This year's New Years, Banta City was much more deserted compared to the past two years.
In the past two years, because of Banta City's economic development, there were many people from other cities that came to Banta City to look for work.
At its peak, Banta City had over two hundred thousand people registered and there were at least thirty thousand people who weren't registered. Compared to the fifty thousand people in Banta City before, it was several times more.
Although many people would rush back home during the New Years, many people felt that it was too far, so they wouldn't go back. They would stay in Banta City to celebrate the New Years or they would work during the New Years, trying to earn a higher wage than normal for a few days.
So Banta City had been very lively during New Years two years ago. Whether it was people or goods, they were all rich. The bustling scene even made Hannas who came to Banta City sigh that Banta City wasn't worse than Anvilmar City.
But all of this stopped with the arrival of Count Stark.
Because of Count Stark's agricultural promotion policies, the companies of Banta City all moved out, bringing the workers of the companies with them.
Other than the workers who came from other cities, there were even many workers from Banta City who weren't willing to give up their jobs and left Banta City.
Looking out the window of the City Lord's Manor, seeing the deserted streets and Banta City that didn't seem lively at all, Count Stark couldn't help giving a deep sigh.
Turning back to his desk, he picked up a document and looked it over. Count Stark's knitted brows became even deeper.
This document was Banta City's annual revenue report.
According to the report, Banta City's annual revenue was one million one hundred and seventy thousand gold coins, which was a bit lower than last year.
Although it didn't seem like it fell by much, based on the monthly figures, one could see that Banta City's revenue from January to July had been increasing. Just in these seven months, the revenue added together was close to a million gold coins.
However, after August, this number had greatly decreased and it kept decreasing in the following months. There was even a deficit in the last two months, causing the final five months' revenue to be less than two hundred thousand gold coins.
According to this trend, Banta City would be in the red next year.
If it was like this, even if Count Stark was confident in maintaining a strong harvest next year, a city that was always in the red would only receive negative marks in the Royal Parliament.
With this result, it basically meant that his experiment in Banta City had failed.
The most important thing was that his failure represented the failure of the conservative faction led by the Stark Family. This was something that Count Stark couldn't accept.
The problem was ….. was there a way to solve this problem?
Count Stark looked at the report in his hand and he was a bit hesitant.
Actually in the past few years, although Banta City didn't have a high income, it wasn't to the point of having a deficit. The reason why there was a deficit this year was because Count Stagg had invested large amounts of his income into transforming Banta City's farmland and planting crops.
Moreover, in order to obtain shocking results for the fall harvest, he had spent a large amount of gold coins in secret deals with the Drake Duchy.
Although he couldn't take this money out of Banta City's own revenue, in order to make up for this loss, he couldn't avoid taking some money from other places as compensation.
This meant that if he wanted to maintain the same harvest as this year's fall harvest, Banta City's deficit couldn't be improved.
But to solve this problem, the most feasible method that Count Stark knew was to restore the policies that Satsuma Count had when he was City Lord and support business development. That way, Banta City's tax revenue would return to the same level as two years ago.
But not to mention that Count Stark wasn't willing to do this, even if he was willing, how could the companies that had been driven out of Banta City by his agricultural promotion policies come back because of a single word from him?
Thinking of this, Count Stark couldn't help giving a bitter laugh.
Actually when he learned that he was about to become Banta City's City Lord, he had done some research on Banta City. The reason why Banta City could develop so quickly in just two years was because of the development of the magic machine industry led by the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce.
From an objective standpoint, Count Stark as the City Lord would definitely be the same as Count Satsuma. He would choose to support and promote the New Flyer and the magic machine industry, speeding up Banta City's rapid development.
But Count Stark couldn't stand from an objective standpoint, so even if he wasn't willing, he had no choice but to oppose Xu Yi and the New Flyer as soon as he came to Banta City. He even issued a series of agricultural promotion policies to ensure that the ideas of the kingdom's conservatives that he represented were correct.
Now, the bitter fruit of this idea was bitten by Count Stagg first, to the point that even he began to doubt this idea.
Just guaranteeing enough food would satisfy the citizens of the kingdom and allow them to live peacefully?
Looking at the Xinfei Brand Magic Air Conditioner hanging in his office, Count Stark revealed a bitter smile as he fell into deep thought.
However, this thought didn't last long as there was a knock on the door of the office.
Count Stark calmed himself down and sat back down in his chair before saying in a deep voice, "Come in."
When the door opened, Count Stark's secretary came in and reported in a low voice, "Lord City Lord, the New Flyer's chairman Xu is here to see you."
Count Stark was stunned. Why did Xu Yi choose to meet him today?
After considering it, Count Stark nodded, "Let him come in."
The secretary looked at Count Stark in surprise before leaving with a sound of response.
After a while, the door opened again and Xu Yi was led into the office by the secretary.
After Xu Yi and Count Stark exchanged greetings, the secretary closed the door and had Xu Yi stay behind to meet with Count Stark alone.
"Sit."
Perhaps it was because of the thoughts that had just appeared in his mind, Count Stark pointed at the chair in front of his desk and took the initiative to show courtesy to Xu Yi for the first time.
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile and didn't act polite. After thanking him, he sat down and said to Count Stark, "Lord City Lord, I thought that you would return to Anvilmar City for the New Years, but I never thought that you would stay in the City Lord's Manor. You really can be considered a responsible City Lord."
Count Stark gave a cold snort, "If this came from anyone else, I would treat it as a poor flattery, but if it came from you, I would only find it ironic.
You think that I am a good City Lord?
What a joke! "
Xu Yi shook his head, "Although I don't agree with the Lord City Lord's ideas, this isn't related to your responsibility. My praise comes from the bottom of my heart."
"That's enough. Don't talk nonsense to me. Even you won't believe it."
Count Stark waved his hand. He looked at Xu Yi and asked, "Why did you suddenly come looking for me today?
Just say it, there's no meaning in beating around the bush. "
"Alright, then I'll just say it."
Xu Yi was silent for a bit before continuing, "Lord City Lord, I came this time to discuss the agricultural development of Banta City next year with you."
"You want to discuss agricultural development with me?" Count Stark looked at Xu Yi in a daze, like he had heard a giant joke.
"Chairman Xu, could it be that it isn't enough for your New Flyer to just produce magic machines and you also want to meddle in grain production?"
Faced with Count Stark's taunting tone, Xu Yi's expression didn't change as he said with a faint smile, "If I have a method to increase Banta City's grain production, does the Lord City Lord think that I'm qualified?"
Count Stark knit his brows before saying with a cold smile, "You have this method?
What a joke, our Stark Family has several hundred years of history in agricultural production, could it be that we can't compare to a young person like you who isn't even thirty yet? "
"Lord City Lord, I think that even if it is you, you can't deny that the agricultural magic machines I developed have a large effect on increasing grain production, right?" Xu Yi asked back.
Count Stark's expression froze.
This was something that he couldn't refute because even if he targeted Xu Yi and New Flyer, at the crucial time of the fall harvest, he still had to borrow the power of the agricultural magic machines Xu Yi developed and produced by New Flyer.
It could even be said that without the agricultural magic machines, Banta City's grain harvest would plummet.
Thinking of this, Count Stark's expression relaxed a bit as he asked Xu Yi, "What?
What kind of new agricultural magic machine has your Frestech Chamber of Commerce developed? "
"No." Xu Yi replied with a shake of his head.
Count Stark was instantly enraged, "Then are you here to make fun of me?"
"No, how could I dare do this." Xu Yi quickly waved his hand.
"Lord City Lord, the agricultural magic machines can only help open up farmland, but they can't increase the yield of the farmland.
I came looking for you this time to tell you that I have a method to increase the yield of the farmland. "
"How is that possible!" Count Stark gave a snort with a look of disbelief.
"Our Count Stark has several hundred years of experience in grain production, how could there be a method that we don't know that you know?"
Xu Yi laughed, "Lord City Lord, I admit that the Stark Family behind you has several hundred years of history in grain production, but compared to the elves' thousands of years of history, isn't it insignificant?"
"Elves?" Count Stark was stunned as his gaze looking at Xu Yi became serious.