I'm in Terra

Wei Yanwu shook his head expressionlessly. "It's too long. A month is enough for those thieves to complete everything. Besides, the remaining armed forces within Longmen are simply not enough to clean up the lower city. If we really do that, we will be stuck in a quagmire."

Sir Chen raised his eyebrows and was about to refute Wei Yanwu's statement, but Xingxiong, who was standing beside him, quickly grabbed him and avoided a quarrel.

Wei Yanwu sighed in disappointment and asked pointedly, "Are there any other options? If not, go back to work. I'll find a way to transfer support personnel."

"Chief, wait a moment."

Just as Wei Yanwu was about to stand up, Shi Huaiya, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "I also have a plan."

Wei Yanwu paused and sat back down.

"Oh? Tell me."

"First, deploy heavy troops to guard the customs to reduce infiltration and ensure smooth traffic. At the same time, dispatch a small number of police officers to patrol the edge of the lower city." Shi Huaiya raised her head, her eyes devoid of emotion. "As long as the dispute in the lower city doesn't cross the border, we will ignore it. This will free up a large number of manpower to maintain order in Longmen. Once the gangs are done fighting, we can gather our forces and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Wei Yanwu tapped his pipe, and a smile finally appeared on his expressionless face: "Tell me why you did this."

"The Guards are responsible for maintaining stability and peace in Longmen. The security of Upper City, as the economic and construction center, is of paramount importance. Furthermore, increasing investment in customs will not only improve Longmen's overall import and export efficiency, but also ensure that businesses within Longmen don't withdraw their capital due to the recent chaos. Only by stabilizing these vital forces can we preserve our strength and seek opportunities for counterattack."

Shi Huaiya ignored Chen Huijie's incredulous look and calmly and coldly put forward a new plan.

Unfortunately, no one paid attention to Chen Huijie's expression. Wei Yanwu stared at Shi Huaiya and continued to ask, "What about the Lower Town? What are you going to do?"

"There are people more suited to intervene in the Lower Town dispute than us." Shi Huaiya looked Wei Yanwu straight in the eye and answered word by word, "Since this is a gang dispute, let the gang resolve it. At least until the winner is decided, the Lower Town doesn't need us to intervene."

"Very good, very good. Let's do it." Wei Yanwu smiled gently, then picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp. "I'll go find a few companies with armed forces this afternoon. If nothing goes wrong, they'll report to the Guard Bureau tomorrow. Let's proceed according to your plan. Don't forget, the safety of Longmen is above all else."

After saying that, Wei Yanwu did not stay in the office and left the Guard Bureau with a wave of his sleeves.

"You, you are betraying me!" After Wei Yanwu left, Chen Huijie broke free from Xingxiong's grasp and angrily grabbed Shi Huaiya's collar. "Barbecue Cat, have you taken the wrong medicine? Are the lives of people in the Lower City not human lives? If you continue to do this, do you know how many people will die in the Lower City?"

"Of course, the lives of people in the Lower City are lives, but we have limited resources at our disposal. That's a fact." Shi Huaiya pulled her hair back, a tired look etched in her dark circles. "Fenchanglong, we can't save everyone. Neither you, me, nor the police officers can abandon the entire Longmen to help maintain stability in the Lower City. At least for now, we're powerless."

Snapped----

She slammed her white fist down on the table, and even though the broken wood chips dug deep into her hands, she couldn't let go.

After venting her anger on the table, Chen Huijie slumped down on it in frustration. She knew that Shi Huaiya was right.

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 87 Men's Tacit Understanding

How much work does a lord need to do every day?

If it were an ordinary lord, he would look at you with his head tilted and ask you what your job is.

But if Victoria were to answer this question, the answer would be three to five hours.

In reality, even a lord who cared deeply about the development of his territory wouldn't have many hours to work each day. This vast land was never short of high-end talent, and all he had to do was usually initiate and oversee.

For example, Norvinsk.

As the city where Victoria started his career, he did not forget about it after becoming the governor. Although the topography and environment of Norvinsk were not as good as other large cities, these things were never a problem for Victoria.

Those who obey me enjoy wealth and glory, while those who disobey me live in hunger and wind and snow every day.

It has nothing to do with the weather or the topography. My (Victori's) will is the most important thing in Luxembourg.

This was the signal that Victoria had always conveyed to his subordinates, and it was also the way he ruled them. The relatively rich territories in the west gradually became deserted under this policy, while the barren areas in the northeast and south were reclaimed through the efforts of a large number of workers.

Obeying instructions and complying with policies is the only way to live a good life in Luxembourg.

Of these, the most accomplished were naturally Paul Bush and Norvinsk. As Victor's subordinate, the young and agile Paul perfectly inherited Victor's plan for Norvinsk, pioneering the policy of a special zone for infected individuals, which ensured the area had the highest quality infected individuals.

Veteran farmers, workers who were accidentally infected, and even scientific teams were preparing to form. It could be said that Norvinsk's rapid growth was a perfect example of Victor's determination, and Paul's excellent work ethic reassured Victor.

Victor would review all the cities under Luxembourg once a month, but for Norvinsk, Victor would let Dorothy do it when he was busy (lazy).

This is both a trust given to Norvinsk and a pampering that allows Dorothy to go home and relax occasionally.

But at the same time, Victoria was more aware of another point.

That is, no matter how much you trust someone, you still have to do the necessary checks. The collapse of countless dynasties stems from the "trust" passed down layer by layer.

"Well done! At this rate, Norvinsk's permanent population will soon be able to increase again."

After reading the briefing, Victoria put down the document with satisfaction.

Compared with the naive soldier Paul at the beginning, Lord Paul, who has now undergone special training by Dorothy, has initially acquired qualified political qualities.

At least Norvinsk's policy was no longer a complete copy of the answer given by Victoria, and Paul also tried to make minor refinements based on the original.

It's like a person who can only score 60 points in the exam, but after training he can understand a test paper worth 90 points, and even correct a wrong question to make the test paper worth 91 points.

This does not mean that Paul can get 90 points in the exam independently, but at least if he takes the exam with the paper, he can maintain a score of around 90 points.

that's enough.

Those who achieve great things do not pay attention to trivial matters. Paul has done well enough, so there is no need for Victoria to demand perfection from him.

"Come with me to visit the various factories later. Didn't I notify you specifically?"

Paul smiled and personally put on Victoria's coat. "Of course, although the workers have consciously increased their workload over the past few days, at least this is a reasonable effort, isn't it?"

"Being willing to compete and work hard is always better than being stagnant." Victoria patted Paul on the shoulder. In just a few months, Paul had transformed from a spirited young man into a mature man. His extensive thinking had given him a scholarly air and a more mature look.

But Victor still looked like a handsome young man. It was obvious that he consumed much more mental and physical energy than Paul, but he still looked childish. This made the two men who originally looked like brothers now have a clear age difference.

The maintenance effect of the wine pool is far better than any other medicine. Perhaps the Hippocampus bloodline in Victoria is also playing a role.

Paul also noticed this, but he was not jealous. Instead, he was very grateful. Victoria's strength meant Luxembourg's strength, and it also meant the revival of the Bush family.

Instead of caring about Victoria's unchanging baby face, Paul is more concerned about when Dorothy will get pregnant. At least this news is the top priority of the Bush family at the moment.

"By the way, I have prepared a welcome party tonight. How about staying and relaxing for a night?" Although his mind was full of messy things, Paul's thoughts were still clear.

Every time Dorothy came back, he would arrange some relaxing activities and supplements to help her relax. And when Victoria came, he would secretly arrange a dinner party, inviting some business officials from within Norvinsk and some girls he thought had great potential.

As a man, back in the days before video games and war, this was the only hobby he'd have. Paul particularly understood and envied Victoria's hobby; he'd occasionally participated in some of the military's fun activities. But now...

He was almost fed up with dealing with all kinds of things every day, so he had no time to find a woman. The dinner party with Victoria was one of the few times he had fun.

"Of course, but as usual, don't tell Dorothy." Victoria readily agreed to Paul's invitation. He did not forget that last time he returned to Norvinsk, Paul actually found a pair of identical twin girls for him. Victoria still remembered that ultimate enjoyment.

It’s a pity that both girls have no cultural talent, otherwise Victoria would definitely not mind finding two places to accommodate the twins.

As if sensing Victoria's thoughts, Paul leaned over and whispered in Victoria's ear, "By the way, I sponsored the twins' education last time in the name of the Norvinsk City Hall. As for their families, I also sent a lot of financial aid in various ways. Maybe in a few years, you'll have a pair of perfect girls."

"Hahaha, the one who understands me best is Paul." Victoria chuckled twice and patted Paul's shoulder in appreciation. "But business is more important. Let's talk about tonight's surprise tonight, okay?"

Paul nodded and took the initiative to stand up and lead the way: "You have the final say."

Since Paul had sent the delicious food from the last banquet for further study, tonight's feast would naturally be a new delicacy. Victory was naturally aware of Paul's subtext, but he wouldn't deliberately expose it.

After all, gifts are fun when they’re surprising, right?

PS: Next chapter, the rise of Penguin Logistics.

Wine Pond and Meat Forest: 88 Dinner Prelude

In the brand new factory, large amounts of iron ore are circling on conveyor belts. Workers are cleaning the snow and dirt on them, and then sending the processed iron ore to the testing room.

The raw ore stripped from the soil is sorted into different grades at the monitoring station and then sent to different smelting stations for further processing. Lower-quality iron ore is simply smelted into common items such as farm tools, while higher-quality ore is smelted into iron or steel ingots for military use or export.

This set of processes has been used in Norvinsk for decades, and Victoria has fully tapped their potential.

Where machines can handle something, manpower is never wasted. Factories also don't skimp on manpower when manual operation or identification is required.

With the Longmen sales channel opened up, Norvinsk has no worries about not being able to sell its steel. Whether it is consumed internally by the army or shipped via long-distance trade routes, these high-quality steels can find extremely high-quality exports.

"Well done. There's no need to expand the scale for now. Even though industry accounts for the bulk of Norvinsk's revenue and expenditure, you must control the overall proportion and at least prevent the city from developing abnormally."

Amidst the bustling crowd, several people in protective suits passed by the assembly line. Leading the group were none other than Victor and Paul. To avoid disrupting production and preventing fraud, Paul didn't notify too many higher-ups. Instead, he casually called an assistant and began his inspection with Victor.

After the inspection, Victoria was very satisfied. If every lord could be as conscientious as Paul, he could have stayed in Luxembourg and lived a hands-off life.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stay put, because this wasn't just a question of his subordinates' abilities; it also concerned whether someone might be secretly plotting something. Victory wasn't naive enough to think he could rest easy after receiving a position from the Imperial Parliament. The impregnability of his territory was his minimum requirement.

It was foreseeable that in the near future, he would most likely be forced to fight. At that time, he would have to use the energy of a mobile city to fight against the legions of multiple families. If some internal problems broke out at that time, he would truly be killed without a burial place.

Therefore, operations in Luxembourg have always been a top priority for Victoria.

"Maintaining the city's balance?" Paul nodded thoughtfully. "I see. How about opening new factories near those small towns? That would both disperse industrial concentration and boost the surrounding economy."

"That's a good idea, but be careful of those greedy entrepreneurs." Victoria nodded approvingly. "Don't forget, we're not giving them the right to operate so they can make money, but so they can secure sufficient resources for us. Population and public support are also extremely valuable resources. We must not allow them to over-consume the prestige accumulated by City Hall."

Paul nodded in agreement. "I understand. Where else should we go next?"

Victoria waved his hand and raised an eyebrow through his protective suit. "No, that's all for this inspection. I'm going to go wash up and look forward to tonight's dinner."

Paul returned a knowing smile: "Don't worry, I will definitely satisfy you."

At the same time, Mr. Philip also sent people to find the Penguin Logistics trio wandering the streets of Norvinsk. In just a few days, this beautiful snow town completely conquered the three girls.

As well-informed messengers, they had more or less seen or heard rumors about Ursus. But here, all their prejudices and preconceived notions were completely shattered. With jobs and financial resources, the Ursus people didn't mind showing their hospitality.

In just two days, the three of them met all kinds of hospitable shopkeepers in various stores, and the rubles they received were turned into various clothes and specialties during these few days.

If Philip hadn't remembered to look for them, Angel would have doubted whether she was here for tourism.

"Girls, are you having fun?"

Exia and Croissant looked at each other and laughed in unison: "Of course, this place is more interesting than we imagined."

"That's good." Philip smiled gently, a hint of pride in his smile. "I'm glad that my hometown has satisfied you all. Don't worry, it will take another day or two to integrate the resources, so you still have time to experience the customs of Ursus."

Texas, who was listening on the side, tilted his head and asked, "So what does Mr. Philip want to see us about this time?"

"The banquet I told you about last time," Philip reminded, "has been confirmed to be tonight. I think you should be interested in attending, right?"

"Of course!" Croissant rubbed her hands excitedly. She had been curious about high society banquets for a long time. She had never had the chance to attend one at Longmen, but she didn't expect to encounter such a good thing in Ursus.

I heard that the food at the banquet is unlimited, so I will definitely be able to eat to my heart's content...

Seeing that Croissant had immediately accepted Philip's invitation, Angel and Texas could only smile with a hint of embarrassment. Of course, their embarrassment wasn't because they didn't want to go, but because Croissant's obvious attempt to take advantage of the situation was too embarrassing.

Philip didn't mind at all. Instead, he smiled and reminded them, "Since you're interested, there are a few things I must clarify with you in advance. First, since you're attending a dinner party, it's best to prepare a suitable suit. While casual clothes or even combat uniforms are acceptable, they would be too conspicuous. Of course, considering that you're all guests of Tarkov Industries, I'll take care of these small matters for you. Just follow me to the Bush family's clothing store."

"Oh, an evening gown? It sounds very formal." Croissant nodded thoughtfully. Texas is a natural clothes hanger. If she wore an evening gown, maybe she would be more eye-catching?

"Secondly, there are many nobles attending the banquet, including many single young talents. If you receive any invitations to dance or other events, you may accept them if you are interested. If not, you may politely decline. But remember, be as polite as possible and avoid any conflict or even physical violence. With the lord in attendance at this banquet, no one will seek unpleasantness."

"Be polite, eh? Got it." Exia nodded, seeming to understand. "Anything else?"

Philip smiled and said, "No, just enjoy the Ursus banquet."

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 8...9 The Immortal Cup is so beautiful

In snow-covered Ursus, there is no better entertainment than a pleasant dinner.

Whether it is a village in the countryside or a city with tall buildings, a banquet is the entertainment that everyone dreams of.

The dinner party hosted by Lord Paul of Norvinsk was undoubtedly the best among them.

To ensure the quality of the banquets, Paul renovated Norvinsk's only opera house. This building, the only one associated with luxury, was extensively renovated. Normally, it was open to the public, catering to merchants, officials, and even distant visitors.

If there is an important holiday or an important guest visits, this place can be transformed into a perfect dinner hall in just a few hours.

“Pizza, barbecue, calzone… wow, they even have dumplings here?”

Following Philip's footsteps, the girls from Penguin Logistics arrived at the dinner. After being dressed by a professional clothing store, the three of them changed into a dress that matched their style.

All three were beautiful women, each with their own distinct styles. The owner of the clothing store spent very little time preparing their outfits.

Texas opted for a formal dress, opting instead for a deep blue and black gown. A long cape draped over her shoulders resembled an exquisite gown. Underneath the cape was a sophisticated, elegant velvet skirt and thigh-high boots. Accessorized with elegant black gloves and long black stockings, she concealed every inch of her skin except her head, creating an untouchable, mysterious presence.

In contrast, Exia and Croissant behind her were much simpler. Perhaps wanting to experiment with a different style, Exia opted for a more lively children's or sportswear outfit, instead donning a luxurious red and white long dress. While her height barely allowed for this outfit, her delicate features and unique aura made her stand out from the crowd.

As for the croissants...

At the croissant lady's strong request, Croissant only wore a white dress on the outside, using simple decorations to show her cuteness and liveliness.

Feeling the countless gazes on the girls behind him, Philip, who was leading the way, raised his lips slightly. He took the girls on a brief tour of the banquet hall, then said goodbye and left, disappearing into a crowd of merchants.

The three of them were also happy to relax. Croissant had been craving the delicious food along the way for a long time. After the tour, he couldn't wait to pull the two of them to the rest area.

Just as Croissant and Exia were enjoying their meal, the most perceptive Texas noticed something was wrong.

The party had clearly begun, and many people were warming up by slow dancing to the music in the central area. There were also many girls waiting eagerly around the three of them, but the 'invitation' that Philip mentioned had not yet begun.

It's not that she's arrogant from Texas. When she was strolling around just now, she had already noticed countless eyes on the three of them. But now that the three of them are acting alone, no man has come up to invite them. It's really strange.

"Maybe it's because people here are more reserved." Exia chewed a piece of pizza. As a long-time partner, Texas guessed what he was thinking the moment he looked up. "Those dancing on the dance floor all seem to be acquaintances. Maybe there's some special custom for making friends here."