Chapter 95

Calculating the figures listed in the project plan, Luo Zhengdao crossed his hands under his chin, mimicking a pose from a famous anime character, and said calmly:

"Is our budget sufficient for purchasing these supplies in our plan?"

How could such a major issue not be considered beforehand? Upon hearing this, Brandor Fiery Flame couldn't help but smile wryly and nodded, saying:

"According to the plan, the budget is quite sufficient. The cost of other supplies is not high, but the price of the Endless Water Bottle is very expensive, and we may not be able to buy it in stock quickly. Therefore, I solemnly suggest that you communicate with the Yaling Empire; they can definitely provide it in stock."

After fully recovering from the gunshot wound, Vina Dubov, who had been assisting Luo Zhengdao in organizing documents, interjected:

"Will, didn't the two mage advisors suggest yesterday that if you agree to let them build a mage tower on Wick Reef, they could provide a large amount of water through the Water Elemental Pool in the Four Elemental Pools? Isn't that better than buying a magical artifact separately?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhengdao also recalled this matter. After some thought, he said:

"Yes, call them in. I want to hear this suggestion again."

Not long after, the two mage advisors appeared at the door of Luo Zhengdao's office, their faces beaming with joy and their steps hurried. Upon hearing in the laboratory that the Earl was considering building a new mage tower, they were immediately excited and rushed to Luo Zhengdao's office without asking any questions.

The significance of a mage tower to an arcanist is an irresistible temptation, akin to drugs for addicts or well-endowed women in uniforms for train perverts. The two advisors naturally did their best to persuade Luo Zhengdao to invest in building a mage tower. Having spent many years studying in the field of arcana, they suddenly realized that they lacked talent in this area, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not make significant progress. Their lives as low-level mages were quite miserable. Although they were not short of money, it was like a lean camel being bigger than a horse; there was little hope of advancing further. The reason they were willing to serve as advisors to a refugee noble was to find a benefactor to pay for their exorbitantly priced research projects.

Undoubtedly, the enormous cost of building a mage tower could bankrupt medium and small nobles. Only true tycoons and big spenders could afford such a money-burning project.

Under the expectant gaze of the two mage advisors, Luo Zhengdao sipped a mint tea and said slowly:

"I want to know how much funding is required to build a mage tower on Wick Reef and how long it will take to be operational. Please do not hide any details from me; otherwise, the consequences will be severe."

Deceiving a benefactor with a fabricated project could have serious consequences. Luo Zhengdao, who could put aside his noble status to become a pirate, was considered an extreme and unusual figure even among nobles. It was clear that if he were provoked, he could be pursued to his death or even dismembered and left on the street. Realizing that today was a day of both risk and opportunity, the two advisors exchanged glances and began to carefully consider how to present their case without violating basic facts and still convince Luo Zhengdao to invest heavily.

"… Earl, to summarize, the minimum investment required to start the mage tower project is 50,000 gold coins. However, the functions of the mage tower go beyond just providing fresh water. The Arcane Garden can also provide some food and vegetables, and the mage tower has strong defensive capabilities. Although the initial investment is large, it is still worth it, Earl!"

Finding the report's content reliable and having considered the time and money required for each phase, Luo Zhengdao smiled and said:

"Yes, Vina, how much cash is available in my private treasury?"

It was obvious that the pirate fleet's public account was dedicated to handling war spoils, ship repairs, and dividends, and building a mage tower on Wick Reef had nothing to do with the pirates' daily expenses. Therefore, Luo Zhengdao had to pay out of his own pocket. Randomly allocating project funds would be suicidal.

Upon hearing this, Vina Dubov quickly reviewed the accounts and read out:

"Yes, after deducting recent payable accounts and pre-funded reserves for ongoing projects, the balance is 168,453 gold coins, 3 silver coins, and 22 copper pieces."

For ordinary people and even medium-sized nobles, the amount of money in Luo Zhengdao's account was a huge sum. However, his ability to spend money was even greater. Luo Zhengdao carefully calculated his necessary expenses for the near future, set aside an emergency fund, and then said slowly:

"Vina, you and the two advisors go to purchase the materials needed to build the mage tower. Remember, the total expenditure must be controlled within 60,000 gold coins."

Upon hearing this, the two middle-aged arcanists, knowing that their long-held dream was about to come true, were visibly delighted and said excitedly:

"Earl, you have made an extremely wise decision."

"Yes! You will not regret it."

Luo Zhengdao shrugged indifferently and said:

"I hope you don't make big promises and fail to deliver. The consequences will be severe!"

The two mage advisors, understanding the gravity of the situation, smiled wryly and replied:

"Earl, please rest assured. We will hire a senior archmage to personally construct the mage tower, and we will not disappoint you."

In ancient Chinese, it is said: "Living in a high position changes one's temperament, and being well-nourished changes one's physique." No matter how mighty and awe-inspiring, these qualities are cultivated over time. There are no legends of infants being born with a tiger's body and a king's aura, causing all around to bow in reverence. That's clearly a myth!

Luo Zhengdao, having spent a long time in the new world, gradually learned how to express his attitude in a way that appropriately reflected his status without being malicious. This was a necessary skill for survival in a society with clear hierarchies and strict social order. As a high noble, one's words and actions must be consistent with one's status and position. Being too friendly and approachable could make one appear weak and even unworthy of leadership. Displaying a condescending and arrogant attitude at the right time was considered very noble. In short, posturing was a required skill for noble children.

Luo Zhengdao observed the two mage advisors with a calm demeanor and said:

"If you have confidence, that's excellent."

...

Deciding on the massive mage tower project, the preparation time for the pirate fleet's next departure was delayed by another month. During this period, besides the time-consuming negotiations with two benefactors, the preparations for building the mage tower were not trivial. Especially, hiring the highly respected arcanist to accompany them to Wick Reef to construct the mage tower became the most time-consuming task. Fortunately, the late arrival was better than none, and the grand figure finally appeared just before the fleet set sail.

"Earl, allow me to introduce you to Master Steve Char."

The two slightly obsequious mage advisors, in the presence of the grandmaster in a purple robe with golden trim, were as deferential and fawning as eunuchs in a palace drama, despite their age and experience.

Seeing this, Luo Zhengdao immediately approached warmly and bowed, saying:

"Hello, Master Char, thank you for taking the time to assist us in building the mage tower."

Upon hearing Luo Zhengdao's words, the purple-robed grandmaster nonchalantly extended his left little finger to clean his ear and waved his hand, saying:

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not interested in what you're doing. I'm here because these two fools promised me enough payment. Now, don't waste time, let's get on the ship! My time is very valuable, and I can't afford to waste it like you guys."

Talent and arrogance, like being a literary youth, are a kind of illness that must be treated! The key issue was that Luo Zhengdao needed this Master Steve Char, and no matter how unhappy he was, he had to endure it. Watching the grandmaster leisurely board the ship, Luo Zhengdao's expression was far from pleasant, and the two mage advisors looked very awkward, repeatedly explaining:

"Uh, Earl, we are truly very sorry…"

"Yes! Master Char has always been like this, and we can't do anything about it…"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhengdao took several deep breaths to relax his tense expression, then smiled as if he hadn't taken the unpleasant encounter to heart, and reassured the two advisors who were caught in the middle:

"It's fine, I don't care if he is polite. As long as Master Char can do what you said and complete the tasks in the plan as soon as possible, that's all I care about."

The intense social competition in the old world created countless psychological deviants, or partially deviant individuals, who roamed the streets, consuming things like cat torture videos. Although the proportion of violent and bloody incidents in the new world was higher, it didn't necessarily mean that it was harder to survive here. If Luo Zhengdao weren't burdened with the dual responsibilities of being a human refugee noble and cursed by a荒神 (荒神 translates to 'wild god' or 'barbaric god'), his difficulty in surviving in the new world would be quite limited. At least with the knowledge of a穿越者 (穿越者 translates to '穿越者' or '穿越者'), achieving a comfortable life was not difficult.

Today, Luo Zhengdao found himself involuntarily on this pirate ship and decided to commit to this promising career.

In the history of the old world, John Bull (a personification of England) became a global empire by relying on a group of pirates, dominating the world's oceans for three hundred years. As a proud穿越者 (穿越者 translates to '穿越者' or '穿越者'), why couldn't Luo Zhengdao replicate this success? Small sacrifices could lead to great achievements. The current hardships were not embarrassing; only the results would prove whether all this effort was worth it.