Darkstone Code-Chapter 697 - 0694 Lost the Initiative
After Akumal got what he wanted from Lynch, he left voluntarily; he still had work to do later on.
As the Federation merchants returned, some factories were beginning to resume production, making transportation very important at this time.
But in such a short moment, a fleeting instant in life, Akumal gained what he considered the most precious wealth in his life.
This wealth was not money, not jewelry, nor anything concrete; it was a spiritual wealth, a guidance that cleared the fog for him and allowed him to bathe in sunlight.
He sincerely thanked Lynch for his words; he now had some ideas. He would work hard, then go to the Federation to study diligently, improve himself, and then bring what he learned back to Nagariel to tell more people.
He would observe the changes in the people of Nagariel, watching as that backward and ignorant country moved toward prosperity and strength. Perhaps it would take many years before it became the ideal country in Akumal’s mind, but he would keep watching, watching as it transformed from its current state into a happy nation!
Glancing at Akumal’s figure, Lynch paid a little more attention to this young man, thinking he could entirely give Akumal some opportunities to help him quickly become a third-level employee and then go to the Federation for advanced studies.
The ruling class of Nagariel indeed recognized their shortcomings under the "help" of the Federation people and was willing to cooperate with the Federation to build a beautiful homeland together. However, there were still some people in the lower levels of society whose ideas obviously contradicted the mainstream.
They believed that the Federation’s interference in Nagariel was not good, and many of these people were grassroots organization members left over from the previous Nagariel Youth Party.
Poor education, poverty, laziness, viewing their slackness as the unfairness of the world, these people were still thinking about the old ways, expelling foreigners. As long as such thoughts existed, there would be a chance to infect others.
Resolving these people from a physical standpoint was not a good method, but if someone could re-infect them through their own ways, making them understand gratitude and struggle, that would be a good thing.
With this brief interlude passed, soon the machines and raw materials in the factory were all set.
During this time, many factories were abandoned, and some shops were also deserted. Many of these had ownerless items, and Lynch didn’t need to spend much money.
The local employees hired from the street followed the recipes Lynch and Mark gave them to mix various things together and successfully produced a slightly earthy greenish biscuit.
Its color was difficult to describe, but it was undeniable that its aroma was indeed enticing.
"Through the method of high-temperature soaking and washing, we peeled off some easy-to-strip tissues and fishy smells, then cut it into segments..."
Mark picked up a biscuit and began to introduce it to Lynch. In fact, the first batch made was a failure. The color was a strange greenish-purple, and it also had a strong fishy smell.
It wasn’t the animal or fishy smell but a grassy smell.
At this moment, it was midsummer, and the plants were growing vigorously, especially the wild grasses with overpowering odors.
Later, Mark used his experience from working in a food factory and talked with an engineer. Before putting these grasses into the material inlet, he first used high-temperature to kill the fresh green, then used a drum washing machine to wash away the outer skin and easy-to-peel parts, along with plant juices, leaving only the tasteless pale yellow fibers.
Other non-food materials were treated this way too, and now the biscuits had only a faint milk powder fragrance, without the grassy fishy smell.
"Have you tasted it?" Lynch casually picked up a piece, about the size of a grown-up’s palm, with seventy percent being non-nutritive plant fibers, fifteen percent whole wheat, and the rest being various nutritious substances, including meat meal, fish meal, crustacean meal, and nuts, among others.
Also, there was milk.
These things mixed and baked into a biscuit had a complete form, mainly due to the plant fibers within.
Mark looked at the biscuits on the plate for a moment, not knowing how to answer. He definitely hadn’t eaten it; things like this... weren’t meant for people to eat!
Even now, he still thought so.
But Lynch, without hesitation, took a piece and put it in his mouth, biting a chunk off.
He quickly extended another hand because that bite hadn’t completely separated the biscuit, inside there were still some plant fibers connecting each piece.
As he chewed it slowly, he said, "The fiber length is still too long, you can make it a bit thicker but don’t let it be so long, it’s inconvenient to eat."
His tongue and teeth chopped the biscuit bit by bit. To be honest, this biscuit wasn’t dirty nor toxic. Its main ingredients were just not very nutritious, just some common plants.
For the Federation people, the concept of "vegetables" still lingered on those things on supermarket shelves. Actually, in many countries, plants that Federation people considered as "grass" had long been served on people’s tables.
Not to mention, this biscuit also contained wheat flour, various meat flours, and nut vegetables, largely satisfying a normal person’s nutritional needs.
"The taste is a bit plain; add some seasoning, cheap seasonings, after all, we are not here for charity." He put the remaining half a biscuit back on the plate. "Once you feel it’s acceptable on your own, you can start production, but do it quickly."
"In this city, over a million people are waiting for these foods to fill their stomachs, don’t screw up our first deal!"
He said his goodbye to the others and drove away.
Sitting in the car, he was in a good mood. These cheap biscuits were aimed at impacting the current relief food market.
The delivery of these relief foods by the Gafura people also required capital. Due to sea transportation issues, some merchant ships were now less willing to pass through the Eperlier Strait, not to mention going the long way around.
Many supplies had to be transported by land, and without considering the interference and attacks from anti-government forces, the cost of land transportation was much higher than sea transportation.
Therefore, Lynch was quite confident about getting this order; by then, it might not just be Zulris but several other cities as well.
But he never intended to take orders from all the cities. The biggest taboo in business was when others were still starving, and you alone were full to bursting.
He would leave some for others, whether for those from the Federation or Gafura people.
Just as Lynch’s side was gearing up for a big push, the Gafura merchants were left dumbfounded because they couldn’t recruit workers.
At the Gafura recruiting points, the boards they set up were far more upscale than those of the Federation, the font was also more appealing, even slightly showcasing some calligraphy styles.
The recruitment board detailed some job types’ requirements and compensations, and to expedite the start of work, Gafura merchants even raised salary offerings a bit.
Yet, despite that, throughout the day, the city’s several recruiting points recruited only a handful of workers.
It’s not that no one wanted to go; in such an environment, even people who wished for more salary were bound by collective moral constraints—not even in death should they work for the Gafura people.
The gentlemen sitting in rooms with fans now appeared a bit anxious; without recruiting workers, the factories couldn’t start production.
Without factory production, they could only watch as the Federation people gradually occupied the market.
This place was no longer the Empire’s Amelie Province, it was the Empire’s "Special Zone".
The noble’s pink cake games simply wouldn’t work here; everyone had to strive with full effort!
Missing the advantage was terrifying!
In the stifling gloom, someone suggested, "Add some money..."
Soon, an errand boy ran under the sun to the recruitment board, wiped out the previous salary, and wrote a new one, but the effect was still not great.
It was indeed difficult to improve, not long ago, the Gafura people just massively executed a large bunch of locals, and in a city with not too large a population, almost everyone had witnessed a few times or even had some connections with the victims.
These slaughters made the local society have an extremely bad impression of the Gafura people. Without resorting to compulsory administrative measures, it would be tough for them to recruit more people in a short time.
Yet, this was precisely the Empire Special Zone, and the Governor’s Mansion would no longer specifically interfere in the city’s development, only setting rules.
The merchants couldn’t gain assistance from their connections; they had to cater to the market.
The Empire wanted change, so the merchants had to adapt.
For two whole days, the merchants from the Gafura Commerce Association expected to recruit seven to eight thousand people, but in reality, they hired less than a thousand.
Among those, there were many unsightly ones, the kind that people wouldn’t even glance at on the street, let alone pluck their eyes out for.
"This number of people isn’t nearly enough to divide!", the president of the Commerce Association didn’t look pleased either. He privately contacted the Governor yesterday to consult whether coercive measures, like forcing people to work, could be used.
However, the Governor rejected his proposal and warned him that all the rules here were established with the approval of the Emperor of the Empire.
If he wanted to use administrative orders, he must first persuade the Emperor.
Convincing the Emperor was not an easy task, even the forces behind him might find it difficult.
Some businessmen discontentedly said, "The wages we offer are nearly double those of the Federation. Even if we engage in the same business and control costs strictly, we find it hard to compete with the Federation people."
"The cost of labor is too high; if we don’t find a way to lower it, we might lose the market here completely!"
These words were no exaggeration, "For the same product, the cost for Federation people to manufacture is only one dollar, while for Gafura people it’s one dollar and twenty cents; this mere difference of twenty cents could crush the Gafura people to the ground!"
"These aren’t particularly critical!" The Commerce Association President knocked on the table with a displeased expression. "What we need most is to start operations, gentlemen. Did the people behind you never tell you anything?"
