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Chapter 293: Reconstruction
Chapter 293: Reconstruction
Link certainly understood the business aspect of things.
He comprehended what Sage had said.
However, only Sage could conduct this type of business since others didn't collect taxes, naturally thinking about how to obtain things for free.
Even the king was no exception.
This was also why Sage disliked sharing power with others.
Aside from his identity as a wealthy landlord, another reason was that having someone share his power meant he couldn't truly collect taxes indiscriminately.
That was unacceptable!
Rent must be collected, and no one was exempt!
As for Link, as long as he could make money and wasn't prohibited from engaging in other businesses, he would just follow Sage's ideas.
Their original profession was the black market, and there weren't any personnel salaries in this line of work, so it didn't affect them.
However, after following Sage into Augustinus City, they didn't witness the prosperity they had anticipated
because the entire city was under reconstruction.
Their arrival just in time resolved Lily's urgent need for more hands.
While they might not be qualified to be deputies, temporarily filling in definitely wouldn't be a problem.
Lily and her companions were in charge of management, but they wouldn't devote their primary energy to this task. They weren't exactly experts in internal affairs, and although they currently had a tendency to develop comprehensively, their essence was still that of pirates.
Since they were pirates, they would eventually set sail again and follow Sage into battle.
Their strength was their greatest assurance.
However, everything currently needed them, so they had to oversee certain matters. Once things were on the right track, they could find a deputy to take over the administrative affairs, and as for the top executives, they only needed to know what this matter was about and then appoint someone to manage it.
Just like Sage at present, he didn't bother with the specifics and only needed to know the person in charge of those matters.
Link and the others, as black market merchants, definitely had some level of knowledge. They could at least handle bookkeeping and tallying numbers, and temporarily filling in was also manageable.
The food shipment arrived ten days later, with Andre's actions being relatively quick. After taking over the territory, he directly purchased food from the civilians and provided detailed information.
Food from the vast ocean, although it varied slightly between different islands that weren't interconnected, generally had a basic market price of about 1.2 million Bailey per ton.
Sage wouldn't touch this portion of money. He let Andre sell it himself while keeping the price unchanged. Sage only collected taxes, and regardless of how much money Andre used to purchase goods on the island, the civilians wouldn't lose out, and both parties would still make a profit. This way, the people of Augustinus City could also afford reasonably priced food, and that was sufficient.
Everything was left to that 'invisible big hand', of course, on the premise that Sage could suppress this big hand, then everything would be stable.
The same went for wood, iron ore, and the like. He didn't like affecting market prices; such matters were too troublesome. If there was a shortage, and the merchants couldn't keep up, they would just have to go and acquire what they needed.
With Andre's exemplary actions as a precedent, some merchants and pirates were also inspired to take action.
Their hometowns also had special products!
Some islands were abundant in trees, while others had rich mineral deposits. Sage didn't consider islands that were too far away, but for those close to Gales, they could occupy the territory, claim it as their own, and then follow the Vakano Gures model.
Three months later.
Augustinus City Port.
At this moment, the port town outside the city gates had already been constructed to a large extent. Under the incentive of Sage's distribution of money, the million-strong population of the city erupted with unprecedented passion and enthusiasm.
After all, they were building their own living spaces, and they were even being paid for it. The more they worked, the more they were given, so how could they not go all out?
With the town built, the original prosperity of Augustinus City gradually returned. Merchants, pirates, mercenaries, and all sorts of people would come here, consuming when they should and selling when appropriate.
For the port town, it was even slightly more prosperous than before.
Merchants and pirates alike passed through this transportation hub, arriving in this town without hesitation to peddle their specialty products.
The Flame Hand Pirates were one such group, and their captain, 'Flame Hand' Candice, was a well-known pirate in the New World with a bounty of 960 million Baileys. She loved to spray her custom-made flames during raids on towns, earning her the nickname as they resembled giant fiery hands.
Arrogant to a fault, she had quite the reputation in the New World.
Yet, here she stood, meekly awaiting a portly merchant's inspection of her loot, a pile of spoils from her latest exploits. She dared not act out of line, not in the presence of this person.
After all, one had to know their place. No matter how powerful she was, could she truly rival a force of nature like the Natural Disaster Pirates?
Though she chose not to join their ranks due to her desire to remain independent, she still held them in high regard. And besides, this was a profitable opportunity she wasn't about to pass up.
"The quality of these fabrics is subpar. I'll give you one million Baileys for two crates." Link picked up a piece of cloth, felt it, and then dismissively put it down, turning his attention to the ceramics instead. "Half of these are broken. Hmm... three million Baileys for this lot."
"Oh, now this is something nice." Link's eyes lit up as he spotted a stash of gold. "I'll offer you one hundred million Baileys for this, going by the exchange rate at the gold shop. How about it?"
"Deal!" Candice agreed without hesitation.
It was a standard price, neither too high nor unreasonably low.
This was one of the main reasons many pirates chose to come here. Ever since the Natural Disaster Pirates designated their black-market traders, prices were set, but they were always fair.
If a pirate wanted to haggle for a higher price, they'd have to take their chances elsewhere, and there was no guarantee they'd get a better offer.
Coming here saved time, especially for pirates who weren't skilled negotiators. Most actually preferred these straightforward transactions.
Just then, a ship bearing the mark of the Donquixote Pirates appeared on the horizon and made its way toward the port.
In the palace...
"Sage, some people are concerned about what they'll do after the reconstruction is complete," Lily reported.
The rebuilding process was going swiftly, and the civilians were delighted.
With the money they earned, they could not only buy food but also clothing and other consumer goods that they would typically save up for a long time to afford. And on top of that, they could even put some money aside as savings.
However, as the port town's reconstruction neared completion and the city's buildings began to rise, some worries started to surface.
"What will they do once this is done? Will there still be work for them?"
"Rest assured, there will be no shortage of opportunities," Sage replied with a smile. "If they don't want to look for other work, they can always join the screw-making business. I'll make sure there's enough work to go around."
Sage laughed heartily. "And I'll make sure the pay is more than enough!"
Some merchants in the city had also started opening shops—taverns, restaurants, boutique stores, and clothing shops. These establishments needed staff, and the wages offered had to meet the standard rate, at the very least.
Thanks to Sage's consistent pricing for raw materials, these merchants could pay their employees the standard wage, pay their taxes, and still turn a profit.
As for the screw-making business, that was essentially factory work.
Plans were already underway, as shipbuilding, their core industry, required a lot of supporting parts.
"Sage, Donquixote is here," Akin interrupted, referring to the newly arrived ship.
"He's here? Bring him over. It's time to discuss business!" Sage laughed heartily.
The rainbow gems had already been crafted by Sayu, but now it was a matter of establishing distribution channels and setting prices. Only then would Sage begin construction on the factories.
There were also the supporting industries to consider, as well as weapons and ships. Donquixote would be instrumental in setting prices for all of these.
Trade was an essential aspect of Sage's plans.
After all, what was the point of producing all these goods if they couldn't be sold?
(End of Chapter)
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