Volume 5 Chapter 141 Golden sea route
Seeing the displeased look on chairman Cruise’s face, Xu Yi could only reveal a bitter smile.
Ambassador Hakanin worked hard on this road at first and Xu Yi was happy about this, thinking that he would finally open the door to the Candra Empire. He would let them understand the convenience of the roads and then the same effects in the Lampuri Kingdom would happen in the Candra Empire.
However, he never thought that when the Amrit Chamber of Commerce paved the road in the southwest province, they would encounter all kinds of strange hindrances. The most important problem was that the efficiency of the workers of the southeast province of the Candra Empire was just too low. It also took a long time just for them to get any clearance to use small pieces of land, which greatly delayed the construction.
Moreover, those officials bared quite a bit. According to what chairman Cruise said, in just half a year of starting the road, the Amrit Chamber of Commerce had paid over three hundred thousand gold coins which was almost half the cost of the road itself.
Moreover, most of the actual investment came from the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, with a bit of it coming from the Amrit Chamber of Commerce. The Candra Empire wasn’t paying a single copper coin, but they were enjoying the various benefits that the road brought. For the Frestech Chamber of Commerce and the Amrit Chamber of Commerce, this was a business that really made them suffer.
This made chairman Cruise unhappy with the Candra Empire. However, the road was already half complete and it had a big significance, so even if he wasn’t happy, he could only endure it.
Xu Yi thought about it before helplessly patting chairman Cruise’s shoulder and comforting him, “This is the first road after all, just endure it for now. As long as this road is finished, I don’t believe that the Candra Empire wouldn’t be able to see the benefits it brings. As long as they want to continue building roads, they will look for your company. When that time comes, you’ll be able to get back the grievances that you suffered building this road.”
Chairman Cruise gave a cold snort, “I’m not as optimistic as you. From what I can see, the Candra Empire is rotting from the head down. Even if they realize the benefits of the roads, we wouldn’t be able to get any benefits.”
Xu Yi narrowed his eyes and revealed a cold smile, “When that time comes, it might not be up to them.”
Chairman Cruise looked at Xu Yi with a strange look.
He could sense danger from Xu Yi’s words, but where did that danger come from?
The Candra Empire was one of the two empires of the Sines Continent. Xu Yi wouldn’t have the courage to do anything to the Candra Empire, right?
Xu Yi waved his hand and stopped this topic. He reached his finger out to tap on the last red line.
“Actually, compared to the road through the Candra Empire, I feel that the road that connects the furthest southern part of the continent is even more difficult. Cruise, do you have any confidence?”
Cruise looked at the road that ran along the southern sea to the east that started from the Candra Empire, finally drawing a red line across the coast and he revealed a bitter smile.
“I say, Xu Yi, I thought that the idea of those fellows from the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom was just their fantasy, but I never thought that you would take it seriously. Did you forget what I said last time? In theory, building this road that connects the continent’s east and west is possible, but the biggest problem is that it costs too much. Didn’t I calculate for you last time, to build this road, it would take over fifty million gold coins. This much money……we can’t take it out even if we sold our companies.”
“That’s why I said last time that it wouldn’t be finished in a year or two.” Xu Yi gave a shrug, “Moreover, the three transport lines that I’ve planned can’t be completed in a short period of time. If I had to choose one, I would want this one to be built first.”
Seeing Xu Yi point at the top most red line, chairman Cruise let out a sigh of relief.
“It seems like you really aren’t crazy. Not bad, compared to the rest, this road can be finished right now. Whether it is the Stantine Duchy, the Lampuri Kingdom, or the Drake Duchy, they already have roads in them. We just need to pave some roads in the Falk Kingdom. As for the Marlow Empire……it’ll depend on the cooperation between you and the Marlow Empire.”
Seeing chairman Cruise’s doubtful gaze, Xu Yi nodded with a faint smile, “I have confidence in Marquis Southgate. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be sending news soon.”
“I hope so.”
The two of them discussed the three planned roads for a while before chairman Cruise left.
After Xu Yi sent him off, he went back to the map and looked at it for a long time. He then took out a pen and starting from the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s main base, he started going out west. He drew a blue line through the endless seas that then turned south, bypassing the Stantine Duchy, the Rudson Kingdom, and the Candra Empire until it reached the coast of the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
The Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom had already finished their harbour for five months now, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s transport fleet had been making round trips each month. They had already finished five transport trips, establishing a sea line between the southwest and southeast coasts of the continent.
To build the road that ran across the south coast that chairman Cruise called the most difficult road on the Sines Continent was just too hard right now. So for now, the most reliable method of connecting the east and west coasts was this sea route.
After five trips, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had brought a large amount of goods and people to the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom. They had already started building the cement factory and a steel mill in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
With the current plan, they would be able to start producing by the start of next year. Then with the manpower that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce would invest, they would be able to build a production base in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom, striving to promote magic machines in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
Before this production base was built, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce wasn’t idle. Through the transport fleet, they sent many of the agricultural and construction magic machines the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom currently needed, as well as various kinds of popular household magic machines.
Accordingly, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had gained a large amount of medicines and beast furs from the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom. After they were shipped back to the Stantine Duchy, they were sold in the surrounding countries which earned them quite a bit.
With just five round trips, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had earned over two million gold coins.
So the top members of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had already called this sea route, “golden sea route”.
Looking over the map, Xu Yi put his pen back on the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s main base before bringing it to the west into the endless seas.
This time he went north, past the Black Rice Wasteland, the Sack Kingdom, the Alas Kingdom to the northeast of the continent, entering the northern seas.
But when he finished this line, Xu Yi paused before stopping and slightly knitting his brows.
Although Xu Yi had never been to the countries in the north, according to the various books he read, the north of the continent was very cold once winter came. Even the endless seas were covered in thick ice, so they couldn’t sail on the seas at all.
So this route was impossible to be open all year round like the southern route.
After considering it, Xu Yi continued drawing his line across the north seas to the east, finally stopping in the center of the north of the continent.
This was the northern coast of the Marlow Empire. If they could establish a route, they would be able to transport goods on the sea to the Marlow empire, which would without a doubt improve the relationship between the Frestech Chamber of Commerce and the Marlow Empire.
Looking over the Marlow Empire on the map, Xu Yi’s eyes turned to the northeast corner of the continent. He drew another line from the Marlow Empire’s coast to the east, reaching this northeast corner before going down a bit. He came all the way down to the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom in the southeast, linking it up with the southern trade route.
Like this, it was as if the blue sea trade route wrapped around the entire continent.
In theory, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce could rely on sea transportation to bring goods to any country near the sea on the continent.
Of course, most of the countries on the continent weren’t by the sea. To send the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s goods to every part of the continent, they couldn’t just rely on sea transportation.
This was the main reason why Xu Yi wanted to lay out these three main roads.
But laying these roads really was too difficult. Other than the most important problem of money, the biggest hindrance was the attitudes of the other countries.
Xu Yi believed that the Falk Kingdom would agree to the road in the north, but the Marlow Empire’s attitude was not something he was certain on.
The middle road connected to the Candra Empire, but with the Candra Empire’s current performance, it didn’t seem optimistic.
“This giant empire, could it be that they really are rotten like Cruise said?”
Xu Yi knit his brows to look at the Marlow Empire that was quite a bit bigger than the Candra Empire and couldn’t help giving a sigh.
At this time, there were the sounds of soft footsteps that came from the door that pulled Xu Yi back from his thoughts.
Looking over, he saw Teresa’s little head poking through the door with a cautious look on her face.
Seeing that Xu Yi was looking over, Teresa shrank back like a frightened rabbit, but she still popped out after hesitating a bit.
Xu Yi narrowed his eyes to look over her before saying with a faint smile, “Come in.”