Talent Was Hard to Come By

Feeling insulted, Hudson resolutely rejected the man in purple. Money can be earned anytime, but dignity cannot...

You get what you pay for.

Three hundred thousand gold coins were used entirely to purchase inferior weapons; the quantity that could be bought was simply too large.

Once it's out of reach, tracing the source of the weapon's production is as easy as eating and drinking.

No law in the Alpha Kingdom prohibits the sale of weapons. But reason tells Hudson that he should exercise restraint when necessary.

If these guys cause a big incident with these weapons, and the kingdom investigates and finds out they were sold by the Mountain Territory, the bigwigs might not be so reasonable when they get angry.

"Baron Hudson, don't be so quick to refuse. Since ancient times, there has never been a way to make huge profits without taking risks."

"Your Excellency only needs to sell the weapons to Baron Kairait; you and we don't need to know each other at all, or rather, we've never met."

If there were better options, Longxi wouldn't want to travel all the way to the Southeast Province to do this deal. The truth is, weapons production in the kingdom is mostly controlled by powerful factions.

Although there were many iron mines scattered among the minor nobles, their production capacity was extremely limited. Even if there were large mines, no one dared to get involved in the arms trade.

Hudson was a complete outlier. He tore open a new wound outside of the original arms trade.

Despite the seemingly booming arms trade in the Mountain Territory due to its poor quality, the impact on the traditional weapons market has been minimal.

The reason serf soldiers were usable was because they were physically weak and did not have high requirements for weapon performance.

A knight charging into battle with inferior weapons produced in the Mountain Territory is absolutely irresponsible towards his own life.

A single violent collision could result in a chip or crack, and after several rounds of combat, it could be completely destroyed.

The arms trade in the Mountain Territory has been able to continue until now because it has not deeply affected the interests of those with vested interests.

As a result, in the Alpha Kingdom now, apart from the major powers, only the Hudson is an outlier, possessing the capability to mass-produce weapons and equipment.

"I'm sorry, this kind of deal is not for me. If you are truly interested in buying, you should try contacting one of the other companies."

Three hundred thousand gold coins is a huge deal for me. But for them, it's just an ordinary transaction.

Even if something unexpected happens, they can handle it. Unlike me, with my small frame, I have to think twice before making any deals exceeding three thousand gold coins.

Hudson has never been able to resist a profitable deal. But orders worth 300,000 gold coins are simply too much for him to handle.

If the client is willing to break the deal down into smaller orders, Hudson wouldn't mind taking a cut. The mine's production capacity continues to expand, and secretly completing a few small orders can be concealed.

Those who engage in this kind of business must be very particular about secrecy, and the possibility of them being exposed in a short period of time is unlikely.

If the future is discovered, then Baron Kairait will be held responsible. For a small order of a few thousand gold coins, it's perfectly understandable not to investigate the identity of the buyer behind it.

"Since you are so concerned, let's consider it a three-thousand-gold-coin order. If there were a hundred such orders now, I wonder how long it would take Baron Hudson to complete them at the earliest?"

Longxi asked expressionlessly.

So what if it's split up? He can just create more shell companies. As long as he achieves his goal, he doesn't care how the transaction is conducted.

"One year!"

"This is the ideal situation. If there is a lot of rain, the construction period may be delayed for a year and a half."

Taking other factors into account, the actual construction period will be even longer. In order to avoid any unforeseen complications, this order may take three to five years.

If you are in a hurry and don't want to cause trouble, I suggest you break your orders down into smaller ones and place orders with different suppliers simultaneously.

Hudson answered with a slight hesitation.

Hudson was almost moved by how considerate he was of customers, even turning away orders that came to his door.

It wasn't that he couldn't do it alone, but reason told him that it was better not to try to handle such a large deal with an unclear origin all by himself.

If all the arms dealers in the kingdom were involved, it would mean that all the major powers would be dragged into the mess. No matter how big the trouble that would be, no one would dare to speak recklessly on this issue.

"This is too slow. Could you please speed things up? If Baron Hudson can complete the order within six months, we can give you an additional ten thousand slaves..."

Before Lonxi could finish speaking, Hudson interrupted, "Unfortunately, this is an impossible task."

To forge so many weapons within six months, one would have to gather all the iron mines in the entire Southeast Province, which I don't have the ability to do.

No single weapons manufacturer in the kingdom could produce so much weaponry within six months. Unless Your Excellency has the ability to persuade several to join forces.

As for the slave gifts, those are unnecessary. The Mountain Territory has no shortage of labor and only accepts cash transactions.

As he spoke, Hudson's tone gradually turned cold. From the man's evasive behavior, it was clear that there was definitely something wrong with this deal.

A northern accent, a huge arms purchase order, and the fact that they're picking out substandard weapons—these blatant clues practically scream, "Is someone trying to cause trouble in Northern Frontier?"

Why the rush?

If we drag it out for ten or twenty years, until Lord Hudson is ready, then we can come back to discuss this deal without any hesitation.

If a fight breaks out now, Hudson has no confidence of escaping unscathed. Under the overwhelming force, the weak Mountain Territory simply cannot withstand the impact of the giant waves.

If you don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much.

Having guessed the visitor's purpose, the subsequent negotiations quickly ended in discord.

Hudson even considered reporting these guys, but ultimately suppressed the thought. Even if a deal fell through, goodwill should remain; he couldn't do something so unjust.

On the way back, Baron Kairait's legs trembled incessantly. If possible, he would have preferred to stay in the Mountain Territory.

Although the Hudson were annoying, these guys clearly hadn't had time to infiltrate the newly emerging Mountain Territory.

Unlike him, who was unlucky enough to have countless spies planted under his command, he didn't have the confidence to turn against these guys even though he was on his own territory.

Point Guard Here

It was all caused by youthful arrogance. If I had kept a low profile back in the North and done fewer big things, I wouldn't have been targeted.

"Alright, kid. Don't try to play dumb in front of me and get away with it."

Since the matter didn't go through, the original agreement is naturally null and void. You have two choices:

Either join us, and together we will overthrow this dark order and create an era that belongs to us.

"You can either handle it yourself, or we'll have to do it for you; you can't bear the pain."

Longxi said coldly.

His sharp gaze revealed his intent to kill. Although killing a nobleman would have serious repercussions, it paled in comparison to what they were about to do.

"You're all in disarray..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, Baron Kairait quickly swallowed them back. Under the murderous gazes of the crowd, he hastily added, "I join!"

Only those who have walked the line between life and death truly understand the preciousness of life.

Although the great cause that this Mysterious Organization is engaged in seems to have no bright future, at least for now, we can still survive.

As for the future, that's something only the living need to consider.

"Very good, I like smart people the most. I believe you won't do anything stupid, but we still have to follow the procedures."

The pledge of allegiance is very simple: I don't care if you steal, rob, or buy, just follow the requirements here and raise one-third of the military equipment within six months.

I can reimburse you for the expenses, but the task must be completed.

In the July Association fair in rewarding and punishing; those who exceed the task targets will be handsomely rewarded. Many things that are hard to find on the market can be obtained within the organization.

You should have heard about the consequences of failing to complete the task!

Longxi laughed heartily.

His expression changed so quickly, as if he were a completely different person. Just thinking of this man's nickname, "The Smiling Lion," made Kellett anything but happy, and he immediately asked tentatively:

"My lord, are we just going to let the Mountain Territory go?"

Kellett had heard countless rumors about the Mysterious Organization "July Association." It was said that once someone was targeted by this organization, they would stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

Even the highest nobility are wary of this Mysterious Organization. It's not that they can't defeat these guys, but rather that they are so well hidden that no one knows their true identities.

Even now, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Baron Kairait wouldn't have believed that a group of slave traders were actually members of this organization.

These guys aren't nobody; they're all sons of Northern Nobles. Logically, they wouldn't join an evil organization that seeks to overthrow aristocratic rule.

"What else can we do if we don't let them go?"

Should we lead our men over there and wipe them out?

The few soldiers you have aren't enough to defeat them!

Besides, this guy is a smart man. He seemed to refuse us, but in reality, he gave us some ideas.

Although it was a bit of a hassle, by piecing things together from various sources, we were still able to get them together.

We don't necessarily need to purchase weapons directly; buying some pig iron and having people forge them would also suffice. Since it's for those beasts anyway, quality isn't a concern.

As long as he doesn't report it, his network of connections will continue to be maintained, and he might need them again sometime.

Longxi said with considerable apprehension.

This is not the North, not their home turf. Baron Kairait was mainly intimidated by their reputation in the North and was momentarily taken aback.

If they were to turn hostile directly, they might not fare well against three hundred elite soldiers.

Dealing with a stronger Mountain Territory would be even more troublesome. July Association had the ability to mobilize its forces and wipe out the Mountain Territory silently, there would be no need to hide in the shadows.

Since dealing with the uninvited guests, Hudson has increased security in the Mountain Territory.

In addition to extensively training the two standing regiments, young men were frequently selected for military training at the Baojia (neighborhood) level.

Hudson employed a standard feudal training model for these reserves—one drill every ten days.

According to the schedule set by Hudson, reserve soldiers work eight days, rest one day, and train one day out of ten.

To motivate everyone, training days were also designated as "meat-eating days," the only time people could eat meat.

Without a doubt, the better you perform in training, the more meat you get to eat.

We need to curl up at work, and naturally we need to curl up during training. Except during breaks, when we weren't asked to curl up, we curled up wherever we could.

If the training results please Lord Hudson, and he slaughters one or two more sheep for everyone's extra meal, it's just a trivial matter.

Although the number of livestock in the territory is still small compared to the population, Lord Hudson is willing to spend money to buy them!

When it comes to food standards, who in the surrounding hundreds of miles dares to compare with the Mountain Territory?

The lord's conscience is not only reflected in the quality of bread, but also in the fact that the Mountain Territory is the only one with standardized meat rations.

In other territories, whether serfs could eat meat depended entirely on the whims of the noble lords. Even if they occasionally hunted prey, they could only eat it if the nobles gave their approval.

Standardized supply has also led to severe polarization. The lowest meat supply in the territory remains at 0.5 pounds per month, while the highest standard has climbed to 10 pounds per month.

The disparity is twentyfold; the former is still happy to have a bowl of meat soup, while the latter has achieved the freedom to eat meat.

Hudson had no good solution to this polarization. The rules were set by him, the lord, and by choosing a development model of involution, this situation was inevitable.

Fortunately, it is human nature to "easily go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality."

After all, they were used to hardship. Although there was a lot of work in the Mountain Territory, at least they could fill their stomachs.

Exemplary role models who have performed well have even achieved the freedom to eat meat. Countless real-life examples constantly stimulate the public's senses.

Otherwise, Hudson strongly suspected that the serfs would stage a large-scale rebellion. In the past, during the era of large-scale land reclamation, there was never a shortage of runaway slaves.

"Sir, orders for weapons have suddenly increased recently. Many of the customers are unfamiliar faces, and some don't even speak with a local accent."

Originally, I wasn't going to accept these orders from unknown sources, but because each order was small and the customers were generous with their money and willing to pay in advance, I accepted them anyway.

But gradually I realized something was wrong. In less than five days, all the weapon orders I received totaled more than 30,000 gold coins.

So many orders piled up at once—there's definitely more to it than meets the eye. Perhaps something has changed externally, and the news hasn't reached us yet.

After listening to the middle-aged manager's analysis, Hudson nodded slightly. It hadn't been easy; after more than half a year of starting the business, they finally had someone with the brains to use.

If it were that trusted confidant from before, he'd probably be excitedly coming over to claim credit right now.

Being able to accurately add up the order amounts without major errors is the result of putting in a tremendous amount of effort.

As for the idea that too many orders are suspicious and that something might be going wrong outside, unfortunately, that's beyond the scope of their imagination.

"Understood, Nick. Business will continue as usual, but we'll increase prices for unfamiliar customers by 20% as a risk-bearing fee."

Inform Tom to arrange for someone to relay the message to the nobles on our side. Also, send someone to inquire what has happened outside.

Hudson feigned ignorance and said...

Although Nick was performing well, he was still a newcomer. Hudson had only managed to glean a few words about his past.

If the Mountain Territory hadn't been so lacking in talent, and if the heavy administrative burden hadn't left him physically and mentally exhausted, Hudson wouldn't have used this person of dubious origin at all.

In his view, the idea of "not using those you doubt, and not doubting those you use" is pure nonsense.

The result of "not using those you doubt" is that you have no one to use. No one can possibly fill their ranks with people they trust completely.

If you "trust people without question," then you're just waiting to die young and have your grave overgrown with weeds!

If you know nothing about someone and have only met them a few times, and you expect them to work for you, then you're underestimating talent.

Especially those quick-witted people are the most calculating. The smarter they are, the better they know how to weigh the pros and cons, making it incredibly difficult to gain their loyalty.

Without experiencing the test of time, no one can be sure how loyal someone is. Often, even the person involved doesn't know if they can be 100% loyal.

Regardless of their origins, the prerequisite for betrayal is always the same: having enough leverage. The best way to maintain a relationship is to prevent the other party from having that opportunity.

For example, Hudson will give important positions to the few talents he has recruited, but he will also use them with caution.

Helping with administrative matters, participating in the formulation of territory rules, and analyzing situational issues are all things I can arrange. But if you want to participate in final decision-making, you might as well forget about it!

"Yes, sir."

Nick answered immediately.

Communicating with smart people is simple; knowing that Hudson didn't want to delve into the issue, I immediately stopped.

Hudson even considered giving him special attention, but rational thinking quickly extinguished the idea. There was nothing he could do; after all, Hudson had read too many history books.

In the early stages of a startup, you don't have the right to demand loyalty from recruits. Only when you've developed to a certain level and can offer them what they want in exchange do you have the right to make demands for loyalty.

"Equivalent exchange" is ingrained in the very marrow of every noble scion on the Aslant Continent. In the world of the nobility, there is never love or hate without a reason; there is only exchange.

Having tacitly approved the order, Hudson didn't know if his choice was right or wrong. The only certainty was that if he didn't do this business, others would.

As long as the other party is willing to break up the order, there will be no shortage of orders. Even if someone with ulterior motives discovers this, they will most likely turn a blind eye.

Ultimately, they had been suppressing their desires for too long, and there were too many people who wanted to change the world. This included some peripheral members of powerful forces who also wanted to change the existing distribution of benefits.

Ultimately, these guys still have some bottom line; they know what they can sell and what they can't.

Inferior weapons are consumables. No matter who has them, they will be mostly broken down after a few battles.

The harm is relatively controllable.