Chapter 1406
Chapter 1406 - 1402: The New Capital
1,430 words
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8 min read
"The familiar air is so sweet... *cough cough*."
Even for Lu, who had just returned to Mercury 42, a deep breath made him choke.
The salty sea breeze, the scorched scent in the air, and a bit of the foul stench of heavy chemical pollution... At this moment, he really hadn’t acclimated.
"It’s a bit of a mess..."
He hadn’t even had the chance to look around yet, but someone was already offering a strained laugh.
"Heh, the young man can still joke. I almost took you seriously, heh heh."
The middle-aged man forced a laugh, which made the scene quite awkward, and Lu Ping’an could only give a dry chuckle in response—after all... this was his superior.
"The air here is indeed a bit of a mess... Mayor Qian, you should rest a bit more. The Exotic Realm takes time to adapt to."
Qian Shu’en, the deputy mayor of the Ancient City and also one of the key people responsible for the investment project.
A department head from Wanjing in charge of investment development had come, and Ancient City, Lu Ping’an’s hometown, had given enough face to directly send a deputy mayor in charge of light industry.
After all, Ancient City had invested heavily this time. If they lost everything, no one could bear it... At the very least, the person in charge must be high-level, both capable of commanding industrial layout and having true expertise.
"...It’s okay, this environment."
Wang Xier was even more straightforward, directly using instruments to collect local climatic data.
Investors from the Saphire People, Ancient City, Wanjing (Eastern Country)—they had all come, and Lu had to be careful in hosting... Previously, on the ship, Lu Ping’an could pretend not to meet them, but now, as a host (and the one being invested in), even if just out of courtesy and respect, Lu Ping’an had to accompany them for a while, at least to properly introduce the local environment.
They weren’t just one or two people each; each party had dozens of investors alone, not to mention the many grass-roots staff.
On the other hand, the forces of two Proper Gods and their mercenaries also had their own ships... They would probably arrive later, and their landing spots might not be where Lu instructed.
Clearly, they also had their own interests... Lu Ping’an had no intention to interfere, nor could he.
Others coming from afar to wage war were not here to serve as volunteers; they naturally had their own interests. How exactly negotiations would proceed wasn’t for this "Linnu Force Newborn" to decide.
By fulfilling his duty to this extent, Lu Ping’an had already done right by himself, by the Lin Nu organization, and by this world.
Next, other Quasi-Gods should act as representatives to negotiate with them... Even if many mercenary contracts were already settled, when it came to payment details and specific territorial divisions, it would definitely be folks like King Kui who would finalize the details.
"Let’s go, we’re going home..."
But since Lu had worked so hard, he naturally had his own calculations.
"Jiaolong City, I have in my hands eight... er, now twenty-one small to medium-sized city (island) capitals as candidates."
Lu naturally intended to bring this delegation to his own turf, not to the super city of Lord Xiuyi.
This tourist city would be their temporary residence and also their safe zone to adapt to the local environment. Whatever they decided to invest in next, they would naturally consider this place and the surrounding areas... and the ownership of this area now bore the name Lu.
Lu was even willing to offer up land for them to establish their base... but clearly, the other party wasn’t going to decide so hastily.
Even his best contacts, Wang Xier and Mayor Qian, pretended not to understand Lu Ping’an’s hints... They were representatives of their respective forces, naturally prioritizing their tasks. They would not make important decisions so easily under unclear circumstances.
"Tsk, I’m going over to the neighboring Salt City. I have a biochemical base there. If there’s a need, you can come to me directly."
Lu Ping’an originally planned to settle them in Salt City, after all, it had everything, including his own ever-growing "Tree of Redemption."
But considering the local pollution to the extent that the sea water turned green and stank, Lu felt it was better to give the investors a good first impression.
He actually had quite a bit of confidence... believing that after they understood the local situation, there was still a high chance they would establish their headquarters near his territory.
Actually, as a host, it was a bit rude to just leave the guests to the side.
But with Lu’s current strength and identity, having accompanied them for a few days, had already shown considerable respect.
"Heh, his headquarters are nearby, he must be really worried about the situation there..."
And now that Mr. Lu had left, the guests not only didn’t show dissatisfaction; they even came up with a reasonable excuse for him.
"The environment here is indeed good, we can have a good discussion, and collect a bit more local intelligence."
"Right, does anyone have Lord Xiu Yi’s contact method..."
"No need, she will come to us."
Interacting with the local Lin Nu Force faction, gathering local information to determine the first batch of investment directions, determining the local war situation, and other miscellaneous tasks—if someone like Lu Ping’an, a "big shot," wasn’t present, it was actually better... The leader had set the general direction, and the frontline workers could then do the work and negotiate more effectively.
Of course, they were not refusing cooperation with Lu Ping’an; in fact, his identity and capabilities already ensured he was always the best partner. They just needed time to gather and understand the surrounding situation to determine their short-term work goals.
Keeping a bit of distance, allowing more time and space to prepare for further cooperation, was good for both sides...
"Eh, this dock isn’t bad..."
Lu Ping’an, preparing to take a boat to Salt City, also realized that his departure from this world was probably not just for a mere three months.
Before leaving, Lu also assigned tasks to the personnel staying behind... The top priority was to link those "territories" he acquired into a contiguous area, forming an effective control zone.
The original Jiaolong Island, though it had a rudimentary pier and a deep-water harbor, lacked shipyards close to the coast and conveyor belts for cargo/mineral transport... Lu also saw a large warehouse area bustling with people loading and unloading goods.
"What kind of mine is this... never mind, no need to answer, I probably wouldn’t understand even if you told me the name."
The large cargo conveyors transported goods and ores straight onto the large cargo ships at the seaside, and these shipping routes formed the new lifeline of the Rebirth Commerce.
To this day, Lu Ping’an hadn’t determined the capital of his forces. He personally leaned toward Salt City... but the environment there was really not suitable for mortals to stay (the mists and chemical green seas), many people suggested establishing it in Jiaolong City, but Lu disdained the island for being too small, with an always limited resident population.
At the time, his team split into two factions: one sided with Salt City, suggesting to speed up the "Tree of Redemption" purification process to quickly meet living requirements. The other side suggested reinforcing Jiaolong City, with appropriate land reclamation and island expansion to increase usable area, which wasn’t considered costly in this extraordinary-powered world.
"Let’s work on both, and decide based on the final products..."
Lu’s single directive eventually led to the present coastal cargo area and the shipbuilding industry.
If Jiaolong Island was to become the capital, the resident population had to increase, and with more people, jobs needed to be found for them. Shipbuilding, such a heavy industry, was well-suited to solving the employment problem for the young workforce...
"Almost half a year has passed."
And the intelligence gathered back confirmed Lu Ping’an’s guess; time had indeed been more than just three months.
At least, the "industrial pollution" smell he sensed upon arrival was not something that could be resolved shortly.
"Perhaps we could see both cities’ construction situation and settle on the capital directly."
— End of Chapter 1406 —