Dai Xiaolou smiled very evilly, and all the flesh on his face was wrinkled together.

Su Hao scratched his hair and said rather depressedly, "You have dug a trap for me." At least, it feels like that. ”

Dai Xiaolou still smiled: "Even if you see that it is a trap, you will take the initiative to jump down, is that so?" ”

Su Hao looked at him: "How do you know that I will do what you say?" I'm not interested in staying in that town and waiting to die, I want to go to the fighting army. ”

"Alright! I can grant your wishes. ”

Dai Xiaolou didn't care about Su Hao's temptation. He took out a copy of the text from his leather bag, made it look like he was going to tear it hard, and said, "Repeat what you just said." I'll tear out the reward text for now, and then add a new report. Combat troops, yes? The front line needs warriors and talents like you. Go ahead! You will be reborn in blood and flames, like the legendary turkey called "Phoenix". ”

……

A joke is a joke after all, and Su Hao is actually very grateful to Dai Xiaolou for what he has done. This feeling became even more profound as he stepped down the airship suspension ladder and stood on the Konoha Town Square.

"You're finally back."

Kenson became older than when Su Hao left, and the wrinkles on his forehead were more profound: "A lot has happened during this time. In general, there are more bad things than good ones. Although I would like to say something nice and obedient to make you happy, but this is the case, and there is no way to make up a lie. ”

A familiar sense of closeness arose spontaneously in Su Hao's body. This is the most normal biological reaction between the "queen bee" and the "worker bee". This is true of Kensen, and so is Mo Xingkui. During the time they left, they were not idle, standing in the square, Su Hao could feel a lot of strange closeness in Konoha Town. All of them are newly developed "worker bees".

"Around us, some pesky flies have appeared."

Mo Xingkui was not complaining, but just laid out the facts in a low and cautious tone: "In the air, you should see more clearly than on the ground." The city to the north is called Oviado, and it appears almost immediately after you leave. They used all kinds of means to win over the people in the town, and there were a lot of people leaving, and we really didn't have a better way to deal with it. Although we are not short of food and have sufficient basic necessities, their commodities are much richer and cheaper than ours. To make matters worse, they controlled the trade routes to the inner realms of the empire. ”

The smile that Su Hao had just shown disappeared, and his expression became cold and with a hint of surprise: "What, is there anyone else setting up a roadblock on that road?" ”

"There are no toll points like last time. However, the situation is even harsher than it was back then. ”

Kenson replied, "They have taken control of the nearest commercial market in the inner city. We can no longer buy alcohol and other supplies at the prices we used to. We don't have a shortage of salt, but clothes and medicines have to go through guò to buy them. In addition to the necessary reserves, daily consumption is also a major item. ”

Su Hao's brows furrowed involuntarily: "How much has the purchase price of medicine been raised?" ”

Kenson wiped his face, raised his right hand, and held up three fingers.

"Three?"

Kenson shook his head sternly: "Thirty times." This was unthinkable before. A small bottle of medical alcohol is at most the price of two copper coins. Now, they've risen to a terrible amount of nearly a silver coin. That's still the price in February last year, and now it's ......"

Su Hao couldn't help but gasp: "Could it be that you haven't conducted any trade since last year?" ”

"The more you go, the more you lose."

Mo Xingkui replied sullenly: "The goods we produce the most here are werewolf furs. Although it is untanned, the price is very high. Just four months after you left, the price of our furs from the Empire Interior plummeted. Previously, a finest silver wolf skin could be sold for one gold coin, or even two gold coins. Now, silver wolf skins of the same quality are worth a maximum of twenty copper plates. This is still the case of pulling goods into the empire to trade, and if a fur merchant comes to the town to buy it, the price will be pushed even lower. ”

The surprise on Su Hao's face had turned into anger: "How is this possible?" ”

"Nothing is impossible."

Mo Xingkui said calmly: "The law of business is like this. As long as there is enough money, it can form a price crush in the nature of a blockade in a fixed area. Our location is so remote that there is only one way to the inner realm of the Empire. Not to mention the long distance, there is no safety guarantee along the way. Fuzhou is the closest city in the empire to us. Our business can only go there. Of course, we can also go further afield to Suzhou, Weizhou, or Qianzhou, but no one can guarantee that the markets there will also be charged. If this is the case, it is probably unknown whether the people who went out will be able to come back alive. ”

Su Hao fell into thought.

Imperial Innerlands is a concept in a broad sense. According to the habitual thinking of the residents of Konoha Town, the inner territory of the empire usually refers to Fuzhou on the edge of the 441st Infantry Division's defense area. It is the closest inner city to Konoha Town, and it is also the starting point of this trade route in the usual sense. However, on the map of the human empire, Fuzhou is only a remote city located in the border region, with not very developed commerce and not too many people. The real bustling trade area is actually in the northeast of Konoha Town, but the distance there is more than four times that in the direction of Fuzhou, not to mention the complex terrain, and the dangerous distance along the way has also increased exponentially.

A finest silver wolf skin, of course, could not be worth only twenty copper plates. Even if it is a raw leather, the price in the commercial cities of the inner region of the empire is as high as more than five gold coins. The difference is equivalent to the difference in the price of a mink on Earth in Siberia and Los Angeles. Hunters living in Siberia certainly couldn't go to Los Angeles for a single pelt, and the most common thing they did was to ship the pelts to neighboring cities and sell them. As for how many times these furs have changed hands in the middle? How many people profit from it? What is the final selling price? It's all about the hunters.

But in any case, twenty copper plates are definitely the result of deliberate suppression. It's no different than buying a mink for a few rubles at a Siberian site. As long as you are not a fool, you will understand that this price is extremely unreasonable. But as far as the hunters are concerned, there is nothing they can do to change this. They can only take their prey with them to find a new acquisition station, or simply abandon their profession and go elsewhere to earn a living.

Both methods are suitable for the inhabitants of Konoha Town. When goods don't sell at a high price, and they can't buy biological necessities at regular prices, they either travel farther to trade or leave.

The first path will definitely not work. Under this premise, people can only choose to leave Konoha Town.

"A lot of people are gone."

Kenson glanced at the silhouette of the city of Oviado looming on the distant horizon, and his voice was full of helplessness: "There are less than three thousand people left in the town. It's been more than half a year, and no one from outside has come in. We have plenty of food, and every once in a while the space realm brings in grain and livestock, even fresh vegetables and fruits. This was unthinkable before. At that time, our recipes were not as rich as they are now, and for at least eight months a year we could only eat hard bread and bacon, and then coarse hard biscuits. Compared to now, it's already considered heaven. Well, we also have sugar, and a very light fruit wine. But no one saw these benefits, they just wanted to leave, and even many people who wanted to make this place their home left. ”

Su Hao asked, "Why do they have to go?" ”

"There are many reasons."

Mo Xingkui replied in a dull manner: "The material aspect is actually not the main reason. Oviado City has too many areas that are better than us. They took great pains to bring engineers from the inner realms of the empire, built houses with heating channels, and provided convenience for city dwellers, not to mention the cheapness of goods. They built schools, promised to help citizens get their education in the Empire's interiors, and could provide higher-paying jobs. They even planned to rebuild new roads, which, of course, would have to be charged, and all the citizens of Oviado had to pay a certain amount of money to participate. The benefit is that you can travel for free on a regular transportation vehicle between the Empire and Oviado. There are other parts that are relevant to you. ”

Su Hao looked surprised again: "Something to do with me?" ”

"There are two hospitals in Oviado."

Kenson chimed in to explain: "They have a lot of doctors, enough to treat everyone. Dentistry, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology...... We have no advantage in this area. Even though everyone knows that you are a good doctor, you hold a scalpel more than a tooth forceps or stethoscope. Especially if a woman is going to give birth, there are definitely people who will not like to choose a male doctor to deliver the baby for them. You know, that way, you can see her ass for free without spending any money. And she'll have to pay you for it. ”

This was obviously a bit funny, and Kenson himself laughed, and the atmosphere suddenly became very relaxed, not as tense and dull as just now.

When the smile stopped on Kenson's face and the nerves relaxed again, Su Hao asked seriously, "Who did it?" Who is behind this qiē? ”

"I don't know."

Mo Xingkui shook his head and said frankly: "We only know that the city lord of Oviado is a guy named Toma. He has the title of count, that's all. ”

This is not surprising. Exploring the mastermind behind this kind of thing is beyond the scope of Kenson and Mo Xingkui. Of course, it was impossible for them to know the names of the Marquis Wanghejun and Helius, as well as the Duke Marven. If even this information can be found out by them, naturally there will be no conspiracy.

"I'm going to talk to that guy."

Su Hao thought for a moment and made a decision: "Let's see what he says first, if he still has to continue with his previous actions, I will let him understand that some people can't be messed with." ”

……

The appearance of the city of Oviado, in the northern border of the empire, caused a lot of sensation. Although a few special goods were produced here, they did not reach the point where they were attractive enough to impress the aristocracy. In the middle of nowhere, a bustling human city suddenly appears in a desolate world, and this kind of thing is happy anyway. The only regret is that there are so few humans living on this land.

When Count Thomas opened his eyes and saw the window directly opposite the bedroom, he saw that it was a sunny day outside. The sky is clear, there are no clouds, the light blue sky is refreshing, the cool air is rich in oxygen molecules, take a deep breath, just feel refreshed, and the whole body is full of vitality.

When you walk through the window, you can see the houses and streets under construction in the distance. The bakery has always opened early, and you can smell the faint aroma of toast in the air, mixed with the smell of gravy, and you can even hear the "sizzle" of the salted meat pieces in the frying pan from somewhere. The sound was so delightful that Count Thoma felt hungry, and felt the urge to bite into it, as the lowest of the commoners do, with bread on top of salt, and then on salt, and on top of the gravy, and with a wide open mouth.

Nearby, there is a large patch of groomed grass crisscrossed by asphalt roads in the middle. A couple of athletic men are going for a morning jog. Further afield, there is a sports field under construction. These facilities are simply redundant in border towns. Having enough to eat and earn more money is the biggest dream of civilians living in the border areas. However, in the plan, it was impossible for Count Thoma to disobey Duke Marvin's will. The attitude of the old aristocrat was very resolute: since you want to do it, you must do it best. Oviado had to be built and designed to be the best it could be, and its inhabitants had to enjoy the same benefits as the people of the Empire's inner realm. At the very least, they have to feel the stable and peaceful living atmosphere and environment, and let them understand that someone is doing a lot for them behind their backs, and it's not just as simple as getting people from Ono Konoha Town to enrich themselves.

Konoha Town...... As soon as these words came to mind, Count Thoma subconsciously looked at his watch.

He received Su Hao's letter in the afternoon three days ago. Count Thoma was no stranger to this man. When he first came into contact with Konoha Town, he had already heard the name "Su Hao" from too many townspeople. It seemed to be a doctor, and it seemed to be a mercenary. All in all, a savage and vulgar guy. Count Thoma has read several survival novels, in which the protagonists wander the wilderness off the beaten track. If they don't have anything to eat, they eat the meat of the half-dead old wolf, chew on insects, and even drink their own urine when they are extremely thirsty. I really don't understand what kind of psychology the author has actually described these terrible things one by one, and the details are very vivid, enough to leave the deepest impression in the reader's mind. On several occasions, Count Thoma was made to vomit on the spot by the parts of the book about disgusting food. In his impression, the mercenary is the kind of filthy ghost who drinks urine. Even the guy named Su Hao should be no different.

In the letter, he claimed that he wanted to come and visit him this morning.

Count Thoma instinctively scoffed at the letter and its sender, trying to crumple it up and throw it in the trash, along with his own sputum. However, just as he was about to do so, he saw a striking red emblem underneath the letter.

It is the unique emblem of the Iron Warriors. According to the relevant regulations, only officers with the rank of captain and above are eligible to use it.

Things seem to have deviated from the original situation. Count Thoma remembers very well that when he first discussed the plan with Duke Marvin and the other two Marquises, there was no information about the officers of the "Iron Warriors" legion. Su Hao was just an ordinary trainee at that time. Although he didn't know much about the 101 training camp, Count Thoma also understood that Su Hao was at best a guy who had just turned from a servant army to a regular legion soldier. Although no one dared to touch the main army, a single soldier was not taken seriously by Duke Marven and others. However, the situation is clearly different now than it was then. If nothing else, just looking at this emblem, there are so many things in it that cannot be explained in words.

Count Thoma immediately contacted the Marquis of Solius at the first time, and Wang Hejun's intelligence network played a role, although Su Hao's combat process in the DS A66 space field was classified as top secret, but the matter of military merit promotion was easy to detect. Soon, Count Thoma understood that his opponent was no longer the ordinary mercenary he had before, but an extremely powerful major who had been officially appointed by the headquarters of the "Iron Warriors" legion.

"I hate these damn metal golems."

Looking at the rising sun in the distance, Count Thoma raised his hand to block the already dazzling sunlight, and muttered to himself with an expressionless face.

Metal golem, that's the nickname he gave to the legionnaires. He had always disliked these guys, the main army was privileged in many ways, and Count Thoma was essentially a merchant and liked to deal with each other on a fair and reasonable premise. If it weren't for the fact that he felt that his status was insufficient, he would not have thought of spending a large sum of money to buy the title of earl. It's just that Thoma can't remember that his status is higher than that of ordinary people, and he still holds the same state of mind as before.

Visit?

Well said. It's not the same as wanting to take benefits from me, wanting me to let go of those who come on their own initiative. He didn't want to think about it, is this kind of thing possible? The Legion Major, in fact, is a damn upstart. Breaking the rising sun, Count Thoma raised his hand to block the already dazzling sunlight, and muttered to himself expressionlessly.

Metal golem, that's the nickname he gave to the legionnaires. He had always disliked these guys, the main army was privileged in many ways, and Count Thoma was essentially a merchant and liked to deal with each other on a fair and reasonable premise. If it weren't for the fact that he felt that his status was insufficient, he would not have thought of spending a large sum of money to buy the title of earl. It's just that Thoma can't remember that his status is higher than that of ordinary people, and he still holds the same state of mind as before.

Visit?

Well said. It's not the same as wanting to take benefits from me, wanting me to let go of those who come on their own initiative. He didn't want to think about it, is this kind of thing possible? The Legion Major, in fact, is a damn upstart.