Yu Zhengxing snapped, "Nonsense! When have I ever dug a pit for a junior? It was all for your growth, wasn't it? I called you here today to hear your opinion. Do you have any way to solve our shortage of resources and manpower?
"Relax, I only want your opinion. I won't make you do it yourself. After all, I need your talent for combat more."
Hou Niao was deeply suspicious. "Really? You're a man of standing. You can't go back on your word, can you?"
Yu Zhengxing was categorical. "Really! Suggest whatever you like, without fear. Whatever your suggestion, I won't make you carry it out."
Hou Niao thought it over and felt there was no danger. As far as he was concerned, since he had already poured in his entire fortune, he certainly couldn't abandon things halfway. He still had to stir things up a little, or he wouldn't be satisfied.
"Let's start with resources. Martial Uncle, pinning your hopes on voluntary individual contributions isn't a lasting solution. Pouring the wealth people have painstakingly saved over a lifetime into a bottomless pit with no tangible benefits in sight-not everyone has that kind of lofty ambition. This approach needlessly narrows your path. Planting forests across tens of thousands of li-is that something a handful of people can manage?
"Since you're short of resources, of course you need to find organizations with matching means. On the Brocade Continent, who besides the commerce guilds of the various nations has such tremendous resources? If you really mobilized the continent's commerce guilds, never mind planting forests across thousands or tens of thousands of li-even hundreds of thousands or a million li would be no problem!"
Yu Zhengxing asked calmly, "How do we persuade them to act?"
Hou Niao smiled. "Lure them with profit!