Chapter 40: When Labor Falls Short, Find a Way to Make Do

After a hearty meal, Chen Tong felt it was time to proceed with the trade. He stood up, dusted off his clothes, cleared his throat, and swept his gaze firmly across the group before speaking in a loud voice.

"Fellow chieftains, our gathering here today is a matter of destiny, and it serves to facilitate better cooperation in the future. Let us finalize the terms of our trade now."

Liu Meng, Chen Feng, and Zhao Laoqi exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with excitement and anticipation as they nodded in agreement.

Liu Meng grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and laughed. "Boss Chen, we have been waiting with bated breath. We were hoping to strike this deal with your Black Wind Stronghold so that our brothers could live a better life. You wouldn't believe it—the men in our camp usually wear rags, and their shoes are worn to nothing. They’ve been longing for new work clothes and footwear."

Chen Tong smiled in response. "This time, we have prepared a ton of grain for you all, as well as dozens of sets of work clothes and shoes. These items are made of high-quality material—sturdy and durable. They will be convenient for your brothers to wear while working or hunting."

Chen Tong actually had his own reservations; he could not provide iron goods for the time being. Although these bandits seemed enthusiastic, one must always be on guard. Should they take the iron goods and turn them against Black Wind Stronghold, it would be a disaster. At this thought, a subtle flicker of vigilance crossed his eyes.

Upon hearing this, the three chieftains were visibly delighted. Chen Feng was so excited that his hands trembled slightly as he said, "Boss Chen, this is wonderful! These grains and work supplies are exactly what our stronghold desperately needs. The men at Green Wind Stronghold have been starving to the point of collapse lately; with this grain, we can finally catch our breath." As he spoke, Chen Feng’s eyes welled up with emotion.

Subsequently, the three strongholds brought out the goods they had prepared. There were precious bear and tiger pelts—soft to the touch and lustrous, shimmering under the campfire light, clearly of superior quality. There were also various herbs piled together, emitting a faint, medicinal fragrance.

Zhao Laoqi carefully picked up a bundle of herbs and handed it to Chen Tong. "Boss Chen, these are herbs our White Cloud Stronghold managed to find deep in the mountains. It is said they are highly effective for bruises and colds. I hope they meet your satisfaction."

The trade proceeded smoothly, and both sides were pleased with the exchange. At this point, Chen Tong had his men bring out a few bags of salt, which he handed to Liu Meng, Chen Feng, and Zhao Laoqi, saying, "Fellow chieftains, consider these bags of salt a token of goodwill from our Black Wind Stronghold. Please accept them."

The three chieftains took the salt, their eyes filled with gratitude. Zhao Laoqi’s voice choked with emotion as he said, "Boss Chen, you are too kind! Salt is a treasure here, more precious than gold. You are so generous that we hardly know what to say. From now on, White Cloud Stronghold is with you."

Tie Niu, who was standing nearby, felt puzzled seeing Chen Tong give the salt away. After the trade concluded and everyone dispersed, he leaned toward Chen Tong and scratched his head. "Brother Chen, salt is a rare commodity and hard to come by. Aren't you afraid they might take the salt and report us to the authorities?"

Chen Tong smiled and patted Tie Niu on the shoulder. "Brother Tie Niu, don't worry. They are bandits themselves; reporting us to the authorities would be like walking into a trap. They wouldn't do something so foolish. Besides, by giving them the salt, we are building rapport for future cooperation. We must let them know that partnering with Black Wind Stronghold brings only benefits, never harm."

Tie Niu had a sudden realization and slapped his forehead. "So that’s it! You’ve thought this through very carefully, Brother Chen. I never would have thought of that."

This trade was merely the beginning; Black Wind Stronghold had many opportunities for growth ahead. Although Xie Qingshuang was the leader, her status as a woman made certain public-facing tasks difficult, so the second-in-command, Xie Hu, usually handled such matters, with Chen Tong providing his full support to Xie Qingshuang.

Returning to his quarters, Chen Tong couldn't wait to dump the animal pelts and herbs he had acquired onto his bed. The furs carried a faint scent of the wild, while the herbs exuded a fresh, medicinal aroma. Chen Tong closed his eyes and summoned the system. Soon, the familiar interface appeared before him.

He carefully picked up a tiger pelt—vibrant in color with clear markings, feeling soft and smooth. He placed the pelt in the designated area for exchange. With a flash of light, the system notification chimed.

[Ding!]
[Identification successful!]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully exchanging for 500,000 system coins.]

Looking at the figure, Chen Tong clicked his tongue in surprise; he never expected a single tiger pelt to fetch such a high price. Next, he began exchanging the herbs. He examined the age and quality of each bundle. The ages varied, and under the system’s appraisal, the prices were inconsistent, mostly ranging from a few dozen to a few thousand system coins, with almost none reaching the ten-thousand mark.

Chen Tong couldn't help but grumble, "Exchanging herbs and pelts really isn't as lucrative as the general store." However, he quickly recalled the system's prophecy: the general store was about to be targeted, so relying on it for profit was clearly not feasible.

Chen Tong fell into deep thought. In these turbulent times, to stand firm, one needed immense strength. Building a town and importing modern goods was undoubtedly the key to increasing that power. Yet, the current situation at Black Wind Stronghold gave him a headache. Including everyone, the stronghold had only about forty people, with only thirty of them capable of actual labor. With such a small workforce, building a town seemed impossible.

Chen Tong looked up, his gaze passing through the window toward the vast land outside the stronghold...

Solving the labor shortage was an urgent matter. After careful consideration, Chen Tong decided to consult Xie Qingshuang. He arrived at her quarters to find her organizing some accounts. Seeing him enter, she set down her pen and asked with a smile, "Brother Chen, what brings you here in such a hurry?"

Chen Tong spoke with a serious expression. "Chieftain Qingshuang, I have come regarding the development of our stronghold. As you know, our biggest obstacle to building a town is the lack of labor. I have been thinking, perhaps we could invite members from the strongholds we just traded with to join us. They could serve as our first batch of new laborers."

Xie Qingshuang frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, "Brother Chen, this is no small matter."