Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 402 Profit Sharing (Bonus Chapter 210 for those who check in for the Alliance Leader's monthly card)

This black wolf was quite sincere, carefully explaining the whole story. If what he said was true, it didn't seem wrong at all.

"Thank you for your answer, senior, but I need to consider this matter further. If the mission is settled in a few months and I have nothing else to do, I will talk to you again in detail."

Li Wei smiled politely, saying that he certainly couldn't give an answer immediately, as listening to only one side of the story was not a good habit.

"Okay, that's how it should be. It's your cautious approach that I value in you, brother."

Black Wolf chuckled, not minding at all, and then waved his hand to send Li Wei back.

"Was that Black Wolf from the logistics department just now? What did he want to talk to you about?"

As soon as Li Wei returned from the gray fog space, Li Yue quickly stepped forward and asked.

“He said the talks might be successful and we would settle the mission in a few months. At that time, he wanted to invite me to participate in a special pioneering mission in the cold ice fields, which would last for two years and mainly focus on cultivating cold-resistant crops.”

Li Wei didn't hide anything; Li Yue was one of their own, so there was no need for that.

"You said yes?"

"No, there are still too many things to deal with in the territory. Besides, I need to hear your opinions. We've expanded too much right now, and if we're not careful, we could go bankrupt!" Li Wei said with a smile.

"So now you realize you've expanded your operations too much?" Li Yue chuckled, finding it amusing.

"However, the fact that Black Wolf is in such a hurry to find you means he must be coming with great sincerity. This is partly because you are now a celebrity, a former rookie king, a current pioneering expert, and the Wheel General. Who would dare to disobey you?"

"But on the other hand, it's possible that Black Wolf really did get accurate intelligence and believed that the peace talks were likely to succeed, so he wanted to plan ahead. The logistics department supplies the province with food, vegetables and other supplies, which puts a lot of pressure on them, so it's highly unlikely that he would lie to you."

"However, this matter does require careful consideration, especially once you become a powerful viscount, that is, a proper four-star lord with real power. Then there's no need to accept this mission. Are you only worth 100,000 gold for two years? Who are you looking down on?"

"So, Aunt Yue, what are your thoughts?"

“My thoughts? I don’t really have any thoughts, Xiaowei. You have to remember that whether it’s Duke Will or King Locke, they are both very important figures to us. So we can try to guess their intentions, but it’s best not to go against them.”

"Since His Majesty the King has sent a special envoy, we must not cause any trouble, and we certainly cannot attack or provoke at this time. For example, the bridge fortress in the east of the territory. If those Nidans want to cause trouble, we must exercise restraint, although the possibility is not high. We should just do our own thing and wait and see."

"I understand." Li Wei nodded, a prudent response.

"As for the rest, have you managed to get the Farmer's Destiny title? You know, the one for Child of the Earth."

"It's working, not bad."

"Hmph! Not just not bad, it's extremely good, but I advise you not to get carried away, and don't think about focusing solely on developing your territory. It's time to take some time to reflect and improve your overall strength."

"The level four city walls and mage towers will be handled by others. We shouldn't dwell on the matter of the king's envoy's negotiations. Strength is the foundation of everything, understand? You may think three years is a long time, but it's actually very short. After three years, we will be going on a cross-border mission, and the place we're going to may be a more distant world. At that time, you can only rely on yourself."

"The existence of territory is merely to facilitate a smoother resurrection after death, reduce the losses caused by death, and enable a faster comeback."

"But the territory itself is not worth shifting all our focus to."

“I understand, but is there any way we can apply for a conquest mission three years from now?” Li Wei asked curiously.

"Yes, but I don't recommend it, and I strongly refuse. If you dare to apply for a conquest mission, then we're done. At this stage, you simply don't have enough resources to carry out a conquest mission. Do you think it's as simple as just sending out three hundred full-time soldiers?"

"In fact, conquest missions are always led by professionals of Night Owl's level, or even higher, and sometimes it takes a Duke to lead the team to have a chance of success."

"To put it simply, if the difficulty and variability index of a pioneering mission is 10-20, then the difficulty and variability index of a cross-border mission is 50-100, while a conquest mission that seems to be of the same level has a difficulty starting at least 100."

Li Yue spoke very seriously, and Li Wei quickly corrected her, "Don't worry, Aunt Yue, I was just asking out of curiosity. I'm not a warmonger. I just like everyone happily eating barbecue skewers, drinking beer, bragging, and watching the stars together in our own territory. We don't care about the starry sky or the sea."

"Come, come, Aunt Yue, sit down and rest for a bit. Starting today, you can go back to the fortress and get a good night's sleep. I'll show you my skills in a bit, and we'll have something nice to eat tonight."

Li Wei was speaking from the heart. He didn't like making a fuss either, and he also wanted to take some time to visit Kah City and see his new town.

Taking a two-year break is highly unlikely, but relaxing a bit is definitely not a problem.

"It's good that you understand. I'm not tired. Let's hurry up and harvest the rest of the wheat. This is the main food that the territory needs. I've estimated that the yield of these spring wheat is at least 800 catties per mu. Now that we've taken away the three-star and four-star wheat, the two-star quality wheat is at least 200 catties per mu, and the one-star wheat is at least 400 catties per mu."

"Two-star wheat and one-star wheat must be harvested separately, and one-star wheat and ordinary wheat must also be harvested separately. You'll be busy with these four hundred acres. Also, if it rains, then I'm sorry, we'll have to ask others to help."

Hearing this, Li Wei smiled helplessly and obediently continued harvesting.

This time, because it was two-star wheat being harvested, the mental energy consumption was reduced considerably, so the speed was also faster. From morning to night, Li Weineng was able to harvest continuously for eighteen hours.

However, since there was no one else to help store the wheat this time, the work efficiency naturally dropped significantly, and only 100 acres could be harvested per day. Fortunately, the weather has been relatively good recently, or perhaps the Ice Duke's actions last month eliminated all the moisture.

For more than ten days in a row, the weather was sunny and cloudless, and the weather was excellent.

Li Wei works long hours, from dawn till dusk, as busy as a spinning top, but the rewards are immense.

As the ordinary wheat was harvested, his farmer destiny even surged to 62, higher than he had expected.

This is considered his personal gain.

In terms of output, the 400 mu of spring wheat yielded approximately 80,000 jin of second-grade wheat, 160,000 jin of first-grade wheat, and 40,000 jin of ordinary wheat.

After the harvest, the grain was dried and then stored in designated warehouses. One-third was left in the riverside fortress, while two-thirds were transported to the main city of the territory, as the latter had a larger population.

Of course, two-star and one-star wheat are not provided for free.

Two-star wheat, in particular, sells for three gold coins per pound in the market of Ver City, making it a very luxurious commodity.

Li Wei put the dried two-star wheat into a specially made warehouse with a higher level of sealing, which only her second aunt, Li Yue, could freely access.

In fact, it will not be released to the market for the time being.

Only one-star wheat will be released to the market, priced at three silver coins per pound.

It is worth mentioning that, apart from these 400 mu of wheat, Li Wei will not interfere with the income from other farmland.

For example, the more than 500 acres of farmland cultivated near the northern fortress included wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, rice, and so on, which were grown by the agricultural group in the territory.

They generate revenue through sales, pay taxes, use the proceeds to pay wages to agricultural workers and related industries, and fund the planting for the following year, gradually forming a closed loop.

There are also more than 600 acres of farmland on the riverbank fortress, which Li Wei plans to distribute to hundreds of families, including Li Yue, Javier, Sith, Boll, and Jocelyn, in the future.

In short, because the division of labor in the main city of the territory is more specific and detailed, the management and distribution methods adopted are more similar to those of a public farm plus workers.

Other fortified territories, such as riverside fortresses, must be granted fiefdoms to maximize their loyalty and determination to defend their homeland.

"So this year's income, the grain that can be put on the market, is enough to supply 5000 people with food for a whole year, including the finest wheat alone, 100,000 jin of ordinary wheat, about 450,000 jin of corn, and about 100,000 jin of rice, including the finest feed for warhorses and the feed for brewing wine."

"It's a pity we can't be this carefree next year."

"Yes, you won't be able to participate in planting next year. You're a four-star farmer. Planting for a year is like peeling a layer off the land. Right now, with the flowing chaotic magic particles, it can still be maintained. But once the expansion card turns into a magic shield and covers it, the amount of land planted each year and the specific rotation system will all have to be stipulated by law."

At this moment, on the third floor of the riverside fortress, Li Wei and Li Yue were enjoying a big meal to reward themselves. They had been exhausted over the past ten days, and Li Yue had also worked very hard.

What can relieve fatigue? Only delicious food.

"The foundation of the city wall in the main city has been laid. With more people, the work is faster. The main body of the mage tower has started construction, using all 4-star stone. It will be completed in ten days. Once it is infused with magic, it can be put into use. Aunt Yue, I plan to apply for the construction of two magic portals. You can stay here permanently. This riverside fortress is too militarized and uncomfortable to live in. How about we build you another fortress facing the river, where spring is warm and flowers bloom?"

At this moment, Li Wei smiled and said, "Now we can start distributing profits to our partners again. The distribution of profits is always the most important thing."

He profited immensely from this wave, while others could only watch helplessly.

Unrealistic.

Aside from your parents, no one will love you or follow you for no reason.

Upon hearing this, Li Yue, who was elegantly eating grilled fish, looked up, seemingly guessing what he was thinking, but she did not refuse.

She thinks so highly of Li Wei and invests in him without considering the returns, all for the sake of having a place to retire in and a safety net.

Children can be taught.

"I don't need springtime flowers blooming, I'm too old for that. But I do need a spacious, bright house with its back to a mountain bay, where it can stay warm and sunny in winter."

"Absolutely. In addition, I also plan to give you another two hundred acres of land, a river port where you can fish, the status of a vassal baron, and three hundred directly subordinate free citizens. What do you think, Aunt Yue?" Li Wei said with a smile. If you're going to give benefits, you have to give them all at once. Don't try anything dirty halfway through. People's hearts can't withstand being tested.

"That's so kind of you, Xiaowei—"

Li Yue was surprised for a moment, then burst into laughter. But there was a hint of regret in her laughter; she was too old, otherwise…

(End of this chapter)