Urban Sims

Flash forward, three years later.

The Free Business Alliance initiated by Glenland has become a behemoth.

Members are located in several kingdoms such as Voris, Ironcastle, Chulin, and Arino, and the total number of members exceeds 300.

Among these member territories, the one with the fastest average growth rate is the economic circle centered on Glenland and radiating to more than a dozen surrounding territories, becoming the most prosperous core area of ​​the Free Trade Alliance. Dozens of people in these territories This industrial chain generates economic benefits exceeding millions of gold coins every year.

Nathanland produces a lot of grain, and there are many shallow coal resources buried underground, so grain processing and coal mining industries have been developed. For example, Nathanland’s specialty baguette (soft in taste and durable in storage) is used throughout the country. It is very popular in the Free Trade Alliance, and coupled with the increasing demand for coal, the annual income of Baron Sean's territory exceeds 100,000 gold coins.

There are many highlands in Yokenland, which are rich in cattle, sheep and a kind of specialty nuts. In the eastern hills of Yokenland, there is also a medium-sized silver mine with reserves of more than 1,000 tons, so canning processing, nut snacks and silver mining industries have been developed. , Yokenling's specialty canned cattle and sheep and nut snacks are in short supply every year. Coupled with the production of silver mines, the annual income of Baron Howard's territory exceeds 150,000 gold coins.

The Patton Territory has high temperatures all year round, and only a small number of alpine horses are produced. However, it has also taken advantage of the dense forests and abundant prey in the territory to develop logging and fur processing industries. In addition, a depression in the west of the Patton Territory has a reserve of more than one billion. Tons of clay mines, under the guidance of experts, took advantage of the momentum to develop the ceramic industry, and the "Paton porcelain" fired quickly became popular among all the upper classes of the kingdom, causing the logging and fur processing industries of the Paton Territory, which were originally profitable, to quickly decline. In order to occupy the useless industry of manpower... the annual income of Baron Romont's territory exceeds 300,000 gold coins. Baron Romont, who was originally poor and poor, became a super rich man among the "Yankees".

In addition, the northern territories surrounding the Patton Territory have also given full play to their respective resource advantages. Some are engaged in forest mining and fur processing, some have chosen mineral development with greater profit margins, and there are also some extreme northern territories close to the ice sheet. , although there are a large number of mineral deposits underground, they cannot be mined (frozen soil, small population, and ice age for six months a year). After discovering that it is very profitable to capture savages and sell them to the southern mines, the savage tribes are now unlucky. They didn't mess with anyone, they just sat at home, and they were taken away by nests... The evil slave trade started from these poor savages.

And the Grand Collar, which is at the core of the Free Trade Union, is a place where countless adventurers and gold diggers dream of "an inch of land and an inch of gold". The collar manufactures furniture, clothing, paper, agricultural machinery, cement lime, steel, etc. More than a dozen industries have sprung up like mushrooms after rain in the past few years, and quickly formed a large-scale effect in a short period of time. The furniture, fur clothing, paper, advanced agricultural machinery, cement lime, ironware and other products produced in each workshop , it is the first choice must-shopping for all the member lords of the Merchant Alliance every year, occupying the vast majority of the market share of these products.

In less than four years, Zhou Ming, who took at least ten years in his previous life to develop into such a situation, realized at this time that he is different from those peasants who live on a budget and have the habit of saving. In this world, the lords who hold more than 90% of the surplus resources in a territory, once their potential consumption power is stimulated, the economic vitality that will explode is simply unimaginable.

Especially after enjoying the endless convenience brought by a developed commodity economy, the probability of completely getting rid of this convenience is almost zero.

Of course, the development of the Free Trade Union has not been smooth sailing in recent years. Among the more than 200 members who have joined in recent years, more than a dozen have imposed tolls, directly confiscated goods from other territories, or Arbitrary taxation and other territories that do not abide by the rules of the Chamber of Commerce, these territories that violate the provisions of the Chamber of Commerce, after being judged by the Chamber of Commerce Tribunal, these dozens of territories will either bear huge fines, be expelled from the Chamber of Commerce, or be punished. Collective blockade... Under various miserable punishment measures, these territories had to admit their mistakes, compensate for the losses, and ensure that they would never do it again.

For example, Baron Garcia of Bodo Territory is such a guy who suffered a bit. When he was told by Zhou Ming that there was a huge gold mine in Bodo Territory, he didn't really want to join the Free Trade Union. He, in order to know the specific location of the gold mine, joined the business alliance desperately. He originally focused on hunting, but he stopped hunting his prey and took people to dig the mine all day long.

Later, according to Zhou Ming's instructions, Baron Garcia, who successfully dug the gold mine, has an income of 100,000 gold coins every year, and Baron Garcia, who has no worries about eating and drinking, unexpectedly hit a large number of lords passing by Boduoling every day. On the caravan, looking at the fat sheep passing by his mouth every day, he felt itchy and couldn't help but ordered him to impose a 20% transit fee on every passing caravan. This directly violated the second article of the Free Merchant Alliance: belonging to the lord's caravan, the principle of mutual tax exemption applies.

Zhou Ming sent people to persuade, warn, and seriously warned three times, but he still refused to change after repeated admonitions. Seeing its nature was so bad, the Tribunal of the Chamber of Commerce passed a show of hands and issued a total blockade order: that is, all members leading caravans stopped from Bodo. After the border, the surrounding territories are prohibited from providing all goods to Bodoland. All traveling merchants who want to enter Bodoland for business will be levied a huge commercial tax of up to 80%.

After only two or three months of implementation of various sanctions, Baron Garcia discovered that no caravans passed through his territory in the once very lively Bertou territory. There were very few traveling merchants, and the territory was the first to face the problem. The price of salt, which is in short supply, has started to rise crazily, and then there are the fragrant Nathan's baguettes, the delicious Yorkshire cans, the addictive Parton porcelain, as well as Glenelg's exquisite furniture, fashionable leather jackets, and butt wipes. Soft paper, convenient and easy-to-use farm tools and ironware... these things are all no longer available.

Even when he saw that the bulletin board of the Merchant Alliance Business Station in the Bird Territory, which was supposed to be updated once a week, did not publish any information for more than two consecutive months, Baron Garcia began to feel a little panicked. , a kind of fear of being on an island in the world occupied his mind.

Especially when he asked his servants to take tens of thousands of gold coins to the surrounding territories or further territories to purchase some daily necessities, they all came back empty-handed - under the tight blockade of the surrounding territories, not to mention those He can no longer buy even the cheapest apples from the merchant alliance products that he has been unable to get rid of.

"Boduoling is willing to accept all the penalties imposed by the Merchant Alliance Tribunal, is willing to double compensation for the losses of the transit caravan, and makes a deep self-reflection and apology for violating the rules of the Merchant Alliance! I promise not to make similar mistakes again in the future. Please ask the Merchant Alliance Tribunal to cancel various sanctions and give Bodo a chance to correct his mistakes..."

In this way, Baron Garcia, who had never surrendered or compromised once on the battlefield and never apologized for the mistakes he had made in his life, was willing to be beaten and punished, and became a leader in the Free Business Alliance who educated all members. Be sure to follow the negative case of the rule.

But it is precisely because of this that the Glenland Free Trade Alliance, which has expanded wildly over the years, has continuously expanded its scope of influence, and has become more powerful, has developed into an organization that in the eyes of some high-level forces has a thorn in its back, and has no choice but to The "number one target" to suppress and contain.