Suleiman crossed his hands and raised his eyebrows slightly, which was quite interesting.
He simply said, "Keep talking."
Hubbard took a deep breath, as if the next words required great courage. The smile on his face softened, and he changed to a heartbroken expression, just like a loyal minister who was loyal but had to remonstrate.
He bowed slightly and said in a very low posture, "Sir, please forgive me for my offense again."
"Not in any way questioning your intelligence."
"Letting these two hundred families run animal husbandry is probably a choice that will do more harm than good."
As soon as these words came out, even Olivier, who was busy writing at the side, stopped and raised his head to look at the fat businessman in surprise.
There was no emotion or anger on Suleiman's face. He just looked at Hubbard quietly, waiting for him to analyze the so-called pros and cons.
Hubbard did not disappoint him. He shook his head, and there was even a trace of regret on his face, "You are still young and don't understand the ways of this."
He held out a fat finger. "Suleiman Master, traditional animal husbandry, whether it is raising cattle, sheep or pigs, requires an astronomical amount of initial investment."
"Purchasing healthy breeding animals, building stables that can withstand the cold winter, storing enough fodder for the animals, and avoiding plague... Each of these items is definitely not a small expense."
He stretched out a second finger and his tone became heavier.
"The second is the cycle. This is an industry that requires a long investment to see returns."
"It will take at least two years for a calf to grow into an adult cow that can be sold for money. During these two years, it will just keep eating and will not bring you a copper plate in income."
"Can you really afford to wait?"
Finally, he stretched out a third finger, and in order to emphasize the severity, his voice even simulated a hint of fear.
"The most terrifying thing is the risk! Sir, it is a sudden plague, or a winter that is more severe than previous years,
All your investment may be wasted!"
Olivier put down his pen, and his face turned a little pale. He knew or had to admit that every word Hubbard said hit the point. It was not that he had never thought about these issues before, but they were just the decisions of the noble lord, and he was used to executing them unconditionally.
Suleiman listened quietly and tapped his fingers unconsciously on the table. Of course he knew the shortcomings of traditional animal husbandry, so he tried to avoid these problems by raising rabbits. They reproduce quickly, have a short cycle, and have low requirements for fodder.
But he was not going to explain this matter to a businessman who had just taken refuge. He was more interested in what kind of solution the fat man could come up with after completely denying it. There was a huge difference in value between a mediocre person who could only find faults and a general who could find problems and solve them.
Suleiman finally spoke with a calm voice, "What you said makes sense."
He didn't intend to reveal his intention to engage in traditional animal husbandry. It would be best for the fat man in front of him to explain why.
"I admit, these are things I didn't consider well."
He did not refute, and even took the initiative to admit his omission, which stunned both Hubbard and Olivier.
Hubbard was ecstatic in his heart. He knew that he had made the right move. This young lord had a mind beyond his years.
He can listen to advice that is offensive to the ear.
Suleiman leaned forward slightly, put his elbows on the table, crossed his fingers, and looked as sharp as an eagle. "Well, Hubbard Affairs Officer, since you have seen the problem, you must have prepared the answer."
"Tell me, where is your real treasury in my territory?"
Hubbard felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, blood rushing to his brain, making his cheeks turn red, and the smile on his face completely bloomed, as bright as a blooming sunflower.
He held out his proud belly and spoke in a loud and bewitching voice:
"Sir! In fact, the largest treasury in your territory, an inexhaustible supply of specialties, is right in front of you!"
He knew that the next words would determine his future destiny, whether he would become Suleiman's right-hand man or become an insignificant clown.
Suleiman followed his gaze and looked around. Except for the map, tables, chairs and weapon racks, there was nothing in the tent.
His eyes finally fell back on Hubbard, and he spoke with a hint of inquiry and warning:
"You'd better mean what you say, my fat steward."
Hubbard didn't give in anymore. He raised his fat hand again. This time, his movements were steady and powerful, and he focused heavily on the vast dark green area on the map, which occupied nearly half of the map.
Mountains of the Moon.
Hubbard shook the fat on his body, as if he was gathering all the strength for the next words.
Then he squeezed out one word clearly from deep in his throat:
"Charcoal!"
Suleiman stood up and looked at Mountains of the Moon on the map. He had indeed neglected the mountain. He had also thought about the iron ore, copper ore, or even more precious mineral deposits that might be contained in the mountain range, but that would be a long-term matter.
But he only ignored its most superficial, direct and abundant output, wood! Endless wood!
Seeing Suleiman's reaction, Hubbard knew that he had completely won the bet.
His voice was full of uncontrollable excitement and temptation, like a devil whispering in his ears:
"Master Suleiman, look at this Mountains of the Moon!"
"The wood here, not to mention the century-old trees, even the giant trees that are thousands of years old, are countless!"
"The wood in Mountains of the Moon is your descendants. Even if it takes hundreds of years to chop it down, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it!"
His breathing became rapid, his eyes flashed with Gold Dragon and Silver Stag, another indispensable specialty product, and he was getting more and more oily.
"Instead of letting those 600 people and 200 families engage in high-risk, long-term animal husbandry, it would be better to turn them into two large charcoal-burning factories!"
"Let them burn charcoal!"
The more he talked, the more excited he became, and his fat body even began to tremble slightly.
"Sir, the technology of making charcoal is so simple! It only requires an ax and enough manpower! And what we don't lack most now is cheap manpower converted from refugee camps!"
"The input is almost zero, but the output is immediate!"
"Sir, think about it again, what is charcoal? It is a necessity that every household cannot live without! Winter heating, daily cooking, the Smith shop and blacksmithing... which one can you do without it?"
"This is an absolutely rigid demand market! As long as we produce in large quantities, we won't have to worry about sales at all! The profits here are,
Much bigger than you think!"
He paused, giving Suleiman time to think, and then presented a more tempting prospect.
"Moreover, we can not only use it for ourselves! When our production increases, we can completely dump it abroad!"
"Especially those plain territories in the south, they lack forests."
Suleiman was silent. He stood in front of the map. The fat man's words were a bit exaggerated, but no matter whether there were economic benefits or not, at least everyone had their own jobs and tasks, and the territory would be stable.
He turned to Olivier and issued an unquestionable order, "Pass my order to convert the two originally planned livestock farms into charcoal burning plants."
"The remaining 200 or so people in the refugee camp have been turned into a rabbit breeding factory."
"Charcoal is listed as the fifth lord specialty!"