Coppersea has been busy lately.
The cumbersome nature of the various affairs in Salt City was far beyond what he had envisaged. Even if most of the proposals would be rejected by the Citizens’ Council, the remaining portion of those proposals were numerous.
Sitting in the mayor’s chamber of the council hall, Tong Hai looked at the rolls of sheepskin on the table and only felt dizzy.
How did I, a coppersmith, become mayor?
People, they’re just unpredictable.
……
Not long ago, Tong Hai returned to Yancheng to visit Shang Li, who is very old.
The old mayor, leaning on his crutches, gazed at him with what was left of his right eye, and said with gravity, “I have proposed to the council that you should be the mayor of this city. The council has passed it.”
Coppersea listened in bewilderment.
Mayor?
That word and myself together is like using a hammer to polish pottery.
Coppersea didn’t understand.
If he had to say what he was personally good at, the only place he was probably suited for was the city guards, aside from the copper smith craft that had been abandoned for years.
“Take it easy and listen to me.”
The old man slowly explained, “In this world, different people have different talents.”
“Some are talented and born full of whimsy, such as the deceased Mayor of Fishing Company; some are resilient and intelligent, such as the Medicine Spoon Prophet of Yao City; and some are able to spark the passion and enthusiasm of all people, such as the Duo Lun Nu Nu Prophet.”
“And you, my friend, you have an ability that none of the others have.”
“You symbolise fairness.”
Shangri-La flashed a smile, the wrinkles on his face becoming deeper.
“Not just anyone can lead the Northern Templars in this great counterattack and restoration.”
“Copper Sea, they admire you, trust you, and are willing to follow you.”
“It’s not because you’re big and strong.”
“Rather, it was because you were always the first to lead, and were sure to be the first to charge the enemy when you shouted charge. You are open to the greatness of the gods and treat everyone equally; you free every slave and treat every soldier as a brother.”
“The fairness and charisma in you make every man have faith in you and believe that it is right to follow you.”
“The Citizens’ Council exists so that many people can come together and participate in city decision-making and advice, and what leaders need is to leverage the abilities of more people and have the support and trust of all citizens. You are the best fit and will be the best mayor.”
Copperhead said, “But I don’t know anything.”
“No one knows everything.”
The old man shook his head, “You have been out in the world for a long time, and your insights are far stronger than in the past. Now I ask you, have you eliminated all the slave traders?”
Copper Sea was silent for a while, “They hid …… I only took out twenty seven of them. After that, I couldn’t find any trace of them.”
“Understand? My friend.”
Shangri-La said softly, “The meanness and madness, the conceit and arrogance, the malice and darkness, they will hide quietly. We cannot tell from which one they will reveal themselves, and when.”
“So what we have to do is to light the fire, so that most of the world will be enveloped in light, so that the darkness of obscurity will not be able to gain a foothold.”
“It’s a shame about the business plan.”
A hint of melancholy flashed across the old man’s one eye, “If I had been more patient with him, more guidance and affirmation in the beginning, he probably wouldn’t have become paranoid step by step, ultimately causing a disaster. Instead, he would have turned out to be a talent that made Salt City even more glorious, right?”
Tong Hai didn’t think so.
bast*rds are bast*rds!
He’d been trying to give Shang Kei a hammer to the head, but the bast*rd had fled so fast that he couldn’t be found when the city broke down.
“So stay.”
Shang Li’s dry hand gripped Copper Sea’s strong arm and said, “Salt City needs you, and so do the people.”
“If you want to eliminate slaves completely, then turn this city into a true lighthouse! Let the fire of fairness shine throughout the world, and let slavery become a completely reviled and despised representative, it will be a whole new battle!”
Coppersea agreed.
The main reason, however, was not what Shang Li had said earlier.
Rather, it was because Shang Li was too old, his energy was getting worse and worse, and his entire body was emaciated and tired to the naked eye.
Tong Hai didn’t want the old man to labour so hard until he died.
……
Copperhead’s mayoral career stumbled along the way.
He missed the days of solo adventures in the past, though they were always dangerous and accompanied by meals. But it was a simple and pure life, just as it used to be as a coppersmith.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Mr Mayor, the archaeologist Fabiani has come to visit you, do you have a moment?” The scholarly clerk outside asked.
“Ask him to come in.”
Fabiani came dustily into the mayor’s room, and he spoke to the Copper Sea about Pawar, expressing Pawar’s greetings.
“Excuse me, has the museum been built?” The archaeologist asked.
Copper Sea nodded, “It will be open to the public this month, and you will be the one to give the first lecture then. What is the status of the earthworm ranch over at the Dragon’s Nest?”
“The quantity is still high, those earthworms are loaded onto the ship by the trolls one box at a time, and mainly sent to Saniro.” Fabiani took off the hat on his head and wiped the sweat on his forehead with his hand.
Coppersea tugged at his beard, a bit chagrined, “Salt City is best at trade, I didn’t expect to be clueless at splitting earthworms. The production can’t keep up and the growth rate is just too slow.”
Fabiani smiled, “Mr Mayor, in this world, only the Dragon’s Nest can do this. Salt City’s earthworm farming technology has at least far surpassed Yao City.”
“And so far, the Musk Ladybug has only been successfully farmed in Yancheng, very impressive.”
Tong Hai’s heart was slightly comforted.
For Yancheng, losing to no one can lose to Yao Cheng.
This twin-city complex, Tonghai also inherited from Shangli.
“This is the will of the gods.” Tong Hai smiled faintly, “In the new era, we will lead the future of the Yao Clan.”
Fabiani echoed with his mouth.
He said in his heart that Yao Cheng’s side thought so too.
It was still too early to say which side the gods favoured.
For now, the gods preferred the Dragon’s Nest.
……
After resting for a day, Lu Yao once again logged into the simulator.
As soon as he entered the game screen, a series of notifications popped up in the interface.
[Splintered earthworms have caused a transcendental creature frenzy.]
[Splintered earthworms multiply, causing the number of transcendental creatures to rise slightly.]
[Fabiani invents a new profession: archaeologist.]
Lu Yao looked a bit scratchy.
How did splitting earthworms cause such a big change?
He switched viewpoints and looked down over Yao City, Salt City and Saniro.
Split earthworms appeared in all three cities, only these earthworms were now turned into a kind of livestock for animal husbandry and trading.
Most of the buyers are transcendental beings, and they are very fond of these earthworms.
Lu Yao observed carefully and found that.
Split Earthworms were to Transcendent Beings what meat, eggs and milk were to Pixel Villains. Split Earthworms had a mild personality, nothing aggressive, and with a high meat yield and a short growth cycle, they had become the first instance of commercial livestock born on the Transcendent Side.
Especially in the port of the ghost city of Saniro, which has the largest number of Splintered Earthworms, it is also the transshipment centre.
All three cities were trying to raise earthworms. Unfortunately, although Splintered Earthworms would split themselves, the production in the cities was again not high.
Lu Yao was suspicious in his mind.
Judging from the harbours of the three cities, the number of earthworms was large, so where did these earthworms come from?
He tracked the merchant ships all the way to the source.
Northern New Continent, Dragon’s Nest.
Outside the Dragon’s Nest was now bustling with activity, with carriages and unicycles parked outside. The Ice Trolls loaded a sturdy and full split earthworm into a box, and then delivered it to by various people, with the buyers taking them away individually.
Lu Yao’s head was a little dizzy.
Saying goodbye to the adventure replica of the Terror Dragon’s Nest, you’ve turned it into a large-scale farmer’s market for me?
Pasha, the Dragon of the Ember Sun, wouldn’t have had so much as a thought, it could only have been the Yeti who messed it up!
Lu Yao found the Snowman.
Jimmy was in the Dragon’s Nest, displaying a treasure chest on a showcase.
Lu Yao was typing above its head.
-?
“Kami-sama!”
The snowman was very excited when he received Lu Yao’s summons, “Jimmy has been following your instructions and is nurturing Pasha properly, and he is also very obedient, eating and sleeping carefully ……”
“This is the treasure that the snowman and Pasha offered to you, it was traded with earthworms from the cannibal crabs!”
It presented a prop with both hands.
Lu Yao clicked to take a look.
……
[bast*rd Whale Tailbone LV2]: +1/hour to Faith, can slightly increase speed in water.
……
There are specialities in the arts.
It’s called doing a job and loving it.
Lu Yao’s brewing reprimands and accountabilities were instantly cast aside as he typed above its head.
–Keep up the good work, good job.
A large smiley symbol emerges from the top of the snowman’s head, “It is Jimmy’s honour to serve you, Lord God! Jimmy will be sure to collect all the world’s precious treasures for you!”
