Liu Laocai was eating the dried meat in a hurry when he suddenly started coughing. Luo Yi hurriedly handed him the kettle. Liu Laocai gulped down the water and said thank you to Luo Yi with tears and snot.
Dried meat, compressed biscuits and a green military water bottle were all carried by Luo Yi. They were originally standard equipment for mercenaries.
However, according to the security recommendations provided by the military advisers of the Joint Matrix to the economic and trade delegation, it is hoped that each member will carry some dried meat and a bottle filled with water so that if they encounter danger, they can hold on for a few more days and wait for rescue.
But most members of the economic and trade delegation turned a deaf ear and disdained the equipment provided by the Joint Matrix.
Of course, whether it is needed or not, the bill for the Joint Matrix has already been issued, and the prices of these equipment and supplies are very high.
Luo Yideng, on the other hand, was very obedient and took the security consultant's advice to heart.
"Slow down..." Lu Ming looked at Liu Laocai stuffing the hard meat jerky that he usually disliked into his mouth, and felt inexplicably funny. He is not cultivating immortals now? This experience may not be a bad thing for you, brother.
Finally, Mr. Liu let out a long sigh and looked at Lu Ming with a sad face, "These past few days, it's all stinky and rotten dog food..."
Lu Ming nodded: "Tell me, what's going on? However, you may have to stay here for a few days. There is no bail system here, but don't worry, I will send someone to stay here. Anyone who wants to see you must be present, and he will also arrange your meals for you."
Liu Laocai nodded repeatedly and said pitifully, "Okay, okay, Qianxing, you must save me! I will be beheaded here..."
Lu Ming nodded: "Let's talk about the people from Fila Petroleum first? Didn't you find anyone to help you these days? Weren't you invited by them?"
Although Rabbi Fila of Fila Oil once gave him a large political donation, the oil field development planning in the Bat City area should be in the charge of his second brother. Therefore, he only contacted the Fila Oil office here through official channels, but the other party was not very enthusiastic. So he simply stopped contacting them, and he also felt that something was wrong here.
Luo Yi, who was standing next to him, took out a booklet and started taking notes.
When talking about Fila Petroleum, Liu Laocai gritted his teeth and said, "These bastards are the ones who cheated me!"
"Now that I think about it, they have never had good intentions. Hasan's husband is the tour guide they found for me. They also found a slutty woman to seduce me. That slutty woman also has a husband..."
"Ha, Hasheng, right? Wasn't it Hasheng who seduced you?" Lu Ming was slightly stunned. He arranged for you to seduce you but you refused, and in the end you called Hasheng on your own initiative
"Hashan..." Liu Laocai sighed softly, "Hashan is fine..."
“Anyway, when something went wrong, the people from Fila Oil disappeared. But the day before yesterday, they came and said that if I transferred 90% of the ownership of my land deed to them, they would not only guarantee my safety, but also help me get rid of the lawsuit, and they would also help me resolve the land ownership dispute with Bailu City… They also said that if they gave me 10%, it would be an astronomical figure. It is expected that I can earn 2 to 3 million a year, and it will last for decades or even hundreds of years. The annual income will only increase in the future.”
"Fuck them! I'd rather die than do it!" Liu Laocai gritted his teeth.
Lu Ming nodded. If the net profit is 20 to 30 million per year, then this oil field is really a treasure. Among the several oil fields currently owned by Fila Petroleum, the largest one should not be of this scale. Liu Laocai really found a treasure.
One year's profit is enough to build the Empire State Building. Of course, if you add the cost of buying the land in a location like the Empire State Building, it will take two years' profit.
It's no wonder that some of the decision-makers at Fila Petroleum started to think crookedly. It was indeed too tempting, especially when they thought that this guy got it for free and had it all to himself? Who wouldn't be jealous? If the oil field really belonged to Liu Laocai, the largest individual shareholder of Fila Petroleum might not have as high a net income as Liu Laocai from then on. Wouldn't that be infuriating
But then again, wasn't the Fila family's fortune also due to good luck? The first oil field was also a coincidence, which enabled them to develop from a small noble family at the bottom of the society over several decades to a super company with a market value of over 10 billion, and it is still expanding rapidly.
Nowadays, it is an unpredictable era, and outstanding adventurers still have great opportunities to write new legendary stories.
The next feast for adventurers will have to wait until the Internet age.
Only when social forms change dramatically will trendsetters who can grasp the pulse of the new era emerge.
After pondering for a while, Lu Ming said, "So, Hashan's husband blackmailed you, probably without telling his financial sponsor. Otherwise, you would really die here in a muddled way. To be honest, you should thank him."
"Thanks to his grandmother!" Liu Laocai glared, "If I can get out alive, I will kill him!"
Lu Ming nodded: "Tell me about Hasan, tell me in detail, what happened between you and her..."
Liu Laocai was stunned for a moment, looked at Lu Ming's expression, and said cautiously: "She, she is quite pitiful, can you..."
Lu Ming rolled his eyes, "Hurry up and tell me, I know what to do! Don't lick everyone you see, okay?"
Liu Laocai didn't dare to say anything more. He started to tell the story with a wronged look on his face, blinking his eyes.
…
"Brother, are you looking for someone?" Nicole asked curiously as she walked beside Lu Ming.
Although he said he was accompanying Nicole shopping, there were actually no shops in the entire town.
The chieftains, even the small chieftains, would go to the big cities a hundred miles away to buy things.
As for Bat City, the only small market is used by the poor to exchange for basic living needs.
Lu Ming and his group were walking in this small market.
There are all kinds of dilapidated straw hut stalls selling straw sandals, chicken and duck eggs, oil and salt, coarse cloth, some religious trinkets, etc. In addition, there is a blacksmith shop, which actually sharpens kitchen knives and repairs farm tools.
Most of them also practiced barter, using grain as currency.
The serfs had no means of production, which meant they would not starve to death. If they had some surplus grain in a good year, they would exchange it for daily necessities here.
Last year was a good year, so this small market, which only opens every half a month, is very lively.
Although, there are many people browsing, few actually conduct transactions.
There was a peasant woman who sold a basket of eggs, exchanged it for some cloth, and bought her daughter a shell hairpin, which made the ragged little girl dance with joy.
Nicole was curious about everything, so she found it fun to wander around this shabby market.
However, seeing that Lu Ming was always looking towards an area of earthen houses leading to the market, Nicole curiously asked Lu Ming if he was looking for someone.
Lu Ming smiled slightly: "Not really."
The area of earthen houses where the tour guide Tugou and his wife Hasheng that Liu Laocai mentioned lived was considered a free civilian area, where the living conditions there were better than those of most serfs.
Now that it has been confirmed that Fila Petroleum is involved in this case, some of the previous ideas are no longer applicable.
If you take the initiative to find Hassan, there is a possibility that Fila Petroleum will use it to make trouble.
If you happen to meet her in this market, you might have a chat with her, as long as it doesn't involve the case or violate any rules.
Liu Laocai said that Tugou and Hasang did not have a wedding witness according to local customs, but they have lived together for more than ten years, which is considered a de facto marriage according to Donghai law.
Long Xiang was accompanying Lu Ming and Nicole. He was now very sure that this was Miss Nicole, the most popular superstar in the entire empire. However, since Mayor Lu did not want to break this window paper, he could only suppress his excitement and dared not say anything more.
However, Miss Nicole was now walking on the right side of Mayor Lu, and I was a few steps behind and to the left of Mayor Lu. But I could still smell the faint fragrance of Miss Nicole, which was so intoxicating.
Long Xiang didn't quite dare to look at Miss Nicole. Even though Miss Nicole was wearing sunglasses and a big hat, her stunning beauty and unique temperament could not be concealed after all. It was not something that an ordinary person would have the confidence to look straight at. Not to mention, when it was confirmed that it was her, this legendary beauty superstar seemed to have an extra halo around her, making people dare not look up at her.
Walking behind, Long Xiang only dared to secretly glance at the pair of beautiful black and white canvas shoes that carried the slender and straight legs of this super bright superstar. Watching the shoes rise and fall on the loess, the arcs they drew and the footprints they left were so graceful and fascinating.
Suddenly, Long Xiang's breathing became shortness of breath, and he had the urge to rush forward and kiss the footprints left by those beautiful canvas shoes.
Just then, there was a commotion at the back, as if someone was driving the crowd away.
Long Xiang looked back and was slightly startled.
However, the one who came hurriedly accompanied by a group of guards was the head of the Hawkeye Luo family - White Flag Councillor Hawkeye Luo, an old man in his fifties, a combination of a famous old fox and an eagle, cruel, tough and cunning.
The families in Bat City do not have surnames. After the new head of each family succeeds to the throne, he uses the family name as his name.
At this time, Hawkeye Luo and his group had been stopped by two burly men armed with guns.
The two sides couldn't communicate in the same language. Eagle-Eye Luo explained something with a smile, but the two burly men just shook their heads, not understanding.
Long Xiang hesitated, but saw Luo Yi approaching Lu Ming, as if Mayor Lu wanted her to communicate with the other party.
Long Xiang then gritted his teeth, walked over quickly, and said with a smile: "Uncle Luo, Eagle Eye, why are you here?"
Among the four white flag families, the economic Luo family is the richest, while the Eagle Eye Luo family is the most powerful in terms of military strength and is the one that likes to buy second-hand guns and cannons from the black market in Gravel City the most.
Normally, even his own father was extremely afraid of Eagle-Eye Luo, and he would take a detour whenever he saw him.
I don't know why he came to this junk market, but from his explanation, it seems that he wanted to meet Mayor Lu.
This is not a good sign.
Long Xiang was just thinking about how to create a misunderstanding between Mayor Lu and him, but he saw Mayor Lu's translator coming over.
Helplessly, I had to go by myself. Since I couldn't ruin the communication between the two of them, I could only go with the flow and do them a favor.
But it would be a bit bad if Chief Hawkeye Luo came to this small market in person to meet Mayor Lu.
The Hawkeye Luo family has always been better informed than other families.
Maybe this Mayor Lu is more important than I thought
But his father never showed up. He was supposed to go and pick up Mayor Lu and his entourage to go to the city, and his father had already set up a banquet at home.
But as fate would have it, Mayor Lu was busy with his own affairs and could only say it was evening.
But now, Hawkeye Luo came in person, and in order to meet Mayor Lu, he came to this dirty and smelly market that he might never have been to in his life.
There must be a big problem here.
Long Xiang thought to himself that something was wrong, but he smiled and said, "Uncle Luo, you are here to see Mayor Lu?"
Hawkeye Luo glanced at him sideways and snorted.
At this time Luo Yi came over. Seeing Luo Yi's clothes, Hawkeye Luo immediately recognized that this was a distinguished guest from the East. A smile immediately appeared on his face. "Dear lady, may I have a word with the mayor? Please! I am the White Flag Councillor here, and my name is Hawkeye Luo."
Long Xiang almost fell down. Uncle Luo, the Eagle Eye? You are famous for your ferocity. What are you doing now
To be honest, Long Xiang was very disdainful of the fact that Luo Yi and Luo Er, two beautiful girls from the Western Regions, were dressed in strange clothes and became playthings of foreigners. Even if they were captured by force, why didn't they commit suicide? Even if they didn't commit suicide, why did they wear such clothes? It was obvious that they had been poisoned by those absurd and heretical theories and betrayed the traditions of their own people.
However, Long Xiang felt contempt in his heart but did not show it on his face.
But he didn't expect to see Hawkeye Luo trying to please this second female devil.
The Hawkeye Luo family has always been the most traditional family, and they hate these traitors the most. But now, what are you doing? Uncle Hawkeye Luo
Long Xiang was stunned, and in his heart, he had a vague feeling that something bad was going to happen, but he just didn't know where the problem lay.
Long Xiang saw Luo Yi go back and whisper something to Mayor Lu.
Mayor Lu made a gesture, and the two burly men here moved aside.
Long Xiang's heart sank again. He felt that his family might have had the upper hand in some major event, but they had made a wrong move and were now going to lose everything.
…
The oil seller arrived early and occupied the best thatched hut. Now that Eagle-Eye Luo gave him a few coins as a reward, the oil seller gave up his hut with many thanks.
Hawkeye Luo's men borrowed tables, chairs and benches from somewhere, wiped them clean, and served the local specialty cheese herbal tea.
Originally, Hawkeye Luo had eagerly invited Lu Ming to his home, but seeing that Lu Ming really had no interest, he set up such a temporary tea stall in the market.
The teacups and teapots that Hawkeye Luo's men found were obviously new, and they were scalded with boiling water, so the tea sets were relatively clean.
"How does it taste?" Lu Ming asked Nicole with a smile.
"It's sour, a little salty and a little bitter, very good!" Nicole took a sip and nodded in praise.
Hawkeye Luo, who was full of expectations, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "It's good as long as the lady doesn't mind."
He clapped his hands, and an attendant who had been holding a red brocade box beside him took two steps forward and placed the box on the table.
Eagle Eye Luo opened the brocade box, pushed it in front of Lu Ming, and said with a smile: "Your Excellency can come from the prosperous land of the Far East to this poor and remote place, and you have the heart to help the people. Such nobleness really makes us feel grateful. It is also a blessing for tens of thousands of local people. After thinking about it, I don’t know how to respond to your sincerity. Here are some local specialties for you to give as a token of my gratitude."
The words translated by Luo Yi made Lu Ming roll his eyes. Is this guy so cultured? He was just talking nonsense.
However, these Luo maids are usually just background characters. They seem to really like reading Zhongzhou ancient texts, but unexpectedly, they are a bit like talented ladies.
He looked into the wooden box again and was slightly startled. In the box was a small diamond-shaped emerald. Although emeralds of this quality were precious, they were still far inferior to the gems in the expensive necklaces worn by the noble ladies of the East China Sea, which were worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. But if you look closely, you can see that there seems to be a fairy dancing in the emerald. From a scientific point of view, there are impurities in it, but it is so lifelike that it makes the emerald even more dazzling.
Long Xiang, who was sitting aside and thinking about something, was even more surprised when he saw the emerald in the box.
It is rumored that the Hawkeye Luo family has an heirloom, which is a gem imprisoned by the moon goddess, but they have only heard of it and have never seen it. It seems that this is the gem.
Just take it out and present it as a treasure? Moreover, it is described lightly as a "local specialty"
What on earth is Mayor Lu doing here
Long Xiang felt a chill in his heart. It was all over. He was confused and had no idea what was going on. He was about to be intercepted and was afraid that his father would beat him to death.
Lu Ming also looked at the emerald, smiled slightly, and pushed the wooden box back. "What a pity. I have several concubines at home, and this one is my biological sister. If I give this treasure to anyone, people will say I am biased. So, forget it."
From Luo Yi's translation, Eagle Eye Luo said that he had a "heart to help the people". He definitely did not use these words, but the general meaning was similar.
Therefore, it was obvious that the old man with the eyes like a hawk was well-informed and knew that his group was here to do some assistance projects, and usually these projects would include low-interest loans and free grants.
This was the first time he came to order the cake. He casually described the gem as a "specialty". He was just an expert in telepathy and knew how to deliver the bribe gift smoothly.
This gem is obviously a family heirloom. If he is willing to give it out, then he will demand more from those projects. He will feel that he has suffered a great loss if he does not make ten times the profit.
Although the project will be done regardless of who is assigned to it, as long as there are behind-the-scenes deals, the possibility of failure will increase greatly.
To be honest, I came here not only to rescue Liu Laocai, but also to make some profit from here, so that my trip was not in vain.
But the "benefits" in his eyes were not just these small favors, nor were they to further exploit those already miserable serfs.
So, there is no need to think about it, you won’t collect this thing yourself.
Moreover, this emerald is only worth tens of thousands of yuan at most. It is indeed quite rare, and if you give it to a girl, the effect will be a hundred times greater.
But she was just an ordinary woman. Looking at Nicole, she didn't care at all. Instead, she turned her head and looked curiously at the passers-by who avoided her from a distance.
On the other side, Hawkeye Luo was visibly stunned when he saw Lu Ming pushing the wooden box back.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "As for our group, I am actually the deputy leader. The official letter is in the hands of the leader. Originally, we wanted to discuss these matters when most of them arrived and met with the city lord together, but it seems that Mr. Hawkeye Luo has heard something about it. How about this, Long Xiang, you should listen to it too."
Long Xiang immediately perked up and leaned forward.
Hawkeye Luo was somewhat unwilling to accept that the information was originally top secret, but ended up being heard by this kid. He frowned slightly, but there was nothing he could do.
Lu Ming said, "Yes, we are here not only as investors who want to look at the resources here, but we have also decided to provide some assistance to the local area as an extension of our East China Sea Friendly Alliance Plan. We will look at your medical care, school education, and any help we can provide, and we will approve the project and allocate funds. Of course, it is not just Bat City. More than a dozen city-states in this area are all in our assistance plan. Who will get the final help, in your opinion, which city-state will get more help, or less, or even no help from us, all depends on our comprehensive evaluation."
"But there is one thing. I also saw it on the helicopter. If we want to build a railway from this area to Gravel City, I think Bat City is indeed more suitable as a starting point. In fact, before coming here, I also read the evaluation of the relevant experts of Fila Petroleum on the construction of roads in this area. Fila Petroleum also has plans to build a railway from this area to Gravel City. We will communicate with Fila Petroleum and hope to reach a cooperation. As for the railway operation rights and investment shares, etc., these will be discussed after the negotiations and will not involve you. But in general, I think this project will definitely be implemented. By then, you will have an idea of what changes will happen in Bat City. As for the project, it will definitely benefit you. There will be some small projects for you to do. The details still need to be seen."
"We are here this time to provide a free aid project, and we are prepared to provide 500,000 yuan in funds. We also have a low-interest loan project from Baoyin Bank. The specific amount of loans we will provide will depend on the evaluation of the project you applied for."
After pondering for a while, Lu Ming said, "That's basically it."
Hawkeye Luo and Long Xiang's eyes became brighter and brighter as they listened.
Long Xiang's heart was pounding wildly. He thought he was such a fool. Looking at what Hawkeye Luo did, he knew he was still a long way from being able to take over his father's job.
But what does Mayor Lu like
He didn't even blink an eye at the precious heirloom of the Hawkeye Luo family. In fact, think about it, at such a young age, he is already the deputy mayor of a town under the jurisdiction of Donghai. What kind of a powerful family must he be? Can money move him
Women? Forget about it. The one traveling with him was so beautiful that even the term "a peerless beauty" was not enough to describe her. This legendary superstar was a symbol of an epoch. If most people in the empire, east, west, south, north, and five confederations had any common hobby, it would probably be to appreciate the movies she starred in. Both men and women loved her to the point of madness, but that love had a different meaning.
All the beauties in the Western Regions combined cannot compare to her toenails.
Mayor Lu, on the other hand, seemed to be the more dominant party when getting along with her, and she seemed to obey everything he said.
What kind of person is Mayor Lu
Alas, I should have thought of it earlier, but she was nearby, and we were even breathing the same air. How could I have any brains left
However, she was wearing a mask and was far away from me, so I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to breathe in the carbon dioxide she exhaled, right
Long Xiang was stunned again and wanted to slap himself.
Forget it, forget it, don’t let your imagination run wild. Go back and think carefully about what can impress this mysterious Mayor Lu