Chapter 100

In the vicinity of the Blood Coral Harbor dock, a mansion was requisitioned to serve as a temporary command post. Luo Zhengdao immediately began to handle the aftermath of the war. Once the Goblins of the Second Empire, who were caught off guard, regained their composure, they would surely launch a frenzied counterattack. The problem here had to be resolved before the Goblin army returned.

"… Listen carefully, this is Lord Flur, the nobleman who saved you from the Goblins' slaughter. You must thank Lord Flur."

A group of people, trembling like chicks in front of Luo Zhengdao, were local tycoons. Of course, their influence and wealth were only enough to make them minor figures in this small place. The poor old man, who was brought to meet Luo Zhengdao by the pirates, was Saul Mayel, the president of the local chamber of commerce. With the island's authorities and the Goblin army now gone, he was勉强 considered a prominent figure in Blood Coral Harbor. As the saying goes: a powerful dragon does not suppress the local snake. Many things can be handled more effectively through locals, and failing to do so can easily ruin things. Considering this, Luo Zhengdao had to put on a populist demeanor, which he had always detested, to deal with the situation. This was called being forced to act against one's will!

Glancing at these local tycoons, Luo Zhengdao stood up and pulled the trembling Saul, who was drenched in cold sweat and shaking like a sieve, and said earnestly:

"Mr. Mayel, you have been frightened. Those fellows are a bunch of roughnecks, and I apologize to you. Goblins brutally slaughter humans, and protecting civilians is the duty of a noble. What I did was only right."

Luo Zhengdao worked hard to create an image of himself as a human savior, while the pirates were not idle. Some were busy moving the supplies from the Goblin warehouses that had not been destroyed, and the human residents of the entire city were "invited" out of their homes by the pirates and quickly gathered in the central square of the city.

The meeting with Mayel and others took some time. When Luo Zhengdao finally appeared, Brandor Fiamme was already shouting to promote him:

"… Now, our Lord Flur is recruiting volunteers willing to follow him to the new colony. Those of you who are willing to go, please stand to my left."

The atmosphere at the gathering was extremely strange. The locals were praising Luo Zhengdao's bravery and noble character, but very few were willing to respond to the pirates' call to emigrate. Seeing this, Luo Zhengdao was puzzled and asked Vina Dubov, who was by his side:

"Why are these people unwilling to follow me? Don't they know the Goblins will come back and settle scores?"

Vina, a half-elf with a unique perspective from her years of living on the fringes of human and elven societies, bluntly replied:

"Please, they don't know you at all. Why should they follow a stranger and leave their homes, especially when they are very afraid of the Goblins? These people just want to hide as far away as possible, preferably in a place where they will never see Goblins again. You want them to continue fighting the Goblins with you. Do you still not understand?"

At this, Yaling, the military governor, who was also at the scene, nodded and added:

"You're right. These civilians are not seagulls brave enough to face the storm; they are just a bunch of quacking ducks."

Being belittled by someone of the same race was not a pleasant feeling, but it was the truth. Luo Zhengdao nodded, finally understanding the deep sorrow and anger of the old bearded literary figure who had once lamented, "I pity their misfortune and am angry at their lack of struggle." He then coldly surveyed the麻木 unfeeling survivors and sighed, wondering why these pig teammates were so frustrating. Didn't they understand that they had no choice in this matter?

Since these people were not willing to see reason, Luo Zhengdao decided not to be polite and raised his voice:

"You were saved from the Goblins by me. If you don't leave here, you will die when the Goblins return. Do you have any other options?"

The Goblins of the Second Empire had always been ruthless towards the conquered humans. Treating them as slaves was already a show of respect to the gods. They avoided direct massacres to prevent the gods from overreacting. If these human civilians were killed in a war, the gods could not hold the Goblin Empire accountable. This was the basis for Luo Zhengdao's bold statement.

Not everyone has the courage to challenge violent authority. For the vast majority of people, simply escaping the oppression of a tyrant is already a great fortune. They do not want to do more or desire more. The so-called heroes are often forced into their roles, just as Luo Zhengdao, understanding that the Goblins were his mortal enemies, resolutely chose to confront them. In contrast, the people before him had no intention of fighting the Goblins to the death. However, Luo Zhengdao's words reminded them that if they did not leave with the pirates, they would likely be sent to the realms of their respective deities by the Goblins.

Among the masses, there are always wise individuals, but they are often limited by a lack of information. Luo Zhengdao's clear words made many people realize the situation, and they began to speak up:

"Lord, we are willing to follow you."

"Lord, please save us!"

"By the gods, for the sake of the great emperor, Lord, please have mercy!"

...

"Get off the ship! Everyone, follow the order of your numbers and walk out. Don't fight over the path. Hey, you brat over there, do you want a taste of the whip?"

The rhinoceros leather whip and threats of the boatswain Zola Hegel were always a key factor in maintaining discipline in Luo Zhengdao's privateer fleet. Using it on these already trembling new immigrants was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Many of the human refugees were pale and trembling at the sight of his fierce expression and the sound of the whip.

The harsh desert environment of Wick Reef gave the new immigrants a rude awakening. As they raised their hands to shield themselves from the scorching sun and stepped on the hot sand, many began to regret their decision. This place was not much better than the Goblin concentration camps.

Following Luo Zhengdao's personally designed future city plan, Wick Reef would construct a semi-enclosed corridor from the harbor to the inland settlement. This massive project involved building a corridor with a roof and a hardened road using large stones. Walking inside the corridor would protect people from the desert's heat and sand, and it would be much faster than trudging through the sand. Unfortunately, this plan was still in the design phase, and the new immigrants would have to endure the desert's heat for now. Optimistically, the corridor would be completed in two to three years.

Contrary to popular belief, desert land is not necessarily infertile. Often, the main reason for desert formation is the imbalance between precipitation and evaporation, which is usually due to climate conditions, not the fertility of the soil.

For example, the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the old world, was once a lush forest and grassland 10,000 years ago. Similarly, the White-Headed Eagle of the Plateau Lighthouse had turned the desert in the central and western regions of North America into fertile farmland by constructing long pipelines to transport fresh water for irrigation. As long as there is sufficient water, farming in the desert is technically feasible, though it depends on the economic cost.

Wick Reef, standing in the barren land, had its first building as an expensive mage tower. This special structure, which required a significant investment, was worth its cost. It not only provided the fresh water needed for the local residents' basic survival but also irrigated the desert to grow food.

The fact was that the Arcane Garden attached to the mage tower alone could not support the tens of thousands of new immigrants, and the cost of importing food was too high. One of the most important tasks for the two mage advisors each day was to draw fresh water from the water element pool in the mage tower, channel it through stone conduits, and transport it to the large cylindrical water tower at the core of the settlement. The natural water pressure from the tall water tower allowed for gravity-fed water distribution. The water fountains in the inland settlement of Wick Reef also received their water from this innovative water supply system.

This semi-automatic water distribution system, while not high-tech, was a new technology that only a穿越者 could understand. New world engineers were more inclined to rely on the convenience provided by magic and alchemy. Without the help of mages, most designers would be at a loss when trying to design a similar system.

Luo Zhengdao had played a city-building computer game called "Caesar" in his early years. Most Roman cities in the game relied on this method to provide daily drinking water to the residents. He expanded the application of the water distribution system, and so far, it was working well.

Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are essential for human survival. Just being well-fed and well-watered is not enough. Housing could be managed with volcanic ash cement, but clothing had to be sewn by tailors. Without meeting these basic needs, Wick Reef would not retain its residents. Luo Zhengdao had to solve all these practical problems himself, as he could not rely on others.

PS: "Highest Wanted" has reached 100 chapters today, with a total of over 300,000 words. Crayfish thanks everyone for their support. Considering my writing speed is not very optimistic, I cannot maintain two updates per day from chapter 100 onwards. From now on, there will be one update per day, but I will add extra updates for special occasions, such as when the number of favorites reaches a milestone or during holidays. I hope everyone can continue to read with peace of mind. I am a person who loves writing and always hopes to write stories that leave a lasting impression, not just fleeting entertainment. This might be one of the reasons I have been struggling for years. ^_^

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