"This is the second half of last year, as well as January this year, the data of the East Fein Magic Industry. These figures are not absolutely accurate, but they are close to the standards of a large-scale census and are not far from the real situation. ”

Li Qixin said that he really has to thank the volunteer investigator Xiaolongnu for her long-term and unremitting data provision. If the Osquim Chamber of Commerce closes its doors or Timmy Ventures goes bankrupt, he advises her to open an investigative firm and send her first business.

I would like to thank Little Red Riding Hood and myself, after "turning" to the Divine Plateau, I deeply realized that I insisted on taking facts as the criterion and using data to speak.

This persistence has finally paid off, allowing him to see the tide of the times in these statistics, and now, he wants to use this power to destroy Hathaway's confidence in the fog of the Storm Islands.

"As of the end of January this year, there were 6,812 Wizard Workshops in the area under Terexia's control, with 8,170 magicians, 49,061 magicians, and 128041 apprentices. The magic guide produced by the workshop covers many categories such as weapons, information, transportation, engineering, daily life, etc., with an estimated output value of 8 million gold bushels in the month. ”

The numbers listed by Richie made Hathaway's brow furrow, then stretch.

She said disdainfully, "These numbers seem quite bluffing, but they don't stand up to scrutiny, such as the number of workshops. The Storm Islands Workshops are less than half that number, but each one is huge. ”

"There are about 200 families that can build towers in Silver City, and the 200 workshops they have opened have six or seven times the number of magicians you have, and their monthly income is ...... There is no way to estimate, and tens of millions of gold bushels of business abound. ”

"The average number you listed is less than two mages per workshop, indicating that most workshops are actually just small workshops run by mages. And your so-called magician is actually just an apprentice, and the so-called apprentice is a handyman. ”

"There are countless free mages on the outskirts of Silver City who are not qualified to build a magic tower with the capital, and they can only form a group to rent a magic tower to tinker with a little thing, and then get it to Shadow City or other places to sell it to earn some money. In your statistics, this kind of small business is also considered a workshop, right?"

She sighed, "What are you trying to illustrate with this number? Compared to the Storm Islands, the continent's magic industry is as weak as a baby?"

Li Qi moved his finger, and another watch in the image was highlighted, which was a number of curves, showing a high-spirited upward momentum.

He also sighed, "I really overestimated the sensitivity of you magicians to numbers, look at this growth rate. Half a year ago, all the data was less than half of that. ”

"Look at the month-on-month ...... for the last three months Well, this month compared to last month, the growth rate is more than 20%, what does that mean? It means that by the end of the year, it will be more than eight times the current data. ”

"This means that by the end of the year, the number of magicians who have joined the magic industry in East Fein will exceed that of Silver City!"

Hathaway's expression was a little solemn, but she still said disdainfully: "The mages of the Storm Islands are mages, not even contract mages and battle mages, and your so-called mages include court mages, wild mages and the like, right?"

"Of course," Richie did not deny: "It is impossible for tens of thousands of magicians from the Storm Islands to come to the mainland at once to build workshops. ”

He changed his words: "However, for the magic guide industry, as long as you can make a magic guide, who cares what the magician who makes it comes from?"

Hathaway teased: "The first-level Mirage Scroll and the sixth-level teleportation belt are both called magic guides, but their value is thousands of times worse. ”

Li Qi squinted his eyes and smiled: "There is Artur's magic array law......"

Hathaway choked, with this law, even a wild mage who could only make a first-level magic guide before, as long as he explored and studied for a period of time, it was possible to create a sixth-level magic guide.

If you look at this growth rate, it's really terrifying. Thinking that in the near future, the magicians of East Fein will be able to compete with Silver City, wouldn't it be that in two years, the mage and magic industry of East Fein will surpass that of the entire Storm Islands?

There are tens of millions of people on the territory of the Alliance of Order alone, and the Storm Islands are only three million.

"Richie ......"

Hathaway felt a little tightness in her chest, and said angrily: "Aren't you a clergyman? Why are you so proficient in magic technology!? Don't you believe in the Crimson Lady and are determined to free all slaves? Why do you always pounce on the magic industry, earn gold and smash our magicians' jobs!?"

Li Qi said innocently: "My belief is to make the world full of love, how can I love if I can't eat enough? If I want to eat enough, I have to develop production...... Technology, but magic is the best technology. As for the problem of jobs, to be precise, I smashed your jobs in the Storm Islands, and I gave you better jobs while smashing them. ”

"It's really unashamed......"

Hathaway was first disdainful, then surprised: "Lady Crimson's great love, is it so realistic?"

Little Red Riding Hood is not online, and Li Qi is also unscrupulous in slander: "It's unrealistic, it's not okay, my lord is Ah ...... I'm just a novice, and I can't even make fish and cakes, so I, the Pope, are full of thoughts about bringing everyone to a full meal. ”

"We definitely want to liberate the slaves, but we can't just liberate them, we have to let them fend for themselves, since the magic industry can feed people, then of course we will work hard in this regard. ”

Hathaway scoffed, "I see that Lady Crimson still has an open-mouthed priesthood, and I really don't hear how devout you are to your goddess." Even the gods are not respectful, and they coax others to come with their mouths open, first the magic guide gun, then the magic guide cannon, and the mirage, what has to do with eating?"

Li Qi was very serious: "It's okay to have something to do with Jin Buer, and by the way, help Her Majesty establish a new order, killing two birds with one stone." ”

Hathaway gave him a blank look, looked up at the charts, looked at them for a while, and seemed to regain his confidence: "Look at these figures, twenty percent of the magic guide workshops on the continent are making low-end weapons such as magic guide guns and magic fire bullets, thirty percent are gadgets related to the mirage industry, and the remaining half are bits and pieces, so you want to beat the Storm Islands?"

"Artur's Law is only used to simplify or improve existing magic arrays, and there is no way to create new ones. The mages who have the ability to convert spell models into magic arrays are basically in our big family in the Storm Islands. In other words, the magic industry on the mainland can't establish a complete category, and our Storm Islands are indispensable. ”

Li Qi replied casually: "As long as there is a breakthrough, it will develop quickly, such as the magic guide cannon." Artur's Law is like the magic cannon I invented, it is true that there is no way to create a new magic array, but it can achieve the same function with the existing magic array. ”

"It's going to take time," Hathaway didn't deny, but she didn't see it as an imminent threat.

Richie's ambush appeared on the flank: "Besides, you shouldn't have forgotten what we discussed together before?"

Hathaway tugged at the corners of her mouth, which was exactly what she didn't want to mention. Creation of the Magic Tower Communications Committee to promote Theresia's endorsement of the parliamentary system. And this strategy will inevitably vigorously promote the mainland's magic industry.

"I'm afraid you don't know yet, Her Majesty has approved my adjusted plan", Li Qi looked at his beautiful face, which was now more pleasing to the eye.

Hathaway was stunned: "What!?what plan?"

Li Qi continued to attack: "Didn't Her Majesty tell you? Oh, I should communicate with the Duchy of the Kingdom first, come up with a complete plan, and then let the magician join." ”

"The specific plan is very simple, there will be not only magic towers that will forward magic text messages, but also communication towers built in noble castles or towns. Eventually, it will be the Joint Communications Committee, not the Magic Tower Communications Committee. ”

Hathaway's face changed, and she sighed faintly, "It's okay, it's finally a start." ”

Li Qi smashed the Yellow Dragon: "So, think about it, there are countless communication towers, how big a magic market does this mean? Will Her Majesty hand it all over to the Storm Islands to build? Although the communication tower is only used for communication, the basic principle is the same as that of the magic tower, it must have a magic well and an enchantment......"

Hathaway let out a long sigh, "If your data isn't fabricated, then the future of the Storm Islands is indeed a bit dangerous, and it will force us to make some adjustments. ”

She cupped her forehead and said, "That's going to be something we don't want to see." ”

The counteroffensive is coming......

Richie said Hathaway's unfinished words: "Slow down the pace of intervention in the mainland, cut or even give up support for the queen?"

He shook his head and said, "Will the numbers I listed be smaller because of the retreat of the Storm Islands?"

Hathaway said as a matter of course: "Isn't it? Don't forget what is the foundation of the magic industry, as long as we reduce some production, the magic industry of the entire continent will shrink." ”

"Magic metal?"

Li Qi smiled lowly: "Are you really sure that you can continue to monopolize?"

Hathaway's face sank, different from the previous taste of a little playfulness, this time it really changed color, and a cold light burst out of the silver pupils.

Such momentum was just a cover-up, and her slightly trembling voice exposed the panic in her heart: "You won't even ...... this"

Li Qi timidly asked, "If I said yes, would I die here?"

Hathaway nodded: "There is that possibility, at least I will seriously consider it." ”

Li Qi spread his hands: "Then no." ”

Hathaway stomped her foot: "This is not child's play!"

"But how do I think, including you, that you big families have a bit of a child's play on the future of the Storm Islands?"

Li Qi looked out the car window, and the Fantasy Roller was flying around the Silver City, and the full moon was hanging high outside the window, slightly different from the moon seen on the mainland in size and light color, obviously caused by the change caused by the film.

Looking out of the window on the other side, there was a constant noise from the periphery of Silver City, which was the area where small and medium-sized families and even free magicians were located. There are shouts, fights, and occasionally magical flares that reflect the silhouettes of small floatships and magical flying boats.

This is a temporary "law enforcement operation" organized by the Supreme Council because of Artur's law, to arrest those who are in the know who are stubbornly resistant.

"Hathaway, you magicians also know that the world is one, and when the era change comes, the Storm Islands will also bear the power of the world's changes along with the mainland. ”

"Isn't it naïve for you to want to join the mainland and find your path without wanting anything to change in the Storm Islands?"

"It should also be clear to you by now that the world is changing dramatically, and the magic and magic industry is rapidly spreading across the continent. Even without your Storm Islands, the development of magic on the continent would soon fill the void. In two years at most, the continent's magic industry will surpass the Storm Islands in every way. Numbers don't lie, if you don't believe it, you can do your own research. ”

"Your biggest problem right now is that you always think that the mainland is an addition to the Storm Islands, but it turns out that the Storm Islands are an addition to the mainland. Who is the dominant and who is pushed, you have not yet distinguished the priorities. ”

"As I said earlier, the only way to avoid a new revolution in the Storm Islands, or being abandoned by the world, is to intervene more actively on the mainland and compete for emerging markets on the continent. Use such a market to buy time, tilt the interests a little in favor of commoners and slaves, and ease internal contradictions. ”

"For your major families, this is indeed a short-term loss of profit. However, in the long run, turning the foundation to the mainland will reap more long-term and more substantial returns. ”

Richie's words were extremely sincere, and Hathaway's expression softened.

She pondered for a long time, and said very seriously: "Show a little more sincerity, Richie, tell me, what do you want?"

"I want the Stormlands to be Her Majesty's strongest ally, and I don't want to see it descend into chaos right now, and I'm trying to restrain myself from the things that the Stormlands are doing that are seriously contrary to my beliefs, which is why I haven't mentioned the topic of slaves," Leech said. ”

"What I want is for the Storm Islands to follow the path I've just mentioned, and I'd like to see the core family come to a consensus on this matter before the High Council is reorganized. Of course, I personally have three ...... Small request. ”

After listening to Richie's three requests, Hathaway said, "On the road issue, I will try my best to convince other families." And your request, the third one should be fine, since it has already been passed on to the Loyal God Court and the Arcanist, it is nothing to give you. The second one has to do with slaves, which also shows that you haven't given up on practicing your faith. If it's just the demon warriors under your command, and you promise not to spread it, I believe it's not too difficult. ”

"As for the first ......"

The corners of Hathaway's mouth curled up in a beautiful arc: "Just now you said that you don't want to see the Storm Islands fall into chaos, and you turn your face to make such a request, what about your conscience?"

Li Qi laughed out loud, not embarrassed, but sneered: "My conscience never needs to be on the enemy, and you should also understand what kind of damage this kind of wall-riding goods will cause to the Storm Islands, and at the same time, it can also deter those people from the Fragrance Sect, which is more than one stone." ”

"My evaluation of you has improved again, from cunning to insidious cunning", Hathaway smiled bitterly: "This is not easy, I can only speak for you." ”

Li Qi stared directly at the black-haired beauty, and at this point he completely exposed his aggressive aura: "If the Storm Islands can follow the path I want to see, and my wishes can be fulfilled, I promise to negotiate a proper and win-win solution with you, and I will not catch you off guard like this auction again." ”

Hathaway gritted her teeth: "You really got it, didn't you!?"

Li Qi smiled incomprehensibly and changed the subject: "So...... Then what is the Dawn Meeting, I don't have to help you act anymore, right?"

Gambitt's contact with the Dawning Society proves that the Dawning Society is actually the power of Menesus and Hathaway in Shadow City. The information obtained from the Dawning Society, in addition to exposing the fact that the family enslaved civilians and disregarded the life and death of the Shadow City, also contained a "program of action".

The Outline says that the Dawning Society plans to carry out a major operation five days later, the day before the Supreme Council reshuffling meeting, and that if Litchie can show up in the operation, he will be able to put tremendous pressure on the Storm Islands and change the fate of the citizens of the Shadow City.

The so-called "Big Operation" was nothing more than a street political trick of raising flags in the central square, storming portals, and smashing the Shadow City Council, and Li Qi had no interest in this kind of warm, performative struggle.

"Of course ......"

Hathaway subconsciously agreed, the situation had changed, and of course she had to adjust her strategy.

Then she thought of something and said sincerely: "I'm ashamed about Shadow City, I personally hate it very much. But you also know that even the Golden Revolution was only a struggle from above. When it comes to the commoners and slaves at the bottom, it's easy to go against the whole upper, so I've been doing nothing. ”

"We've also made some covert efforts, including supporting the Dawn, and they're not being manipulated. I believe that with your faith, I hope that the situation in the Shadow City will improve. Therefore, even if you don't participate in the operation, it will really be useful to be able to appear in Shadow City that day, as a witness, and give some personal opinions to the High Council. ”

Li Qi was a little surprised: "Do I really have such a big influence?"

Hathaway twitched the corners of her mouth: "I didn't have it when I first came, but I had it after the auction, and ...... Don't you still hold on to something that could destroy the lifeblood of our economy?"

"If this is your condition, then I accept it", Li Qi stretched out his hand: "Happy cooperation." ”

Hathaway is not familiar with this etiquette, but after all, it is a legend, Bing Xue is smart, and it is natural to reach out and shake it: "Happy cooperation." ”

This was the second time since the last Tangus meeting, and the two had touched each other's skin.

Savoring the warm and greasy touch, Li Qixin said, hoping this is not the last handshake.

..................

Shadow City, the hotel where Litchie once stayed.

In the basement, Dressy clinks glasses with the rickety old man Moshwu.

Dressy gulped down a full glass of beer, and the old man barely swallowed two sips.

Moshiwu gasped and said, "Isn't the Duke going to free the slaves? ”

Dressy sighed: "The Duke has a lot to do, and there are more important things than Shadow City, he has to think about the big picture. ”

"Convince those great families of magicians to help serve the Queen of the Dawn?"

Moshiwu coughed and smiled: "The duke shouldn't know that the big family of magicians is actually the devil." ”

"They do the same thing as the devil," Dressy echoed.

"No", Moshwu's wrinkled face was unusually solemn, "I mean, they are real devils. I didn't know it before, just like you, but after staying in Shadow City for so long, I understood. ”

Dresser froze, and halfway up his glass stopped in the air.

Then he frowned and said, "Moshiu, you ...... now Who the hell is it?"

A light rose in Moshiu's eyes, a light that Dressy was familiar with, and it was so bright when Moshiu was still a squadron leader when he led them to charge the enemy.

He said, "I'm from the Dawning Society. ”

Lowered his voice again: "Dawn will want to meet the Duke......"