Life is tough, so Honglong resorts to performing?

Chapter 110 Civilization's Private Reserve

"Let me sort this out. The canned food you're talking about should be a type of cooked food with a slightly pickled flavor, produced using methods like high temperatures and airtight environments to create an excellent storage environment."

After leaving the Lower City and returning to the Emerald Leaf Zoo, Loren found old Druid Aaron and discussed matters related to canned food with him.

After Loren described the characteristics of the canned food in detail, the old druid pondered for a moment and then raised his own question.

"I need to confirm whether what you mean by canned food is really just a supplement to the flavorful food on the common dining table?"

"Really, it has no other function?"

"It's not about reducing raw material costs through large-scale distribution and procurement. Magic Crystal Machinery's unified meal service solves the problem of fluctuating quality. Magic Crystal Industry crushes those small restaurants and becomes a business tycoon like the King of Canned Food, further reducing the basic cost of living. By uniting with other companies, it allows ordinary people's wages to have new room for decline, so that in the end they can only afford a few cans of food, right?"

Old Aaron stared at Loren, his expression strange and suspicious.

Loren looked at the old man in front of him with even more suspicion and shock than the old man himself.

In that short period of time, did you, old man, actually deduce the industrialization of food and the pre-cooked meal model? Are you actually a time traveler?
And do you really think I'm that bad? I'm a Red Dragon, not a cyber capitalist!
I'm so bored that I'm colluding with them to exploit me. If anything were to happen, I'd be the one to swallow them up, okay?

“I’m sure this is just a supplementary food category for now. Whether it will develop into the kind of model you’re talking about in the future depends on you druids, not me.”

Loren took a deep breath and answered, casually tossing his hat back at the same time.

What a joke! I'm just using this idea as an investment to make money. The real work and decision-making are done by you druids. If you ultimately can't resist the temptation and become slaves to capital, blindly expanding and annexing, what does that have to do with me?
I started the fire, not the forest ranger!

That's just how carefree I am, Little Red Dragon!

"That's good, otherwise you would have died because of this, and it would have been difficult for us to help you get revenge."

Old Aaron breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Loren's words, while Loren, who discerned the underlying meaning in Old Aaron's words, perked up his ears.

"Revenge? Is there something else involved?"

Loren's curiosity was piqued.

"Of course there is. Have you heard of the concept of a 'civilizational reserve' proposed hundreds of years ago when the Federation was established?"

Old Aaron looked serious.

"Could you elaborate? I don't think I actually know that."

Loren was taken aback. He didn't seem to know much about what the other person was talking about, nor had he heard anyone mention it before.

"The so-called 'civilization's private reserve' refers to a kind of urban ecological natural deduction and planning carried out by the Druids in the early days of the Federation's establishment."

Old Aaron patiently explained.

“All races that voluntarily and voluntarily join the Federation can choose a living and working area that matches their racial talents.”

"You dragons chose war, the elves chose medicine, the dwarves chose mining and metallurgy, and humans chose teaching and scientific research... Oh, and the entertainment industry of demons and devils doesn't count; they joined after being defeated, not voluntarily."

Old Aaron explained, and Loren understood the meaning behind his words.

"The food industry..."

"Halflings, this is the halflings' own civilized territory. Many culinary masters have emerged from among them. On the battlefields established by the Federation, they have almost mastered all the battlefield cuisine and can always come up with a variety of delicious dishes to provide the fighters on the battlefield."

Holy crap, it's a race based on connections.

Loren thought to himself, those top experts from the early days of the Federation, such as the ancient dragons and high-ranking elves, are probably still alive.

There may be conflicts among these powerful individuals, but when faced with the halflings who provided delicious food in that environment, and who were themselves quite weak, it was quite obvious which side they favored.

"So what are the limits of this so-called 'civilized reserve'?"

Loren then asked, "Just because this is the halflings' private territory doesn't mean they can stop developing their canned food business."

Moreover, I've never even heard of this stuff before, so it's obvious that its execution is poor!
There are so many snack vendors in the lower city, but not all of them are halflings!
"Limits... If we're talking about the war domain of your dragons, you could say there are no limits."

Old Aaron's voice also carried a hint of emotion.

"So far, all the latest weapons and equipment are still prioritized for compatibility with ancient dragons. All combat systems and war strategies are also built around the ancient dragons as the absolute core. For example, the most powerful military-grade magic crystal weapons are about half a generation more advanced than those of other demigods."

"The term 'no limit' applies to your dragon race's warfare capabilities, which is why you have always been the strongest war race in the Federation."

"But other races' private territories shouldn't have such high levels of authority, right?"

Loren countered, "Based on my observations of the two cities, the food and beverage industry for the half-humans is mainly concentrated in the central and upper urban areas, and is not the absolute mainstream."

"Yes, other races don't have very high rights to their own private areas. As long as other races don't threaten their core interests, they act normally in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Federation."

"But if your canned food industry, as I said before, completely destroys the small restaurants and food stalls of the halflings, then they can regard you as an ecological threat and physically eliminate you. And this elimination is legal and compliant, and you will not be in the right even if you take it to the federal government."

Old Aaron squinted as he explained to Loren.

Given that this rule was proposed by the druids, if things really develop to that point, the Druid Association would most likely not help someone like him who has disrupted the civilization's ecosystem.

It has to be said that the world is dealing a pretty heavy blow to pre-made food...

That's a good thing, I guess...

While Loren was internally complaining, he was also thinking.

Indeed, the appearance or non-appearance of anything is influenced by many factors. Even something as small as a can of food may be subject to policies and laws that one is unaware of.

However, as long as one's canned food business remains focused on canned goods rather than further pre-cooked meals, the problem is not too serious.

Fortunately, I never intended to get into pre-cooked meals.

Little Red Dragon still needs to eat! If the cook has no way to make a living, how can the diners expect to do well?

"Legal and compliant physical elimination...tsk, this regulation is really simple and crude."

Loren clicked his tongue, showing no fear whatsoever, but instead becoming even more excited.

"In other words, as long as their core interests are not touched and they are not driven to a dead end, normal competition is allowed, right?"

"That's the theory."

Old Aaron nodded, his eyes scrutinizing.

"But how do you define core interests? Those old guys from the Halfling Culinary Masters Association are not easy to talk to. Their dedication to flavor and tradition is unmatched by ordinary people."

A seasoned foodie...

Loren thought silently for a moment, then spoke simply.
“Just bring them in. Halflings have some pickled foods that can be canned. Young people always have new ideas, especially halflings who are naturally lively and good at cooking all kinds of food.” “Broaden your horizons and think of canned food as a kind of food pretreatment, except that this pretreatment can be eaten plain. It’s not here to destroy the cooking family, but to join the family.”

Loren's conceptual transformation and witty remarks left old Aaron completely bewildered.

He thought he was already very good at understanding things, but the little red dragon's thinking speed was just as fast.

"It's really a scary life."

Old Aaron thought to himself.

If Loren knew what the other person was thinking at that moment, he would most likely complain:

I, a transmigrator who has lived two lives, have this kind of perspective. You, an old man who's just holed up in the zoo waiting to die, are the one whose behavior is truly outrageous!

"It would be good if you could think of it that way."

Old Aaron also relaxed.

"So, tell me more about your canned goods plan. What do you need the park to provide?"

"The first thing, of course, is the raw materials."

Loren's spirits lifted, and he began to elaborate on his idea.

"We need to select several fruits and vegetables that are suitable for long-term heating, have unique flavors, and can withstand complex seasonings."

"Regarding this, the druids' ability in plant cultivation is key. Perhaps we can grow sweeter, juicier tomatoes, peppers, or mushrooms with more distinctive aromas?"

"Surely this kind of superior breeding doesn't violate your natural laws?"

Loren suddenly realized that it would be bad if the druids were also a group of stubborn mules who advocated the so-called old breed!
"Of course it doesn't violate the rules. As long as the cultivation process is natural enough, there's no problem."

Old Aaron glanced at Loren with a strange look in his eyes.

"Survival of the fittest is also a natural law, so why do you have this strange perception of druids?"

Of course, there were just too many amazing people on the internet in my past life...

Loren thought to himself.

"Next is the spices and seasonings. The cannibal's family spice blend is the key. We need to obtain authorization or cooperate with them."

"I'll take care of that. There's nothing in the Lower District that I can't negotiate with."

Old Aaron spoke, his voice brimming with confidence.

“Kachah Blackstone is a sensible cannibal. If I go, there shouldn’t be any problems, especially given the exploitation by those partners in the Midtown area. If there’s a stable sales channel where I can have more control, he’ll definitely be interested.”

"Then came the production."

Loren continued speaking, his eyes fixed on the old man in front of him.

“We need a simple workshop. The key steps are sealing the containers and sterilizing them by heating. This part can be assisted by simple magical devices and does not require too advanced technology. The initial scale does not need to be large. We can just test the waters inside the park. It can be used as a unique souvenir or employee benefit.”

"As for who will organize the manpower and how to manage this workshop..."

Loren hesitated for a moment, but his eyes made it very clear.

"It's me again. Among the druids, who else but me understands the technology of magic crystal manufacturing and can recruit people from the lower city to work? Can you do that?"

Old Aaron sighed. He finally understood that Little Red Dragon was telling him all this just to get him to work!

This guy can't stand seeing others having a peaceful time!
He first assigned Maurice a new job, then assigned Evans a scriptwriting job, and now it's his turn!

"Anyway, you're enjoying yourself, right? Alright, I'm going back to rest. Remember to tell Morris that when that music producer comes to call me tomorrow, he should prepare a car to give me a ride. I'll be staying in my original form for a while and won't be turning into human form!"

As Loren spoke, his body transformed, turning into a giant dragon and activating an invisibility spell as he flew toward the Heart of Lava.

Watching the little red dragon's departing figure, old Aaron couldn't help but sigh, but the smile in his eyes was hard to hide.

"Do I enjoy it?... Yes, how could I not enjoy it?"

A food workshop designed by druids, providing the workers in the lower city with some less polluting industrial options, changing the state of the lower city through technology—isn't that what he's always been pursuing?

"The little guy has me wrapped around his little finger."

……

Loren returned to the heart of the lava. He found a spot to lie down, took out the dragon-attribute Thousand-Day Fruit from his storage bag, and took a bite without hesitation.

"Ugh, what a strange taste!"

As Loren bit into the fruit, a taste he had never imagined filled his mouth, devoid of the sweetness or bitterness of fruits and vegetables, but rather a sensation similar to a compound drug.

Is this really a naturally growing plant?
Loren was somewhat puzzled, but this doubt was quickly dispelled as the surging life force within the fruit began to penetrate Loren's limbs and bones, and a unique coolness in his soul swept away his recent fatigue.

Loren felt his mind was clearer than ever before, and he even had a few new ideas for writing that military-grade paper.

At that moment, an almost panic-like hunger appeared in Loren's stomach. Before Loren could find anything to fill his mouth, driven by this hunger, the high-quality magic crystals inside his body began to heat up slightly and melted much faster than before.

After a while, Loren noticed that the hunger began to subside as the magic power from the melting high-level magic crystal flowed into his body, and the melting speed also began to decrease.

"It turns out it was just a temporary state. I thought I could absorb that thing completely in no time."

Loren was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but it was good that he could absorb some of it faster; something was better than nothing.

"Let's start by sorting out the magic, converting this new magic into our own, and while we're at it, think about how to write a military-grade thesis."

With these thoughts in mind, Loren closed his dragon eyes and entered a deep meditation mode.

During his meditation, his body began to slowly grow and change.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, the Transcendentalist organization, amidst a series of bad news from Greenleaf City, finally received some good news.

One of their followers, who possessed the secrets of the magical realm of photography, successfully used a price reduction to become the production team for that small independent music producer's next album. Under his persuasion, the magical realm of the snow mountain was chosen as the filming location for one of the songs featuring the red dragon.

If that red dragon has truly grasped the authority from the Frostfire King, its size must have increased significantly recently in that simulated snow mountain environment!
Once this phenomenon can be observed, the truth of their previous conjectures can be determined!

"Don't let me down, my dear little red dragon."

A red dragon that has grasped that authority and is still growing is far too important for their great future cause!
(End of this chapter)