The Wasteland Sold for Over Twenty Million? Golden Crocodile Was Stunned!

"No expenses?"

The Golden Crocodile was utterly astonished; how could there be no expenditure?

If there are no expenditures, then who is developing the new urban area?

Besides the Spirit Hall, he couldn't think of anyone else. Could it be that these two guards were lying?

That seems unlikely.

The cost of lying is far greater than the cost of telling the truth, and besides, what benefit would there be in speaking out in this situation?

In other words...

The two guards are most likely telling the truth.

But without the Spirit Hall's assistance, how was the new city developed?

He saw it for himself; that vast expanse of wasteland was teeming with people. The labor costs alone must be considerable.

Are you sure there haven't been any recent expenditures from the vault?

Voices of doubt have risen again.

"I'm certain. I swear on my knightly honor!"

The guard stood tall and proud, his voice strong and clear, his eyes revealing unwavering resolve.

Seeing the guard speak like that.

The Golden Crocodile nodded, deciding to believe it for now.

Unable to get any information here, he decided to go check out the new urban area that was under construction.

Maybe we can find out something there.

He turned around, about to leave.

But then the guard's voice came from behind again.

"Elder, although the treasury has not seen any expenditures recently, it has received a large sum of money."

As a guard watching over the vault.

They understood these intricacies perfectly.

The Golden Crocodile stopped, turned around, and looked back, somewhat puzzled.

"Income? Where did it come from? Isn't there still several months until the annual income summary? By the way, how much income?"

"More than 20 million gold coins!"

A smile spread across the guard's face.

He was one of the people counting the gold coins when they were deposited into the vault that day.

That's why he knew so much about it and was so clear about the number. He was incredibly excited at the time, even though the money had nothing to do with him.

But.

As members of the Spirit Hall's Knight Guard Corps, they had long valued the Spirit Hall's honor and interests more than their own lives, and were naturally happy about it.

The Golden Crocodile was dumbfounded.

The guard just dropped a stupid number... over twenty million?

Did I hear that right?

Hmm... I must have misheard. How could there be more than 20 million? Two million would be more like it.

But...

Even if it's two million, where did that money come from?

There's still quite a bit of time before the annual revenue is tallied. Could it be that the Spirit Hall has recently taken on some new project he's unaware of?

This shouldn't be happening.

All matters, big and small, concerning the Martial Soul Shop are under the control of the Hall of Worship.

What did Bibi Dong do?

He was also very clear about it.

Therefore, these two million definitely did not come from the Spirit Hall.

Where did it come from?

Do you know where these two million came from?

I can't believe it Golden Crocodile asked, puzzled.

"Elder, what two million?"

The guards were somewhat puzzled.

"Didn't you just say that the warehouse revenue increased by more than two million? Do you know where this money came from?"

The Golden Crocodile was getting impatient.

He has already spent too much time on this matter today and doesn't want to drag it out any longer.

He's going to look for clues in the new construction area later.

"Elder, you've misheard. It wasn't two million, it was twenty million!"

The guard raised his voice, as if afraid the other party would misunderstand again.

"What did you say? Twenty million!!!"

The Golden Crocodile was immediately dumbfounded, his face turning pale.

Now.

He still couldn't quite believe what the guard had said.

What does 20 million mean?

The Spirit Hall's annual revenue is only around eight million.

Ten million is equivalent to three years of the Spirit Hall's net income!

Where did all this money come from?

Do you know where this money came from?

Come to your senses.

Golden Crocodile hurriedly inquired.

"This... Elder, it's not that we intentionally concealed anything, but we simply don't know where this money came from."

A guard offered a slightly apprehensive explanation.

"However... I think I saw the Tenth Elder at the time. Perhaps he knows something about this matter."

Another guard recounted what he had seen that day.

"Li Mubai? You mean, this money was sent by Li Mubai?"

The Golden Crocodile frowned.

Where did Li Mobai get such great ability to obtain over twenty million?

Just by proposing that... "Blossoming in Wasteland" project?

What kind of money could you possibly make from that wasteland?

Worthless!

If you give it to ordinary people, they won't even care.

That piece of land, apart from the surface weeds, was entirely made of hard stones half a foot below the surface. It was unsuitable for farming and wouldn't grow any crops. What use was it?

But...

Besides this project, he couldn't think of any other way to make money.

Because it seems that Li Mubai has only been doing this one thing so far, and nothing else.

That is.

The money came from this barren land.

The sudden idea startled the Golden Crocodile.

No, I need to investigate further.

After exchanging a few polite words, Golden Crocodile bid farewell to the Spirit Hall and headed towards the wasteland.

It should be called now.

New City.

The sun hangs high in the sky.

The cicadas chirped incessantly, seemingly without a hint of annoyance.

The pale yellow sunlight was too warm, so few people dared to walk around on the street, fearing they would catch a heatstroke, and instead stayed indoors to cool off.

This is the hottest period of summer, known as the "Dog Days of Summer."

Besides cicadas, even birds are rarely seen, seemingly hiding somewhere in the mountains and forests, playing and frolicking.

The street vendors were still there, wearing straw hats and sweat dripping from their foreheads, but they looked listless and dispirited.

These people all bear a heavy burden on their shoulders.

Every extra dollar we can sell is an extra dollar.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be stubbornly lingering on the street in this awful weather.

The Golden Crocodile walked calmly along the stone-paved street.

Unlike others.

Although his head was completely white and his face was wrinkled.

Yet there wasn't a trace of sweat on his forehead or face; he looked dry and cool.

He also had a pair of dark eyes, which held a hidden, sharp glint, bright and piercing.

This stands in stark contrast to the street vendors lining both sides of the street.

This is a unique ability of Soul Master.

Especially powerful Soul Master, whose Soul Power circulates continuously within their bodies, can even wear a padded jacket in summer and a single shirt in winter, unaffected by heat or cold, and impervious to the Sun Moon.

Leave the city.

It's about a ten-minute walk.

A vast expanse of flat land suddenly appeared.

The previously protruding, strange rocks were chiseled flat within just a few days.

Such high efficiency is entirely due to the fact that ordinary people also have Martial Soul, especially Tool Martial Soul such as hammers, axes, and pickaxes. These kinds of things are much easier to use than tools, and their power is also three points greater than ordinary tools.

With the help of Soul Master, the efficiency naturally increased.

If Li Mubai were here again...

I have to say:

What a mess! How could a project that would take six months to complete be finished in just a few days? They really don't know anything about construction!

The vast construction site was now deserted.

The sun is high in the sky; everyone has gone to rest.

But.

Not far from where the Golden Crocodile was looking, there was a row of simple tents.

I think so.

The workers were resting inside the tents, avoiding the scorching sun.

Under the sunlight.

The simple white tent with a hint of yellow was quite eye-catching, and the tent flap was wide open.

Perhaps it was too stuffy to keep it closed.

Under the scorching heat, even the slightest breeze carried a hint of warmth, gently swaying the tent flap.

Inside the tent.

Several people were lying haphazardly.

There are dozens of tents like these, all filled with workers.

A light, quick step swiftly brought them there.

Golden Crocodile randomly chose the nearest tent and went inside.

A wave of sweltering heat suddenly stung my skin, and the air itself was thick with heat, irritating my nasal passages.

But.

Compared to being directly exposed to the scorching sun, having a tent to block out the sunlight is undoubtedly a blessing.

Several straw mats were laid on the ground, and the workers were either sitting or lying on them.

Upon seeing the arrival of the stranger, Golden Crocodile, everyone immediately became alert.

"Who are you? What are you doing here!"

"If the old man tells the truth, he'll be in big trouble if the thieves use him as fodder."

"There's a fence outside, and you still forced your way in. You've got some nerve, old man..."

The people inside the shed stood up, staring at the Golden Crocodile with hostile eyes.

Given their attitude, it's no wonder they acted this way.

Although they work here, they also take on the responsibility of guarding the building materials.

If materials are lost, the boss will deduct their wages.

This is physically demanding work.

If building materials are lost, it would be a huge loss, since the money is hard-earned and naturally cherished.

In this way...

It's understandable that everyone had a bad attitude.

"Misunderstanding, this old man is here to escape the summer heat."

Golden Crocodile explained with a smile.

"Escape the heat? You think we can escape the heat here? Are you kidding me?"

"Old man, you're not telling the truth, are you?"

Do you think we're all manual laborers, not very bright, and trying to fool us?

The crowd's expressions were hostile.

They've been through the ups and downs of society for years, so they can tell whether what they're saying is true or false.

The matter was of great importance, so they naturally had to be careful.

"Hehehe... What are you saying? The clothes I'm wearing are worth a month's wages to you all. Why would I stole something that doesn't belong to me?"

With a sweep of his arms, the Golden Crocodile revealed his magnificent robe, adorned with various Auspicious Beast patterns, all embroidered with silver thread that shimmered in the light.

Everyone's eyes were filled with envy.

This also dispelled all my malicious thoughts about the Golden Crocodile.

Even if someone is wealthy, they wouldn't steal building materials. If they ended up damaging their clothes while stealing those materials, wouldn't that be a greater loss than gain?

After all, building materials are relatively much cheaper.

Immediately afterwards.

After exchanging a few more words, everyone's suspicions about the Golden Crocodile were dispelled.

"By the way, I remember this used to be a deserted wasteland, how come it's being developed now?"

Having become somewhat familiar with the route, Golden Crocodile asked with a curious expression.

"Don't you know? This is the new city of Spirit City. This news has already spread throughout the city; it's no secret. You don't even know this? Did you come from afar?"

A tanned man, shirtless, revealed his muscular arms and defined muscles.

"Exactly."

Golden Crocodile nodded. "I've come here today to take care of some business matters. However, I haven't been to Spirit City for several months, and I didn't expect it to have changed so much."

The others immediately echoed this.

"Yes, Spirit City has indeed changed a lot these days. Those gangs that used to bully people in the city suddenly disappeared overnight, and now they're even building a new city. Spirit City is thriving!"

"Spirit City is great in every way, except it's a bit expensive during holidays. But it's not a big deal. The boss said there will be special policies later to make it easier for us to buy houses. When that happens, I definitely want to buy my home in Spirit City."

"The current Spirit City is really quite good. There are no slaves here, and no such industry. It's a good place!"

"I heard that these rapid changes are all thanks to the new elder of the Spirit Hall. This elder is truly a good person."

The Golden Crocodile became interested. "What do you mean by that?"

"You don't know, the land we're currently building on was sold to our boss by that elder."

"Rumor has it. Once, when I was drunk, I overheard my boss say that this piece of land wasn't cheap; it cost him two million!"

Golden Crocodile exclaimed, "Such a small piece, and it costs two million?!"

Shh! Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you, walls have ears.

"Yes, don't overreact. If the boss finds out, we'll definitely get a scolding. You're a businessman too, you should know this is a trade secret and can't be revealed."

Two people quickly gestured and whispered to stop him, afraid that the old man's words would be overheard by others.

The Golden Crocodile was utterly shocked.

He never imagined that a small piece of what was once a worthless wasteland could be worth millions of gold!

This is just a small piece of land; he had previously seen entire large tracts of wasteland under construction!

How much would that cost?

At least ten million!

This is hardly a wasteland!

It's a treasure trove!

Now.

The Golden Crocodile suddenly realized.

He finally understood why the Spirit Hall's treasury could rake in tens of millions of gold coins a day—it all came from the land value of this large piece of wasteland!

No, this land that doesn't grow crops or trees, how could it be worth so much money?

Could it be that Li Mubai has bewitched these merchants?

Are you still surprised that such a small piece of wasteland can be worth so much money?

When asked questions by others inside the tent, Golden Crocodile nodded.

He was also curious about why it was worth so much.

Land that was previously unwanted even when given away suddenly became more valuable than gold. What's the reason behind this?

If he can grasp this principle, wouldn't he be able to replicate this model?

The dark-skinned young man grinned, revealing two rows of large white teeth, then lowered his voice.

"Let me tell you, this small plot of land we have is being developed... I heard from the boss, it's called something like... commercial housing, anyway, it's a residential area. Every building here is five stories high! It can be sold to 15 families. And the price of each house is at least this much!"

The young man held up his hand, showing five fingers.

Five hundred gold coins per room?

Golden Crocodile guessed casually.

The young man shook his head, rejecting the answer.

"Is it five thousand per room?"

Golden Crocodile said a number with a hint of surprise in his voice.

The average price of a house in the Spirit Hall is around three to four thousand now. It used to be less, but it has risen sharply recently, increasing two or three times.

But.

When the number five thousand was mentioned, Golden Crocodile couldn't help but be startled.

At 5,000 per room, the price of that house would be close to 100,000 gold coins.

He estimated that this area could support at least a hundred houses!

The young man shook his head again.

Golden Crocodile frowned. Although the land was worth two million, he still dared not even think about a house costing fifty thousand gold coins.

Fifty thousand.

Who can afford it?

Is this still a house for people to live in?