Volume 2 Chapter 19 First build roads if you want to become rich
Viscount Leslie and Baron Hannas leaving created large ripples in Xu Yi’s heart, but the lives of Banta City’s people weren’t affected at all and everything went as normal.
After the spring planting was over, the Banta City land reclamation product was smoothly finished with the help of large amounts of agricultural magic machines.
According to data from the City Lord’s Manor, after this land reclamation project, the farmland around Banta City had increased from thirty thousand hectares to a hundred and ten thousand hectares. As well, there were corresponding crops that had already been planted on them.
According to initial estimates, Banta City’s fall harvest would at least double last year’s amount.
If everything went smoothly, there would be a shocking result when the fall harvest came. To Count Sean who was Banta City’s City Lord, this was an important achievement.
So although Count Sean had been busy during this time, he had been very happy. Each time he saw Xu Yi, he would have a very affectionate smile on his face.
But when he heard the topic Xu Yi mentioned today, his expression became very ugly.
“Constructing roads?” Count Sean looked at Xu Yi with an awkward expression and hesitated a bit before saying, “Chairman Xu, although I don’t know what difference there is between these roads and the roads outside Banta City, constructing roads outside the city is very expensive. For a fellow who can spend money like you, building roads would be even more expensive? Our Banta City’s current finances aren’t good right now, I can’t agree to this.”
Xu Yi revealed a smile like he expected this and said without any surprise, “Lord City Lord, this road does cost quite a bit of money, but there is an idiom in my hometown which is that to earn money, one must first build roads. It means that if Banta City wants to become rich, the first thing it must do is build roads and protect them. To give an example, our Banta City has quite a few special products, which the Magma Berry that Still and I have liked eating during this period of time is considered one of. I think the Lord City Lord should also like eating this fruit, can you acknowledge it as a delicacy?”
Count Sean couldn’t help nodding, “Un, that’s right. This Magma Fruit has a very good taste. It is quite sweet and one doesn’t get tired of eating it, so if it was put in Anvilmar City, I think many people would buy it even if it sold for a gold coin per pound.”
“That’s right. Such a good fruit, but because it’s hard to preserve, it can only be traded in Banta City and the surrounding cities. Let’s not mention increasing the price, we can’t even advertise it, which means we’re losing a large amount of business.” Xu Yi said with a look of regret.
“Indeed, if we could sell it……Wait, how is this related to you building a road to the Falling Rain Valley?” Count Sean suddenly remembered, “If the Magma Fruit is sold to further places, it’s clear that we need to build a road from Banta City to Anvilmar City first. Kid, don’t think of using the Banta City flag to create benefits for your Frestech Chamber of Commerce.”
The so called Falling Rain Valley referred to the piece of land the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had rented fifty kilometers to the west of Banta City.
Because this land had two mountain ranges surrounding it and it had the Falling Rain Forest at its back, it was called the Falling Rain Valley.
On the matter of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce renting this large piece of land, Count Sean knew everything. How could he not know why Xu Yi wanted to create a road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley.
“Lord City Lord, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce is a Banta City company, benefits gained by our Frestech Chamber of Commerce are also benefits to our Banta City.” Xu Yi complained, “If our company didn’t wish to help the Lord City Lord, creating more factories and recruiting more workers, causing the hectare of land rented from Viscount Leslie to be not enough, how could we go to the Falling Rain Valley and ask you for a road? Lord City Lord, you can’t unfairly judge me.”
Count Sean gave a snappy cold snort, “Alright, you make it sound nice, but in the end it’s to help your Frestech Chamber of Commerce develop. Even if I wasn’t involved, wouldn’t you still be setting up a factory?” After saying this, Count Sean focused. After hesitating a bit, he asked, “Speaking of this, Xu Yi, why don’t you keep renting land from Viscount Leslie and have to rent this large piece of land that is so far from Banta City from the king? If you just use this reason, it wouldn’t make sense, right?”
Xu Yi gave a dry laugh, “Lord City Lord, renting Viscount Leslie’s territory is too inconvenient in the end. Then again, in just a few days, that place won’t be Viscount Leslie’s land and someone else’s.”
“Oh? It seems like that kid Leslie spoke to you before he left?” Count Sean looked at Xu Yi in surprise, “This kid treats you pretty good, he actually told you about this.”
“The Lord Viscount is indeed pretty good to me…..” Thinking of the advice Viscount Leslie gave before leaving, Xu Yi couldn’t help sighing. He rubbed his knit brows and took a deep breath before saying to Count Sean, “Lord City Lord, even if it is thinking for our Frestech Chamber of Commerce developing the Falling Rain Valley, there are good reasons to build a road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley. You’ve said that you fully support the development of our Frestech Chamber of Commerce and now that our development has reached a bottleneck, you have to support us. You can’t go back on your word.”
“This kid, you want to pressure me?” Count Sean scolded with a smile before giving a sigh, “Actually I understand your idea and want to help you. I even seriously studied the road plan you gave me last time and feel that if we build roads according to your plan, it will greatly help Banta City develop, but…..”
Count Sean spread his hands with a helpless look.
“I really don’t have the money. Although Banta City’s tax revenue is considered not bad in the Lampuri Kingdom, a large amount is given to the kingdom finances each year and the rest is used for maintaining Banta City and the surrounding areas, so there’s nothing left for other matters. As for building roads……first let’s not mention the large amount of resources needed, just the amount of people would be hard for me to find.”
Xu Yi laughed, “Lord City Lord, this is the important reason why I came to find you. Building these roads are not the same as the ones you imagined. Last year our Frestech Chamber of Commerce made a road to our factory and the largest expense was in manpower, so I understand your difficulty. But the cement roads I’m talking about are different since with the help of magic machines, the manpower needed isn’t that high and most of the cost will come from resources.”
“Magic machines?” Count Sean looked at Xu Yi with a confused look, “You mean that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce has made magic machines for building roads?”
Xu Yi gave a slight nod and said with a proud look, “Of course. Our Frestech Chamber of Commerce specializes in developing magic machines, so naturally it is easy for us to make magic machines for building roads.”
“Then based on this, those magic machines should already be developed?” Count Sean asked.
“Far beyond being developed, they have been tested and are currently being used.” Xu Yi replied with a smile, “Lord City Lord, did the Amrit Chamber of Commerce chairman Cruise invite you to see their newly developed concrete floor two days ago and suggested that you change the square outside the City Lord’s Manor to this kind of floor?”
Count Sean thought about it and understood, “The concrete had your Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s involvement? When you said mentioned this matter, I thought that it was very strange. How could you know about this thing.”
“Accurately speaking, I taught this thing to the Amrit Chamber of Commerce. And the most important cement was provided by our Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s cement factory.” Xu Yi said with a smile, “Lord City Lord, what do you think of the road made from cement?”
“Of course it’s very good.” Count Sean said without any hesitation, “Actually, I thought of this issue when I saw the cement floor two days ago. Since this thing can be used to make a square, it can be used to make a road. This thing is even smoother than normal ground and much harder. If it could be used to make a road, it is much better than the soil and gravel road outside Banta City.”
Speaking of this, Count Sean gave a sigh, “But it is the same problem, this concrete floor is very expensive. According to what chairman Cruise said, just a single square meter costs sixty gold coins. If it was used to make a road……it is paving a road with gold coins.”
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile. A single square meter of cement costed sixty gold coins, so if it was converted to earth’s RMB, it would be around sixty RMB per square meter. If those road developers on earth knew about this, they would think that one was skimping on materials.
Of course, this is because the price in this world is too low. Actually sixty silver coins for each square meter was already a shockingly high price for the people of this world.
“Lord Count, don’t worry. You won’t have to take out a single copper coin for this road. I came looking for you today just to have you authorize this road building project. Without your authorization, I wouldn’t dare to build such a long road by myself.” Xu Yi said.
Count Sean was instantly stunned, “You mean that……For this fifty kilometer road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley, your Frestech Chamber of Commerce is planning to pay for everything?”
Xu Yi nodded with a faint smile, “That’s right.”