There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Considering the entire text, it's no wonder they didn't even provide relief during the financial crisis. It seems the financial crisis referred to in this law was actually caused by the government!

I can even imagine the federal government's methods. The first step would be to attract capital from all sides into the region, driving up prices of various commodities and land to create an illusion of extreme prosperity.

The second step is to use government orders and commercial regulations to suppress the economy and confiscate investment projects as illegal gains. At this point, prices will skyrocket and public morale will be low, leading to many people migrating. Unless a figure like Thomas Wayne emerges among the remaining residents, an economic crisis is inevitable.

The third step involved colluding with banks and financial institutions to refuse lending under the pretext of excessive non-performing assets and credit risk, accepting loans only through federal legislation. This forced the townspeople to make a difficult choice: either go bankrupt and become unemployed, or work tirelessly to revitalize the local economy and raise the money to repay the debt.

Ultimately, such operations would severely damage the local area, regardless of its ability to recover, rendering it incapable of asserting independence. Moreover, the wealthy households in the town, having experienced such events, would understand the risks of small places and would inevitably transfer their assets to larger cities, easily achieving Emperor Wu of Han's policy of relocating wealthy households from across the country to weaken local areas and strengthen the central government.

Don't ask me why I know so much; I'm just making it up. Even if I haven't done it myself, haven't I ever seen market manipulators bully retail investors?

"It's nothing, Mayor. I've even seen people owe three million for writing articles..." I looked at the sky outside, where a wisp of cloud still drifted mischievously on the horizon, completely unaware of the dangers of the world.

Thomas munched on the carrot and let out a satisfied burp. I suddenly realized that this meal was breakfast for us, but for him, who was going to work in the early morning, it was lunch.

"If the Federation hadn't been so tough, how could it have stood out and become what it is today? It's a pity that it's never as tough on foreign countries as it is on domestic ones..."

I said speechlessly, "Even though I'm the town's sheriff now and a member of the Federation, I still think this is incredibly despicable. How did the Federation even come about?"

Thomas looked surprised: "Huh? You didn't even know that!"

"You know I fell from the sky."

“Well, I thought you’d at least do some research before you came…” Thomas shook his head and said, “The Federation was originally an organization composed of 13 business associations, dedicated to promoting local economic and industrial development. Given the long-standing lack of control over the continent and the fragmented nature of its affairs, it was already a satisfactory solution for all parties. After all, using commercial means is better than using force…”

Thomas continued, "By the way, before the federation of 13 business organizations was formed, it had another name: the Southern Continent Commercial Trust Group."

Chapter 259 Sebala Falls Again

"Marcus, Gotz is here! And he brought a fish!" Karen called out from the door, loudly telling me about the visitor.

I took the ingredients from the kitchen and saw it was a mandarin fish from the river. This guy Gots spends all his time in the mountains and has special fishing skills; he really caught something good this time.

"Alright, please come in! The squirrel-shaped mandarin fish will be here shortly!"

In the kitchen, relying on the Colonizer system, I quickly skinned, scaled, and deboned the fish. Then, holding the fish down, I cut off the head. Next, holding the fish down again, I used a knife to slice the fish meat along the bones, flipped it over, and sliced ​​off another piece of fish meat. Finally, I removed the bony meat from the fish's belly.

The arm armor has now been completely transformed into a kitchen utensil. The ejected blades, with the skin side down, first make straight cuts on the two pieces of fish meat, then make diagonal cuts, deeply slicing them into diamond-shaped patterns.

The ingredients Thomas brought also came in handy. I first spread the seasonings on the fish head and fish meat, then rolled them in meatball powder, and shook off the excess powder by holding the fish tail with my hand.

By this time, the oil in the wok was already hot over high heat. I held the fish fillet upside down and poured the hot oil from the wok over it. Then, I lifted two fillets by the tail and placed them in the oil to fry briefly until they took shape. After that, I put the whole fish into the oil and fried it until golden brown. Then I removed it and placed it on a plate.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the ingredients to thicken it into a sweet and sour flavor, so I had to use curry powder instead, resulting in a yellowish, mushy dish. Fortunately, it looked almost the same.

This dish is shaped like a squirrel, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an orange-yellow color and a sweet and sour curry aroma. It is clearly an authentic Suzhou dish created by an old chef from Suzhou who followed the monk Xuanzang through eighty-one tribulations to India. Longing for home, he caught a mandarin fish in the water and prepared it.

"Try it! Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish is a local specialty, you absolutely have to try it!"

I called to Gotz from the window, and Poppy skipped and hopped to bring the dish to him. Even then, the mandarin fish, cooked in hot oil, was still sizzling and crackling, as if it really was a squirrel rolling around in the plate with its swollen tail...

"It's so delicious! I feel like I'm seeing seventy-two angels dancing in front of me!"

Hmm? Your beliefs are very questionable. Come with me to the Inquisition!

"Someone, bring Gotz some wine!"

Gotz still needs to be treated well; the family's warehouse needs him to be expanded, and this kind of hidden building materials wholesaler and contractor can't be offended.

A glass of crimson wine was placed in a stemmed glass and served. The beautiful liquid swirled in the glass, its fragrant aroma slowly rising, as if one could see the grapevines sprouting buds under the moonlight, making a dripping sound...

Drip, drip, drip?

Hey, Karen! You're drooling!

"No drinking! How can a pretty young girl drink at work!"

I quickly snatched the wine glass from Karen's hand and handed it to Lin, otherwise the glass of red wine would have been drunk up in the next second.

“Protest! Marcus, you’re so stingy!” Karen said angrily, while grabbing my neck and slapping my chest hard.

It took me ages to break free and return to the kitchen. However, whether this behavior should be classified as violence or a form of welfare is still worth considering.

"Marcus, you seem to get along well with everyone."

Ellie, who arrived last, was in charge of washing dishes and pots, so she stood with me in the kitchen, not far from the sink.

I peeked out and saw Lin, Karen, and Poppy sitting in a row in front of the TV, watching some incomprehensible program.

I said to Poppy, "Poppy, the total price for Gotz's meal is 20,000, let's give it a 5% discount and call it 25,000. Karen, if he can't pay, turn him into Squirrel Gotz!"

A mournful wail came from outside, along with the girls' laughter.

"It's so good that everyone's happy like this. Even if things are a bit tough in town, we can get through it," I said with a sigh. "I'll figure out the food situation, don't worry."

Ellie smiled but didn't say anything. After a long while, she said, "Don't worry too much about it. The affairs of Mineral Town are everyone's affairs. We've gotten to where we are today because we've supported each other, and everyone is aware of that."

I was thinking to myself, the strawberries will ripen tomorrow, and the potatoes the day after. These crops will definitely be the first batch of supplies. The rest I'll have to rely on by continuing to cultivate. But this small plot of land on the ranch is still a long way from being able to produce enough food for our needs.

Should I think of other solutions, such as taking some time to deal with the pest infestation?

"Hmph, I'm not bragging. Aside from my lightning-fast farming skills that can handle everything, no one else can do it. Just you wait and see."

Ellie chuckled and said, "Of course I believe you. Good luck!"

Suddenly, Poppy's voice came from outside again: "Grandpa Mookie, you're here too! Marcus, Grandpa Mookie brought beef and cheese!"

I was overjoyed: "Finally, we have some proper ingredients again!"

Five minutes later, a steaming hot tomahawk steak was placed in front of him.

Muqi and Steak stared at each other, and the scene instantly became awkward.

"...How could you give such a thing to an old man?" Karen quickly grabbed my throat. "Do you think the old man's teeth can even bite through it!"

Isn't this something the system did on its own?

I'm innocent! I didn't lie! Why would I lie?

You know that one of my weaknesses is that I'm very forgetful!

Fortunately, the second dish was prepared quickly before the song ended.

This time, old man Muqi laughed heartily and said, "Thank you so much, Marcus! You've gone to so much trouble!"

The old man took a sip of the noodle soup and exclaimed in admiration, "It smells so good! I'm too old to chew beef, so I had to come here to see what I could eat!"

No need to be polite, Thomas the Tank Engine just happened to bring some wheat flour, making some noodles is a piece of cake...

It seems the mayor ate a portion of pig feed himself... and left without his main course, but he brought back quite a few useful things. I mixed flour with the juice from the leaves by the door to form a dough, rolled it out and cut it into extremely thin strips, cooked them, and then poured a sauce made of meatball powder and curry powder over them, making a bowl of noodles that was a vibrant green with a sweet and delicious broth.

Of course, you absolutely must try our signature radish at any meeting!

Finely chop the radish and place it on top of the noodles; it looks pleasing to the eye even if you don't eat it!

"Can even leaves be used as food? I think I've got an idea! Marcus, give me a bowl to try too!" Karen has embarked on another culinary exploration.

I munched on my steak while looking at her. "Karen, have you ever heard the saying, 'If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll suffer when you're old'? You can't just eat; you should try it yourself."

Karen thought for a moment and said, "What you said seems to make some sense... I'll cook the next dish then!"

Just then, Sebala swaggered in...

Ten minutes later.

"Something's happened! Sebala has collapsed, foaming at the mouth!"

Chapter 260 Structural Resistance

Have you seen my grandfather?

Oh no! The Calabash Brothers have come to save Grandpa!

Oh... it's not Big Baby, it's Gray. Oh, never mind then.

Gray walked into the tavern looking relaxed and refreshed. Not only were the heavy bandages off his body, but his clothes were also brand new. He must have had a good night's rest at home, as he looked radiant.

This young man was afraid of being beaten up, so he hid in the hospital for two days. He only dared to go home yesterday after receiving the ore and rainbow greatsword that I kindly provided.

This guy is too honest. Sebala isn't that scary. When he collapsed in front of me foaming at the mouth, I wasn't scared at all... I almost ran to call a professional black team for help.

"You...your grandpa? Didn't you see him? Hahaha, have you eaten? Come and have some!" I quickly and warmly invited him in.

"Really?" Gray scratched his head and sat down. "Boss, but Grandpa just said he was coming here to freeload a meal..."

“You must have misheard!” I mimicked Mr. Dart’s expression and replied with a smile, “You said it, didn’t you, Karen?”

Miss Karen, who had been hiding in the corner of the stairwell, poked her head out after I called out and said, "Yeah...right! I didn't see anything!"

Gray asked in surprise, "Karen, you're here to help too? I thought you definitely wouldn't come, given your personality... Hmm, you seem to be moving some goods over there, do you need any help?"

Karen's face darkened: "No need! I'm enough here! You stay away from me! ...And you have to call me Boss, understand?"

I quickly went in to smooth things over: "Gentlemen, please listen to me. Those of you who need to eat, eat; those of you who need to work, get back to work. We'll talk later!"

After I finished speaking, I brought out two meals from the house: "Gilfred, which meal would you like to have?"

Gray turned his head in confusion, unable to understand why Karen was so averse to his kindness, and even more puzzled by the faint wails coming from there.

But when he turned his head and saw the food on the table, he was immediately startled: "...Boss, what's the meaning of these two meals? And this next to it is... coke?"

Before him were two completely different dishes. One was a beautifully presented dish called "Hydrangea Snow Lotus." This dish used vegetable juice to prepare an egg mixture with a special color, which was then stuffed into sheep intestines and steamed. The steamed egg intestines were then split in half, scored, and cooked with the snow lotus. After cooking, the egg intestines curled up into the shape of a hydrangea, and were said to have the effect of strengthening muscles and bones.

Of course, if you don't have snow lotus, you can use radish instead; if you don't have sheep intestines, you can hollow out a radish instead. Anyway, radish is a specialty of this restaurant, so you have to try it!

Fortunately, Popuri brought eggs, otherwise the colonist system would probably have bled Sebala dry and turned him into blood sausage.

I always feel like the recipes for the exquisite cuisine in the Colonizer System are vaguely related to those in the Legend of Sword and Fairy Inn. Something just doesn't feel right with the dishes I make.

The other dish was rather perplexing.

Judging from the name, it is called baked beef with cheese. According to Karen, it is her family's masterpiece. The recipe has always been passed down to women, not men, and passed down from generation to generation until Karen got it.

Wait a minute, how did your dad learn to cook a dish that's passed down only to daughters?

In terms of ingredients, they used the wine, meat, and cheese brought by old man Muqi, as well as tomatoes, onions, and other things that Boss Dart had in stock. Finally, he claimed that he would use red wine for seasoning and was about to start drinking a bottle of red wine when I managed to snatch it from his mouth.

That was close! If he had started a drunken rampage with a kitchen knife, most of the people present would have been in trouble...

Moreover, the so-called secret recipe looks like it was just cobbled together with whatever ingredients were used!

The final result, whether due to the heat, the ingredients, or gravitational changes caused by planetary motion, was a pot of black coke. After brushing away the surface coke, there was a pot of flowing oil on the ground, emitting a bright color.

"Grey, it's time to hit the road... no, it's time to serve the food. Pick one?"