The departure of Viscount Leslie and Baron Hannas, other than creating a ripple in Xu Yi's heart, it didn't affect the lives of the people of Banta City at all. Everything went according to plan.
With the end of the spring plowing, Banta City's farmland reclamation project was smoothly completed with the support of large amounts of agricultural magic machines.
According to the stats of the City Lord Manor, after this farmland reclamation project, the farmland outside Banta City had gone from thirty thousand hectares to a hundred and ten thousand hectares. Moreover, the corresponding crops had already been planted.
According to preliminary estimates, Banta City's grain yield for the fall harvest would be at least two times higher than last year.
If everything went smoothly, this shocking effect would be realized by the fall harvest. For Banta City's City Lord Samo Count, this would be a very important achievement.
So although Samo Count had been very busy during this time, he had always been very happy. Every time he saw Xu Yi, he would always be very close to Xu Yi with a smile.
However, when he heard Xu Yi's request today, his expression instantly became ugly.
"Build roads?"
Samo Count looked at Xu Yi with an awkward look. After a bit of hesitation, he said, "Chairman Xu, although I don't know how different these roads are from the roads outside the city, it costs a lot of money to build the roads outside the city. These roads are proposed by someone like you who is willing to spend money, so wouldn't it cost even more?
Our Banta City's current financial situation isn't that good, I'm afraid I can't agree to this. "
Xu Yi revealed a smile like he already expected this and said in an uncaring voice, "Lord City Lord, these roads do indeed cost a lot of money.
But there is a saying in my hometown that if you want to be rich, you have to build roads first.
The meaning is that if you want Banta City to be rich, the first thing you have to do is build roads and guarantee transportation.
To give an example, our Banta City has quite a few specialties. For example, the Magma Fruit that Stiel and I like to eat during this time is one of them.
I think that the Lord City Lord must have eaten this fruit before, so you should admit that it is delicious, right? "
Samoyed Count couldn't help but nod. "Yes, that's right.
This Magma Fruit is juicy and sweet. You won't get sick of eating it. If it was sold in Anvilmar City, I think there would definitely be people willing to buy it for a gold coin per kilo. "
"Exactly.
Such good fruits, but because they weren't easy to preserve, they could only be sold in Banta City and the surrounding cities.
Not only can we not afford to sell it, but we also can't promote it. We've lost a lot of money, "Xu Yi said with a look of pity.
"Indeed, if it can be sold ….. Wait, how is this related to building a road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley?" Count Samo suddenly realized something.
"To sell the Magma Fruit to further places, it's clear that building a road from Banta City to Anvilmar City is the most important.
Kid, don't think that you can use the banner of Banta City to fight for benefits for your New Flyer. "
The so called Falling Rain Valley was around fifty kilometers to the west of Banta City, the land the Frestech Chamber of Commerce rented from the king.
Because this land was surrounded by two mountain ranges and there was the Falling Rain Forest behind it, it was named the Falling Rain Valley.
As for the matter of the New Flyer renting a large piece of land, Count Samo was very clear on this. How could he not know why Xu Yi proposed building a road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley.
"Lord City Lord, our New Flyer is also a company of Banta City. Fighting for benefits for our New Flyer is also fighting for benefits for our Banta City." Xu Yi immediately complained.
"If it wasn't for the fact that our company wanted to help Sir City Lord solve your problems and was preparing to open more factories and recruit more workers, causing the one hectare of land we rented from Viscount Leslie to not be enough, why would we think of developing the Falling Rain Valley and even ask you to build a road?
Lord City Lord, you can't wrongly accuse me. "
Samo Count Samo snappily gave a cold snort, "Alright, kid, your words sound good, but in the end it's because your New Flyer wants to develop.
Even if I don't care, could it be that you're not prepared to open a new factory? "
After saying this, Samo Count Samo's expression suddenly changed. After hesitating a bit, he asked, "Speaking of this, Xu Yi, why didn't you continue renting Viscount Leslie's land? Why did you rent such a large piece of land from the king that is so far away from Banta City?
Just using this reason of not being enough isn't enough, right? "
Xu Yi gave a dry laugh, "Lord City Lord, renting Viscount Leslie's land is a bit inconvenient.
Then again, in a few days, it won't be Viscount Leslie's land and will belong to someone else. "
"Oh?
It seems like that kid Leslie told you this before he left? "Samo Count Samo looked at Xu Yi in surprise.
"That kid is quite good to you, he's actually willing to tell you this."
"The Lord Viscount is indeed quite good to me … …" Thinking of Viscount Leslie's advice before he left, Xu Yi couldn't help giving a sigh in his heart. He rubbed his knitted brows and took a deep breath before saying to Samo Count Samo, "Lord City Lord, even if it is for our New Flyer developing the Falling Rain Valley, building a road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley is a very proper reason.
You said that you would fully support the development of our New Flyer and now that we have met a bottleneck, we need your support. You can't just reject us like this. "
"Kid, you want to squeeze me?"
Samo Count Samo scolded with a smile before giving a sigh, "Actually I understand your thoughts and I also want to help you.
I even seriously studied the road plan you gave me last time and felt that if we built more roads according to your plan, it would be very helpful to Banta City's development, but ….. "
Samo Count Samo spread his hands with a helpless look.
"I really don't have any money.
Although Banta City's tax revenue is considered quite good in the Lampari Kingdom, there is a large part of it that goes to the kingdom's treasury each year. The remaining money is mostly used to maintain Banta City, so there isn't any extra money to do anything else.
As for building roads ….. Not to mention the large cost of materials, just the amount of manpower is hard for me to gather for you. "
Xu Yi laughed, "Lord City Lord, this is the important reason why I came looking for you this time.
Building roads is not the same as building roads that you think of.
Last year, our New Flyer built a road to a factory and the biggest cost was in manpower, so I understand your difficulties.
But building the cement roads I mentioned is different because there are large amounts of magic machines, so the manpower isn't as high as you think. The main cost is in materials. "
"Magic machines?" Samo Count Samo looked at Xu Yi with a confused look.
"You mean that your New Flyer can even make magic machines for building roads?"
Xu Yi slightly raised his head and said with a proud look, "Of course.
Our New Flyer specializes in developing magic machines, so naturally the magic machines needed to build roads aren't a problem. "
"Then based on your meaning, these magic machines should have already been developed?" Samo Count Samo asked.
"Not only have they been developed, they have already been put into use." Xu Yi replied with a smile.
"Lord City Lord, didn't the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce's chairman Cruz invite you to see the new cement roads two days ago and recommend that you change the square in front of the City Lord's Manor to this kind of road?"
Samo Count Samo thought about it before understanding, "Your New Flyer is also involved in this cement?
When you said this, I felt it was very strange. Why would a fellow like you know about this thing? "
"Accurately speaking, this thing was taught to the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce by me.
Moreover, the most important cement was provided by our New Flyer's cement factory. "Xu Yi said with a smile.
"Lord City Lord, what do you think about building roads with this cement road?"
"Of course it's very good." Samo Count Samo said without any hesitation.
"To be honest, I thought about this problem when I saw the cement road two days ago. Since this thing can be used to pave a square, it can be used to pave a road.
This thing is much flatter and sturdier than normal ground. If we can build this kind of road, it would be countless times better than the dirt and stone roads outside Banta City. "
After saying this, Samo Count Samo gave another long sigh.
"But it's still the same problem. This cement road is very expensive and according to chairman Cruz, it costs sixty silver coins to pave a square meter of road.
If we use this to pave a road ….. that is simply using gold coins to pave a road. "
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile. He thought that if a square meter of cement road cost sixty silver coins, it would only be sixty RMB per square meter. If the people on earth knew about this, they would definitely think that this was a shoddy construction.
Of course, this was because the prices of this world were too low. Actually, sixty silver coins to pave a square meter of road, for the people of this world, it was indeed a shockingly high price.
"Lord Count Samo, you don't need to worry.
You don't need to pay a single copper coin for this road. I came looking for you today to hope that you can approve the construction of this road.
Without your approval, I wouldn't dare rashly build such a long road. "Xu Yi said.
Count Samo was stunned, "You mean ….. This road from Banta City to the Falling Rain Valley that is over fifty kilometers long, your New Flyer is planning to pay for it all?"
Xu Yi nodded with a faint smile, "That's right."