Chapter 1003: Chapter 1003

"Welcome to today’s Yilan Morning News. According to breaking news sent by our field reporter, earlier this morning, five cities near Yilan City each issued a joint inspection statement, which will impose additional checks on merchant convoys passing through these cities."

"Reportedly, these inspections specifically target the merchant convoys heading to Yilan, which mainly transport various types of grain."

"The five cities that have cut off the trade routes happen to be cities controlled by the Yiwis Space System and Kopace Mining."

"According to experts, this could potentially be a ’retaliatory measure’ by the Two Great Consortiums against the Linen City Government after it offended them."

"Sources reveal that Yilan City’s current grain reserves will suffice for less than five days of consumption; if the trade routes are cut off and grain imports blocked, the city will face a starvation crisis after those five days."

"Reports from our correspondent stationed in Ains indicate that the Federal Central Government intends to investigate the actions of these five cities regarding their severance of trade routes. However, given the efficiency of the Federal Central Government, the investigation may only become effective after at least half a month,"

"And by that time, Yilan City might already be gripped by famine..."

The video playing was abruptly shut off, and Liz sighed, "This Yilan Morning News is again sensationalizing the mood of panic. They haven’t even apologized for the fake news yesterday."

"It’s always been like that with the Yilan Morning News,"

Ini, who was sorting yesterday’s battlefield photos, looked up at her friend. "You know how it is, their butts have always been with the Consortiums; their necks are practically on the Consortiums’ leash."

Liz glanced at the computer screen in front of her and hesitated before looking at Ini and asking in a low voice, "Do you really think there could be a famine?"

"If the Two Great Consortiums indeed decide to blockade the trade route,"

Ini thought for a moment and spoke softly, "It’s quite possible."

"Then we need to buy some bread and stock up on food,"

Liz immediately raised her bracelet and opened the supermarket’s quick online shopping page. She paused slightly and said with a bit of surprise and disappointment, "Everything edible is sold out, even the ketchup."

"There must be people who heard the rumors and went buying early in the morning,"

Ini sighed while looking at the already somewhat panicking Liz, "Don’t worry, the supermarkets surely still have stock; they are just waiting for the prices to rise. If we go early tomorrow morning, we should still be able to buy some, but the prices will definitely be much higher."

"These sneaky traders, damn them..."

Liz took a deep breath and looked at her friend, "Ini, I want to curse."

Ini reached out and gently held her friend’s hand.

Liz calmed down a bit and sighed slightly, "Isn’t there any other way? If the trade routes are cut off, won’t Montshanto Grain be worried? After all, a huge market has suddenly disappeared."

"They would probably be worried,"

Ini slightly frowned and pulled up a webpage to check. "But Montshanto Grain has not yet responded to this matter; it’s likely that the Two Great Consortiums have given them quite the benefits to keep Montshanto quiet."

"These conspiring bastards."

Liz couldn’t help saying.

"And Montshanto Grain might not lose out,"

Ini sighed and theorized, "The Two Great Consortiums haven’t cut off all trade routes; Montshanto can still import some grain. They will probably increase the prices drastically, hoarding goods. In the situation of starvation, even if the price increases fivefold or tenfold, people will still buy,"

She paused slightly, "Montshanto Grain might even make a fortune out of this."

"On one side, the Consortium, on the other, Yilan City, they can profit from both."

Liz took a deep breath, "Can’t someone regulate them? They keep raising prices, and our money will probably not be enough to buy food soon."

Mom and Dad don’t have much savings as it is; they are already struggling to afford medications and the overpriced grain. Ini’s family is somewhat better off than hers, but not by much.

Although Mr. Lin En had given them one hundred thousand federal coins, that money was invested in their news agency, not theirs to spend.

"More than ninety percent of the grain in Yilan City is provided by Montshanto Group, and all the local grain factories are also controlled by Montshanto Group. Unless another grain company can challenge Montshanto and forge new trade routes,"

Ini shook her head, "Forget it, that’s unlikely. All the grain industry groups are part of a monopoly alliance; they will just raise prices together."

"What about those who can’t afford to buy grain if the prices keep rising?"

Liz barely started speaking, then quickly closed her mouth, realizing she had asked a foolish question.

If there’s a thirty percent shortage of grain, it doesn’t mean everyone will be seventy percent full; instead, the prices will increase until the bottom thirty percent can no longer afford to buy any grain at all.

She paused, then smiled bitterly, "I thought famines in our era were just terms found in textbooks."

Ini didn’t know what to say, only gently holding her friend’s hand.

At that moment, Liz’s bracelet vibrated. She looked down at it and quickly replied.

Then she looked up at her friend and whispered, "My mom, she said she heard the news this morning and lined up, managing to snag a few packs of synthetic flour and two big bags of bread. She asked if we managed to buy any food."

"Let’s go downstairs and check,"

Ini smiled as she stood up. "Maybe some small supermarkets and shops still have stuff left unsold. I remember the bakery on the corner is terrible, their baguettes could be used to play baseball, maybe they still have some stock left."

Liz took a deep breath and slowly got up as well.

At that moment, Ini’s bracelet also vibrated. She glanced at it, quickly replied to a message, then looked at her friend and smiled, "It’s from my parents; they managed to get some food too."

The atmosphere in the small apartment relaxed slightly.

"So, do the Two Great Consortiums aim to create chaos in town and make us oppose Mr. Linen?" Liz, following behind Ini, adjusted her hair and asked.

Ini nodded slightly. "You see the folks at the Yilan Morning News trying to pin the problem on Mr. Linen, right?"

Liz nodded. "These consortium’s lackeys might have extra food supplies. If we really can’t afford to eat, we’ll gather a group on a dark and windy night and rob all their food."

"I think that’s a good plan."

Ini nodded in agreement, pushed open the apartment door, and then smiled, "Maybe there won’t be a famine at all? With Mr. Linen’s capabilities, maybe the City Government will soon announce they’ve secured a big batch of food from somewhere and will sell it at affordable prices?"

"Sounds like a dream,"

Liz laughed too. "But if it’s Mr. Linen, doesn’t it seem possible?"

"After all, what can’t Mr. Linen accomplish? By the way,"

Then suddenly Ini remembered something and quickly asked, "Speaking of which, has there been any response from the mayor’s office?"

Liz raised her bracelet, scrolled through it, then suddenly her eyes widened, "Ini!"

"Mr. Linen agreed!!!"

Liz instantly reached out and hugged her friend. "And he scheduled it for this afternoon too."

Ini was surprised. "Wait, this afternoon?!"

Liz stared with wide eyes at her friend’s astonished expression. "You haven’t prepared anything, have you?"

"I definitely prepared,"

Ini hurriedly lifted her bracelet. "But I need to contact a big shot to help me out..."

"Ini, your face is all red from nervousness."

Liz looked at her friend and laughed.

"Aren’t you nervous?"

Liz: "I, I, I’m definitely not nervous!"

Outside the City Council Hall

The well-dressed blonde Captain looked at the approaching He Ao and raised his hand with a smile,

"The first batch of grain has already entered the city successfully, and the second and third batches are still on the way. Some of our troops have already gone back to escort the caravan, which will set out from Saint Joen City, pass around Kaye City, and may take half a day longer, but this trade route will be very safe."

"The caravan that is transporting the metal raw materials needed by Yilan City has also set off, though it is a bit distant and might arrive later."

"Thank you all for your hard work,"

He Ao extended his hand and shook hands with Captain Fiss in front of him, "I have already instructed the city government to reclaim some of the shops previously rented to Yiwis Space System and Kopace Mining. We expect to complete the basic renovations by this afternoon. Then, the Nolanka Group can use these shops for grain sales, and the city government will offer you a very favorable rental price."

He smiled, "It’s just a temporary setup; the decor might not be very good."

"Mr. Lin En’s help in securing the venue has already been a great help to us,"

Captain Fiss smiled, "We can take our time with the decorations."

"Lin En, did you arrest half of the city council members?"

At that moment, a panicked voice with urgent breathing came from afar, and a slightly thin middle-aged man ran quickly towards He Ao.

He Ao turned around and looked toward the source of the voice, which was Lante, the Deputy Mayor of Yilan City.

"You have wiped out the consortium power in the council in one go,"

Lante looked at He Ao as he turned around, stopping in front of He Ao while panting and speaking rapidly, "But arresting so many members at once could likely impact the other members,"

Then he took another deep breath, looked at He Ao, and quickly said, "Also, how’s your health? I saw you giving a speech yesterday, and your injuries seemed quite serious. Is there a big problem?"

"No big issue, I can still move normally."

Lante breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "And about the grain issue, are Yiwis Space System and Kopace Mining still blocking our grain trade routes? Do we have a solution now? Should we contact Montshanto Grain Industry? Using a dead horse as a living horse doctor?"

He Ao turned with a smile, revealing the Fiss behind him, "This is Captain Fiss of the Nolanka Group Mercenary Corps. The first batch of Nolanka Group’s grain has already been delivered to the city, and they will start selling at fair prices this afternoon."

Lante looked up at the blond man behind He Ao, only now noticing the presence of ’Captain Fiss,’ who must be a very strong Transcendent.

At that moment, He Ao also looked toward Fiss, "Captain Fiss, this is Mr. Lante, the Deputy Mayor of Yilan City."

"Deputy Mayor Lante, hello."

Fiss immediately extended his hand toward Lante.

Lante reached out and shook his hand.

It was then that he slightly came back to himself, realizing what He Ao had just introduced about Fiss, and then his eyes widened suddenly, looking at He Ao, "You solved the grain issue?"

He Ao smiled and nodded, "In the future, the Nolanka Group will be one of our major grain suppliers."

Lante looked somewhat bewildered at Fiss, raising his hand, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, let me get this straight,"

He took a deep breath, recalled the words He Ao just said, and then looked at Fiss with some surprise, "You’re going to sell grain at fair prices in this situation?"

"According to the tone set by Mr. Wei’an,"

Fiss looked at the surprised Lante and smiled, "Nolanka Group does not intend to make a killing with unethical profits, and the cooperation of Montshanto Group with the Two Great Consortiums has conveniently cleared Yilan City’s market for us.

"The Group believes this is the perfect time to seize distribution channels and establish customer recognition. A good reputation will also help our long-term development in Yilan City,"

Then he looked at He Ao, slowly smiling, "And since Mr. Lin En is about to introduce a grain act, it makes no sense for us to raise prices."

"Of course, the Nolanka Group has indeed solved a big problem for us,"

He Ao looked at Lante, slowly smiling, "So Yilan City will give Nolanka Group a long-term tax incentive, and if Nolanka Group builds factories in Yilan City and invests in industry and mining, they will also receive certain subsidies."

Lante was somewhat puzzled why He Ao was telling him about Nolanka Group’s matters, but he still nodded in understanding.

And seeing him nod, He Ao then turned his head to Fiss, "Nolanka Group has a strong industrial and mining capability, and after Yiwis Space System and Kopace Mining have pulled out, they are also willing to take over the factories and industries left by the Two Great Consortiums."

"In theory, we have got a good deal,"

Fiss smiled, "Originally, it was very difficult for us to enter Yilan City’s market, whether in industry, grain industry, or mining. These old-school consortium forces are well-entrenched and would specifically exclude us,

"Now that the Two Great Consortiums and the Montshanto Grain Industry Group have done this, they have effectively surrendered the market to us. Although there are still many issues, the difficulty has been greatly reduced."

Lante had also come to realize that this was beneficial for both the Nolanka Group and Yilan City, but he still looked at Fiss and sincerely remarked, "You really went through a lot of trouble this time."

"It was also thanks to General Fiss leading the Nolanka Group Mercenary Corps last night to stand up against injustice, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Evis Space System Mercenary Corps."

He Ao added from the side.

"Actually, defending Yilan City is also about defending ourselves,"

Fiss responded, "Mr. Lin En is too kind."

Hearing the conversation between the two, Lante looked at Fiss with a slight surprise. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and shook hands with Fiss again, "I really owe you thanks."

After they let go of each other’s hands, Fiss’s bracelet vibrated. He lifted it to look, then turned to He Ao and Lante, speaking slowly, "Mr. Lin En, Deputy Mayor Lante, the caravan is already preparing to distribute food. We might need someone to organize..."

"It’s okay, you go ahead with your tasks."

He Ao quickly waved his hand.

"Alright, see you next time."

Fiss nodded and turned to walk towards the distant elevator.

Lante, watching Fiss’s receding figure, turned to He Ao, somewhat catching on, "Did you specifically call me here to meet Captain Fiss of the Nolanka Group? How did you connect with them?"

He was not unfamiliar with the reputation of the Nolanka Group; he just had not expected that ’Lin En’ would get in touch with the Nolanka Group.

"I have a bit of a connection with the current chairman of Nolanka, Mr. Wei’an."

He Ao nodded slightly.

Lin En indeed knew Wei’an’s father and had even spent some time in Kaye City.

"Do you know what I felt when I heard that the Two Great Consortiums were blocking the trade routes?"

Lante withdrew his gaze, looking at He Ao and sighed, "I thought the sky was falling, but it turns out you had already arranged everything,"

He looked closely at He Ao, as if sizing up a prophet from a mythical story, "Had you calculated the current situation by the time the Evis Space System Mercenary Corps showed up?"

"You make me sound like I’m omniscient and omnipotent."

"If you now declared yourself a Divine Being, I would believe it,"

Lante sighed, "I used to think about competing with you, but now I realize I was thinking too much."

He looked at the sunlight outside the corridor and smiled, "Repelling the Consortiums’ forces, clearing the Consortiums’ influence, I never thought Yilan City would see such a day. Even in my wildest, most bizarre fantasies, I couldn’t imagine such a scenario."

"Nolanka Group will be a very reliable ally."

He Ao looked out the window at the sunlight and spoke slowly.

"Indeed, I’ve seen their profiles. Their young ’Mr. Wei’an’ is indeed very capable and charismatic,"

Lante turned back to look at He Ao and chuckled, "Of course, I think he’s still not quite up to your level."

"Should I take that as flattery?"

"Stating facts isn’t flattery, but if it were in Kaye City, they would probably think Wei’an is more formidable than you,"

Lante laughed and shook his head.

Then he paused and looked back, gazing at the closed doors of the city council hall not far off, "So, what exactly are you planning to do with the city council? I’ve heard that you’ve prepared many bills? From what I understand, there are still quite a few members of the opposition left in the council. Will they support you?"

"Strictly speaking, they aren’t really my opposition,"

He Ao shook his head, picked up his cane, and walked to the entrance of the city council hall, "They have not taken bribes nor are they coerced by the Consortiums. They are just individuals who also tirelessly work for the future of this city, merely having different opinions."

Lante watched the Elderly’s figure, his gaze gradually softening.

He, too, was once among those who ’just happened to have different opinions,’ mentioned by the Elderly.

He Ao’s hand pressed against the door, slowly pushing open the heavy door.