Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1136: Chapter 389: Treasure Tower, Collapse Without a Fight, Meeting Two Clowns_4

Many of the leaders have reacted by now.

Yang Ning and Li Hu at the back of the team both have unusually grim expressions, clearly realizing just how vicious the strategy of Great Xia opening trade is.

"Old Han, since you all come from the same place, you can enter the building and browse on your own. If you don’t mind the trouble, I can guide you around; the choice is yours."

"We are new here and unfamiliar with everything, so we’ll have to trouble Miss Xiao Rou to show us around."

"No need to be so polite, Old Han. Please follow me!"

Zeng Rou certainly wouldn’t refuse, as this is one of her main tasks. She is responsible for receiving Han Peng and his group throughout their visit. She earns a percentage commission from whatever these people spend in the building.

Just as Han Peng and others followed Zeng Rou into the first floor of the Treasure Tower, Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, and Lin Kai were enjoying a drink together in a quiet room on the top floor.

The three were clearly discussing something earlier, as there is a hint of a smile on their faces.

Lin Kai couldn’t help but say excitedly, "Brother Peng, I didn’t understand before why, when cultivation resources are already a bit tight in Xia City, the Lord would have you allocate some from the Camp Supply Department specifically to trade with these village-level camps in the Eight Towns. Now, with the main purpose being to win people’s hearts, it makes perfect sense!"

Qiu Peng took a sip, shook his head, and laughed, "No, winning people’s hearts is just the most superficial aim; transforming their hearts is the primary goal."

Transforming hearts?

Lin Kai was taken aback by the remark, while Yuan Cheng couldn’t help but look at Qiu Peng with curiosity.

"With the financial strength at the Cold Resistance Level of these village-level camps in the Eight Towns, my Camp Supply Department only needs to allocate a small fraction of cultivation resources each month to meet their demands. Making them feel favorable towards Great Xia is only the first step. The other items Treasure Tower sells them are the truly important ones..."

Qiu Peng paused here, his pupils filled with excitement before continuing, "Think about it, if Treasure Tower continues to operate like this, sooner or later, everyone in the Eight Towns will be wearing clothes made of Xia Silk, Xia Jin, and Xia Cotton, wearing various accessories made by Great Xia, using various wooden and iron products from Great Xia, consuming refined salt produced by Great Xia, drinking the wine brewed by Great Xia. All their lifestyle habits will become exactly like ours. Then, do you think they will still consider themselves people of the Eight Towns?"

Upon hearing Qiu Peng’s words, Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai were both stunned.

After a few moments of reflection, the two quickly understood the implication. When they realized this, their expressions immediately turned excited.

The change in lifestyle habits is the beginning of integrating into Great Xia and becoming Xia people.

They all remembered Xia Hong once said this.

Putting aside the Town, but if the people in these village-level camps in the Eight Towns experience the current lifestyle of Great Xia, there will certainly be no one who would want to return to the way they lived before.

Once they have this mindset, the result will be obvious when Great Xia extends an olive branch to them.

"No, no, aren’t the people of the Eight Towns aware of this? Hasn’t anyone noticed anything since businesses opened in July?"

This time it was Lin Kai’s turn to be confused, but Yuan Cheng reacted quicker and immediately responded, "Even if they do notice, what can they do? The Eight Towns are already riding the tiger and can’t back down. They’ve always exploited the village-level camps below. Now, if they forcefully prohibit these people from trading with Hongmen and Great Xia, it’ll only lead to a greater backlash, possibly even pushing some to directly defect to Great Xia!"

Qiu Peng nodded and said, "The Eight Towns currently have only one solution to this problem, which is to open trade comprehensively with the village-level camps below in the same manner as we Great Xia. But whether it’s resources or productivity, each of their eight families cannot compare to us Great Xia. Even with open trade, they can’t offer as many categories as we can, and what they can offer must be sold at a higher price than ours. So ultimately, this problem has no solution!"

"Hahaha, so the Eight Towns can only watch as we Great Xia win over all the village-level camps in their territory one by one, and as the range of assimilation continues to expand, Great Xia’s influence in the Southern Slope of Moao Mountain will grow. It may even penetrate into the interiors of the eight town cities until eventually, when our strength reaches that level, the Eight Towns will..."

"Collapse without a fight!"

Lin Kai finally made sense of it, and once he uttered these four words, he grew increasingly excited, unable to help but turn to Qiu Peng with admiration, "Brother Peng, your Treasure Tower move can replace several tens of thousands of troops!"

"This Treasure Tower wasn’t my idea; it was thought up by the Lord. When I first heard it, I was stunned for several days."

Listening to Qiu Peng’s words, Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai hesitated for a moment but quickly returned to normal. If it was the Lord’s idea, then it’s not surprising.

Suddenly, Yuan Cheng thought of something and asked Qiu Peng, "By the way, are the merchant guilds from Beishuo and Jin Mountain still negotiating prices?"

Qiu Peng nodded, a smile appearing on his face, "The Northern Three Towns have always been arrogant, used to only making money from others. Now that Great Xia is profiting from them, they are naturally upset, and all want us to lower the prices of salt and wine. But I couldn’t care less about them; representatives from Wuchuan and the other three towns are arriving soon. Regardless, I only allocate 5000 pounds of salt and 3000 pounds of various grades of wine each month for distribution among the six towns, so if they want it, they have to pay up honestly."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Cheng started laughing and continued to ask, "What are the prices given by the two towns of Muyin and Jiangxia?"

"Salt is priced at 3000 taels per pound. Low-grade wine 1000 taels per pound, mid-grade wine 3000 taels, top-grade wine 6500 taels. Each town requested 1000 pounds of salt, 200 pounds of low-grade wine, 200 pounds of mid-grade wine, and 100 pounds of top-grade wine."

Yuan Cheng’s expression slightly lifted, realizing that, not counting Dan Medicine or other categories, just from salt and wine alone, Great Xia profited 4.45 million silver taels from the two towns of Muyin and Jiangxia.

The supply-demand relationship dictates that the other six towns won’t be able to challenge Great Xia. They will eventually accept the prices set by Great Xia.

Once these six towns begin to give in, Great Xia will earn even more.

It’s worth noting that today is just the first day of September, and the trade among the Nine Towns is just beginning; the trade will continue for another two months.

He can already foresee that, from now on, the silver from Moao Eight Towns will flow continuously towards Great Xia.

Knock, knock, knock...

As Yuan Cheng was envisioning, someone suddenly knocked on the door from outside the quiet room.

"Sir, Han Peng and his group have reached the third floor."

"Got it!"

Qiu Peng replied to the door and then turned to Yuan and Lin, smiling, "Alright, let’s go meet those two clowns!"

Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai nodded at the words, stood up with smiles, and followed Qiu Peng downstairs.