Gao Wen was quite satisfied with the development of the territory after winter.
All construction projects are progressing smoothly, even faster than previously expected. The craftsmen took the initiative to use the magic net and basic runes as an auxiliary force in their daily work, which directly promoted the development of most of the territory. The progress of the project, and what made Gao Wen even more gratified was the change in thinking reflected in the process: ordinary people began to realize the impact of the new "magic facilities" on their territories on their production and life, and would follow the To adapt to this point, this is exactly what he wants to see in the territory.
Of course, this kind of change has not been popularized yet. People who can realize the convenience of magic in time and apply it in production and life are basically all kinds of craftsmen. These people originally had a relatively high status in civilian society. Wealthy class", they have more knowledge and experience in dealing with nobles, and some even can read and write. Naturally, they are better than ordinary people in terms of thinking flexibility, and most of the common people except them... It may take some days to change my mind and integrate magic into my life.
In addition to the construction work, another thing that satisfied Gao Wen was the smooth start of business.
Driven by profit, the Kant Territory in the north and the Leslie Territory in the northwest completed the commercial connection with the Cecil Territory at the fastest speed. Potions and basic mining machines were continuously sent to customers, and they were exchanged for abundant money and business routes and intelligence that were more valuable than money.
For Amber, it seems that money is more precious...
In the study of the lord's mansion, Gawain turned his head helplessly and glanced at the half-elf lady who was sucking her head into the cash box, sighed and said, "It's just the first batch of payment for mining equipment, why are you like this?" Are those big boxes in the treasury in the mountains not enough for you to suck?"
"This is different!" Hu Po pulled her head out of the pile of money at once, and looked at Gao Wen with her hips on her hips, "This is return money! It's earned back! It's paid back! The money destined to be spent is different!"
"I can't understand your worldview, but things like money are for spending. Only liquid gold coins are gold coins, and what is kept in the treasury can only be metal," Gao Wen shook his head, "And to be honest, The direct trading of precious metals is really too cumbersome. After the Cecil Chamber of Commerce has enough influence, we still have to consider the credit currency system... "
When Amber heard Gao Wen's words, her ears perked up immediately: "Is that what you said last time about using paper as money? And the process of buying things with cash? I don't want it!"
While talking, the half-elf looked longingly at the sky at a 45-degree angle: "The biggest dream in my life is to lie on the pile of gold coins and sleep. If you replace them with paper, then my What about dreams..."
"...It's not as simple as exchanging gold coins for paper, and you're a giant dragon, you don't have to panic if you sleep on a pile of gold coins," Gawain gave the guy a helpless look, then looked down at the paper in his hand. A report, "Well... that Patrick is indeed a talent, he has actually drawn up the list of the first batch of distributors and the initial market development plan, and based on the map I gave him, he drew a simple radiation Drawing it out...is not easy, not easy."
Amber saw that Gao Wen didn't seem to intend to continue to bring up the topic of "exchanging gold coins for paper", so she sauntered over to the desk, glanced at the report in Gao Wen's hand, and slightly raised her pretty eyebrows: "Don't be so busy." Exaggerated, think about how to gather your manpower first, I remember what you said, we need to build a synchronous intelligence network with this business network as the skeleton, Padraic can give you the businessman's question You can solve it, but no matter how you say it, you have to set up a group of people who specialize in delivering information, you plan to spread out all the clerks you managed to get together in the territory, and spread them all over the southern border to serve as spies for you?"
While talking, she shook her head: "Let me tell you, if you really do this, Hetty will fight for you. She managed to train those apprentices and get enough assistants for herself. Who will follow now?" She wants her to wield her staff like a sabbatical stick..."
Looking at the confident appearance of this half-elf, Gawain was sure that this guy had definitely been hit by the Sabbath stick two days ago.
He shook his head: "In the initial stage, this intelligence network did not need such a high-end staffing. It was not easy to train a group of clerks who could read and write in the territory. Let alone Hetty, I am not willing to put They sent out."
"Ah? Then how do you plan to organize intelligence personnel? Is it possible to rely on the businessmen fooled by Patrick? Or rely on the big soldiers trained by Byron and Philip? Let me tell you, those soldiers can fight well, but Not in this business…”
Without waiting for Amber to finish speaking, Gao Wen interrupted her with a smile and raised his head: "I asked Pittman about it."
"Scary!" Amber shuddered, "What are you asking that old and unscrupulous..."
"You should know quite a few friends, right?" Gao Wen looked at Amber with a half-smile, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and began to read one by one, "The Pirates of the Southern Territory, the Queen of the Tavern, the owner of the bar and the card table. The ruler, the leader of the braggarts in the fields, the reaper of wallets and pockets, the co-lord of copper plates, silver coins, and gold coins, the self-proclaimed Chosen One of the Night, the one who can't pour three barrels of ale, Hu... In short, he is super powerful. Po... "
The half-elf lady was already jumping up halfway through Gawain's reading, and the second half of the title was finished after the half-elf thief jumped up and down desperately to snatch it. Obviously, Amber's height of 1.6 meters was higher than that of Gawain, who was more than two meters tall. It's not worth mentioning in front of Han, even if her shadow talent is superb, she can't wait to use her shadow steps when jumping up and down, but in the end she still can't snatch the note from Pittman...
"Who gave you the title above..." After reading, Gao Wen held Amber's head down, looking helplessly at the half-elf's blushing face, "You friends? Or yourself? "
"It was started by someone else, and I got drunk myself." Seeing that she couldn't resist, Amber could only give Gao Wen a vicious look, and then turned her face away with a little embarrassment, "But can the God of the Night choose you? Don't add 'self-proclaimed', I really am... "
"Okay, okay, you are God's Chosen, you are God's Chosen," Gao Wen took his hands off Amber's head contentedly, and sat back behind the desk again, "Actually, I have been curious since the beginning, with your shadow talent , stealth ability, the level of sneaking... Although some of these skills are not very pleasant to put on the table, it is undeniable that they are the way to survive in the 'gutter', and you who are superb in this regard, how could you not know some of them? My friend in the shadows, why didn't you say it at first?"
"You didn't ask at the beginning," Amber curled her lips, "And as you said, they are all gangsters, and few of them can get on the stage. When I traveled to the north and south in the early years, I even formed a group with them to make trouble. , but after settling down in Old Cecil Territory and having a relatively stable lifestyle, naturally I didn't deal with them much... "
"The more stable way of life you mentioned means changing from roaming around to committing crimes at a fixed location?"
"Yeah"
Gao Wen: "..."
After a moment of embarrassment, he coughed dryly and pulled the topic back: "In a word, I need you to help me recruit a group of talents in this field. I don't care about their background and past. I only ask these people to be flexible, observant, and With enough money to maintain a minimum of loyalty and obedience, I want you to get these people to the territory and then conduct short-term training."
"As long as the money is enough..." Amber couldn't help twitching the corners of her mouth when she heard Gao Wen's words, "You're really straightforward."
"No way, I have no choice," Gawain sighed, "It's not like you don't know that the Cecil Territory has more than 800 primitive citizens and nearly 10,000 exiles and slaves. This is the main structure of the territory's population. In addition, the supply of talents hired and extradited by us in various ways is simply in short supply. It is impossible for me to pull an intelligence team from such a territory. And those people you know may have a problem with their character, The past may not be clean, but since they survived, it proves that they have flexible minds and the ability to protect themselves, and they must be discerning in the environment in which they live. In this era, people with these abilities can It’s not something that can be cultivated casually.”
Starting from the "gutter rats" at the bottom of society in various places, and building the most primitive intelligence network, this is an idea that Gao Wen had a long time ago. He knew that those "gutter rats" were despised by the nobles and even the citizens. But he also knows that those who can survive in that social environment are born to be the best spies: they are alert but calm, cautious but bold, have good ears and eyes, are good at observing, and basically have their own information channels. Information channels are even one of their means of survival: mercenary adventurers walking around will be happy to buy information from gutter rats everywhere, as long as the money is available, the latter is the most reliable source of information.
These two groups of people, who are located at the margins of society and at the bottom of society, are a natural symbiotic relationship.
Of course, "gutter rats" also have a lot of disadvantages: they are weak, but they have almost nothing to do with kindness, they cannot have any noble sentiments, and they have no concept of loyalty. It is also possible to sell your secrets to others for money. This is a group of people who have almost no morals and discipline at all, because these two things are absolutely not used in their lives.
But Gao Wen didn't care. In other words, compared to the value of those people, he could completely accept this flaw.
The loyalty of these people can be bought with money, and that is enough, at least for now.