Chapter 943: Old Friends

Faced with this sweet dilemma, He Lingchuan could only sigh. "Other matters can wait; let's first focus all our efforts on the issues of the palm season. Oh, and the construction of the supply stations must not be neglected. This golden shipping lane is the true source of wealth; in the future, it will be even more important than agriculture on the Yangshan Islands."

Ding Zuodong gave a wry smile. "According to you, we'll have to do everything except mining, shipbuilding, and weapon casting."

"Exactly!"

"Can you estimate how many more people we need?"

"Before you subdued the Yin Hui and the three pirate groups, we had already started recruiting, but no one had confidence in us, so there were few responses. Once news of your great power spreads, we should be able to recruit more people."

"Currently, we are most in need of people for palm oil extraction and farming. Most of the farmhands we've hired are entire families, old and young alike, but it's still not enough. The able-bodied climb trees to cut fruit clusters, while the elderly and weak gather fruit and press oil, so the whole family can earn wages. Ideally, we need another three to four thousand people, at least two thousand to twenty-two hundred."

"We've almost recruited all the boatmen and laborers from Blade Port, haven't we?"

Ding Zuodong nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. The docks are deserted."

Even though Blade Port is a large harbor, it's difficult to gather so much labor in a short time.

"I'll tell the pirates on the island to go back to their villages and find people to come work," He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Most of them are people with roots."

He had suppressed bandits in both Hongya Road and Longchuan, and he knew well the intricate connections between bandits and local people. Pirates, he imagined, were no exception.

Since it's best to keep wealth within their own people, the pirates should be happy to find work for their fellow villagers.

He Lingchuan snapped his fingers. "Also, go to Bailie and recruit as many people as possible. Tell them that the land rent here will be halved for the first ten years! Later, we will purchase grain at favorable prices."

Then, he took a storage ring from his pocket and handed it to Ding Zuodong. "This is Yue Pinghe's private inheritance. You can deposit the silver notes and use them first. The other items need to be sold off."

Yue Pinghe's personal belongings were stored in three storage rings. After his beheading, He Lingchuan inherited his estate. Although it didn't contain the rumored "thirty to fifty thousand," there were over two thousand silver notes, as well as some magical artifacts and miscellaneous items, which could also be sold for money.

Indeed, murder and arson bring quick money; no wonder pirates love businesses that require no capital.

Ding Zuodong didn't stand on ceremony; he took it and put it away. What did the master want to do that didn't require money?

Yue Pinghe's timely addition of funds arrived just in time.

Just then, He Lingchuan asked again, "What are the recent expenses?"

"Recently, expenses have been flowing like water. Building houses, renting boats, and purchasing various production materials have already cost over ten thousand taels. As more people are hired later, labor will be the biggest expense." Ding Zuodong calculated for him, "Most of the workers we recruit are temporary or urgent laborers, so their wages are slightly higher than regular labor. If we can recruit seven to eight thousand people, including wages, food, and other expenses like medicine for injuries, pensions, and material consumption, we'll need to spend at least a thousand taels of silver daily. Additionally, your Rongshan people, the pirates, and those of us managing the work are also an expense."

There are six to seven hundred pirates alone. Once they become island guards, they'll receive wages. How could those carrying swords and spears not be paid more than those with hoes and shovels? Each person's basic salary will be at least five taels; Qiu Hu, Ding Zuodong, and others will have higher salaries. Adding all this up, plus miscellaneous items, that's at least another five thousand taels per month.

He Lingchuan gave a wry smile. With a baseline cost of thirty-five thousand taels a month, he still had to be happy and hope that all this money would be spent, because that would mean they had successfully recruited enough farmhands.

Indeed, everything is difficult at the beginning.

The over two hundred forty thousand taels of silver in his pocket sounded generous, but how long would it actually last?

Fortunately, after the palm harvest season ends, the islands won't require so much labor.

However, He Lingchuan had other plans afterward, which would be even more expensive and extravagant.

So... they were poor!

But he still had to appear nonchalant: "Those are minor matters. Chief Steward, do you have enough people under you?"

"No." Ding Zuodong had been sleep-deprived for days, sporting large dark circles under his eyes, yet his spirits were strangely high. He took out a booklet and placed it before He Lingchuan. "You need more managers, accountants, and construction supervisors. This is the list of candidates, totaling sixty-two people. I think at least fifteen should be chosen. What are your thoughts?"

He Lingchuan got a headache just looking at the list now and immediately thought of a lazy solution: "Why don't we organize a test?"

"A test?"

"You and I can each set some questions, and we'll gather them for a unified examination. Those who perform well and score high will be retained." He Lingchuan said grumpily, "It saves us from interviewing them one by one; neither of us has the time."

He would test these people just as Master Sun had tested him. He shouldn't be the only one to endure such suffering.

Ding Zuodong nodded. "That's a good idea. Shall we each set three questions?"

He Lingchuan had no objections.

Ding Zuodong continued, "You also need several master architects to plan the island's zoning and the layout of buildings. But Blade Port probably doesn't have such talent."

"Master architects? Isn't that like urban planners?"

He Lingchuan scratched his head. He—well, he wouldn't know.

But this was not an immediate priority.

At this moment, Min Tianxi also came over to report an issue:

"Young Master, the farmers are unwilling to go to Dragon's Ridge Island. They fear the malevolent aura and the Yin Hui; no amount of explanation helps." Blade Port always had temporary and casual laborers available, commonly known as unemployed workers, who would do any job for money. But the Yangshan Islands had a notorious reputation. Although there were many rumors recently, people were still wary of the former uninhabited area, fearing they might earn money but lose their lives.

Such doubts could only be smoothed over by time.

"What about adding more money?"

"Wages have been increased by thirty percent, but fewer than a hundred people are willing to go to the island." Min Tianxi asked, "Shall we increase it again?"

Ding Zuodong objected, "Once these hundred-plus people have safely traveled to and from the island multiple times, others will naturally realize that Dragon's Ridge Island is not dangerous."

"But that takes time, doesn't it?" What they lacked most now was time and manpower.

Both looked at He Lingchuan, waiting for his decision.

He Lingchuan rubbed his eyes. Since becoming "island master," he had to face these endless trivial matters every day.

Alas, the joy of being unburdened and alone was gone forever.

But before he could speak, Granny Zhu suddenly appeared outside the window, her enormous figure blocking the light streaming in from outside:

"My sister is here."

The spider demon sisters had a telepathic connection, allowing Granny Zhu to know her sister's location in real-time.

"Second Granny is here?" He Lingchuan casually asked, then suddenly jolted, springing to his feet. "Second Granny is here!"

"Second Granny?"

Seeing his joyful expression, the other two had confused looks on their faces.

Granny Zhu was a spider demon, so Second Granny must also be a great demon, right?

He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered to explain to them and dashed out like the wind.

To avoid causing panic, Second Granny Zhu did not enter Blade Port but stopped at the western outskirts of the harbor.

When He Lingchuan arrived, a line of gigantic spider demons emerged from the uninhabited dense forest, each one larger and more fearsome than the last.

The largest one was at least twice the size of Granny Zhu.

Not only were Min Tianxi, Huang Zhao, and others dumbfounded, but even the Rongshan disciples felt their scalps tingle upon seeing so many prehistoric giant demons lining up.

How could Young Master He always befriend prehistoric giant demons? First, he effortlessly signed an agreement with the King of Yin Hui, and now so many large creatures were coming to him.

Dragons befriend dragons, and phoenixes befriend phoenixes. Young Master He, who could befriend ancient great demons, was certainly no ordinary person.

"Second Granny!" He Lingchuan opened his arms and went to greet her, his face filled with the joy of reunion after a long separation.

Second Granny Zhu quietly watched him "act up":

"If you're brave enough, come hug me."

Sure enough, He Lingchuan stopped before the spider demon's dense spikes and complained, "Second Granny, why are you so aloof?"

"You've mistaken her." Granny Zhu extended a claw and pointed to another spider demon nearby, "This is my sister."

Everyone: "..."

These spider demons looked as if they were carved from the same mold, differing only in size. But the last two were quite similar, so it was no wonder Young Master He made a mistake.

He Lingchuan turned to Second Granny Zhu, still beaming with enthusiasm: "Second Granny, I've missed you terribly!"

Second Granny Zhu slowly replied, "Have you caused trouble again?"

"Impressive!" Everyone secretly gave a thumbs-up. This great demon seemed to know Young Master He very well.

"What trouble?" He Lingchuan laughed, "It's nothing but sweet dilemmas."

Second Granny Zhu directly changed the subject: "My sister said you prepared a new home for me?"

Otherwise, it had already settled in the eastern canyon of Mou Kingdom, so why would it travel thousands of miles to join He Lingchuan?

It was because Granny Zhu had strongly urged it, claiming that the environment here was first-class and most suitable for cave spiders to build nests.

"Precisely!" He Lingchuan pointed towards the sea, "Please get on the ship, and we can talk as we go."

The area was by the sea but had no pier. Six large ships were moored near the base of a thirty-foot-high cliff.

He Lingchuan chose this desolate place for the rendezvous precisely because he didn't want to attract the attention of idle people.

Fortunately, everyone present had cultivation, so climbing down the cliff was a piece of cake. The spider demon sisters and their molted skins descended the cliff as if walking on flat ground.

He Lingchuan was well aware of Second Granny Zhu's method of moving, knowing that all her countless offspring were packed inside the molted skins, and each mountain-like molted skin also had an almost mountain-like weight. Therefore, he had called for so many large ships, with each ship carrying only one giant spider.

Second Granny Zhu took one look and said, "Your ships are too small. The large ship I took from Baisha Bay to get here was three times the size of these!"

"What's the rush?" He Lingchuan had plenty of patience, "In the future, we'll have even bigger ships."

The giant cargo ships Second Granny Zhu mentioned would also be used by the Yangshan Islands for transporting goods in the future.

The ships set sail, heading with the wind towards the depths of the Yangshan Islands.

About half an hour later, the ships docked, and everyone disembarked in an orderly fashion.

"This is the island I've reserved for you sisters—Silk Web Island." He Lingchuan led his guests around, diligently explaining.

This island was renamed specifically for the spider demon sisters. It is located northwest of the main island, Dragon's Ridge Island, about two quarters of an hour by boat from the main island, making communication convenient. However, Silk Web Island is separated from Dragon's Ridge Island by two small islands, so they cannot be seen from each other.

This ensured the privacy of the spider demons' territory.

The island covers an area of about four hundred hectares, making it the fourth largest island in the Yangshan Islands.