the surrounding countries.
But if one put aside the magic machines, the biggest change that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce brought to these countries was the change in transportation.
Public roads, these new roads that had appeared in Banta city at first had attracted the attention of many people.
When the roads filled the Lampuri Kingdom, connecting every city in the Lampuri Kingdom, people noticed the benefits that these roads brought.
With the Magic Cars that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce developed, there was a new transportation network in the Lampuri Kingdom.
Compared to the horse carriages on dirt roads of before, the Magic Cars on these smooth roads had increased both the speed of travel and the comforts of travel, which pushed the traditional horse carriages into the backs of everyone’s minds.
So after seeing the benefits brought by the roads, the countries around the Lampuri Kingdom learned from them and began inviting the Amrit Chamber of Commerce into their countries to build roads.
To this day, the Lampuri Kingdom has over twenty thousand kilometers of roads. Not only had they connected every city, they had almost connected every single town.
In second place was not the Rudson Kingdom that had a bigger land area than the Lampuri Kingdom, but rather the Stantine Duchy.
The Rudson Kingdom’s total roads in the beginning of this year just pa.s.sed ten thousand kilometers, but the Stantine Duchy’s roads had already reached fifteen thousand kilometers in the middle of last year.
If one looked at it from the air, the roads of the Stantine Duchy were like a spider’s web, with many different roads crossing each other. Even places that didn’t have roads before, now there was a road that connected to every part of the Stantine Duchy.
All of this was of course because the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s main base was in the Stantine Duchy.
Other than this, in the surrounding countries, such as the Drake Duchy, the Mirando Duchy, the Norton Duchy, and the others, they had built several roads which ensured that all their main roads had been replaced.
Even the Falk Kingdom that had contacted the Lampuri Kingdom the year before last had already built three roads that pa.s.sed through their kingdom, as well as ordering another eleven. It was estimated that there would be over two thousand kilometers of road that would be paved.
According to the report on the Amrit Chamber of Commerce the «Lampuri Weekly» ran, they were estimated to finish paving roads in these countries in five years, connecting all the roads of these countries together.
Once this was achieved, if one set out from the Stantine Duchy that was in the farthest southwest to the Falk Kingdom that was in the farthest northeast, which was a distance of two thousand and five hundred kilometers, there would be a road that connected the entire way.
With the fastest Magic Sedan that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce promoted, it would only take a day and a half to travel this distance.
Just a few years ago, this was a distance that almost everyone had thought was impossible to traverse.
It could be said that with the appearance of the roads, the distance between each country had greatly decreased. It made the countries in the southwest of the Sines Continent much closer to each other.
All of this was however unrelated to the Sack Kingdom.
It was very simple, the Sack Kingdom had always been enemies with the Lampuri Kingdom and the Amrit Chamber of Commerce was a Lampuri Kingdom company.
Adding in the relation between the Frestech Chamber of Commerce and the Sack Kingdom, it was impossible for the Amrit Chamber of Commerce to pave roads in the Sack Kingdom.
So while the other countries were investing in roads, creating their new transport networks, the Sack Kingdom could only watch. Even if they wanted it, they couldn’t do a thing.
But after the establishment of the free trade zone between the Lampuri Kingdom and the Sack Kingdom, as well as the relationship between the two countries becoming more relaxed, this gave the Sack Kingdom a bit of hope.
But even if the Sack Kingdom had mentioned this to the Lampuri Kingdom either clearly or in secret, even sending people to contact the Amrit Chamber of Commerce in secret, they had been rejected. This had let the Sack Kingdom side give up hope.
This time the Lampuri Kingdom suddenly declared war on the Sack Kingdom, which made the people of the Sack Kingdom give up hope even more when it came to the roads.
The relationship between them was already this bad, so how could the Lampuri Kingdom allow the Amrit Chamber of Commerce to build roads in the Sack Kingdom?
However, no one expected the Lampuri Kingdom’s att.i.tude to suddenly experience a hundred and eighty degree change.
After proposing truce to the Sack Kingdom, the Lampuri Kingdom not only set up this free trade zone again, they even became more relaxed in other aspects.
Building roads was one of them.
The Frestech Chamber of Commerce wasn’t under the Lampuri Kingdom, but they led the Lampuri Kingdom’s caravan here. In the caravan behind them, there was a representative from the Amrit Chamber of Commerce.
After chief Alvin mentioned the roads, Xu Yi waved his hand behind him and chairman Cruise who had been watching on the side came over with a smile.
“Chief Alvin, this is the Amrit Chamber of Commerce’s chairman Cruise. Cruise, this is the Sack Kingdom’s business department’s chief Alvin.” Xu Yi introduced the two to each other.
Chairman Cruise reached his hand out with a smile. When it came halfway, chief Alvin took it and said in an excited voice, “Chairman Cruise, I really am happy to see you. Our Sack Kingdom has been hoping that you and the Amrit Chamber of Commerce would come for a long time.”
Chairman Cruise gave a laugh, “Chief Alvin, you’re too polite. Actually, we also wanted to come earlier. In the transportation network plan of our company, we always lacked the Sack Kingdom, so that has always made me feel anxious.”
Chief Alvin gave a dry laugh before holding chairman Cruise’s hand with more strength.
“Since you’re here, then why don’t we fill this gap together, what do you think?”
“Of course. I came this time just to fill it!” Chairman Cruise said in a strong voice.
Xu Yi revealed a smile and looked over the people behind chief Alvin before raising his voice to ask, “May I ask which one of you is mayor Puyo?”
Mayor Puyo, who had been smiling along the entire time, came over with a flattered look on his face.
“Chairman Xu, may I ask what your order is?”
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile and waved his hand, “It’s not an order, but mayor Puyo, since the people of the caravan are already here, let’s not waste any time and begin.”
Mayor Puyo looked over at chief Alvin.
Chief Alvin had a serious look, “What are you looking at me for, you know what to do, listen to chairman Xu.” After saying this, he turned to Xu Yi and changed back to a friendly smile, “Chairman Xu, please.”
Xu Yi shook his head, “Chief Alvin, you’re mistaken. I’m not the lead this time, the lead is them.”
Seeing Xu Yi point at the Lampuri Kingdom caravan behind him, chief Alvin was surprised before patting his head and revealing an understanding look.
“Right, right, right, look at me. Then…..Chairman Cruise, how about we go meet the representatives of the other companies that came with you.”
Chairman Cruise looked at Xu Yi and seeing him give a nod, he went to the caravan with chief Alvin with a smile.
According to the agreement the Lampuri Kingdom and the Sack Kingdom signed, the caravan the Lampuri Kingdom sent today to the Sack Kingdom meant the opening of the free trade zone again.
Although Xu Yi was the most important company representative, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce wasn’t a Lampuri Kingdom company in the end. They couldn’t represent the Lampuri Kingdom in the ceremony that would officially declare the reopening of the free trade zone.
His trip to the Sack Kingdom this time was just to show his stance. He represented the Frestech Chamber of Commerce starting their cooperation with the Sack Kingdom, while also showing the sincerity of the Lampuri Kingdom in cooperating with the Sack Kingdom this time.
So in the following ceremony, although Xu Yi said that he was an observer, whenever chief Alvin or mayor Puyo had free time, they would come to see him.
In the end, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce was the true lead of this cooperation.
But the part that the Sack Kingdom cared about the most wasn’t just here.
After the ceremony, the Lampuri Kingdom caravan headed into Tucklin Town, heading to the stores that had already been prepared ahead of time.
There were many companies in the caravan that had established a foothold in Tucklin Town. There were also many who hadn’t been here before, but because the free trade zone was being opened again between the two countries, they wanted to expand into the free trade zone and followed alone.
For these new companies, the Sack Kingdom and Tucklin Town had built many new stores, expanding the number of buildings in this free trade zone by two times.
The Frestech Chamber of Commerce also received a store that was rather big, which would be the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s first store in the Sack Kingdom.
Of course, what this store was selling was the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s various household magic machines.
As for the military magic machine that Sack Kingdom cared about the most…..how could they sell it out in the open?
Xu Yi who partic.i.p.ated in the ceremony didn’t partic.i.p.ate in the feast that mayor Puyo had prepared for everyone. He followed a middle aged man who had come with chief Alvin into the private manor of mayor Puyo.
When he arrived in the manor, Xu Yi felt a strong killing intent coming from in front of him.