April 21, 1792, the last batch of grain purchased through Samaria merchants by Roland arrived at Emre Port. The previous day, similar products bought through merchants from other countries also arrived, but in much smaller quantities.

This final batch of grain came from the distant Nubian Kingdom, traversing the vast Land Sea and Sunset Ocean, finally reaching its destination after a month-long journey.

To welcome their arrival, Director Schmidt of the Port Authority personally led the staff to greet them.

In addition, he hung up an exaggerated red banner as per the requirements of the Department of Commerce.

Though unaware of the origin of this custom, it was said to be a demand of the Lord Governor, and naturally, the Port Authority dared not question it.

Could it be some damned custom from the homeland of those Samaritan merchants?

Standing by the dock, Director Schmidt thought somewhat indifferently.

The Lord Governor was good in all respects, except he trusted the Samaria merchants a bit too much.

These filthy swine have no shame and no bottom line, they only care about money. The Lord Governor surely knows this but still has no choice but to do business with them.

He completely understood Governor Roland's actions in buying grain.

As the person in charge of the Port Authority, he not only had a unique understanding of trade but was also proficient in meteorology.

Last year's abnormal warm winter was rare in decades, and he was somewhat concerned. At the beginning of the year, he wrote to the Lord Governor, advising Roland to stockpile grain in advance.

For this, he received a letter of commendation from the Governor, praising his high alignment with the Governor's thoughts and awarding him 10 Performance Points.

Looking at these ships full of grain, Schmidt felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

Long live Her Majesty the Empress, wise is the Lord Governor, and Schmidt is also smart!

Once this batch of grain arrives at the port, the Three Provinces under the Governor's territory will not have to worry about food issues, even if refugees are added in.

Schmidt let out a long breath as he watched through his telescope the row upon row of sails rising on the distant horizon, slightly alleviating his displeasure from the long wait.

He was not collaborating with greedy merchants; he was receiving life-saving grain for the people of the Three Provinces.

It was already nearing afternoon, and the arrival time was delayed by more than three hours from the scheduled time.

This three to four hours delay also made it impossible to complete the inspection procedures within the day.

Calculating the transportation time roughly, Schmidt furrowed his brow.

With not enough time, the grain would have to be moved into the warehouse first, sealed, and checked the next day.

Although many officials from the Three Provinces have good relations with the Samaria merchants, he was not one of them.

He does not discriminate against anyone, but despises equally behaviors involving short weight and inferior goods.

As an official of the Port Authority, he naturally hopes that Emre Port can prosper, so he can get promoted.

He desires progress but will not stoop to colluding with merchants.

Many colleagues cannot understand his behavior, but his ambition is not something these fools can grasp.

Her Majesty the Empress is in Hansa; if not striving now, when?

Schmidt turned back and shouted at the hired dock workers behind him, "Move quickly and finish unloading the grain before sunset, wages doubled!"

The previously sluggish workers instantly perked up, their eyes on the grain ships now sharp like hawks.

That was not a grain ship, but double the pay!

Amidst everyone's anticipation, the grain ships slowly entered the port.

Perhaps the captain had drunk too much and couldn't steer, or maybe the sailors were slacking off, as today's docking was surprisingly slow.

Furthermore, a sailor accidentally fell from a height while climbing the mast to lower the sails, becoming a bloody mess on the deck.

The sudden accident disrupted the order of the cargo ships entering the port, causing a commotion.

After a hard time restoring order, more time was lost.

If it were on schedule, they wouldn't even think about unloading all the grain today, but fortunately, Schmidt offered the dock workers double wages.

Stimulated by money, they worked with high spirits, working up a sweat, and the transport progress was rapid.

The fleet owner, Mr. Labert, approached from an unknown angle, offering a flattering smile to Schmidt. Along with it, he handed over a delicate little box.

"This is a pie made by my wife's own hands, you can take it home to share with your family."

"That's not necessary, my wife's cooking is excellent." Schmidt showed no courtesy at all.

He coldly looked at the Samaria merchant and snorted, "Mr. Labert, you better think about the aftermath, this is a serious matter involving a fatality."

Labert was short, more than a head shorter than Schmidt, yet his stature was exceptionally round, more than double Schmidt's width.

Seeing Schmidt unmoved, Labert with a sheepish grin was about to explain the uniqueness of the pie when Schmidt already turned and walked away, commanding personnel from the Port Authority to maintain order.

More than fifty massive merchant ships and a dozen escort vessels made the port extraordinarily crowded.

Apart from traditional donkey carts, there were also quite a few steam trucks transporting goods.

Emre Port is one of the first ports in the world to implement mechanized loading and unloading. There is a smooth hardened road between the dock and the warehouse zone, facilitating the passage of these big machines.

Seeing this efficient transport system, Labert was momentarily at a loss for words.

At least ten such large fleets led by him had recently arrived at the port, unloading over 600,000 tons of grain in total, basically filling the surrounding granaries.

Animal-drawn carts and steam trucks transporting grain were coming and going nonstop from morning till night.

Although he did not quite understand why Governor Roland needed so much grain, it was not his place to inquire; he only wanted to make more money.

Though he dared not ask, he could vaguely guess at some reasons.

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