Chapter 129 Public transportation is a kind of benefit
The reporters of Banta City and the surrounding cities suddenly found that since coming back from Anvilmar City, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s chairman Xu seemed to rarely appear in front of them.
Not only did he rarely accept interviews, since the announcement that they were selling the cement production technology, he had general manager Kennard take care of everything and he didn’t show himself at all.
Even at the production announcement that they held for the first time in several months, Xu Yi didn’t reveal himself and the host was still the general manager Kennard.
Moreover, what made the reporters even more disappointed was that there was a shocking piece of news that would be announced at every Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s product announcement, so they all expected a large scoop when they heard the Frestech Chamber of Commerce was holding a product announcement. In the end, Xu Yi never showed up and there wasn’t even a large scoop.
Although the Magic Water Heater that was announced would be something that would attract attention because it wouldn’t be troublesome to have hot water for baths in winter, which made it a very appropriate thing for this season.
This product was not something that Xu Yi announced and there was no large scoop, so the reporters felt that something was missing.
The most important thing was that Xu Yi had been absent from the press conference and the product announcement, as well as not revealing himself to the public recently, giving most of his work to general manager Kennard to handle. What was the deal with this?
Could it be…..he was planning on stepping down?”
“This is simply nonsense, I’m not even thirty yet, I’m still young. Why would I be stepping down?” Xu Yi shook his head at Hannas in front of him and he couldn’t help smiling as he said, “Have these fellows really become too sensitive after working as reporters for too long?”
Hannas had come to Banta City with Newman and Anklo, but naturally it wasn’t to send them off, rather he had specially made a trip to hold an inspection.
On the surface, he was here to do a series of reports called “Banta City this year” for the ?Lampuri Weekly?. Specially reporting on the changes that had occurred in Banta City during this year.
In secret, he had accepted the king’s request to specially survey and give positive promotion to prepare for the king designating this place as the Lampuri Kingdom’s special economic zone.
This work couldn’t be done in a day or two, so even after Newman had returned to the Rudson Kingdom and Anklo had gone back to the Stantine Duchy first under Xu Yi’s urgings, Hannas was still here.
Hannas had come looking for Xu Yi today, other than to ask the question that all his peers had been curious about was to do an interview with Xu Yi for the report he was writing.
Now that he saw that Xu Yi had other ideas, Hannas immediately asked, “Then why did you let Kennard take care of the press conference and the product announcement? Why didn’t you appear at all?”
Xu Yi looked at him and asked back, “Then tell me, why are you not running around yourself to do interviews and are letting the reporters under you do it?”
“Nonsense. With all that news, can I even do that?” Hannas answered in a natural manner, “The things that the subordinates can do will naturally be given to them. I can save this time and do more important things.”
“That is also my reply.” Xu Yi spread his hands, “I found a great general manager like Kennard with great difficulty, then if I didn’t seize this chance to give him more things to do and relieve the pressure on my, wouldn’t I be stupid?”
Hannas laughed, “That is right. But Xu Yi, compared to you, Kennard gives just too little news. The peers from Banta City and the surrounding cities are very disappointed with this.”
Xu Yi couldn’t help smiling, “Then aren’t you praising Kennard? He is our company’s general manager and he does the real work, so isn’t what I hope to see is that there is no news? If he created all kinds of news like me, that really wouldn’t be a good thing.”
“That is where you and I have different opinions.” Hannas gave a shrug before continuing, “Alright, let’s not talk about this. Let’s talk about the next step of the Banta City renovation plan that you’re in charge of. After I finish this interview with you, the first part of my series report will be over, so you need to give me a good start and give me something that can attract people.”
“What is hard about this? There are all kinds of new and attractive things all around Banta City, just talk about any of them.” Xu Yi easily said.
“Then you can give an example first.” Hannas took out his notepad and prepared to write his notes.
“Eh….There are just too many, I can’t talk about all of them…..” Xu YI stroked his chin and thought about it before saying, “That’s right, did you not go to the Sandton industrial district yesterday? I think you should have taken the Fersen Carriage Company’s horse carriage, right?”
Hannas gave a nod, “Indeed. Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered that your company has reached an agreement with the Fersen Carriage Company, right? I saw several Fersen Carriage Company carriages moving between Sandton industrial district and Banta City, never stopping. I even saw some that weren’t filled with people, isn’t this too wasteful?”
“You don’t understand this?” Xu Yi broke out in laughter, “Let me tell you, this is a very new thing, you should remember it. Your guess is right, our company has reached an agreement with the Fersen Carriage Company and have asked for a Fersen Carriage Company carriage to leave for Sandton Manor every hour. At the same time, there must be a carriage leaving Sandton Manor heading towards Banta City. It starts at six in the morning and ends at eight at night. 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚘𝚟ｅｌ．𝚌ｏ𝚖
“My god, then that means…..” Hannas found about it and found that he couldn’t calculate it, “There must be at least ten horse carriages running at the same time?”
“It’s not that exaggerated.” Xu Yi shook his head, “There is fifteen kilometers between Sandton Manor and Banta City and now that the roads have been built, a single trip adding in the stops in between would only take around an hour. So calculating this, there only needs to be four horse carriages to fulfill this need. Of course, in order to be safe, the contract I signed with the Fersen Carriage Company has at least six horse carriages running at the same time.”
“This is still too much. You rented those six carriages for the workers of your company? But I noticed that people from other companies are also riding those horse carriages.” Hannas said in a confused voice.
“No, I just reached an agreement with the Fersen Carriage Company, they signed the official contract with the City Lord’s Manor. Whether it is the City Lord’s Manor or our company, neither of us is paying a single copper coin, all the expenditure is being handled by the Fersen Carriage Company. Even……” Xu Yi laughed, “The Fersen Carriage Company needs to pay the City Lord’s Manor a thousand gold coins a month.”
“How is this possible!” Hannas immediately shouted, “This is something that makes it convenient for your company’s workers and the people who work in the Sandton industrial district, it’s fine if the Fersen Carriage Company doesn’t ask money from the City Lord’s Manor, but how could they even pay money? Is chairman Pompeii a fool?”
“You think that chairman Pompeii is a fool?” Xu Yi said with a smile, “Relax, he isn’t a fool at all. Let me tell you, although the Fersen Carriage Company is paying, these six carriages are earning daily profits for the Fersen Carriage Company. According to what he told me before, he made close to a hundred gold coins on these horse carriages last month.”
“A hundred gold coins per month?” Hannas knit his brows, “That is not enough. Like this, he can only earn around a thousand gold coins a month, what is left after they make their payment?”
“This thousand gold coins isn’t just for this line. Actually, these thousand gold coins is the payment the Fersen Carriage Company made to secure the transport system of the entire city. It’s not even enough in my opinion and it’s actually a bit too little.” Xu Yi said.
“Wait, the transport system for the entire city?” Hannas tapped his head and thought for a bit before suddenly crying out, “I remember now, you mentioned this matter to me before, so it’s like this…..That means that after the Fersen Carriage Company has paid this thousand gold coins, all the public transportation in the city will be given to their company?”
“Right, according to the plan, the line from Banta City to Sandton Manor is just the first trial transport line. Now that there haven’t been many problems this month, there will gradually be more public transport lines opening soon. The final goal is to lay roads all over Banta City and to connect them with public transport lines.”
“Let me calculate it…..” Hannas lowered his head to think for a bit, “If even a far place like the Sandton Manor is considered, there must be at least twenty different lines, right? But I still have a problem, because there are enough people going to the Sandton industrial district, there are enough people riding this transport line and the Fersen Carriage Company can earn money from this. But there aren’t enough people going to the other places of Banta City, right? Wouldn’t the Fersen Carriage Company lose money from running these transport lines?”
Xu Yi gave a soft snort, “The public transport system is something that a city should offer, how could he earn money on every line. It’s already good that he isn’t losing money. But you don’t need to worry about the Fersen Carriage Company, right now the transport lines are connecting the places with the most people. For example, the next transport line being opened will connect Banta City and the Vanilla Orchid Suburb. The Vanilla Orchid Suburb has expanded by several timers now and there are several thousand people living there. This line will be short, so the Fersen Carriage Company will be earning a large amount from it.”
Chapter 130 Digging canals
“Wait, I still have a problem with this.” Hannas asked with a confused look, “When I took the carriage yesterday, it cost me three silver coins for a trip. If this public transport system is something that the city provides like you said, isn’t this price too high? When you and Count Sean discussed this, didn’t you set the prices?”
“Of course we set it, this is the price that we set after discussing this with chairman Pompeii. After all, no matter how much the city should provide this, the Fersen Carriage Company needs to earn money, right? Otherwise, how could the Fersen Carriage Company agree to sign this contract?” Xu Yi said in a natural voice.
“But I feel…...Isn’t this price too much for the citizens of Banta City?” Hannas said with a frown, “One trip is three gold coins, that means that it’s six silver coins each day. Although it is much cheaper than those long distance horse carriages, this still is close to two gold coins a month, which is a bit too much. I don’t think those workers and normal people will be able to afford it.”
Xu Yi laughed, “Hannas, you’re still stuck with the same old thoughts. How much do you think is the average income for those citizens right now?”
“How much?”
“Let me tell you, don’t be scared. According to the City Lord’s Manor’s census last month, the average wage for normal citizens in the Banta City area is over ten gold coins!”
“That’s impossible!” Hannas jumped out of his chair in shock, “Even the average income in Anvilmar City isn’t ten gold coins, how could it be over ten gold coins in Banta City?”
“Why is it impossible?” Xu Yi looked at Hannas with a smile, “Is it because you’re from Anvilmar City that you’re not willing to accept this fact?”
“It isn’t that I’m not willing to accept it, rather it is basically impossible!” Hannas loudly said, “I would believe it if you told me that the average monthly income for your Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s workers is over ten gold coins, I would even believe it if you told me that the workers of the other companies have an average monthly income of over ten gold coins, but I won’t believe that the normal citizens of Banta City have an average monthly income of over ten gold coins even if you beat me to death!”
Xu Yi gave a sigh and shook his head. He looked like he was looking at someone ignorant as he said, “I thought that after running to Banta City and inspecting for so many days, you would at least understand the situation of Banta City, but I never thought that you wouldn’t even understand this.”
Hannas immediately said in an angry voice, “You say I don’t understand? I think you’re just boasting!”
“Boasting?” Xu Yi couldn’t help smiling as he said, “Alright, since your news has fallen behind, I might as well teach you or you’ll disgrace yourself with the article you write. Ke…..Listen well, first let me tell you, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s workers don’t just have an average monthly wage of ten gold coins. Just last month, according to the data that Sebas put together a few days ago, it’s already broken the realm of twenty gold coins.”
“Twenty gold coins? Average?” Hannas looked at Xu Yi with a look of disbelief, “You….When I visited the other chairmen and they said that you were a wastrel, I argued back for you, but I never thought that you really were a wastrel! You’re giving your workers such a high wage? Even if your company earns a lot of money, you can’t do this, right?”
“Calling me a wastrel?” Xu Yi gave a snort, “Those fellows aren’t lower than me. The chairmen of the other companies didn’t tell you that the wages of their workers aren’t lower than ours? There are even several companies that have workers with higher wages than ours. We haven’t been the company with the highest wages in Banta City in a long time.”
Hannas looked at Xu Yi in a daze for a while. After thinking about it, he sat down again and shook his head with knit brows, “I really doubt that your Banta City companies are all crazy. Your Frestech Chamber of Commerce giving high wages is because you as the chairman like to act as a wastrel, but why are they also giving high wages for? Are they being wastrels like you?”
“There’s no other way, it means the lack of manpower in Banta City is just too much. There’s plenty of work that needs people to do it, but no one can find people for it. You’ve wandered around Banta City for a few days, have you seen any normal people who couldn’t get jobs?” Xu Yi asked.
Hannas thought about it for a while before shaking his head, “I really didn’t see that. It’s very strange, could it be that there really are that many jobs in Banta City? There’s clearly several times the people in Banta City right now, it’s actually lacking in manpower?”
“You shouldn’t ask me this, you should be asking the Amrit Chamber of Commerce’s chairman Cruise.” Xu Yi said with a smile, “When it comes to lacking manpower, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce is alright because there are many dwarves and elves to supplement for us. Rather the Amrit Chamber of Commerce really is lacking in manpower, chairman Cruise has been complaining to me about not having enough people whenever he sees me. Do you believe that if he had enough manpower, he would even go to the Rudson Kingdom to build roads?”
“Un…..I mentioned this matter when I met chairman Cruise yesterday.” Hannas gave a nod, “He said that chairman Newman had invited the Amrit Chamber of Commerce to go to the Rudson Kingdom to build five hundred kkilometers of road, but he didn’t have enough people, so he could only reject him. He even said that it was a good chance to earn money, so it was a real pity that he had to give it up.”
“So you see, there is work for everyone in Banta City. The wage for every job is very high, so why isn’t it acceptable that people are getting an average monthly wage of ten gold coins?” Xu Yi asked.
Hannas was stunned. He thought about it before giving a sigh, “It seems like you’re right, I am indeed stuck in the same old thoughts. I thought that when it came to income, Anvilmar City should have the highest, but I never thought that Banta City actually surpassed Anvilmar City. The most important thing is that every person in Banta City can find work and there are a bunch of people in Anvilmar City who have nothing to do…..Comparing this, there really is a big difference.”
“No, you are mistaken.” Xu Yi shook his head, “In the end, Anvilmar City is the kingdom’s capital, so there are many things that Banta City can’t compare to at all. If the king wants to, he could easily surpass Banta City.
“This is not something we should discuss.” Hannas gave a shrug. He recorded what Xu Yi said in his notebook before he continued on asking, “Alright, other than the new public transport system, is there anything else worth mentioning?”
“Other than this…..” Xu Yi thought about it before looking aside, “Let me tell you something even more explosive.”
“Even more explosive?” Hannas’ eyes lit up, “What is it?”
“After me and Count Sean has discussed this, we finally decided to start expanding the Sandy River, while also digging a canal between the Sandy River and the Rum River.”
“Ah?”
###
The next day, Xu Yi and Count Sean stood by the north bank of the Sandy River to the east of Banta City, looking to the north.
“Lord Count, chairman Xu, look, if the Sandy River is dug here and connected to the Rum River, the topography will gradually sink. Moreover, there isn’t a large mountain in the way, so comparing it, I feel it’s easiest to dig a straight canal.”
The one pointing into the distance was the Porter Chamber of Commerce’s chairman Cimila Porter.
Compared to how dispirited he was when Xu Yi saved him from the river, although his skin was much darker compared to before, he was much more full of life and confidence. He seemed like he had regained his spirit from when the Porter Chamber of Commerce was at its peak.
“How long will this canal be?” Count Sean asked.
“I gave a rough estimate and it shouldn’t be more than fifty kilometers.” Porter said.
“Fifty kilometers…..” Count Sean said with a nod, “Actually this doesn’t seem like the Sandy River and the Rum River are very far apart. If this canal could be dug and the two rivers can be connected, our Banta City’s water transportation will be much richer compared to before.”
“Lord City Lord, this can’t just be described with this.” Porter said in a somewhat excited voice, “Although the Sandy River reaches another river in the end, which is one of the most prosperous rivers of the continent, because it is controlled by the Marlow Empire and they don’t let the ships of any other countries pass, the Sandy River could never be used. But if the Sandy River could connect to the Rum River, this would connect the Sandy River to the continent’s number one river and any ship from Banta City could reach any place on the continent through the Sandy River!”
Speaking of this, Porter looked at Xu Yi on the side and his tone had a trace of gratitude.
“Whenever I saw the Rum River before, I thought how wonderful it would be if the Sandy River and the Rum River could be connected. But I knew that this matter was impossible, so I thought it was a fantasy. But when chairman Xu told me that this wasn’t a fantasy and it could be realized, to be honest…...When I heard chairman Xu say this, I thought that chairman Xu was a bit…..too bold and wild.”
Count Sean laughed, “This fellow’s ideas have always been bold and even crazy, but chairman Porter, you must admit, this fellow has always realized his thoughts, isn’t that right?”
Porter forcefully nodded, “It is because chairman Xu can always realize his ideas that I listened to his arrangements this time, spending several months exploring all the rivers. But chairman Xu, digging a canal is a very difficult matter. It would take an astronomical amount of money and I feel that just our Banta City won’t be able to take out this much money.”
“This is the problem I’m worried about as well.” Count Sean nodded before saying to Xu Yi with a smile, “But I understand this fellow, if he wasn’t confident, he wouldn’t be so passionate. Speak, Xu Yi, how are you planning to solve this problem this time? Is the Frestech Chamber of Commerce going to pay for everything? If it is like this, I must properly thank you.”
Xu Yi laughed and quickly waved his hand, “Digging a canal will cost at least several million gold coins, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce can’t afford that. But while I can’t help with money, I can help with saving on the cost.”
“Oh? Let me hear it.”
“Recently, our company has made a breakthrough in our large scale machines and have successfully developed a large Magic Excavator…..”