Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 333 Snowfall: A New Era Begins – Free Trade

The winter snow fell gently and steadily.

As the first snowflake quietly landed on the window frame of the lord's mansion, Chen Mo was standing in front of the starry electronic map that occupied the entire wall. His fingertips lightly swept across the map, and the light flowed along, winding from south to north. The vast territory of the Xiyue Federation was being rendered red at a visible speed.

Just now, news came from the south that the war between the Summer Moon Alliance and the Stream Moon Federation is over!
Under the pressure of the elven army, the Huanguang Legion stationed at Han Pass laid down their weapons and surrendered.

This elite legion of the Creek Moon Federation marched from Giant Stone Fortress to Longwind Hills, then retreated into the royal territory, traversing three fronts and observing six enemy forces. In the end, they created a military history of surrendering without losing a single soldier or firing a single arrow, covering the entire journey. It can be considered a minor war miracle.

Clearly, their fate wasn't bad, but their future wasn't going to be too good either.

In comparison, the other front appears rather bleak.

Thirteen tribal legions, led by the Spear Legion and the Blackwood Legion, joined forces with nearly fifteen times the military strength to besiege Xifeng Pass, a key town of the Federation. They launched a fierce attack for more than twenty days, and the bloodshed almost stained the rammed earth on and around the city walls a dark brown color.

In the end, the Elven Silvermoon Guard arrived, and with their superior ranged attack support, the enemy's last resistance was crushed, and the fortress fell.

The last glorious guard of the Hein royal family—the Azurewater Knights—was completely annihilated. Prince Cloty Hein, who led the army, committed suicide by sword as the city fell, shedding his last drop of blood for the royal family he served.

The war was thus extinguished at Xifeng Pass.

Ironically, the name Xifeng Pass originates from over three hundred years ago, when Sigmund, the first ruler of Xiyue, annihilated the last resistance force of the Elven race here, taking over the entire territory of Xiyue and laying the foundation for the alliance's territory.

Now, as time has passed, everything has turned upside down!

Thus, the Xiyue Federation became history, and the Xiayue Alliance became the new masters of this land.

The map was stained with a dazzling bright red, while outside the window, snowflakes were falling in abundance, gradually turning the earth into a layer of silvery white.

Chen Mo turned around, revealing a warm, sunny smile.

"Everyone, a new era has arrived, and we need to work even harder!"

This was the highest-level meeting of the military and political circles of the Han Hai region. Apart from Xia Er, who was in charge of the defense of Tian Shuang City, all other management personnel were present, forming a dense, dark mass in the conference room.

"The battle at Xiyue is over, which can be considered a perfect ending and summary of our past work!"

"Next, we need to arrange the follow-up work!"

"First, there is Hanhai's industrial development and foreign trade."

Chen Mo patted his shoulder with a hint of sarcasm and said, "I'm almost too tired to carry anything anymore!"

A series of barely suppressed, unspoken laughs rippled through the room.

Well, for so long, whether it's the Vast Ocean Territory, Frost City, Conch Mouth, or Mysterious Water District, all the development has relied on the Lord's almost endless financial support.

When there's a shortage of men, the lord pays to buy them; when there's a shortage of food, the lord pays to buy it; when there's a shortage of daily necessities, swords, and armor, the lord still pays to buy them...

As for the missing core engines, powerful thermal weapons, and new factory equipment, the lord purchased them all from the great god of industrial civilization, the Cyber ​​Emperor, the mechanical monarch.

Regarding this last point, it remains questionable whether the lord actually paid for it...

In short, on this bustling land, wandering poets and local residents called the Vast Sea the City of Hope, the City of Harmony, the City of Unity among All Ethnic Groups, and the City of Miracles... But in the eyes of the local officials, there was only one name that best described the Vast Sea—the City of Fiscal Deficit.

The red was breathtaking, insane, its fiery color even brighter than the Torchbearer Youth emblem and the red flag behind the lord!
To illustrate this point, consider this one incident: over the past few years, the most profitable project in the Vast Ocean Territory has actually been waiting expectantly for the orcish spring and autumn hunting legions to come south each year, hoping to seize an opportunity to plunder...

The fact that this extremely unorthodox development path has been able to persist until now, as everyone knows, is because the lord is incredibly powerful!
"In fact, our design and production capabilities are second to none among the surrounding countries, but why have we been in this state of continuous deficit for so long?"

Chen Mo seemed to be preparing to give the officials and generals in his family a lesson in economics, and he began to explain it in detail.

In short – domestic demand is severely weak, and foreign trade is struggling!

"The reason for weak domestic demand is simple: our population base is too small!"

"Moreover, what is the basic composition of our people? They are the slaves of the Vast Sea who have been liberated by us, who are penniless and completely propertyless; they are the refugees of the Cloud Mist Territory whose homes have been destroyed and who are now displaced; they are the marginalized orc tribes who have been ostracized and suppressed by the mainstream orcs... For such a group of people who are starting from almost nothing and struggling to survive, we cannot expect them to have any purchasing power!"

Because of this objective reality, Hanhailing's first five-year development plan was almost a crude poverty alleviation plan.

By utilizing large-scale infrastructure and collective action projects such as afforestation, land reclamation and road construction, mining and factory building, and military campaigns, remuneration was distributed to the people in the form of "work points." Through the territorial public ownership consumer goods supply and marketing system, the most basic survival supplies were provided to the people. In this process, a tiny amount of consumption capacity was cultivated very slowly.

"Now, the people of Hanhai are accumulating more work points because their livelihoods are more secure, they have confidence in the future, and they dare to use some of their savings to improve their lives and make purchases."

"However, our population size remains a bottleneck! This amount of domestic consumption is like a drop in the ocean compared to the industrial capacity we have already initially built."

"It can be said that opening trade routes to the outside world is imperative!"

However, while the ideal is lofty, reality is as skeletal as a skeleton spearman.

This is a world ruled by feudal monarchs, warlords, tribal chiefs, and clan elders. In such a land, free trade? It doesn't exist!

No matter how good, exquisite, or far ahead of others Hanhailing's products are, it won't work. They must satisfy all trade channels and regional leaders, otherwise the products simply won't be able to reach the market.

At the same time, foreign trade also faces the risk of instability.

For example, a specialty product from Hanhai might have a factory price of one silver coin. However, with costs for transportation, storage, and losses, the average landed price is five silver coins. Does that mean it can be sold on the market? No way!

You must bribe all the officials and nobles in the area where the market is located; otherwise, even if there are starving people everywhere at the city gate, you will not be allowed to contribute a single grain of rice here!

This would likely cause the cost to soar to more than one gold coin, thus excluding the vast majority of consumers.

"Moreover, the relationships you cultivate today may be nullified tomorrow because a nobleman loses power or a new gatekeeper is appointed, and you'll have to start 'paying respects' all over again and be at their mercy!"

"No profit, no sales, and you have to be subservient—how can such a business possibly succeed?"

In addition, there is competition!
Everywhere, it faces strong competition from established and deeply rooted first-mover chambers of commerce like the "Seven Luminaries Garland," forcing Han Hai to temporarily adopt a differentiated approach.

But those dwarfs have basically monopolized most of the profitable businesses, so differentiation is no easy task!

Previously, Hanhai's few standout products with good sales performance were [Tongchang Heji] and [Quxie Baota], two medicines specifically developed for the orc race.

However, in order to sell this thing smoothly, Han Hai Ling had to bring in a large Minotaur tribe as an endorsement and sales channel, sharing the profits together.

What's even more critical is that the core ingredients or manufacturing processes of these two products do not originate from Han Hai itself, but essentially still rely on "re-export trade" from the Blue Star world.

The cost of cross-dimensional transportation is itself an immeasurable and extremely high astronomical figure.

Therefore, the sales of [Smoothing Mixture] and [Exorcising Pagoda] are essentially exchanging channel capacity for the local market. No matter how well they sell, the books are still full of deficits!
"Therefore, we at Hanhailing have been working hard to develop our core products, products that can be mass-produced entirely using Fanxing materials, Hanhai equipment, and local processes! Everyone has made long-term and arduous efforts for this!"

"Now, in terms of the market, we have finally gained an opportunity!"

Yes, times have changed. The situation has changed dramatically in the past year.

As the chairman of the Summer Moon Alliance, Chen Mo could easily establish his trade routes within the alliance with just a word.

The vast population of this land is sufficient to absorb the industrial capacity prepared by Han Hai Ling. Over the past few years, Han Hai Ling has been building its industrial base and has prepared several series of specialized products, ready for explosive production at any time, with strong competitiveness and high profit margins!
For example, the set of "Han Hai Armor" that the equipment department presented to everyone.

The core of this armor is made of steel produced by Hanhai. The vital areas of the chest and back are thickened and formed in one piece using a stamping machine and forging hammer. The outer armor plates are progressively thinner, and the joints use a hinged interlocking process.

Its main protective features are comparable to heavy armor made of pure steel.

For non-vital areas, a unique composite process of woven thick fabric inlaid with hardened bamboo strips is used, which provides slightly better protection than traditional hard leather armor, but at a much lower weight and cost.

By strengthening the core protection and reducing the material used in auxiliary parts, [Hanhai Armor] has successfully found a perfect balance between protective performance, weight, and production cost, achieving extremely high cost-effectiveness.

After testing and comparison, armor of similar quality to the [Sea Armor] is priced at more than ten times that of the [Sea Armor] in most countries.

No matter how fast the master craftsmen in the workshop swing their hammers, they can't keep up with the tide of industrialized production.

What's even more ingenious is that the designers of Hanhailing have ingeniously reserved two standardized inlay slots on both sides of the armor's ribs.

If the user has special needs, or if their financial resources allow, they can easily ask an enchanter to inlay miniature magic circles with different effects. Whether it is to enhance defense, increase strength, or add elemental resistance, the quality of the [Sea Armor] can be improved again.

With the release of this armor set, it is almost foreseeable that it will completely overwhelm most of the mid-range and low-end armor currently on the market.

Mid-range products are far inferior to Hanhai in terms of price, and low-end products are far inferior to Hanhai in terms of quality.

However, no matter how high the cost-performance ratio is, it still takes time to promote a product.

The fact that the Summer Moon Alliance allowed Han Hai's goods to enter the market does not mean that there will be no obstacles from the old trade system and vested interest groups, even if the product is really worth more than its price.

Therefore, in the first phase of [Hanhai Jia], the agency sales model was adopted.

"Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the Summer Moon Alliance replacing the Stream Moon Federation, we must first fully roll out our products within Summer Moon."

"Don't be stingy with concessions. For at least the next year, apart from direct sales in Hanhai City, all other sales will be handled by mercenary guilds in various regions. By cooperating with the equipment consignment shops and repair stations of these guilds, we can make them sales channels that share our interests!"

"Yes, adding magic circles is also a way to reserve profit points for them."

"We need to make them feel that selling our products can make money, and that they can make a stable amount of money!"

Chen Mo tapped the screen, which had temporarily switched to a whiteboard: "Some of our comrades can't stand it when they hear that others are making more money than them when their products are sold abroad. This kind of thinking is unacceptable!"

"We only need to see if we have a reasonable profit. As long as we do, then whatever profits our distributors and partners make is what they deserve, it's the necessary price to pay for expanding the market! It's none of our business, and we shouldn't be envious!"

"Only by leveraging the actual user experience of the Summer Moon Alliance's mercenaries, building a reputation, showcasing the effects, and generating word-of-mouth marketing, will we have the opportunity to continue promoting our products to other countries in the future!"

Most of the people present nodded, but they couldn't help but show regret on their faces.

To be honest, the lord set the ex-factory price of the Hanhai Armor too low.

Only a few high-ranking officials like Helan and Macaga knew that what the lord was going to do was not just sell armor. According to Chen Mo, when the market for Hanhai armor reached a certain size, it would form its own standards and squeeze out all other non-standard products.

By the way, the protective capabilities of each part of this export version of the Hanhai Armor have been carefully tested.

It offers excellent protection against slashing attacks from melee weapons, but against firearms...

Non-core areas are completely overwhelmed by automatic rifles, while core areas are severely countered by heavy machine guns and sniper rifles.

You can use it!
"The second traded commodity we plan to focus on promoting is wine!"

Hanhailing has had beverages based on seawater rice for a long time, but has always controlled the scale of production. After a long period of adjustment, three types were finally settled, corresponding to high, medium and low-end product lines respectively.

Old Knife loves to drink, and Long Staff loves to smoke! For warrior-type mercenaries, alcohol is a necessity.

The winery's sales manager presented several different types of vessels.

"Based on the main style and flavor of the Starry Continent, we have repeatedly adjusted the distillation process and formula to launch these three products."

Upon opening the first rough earthenware jar and breaking the clay seal, a strong, pungent aroma of alcohol instantly filled the air.

"'Han Hai Shao' is over 50 degrees Celsius. It tastes like fire and is incredibly potent. It's specially made for warriors and mercenaries who crave intensity and need to warm up quickly to ward off the cold. When it was first tested locally, those rough-looking mercenaries all said that after taking a bite of 'Han Hai Shao,' they felt like they could punch a Frost Wolf to death!"

"No doubt about it, this is the most popular one!"

Next, the winery sales representative pointed to the second narrow-necked glass bottle, which was also a product of Hanhai Glass Workshop. It was crystal clear and reflected dazzling light in the sunlight.

“‘Oasis Green’ is made at around 35 degrees Celsius. In addition to seawater rice, it also contains sea buckthorn berries and rock berries. It is fermented together, resulting in a mellow taste with a hint of fruitiness and a sweet aftertaste.”

"This wine is mainly aimed at elves and half-elves who have a relatively light palate and pursue flavor, as well as mid-to-high-level mercenary team leaders and guild managers who consider themselves elegant and have a little money. It is suitable for slow sipping and careful appreciation."

Finally, there is an elegantly shaped white porcelain vase.

"'Moonlight Chant' is a low-alcohol, clear-colored spirit with a crisp taste. It contains moonflower, giving it a subtle floral aroma, and also contains a very small amount of the Fountain of Life blend!"

Limited production, limited sales!

"This has now become a specialty product that the high-ranking members of the Thirteen Tribes of the Yuanxiyue have been exchanging gifts with each other! Not only do the nobles like it, but the women of various tribes and the high-ranking elves also highly value it. There have been repeated instances of bidding up prices to buy it, and it is extremely difficult to find this wine!"

"Yes, as instructed by the lord, we are only responsible for delivering to the designated market. The final sales are still handled by the various tribes of Xiyue. We provide a sales guide price, but we do not make it mandatory!"

A young officer raised his hand high.

Chen Mo nodded gently at him: "What's the problem? Go ahead and ask."

"Commander-in-chief, why do we have to ship all our products to the shore? The journey is arduous, and they're easily damaged. The shipping costs are only at cost price, so we barely make any profit. Why don't we just put them at Hanhai and let them buy them and ship them themselves?"

"Okay, that's a very good question. Please sit down!"

"Just now, Comrade Xiao Ma asked why we go through so much trouble to produce the products on land, why we don't just put them on the Hanhai platform and wait for customers to come and buy them?"

"This saves effort, but it's not good!"

"We need to simultaneously establish a logistics and transportation system covering the entire central part of the mainland while selling our products. The significance of this involves the overall future plan, so I can't say too much for now. But one thing is certain: it will definitely be useful in the future!"

The entire trade list includes six categories of goods that are planned to be released to the market in batches. They all share the common characteristic of being mass-produced on assembly lines by Hanhai Energy using local resources in an industrialized manner.

Of course, high-end "entrepot trade" products still exist, such as the [Spring Rain] shipped to the Silver Duchy; the remote communication service exclusively for high-ranking members of the Alliance; and the slotted protective belt worn by the lord, which is said to make even the lightless weep and the void bow down!

Outside the window, the snow was falling even harder, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.

Inside the lord's manor, this economic strategy meeting, which discussed the future fate of the Vast Ocean, set the tone for its future development. As crates of goods were loaded onto the fleet, the fleet set sail, and Vast Ocean's industrial products began to appear on the stage of the Starry Continent on a large scale.

In the future, it will inevitably have a profound impact on the world in ways that locals could never have imagined!

(End of this chapter)