“Everyone, perk up! We’re building a mine shaft that needs to last for decades, so don’t blame me if I’m not polite to anyone who cuts corners!”With the comprehensive survey of the mining area complete, Valentine immediately began directing the craftsmen to reinforce the mine shafts.Black birch wood was cut into standard sizes, and workers carried heavy wooden beams into the mine.A beam was firmly fixed in every part of the mine shaft to ensure the stability of the entire shaft.The carpenters reinforced the joints with thick wooden wedges and applied resin to the joints to ensure the long-term stability of the supports.Valentine gently tapped each black birch wood beam with his mining hammer, personally confirming its sturdiness.On the other side, the first batch of miners, composed of slaves, was ready and waiting.They brought simple protective tools and awaited instructions.Valentine nodded: “Start with the most stable areas first, conduct small-scale mining, and see the specific condition of the magma essence.”Upon receiving the order, the miners carefully wielded their picks, striking the rock face and peeling off pieces of ore.Each time the pick fell, the purple ore vein emitted a faint glow, as if the magic power slumbering deep within the earth was awakened.Immediately after, this first batch of ore was sent to Silco, the Red Tide Territory’s only alchemy apprentice.“Test the purity,” Louis instructed curtly.Silco nodded and placed a small piece of magic marrow mine into the testing solution.The liquid glowed faintly purple, and then magical fluctuations swirled in the air.The solution’s color rapidly deepened, turning into a profound dark purple, a symbol of high-purity magma essence!“My lord, the purity of the ore is even higher than expected!” Silco’s voice barely concealed his excitement.The corners of Louis’s mouth curved slightly, and the stone in his heart finally fell.… … … …Night was deep, and the candlelight flickered in the study.Louis sat behind his desk, his gaze fixed on Bradley opposite him.“I hope that the mining and processing of the ore will remain in the Red Tide Territory, and sales will be handled by the Calvin Family,” he said straightforwardly.Bradley was slightly startled, then showed a meaningful smile: “I understand.”Louis had his own calculations for doing this.He needed the family’s support now and couldn’t show signs of independence too early; he had to offer enough benefits to make the family willing to continue investing.Only when the family’s interests were satisfied would they provide more resources and protection, allowing him to establish a stable foothold in this desolate northern land.What’s more, he was far inferior to the Calvin Family in controlling sales channels.The Calvin Family’s trade routes spanned the empire and could even trade with other countries.If he wanted to open a sales channel of comparable or even lesser scale, it would be almost impossible in the short term.Therefore, rather than expending energy on things he wasn’t good at, it was better to stabilize the situation and make money first.But the processing technology had to remain in his hands.If changes occurred in the future, such as Duke Calvin’s death or internal family strife, he might lose this sales channel.However, as long as the Red Tide Territory firmly controlled the refining and processing technology of magma essence, even if it was kicked out of the market,He could still rebuild the market instead of being at the mercy of others.Bradley glanced at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.He naturally understood Louis’s little scheme but didn’t expose it.“I will draft the letter according to your wishes and convey it to Duke Calvin,” Bradley’s tone remained respectful.Everything was left to the Duke’s decision; he only needed to fulfill his role and not interfere too much.Then Louis opened a heavy wooden box, and a pile of gold coins came into view.There were about fifteen hundred gold coins.The resources provided by the Calvin Family this time also included three thousand gold coins, which made Louis suddenly rich.But no matter how many gold coins there were, if they couldn’t be exchanged for tangible resources to develop strength, they # Nоvеlight # were just dead objects.And the most needed resource in the Red Tide Territory now was population.Louis closed the wooden box, looked sideways at Bradley, and said solemnly: “I want to exchange these gold coins for slaves.”A hint of approval flashed in Bradley’s eyes: “It seems you already have a clear plan.”Louis nodded: “Based on the current food production and reserves, fifteen hundred people is the limit I can afford.”He was not greedy; too many slaves would become a burden, weakening the stability of the Red Tide Territory.Bradley: “Leave this matter to me.”For the Calvin Family’s old steward, this was indeed not a difficult task.Bradley simply wrote a letter.Just a few days later, slave owners from thousands of miles away traveled all the way to the Red Tide Territory, personally delivering a carefully selected batch of slaves.And their attitude was extremely respectful; they even spoke cautiously when discussing prices, fearing to offend Bradley.The quality of these slaves was clearly much higher than the motley crew Louis had personally purchased from the black market last time.Strong laborers accounted for the majority, with sturdy muscles and weathered skin, but their mental state was still quite good.Among them were also a group of marriageable female slaves, which would play a crucial role in the future population growth of the Red Tide Territory.But what surprised Louis the most was the price of the transaction.After acquiring fifteen hundred slaves, there were still a full seven hundred gold coins left!“It’s much cheaper than I imagined,” Louis exclaimed, looking at the batches of high-quality slaves.Bradley smiled slightly: “Market prices are not static; they depend on who the buyer is.”The implication was that if it were someone else, even with fifteen hundred gold coins, the quality and quantity of slaves they could buy would absolutely be far less than what was obtained now.But Bradley merely wrote a letter, and slave traders traveled thousands of miles to personally deliver the highest quality goods to their doorstep.Their attitude was extremely respectful, and they even voluntarily lowered prices, just to maintain a long-term partnership with the Calvin Family.Is this the power of the Calvin Family’s old steward?It’s terrifying.This was not just a matter of negotiation skills, but a “rule” deeply rooted in the very fabric of society.Louis secretly rejoiced that he was also a member of the Calvin Family.Of course, only by proving his strength within the family would he be qualified to truly wield this powerful weapon.If it were him two months ago, he probably wouldn’t even have had the chance to touch this power.Suddenly, an idea popped into Louis’s mind.How wonderful would it be if one day he could completely control this influence and make the entire Calvin Family’s power serve him?Louis suppressed the momentary ambition in his heart and looked at Bradley: “You’ve worked hard this time.”Bradley nodded slightly, his expression still calm and composed: “Serving you is what I should do.”

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