Investing Requires Caution

As Hudson left the Governor's Mansion, his head was buzzing.

Whether this transaction resulted in a loss or a gain is a question that is difficult to answer in a short time.

It must be admitted that Count Pierce was a seasoned political player, and his move struck right at Pierce's weak spot.

Perhaps for Hudson personally, there was no real difference between a baron and a viscount; it was merely a change of title and did not bring any substantial benefits.

But for others, the gap between a viscount and a baron is insurmountable, representing a leap in social class.

In the eyes of outsiders, crossing this step means stepping into the threshold of middle-class nobility; all that remains is time to accumulate experience.

If the dust hadn't settled and the news hadn't spread, the Coslo Family would have held a grand celebration.

It is estimated that the leaders of various branches across the country will personally come to participate in the celebration.

Baron Cayo, unaware that his scheme had been exposed, was busy with official business in his territory when he was summoned to the Governor's Mansion by the family knights.

Baron Cayo was completely dumbfounded as he looked at the group of trusted servants kneeling in the main hall.

Before he could react, Count Pierce's whip had already lashed out. Luckily, his father had died young, otherwise this would have been a double whammy.

Count Pierce only managed to suppress his anger after whipping him until his skin was torn and he collapsed in agony.

Without needing to say anything more, Baron Cayo knew that his bunch of useless men had definitely betrayed him.

What he couldn't understand was why his uncle would be so furious over such a trivial matter.

"You bastard, tell me honestly, how much of this did you get involved in?"

Baron Cayo was completely dumbfounded by Count Pierce's questioning.

"How much should be mixed in?"

What the hell is this?

It seems that apart from dropping a few bottles of Locust Luring Potion in Leighton and Huaidun counties, he hasn't done anything else lately.

"Still not admitting it? Look at this!"

As they were speaking, an inconspicuous little bottle flew from Count Pierce's hand and landed steadily in front of Baron Cayo.

Seeing the familiar vial before him, Baron Cayo grew increasingly displeased with his servants. The potion intended to swindle people had somehow appeared here intact—wasn't this blatant betrayal?

No wonder there was no word from the outside world before he was caught; it turns out there was a mole who betrayed him.

"Uncle, I was also planning to discuss this matter with you. However, at the time, you were busy organizing manpower to suppress the locust plague and didn't give me a chance to talk to you alone, so..."

Before Baron Cayo could finish explaining, Count Pierce grew even angrier, pointing a trembling finger at him and cursing:

"You idiot, you're trying to kill the whole family!"

Seeing this, Baron Cayo became even more confused. How could simply releasing a few bottles of Locust Luring Potion have led to the death of his entire family?

If the Dalton Family were so fragile, they would have been swallowed up long ago, and they wouldn't have achieved their current glory.

"Uncle, this is a misunderstanding! How could I..."

It would have been better if he hadn't explained. This explanation only made things worse. Count Pierce's whip lash out at him again, his expression one of utter disappointment, as if he wanted to devour him.

"Misunderstanding my foot!"

You colluded with the Church to release Locust Luring Potion in the Southeast Province. You dare to do something so reckless, you little rascal! What wouldn't you dare to do?

I'm not...

Once he understood what had happened, Baron Cayo was utterly devastated. The accusation of "colluding with the Church" was a death sentence.

Although it was not explicitly stated in the laws of the kingdom, an unspoken rule had long been established among the nobles—not to associate with the Church.

Bearing such a charge, he couldn't survive not only in the Alpha Kingdom, but also in over 90% of the human nations.

Even a powerful Dalton Family would have no place in the kingdom if they were proven to be colluding with the Church.

"Uncle, I'm innocent!"

I have no connection with the Church!

As you instructed, I have always kept my distance from those in the Church. I've barely exchanged a few words with them, so how could I possibly have colluded with them?

..."

Baron Cayo hurriedly explained.

Now he was truly terrified. He could manage to control the Locust Luring Potion in just two counties with his own resources, but if it involved collusion with the Church, he was doomed.

After hearing his nephew's explanation, Count Pierce realized the misunderstanding had occurred, and his expression softened considerably, though his anger remained unabated.

"Idiot!

You can't even handle something this simple. After Royal Capital, you haven't improved at all.

Now someone's come knocking on your door with evidence, and you still don't realize it. How come I never noticed how useless you are?

..."

Using underhanded tactics is not a crime, but if you are caught using them, then you are committing a grave sin.

As an aristocrat, one must maintain a glamorous appearance. Shady methods must remain hidden.

Since Baron Cayo has been caught, even if the crime is not as serious as colluding with the Church, it is still an indelible stain on his life.

Once this gets out of hand, not only will Baron Cayo be finished, but the Dalton Family will also be disgraced.

Faced with his uncle's reprimand, Caio was on the verge of tears. He had been very careful, even refraining from sending his own people to carry out the task in order to conceal his identity.

Afterwards, they even sent men to kill all the unfortunate hired men. The plan was practically perfect, but unfortunately, it still couldn't prevent the scheme from being exposed.

"Uncle, I handled this matter very discreetly. Apart from these few trusted confidants, all the other executors were silenced."

Logically speaking, it shouldn't have been exposed. Where did you obtain this?

Baron Cayo asked, forcing himself to be brave.

Even if he's going to die, he should at least die knowing why. Besides, he won't die this time. If he really intends to kill his own family for the greater good, Count Pierce won't bother to teach him a lesson.

"Snort!

What an arrogant fool!

The things have been delivered to your door, and you still don't know who brought them. You're really something.

Think about it yourself!

If you can't figure it out, then just stay here and don't go back.

To avoid further embarrassment and bringing shame upon the family...

"That's what Count Pierce said in an annoyed tone."

He had painstakingly raised his nephew, only to find out he was such a loser; he didn't even know how to complain.

However, the path of a nobleman is never smooth sailing. If they don't experience setbacks in their youth, the harsh realities they face later in life will only be more severe.

Almost all the sons of noble families were sent out to gain experience, precisely so that they would suffer setbacks.

Failure is not terrible. As long as you can learn from your mistakes and accumulate experience, even the most aristocratic families have plenty of money to pay for lessons.

Geniuses are ultimately a minority, and the probability of producing geniuses is even lower in systems that rely on family bloodlines for inheritance.

Most of them are of average appearance, but they gradually improve through education and training.

Even Count Pierce himself had to go through countless setbacks before he finally emerged from them.

For Baron Cayo, however, reality was a little too harsh. Everything is relative; if he were surrounded by equally matched competitors, he wouldn't be discouraged even in defeat.

Baron Cayo was clearly facing no ordinary opponent. The sheer number of talented individuals gathered in Wright and Huaidun counties forced him to proceed with extreme caution.

Unfortunately, no matter how cautious he was, he still had to take action. And it was precisely this first step that led to him being brutally beaten down by society.

After calming down and reviewing the recent events in the two counties, Baron Cayo broke out in a cold sweat.

The areas where the locust plague was released were almost all devastated, except for the Mountain Territory, which escaped unscathed.

I initially thought it was because of the Earth Bear, but now it seems that the potion, which should have been placed in the Mountain Territory, failed to work and instead appeared here as evidence against him.

It's too late for regrets now; the truth has come out, and I'm in deep trouble. I've already taken the beating, and I can't retaliate.

A frustrated Baron Cayo wanted to slap himself twice. He had clearly decided not to cause trouble before Hudson's luck ran out, but unexpectedly...

In the Mountain Territory, Hudson is busy dividing the spoils with Beldens. The kingdom's reward for securing a title is probably out of the question, but the provincial reward is still available.

Through a series of insider trading transactions, they acquired a total of two million pounds of rye, ten portions of Life Essence, a pile of Magic Crystal Stone, and some basic cultivation resources.

There was no other way; during this year of famine, food prices soared, and now there was no market for it. If it weren't for Beldens' influence, I doubt I would have been able to get this much stuff.

Hudson was never stingy when it came to the biggest contributor. He laid out all the spoils in front of the Young Bear and declared domineeringly, "Beldens, you deserve the most credit this time."

"This side has Magic Crystal Stone, and the other side has food, Life Essence, and basic cultivation resources. They're about the same value anyway, so you choose first!"

Upon seeing this, Beldens rolled his eyes in annoyance and unceremoniously took the Magic Crystal Stone for himself.

Multiple choice question?

That's an insult to bears' intelligence. Besides Magic Crystal Stone, what the hell is all that stuff?

The basic cultivation resources were perfect for Hudson. They would have been utterly useless to Beldens, not even satisfying his appetite.

The Life Essence is similar; the little energy it contains is less than the feed pellets refined by Hudson for Beldens.

The food supply was even worse. Although Beldens had a huge appetite, it didn't eat bread every day. Two million pounds of rye—even if a bear ate it until it went moldy, it still wouldn't finish it.

Based on past experience, once you choose to buy grain, storage fees, guarding fees, fire prevention fees, and so on will follow.

As a rancher bear, Beldens is most annoyed by all sorts of miscellaneous fees. The sight of those thick bills just irritates Lord Bear.

Hudson simply smiled at this. No matter what choice you make, the final result will be the same.

Even Magic Crystal Stone wouldn't last overnight in Beldens' hands. Compared to the slow and tedious absorption of energy from Magic Crystal Stone, nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of cheating.

Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury, the bear can never go back. If he were to return to his old, snail-paced cultivation methods, the Lord Bear would rather go back and have a good night's sleep.

After the spoils were divided, Hudson was about to leave when he was stopped by the Young Bear.

"Hudson, don't forget your viscountcy, and this bear's share too."

Looking at Beldens' serious expression, Hudson nodded. Defaulting on a debt wasn't his style, and he had to acknowledge the crucial role his own Bear had played.

"Don't worry, Beldens. We'll certainly remember your contribution. I'll add your portrait to the family crest right now, so you can share in the glory..."

Before Hudson could finish speaking, Beldens threw up his paws and collapsed to the ground, saying irritably:

"Snort!

Don't even think about fooling me!

You clearly wanted to put my image on the family crest to show off your achievements, but you insisted on saying something about sharing glory. Anyone who didn't know better would think I was taking advantage of you.

To tell you the truth, that old man Redman had already prepared the badge. It's just that the engraving was too ugly, so I rejected it!

It's standard practice to engrave magical beasts on family crests. If you have a powerful magical beast, it would be a disservice to the vanity of the nobles not to show it off on your family crest.

There are many clansmen who share this idea. It's just that in the past, Beldens wasn't well-known, so it wasn't something to brag about.

Now that he's famous, Hudson is planning to do the same, but his own father beat him to it.

"Very well, our Beldens Bearsdon. Once the title is finalized, you may also enjoy the title of Viscount within the territory."

Hudson said nonchalantly.

Beldens would not be honored even if he were called a viscount, an earl, or King.

What does the King of the Earth Bear clan have to do with humans?

Who has time to be so busy as to care about which race in Warcraft is king?

As for whether other Earth Bear will come knocking on our door after receiving this news, no one knows.

However, Hudson thought the probability of such a thing happening was low. Just look at Beldens; if it weren't for his owner's efforts to make it more diligent, this guy would just be a useless bear who idles away its days.

Many races are known for their laziness, but few can match their breed's extreme laziness. Even the laziest Pigmen in their territory is more diligent than Beldens.

"What about the territory?"

As expected of a highly intelligent bear, it immediately grasped the crux of the problem. What's the point of having the title of viscount without any territory of your own?

"Territory?

What territory?

Beldens, are you out of your mind from sleeping?

Someone has assigned us new territory, but I didn't know about it.

I told you to sleep less and dream less, and now the consequences are showing. Don't bring things from your dreams into real life.

The Mountain Territory remains the same. Not an inch of land has increased; where am I supposed to find land to allocate to you?

If you really want it, it's not impossible to discuss. We can partner up to develop the land, and you can get a share of the developed land.

Hudson urged.

These days, the biggest risk is pioneering and starting a business. The hilly areas of the Salam Mountain Range are one thing, at least there's a chance to see returns.

Even though the pace is slow, it's still a return. The newly developed land should be able to recoup its costs in about eighteen years.

That boundless swamp was simply a giant pit.

Hudson doesn't know how others develop swamps. In any case, the silt, often tens of meters deep, made development a hellish experience.

After more than half a year of effort, it seems that nearly 10,000 acres of land have been developed, but the manpower and resources invested are also astronomical.

If it weren't for the Swamp Brand fertilizer that helped him recover some of his losses, Hudson would have doubted whether he could have made it through.

Optimistically speaking, barring any disasters and with favorable weather and bumper harvests for twenty years, we should be able to break even.

The actual situation will certainly be worse; in the short term, this is a bottomless pit. With current productivity, without resorting to supernatural means, it's a series of projects that will take a lifetime to complete.

The enormous investment risks and the immense pressure of going it alone forced Hudson to seek a partner who would be a sucker for his money.

With its wealth and magical construction abilities, Beldens is undoubtedly the best partner.

Combining magic with human effort in land reclamation might be the most effective way to develop the swamp. Otherwise, this bottomless pit will eventually bankrupt the Mountain Territory.

"No need to clear land, just give me a few dozen hilltops to graze on, and I won't hold it against you."

As he spoke, it was as if he had thought of something. The previously listless Beldens suddenly became lively and energetic.

"No problem, as long as you pay on time. Anyway, you know the rent is high; the Southeast Province is short of mountains, so things are expensive because of their scarcity."

Against the Evil God

Are you really not going to reconsider?

Mountainous areas are not ideal pastoral areas; once the scale of livestock farming expands, various problems will arise.

The best place for grazing is still the grassland. The Forgotten Swamp is flat and expansive; once the water is drained, you can plant pasture grass or your favorite magical bamboo shoots...

The Earth Bear race has a lifespan of over a thousand years. With your talent, you might be able to break through that limit and live even longer than ordinary Earth Bear.

Beldens, you're not even three years old yet. This is the age for hard work, you can't afford to give up so early.

Imagine owning your own ranch, raising tens of thousands of cattle and sheep, with an endless supply of animal milk and honey, and an abundance of magical bamboo shoots...

Wouldn't such a life mean countless mother bears would come knocking on your door to reproduce? You could easily build your own Earth Bear Dynasty and have a whole bunch of bear cubs.

If you're looking for something a little more sophisticated, you can even raise meat monsters. Those are hybrids of monsters and wild beasts; you've eaten them before, haven't they? They tasted pretty good, right?

..."

The pie keeps getting bigger and bigger.

As Hudson spoke, Hudson became almost lost in the beautiful blueprint he was painting. Beldens, caught up in the rhetoric, couldn't help but drool.

Although developing swamps is a long-term process with risks and rewards disproportionate, given the long lifespan of the Earth Bear, the long payback period doesn't seem so bad.

"How should we divide it?"

The moment the question left his mouth, Beldens realized something was wrong. It seemed they'd been tricked again; they'd simply followed Hudson's line of thought without realizing there was anything wrong with the plan.

"Of course, it's based on the amount of effort put in! There are two cooperation models: the first is that everyone contributes money to development, I contribute labor and technology, and we split the final results 20/80."

The second approach involves everyone contributing money, labor, and technology, with the final results split 50/50.

Do you think that's fair enough?

I didn't take advantage of you!

Hudson said shamelessly.

It sounds perfectly reasonable, but in practice, that's another story.

Leaving aside how to calculate the costs, just the labor and technology costs alone are a huge pitfall.

Hudson had a large workforce at his disposal, while Beldens did not. As an Earth Bear, its magical beast nature meant it couldn't recruit soldiers in the human world.

"You just want me to do hard labor, don't you?"

As he spoke, Beldens kept shaking his head. Doing it occasionally was fine, but to devote himself to land reclamation work day after day for decades was simply asking for trouble.

"What are you thinking, Beldens? Do you really think that the work of a bear like you is equivalent to that of more than 20,000 slaves?"

There are techniques to everything.

All you need to do is go over and cast a spell at the crucial moment to assist everyone with the construction.

I recall some bears saying their solidification technique could cover a mile and last for half a month. Surely they weren't just bragging?

Hudson downplayed the issue.

If there is only one construction team, then it only takes half a month to cast a spell to solidify the silt on both sides of the ditch, and the slaves can then dig for the rest of the time.

With more construction teams, there's a greater need for bears. Besides, developing the swamp requires dealing with all sorts of strange creatures, which also necessitates bears' assistance.

There's no need to discuss these extra tasks too much for now. As long as Beldens agrees, its assets will become project investments.

Withdrawal of investment is impossible; Hudson will convert the cash on hand into means of production as quickly as possible.

Either accept the sunk costs of a failed investment, or embark on a pioneering endeavor. Either way, Hudson won't lose out.

All of these things will be clearly stated in a written contract. We won't give the bear any chance to renege.

Seeing that the Young Bear was interested, Hudson added, "Think it over carefully. Such a large investment must be approached with caution."

Although this opportunity is rare, and you might not encounter it again in your lifetime if you miss it, opportunity and risk always go hand in hand; there is no such thing as a sure-fire way to make money in this world.

Developing swamps is also fraught with risks. Unexpected events or boastful claims by some unscrupulous individuals could lead to the complete loss of the project.

If you can't afford the risk, then pretend I said nothing. After all, that's all your hard-earned money. If you lose it all because you're too lazy, don't blame me.

Risk warning!