It doesn't matter what the lord is.

"Okay. I'll talk to the new guy first, and I'll tell you once we have a specific plan for the stock dividend."

Reed nodded.

Then, Griffa watched as Reed moved a chair to the courtyard of the lord's mansion and began to bask in the sun.

11. Letter of Reprimand

Griffa didn't know what kind of person Lid was, and neither did the others who were promoted to Lingyun City.

They often saw Lid wandering around the lord's mansion in boredom, and he was just as lazy even when he walked into the city. Sometimes Lid yawned while leaning against the wall, sometimes he commented on a few signature dishes in the restaurant, and sometimes he studied the strange things sold by other merchants. It seemed that he had no intention of working properly.

But sometimes he is also different.

In the execution ground, countless people knelt down to beg for mercy, and they hoped that he would show mercy. Lide didn't even frown, and he killed so many people in the vegetable market. Someone sent a history book, and on the last page it was written that he had committed the crime of killing his father and brother. The book was then put in the toilet of the lord's mansion. Many bigwigs came to flatter him and give him beautiful girls, but only a few of them could see Lide. However, Lide would sometimes talk with the new talents in the study all night, just to finalize the future direction.

After getting along for a long time, no one thought he was a playboy, but no one could understand his true character either.

However, newcomers like Griffa did not try to find out what Lid was really like. After all, their immediate superior was not the unpredictable Lord, but the Minister of Internal Affairs who was very organized in what he said and did. He Yue's existence avoided friction between them and Lid to a great extent, and He Yue's character was easy to guess: he always took the prosperity of the people as his goal. Therefore, talents in various fields, as long as they could create profits and did not hinder others from creating profits, He Yue would accept them with tolerance.

What Grifa proposed was soon implemented in Yunyang after being revised by Heyue and Lid.

There are many specifics, such as opening stock exchanges in Lingyun City and Yuxi City, and taking the lead in promoting the stock dividend system in the circle close to Yuxi City, etc. After the conversation, Griffa gave up the idea of ​​directly promoting the system he proposed to all parts of Yunyang, and instead started from the place where Yuxi City started. The social atmosphere there is open, the people are more receptive to new things, and the nobles and people there are more convinced of the rule of the Lid Group and are willing to invest money in construction.

And Griffa himself was also appointed Minister of Finance, which was another extraordinary promotion made by Lid.

The reason for doing this is that Griffa himself is too representative, born in a poor family, and has enough talent. This is a signal. With this precedent, the imperial examination system in Yuxi City can really be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, allowing the people of Yunyang to think more about things after work and wait for the next opportunity.

Instead of talking to them about science education and the imperial examination in a painstaking manner, it would be better to put a real case in front of them.

People who are smart, have new ideas, and can help Yunyang can rise to the top in one step, which is a truly effective stimulus for the people. As for whether this appointment is too frivolous... Anyway, most of the economic power is still in He Yue's hands, and it can be slowly handed over to Griffa later. The Minister of Finance is more symbolic at present, and whether it can become a powerful department depends on Griffa's future performance.

In the evening, while eating freshly baked croissants, Lid complained to He Yue:

"We received three more petitions this afternoon, all hoping that we would change the name of the main city back to Yuxi City."

When Yunyang was first established, there was a dispute over whether the main city should be set in Lingyun City or Yuxi City. Most of the officials from Yuxi City had feelings for Yuxi City, but Lide still set the main city in Lingyun City against all odds. The reason was simple. Yuxi City was fine as a key city, but it was too remote as a main city. Local officials in the east of Yunyang had to cross the entire Yunyang to get to Yuxi City, which was completely unnecessary in this era of underdeveloped transportation.

However, Lingyun City, as the main city, also has many problems. Some industries in Yuxi City must be relocated here, and many people who have already settled in Yuxi City are not very willing to do so. So even after so much time has passed, there are still many people who persuade Lid to move back to Yuxi City.

"Some people say that if you don't return home when you are rich, it's like walking in the night in fine clothes. At first glance, there seems to be some truth in this. But we can't just focus on development. We still have to fight for the world. By then, everyone will sit in the far west and give remote commands. Isn't it tiring?"

Lid complained, stuffed a croissant to He Yue, and continued:

"Also, news came today that the Magic Club has finally made some progress. By distributing introductory magic textbooks on a large scale, they have initially selected dozens of children with magical talents from the territory, and all of them have been handed over to Fileta to lead. In addition, there are hundreds of people who do not have magical talents but are very interested in magic research. These people form the initial team of the Magic Club... although there are quite a few investors who have sneaked in."

He Yue swallowed the bread in his mouth and asked:

"What is the reaction of other territories?"

Lid thought for a moment and replied:

"No reaction. Some territories have also tried to follow our example, but they are behind us in terms of printing technology and propaganda systems. It will take at least one or two years for them to mobilize the interest of all the people in the territory in magic like we do. On the contrary, I received a letter of condemnation not long ago, accusing me of overdrawing the magic future of the entire territory at once. Sending so many magic geniuses to the battlefield is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst... The name of the person who signed it is Skadi."

He Yue thought about it, clenched his fist and knocked on his head, then said:

"The only recognized tenth-level magician in the Eternal Heaven Kingdom? If she targets him, it might lead to some new troubles."

Lid yawned:

"What does it have to do with me? At most, I support the transformation of folk technology into formalized ones and protect precious intangible cultural heritage with official power. Merlin said it was good after seeing it. Why would she, a magician who came out of nowhere, get involved? Besides, even if she doesn't like it, at most she can draw a line with our Yuxi City and never have anything to do with it. Can she come to our door in person?"

He Yue thought about it and nodded in agreement.

Like Mr. Tingchao, Skadi was a person who lived temporarily in a territory, but had no deep connection with the people in the territory and could leave whenever he wanted. Unlike Qingyun who lived in the capital and Garberd who was in Lingwu, he would not risk his life for any territory, and naturally would not offend any territory over trivial matters.

Skadi should not have any obvious ill will towards Yunyang, and even if she did, what could she do?

Because of the Church of the Abyss, the letters of condemnation sent by the traditional temples added up to as high as a mountain. Do you think Reed has changed?

12. The person being hugged

After midsummer, the weather turns a little cooler.

Felita wanted to knit a scarf for Lid, but she didn't have much time recently. She had to teach students all kinds of magic knowledge during the day, and prepare lessons at night when she returned to the lord's mansion. To be fair, Felita was not a good teacher. She had only taught two apprentices, Yama and Yaqian, and these two apprentices made her worry-free. Now she suddenly had to teach so many ignorant magic apprentices at once, and Felita felt very tired.

The reason is very simple, because Fileta herself is a genius in magic, a magician who can learn by herself without being taught by others. Smart people are not suitable to teach others, because they simply don't understand what the other person doesn't understand, and don't understand why such a simple thing needs to be divided into some key points and difficulties.

But Reed told her to take care of these new people.

She is indeed the only one in the entire Yunyang territory who can do this.

So Fileta had to write the lesson plan even if she didn't sleep at night, and then answer all the questions meticulously the next day. The dozens of people in the class knew that Teacher Fileta was a very cold person. She rarely spoke and her eyes were scary. If someone was fighting in class, Fileta, who was wearing a black robe, would stare at the people present with her golden eyes until they felt cold on their backs.

The children, who were originally proud and excited about being the chosen ones, even spoke in whispers in front of Fileta.

But Fileta was very distressed because she never had time to knit a scarf for Lid. She was very happy that her children had grown up, but what she wanted to do most was to knit a scarf for Lid. Of course, she always felt that her knitting would be ugly, so Lid would definitely not like it and would even throw the scarf into the trash can in front of her...

Thinking of this, Fileta became even more excited.

The children who were asking questions to Teacher Fileta would never have thought that while she was answering their questions expressionlessly, she was thinking about herself being tied up by the scarf she knitted. Especially due to long-term lack of sleep, Fileta often had some exciting hallucinations.

One day, Fileta was in the magic club, explaining some basic principles to people who wanted to study magic, when Lid suddenly pushed the door open and walked in. Fileta was stunned for a moment, then saw Lid took the lesson plan from her and said to her:

"It suddenly occurred to me that the children in the magic school are about to need a home leave. You also need to rest for a while, so I'll give you a few days off to go home and have a good sleep. I'll help you with today's lessons."

Because there were outsiders present, Fileta just bowed to Reed and walked back quickly.

She knew very well that she should take a nap like Lid said, but at this time, Fileta was not sleepy at all. She had been looking forward to this holiday for too long, and when she thought about knitting the scarf for Lid, Fileta's sleepiness was swept away.

She was reluctant to sleep during such precious time, and as soon as she returned to the lord's mansion, she rummaged through the boxes and cabinets to find all the balls of wool.

The ball of thread rolled around on the ground. Fileta lay on the ground, picked up the ball of thread with her mouth, and gently placed it on the bed. This was a game she had practiced many times, but Reed had never played it with her.

The scarf that I had knitted a little in the past became a little wrinkled because of repeated viewing. At first glance, it looked like a rag placed on the table in the bathroom. Fileta couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. She had seen Alaiya knitting scarves. It was Alaiya who knitted a scarf for Lid during the first winter in Yuxi City. Lid always wore it.

Of course, she secretly asked Alaya what skills she had, but Alaya had been practicing swords for many years and her hands were very skillful, so the skills she taught Felita could not use. Felita could of course use the magic she was good at to weave scarves, but she always felt that it was meaningless.

This evening, Fileta lit a candle and used up a small ball of wool.

The next morning, she couldn't help but sit in a chair and sleep for a while. When she woke up in the morning, she felt some pain in her shoulders and back. Of course, her shoulder pain was not a one- or two-day thing. Since her body grew up, this kind of pain has been with her all year round, and Fileta has gradually gotten used to it.

During the day today, Fileta spent another day knitting a scarf. This scarf was finally upgraded from a torn rag to a longer torn rag.

This is a huge breakthrough that is a bit shameful to talk about.

Fileta was very happy doing the monotonous and repetitive work. Whether in Yuxi City or Lingyun City, Fileta was the same from beginning to end. Her scope of activities was so small. Perhaps it was because of some shadows left by her previous dealings with people. Now Fileta was more and more like a top student in an ivory tower. She was learning magic faster and faster. Whether it was the inheritance given to her by Snake Eyes or the secret book given to her by Merlin, Fileta had already begun to master it gradually. But she disliked dealing with strangers more and more. She always looked cold in front of others and would only be happy when she was alone with Lid.

When being held in her arms, she would feel unworthy, but when being held in her arms by force, she would feel happy. When this personality becomes more extreme, Lid would often make sufficient preparations before coming to her, because no one knows what Fileta will do when she is alone. But Fileta does not care about Lid's caution, and her attitude towards Lid is different from that of others: for Fileta, no matter how Lid treats her, she will feel the same. She is happy when she is praised, and she is also happy when she is scolded. Even now, she has evolved to the point where she will make up a lot of dramas in her mind when being placed in play, and then continue to be happy.

Fileta, who was knitting until the evening, fell asleep again. As a result, she was picked up by someone in the middle of the night when she was half asleep.

When Fileta opened her eyes, she saw Lid throwing her onto the bed like a princess, then picking up the thing she had knitted, examining it carefully, sighing, and saying:

"It's hard for you. Is it because the magic club is short of funds? You have to weave the rags yourself."

Fileta picked up the quilt from the side and covered her head with it with a snap.

Then I heard Lid add with a smile:

"But this rag is too long. It's a pity to use it to wipe the table. Leave it as a scarf for me."

Fileta took off the blanket again and secretly glanced at Reed, who had tied her scarf around his neck. She felt a little ashamed because she felt that Reed was hanging himself with a rope. But Reed didn't care. He reached out to help her brush the hair in front of her eyes, then touched her white arm and said:

"Why are you so cold? Don't sleep at the table next time. If I catch you again, I'll... Oh, I don't know how to deal with you. I feel like anything I do can motivate you. I'll come over to supervise your daily routine in the next few days. Now go to sleep!"

Reed blew out the candles, then lay down on the bed holding Fileta's soft body.

He hugged her so tightly that Fileta couldn't break free at all, but this feeling of being restrained seemed to be a different kind of happiness for her.

Fileta tried hard to get close to Reed, licked his neck gently, then buried her head in Reed's chest and fell asleep.

13. Research Institute is expanding

A week later, Reed, wearing a strange scarf, welcomed the director of the institute he had been waiting for for a long time, Zhan Mei.

Zhan Mei was still dressed in a simple outfit, wearing only a corset, hot pants and leather boots, and this time she didn't even wear the big red cape on her back. Her light brown skin reflected the light in the sun, and her silver-white side ponytail fluttered in the wind. Zhan Mei didn't carry the battle axe she usually carried with her, and her usual fierce aura dissipated a little, making her look more approachable.

What Lid didn't expect was that Zhan Mei didn't come alone. She brought three guys who looked different from normal people, a girl in white clothes and an eye patch, a man carrying a huge black box, and an old man with gold-rimmed glasses in one eye.

"Let me introduce my friends who I brought with me from Lingwu. They are all interested in the technology of Yuxi City and plan to come here to study together. The three of them have brought their families with them, and now that they are here, they will not leave."

Zhan Mei was afraid that Li De might be suspicious, so she gave him more information.

Her identity was actually somewhat sensitive, and Lid brought her to Yunyang as a sign of goodwill. Otherwise, Zhan Mei herself would not have proposed to come to Yunyang. Not to mention that the Lingwu Lord would not let her go, Yunyang would probably not believe that she was really coming to seek refuge, and subconsciously still thought that she was here to steal secrets.

Lid glanced at the three people present and said with a smile:

"The institute encompasses everything, and the door to science has just been opened. Many things cannot be stolen. We spent two full years in Yuxi City to barely establish a system, and we are not afraid that others will steal one or two of our achievements. Now if you want to be a soldier, the best choice is Lingwu, if you want to do business, the best choice is Yunhai, if you want to be a noble, the best place is Nanchu, if you want to be a politician, the best place is Xiqin... But if you want to calm down and do some research and explore the origin of the world, the best place in the world is our Yunyang."

Zhan Mei also smiled and replied:

"I know! I can tell from the steel you sent over that it is a smelting technology that is ahead of its time. The Lingwu Lord once found many skilled craftsmen to try to imitate it, but without exception, all of them failed. You have achieved results in the smelting industry so quickly, I guess you must have theoretical support behind you. It's just a matter of luck, how long will it take for a blind cat to meet a dead mouse?"

Zhan Mei turned around and introduced the three people behind him to Lid one by one:

"The girl with the eyepatch is Xia An, an apprentice of the famous private workshop [July Workshop] in Lingwu. She was originally recognized as the heir of July Workshop, but she heard that there are more advanced technologies here, so she abandoned her future and rushed over."

"The man carrying the box is Qianji, who is known as the 'Skillful Qianji' in Lingwu. He is best at doing delicate work and has designed mechanisms for tombs for many wealthy people. Sometimes he also helps the secret guards make some hidden weapons for assassinations."

"The old man with glasses is Bai Luo, an appraiser of treasures. He doesn't have a strong interest in research, but he is a shrewd businessman and knows very well how to maximize the commercial value of a research result—"

Zhan Mei said, pointing at herself with her thumb, and added:

"Finally, it's me! Zhan Mei, former deputy general of the Moon Guards and current director of the Yunyang Research Institute, has come to report in!"

Reed shook her hand generously, and then said to the people present:

"There will be a welcome party for you tonight. But everyone wants to do research, or make a fortune through research. Since we have time now, I will take you to our research institute and show you where you will work in the future."

Zhan Mei folded her hands in front of her chest and said cheerfully:

"Hurry up, I can't wait!"

The research institute had just moved to Lingyun City, but the building had already been built. As one of the tallest buildings in Lingyun City, the area around the institute was unusually quiet. This was due to the fact that Lingyun City had been burned down before, and Lid took this opportunity to replan the city's construction. The research institute was far away from the downtown area, and was a very suitable place to calm down and study.

As soon as they entered the institute, Xia An, who was walking at the back, was stunned. This place is more than ten times larger than the famous large workshop like July Square. From the area, we can see how much Lid values ​​the institute. The buildings inside are also divided into categories, and the buildings of various disciplines are divided very carefully. For example, the Demon Research Department occupies a larger area, where some demon cubs are kept in captivity, and some researchers wearing masks are busy.

The smell from the Chemical Research Department was stronger. The most famous research group among them was the Black Blood Group, which had recently become popular. They used the devil's blood bought by Lid to develop incendiary bombs, which helped Fang Shisan win the battle of Xiaxin City. They had also developed gunpowder and conducted many test explosions before, and this research had not been abandoned.

The Physics Research Department has recently added a lot of new people. Their research fields are very broad, from the internal combustion engine that Lid first provided, to industrial production design, to new buildings, to new means of transportation.

In addition, there are many research departments, all of which are prosperous. It is estimated that there are more than 600 researchers active here. After looking around, Xia An chose to explore chemical knowledge, and Qianji entered the physics research department. Bai Luo did not choose to do research, but worked with Zhan Mei in management to create greater benefits for the institute.

"How is it, what do you think?"

When they were alone, Reed asked with a smile.

Zhan Mei scratched his head, thought for a while, and replied:

"First of all, it's definitely amazing. In the entire Eternal Heaven Kingdom, no territory pays more attention to new technology than you do. This is indeed a suitable place for research. But it's not easy to manage. I plan to spend two weeks learning the basics of each subject before officially taking office. Otherwise, I, as the director of the institute, would be the biggest joke if I don't know anything."

Lid nodded and said to Zhan Mei:

"It shouldn't be difficult for you. You will understand many things at once. However, I actually have some ideas about the future development of the institute, and I will tell you about them when I come back. You have come a long way today, so take a rest first. Tomorrow I will ask Fileta, the head of the Magic Club, to come over and have a good chat with you two."

Zhan Mei bowed slightly to Lid, then turned to look at this isolated place.

There was not much traffic in the institute, and most people here were doing their work peacefully. This place reminded Zhan Mei of her childhood in the Northern Territory Library, where she didn't have to think about too many complicated things and could concentrate on doing the research she liked.

The sun was shining brightly on the building of the institute, and this atmosphere allowed her, a veteran of many battles, to relax.

14. Together we die, apart we live

At noon the next day, Reed took Filita to have lunch with Zhan Mei and Bai Luo.

The dining location is set up at Zhenweilou. After the owner of this restaurant, Sha Yan, learned that Li De had chosen Lingyun City as the main city, he immediately built a restaurant in the prime location here, and even put up a sign of "Millennial Time-honored Brand". Once Li De asked him where the millennium came from, Sha Yan scratched his head and said that there is definitely no history, this is looking forward to the future, hoping that his restaurant can be passed down from generation to generation, at least open for a thousand years.

After Lide took care of their business several times, this place naturally became the first choice for the dignitaries of Lingyun City to dine, and the business was very prosperous. However, Shayan also understood that the top box on the roof was always reserved for Lide, and was used exclusively for Lide to entertain more distinguished guests.

In front of Zhan Mei and Bai Luo, Fileta returned to her usual cool self.

Zhan Mei is a very bold northerner, eating meat and drinking wine is a must. Bai Luo looks like a graceful old man. Although he is old physically, he looks very young in both demeanor and mentality. While eating, he talked to Lid about his past. When he was young, he traveled from south to north, from day to night. As long as he was in the underworld, everyone who saw him had to respectfully call him "Lord Luo".

What Lide didn't expect was that Bai Luo was from Yunhai. He was somewhat related to Bai Huang, but his line was a side branch and his status in Yunhai was not high. He himself had no intention of using this connection. When talking about Yunhai, Bai Luo said without hiding anything:

"This matter came out of my mouth and entered your ears. I hope you can keep it secret from Bai Huang. When I was young, I did some impulsive things. I fell out with the previous generation of Yunhai Lord for a girl, and I schemed against my own family in the business world. I am still on the blacklist. The means I used at that time are somewhat shameful to mention now, so I won't tell you in person. If you are interested, just ask Bai Luo on the street and you will naturally understand."

After chatting for a while, Lid put down his chopsticks and said calmly:

"I asked you to come to dinner this time because I have something to tell you. He Yue will tell you about the mission of the institute and the future of the magic club later. I'll say a few words before that to give you some precautions in advance."