Li Wei, in his Red Dragon form, lounged comfortably in his warm, cozy lair, eyes closed as he listened to the Gnoll report. The reactions from all sides and the gains they'd made were more or less exactly as he'd predicted.
He felt a little disappointed and pained when he heard how many Cavens Rats they'd caught. Every one that got away was money!!! If only he'd thought of that sooner.
Li Wei was especially unhappy with the number of females. It would seriously slow the progress of his grand Bamboo Rat Farming operation.
He'd already thought the whole thing through. Although the slimes had swept the riverside fishery near his old lair clean before moving, he'd had them save plenty of fingerlings and Fluorescent Moss spores. He'd chosen this lair's location specifically so the lucrative business could keep growing in the Underdark without drawing attention.
And he didn't need to worry too much about his identity being exposed. Maybe his Moss-based Fish Pond was simply too effective. In just three years, it hadn't spread throughout the Underdark, but there were already countless knockoffs within a few hundred miles. One more wouldn't make a difference.
Take Gershon City, ruled by those Black-skinned Long-ears over twenty miles above them. In recent days, they'd been vigorously promoting this fish-farming method at several colonies near the river. For a while now, fish bones alone had saved who knew how many Underdark residents from starving to death.
At times, Li Wei even felt he might be a saintly dragon.
I wonder what Detect Alignment would show if someone used it on me right now. Li Wei mused, amused. Surely I won't turn out like those Heteromorphic Dragon predecessors in novels—some kind of Chaotic Fool?
Li Wei didn't pay much mind to his neighbors' knockoffs. They couldn't control the fishing artifact, the slimes, so he wasn't worried about anyone stealing his core technology.
As the saying went, Underdark agriculture couldn't thrive without Remlu.
At first, he'd thought that Sawfathead Fish and Fluorescent Moss alone were a little dull, as if something were missing. Then, when he saw these creatures that looked so much like bamboo rats, inspiration struck. This was it!
With Bamboo Rat Farming, the fish could eat Fluorescent Moss, then grow up and breed. Once the meat was harvested, the fish bones could be ground into feed for the rats. That would keep the adorable little creatures plump and healthy. Their droppings could then be mixed into the Fluorescent Moss and fed to the Sawfathead Fish, improving their nutrition and yield. A perfect virtuous cycle—a true Agricultural, Animal Husbandry, Fishing, and Hunting Complex. Absolutely perfect!
As for finding buyers for the fish and rat meat?
Come on. With their current meager output, they might not even meet Zelandia's demand.
In the Underdark, food was always the most valuable commodity and the most reliable form of currency. Its purchasing power beat Drow coins by a mile. Don't believe it? Try taking Drow gold coins to Iron Melting Fortress and buying a batch of Duergar slaves. You'd be lucky if they didn't beat your brains out and eat them.
The rat pelts were useful, too. Treating them as mere fur for warmth would be a terrible waste. They could be tanned into leather armor!
Sure, they weren't as good as Giant Lizard Skin and were a little thin. So what? Just layer them. Some dirt-poor corners of the Underdark even tanned human skin, for crying out loud.
Compared to that, what was wrong with tanning rat pelts?
When he heard Huozi say, "Those refugees who were holding back are now demanding to join the West Mining Area," Li Wei gave an indifferent smile. He hadn't expected a thick-browed, honest-looking Gnoll like Huozi to learn how to flatter a dragon.
He could guess what those refugees—who never made a move until they saw the rabbit—were thinking.
Their opening day had gone off with a bang thanks to the Cavens Rat hunt, but that wasn't enough to make these old hands who'd survived for years in the Underdark bow down and pledge themselves to him.
Right now, they were probably asking around for information about this new power. They were considering joining, but still had to think about how the Duergar might react.
After all, who signed a contract of servitude without first asking about the company's situation and the pay?
As for those who were ready to join without asking questions, most were probably gamblers with little ability to produce, out of options and ready to risk everything.
Still, he didn't interrupt Huozi's report. Only when he heard that Tiger wanted to see him did he nod.
Li Wei didn't say a word. He slowly opened his lava-like eyes, and his deep, imposing voice echoed through the lair. "Huozi."
"Your subordinate is here!" The Gnoll Great Chieftain bowed, listening intently.
Li Wei addressed the Gnoll Leader with a solemn expression. "You're a mature Gnoll leader now. For little matters like this, you need to learn to face and handle them on your own. After all, I'm a dragon, and I may often enter hibernation. I can't explain every last detail of what you should do."
"Is that so? Master, I—I couldn't..."
Huozi had just nodded in acknowledgment when he looked up in confusion, seeming to wonder if he'd heard correctly. He waved his paws, looking flustered and helpless.
"Huozi, you've only been in my service for a few days, but I trust my judgment. I believe you're a Gnoll with a brain, and that you can handle things on your own. You also need to understand that if you're nothing but a blade, sooner or later you'll rust. Do you think an excellent dragon like me would be short of a few blades?"
Li Wei boasted shamelessly, though inwardly he felt a little troubled. Truth be told, at this point, he really was short of capable, fearless subordinates like Huozi, who could lead an army of their own.
But Huozi took his words in a completely different way. Unable to guess what his master really meant, he grew a little apprehensive. Could it be that I'm no longer what Master needs?
Li Wei continued, "Listen carefully, Huozi. I need more than blades. I need trusted aides who can wield them—executors who can carry out my will to the letter! Believe me, today you're dealing with nothing more than a group of refugee escaped slaves who became miners, and a black mine boss who gathers refugee escaped slaves. Tomorrow, you may be facing the Drow Matriarchs of Gershon City's families, or even the Shadow Matriarch herself! Or the Mind Flayer Governor of Iron Melting Fortress!"
Huozi had started trembling with excitement when Li Wei called him a trusted aide. Only after hearing the rest did he realize that his master wanted to send him to deal with those unruly miners and the scheming Duergar!
Huozi panicked. "Master! I'm grateful for your trust, and I really want to become your trusted aide and carry out your will, but I—I—I don't have any experience with this! I have no idea where to start or how to handle these matters..."
Li Wei smiled again, baring a mouthful of fangs. He seemed even more pleased with Huozi's attitude.
How could he not be?
Huozi had received his master's praise without getting conceited. He was only worried about failing to do a good job. A subordinate with strength, brains, and a willingness to learn—that was exactly the sort of good employee and manager Hogg Mining needed in the future. Li Wei certainly didn't have time to handle all these trivial matters himself.
Li Wei pulled out a stone slab as large as a tombstone and tossed it in front of Hogg. It landed with a dull thud. He continued, "That doesn't matter. I need someone to carry out my will, and right now my will is this: if that old dwarf Tiger wants to discuss working together, the Golden Miner Brotherhood either merges with Hogg Mining in its entirety, or they can get lost and do things their own way. As for those miners who are still watching from the sidelines, set this stone slab up in front of Hogg Mining's entrance—currently, a fish stall. Once they see the pay, some of them will apply. When they do, take them all on, then sit back and wait for the Golden Miner Brotherhood to go bankrupt."
Huozi froze at the word "bankrupt." He propped up the slab and read the Common Tongue written on it. His whole world went blank.
Pointing at the words "Didi Miner Employment Reward Policy," he asked with some concern, "Master, this is far too costly. If we keep offering these rewards, and the Golden Miner Brotherhood follows suit, we might go bankrupt first."
Li Wei felt a pang but pretended to be nonchalant. "You don't know what you're talking about. All we're giving them is food and leather armor that we can keep producing. What do they have? Black bread hard as a rock? Or Hallucinogenic Potion from Gershon City? How could they compete with us? Once the Golden Miner Brotherhood goes bankrupt and we acquire them, we'll have a monopoly. Then we can slash all the rewards, charge a thirty percent commission, and—heh—they'll have to pay back every last bit we gave them."
Huozi seemed to finally understand the plan. He swallowed and looked at Li Wei with some trepidation. "But if we do that, won't the miners rebel?"
Li Wei tapped Huozi on the shoulder with a fingertip and said,
"They'll grumble at most. Don't worry, I've calculated it carefully. Their standard of living will still be far better than it is now. After all, I'm not exactly a devil."
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