Is This Guy an Idiot?
"What? There's only 10,000 gold coins in the entire Hope Town warehouse?"
Chen Changhe's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
"This... Earl Excellency, you've misread it. The ledger clearly states one thousand gold coins..."
Ramesh Singh was interrupted by Baron Stan before he could finish speaking:
"Haha, the ledger is wrong. I withdrew 20,000 gold coins from Hope Town before. Mr. Groot probably forgot to write it down. I'll have someone send the gold coins over in a couple of days."
Baron Stan's smile was exceptionally genuine as he glanced at Ramesh Singh out of the corner of his eye.
If this guy weren't his cousin, he would have kicked Ramesh Singh out long ago.
Is this guy stupid? Does he think Chen Changhe doesn't know how many gold coins are listed in the ledger?
Does he really need to remind him?
What a great opportunity to repair his relationship with Chen Changhe! Although 20,000 gold coins is a lot, as the lord of Bluetooth Town, he can easily afford it.
He knew this was an opportunity to ease the tension between himself and Chen Changhe and to show his sincerity.
As for Ramesh Singh, he could only sigh inwardly, thinking that he would have to discipline his cousin more in the future.
If all else fails, we should make this guy resign from his position as sheriff and leave Hope Town.
Ramesh Singh was appointed sheriff of Hope Town not because of his abilities, but entirely because he was his cousin.
After today, Baron Stan will have no further connection with Hope Town.
Letting this guy stay would only cause trouble for me and could also ruin the hard-won relationship with Chen Changhe.
Baron Stan pondered to himself, a resolute glint in his eyes.
He knew that with the strength Chen Changhe had demonstrated, this area would be his domain for the next few years.
As the lord of Bluetooth Town, maintaining a good relationship with Chen Changhe is of paramount importance.
Even if we can't be friends, we must never become rivals.
As for Ramesh Singh, he can only hope for the best, since personal feelings sometimes have to be put aside when faced with interests and the bigger picture.
Anyway, this guy has made quite a bit of money over the years.
"That's right, that's right. I also borrowed 5,000 gold coins before, and I'll have someone deliver them to the lord's manor this afternoon."
"Me too, me too! I got 4000 gold coins too!"
"I have 2000!"
"I have 1000!"
"..."
Inspired by Baron Stan, the others present followed suit, vying to admit that they had taken money from the treasury and promising to return it as soon as possible.
For a time, the lord's manor was bustling with activity, as everyone seemed eager to show their attitude and sincerity.
Even Ramesh Singh, who was slow to realize what was happening, took out 3,000 gold coins. He looked at Chen Changhe with a fawning expression, seemingly wanting to make up for his previous mistake and at the same time show him his attitude.
Although he was Baron Stan's cousin, his official position was the sheriff of Hope Town.
Chen Changhe was his true master.
In just a few minutes, Chen Changhe had earned tens of thousands of gold coins.
Hope Town's previously tight finances suddenly became much more comfortable.
Looking at the people who showed him goodwill, Chen Changhe was also thinking about how to get along with these people in the future.
The strength of these people present is indispensable for better management of Hope Town.
In this remote town, very few ordinary residents are even literate.
It's extremely difficult to find usable talent among them; these people with certain status and abilities can indeed play a role in many matters.
Chen Changhe knew that if he wanted Hope Town to develop, he had to make good use of the resources and advantages of these people.
Of course, he would also guide and restrain them to prevent them from becoming too arrogant.
Their strength is needed, but that doesn't mean we should indulge them blindly.
Neither indulging nor suppressing them is a wise move. Only by finding a balance can we both motivate them and ensure that their behavior aligns with the overall interests of Hope Town.
In this regard, Chen Changhe, who has managed believers for many years, has ample experience.
He wasn't even going to let Baron Stan go.
Baron Stan is a landed lord, and Bluetooth Town is several times the size of Hope Town.
If Baron Stan is willing to pledge allegiance to Chen Changhe can integrate the resources and strength of the two towns in a very short time, enabling Hope Town to achieve leapfrog development.
Chen Changhe needs to complete the task given by the Node Divinity Trial Plane World, as soon as possible; simply following the steps won't work.
That would waste too much time, and he doesn't have that much patience.
Moreover, through the ledger entries, Chen Changhe discovered that Baron Stan had connections with the Beastfolk of the Orc Royal Court.
Chen Changhe wants to develop his own power as soon as possible, and he needs a large number of loyal soldiers.
He preferred these strong, powerful, Dreadnought Beastfolk to ordinary humans.
If he could bring these Beastfolk under his command, train and guide them, they would surely become a powerful asset in the development of his forces.
After seeing off Baron Stan and the officials, Chen Changhe returned to the castle that originally belonged to the Doug Forbes family.
This is an ancient castle with a history of over a hundred years. The walls of the castle are somewhat mottled, revealing the traces of time.
The castle wasn't particularly tall, and the materials used to build it were rather old and ordinary.
Despite the erosion caused by wind and rain, those Stones and bricks still stubbornly support the entire castle's structure.
Chen Changhe stepped into the castle. The dim light and ancient atmosphere intertwined, and a faint smell of decay filled the air. The stone slabs on the ground were uneven.
Before this, the castle had been abandoned for many years and no one had ever lived there.
The maids and servants who worked here had long since left the Forbes family.
After all, before Chen Changhe appeared, the Forbes family had already been deemed extinct and had no hope left.
Some yellowed portraits and antique decorations hung on the walls, appearing and disappearing in the shadows, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.
Chen Changhe's footsteps echoed clearly in the empty castle as he walked cautiously, savoring the unique charm of this ancient castle.
Before his time travel, he had visited some ancient castles in Europe, but none of them could compare to this one in terms of historical charm.
Baron Stan has been acting governor of Hope Town for decades, though he has his own residence there.
According to the kingdom's regulations, this castle now belongs to Earl Lindsay Monroe.
Even though Earl Lindsay Monroe deliberately abandoned the castle because of her hatred for the Forbes family.
However, without her consent, no one dared to occupy the castle without permission.
Baron Stan originally wanted to send someone to serve Chen Changhe, but Chen Changhe refused.
He certainly didn't want to give others the opportunity to plant spies around him.