Chapter 227 That’s hard to say
Horace stood at the construction site near the Horace Textile Factory, holding the wooden box containing the money in both hands, and a trace of physical pain flashed across his face.
"As soon as the money was given out, I felt really bad... I saved this all through frugality." He muttered in a low voice, his eyes wandering.
【The rich man who eats dirt】 smiled half-heartedly, walked forward and said with a hint of ridicule.
"Mr. Horace, I am a reasonable person. If you really can't bear to regret it, that's fine. I won't force you."
When Horace heard this, a flash of panic flashed across his face.
Especially thinking of the revenge scene of the Grizzly Bear Gang, he couldn't help but feel chills running down his spine, shuddering, and quickly put on a stiff smile.
“Look at what you said, I, Horace, am the person who believes in the spirit of contract the most...how could I go back on my word.”
Spirit of contract.
That is really a new word.
【The rich man who eats dirt】 looked at him with a smile and did not take the fart in his mouth to heart at all.
Horace knew that he was asking for trouble, so he stopped talking and reluctantly handed over the cash box.
At the same time, he was cursing in his heart, wishing that Saint Sith would send down the Holy Light and send these greedy wolves to hell.
Saint Sis is up there!
The business environment in Thunder City is really terrible. Her Highness Irene Campbell was too busy caring about the poor people and completely ignored such a pious poor person like him!
If it were not for the sake of gold coins, he would really want to leave here.
Of course, he has not yet decided where to go after leaving here...
[The rich man who eats dirt] took the box containing the money and threw it on the building materials aside with a nonchalant expression.
After all, they come from the necropolis, use Hades coins, and have no idea about these gold coins.
Watching Horace leave, [Jade-Faced and Hand-Tired King] curiously picked up a gold coin, played with it in his hand, and said with interest.
"We have been playing this game for a while, and this is the first time I have seen this kind of golden currency."
The rewards given by the Adventurer's Guild are mostly copper coins and silver coins, and general living supplies can be purchased with copper coins, and some alchemy props and magic equipment produced by the human kingdom use silver coins.
The sun shines on the gold coins, reflecting the dazzling light and attracting everyone's attention.
[Iron-blooded Fat Man] rolled his eyes, an idea popped into his head, and he shouted excitedly.
"How about we use these gold coins to buy NPC's things, and then move them to the necropolis to exchange them for ghost coins, maybe we can make a lot of money!"
"Isn't that just taking off your pants and farting," [Jade Faced Hand Tired King] rolled his eyes, "The bank in the necropolis can exchange NPC's money."
"Yeah, I forgot about it, hehe... By the way, what is the exchange ratio, do you remember?" Brother Fat Man rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
Several players looked at each other. [Canglang Lame] closed his eyes in silence, exited the game and opened the official website forum to inquire.
Apart from the most reliable local tycoon brother, the lame brother is the second most reliable person in the entire adventure group.
After a moment of waiting, his eyes reopened, his pupils flashing with excitement.
Hence, without waiting for other players to ask, he said with a trembling voice.
"I found out... 1 gold coin is equal to 10,000 copper coins, and the exchange ratio between copper coins and Hades coins is 1:1."
He swallowed a gulp of saliva, looked at the stunned eyes, and said the second half of the sentence with difficulty.
"In other words, we have 5 million on hand..."
5 million!
The moment they heard this number, everyone took a breath of cold air. Even Brother Hao, who didn't care at first, looked at the wooden box with surprise.
"Holy shit... is this thing so valuable?"
Five million hell coins is not a lot for top players, but for them who only joined the game in version A08, it is an astronomical sum!
They worked in the maze for more than a week and didn't even earn a fraction of the money. As a result, they beat up a group of hooligans and this huge sum of money automatically flew into their hands!
It’s more than that!
After the entire project is completed, Horace will have to pay them a huge final payment!
It was not until this moment that they realized what a considerable wealth they held in their hands.
At the same time, they also saw the huge business opportunities and development space hidden in Thunder City!
"Calm down... calm down your breathing first! Huh!"
【The rich man who eats dirt】 took a deep breath, calmed down with a group of excited partners, and began to discuss the use of the funds.
Although it is not impossible to exchange all of them into Hades coins, it is obviously not the option with the greatest benefits.
After some discussion, they first went to the tavern to get some information and learned about the operating rules of the local construction industry, and then went to the bank with most of the funds.
In order to smooth the follow-up procurement matters, [The Soil-Eating Rich] brought along Karl, the "Chief Architect" of the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group.
Karl learned that he had to go to the bank to handle funds and purchase matters. He was not only surprised by his boss's ability to take action, but he was also pleasantly surprised.
This elderly gentleman tidied his clothes, then took the design drawings and related materials, and walked towards the bank with the [rich man who eats dirt].
He had no intention of making any money outside of his quota, so it is best for the boss to understand the rules.
This can also reduce the cost of trust between the two parties.
The bank in the industrial area is not far from Horace's textile factory. It is located in the center of a factory area, with thick smoke billowing from the surrounding chimneys.
The main body of the bank building is made of thick bricks and stones, with tall columns supporting a wide porch. Although there is no luxurious decoration, it exudes a calm atmosphere, highlighting its extraordinary style.
The emblem on the door is an improved coat of arms of the Andes family.
Walking inside the bank, the lobby is spacious and bright, with simple magic chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, emitting a dim and soft light.
The floor is paved with slightly rough stone slabs, and the footsteps of people coming and going echo in the hall.
· Staff members in dark uniforms are busy behind the neatly arranged wooden counters. They are focused, skilled in movement, and handle various businesses in an orderly manner. The business here mainly handles the business of nearby factories, and the financial transactions of the factories are densely recorded on the account books.
[The rich man who eats dirt] and Carl walked towards an account manager. [The rich man who eats dirt] was the first to speak, clearly stating his intention to make a deposit and his desire for the bank to connect with Carl for purchasing.
The account manager received him warmly, and then guided them through a series of rigorous deposit procedures according to standardized procedures, and properly deposited 400 gold coins into the account.
The banks owned by the Andes family are very professional in handling capital transactions. After all, they have hundreds of years of history. They even have their own factories and mines as supply channels that can be introduced to customers in need.
Even though there are many sloppy places in the world's industry regulations, the Andes family's emblem is enough to be a guarantee that convinces all parties.
This is also the biggest reason why they can endure in the financial industry for a long time. Even the royal family borrows money from them.
After making the deposit, Karl took out the design drawings and communicated with the account manager about the procurement details, confirming them one by one from the type, specification and quantity of the building materials.
The rich man who eats dirt added his thoughts and requirements on the side, solemnly instructing the account manager to work closely with Karl, accurately control and record the flow of every fund, and make every effort to ensure that the construction of the dormitory building meets expectations.
After listening to the customer's needs, the account manager in formal attire patted his chest and reassured.
"Please rest assured, we will definitely handle every matter according to your requirements and ensure that every money of yours is spent where it should be spent."
"This is the best." Carl took off his hat and solemnly shook the account manager's hand, "It's a pleasure to work with you."
The account manager shook back with a smile.
「Happy cooperation!」
After finishing all the matters, [The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] said goodbye to Carl and returned to the construction site.
Standing in the middle of the construction site, he cleared his throat and called the names of Tom and others.
Not long after, a group of team members, including Tom, gathered from various construction areas, covered with dust and doubts. They didn’t know why the boss called them here.
[The rich man who eats dirt] took a deep breath, solemnly took out the heavy 50 gold coins from his arms, untied the buckle of the money bag and waved it in front of everyone.
The collision of gold coins made a crisp sound, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"Brothers, listen up, as long as you work for me in a down-to-earth manner, you will not only get the agreed salary, but also when our project is completed, everyone will have a gold coin bonus! Yes, all of you have a share!"
He said one word at a time, his voice was firm and powerful, and it spread far in the noisy construction site.
When Tom and others heard this, they were stunned for a moment, as if they couldn't believe their ears.
That is a gold coin!
They have lived for so long and have never even seen what the emperor printed on the gold coins looks like?
When they came to their senses, excited expressions gradually appeared on their faces. Some people were breathing rapidly, some were flushed, and their eyes were even wet.
Especially Tom, his lips were trembling with excitement, he clenched his fists, his voice was choked, and he promised loudly.
"Don't worry, boss, we will do a good job!"
Not just him, a stooped man in the crowd, wearing coarse linen clothes, stood up and raised his voice and shouted urgently.
"That's it! The boss trusts us so much, we must not let the chain slip!"
That voice spoke the thoughts of countless people, and it quickly received echoes one after another.
"That's right!"
"We have to do this job well, and we can't live up to the boss's wishes!"
The members around us spoke to each other. Although their words were plain and simple, their eyes were full of determination and gratitude.
Looking at their excited expressions, [The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] couldn't help but feel slightly touched in his heart, and took a deep breath and said.
"Don't worry, as long as you don't let me down, I will definitely live up to you!"
After motivating the members, [The Soil-Eating Rich] went back to meet the other players, carefully put away the remaining 50 gold coins, and kept them properly.
They know in their hearts that the remaining 50 gold coins are crucial and are the daily working capital to deal with emergencies.
In this game world full of variables, no one knows what will happen in the next second.
With this funding, it is like they have more confidence. When facing unknown difficulties, they can be more calm and able to cope with them.
Since there were too many things to deal with on the construction site, the four players decided to postpone their return to the maze after some discussion, planning to wait until they had established a foothold in the new factory area before leaving.
Since they have lagged too far behind the progress of the new activities, it is not easy to catch up now. It is better to focus on the artificial human gameplay updated in the A08 version and see if they can earn more benefits from the human society on the surface.
Just like that, another three days passed.
The news that the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group had defeated Balk, the Grizzly Bear Gang, was like a strong whirlwind, spreading rapidly on this street at an unimaginable speed, making everyone aware of it.
Especially because Balk has not appeared these days, it further proves the authenticity of the rumors.
After hearing the news, those factory owners who were accustomed to being careful and careful in their daily lives felt as if they had discovered a new continent. They could not restrain their excitement and came to the construction site non-stop, eager to seek cooperation with this famous adventure group.
At the same time, the construction site of the dormitory building of the Horace Textile Factory was a bustling scene.
Rough stones and yellowed logs are piled next to the newly laid foundation. The workers are working hard in the sun with bare arms. Everyone is exerting their strength, exhausted but full of hope.
Simple scaffolding was erected crookedly, and not far away a few strong horses were pulling a simple winch, slowly lifting the heavy stones, making a dull "crunching" sound.
The air is filled with the smell of dust and sweat, mixed with the fragrance of newly felled wood.
【The rich man who eats dirt】puts his hands behind his back and patrols his "territory".
His "subordinate" Karl stood not far away, tall and straight, directing the workers to work in an orderly manner.
The old gentleman has a rosy complexion and a majestic appearance, as if he is more than ten years younger, and he is a master at conducting.
And [the rich man who eats dirt] is also happy to leave these troublesome things to reliable people to take care of. After all, he is not very professional and only knows a little bit about the construction industry.
· The game world is different from the real world. The social background here must be referenced in the early industrial revolution. The system of the construction industry was not yet perfect. Designers often served as contractors, and sometimes they had to do it themselves.
After all, no one understands the drawings they draw better than designers, and many of the farmers who come to work cannot even read, let alone understand complex design intentions.
While he was looking at the construction site, a plump factory owner hurried from the entrance of the construction site with a flattering smile on his face.
Before [the rich man who eats dirt] asked him the reason for his visit, the man spoke enthusiastically.
"Dear... uh, Mr. "Dirt-Eating Rich"? I have a brand new factory project on hand recently, and it is quite big! I sincerely want to ask you to help with the construction. We can easily negotiate the price, and you will never suffer a loss!"
This guy's name is a bit strange. After he heard about it, he read it for a long time before he remembered it.
[The rich man who eats dirt] was slightly stunned for a moment, and then said in a dumbfounded voice.
Is there a shortage of people? The refugee camp is full of cheap people. If you need it, I can help you contact them!"
As he spoke, he kept wiping the sweat on his forehead due to excitement and anxiety, his eyes full of anticipation.
【The rich man who eats dirt】before he could organize a verbal response, another set of footsteps came from the noisy construction site.
He turned around and saw another slightly thin factory owner striding over.
Like the pot-bellied factory owner, his face was filled with a flattering smile, and he couldn't wait to speak loudly before he could stand still.
"Dear Mr. Rich Man Who Eats Earth, I also have a construction project for a new factory there, and I am worried about finding a reliable team! I have heard of your reputation for a long time, so be sure to consider me for this cooperation! The price is easily negotiable!"
The exact same lines were full of a sense of immediacy, and the Rich Man Who Eats Earth couldn't help but have a strange expression on his face.
The fat factory owner's eyes widened when he heard this, and he stretched his neck and shouted: "What do you want to do! I was here first!"
The thin man was not to be outdone and sneered back.
"So what if you came first? I have ten acres of land waiting to be developed! Even if you signed the contract in your mother's womb, you still give me a little back!"
The two of them started to argue fiercely in front of the dumbfounded [rich man who eats dirt], and spitballs flew everywhere.
The [Iron-blooded Fat Mansion] who rushed over after hearing the commotion couldn't help but muttered.
"...The sun is really rising in the west."
The two bosses couldn't argue and were about to fight, but [the rich man who ate dirt] quickly pulled them away.
After a moment of silence, he took the business card from the two of them, stuffed it into his jacket pocket, and nodded in response.
"I will seriously consider your suggestions, but please give me some time. I will give you a reply before the sun sets tomorrow...if we can find enough manpower."
The two men quickly took off their hats, bowed to greet them, thanked them repeatedly, and turned around with satisfaction and left.
· Due to Edward's New Deal, Thunder City has no shortage of cheap manpower. Especially the work on the construction site has little technical content, as long as you have strength.
In their view, the cooperation between the two parties is complete.
Not long after the two left the construction site with satisfaction, there was another cloud of dust in the direction of the main entrance of the construction site.
As the rapid footsteps gradually approached, the noisy voices became clearer and clearer.
Before he could recover from the pie that fell from the sky that day, the rich man who ate dirt saw a large group of ragged refugees gathered at the entrance of the construction site.
Most of them are people living in nearby refugee camps. Due to the reduction of relief porridge, they are gradually unable to feed their families and are forced to go out to look for opportunities to support their families.
Hearing that the remuneration here was generous and there would be bonuses after the completion of the work, they immediately rushed over from all directions as if they had grasped a life-saving straw.
Looking at the [rich man who eats dirt] standing on the construction site, a young man in ragged clothes squeezed to the front of the crowd and shouted loudly at the top of his voice.
"Boss, let me join, I am strong and young, I can do any job!"
As soon as he finished speaking, before Brother Hao could answer, a strong man also shouted loudly.
"Boss, please look at me, I promise to be obedient! I will beat whoever you ask me to beat!"
Several players' eyes widened when they heard this.
Good guy.
Are you looking for a serious job?
【The Jade-Faced Hand-Tired King】 couldn’t help but interject.
"Can you do the work of going down the maze? Like beating up monsters."
The strong man's expression suddenly froze when he heard this, and he shrank his hands with a smile.
"Well...Boss, if I have this ability, why don't I become an adventurer myself."
The Jade Faced King: "..."
All right.
It seems that these people are essentially the same as the group of landless peasants they recruited before.
The only advantage may be that it is self-awareness.
[Iron-Blooded Fat Man] couldn't help but swallowed: "Oh my god... is this a hidden mission triggered?"
[Green Wolf Lame] shook his head in confusion.
"I don't know."
[The rich man who eats dirt] looked at the people gathered at the entrance of the construction site, and then looked at the business card in his hand, and felt a sense of emotion in his heart.
Where is the maze among the gold everywhere... The Thunder City is clearly outside the maze.
After several hesitations in his heart, he finally made up his mind, cleared his throat, and spoke in a majestic voice.
"If you want to join, stay, but you must abide by the rules of the group and work hard!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd immediately burst into cheers.
Obviously, these guys only heard the first half of his sentence, which was that if you want to join, you can stay.
"Oh!!"
Looking at the influx of people, Brother Hao, who had just established his ambition, suddenly felt a little frightened and quickly added.
"We only have 200 people. We can't support more than that. Don't introduce all your relatives and friends!"
His voice was drowned in the sea of people. In just a few minutes, the number of people in the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group doubled, heading towards the 200 mark.
Several players were dumbfounded.
It’s better now.
They originally came to the surface with the idea of getting rid of those oil bottles, but as a result, more and more oil bottles were hanging on them.
The faces of Tom and others who were working on the construction site sank slightly, and there was a trace of worry in their hearts - will these newcomers take away their hard-won job opportunities?
But when they thought that this was the boss's decision, they could only suppress their dissatisfaction.
The four adventurers were their benefactors after all, not to mention that they had already become accustomed to obeying life's twists and turns.
Although no one pointed it out, in their subconscious, the four powerful adventurers had become their de facto lords, and shouldered the feudal obligations and powers of the lords.
The only difference is just a change of name.
Human is a highly adaptable animal. When new production relations are formed, a group of people will naturally evolve a new order to match it.
This is almost an instinct.
With the addition of new members, a sense of urgency arose in the hearts of those working on the construction site.
Including people who join the construction site.
They all know in their hearts that if they want to gain a foothold here, they must make more efforts.
So everyone gritted their teeth and worked harder, sweat rolling down their foreheads and dripping on the ground under their feet.
From this moment on, they are no longer a simple rabble -
but an organized one.
【The rich man who eats dirt】walked next to Karl and sighed.
"The situation is a little unexpected... I'm afraid I'll have to take on two more jobs in the next two days, and I'll have to trouble you then."
Karl laughed, his old face filled with red, and he looked full of energy.
"Why is it troublesome? Sir, just take over the work. I'm not afraid of trouble, and I can bring in a few more apprentices."
These people are easy to talk to, and he likes to cooperate with them.
Especially in his opinion, they are truly good people who not only have a moral bottom line, but also value tradition.
Karl calmed down, looked at the [rich man who ate dirt] and continued in a sincere voice.
"I have an immature suggestion. If you are just taking on temporary jobs, the status of an adventurer is enough. But if you want to make your business bigger, it is best to register a company. This will make it easier to deal with taxes and simplify the process when drafting contracts."
"I'm planning this." [The rich man who eats dirt] nodded slightly, "What do you think of the name Invincible Group?"
Karl was stunned for a moment, held it in for a long time, and gave an ambiguous evaluation.
"Well, I think... there's nothing wrong with it."
The name is just a title anyway.
Besides, compared to this gentleman’s own name, the name of this company is not surprising. At most, it is a bit too public, and it is not overbearing at all.
【The rich man who eats dirt】has a satisfied smile on his face.
"Then it's decided."
Until now, no one has discovered the identity of their artificial humans. It seems that they have succeeded in sneaking into Thunder City.
Perhaps...
It would also be a good idea to become bigger and stronger.
He suddenly wanted to test the limits of this game.
By the way, test your own limits...
Horace stood outside the construction site, looking at the lively construction site and the two people chatting in a friendly manner. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, feeling a little more afraid of the "rich man who eats dirt" in his heart.
There are more than 200 people...
When the Grizzly Bear Gang has the most people, it only has twenty or thirty people. What is this guy planning to do by gathering such a large group of people? Open a factory?
These days, even adventurers have begun to get involved in the business of the new factory area. The sun is really rising in the west!
Muttering in his mouth, he shook his head, turned around and left the construction site, returning to his textile factory.
At this moment, neither the [rich man who eats dirt] nor the workers busy at the construction site, nor Horace who turned to leave, nor everyone else realized that a new condensation core was gradually taking shape.
It is like a seed, like many other seeds, that fell on the soil watered by flesh and blood outside Thunder City, took root, sprouted, and grew wildly...