People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Not everyone reads Science Weekly, so you can't expect scientists to promote it for you, can you?

Therefore, although Rhodes Island's business has improved slightly recently, it is still insufficient to support the daily operating costs of this massive landship. Not to mention the numerous personnel on the island who require daily expenses.

If the economic situation continues to deteriorate, Kal'tsit will have no choice but to take some drastic measures.

For example, taking on other jobs—such as working as an "infected person danger prevention organization" to go deep into Originium-contaminated areas that others are unwilling to go into, to help others deal with some troubles.

To put it simply, they are mercenaries.

Alternatively, they could simply open Rhodes Island up and charge exorbitant treatment fees by accepting some unintentionally infected nobles, wealthy people, and their children and friends.

These are all ways to reduce costs and increase revenue.

Kal'tsit was considering which one to try first, but Amiya spoke up first:

“Dr. Kal'tsit, we actually have a new order. But the other party's requirements are strange... and the price they offered is very low, but they said they can help us open up the Victoria market. I think I need to discuss it with you.”

Kal'tsit snapped out of her daze and looked at Amiya with some confusion:

"To expand into the Victorian market? Is it some Victorian nobleman?"

“No.” Amiya shook her head. “It’s the Prime Minister of Shelag, Mr. Ernst Shivaesh.”

"Shelagh?"

Kal'tsit was stunned.

She had virtually no recollection of Sherag.

Don't laugh; this is enough to show how lucky Sherag is. You see, countries that leave an impression on Kal'tsit rarely end well.

As for Ernst Siwassh, Kelsey did remember him. She had also seen his speech from a while ago.

Humanitarianism is a wonderful word. I hope that one day the people of Terra will truly be able to practice it from the bottom of their hearts without being "called upon" by others.

"Does Seraphim need an inhibitor?" Kal'tsit asked.

She thought that Sherag, like the green-skinned crocodiles in the Sargon rainforest, had an attitude of "Can this rock be eaten?" towards Oripathy.

Amiya shook her head: "They don't need it. Mr. Shivaash's order is that he hopes the Rhodes Island landships can help... uh, handle the logistics from Columbia to Sherag."

Kal'tsit didn't react for a moment: "What do you mean?"

"He wants us to drive Rhodes Island to haul building materials for them, like carbon blocks, steel, and bricks," Amiya said, covering her face.

To be honest, she couldn't understand it either. Isn't Rhodes Island a medical company? Why would Mr. Ernst Shivaish invite Rhodes Island to handle logistics and transportation?

Dr. Kal'tsit's publicity strategy wasn't wrong. Our published papers aren't about civil engineering or logistics management. Isn't this a bit off-topic?

Amiya had no idea that the respected Dr. Kal'tsit standing in front of her had just been thinking about having Rhodes Island impersonate a mercenary company and a large containment facility.

To Amiya's surprise, Dr. Kal'tsit, who had finally come to her senses, was not angry at Ernst's request. Instead, she showed a subtle but genuinely interested expression:

Did he leave any contact information or send a messenger?

"We can discuss this in detail."

Chapter 141 Jeragand: I've learned it!

Shelag, Manju Academy.

Ernst was quite confident in the compensation he offered to Rhodes Island.

He specifically consulted Christen about Rhodes Island's current situation. From the commander's slightly bewildered gaze, Ernst arrived at an answer.

Rhodes Island probably hasn't really taken off yet.

Ernst didn't expect to become an original shareholder of Rhodes Island by investing money in it. First, his reputation as the Riddler of Kal'tsit was so high that he was unlikely to accept the investment. Second, Ernst himself didn't have enough money, let alone the funds to invest in others.

Even the investment proposal for the new Siesta development zone brought by Ceylon, Ernst plans to put it aside for now, not in a hurry, and discuss it again when he has spare money.

Although he couldn't offer much money, Ernst had many good connections he could recommend to Rhodes Island.

As is widely known, even the Grand Secretary Christensen knew that Ernst had many friends.

These friends also wield a small amount of influence in Victoria.

Not many. He only commanded a few troops, fought a few battles of some renown, and managed a dozen or so mobile cities.

And, quite coincidentally, one of these two friends was a duke—and guess what? The other was also a duke!

In Terra, a world where warfare primarily utilizes Originium weapons and Originium Arts, there is no magical concept of "spell clashes and bomb explosions without causing widespread contamination and infection." The contaminating nature of Originium is an objective reality; even an accidental scratch carries a very high probability of causing Oripathy, with miracles being extremely rare.

Therefore, the procurement of Oripathy inhibitors has always been a military necessity within the duchy.

Ernst did know something about Rhodes Island.

As the protagonist of the game Arknights, Rhodes Island is often associated with memes like "pretending to be a medical company" or "is Rhodes Island a medical company?" But no one has ever questioned Rhodes Island's efforts to help patients with Oripathy or the effectiveness of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals.

Simply put, Ernst didn't think they would sell fake medicine.

Ernst wouldn't feel any pressure recommending them to the Duke of Windermere or the Duke of Wellington.

Whether the dukes accept Rhodes Island's medicine or not is another matter entirely.

Ernst knew that the Victoria Dukes' troops and their procurement of military supplies would inevitably involve stakeholders and wouldn't be easily changed. But that was something Rhodes Island needed to worry about.

Ernst was merely providing an opportunity. Without this opportunity, Rhodes Island would have had virtually no chance of getting a piece of the pie, but with this opportunity, Rhodes Island at least had a stage to compete on.

Even if they fail, being able to participate in the competition for military supplies for the Duke's army is a significant achievement in the industry, which will greatly help them expand their influence. Rhodes Island won't lose out either way.

Moreover, Ernst had prepared two contingency plans.

If Kelsey is not satisfied with the first plan and is unwilling to take this uncertain gamble, Ernst can also help them expand into the Victorian market.

Trade through Kalan.

In the agreement reached between Ernst and the Duke of Windermere, the Carlan Trading Company enjoyed a variety of preferential policies and privileges in the Duchy of Windermere, making it arguably the Duke's most trusted and favored enterprise.

Meanwhile, on the Duke of Wellington's side, Ernst, having completed his task of causing trouble for the Duke of Caesar, also received the reward he deserved.

Part of this compensation is that when the Carlan trades within the Duchy of Wellington, they can be treated as local businesses and enjoy local policy benefits.

Without tax exemption, taxes still had to be paid, and being treated as a local enterprise would subject it to many local policy restrictions. Objectively, it didn't receive as much as the Duke of Windermere, but it still managed to steadily open up a market.

Ernst negotiated with Ensiodis and Kal'tsit to allow Kal'lan Trade to become Rhodes Island's agent within the two duchies for a pre-agreed period. This would allow Rhodes Island to leverage Kal'lan Trade's preferential policies to gain access to the markets of the two duchies, and then the profits would be reasonably negotiated and distributed.

This method certainly won't earn as much as the first one, since that's the most profitable military supply. But it's more stable and highly feasible.

Of course, Ernst wouldn't use this method often.

The two dukes offered this reward because of their appreciation of Ernst and their understanding of the scale of the Carlan trade.

I know that even if your company, located at the bottom of the production chain, receives these preferential policies, it won't disrupt the market. But if Ernst uses this loophole-exploiting tactic to attract high-end companies to everyone he meets, even the greatest trust will be eroded.

Everything should be done in moderation. This is an experience Ernst accumulated from his previous life.

If someone buys you a Sprite, they're a good friend. But if someone gives you a bottle of Moutai, you should worry that they might be trying to harm you.

However, that's what they say. Ultimately, the decision rests with Amiya and Kal'tsit.

Ernst was, at best, a familiar stranger to these two. He knew nothing about their personalities, preferences, or backgrounds; he only judged them based on his limited gaming experience that they should both be of Lawful Good, or at least of Neutral Good alignment.

Whether they will accept my proposal remains to be seen.

Therefore, he also had to make two preparations.

This is why he came to Manju Academy.

After greeting Miss Ya'er, who was cleaning, the black-haired girl smiled and nodded to Ernst before leaving the hall, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Ernst opened his backpack.

A robotic vacuum cleaner brought back from Rhine Life in Colombia, a bag of millet from Leinstershire, Duke of Wellington, Victoria, and obsidian souvenirs from Siesta.

He respectfully placed the souvenirs he had brought back from this trip on the altar table in Yeragand, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

"Great God Yeragand, are you there?"

"exist."

Wow, that was fast, practically a second reply! Has Jeragand been guarding his offering table the whole time?

Ernst couldn't help but have a thought pop into his mind—if I were to suddenly do something reckless and overturn the altar right now, would it start raining in Sherag only after the chickens have pecked all the rice, the dogs have licked all the flour, and the fire has burned through the lock?

While he might think about it, Ernst would never become the governor of Fengxian County, lest he displease the Jade Emperor, who is in charge of the real affairs.

He paused, carefully choosing his words, and cautiously asked:

"Great God Yeragand, regarding the question I asked you last time, since you haven't given me an answer yet..."

Ernst brought up the question from last time about whether Jeragund could create a stable airflow zone over Shelag.

Jeragand's reply at the time was that he would answer Ernst through the sacred stone in a few days.

But Ernst waited and waited, and not only did he not receive a reply, the divine stone didn't even light up.

Ernst even suspected that Jeragund might have fallen asleep again. Unfortunately, Jeragund was a god, not a servant, and Ernst didn't dare to urge him.

After much deliberation, I decided that I would have no choice but to bring the offerings and ask again.

But to Ernst's surprise, Jeragand, who had just been replying instantly, seemed to have experienced a network delay this time, and did not respond for a long time.

Ernst found it strange and could only guess based on his experience.

Does not speaking mean something is wrong?

If it doesn't work, then forget it. Ernst doesn't necessarily need to create an artificial flight environment. This is just an immature backup plan after all. If Rhodes Island can help, then the transportation problem will be solved directly, and there will be no need for air transport.

Ernst brought this up largely because he wanted to see if he could lend Christen a hand.

He's not exactly a saint; he only acts in a way that's true to himself and doesn't cross any lines. But when faced with a dreamer aspiring to conquer the world, if it won't harm him, he'll lend a hand if he can.

Who knows, maybe in the future they'll reciprocate and give Ernst a big surprise or something?

Just as Ernst was about to skip the topic and talk about something else, Jeragand finally spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of pride:

"I have already learned the theory."

"I just went to do an experiment."

"We should hesitate!"

Chapter 142 The Sherag Defense Conference

Shelag, Tukarim.

Ernst's schedule was truly busy; since returning from Siesta, he had hardly had a moment's rest.

Having just returned from Manjusang, he went to Kalan Trade.

However, this time, he wasn't there to discuss any cooperation with Enciodes. He was there to see someone else.

"Latatos, how are you feeling?"

Walking through the modern tiled corridor of the Kalan Trade Center, Ernst looked at Latatos, who had changed into a fitted women's suit.

To be honest, Latatos is indeed a beauty. Although her figure is not voluptuous, it is definitely well-proportioned. In the past, when she was dressed in the attire of the head of the Blanto family, it was not so obvious. But now, dressed in a business suit, her mature and professional demeanor is immediately revealed.

It's a bit of a shame that she still doesn't seem to have the habit of wearing makeup; the thick dark circles under her eyes are still very noticeable and show no signs of fading. This makes her look somewhat gloomy. Instead of becoming a powerful career woman or a domineering female CEO after her change of status, she gives off the impression of a weak, seemingly easy-to-bully, and often bullied senior female figure.

Of course, Ernst wasn't worried that the aura that came with these physical features might suggest some non-existent truth.

The majority of the trade in Karan is still conducted by Sherag people. Although most of them are subjects of the Shivaish family, who would dare to really harm the patriarch of another major family?

Faced with Ernst's question, Latatos's usually weary face showed a hint of gratitude:

“It was a bit difficult at the beginning. Even with your support and Enciodis’s tacit approval, not everyone within Kalan Trade recognized me as their newly appointed leader. Not to mention, the shares I hold were taken from Nosis Edwis.”

"He lost to me fair and square. It was a mutually agreeable transaction, so how can you call it robbery?"

Ernst corrected Latatos's mistake and then asked:

"From what you're saying, Nohis has quite a bit of influence in the trade of Kalan?"

Latatos replied, "After all, he was the former CTO of Kalan Trading and one of its founders. Many employees are quite upset about his exclusion from the board of directors."

Ernst nodded.

The influence of Nohis Edwis on the Carlan trade was something Ernst hadn't considered.

In his memory, Nohis was a bad person, both in terms of temper and reputation, and many of the employees of Kalan Trading had a lot of complaints about him.