"Why not?"
Xu Yi looked at Seveni in surprise before asking with knit brows, "Your highness, our New Flyer is a proper company, isn't it normal to open a factory in the capital?
Why not? "
Seveni shook her head, "It isn't that you can't, accurately speaking, the timing isn't right."
"Timing isn't right?" Xu Yi knit his brows even more.
"Your highness, I don't understand what you mean.
From my point of view, the development of our New Flyer's household magic machines in Banta City has been severely restricted by the market, so we should be developing at this time. How could the timing not be right? "
"I'm not talking about business timing, but rather other timing." Seveni took a deep look at Xu Yi before seriously saying, "Xu Yi, believe me.
After seeing the changes the agricultural magic machines have brought to the farmland, I hope more than anyone that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce can develop. So please believe me, my advice or warning to you is beneficial to you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce. "
Seeing the sincere expression on Seveni's face, Xu Yi was silent for a bit before giving a slight nod.
"Alright.
I believe you. "
Hearing Xu Yi call her "you", Seveni revealed a smile. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, "Alright, let's talk about business now.
Royal father has already seen the national road network plan you proposed and he is very supportive of this plan.
Moreover, Count Samo had already reported to him that your company was building this road and royal father had already paid attention to it.
Now that he has seen your plan, he is very happy and praises you for not only thinking about your company, but also thinking about the entire Lampari Kingdom.
Only … … "
"Only the kingdom's finances can't take out the money?" Xu Yi asked with a smile.
Seveni couldn't help smiling, "That's right.
You should be clear on the kingdom's finances, they indeed can't take out more money to complete the road network plan you proposed.
As for your proposal … … "
After saying this, Seveni's smile disappeared and she deeply knit her brows.
"This … Father doesn't agree with the idea of toll booths.
He said that since the road was to be built, it was for the convenience of the kingdom's citizens. Why did they have to build a toll station and make everyone on the road have to pay for it?
This method is simply exploiting the kingdom's citizens. "
"Exploitation?" Xu Yi laughed.
"Your Highness, I deeply respect and appreciate His Majesty's care for the kingdom's citizens.
However, I have to say that His Majesty's understanding of the roads is a little shallow.
Building toll stations isn't an exploitation of the kingdom's citizens. On the contrary, it's a great policy to improve the living standards of the kingdom's citizens. "
"I know that you aren't a greedy merchant, so you must have your own reasons for proposing this." Seveni relaxed and calmly looked at Xu Yi.
"Although I don't agree with the idea of setting up toll stations and collecting tolls, I'm willing to listen to your thoughts."
"Her Highness is indeed open-minded."
Xu Yi said with a nod, "If you want to completely explain this matter, it will take a long time, so I'll simply ask you a few questions.
First, your Highness, isn't building a road network very beneficial to the kingdom? "
"Yes.
Although I can't completely understand the situation you described in the plan, I'm certain that the roads will bring great benefits to the kingdom's traffic. "
"Second question, does the kingdom's finances not have enough money to build a road network?"
"Yes."
"Third question, is it possible to have the private companies pay for the roads?"
"This … …" Seveni hesitated a bit.
"It's possible, but it has to be strictly monitored by the kingdom. Moreover, after it's finished, the roads will belong to the kingdom's officials."
"Look, the problem is very simple now.
Since the kingdom needs to build roads to improve traffic and the kingdom doesn't have the money, isn't it normal to ask the private companies to pay for the roads?
As for building toll stations and collecting tolls, this can be considered compensation for the private companies.
To put it simply, it's equal to the kingdom's finances temporarily borrowing money from the private companies and using their future earnings to pay it back.
Your Highness, why do you and his majesty feel that this plan isn't good? "
Seveni fell silent and thought for a bit before saying in an awkward voice, "The reason why my royal father and I don't agree to this plan is mainly because ….. collecting tolls from the citizens, this ….."
"Reputation isn't good?" Xu Yi directly pointed out what she was thinking.
Seveni nodded with an awkward expression.
"That's very simple, when building the roads, announce which company is paying for the roads.
They didn't say it before, but when building toll stations, tell everyone that this is what the company wants to do and it isn't related to anyone else.
To put it simply, it's to remove his majesty and the royal family from this matter and let the company building the roads have a bad reputation.
I think that like this, it won't affect his majesty and the royal family's reputation. "
Seveni was stunned before looking at Xu Yi and seriously asking, "Chairman Xu, are you insulting me and royal father?
Our Lampuri royal family isn't someone who isn't willing to take responsibility! "
Xu Yi waved his hand with a smile, "Your highness, you don't need to treat this matter this seriously at all.
For many companies, it's fine as long as they earn money, their reputation isn't important.
For example, our New Flyer. "
Seveni looked at Xu Yi with a complicated expression. It was praise, regret, admiration, and even a bit of intoxication. Finally she gave a sigh, "Chairman Xu, when you proposed this plan, did you already plan this step?"
"Pretty much."
Xu Yi looked at Seveni's expression and couldn't help saying with a smile, "Your highness, you really shouldn't think that I'm losing out on this matter. Actually in the long run, the benefits that New Flyer and I will gain from this will be much bigger than you can imagine."
"I hope it's like this."
Seveni said with a sigh, "Chairman Xu, I've always looked down on those merchants whose heads are filled with gold coins, but I have to admit that they have abilities that I don't have.
Now, not only do I admire your abilities, I also sincerely hope that your New Flyer can become stronger and stronger, or rather, you can earn more and more money. "
"Many thanks for your highness' blessings, we definitely will."
Seveni suddenly came this time to discuss the matter of building the road. The main reason was for the production magic machines that Camby and the other dwarves were developing.
After close to two months of research, Camby and the other dwarves had finally developed three kinds of Magic Punch Forging Machines that could be used to make armours.
Seeing the iron plates being pressed into various shapes by the Magic Punch Forging Machines and then after a simple assembly, a set of armour was formed. Seveni couldn't help opening her eyes wide in shock.
When she was in Anvilmar City, she had seen the process of the blacksmiths creating a set of armour.
Even if it was the most common standard armor, it would take a blacksmith nearly an entire day from the beginning of the smelting process to the end of the forging process to the final assembly of a complete set of armor.
Sometimes if there was a problem, it might not even be finished in a single day.
But in front of Seveni's eyes, these Magic Punch Forging Machines took less than half an hour to create a set of armour. Then after around ten minutes of assembly by Camby, a set of armour was completed.
Moreover, according to Xu Yi's explanation, this was to let Seveni see more clearly, so the Magic Punch Forging Machines were a bit slower.
If they went all out, with the efficiency of these Magic Punch Forging Machines, they could create fifty sets of armour in an hour.
Even if they only worked eight hours a day, they could make four hundred sets of armour!
"Chairman Xu, what is the cost of producing these sets of armour?" Seveni asked the most important question.
"Cost?"
Xu Yi looked at the completed set of armour in Camby's hand and said with a shrug, "Other than the cost of the materials used to create the armour, it's just the people needed to operate the Magic Punch Forging Machines. As for the other costs ….. Alright, it also consumes quite a few Magic Crystals."
Seveni's eyes lit up, "Then isn't this equal to no cost?"
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile, "If it's compared to the blacksmiths, it can be said like this."
Seeing Seveni's look of disbelief, Xu Yi said, "No need to be surprised, your highness, this is the power of industry.
Didn't you see it with the agricultural magic machines? "
"The power of industry?" Seveni looked at the set of armour in Camby's hand and couldn't help falling into deep thought.
If the Magic Punch Forging Machines developed by New Flyer were to be used in large amounts, the production speed of armours and weapons would greatly increase and the cost would greatly decrease.
Like this, the kingdom's soldiers wouldn't need to worry about not having weapons or armour to wear and the battle strength of the kingdom's army would greatly increase.
As long as the Lampari Kingdom had enough military strength, although they couldn't compare to the Kandla Empire and the Malor Empire, at least they could protect themselves from the surrounding countries.
As long as they could maintain the peace of the Lampari Kingdom and let the kingdom develop healthily, royal father's hard work wouldn't be wasted.
Thinking of the kingdom's development, Seveni's eyes couldn't help falling onto Xu Yi who was talking to Camby.
Coming to Banta City this time, Seveni found that there was a large change in Banta City.
Everyone in Banta City seemed to be busy and everyone seemed to have a lot of work to do. The entire city was filled with an optimistic aura, it was completely different from the slow and lifeless atmosphere from before because of how far away it was.
When they came to the Sandton Manor where the Frestech Factory was, they found that this place had already become a giant construction site. Around the Sandton Manor, there were countless large and small workshops that were filled with the sounds of machines that kept coming out.
Everyone on the road was very busy, but they all had happy smiles on their faces.
What had changed these people, changed this city?
Seveni had been thinking about this the entire time and after hearing what Xu Yi said, she suddenly understood.
Yes, it was like Xu Yi said, it was the power of industry that changed the people of Banta City and changed the entire Banta City.
And in the places that Seveni could see, the power of industry had changed Karma City, Saltan City, Canberra City, and Norton City.
Not far in the future, the power of industry would definitely change Cramer City, Anvilmar City, and finally the entire Lampari Kingdom.
When this power spread throughout the Lampari Kingdom, Seveni believed that the Lampari Kingdom at that time would definitely shock the entire continent!