I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"If we need to raise funds... then we'll have to borrow money..."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately shook his head:

"Jingzhu, you're wrong. We shouldn't be borrowing money. We should be seeking investment."

Keisuke Yamanami raised an eyebrow.

"Attracting investment?"

Kinoshita Mai and Iwasaki Yataro also cast confused looks at Aoto.

Currently, Japan does not have the concept of "investment".

Yamanami Keisuke and the others only understood the concepts of "borrowing money" and "repaying money," so explaining the difference between "lending" and "investing" to them would be too much trouble. Therefore, Seito casually remarked:

"I'll explain it to you slowly later."

Those with money contribute money, and those with strength contribute strength—an age-old business model.

For Qingdeng, which is currently in dire need of funds, finding a well-funded investor would undoubtedly be a huge asset.

If you were to ask who the wealthiest group in all of Japan is, it would undoubtedly be the business tycoons of Osaka!

The merchants in Osaka are all incredibly wealthy.

Because they are so wealthy, Osaka's tycoons have almost formed a new privileged class.

If we can secure substantial investment from Osaka merchants, all of Aoto's proposed projects can be launched quickly! The construction speed of the domain will see a leap forward!

—A merchant from Osaka…

Qing Deng pondered to himself, thinking about how to connect with the Osaka tycoons.

Although he has friends all over the world, he lacks connections in Osaka.

At that moment, suddenly, as if lightning had flashed through his mind, Qingdeng suddenly remembered something.

—Wait a minute…! I almost forgot… I have connections in Osaka…!

Thinking of this, he subconsciously turned his head and looked at Kinoshita Mai beside him with a meaningful gaze.

Kinoshita Mai noticed his gaze immediately, blinked in confusion, and met Aoto's eyes.

"Qingdeng, what's wrong?"

"...No, it's nothing."

As he spoke, Qingdeng silently withdrew his gaze, acting as if nothing had happened.

……

……

After visiting the ruins of Otsu Castle, Aoto and his group set off again, wandering around and carefully observing Otsu Town.

From now on, this town will be their "capital," and they have no choice but to take it seriously.

Although Otsu-cho was considered a very developed town by the average standards of the Edo period, in Aoto’s eyes, no matter how prosperous a city was in the feudal era, it was really just so-so.

At this moment, Qing Deng belatedly realized that today was his first time setting foot in a "second-tier city" during the Edo period.

Although his time travel has lasted for three and a half years, he has only actually visited three cities—Edo, Kyoto, and Nara—all of which are undoubtedly top-tier cities in the Edo period.

It must be said that the gap between first- and second-tier cities in the Edo period was quite large.

Throughout the entire town of Otsu, there is not a single stone-paved road; all the roads are bumpy dirt tracks.

The houses along the street are all very low, none of them are more than three stories high.

In addition, Aoto keenly noticed that the population of Otsu Town was not as large as he had expected.

The reason for this is that Otsu is too close to Kyoto.

Kyoto's prosperity had a siphon effect, drawing away a significant portion of the population from Otsu Town.

In conclusion, it will take considerable effort to develop Otsu Town into a town worthy of the name "Hakitsu".

During his inspection of Otsu Town, Iwasaki Yataro would occasionally glance at Aoto ahead, a look of hesitation in his eyes.

After a short while, as if he had made up his mind, he gritted his teeth, spurred his horse forward, and rode alongside Qing Deng:

"Mr. Ju, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Qing Deng smiled without hesitation:

“Yitaro, you don’t need to be reserved in front of me. If there’s anything you want to say, feel free to speak your mind.”

Yataro Iwasaki straightened his back and put on a serious expression.

“Mr. Tachibana, I believe that the matter of ‘finding the room leader’ should not be delayed any longer.”

"The Shinsengumi is now a massive armed force with 3000 soldiers."

"Moreover, I believe that it won't be long before the Shinsengumi expands even further."

"On this basis, your jurisdiction now has an additional vast land of 30 shi."

"From now on, the workload on your shoulders will only become heavier and heavier."

“The current situation where you personally serve as the head of the department is no longer sustainable.”

"Besides...excuse my bluntness, Mr. Tachibana, you are not a professional accountant."

“You can still manage the work of the head of the department now, but who knows what will happen in the future.”

"If we don't find a competent department head soon, it will be difficult for us to carry out any of our work."

As soon as Iwasaki Yataro finished speaking, Aoto couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

After a moment, he sighed silently, his face filled with intense helplessness.

“Yitaro, I understand everything you’re saying.”

"Yes, you're right. We really need to find a way to fill the vacancy of 'room leader' now."

"I will then seriously look for someone who is qualified to be the 'section chief'."

The "section chief" that Yataro Iwasaki mentioned was naturally the leader of the Shinsengumi's finance department.

The position of head of the finance department has been vacant since the establishment of the new corps.

The staff officer's seat can be empty, but the chief of staff cannot.

Previously, Qing Deng could barely manage to serve as the head of the department.

But now, he is finding it increasingly difficult to keep up.

With four positions in total—Gyeonggi Garrison Commander, Shinsengumi Commander-in-Chief, Hachioji Thousand-Man Co-op Commander, and Hatajin Domain Lord—Qingdeng faced endless official duties the moment he opened his eyes each day. Where would he find the energy to handle the work of his section chief?

In fact, Qingdeng's search for the room leader never stopped.

However... economic talents who can truly understand finance are extremely rare.

Japan has historically lacked education in science and engineering; let alone financial professionals, even those proficient in basic arithmetic are rare.

The Shinsengumi, Shinsengumi Chamber of Commerce, and Qin Jinfan basically shared the same leadership team.

For example, Yataro Iwasaki was not only the chairman of the Shinsen Shokai, but also the "Minister of Finance" of the Hatatsu Domain.

The same applies to Yamanami Keisuke, who is now not only the head of the Shinsengumi but also the "Prime Minister" of the Hatatsu Domain.

Next, numerous large-scale projects will be launched in Qinjin Prefecture.

Having a highly capable logistics professional stationed at the rear would undoubtedly be a great advantage.

In conclusion, from any perspective, "finding the room leader" has become Qingdeng's most urgent task.

—Speaking of which… I might be able to ask Mr. Kiryu for help.

Qing Deng almost forgot: Kiryu's Senjiya is actually a job placement agency.

As the owner of an employment agency, he must possess a vast network of connections that others cannot match.

The image of Kiryu's aged face floated into Aoto's mind... A faint feeling of longing rose in Aoto's heart.

I haven't seen my mentor for a while now, and I really miss him.

—What is Mr. Kiryu doing now?

……

……

Edo, the Thousand Things Shop—

"Oh my, Mr. Kiryu, you have such skillful hands! I never knew you could even knit blankets!"

Mr. Kiryu is currently being flirted with by an old lady.

As the old woman spoke, she reached out and touched Mr. Kiryu's hand in a familiar manner.

The Kiryu boss subtly withdrew his hand, leaving the other party empty-handed.

“I used to learn how to sew fur in Ezo.”

Although he was a nearly 100-year-old man, he was well-liked by the lonely old women in the neighborhood because of his gentle personality, refined temperament, handsome appearance, and his ability to know and do everything, from repairing roofs to dredging wells.

Seeing that she couldn't get his hand, the old woman changed to a coquettish "shy tone".

"Mr. Kiryu, I made a pot of fish soup today, but my husband went fishing again. It would be a shame to waste such a good soup! If you have time, why don't you come over to my house for some soup!"

The Kiryu boss smiled reservedly:

"Mrs. Matsumoto, thank you for your kindness, but I have work to do today, so please forgive me for not being able to accompany you."

His stubbornness immediately annoyed the other party.

The old woman stomped her foot angrily, said, "Oh, is that so? Then you can work hard, hmph!" and turned to leave.

The Kiryu shop owner stood up and politely saw her off.

As soon as the old woman left, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

"I'm already an old man with white hair and beard, why am I still so popular?"

After leaving behind this seemingly boastful murmur, Mr. Kiryu turned around and prepared to return to the kitchen to continue preparing lunch.

However, at this moment—