Chapter 576
Chapter 576 - 556: Favorable Factors
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7 min read
Everyone has their own standpoint, and it is the same for every region and government.
The central government needs to consider the development of the entire nation and even the entire race, while the Changping State Government takes on tasks from its superiors and pursues its own development.
With just the megatower serving as a transportation hub to the outside domain, the State has already made significant strides.
In this new era, foreign resources, talent, and technology pour in ceaselessly; but no matter how abundant these "foreign treasures" are, they have their own flow direction.
The concern is not lacking, but uneven distribution; not having too little, but having too much belonging to other families. Cities naturally compete with one another.
Wealthy states have several or even more than a dozen megacities. Changping State, a second-tier state, has Changping City as the only big city besides its large land area.
The nation struggles for Deities and foreign resources within the global and even outside the domain, while state governments fight each other at the domestic level, and cities within the states battle fiercely.
Apart from its long history and affluent ancestors, the ancient city holds no noteworthy advantages...
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
"Our education could be considered an advantage, but it coincides with the reform of the entire education system; our several private universities have been forcibly merged with the official universities, and Changping State is preparing two super universities specifically for explorers in the short term, directly parachuting to top-tier ratings... How despicable! What dirty means! They want to suck blood from the entire state again!"
Lu Ping’an nodded and casually agreed with a "Despicable Changping people," before listening to the person across him rant for three minutes about policy discrimination, withholding policies and special funds from superiors, and the loss of local talents due to a single transfer order.
Among these foreign talents, some possess unique supernatural powers, while others bring native resources and treasures along with various new technologies and knowledge from the outside domain. It’s a lot more stimulating than the openness of the reform era.
The risks are high, but so are the returns. One successful localization of a technology could enable the ancient city to establish a factory, make a hit, and generate tax revenue, genuinely reviving itself.
But why would others come? Relying on the bottom-ranking infrastructure in Changping State, or the top three housing prices and population density? Lu Ping’an wasn’t too optimistic about the development prospects of such an old industrial town. An aging population ratio elevated the cost of reform in various aspects.
"...This indeed is an opportunity."
Not being optimistic about the development of the ancient city doesn’t mean that Lu Ping’an doesn’t value this chance.
His "Trading Land" is an incomplete Divine Kingdom and a mobile Secret Realm. However, to others, it just seems to be a specialty of the ancient city. Once it appears in other regions, it naturally attracts prying eyes.
At the early stages of vulnerability, basing operations on a local scale is necessary. However, there are also troubles in small places. The Tradable offerings limit the clientele to the ancient city, making it less presentable.
This was an official promotional opportunity and a chance for the officials to vouch for your safety and reliability. Although theoretically, the Land of Rules had no traps, reassurance required time to accumulate, and the ancient city officials were truly anxious.
"In the first wave of revenue, at least 90% went to Changping, leaving the remaining cities in the state with not enough to share. We don’t have any big corporations here, nor do we have the church’s headquarters..."
For outsiders, choosing which city to settle in depends on the treatment and the surrounding environment.
The cities offering comfortable living conditions, abundant earnings, and job opportunities, as well as better education opportunities, are naturally the most optimal choices.
However, none of these can compare to the chance of enhancing their abilities... for professionals, that equals life, and for most supernatural system users, that at least equals the opportunity to gain more resources.
Lu Ping’an’s "Trading Column" has always been highly rated within the city, but the scarcity of life-points has led to rare transactions, and the usage is insufficient.
Now, following a successful exchange of magic plants and animals for points, many special service team members within the government are eager to "consume."
After a round of professional assessment, as an ancient city’s specialty, the Trading Land could genuinely attract more outsiders, and the best part is that it’s a long-term process. Outsiders need to accumulate and spend life-points, naturally residing in the ancient city on a long-term basis.
If guided correctly, it could also help purify the social atmosphere... The ancient city officials have been annoyed by the illegal areas of the steam factory for quite some time.
There were already enough temptations; adding the recent "Beastmen service" further increased persuasiveness.
The ancient city didn’t have much time to hesitate, as each round of exploration would bring new flows. If the general direction were set, a change would no longer be realistic...
"After all, if you guys want to trade, it would be hard for us to stop it, so we might as well cooperate and achieve win-win."
"In exchange for being officially recommended, you need to enhance your self-regulation, especially for the current top priority of illegal Eastern Country’s coin transactions..."
"We hope to send someone to station permanently. At the very least, clear out some wanted criminals from outside..."
"You must inform us when you close or open. Just give us advance notice to facilitate arrangements."
This person specifically came to negotiate and propose terms with Lu Ping’an and his entourage.
In a sense, the recent silence of the Trading Land itself has been regarded as a sign of friendliness towards the officials.
As for the Trading Land itself, it can be seen as a local resource for high-end people; in theory, it’s not an issue to include it in promotional materials.
"I agree, of course, but this matter isn’t that easy to settle."
Instead of immediately agreeing, Lu Ping’an appeared somewhat indifferent and said he would think about it.
This significant matter was inevitably not to be settled in a single negotiation. Both sides would evaluate each other, and the Special Service Team would likely have to issue a new bounty mission — "Find the person behind the Trading Land."
But since the interests of both sides coincide, there is a high probability that they will cooperate eventually.
After sending off the Two-headed Wolf, Lu Ping’an’s side naturally became chaotic with busyness.
This was an opportunity, but also a challenge. However...
"There’s no reason to refuse... " The huge profits made it impossible for Lu Ping’an and his companions to decline.
"...Focus on strengthening our abilities; that’s the foundation for everything."
Although the officials promised a certain level of military protection, on the one hand, Lu Ping’an knew that the ancient city officials had limited capabilities, and on the other hand, he didn’t dare to accept their support due to the fear of information leakage.
"Draw up contingency plans, set up more frameworks, such as powerful intruders appearing, or the ancient city officials changing to a more aggressive leader. We must not only face the current friendliness but also consider the future... Right, if we become bigger, the possibility of officials collecting taxes from us should also be included."
"Me? My strength is limited by the courtyard, you guys take care of it; I’ll be back shortly."
After entrusting these details to his "teammates" and giving Catherine another overtime combo, Lu Ping’an slipped away again.
— End of Chapter 576 —