Feng Chou opened the document. It roughly described the process of the detective, including the testimonies, evidence, inferences, and conclusions.
To be honest, in Feng Chou's eyes, this report was not considered rigorous. He then asked Wright about some of the specific situations he encountered during the investigation process.
After confirming that he had squeezed all the information out of Wright, Feng Chou paid the bill and sent the sweaty detective away.
Not long after Wright left, Feng Chou also left the hotel with the report. He went to the real estate investment company called Stoker.
The company officer in charge of receiving Feng Chou looked at the detective report that Feng Chou handed to him. His expression was ugly.
He asked Feng Chou to wait for a moment and left the office with the report.
About half an hour later, he returned to the office.
He took out a new contract and handed it to Feng Chou. In this contract, the price of Wood Manor was lowered to 500,000 crowns.
After reading the contract, Feng Chou crossed out 500,000 crowns without hesitation and wrote 300,000 crowns.
Seeing Feng Chou's action, the officer's expression turned even uglier. "Sir, you have to know that this is a mature piece of land, not a wasteland waiting to be developed. You're insulting our company."
Feng Chou raised his head to look at him and said, "You really don't have to be angry. If you can't accept this price, I can leave right now. I have no intention of insulting anyone. In my heart, this land is worth this price. Moreover, I don't intend to bargain with you. If you refuse me, I will leave immediately."
"That's impossible, sir!"
Feng Chou said. "If this report told me that the Ghost Castle's area of influence was expanding rapidly or not, I would agree to the price of 500,000 crowns. However, this report gave me the worst news. The Ghost Castle's area of influence is expanding very slowly."
"I think you should understand what I mean. If we expand rapidly, the Casalanca Council will have no choice but to spend a lot of effort to clear out the castle. If we don't expand, it means that the value of the manor won't fall any further."
"Slow expansion means that the value of the territory will continue to fall until it is covered by the Ghost Castle. Slow expansion also means that the solution to the problem will take a long time."
"I urgently need a manor in Casablanca, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to throw away my wealth for nothing. If you sell it to me, I'll take it. Otherwise, I'd rather give it up."
The officer was rendered speechless by Feng Chou's words. He hesitated for a moment before leaving the office.
When the officer returned to his office with a sour expression, he was holding a contract worth 300 thousand kronor.
Next, Feng Chou and the company affairs officer completed the transaction under the witness of two lawyers, a judge of the Central District Court of Casaranca, and an officer of the Noble Committee of the Casaranca City Hall. They received the real estate documents of Wood Manor.
After receiving the document, Feng Chou wasn't in a hurry to take back the manor. Instead, he entrusted the management of the manor to Stokus for a thousand crowns a month.
The management of a manor wasn't simple. It wasn't something that could be done by one person. He had to recruit a butler, a clerk, an agricultural officer, a constable, a patrol team, and a series of other management and security personnel to maintain the operation of the fief.
The constable and the patrol team were especially important. The manor was adjacent to the Ghost Castle and would occasionally be harassed by the wandering spirits of the dead. The constable and the patrol team couldn't be too weak.
The management of a fief by a company was different from that of a lord's fief. They wouldn't train their subjects. The subjects were purely farmers. The company would use all sorts of rewards and punishments to increase the efficiency of the farmers, but they wouldn't provide them with warrior training. They had their own professional armed forces to ensure the safety of the fief. It was more efficient and cheaper.
So, if Feng Chou took back the fief now, he would get a defenseless manor.
For the loner Feng Chou, taking over a fief of more than ten square kilometers and 500 to 600 subjects wasn't something that could be done in a day or two.
So, Feng Chou decided to do something else first.
Early that morning, Feng Chou took a carriage to the northern part of the city.
The western, northwestern, and southwestern parts of Casaranca were all business districts.
The western part was prosperous and filled with shops. Some rich merchants and the middle class were willing to live there. So, the western part was considered the rich district of Casaranca.
There were many factories in the northwestern and southwestern parts. Most of the commoners who sold their labor in the factories lived in those two areas. So, those two areas were also considered the commoner district.
The central part was the administrative district. The council building, city hall, Casaranca Court of Appeals, and other administrative institutions were all gathered there. The security there was good. Some city nobles would also buy property there and build villas. So, the central part was considered half a noble district.
The eastern part was the true noble district. Most of the land nobles near Casaranca lived there. It had the strictest security in Casaranca.
The northeastern and southeastern parts were the arcane districts of Casaranca. They surrounded the two arcane academies. Almost all of Casaranca's alchemy factories were located there. Most mages and merchants who dealt in arcane magic lived there.
In the upper class of Casaranca, very few people would mention the southern and northern parts of Casaranca.
Because those two areas were the slums of Casaranca.
When the carriage passed through the east-west street that separated the western and northwestern parts, the scenery in front of Feng Chou changed drastically.
The broad streets narrowed, and the cobblestones, paved with alchemical cement, gave way to gravel. On both sides of the street, the tall commercial buildings gave way to low-rise grocers and factories. On both sides of the street, the gentlemen in ceremonial robes and hats, and the ladies in fine dresses, had disappeared. In their place were factory workers in canvas overalls.
Not long after the carriage entered the northwestern part, it turned right and entered an east-west street. It traveled along the east-west street for a few blocks. After passing through a north-south street, Feng Chou almost thought that he had transmigrated again.
The gravel road suddenly turned into a dirt road. The road was uneven, and the low-lying areas had accumulated murky sewage. The neat brick houses on both sides of the street had also turned into shabby mud houses.
The clean and tidy feeling that Casablanca had left for Feng Chou had been replaced by a messy mess. The simple and crude buildings were built haphazardly.
On the streets of other districts, he could often see mounted policemen on horseback. They wore black breastplates, short capes, and light helmets that were painted black. There were a total of four short muskets hanging from the saddle and waist. However, there was no sign of them here.
The carriage slowed down. After a bumpy ride, the coachman was no longer willing to move forward. He told Feng Chou that if he continued to go deeper, he would not be able to turn back.
Feng Chou had no choice but to get off the carriage and walk.