Chapter 1595
Chapter 1595 - 1591: Familiar God
1,407 words
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8 min read
He’s anxious, he’s really anxious, and so is the city.
When the negotiations were completed, Lu Ping’an was a bit dumbfounded... The war hadn’t even started, so how had it already reached the final stage?
Aren’t you trampling all over countless laws and plans? Does the Changping State Government know about this?
But soon, Lu Ping’an understood why.
"Iron ore price has increased by 300%... Pfft, what the hell is this?"
The fall of Aus, Australia, was just the beginning of a chain reaction.
Australia, with its nearly devasted domestic industry, yet having the world’s top-class mineral resources, has long been the resource storehouse for some countries, and their downfall naturally leads to the collapse of the international market’s raw materials.
It’s not just as simple as their minerals no longer being available. The insecurity of the entire ocean means that the already sluggish marine transport is directly collapsing.
And once there is a shortage of some strategic material, the pricing scale is never based on demand, but rather on psychological expectation.
When all countries and major powers begin preparing for war, the price of strategic materials will skyrocket, especially since everyone knows military-industrial demands will increase the need for steel materials... Even without the interference of international speculators, the actions of nations competing for strategic resources will inevitably lead to a surge in raw material prices.
"Isn’t the government managing this?"
"They are, there are internal channels for supplies at stable prices, but they are definitely rationed and certainly not enough."
Limited strategic resources will definitely be used where they are most needed. This is the root reason why the Eastern Country has started to forcefully eliminate backward practices; the planning departments can’t possibly watch ores being wasted outright.
"... You want to create your own import and export?"
"No choice, some matters, you can’t rely on others for."
Lu Ping’an instantly understood. If Earth’s resources can’t be relied on, then it’s time to turn to the Exotic Realm.
Open up the Otherworldly Special Zone, leverage multifaceted relationships to attract more investment, which naturally brings resources from the Exotic Realm.
"The higher-ups won’t object?"
"Do you think we’re the only ones doing this?
Well, being too realistic left Lu Ping’an speechless.
But this also shows that the Ancient City truly regards Lu Ping’an as one of their own. These overly sensitive matters are being discussed directly with him.
In the stories of novels, wars are uniform, all following the dispatch and orders of the Conductor, marching down the path even if it’s to the bitter end, with no room for self-interest and planning.
In real-life wars, each part has to consider its own situation... It’s clear that the Ancient City aims to transcend Changping and become the de facto State Government.
If it really comes down to rationing, it would naturally be based on administrative levels. Even if Changping has no intention to block resources from other cities, they would instinctively take a larger share.
Including Ancient City, some cities with external channels have adopted various ways to carve out their paths... And since it can be spoken of semi-openly, it’s tacitly approved from above.
After all, some things are inconvenient to spell out. If iron ore prices rise like this, other major commodities will definitely fluctuate in the future; other things are manageable, but a surge in food prices would truly be terrifying.
Considering the country’s population and arable land area, even with a large number of "professional Gardeners" guiding farming, whether we can achieve complete self-sufficiency remains a question.
The moment other Kingdoms feel threatened, they will definitely prioritize their own resources and outputs; relying on imports is too unrealistic.
In the ruthless reality, when the homeland is threatened, the Nirvana Plan of Wanjing also begins to speed up... Survive first, then consider the rest.
Especially now that the Eastern Country’s own resources are clearly insufficient, it’s not possible to prevent other Cities from searching for new Resource Points. On the contrary, they are actually eager to see such developments unfold.
But rashly introducing external forces is also endless trouble... Of course, the other party might not come.
Just as officials said, many cities are likely to "attract investment," and to stand out among them, naturally, additional attractions are needed.
After all, the core selling point of attracting investment in another world, besides the quality of water, electricity, and gas infrastructure, also includes slightly better tax incentives and policy support than other cities, with many areas even using several years of tax exemption (losing money) as a major trump card.
But if development takes off, becoming industrially profitable on a large scale, then the taxes lost previously wouldn’t seem significant anymore.
The Ancient city’s approach is to use the "Courtyard" as bait on one hand, and Advanced Combat Power as a deterrent on the other, which in some sense also represents the union between Lu Ping’an and Ancient city... If indeed non-humans are encountered, Lu could take this opportunity to leverage external forces and turn the city into his own "Territory".
This is a matter of trust, and also a return; who knows how much Lu Ping’an, this "New God," could gain from it.
Maybe this isn’t clear... When the Silent Mountain Range World was nearing its end, many Ethnic groups and Kingdoms divinized their Strongmen, making their ethnicities vassals to the Deities; if Earth’s situation continues to deteriorate, perhaps this scene might be reenacted on Earth as well.
"...Let’s not think that far ahead."
Lu Ping’an slightly regrets returning to Ancient city, this burden weighing down is truly too heavy... But if he didn’t come back, perhaps Ancient city would have sought him out for talks anyway.
He has now become, in practice, the highest authority in the city, and also the most trusted Top Combat Power.
"Let’s start by establishing the framework of the Special Zone..."
Lu Ping’an didn’t hesitate further, because he truly understood that this world still operates on the law of the jungle, where outsiders won’t reason with you.
To ensure safety for one’s homeland and Ethnic group, one must make them powerful...
"...Mining, actually, isn’t hard to solve, I seem to still have some dividends-only shares on Green Planet, and they should have plenty of minerals for Marine transport..."
"Right, and Alien Race, I seem to have the contact method of those interstellar mercenaries, perhaps start some local industry..."
"Biotechnology is easy as well...."
Lu Ping’an calculated for a bit, and then confirmed that he really could do a lot; even if he couldn’t reach the grandeur of the Nirvana Plan to protect an entire Ethnic group single-handedly, protecting a single Ancient city seemed to be not challenging at all.
To get the resource channels up, and synchronize Mercury 42 with the local supply of resources.
The next moment, Lu Ping’an sighed... He knew some things would probably become more difficult.
In Lu Ping’an’s eyes, many current insurmountable difficulties could actually be solved by a single Deity, and if Guan Xinxian ascended in his homeland, he could also gain recognition from Ancient city and the surrounding territories... It would have been difficult before, but it shouldn’t be now.
However, that means in the upcoming negotiations with the Forest Saintess, he’d be more in a position of asking for help, more Passive.
"....I really hope It is easier to deal with, at least not too demanding. Uh, not likely, after all, it is Chris’s ’sister’..."
"It’s really too much, I am actually super easy to talk to."
And when Lu Ping’an was stunned, a figure with green hair appeared behind him.
Lu Ping’an turned his head sharply, but was met with a smiling girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with a very innocent smile.
She sat at a roadside stall, happily sipping noodle soup.
"Hello, Lu Ping’an."
She put down her bowl, greeted Lu Ping’an with a smile, and then blinked her eyes cheerfully before waving happily at someone behind Lu Ping’an, this time for an old acquaintance.
"Yo, Sister, how are you?"
"Bitch!" And the response she got was someone grating their teeth.
— End of Chapter 1595 —