The main product of the 'Harmony Warehouse' is iron tools, which are sold very well.
But Powell knew that Victor Hugo's in-demand goods were more than just iron items. Salt, medicine, arrows, and other necessities were all sold in Harmony Village. But they were not seen in the temporary market in Cold Wind City.
The temporary market was opened on the warehouse construction site. Next to the market were the actual excavated foundations and ditches. Sections of clay pipes were spliced together to form a sewer. This was a facility only built in the aristocratic district. The sewage in the craftsman district was discharged casually.
.
"Victor Hugo is really willing to spend money."
Powell sighed in a low voice. He had heard about Zhou Qingfeng's lavish spending in Harmony Village. The latter spent thousands of gold coins on construction before exploring Silver Leaf City, and now his financial resources are probably endless.
Before arriving in Cold Wind City, Zhou Qingfeng investigated the surrounding towns and discovered a strange situation - everyone is poor, but the poorer they are, the less willing they are to spend money. Even the rich and powerful would rather keep their money in the cellar. The result is 'currency'
austerity'.
One of the reasons is that the mining and smelting industries are too poor, and the amount of precious metal currency on the market is too small, so that "money is too valuable." The poor do not have enough currency at all, and some of them are plundered by the powerful in the form of taxes.
Powell would not understand the reason. He only saw Zhou Qingfeng exchanging gold coins on a large scale and putting a large amount of silver coins and iron coins into the market of Cold Wind City. The amount of money released would greatly stimulate consumption.
According to the parlance of future generations in the real world, it is called the "flood irrigation" of super-issued currency. It is hard to say how effective it is, but the "Harmony Warehouse" secretly plays the role of the central bank of Cold Wind City.
As long as Zhou Qingfeng desperately issues currency, he can obtain the necessary materials and labor. His purpose is very simple. In the early stage, it is to artificially create commercial prosperity, in the mid-term, it is to control the circulation of materials, and in the later stage, it is a financial monopoly.
No matter which wealthy family it is, if they want to buy goods from Cold Wind City, they will soon find that prices are rising, labor costs are rising, even if they have money, they can't buy goods, and the price of buying people is rising.
This is an economic restraining force. This will give Zhou Qingfeng a greater say.
Most of the problems in this world are economic problems.
Having money is really amazing!
As long as it develops well and cultivates enough talents, the warehouse can become a trading company with financial functions. Savings, exchanges, loans, etc. can all be done.
Zhou Qingfeng felt that why did he need to go to great lengths to track down the evil insect believers in the Supervision Office? Let those evil followers slowly feel his strength.
The dignitaries in the Cold Wind City are all "weeds" who can be bribed as long as the benefits are big enough. If an opponent really makes trouble, he will kill each one. As long as he spends a little effort, the Cold Wind City will be his home court.
No one thought that Victor Hugo's ambition would be so great.
Powell didn't feel the threat of commercial control. He didn't have the brain yet. The spy's eyes swept over the vendors in the makeshift market and over the rapidly progressing construction site. He was focused on practical matters.
More than two hundred coolies are working overtime, eating and drinking like machines and working non-stop.
"The construction of this warehouse is much faster than expected."
Every day, several overseers join the construction site. They are all key villagers from Harmony Village. They have considerable skills and know how to lead the coolies.
With key villagers leading the team, the recruited coolies will quickly integrate into the new management system. Once they enter, it will be difficult for them to leave because they cannot find a better living environment and treatment elsewhere.
"The militiamen in Harmony Village are like this, and so are the coolies in Cold Wind City. Victor Hugo is truly amazing."
The construction site of the 'Harmony Warehouse' is like a furnace. The coolies are like ores being continuously refined, smelted, forged and quenched during work. After removing impurities, they will become more valuable steel.
Just as Powell entered and exited the temporary market, several more carriages brought building materials and goods to the construction site.
The dignitaries in the city are happy to do business with the 'Harmony Warehouse' because the purchase volume here is large, the payment is fast, and it also provides a wide range of goods. Even the most noble wizard group in the city is not exempt from this custom.
The wizards spent a lot of money to buy not only 'extremely effective potions', but also elven supplies from Silverleaf City. Porcelain, paintings, sculptures. The items unearthed from the underground city triggered a buying trend, and Zhou Qingfeng could sell them for money as soon as they were resold.
.
There was a long queue outside the warehouse construction site. Many unemployed people came here to work as coolies, or to join the warehouse's transportation team. In short, they just wanted a job.
Powell sighed silently in his heart. The more lively the construction site became, the more uncomfortable he became. He was eager to find out some secrets, but Victor Hugo put all his actions on the table, and everything was
Conspiracy.
After leaving the construction site, Powell walked around the streets of the city. After carefully confirming that no one was following him, he made a large circle and returned to a shack inside the craftsman's district.
A dirty old beggar squatted in front of the shack. He glanced at Powell but didn't respond. Powell then got into the shack. It looked like a low space, but it was actually spacious inside. It was like a safe house disguised by illusion.
There was a big table in the room, and four or five people were discussing in low voices. Seeing Powell come in, one of the old men asked in a deep voice: "Son, have you been to that construction site?"
"Been there." Powell took out the hammers and other goods purchased at the temporary market from his backpack, "Victor Hugo moved his set in the Black Forest to Cold Wind City. I bet his set
The wind forging machine has been built."
Several people at the table took turns grabbing the hammer, and finally passed it to the old man's hand. The old man carefully touched the fine and smooth surface of the hammer, and bumped it against several other iron tools, listening to the clear metal crisp sound.
"Is this an iron tool made with a forging machine?" the old man asked: "The quality is indeed good. It must be made by the best blacksmith."
Powell shook his head, "I worked at the forge in Harmony Village for two months, and this thing was made by an apprentice. It is twice as expensive as an ordinary hammer in the city.
Victor Hugo is expanding his transport fleet, with two or three carriages bringing in large amounts of goods every day, but his ironware is still in high demand."
The old man frowned and asked: "Is it possible for us to cooperate with Victor Hugo?"
"I don't know." Powell shook his head and said bitterly: "Fabro's attitude has changed. Before, he encouraged me to go to Harmony Village to steal secrets, but now he is shamefully treating Victor Hugo as a dog, and he has not been punished.
Any difficulties.
The dignitaries in the city did not move, even the Long-Legs family that controls Cold Wind City remained on the sidelines. Perhaps because the current benefits are large enough, their greed is temporarily satisfied."
Everyone in the room looked at each other, focusing on the hammer on the table. No one saw through Zhou Qingfeng's arrangement, and Powell didn't even mention the 'currency' thing. They only knew that Victor Hugo from the Black Forest was in Cold Wind City
Official debut.
After this debut, a lot of construction work was carried out, which not only cost a lot of money, but also made a lot of money.
The old man asked Powell again, "The Martin you brought asks us for money and people every day, saying that he will be able to build a complete version of the wind-driven forging machine. But I see that he is busy here and there every day, but he has accomplished nothing."
Several manufacturing technologies mastered by Zhou Qingfeng are indeed very profitable, and there are many people who are coveting them. As a secret agent with personal in-depth knowledge, Powell knows how huge the profits are.
However, technology is technology, and if it is in front of you, whether you can learn it or not is just a matter of urgency. Powell spent hundreds of gold coins to buy the blueprints, but when he actually built it, he found that there were technical barriers everywhere.
The old man stared at Powell, "We must have our own forging machine. No matter what, we must master the secrets."
Powell said solemnly: "This will take some time, but I will try my best to figure it out."