Chapter 908 Opportunities always come to those who are prepared

  Chapter 908: Opportunities always come to those who are prepared.

  When it comes to success, some people lack ability, while others lack only an opportunity.

  For example, Henk from the New World belongs to the latter.

  From the fact that he sells “fake wine” and resells arms, it can be seen that he is not a quiet guy by nature.

  And the fact is indeed so.

  From the moment he set foot on Settlement No. 1, he has been thinking about the rules of the game of the alliance, and he has never stopped even when he was working at the dock.

  However, the reason why he was thinking about the rules of the game of the alliance was not to find some loopholes that could make him rich overnight, but to avoid risks to the maximum extent and find policy resources that could be used.

  The biggest lesson he learned from the first two businesses was that speculative transactions could not last long.

  He could win many times, but as long as he lost once, he would lose everything.

  But not this time.

  He has found a legal and profitable “money-making model”.

  Under his persuasion, Philip established the first investment bank registered in Settlement No. 1 – Philip Bank.

  With the piles of dinars as collateral, Mr. Philip successfully applied for the loan that he had been unable to apply for before.

  And he applied for a full 22 million silver coins!

  Counting the 8 million silver coins that Philip originally held, Henk already had 30 million silver coins in his hands.

  Putting all the chips on a plate, in a sense, this is also a gamble.

  On the cargo ship docked at the dock, Philip looked at the bank employees moving boxes, with mixed feelings on his face.

  That was the wealth he had saved for half his life.

  He originally planned to keep it in the bank, but he felt like he was fooled into buying a financial product next to the bank counter.

  Although this is not only a matter of financial management, but also for the future new home for him and his compatriots, he still couldn’t help but feel the pain.

  ”…There are only a few hundred thousand people in the entire Settlement No. 1. Marshal, I really don’t know how we can earn back these 30 million silver coins.”

  Looking at the investor with a worried face, Henk put his hand on his shoulder and patted him, warmly comforting him.

  ”One hundred thousand people is just a number in front of us. Two years ago, there was no one here. However, just a few days ago, 5,000 people landed at the dock under our feet in one day… I bet that this situation will not be rare in the future. We have to look at the problem from a development perspective, just like Mr. Gu.”

  In his opinion, the representative named Gu Ning was so enthusiastic to help them because he was concerned about the possible influx of population in the future.

  ”The vision of development…” Philip’s eyebrows twitched, and he couldn’t help but complain, “I’ve read your plan. The first phase of the plan only has 4 buildings with a total of 800 apartments, and this alone is enough to spend 80% of your funds. Where do you plan to find money for the remaining phases?”

  ”Find money? My friend, when our first phase of the plan is completed, we don’t need to find money at all. The money will find us on its own initiative.”

  Henk put his arm around his shoulders and continued with a smile.

  ”I have calculated that the cost of a house is about 40,000 silver coins. The standard apartment is 80 square meters. As for the price, it is not a problem to sell it for 100,000 silver coins.”

  ”One hundred thousand?!” Philip looked at him with wide eyes and exclaimed, “What are you thinking, how can someone spend so much money to buy a cement box?!”

  100,000 silver coins is equivalent to 400,000 or 500,000 dinars. The price of mortgaging a dinar to a bank is about this price.

  In Yongye Port, this money is enough to buy a house in a prosperous area.

  And the population of Yongye Port is dozens of times that of here!

  Henk guessed what he was thinking of as soon as he saw the expression on his face, and explained patiently.

  ”You can’t use the experience of Evernight Harbor to compare the Alliance. Tell me honestly, are the aliens in Evernight Harbor considered human beings? Even though you have hundreds of thousands of people, at least 90% of them are animals. I am still underestimating.”

  As for the soldiers, they basically live in the barracks and cannot be considered as the population of the colony.

  After listening to Henk’s explanation, Philip was slightly stunned. After thinking about it, it seemed to be true.

  His jewelry business was very popular there, but there were only a few customers who frequented it. He could count them on both hands.

  Aliens would not patronize his jewelry store, and naturally they would not buy real estate.

  The Blackwater Lane where they lived did not even have a house number.

  Looking at Philip who had come to his senses, Henk continued patiently.

  ”You know nothing about the purchasing power of the residents of the Alliance. It’s easy to get 2,000 silver coins by working at the dock for a month, as long as you don’t slack off.”

  ”2,000 silver coins… It will take them more than 4 years to save up 100,000 silver coins, and that’s without eating or drinking.” Although Philip no longer doubted that ordinary people in the Alliance had the spending power, he couldn’t help but click his tongue after silently calculating in his mind.

  It would take 4 years of not eating or drinking to afford it, which is longer than the birth time of this settlement.

  If he remembered correctly, the history of this No. 1 settlement was not even two years.

  Looking at Philip who was still thinking with a pawnshop mentality, Henk smiled and shook his head.

  ”You overlooked one point. We can borrow money from the banks of the Alliance, and the residents of the Alliance can also borrow money from the banks. Moreover, it is much easier for them to get loans than us, and the interest rate is cheaper.”

  Philip: “…How cheap?”

  ”One point of interest, doesn’t it sound like giving it away for free?”

  Looking at the stunned Philip, Henk smiled and shook a finger and continued.

  ”As long as their monthly salary exceeds 1,000 silver coins, and they have obtained citizenship of the Alliance, and the loan is for the purpose of self-occupation, they can easily borrow 10 times their annual income, and the repayment period can be extended to more than 20 years… As for collateral, it can be said that there is none, or it can be said that it is the house they bought.”

  ”Based on my experience in the New World, it is reasonable for an individual to spend less than one-third of his monthly income on housing expenses. What’s more, the Alliance’s low-rent housing is not given to them for free, it’s just that the rent is relatively cheap. Now, they only need to take out one-third of their monthly income or even less, and they can move into a larger, more spacious and more decent house, which not only has a separate kitchen but also a bathroom and toilet… The most important thing is that this house belongs to them, and they can stay in it until the Alliance disappears, and no one will drive them away.”

  ”According to this algorithm, as long as the monthly income exceeds 1,000 silver coins and they have obtained citizenship of the Alliance… everyone is our potential customer.”

  In fact, not only citizens of the Alliance, but also those who are supervised can get loans, but the interest rate will be one point higher.

  After obtaining the citizenship of the Alliance, they can change the loan through a very simple procedure.

  Although the money already paid will not be refunded, it will be deducted from the total amount of the loan and interest.

  In a sense, this is a measure to stimulate the economy. It is

  also a benefit to ordinary citizens of the Alliance.

  After all, compared with the annual growth rate of the Alliance, this loan with an outrageously low interest rate is no different from giving money away for free.

  Fili couldn’t help holding his breath, but he was still a little worried and couldn’t help asking.

  ”…But why would they buy your house.”

  Henk smiled faintly.

  ”Because of scarcity, the Alliance will build that kind of corn building for them, but equality does not mean equality. No one wants to live in that thing for a lifetime or even for generations, and share a toilet with their neighbors. It is human nature to pursue a better life, and we provide it to them… This is more meaningful than letting them waste money on alcohol, isn’t it?”

  ”It sounds wonderful…” Fili muttered to himself, and his eyes lit up.

  ”Not bad, actually.” Looking at Fili, who was no longer worried, Henk smiled and patted his shoulder. “After the first phase of the project is completed, our game will officially begin… As for the second phase of the project, I haven’t thought about it yet, but let’s set the unit price at 120,000 silver coins.”

  Fili’s eyes widened in surprise.

  ”A 20% price increase? Will anyone buy it?”

  Henk smiled.

  ”It will sell like hot cakes.”

  …

  Henk’s vision is really sharp.

  In fact, from the beginning, his customers are not just the survivors of Settlement No. 1, but the survivors of the entire Death Coast and even the eastern provinces.

  If the alliance’s space elevator is built, the land under his feet will become the “land settlement” closest to space, and this is the most scarce resource.

  Although the South Sea Alliance is closer than here, the area of ​​those islands is small and scattered, and it is not enough to compete with him.

  And to be honest, once the Southern Legion loses the war in the Borneo Province, the gamblers may lose more than just Xifan Port.

  The entire southern colony may be caught in the wave of the national liberation movement.

  Referring to the tragedy that happened in Xifan Port, the Willant people living in the colony would not stay.

  At that time, they actually had only three places to go –

  either return to Triumph City or go to the New World.

  Otherwise, they could only come to the Alliance’s territory.

  Those new immigrants brought not only labor, but also the knowledge and wealth they possessed.

  Henk’s real ambition is actually much greater than what he said.

  He not only wants to make Willant Street in Settlement No. 1 the most prosperous area on this coastline, but also take advantage of the historical opportunity of Settlement No. 1 to establish the golden signboard of his Henk Group!

  In the future, when people mention his name, they will think of the word “excellence”.

  And the skyscrapers he built will also become synonymous with quality and a better life.

  Even thinking further, people on this planet will re-recognize the Willant people in the future –

  they are not just war madmen with gun barrels growing into their heads, but also skilled engineers and even imaginative artists!

  With the funds from Philip Bank in place, construction teams from the North Island of the South Sea Alliance also went to the construction site one after another.

  The construction materials used on the construction site were shipped from the French Fries Port and from the Weifu City in the north.

  As for the construction workers on site, in addition to the workers in Settlement No. 1, there were also dispatched workers from the Mammoth Country employed by the North Island Construction Company.

  Of course, there were also young Weilantes who had just disembarked.

  When it comes to unity, the Weilantes are indeed unquestionable. Even though Henk was the “worst-known” New Worlder, Philip still lent him money.

  For these refugee compatriots, Henk did provide them with the greatest care within his ability…even though he was the “most cunning Weilante”. On the other

  hand, the Borneo people were extremely “divided”.

  Generous people are often generous without reservation, and even don’t care about themselves, while cunning people are often cunning to the extreme, and there is not a single pixel in their eyes that belongs to others.

  Except for the Moon Clan, who were once the most excluded, who were relatively united, it was common for other survivors from the Borneo Province to fight among themselves.

  And this often happens not only between the Snake and Rat people, but also among the same people. Sometimes

  it is not even for their own interests, but just because they can’t stand seeing others do well.

  Sometimes they can’t stand seeing the Weyland people do well, and sometimes they can’t stand seeing other rat people do well.

  This has created a weird situation.

  When selecting representatives, they are the most staunch opponents of the racial narrative, as if the most progressive people would never cast a vote of trust for their compatriots.

  And those Brahma people who became representatives with the trust of other races will try their best to get rid of the stigma of Brahma people, sever ties with other Brahma people, put forward proposals that are not conducive to Brahma people, and even change their names. Anyway,

  there is no race column on the alliance’s ID card, and everyone is a citizen of the alliance. As long as the surname that marks the identity is changed, the stigma is basically erased by half, and only the Brahma people themselves can recognize those guys who have also eaten dirt.

  And when they find that their buddy has made it big, but doesn’t speak for them, they will become conservatives and the staunchest supporters of racial narratives like Schrödinger’s cat, and try to kidnap the person with similar marks as them with the most vicious curses and the most severe moral standards.

  As for the result, it is obvious.

  Except for the truly selfless saints and the outright liars, no one will give such people a good face.

  When a lose-lose situation is formed, it is often not because of a single mistake made by a certain person or a certain decision, but because something at the root has been systematically out of control.

  This cannot be reversed by one or two wars.

  It is regrettable that the deafening shouts are indeed rare in the wasteland. At least the Weyland people did not give birth to “Mr. Rat”, let alone a series of capable people who came one after another. However,

  they woke up happily.

  What woke Henk up was a shipwreck, and what woke up the residents of Evernight Harbor was just a buddy named Kant.

  They let go of the past without hesitation and walked out without a trace of nostalgia.

  But in the province of Boro, the Moon Tribe members did not wake up until they were almost killed.

  Even though many people were already standing on the land of the alliance, they were still wandering in their dreams…

  As the construction teams hired by the Henk Group headed to the construction site, a line of large white characters on a green background was written on the iron wall that separated the construction site.

  It was written by Henk himself.

  Standing on the side of the road, he threw the brush into the paint bucket, clapped his hands with a satisfied smile on his face, and read the words in a bard-like tone.

  ”…Willant Street is a street in the style of the Willant people, not just a street for the Willant people.”

  ”We are committed to ending the wasteland era and welcome everyone, whether compatriots from afar or local friends.”

  ”Not bad… I hope the Survivor Daily will give it a headline.”

  …

  At the same time as the construction of the Willant Street project began, the man sitting in the office of the regular member of the Representative Council had a sad face.

  His name is Wu Jingshan. He used to be a resident of Boulder City. He previously served as a company commander in the Southern Construction Corps. Later, he came here as a pioneer with the residents of Shelter No. 404. He was considered the earliest resident of Settlement No. 1.

  At the same time, he was also one of the earliest representatives of local residents, and was later elected as a regular committee member by other representatives.

  In the representative meeting, regular committee members are also representatives, but their duties are relatively special, similar to “hosts of meetings”.

  Since the alliance has not yet formed a clear political faction, or the managers themselves and the residents of the shelter are the largest factions, the “regular committee members” are usually middlemen agreed upon by conservatives and radicals.

  In short, neither faction can find an ally that can be fully trusted, so they simply choose a “peacemaker”.

  Wu Jingshan is the “peacemaker” of Settlement No. 1.

  When the debate between different factions is too intense, he will stand up and persuade both sides to take a step back, so that the winner will not win the game and the loser will not lose all the chips.

  Previously, due to the behavior of the Boro people surrounding the city hall, the conservatives won an overwhelming victory in the “Willant Street Proposal”.

  To be honest, he didn’t really want to come forward on such a less controversial issue, even though he voted against it at the time.

  However, just yesterday, a representative named Suka found him and told him that a considerable number of the Boro people were dissatisfied with the decision of the representative council, believing that the representative council could not represent them, and were planning to do something bigger.

  Wu Jingshan didn’t know whether Suka found him out of his identity as a Boro or out of the radical position.

  But he couldn’t help but take the reminder of the Boro representative to heart.

  After all, this is a wasteland, and no one can guarantee how big the so-called big thing is.

  It is for this reason that on the one hand, he reported the matter to the Guards Corps and the local Guard Bureau, and on the other hand, he found Gu Ning, who proposed the relevant motion, hoping that the latter could propose another amendment to ease the emotions of the radicals or the Boro people.

  As the proposer, he is the most likely person to accomplish this.

  However, after listening to the request of the “peacemaker”, Gu Ning just sighed and put the teacup in his hand on the table.

  ”To be honest, I was surprised. My proposal was passed with 80% of the votes in favor, and the remaining 20% ​​of the votes against did not even account for half, which can be described as ‘undisputed’. I didn’t expect you to find me.”

  Wu Jingshan sighed.

  ”I was just asking for your opinion, and I didn’t force you to change your opinion…”

  Gu Ning chuckled.

  ”I guess it was Suka who asked you to convince me.”

  To be honest, he actually looked down on some radicals in Settlement No. 1.

  Although most of the guys in the Workers’ Union were radicals, they dared to go to the Borneo Province in person to support the local people’s changes, and they spent the money and membership fees voluntarily donated to them by the workers, without using a penny of the alliance’s finances.

  For example, that Eugene.

  When the second gunshot was fired in Xifan Port, this guy was on the front line, fighting side by side with the family members of the so-called family association.

  Although he was thrown back by the Southern Legion in the end, he was a man who could practice his ideals to this point.

  As for the so-called radicals around him, they were good at spending money and chanting, but he didn’t see the spirit of daring to be the first in them.

  Those guys seemed to treat the Brahma people as kittens and puppies who needed to be cared for, and misinterpreted the so-called unity into various preferential treatments.

  This was completely contrary to the alliance’s concept of equality.

  What’s more shameful is that they completely ignored the shifting public opinion and the aversion of the alliance residents to asking for preferential treatment.

  Before these idiots and the Brahma people made the word “unity” smell bad, he thought he had to stand up and do something.

  In Gu Ning’s opinion, the best way was to set an example for these weak and incompetent radicals and let them see what real unity was like.

  Looking at Gu Ning who was unmoved, Wu Jingshan sighed and said.

  ”No matter who found me, I personally think that Willant Street is not a good idea.”

  Gu Ning smiled without comment.

  ”They spend their own money. As for whether it’s a good idea, we have to wait until they build it. Besides, smoking pollutes the air, and I don’t see you smoking less.”

  Wu Jingshan stared at him.

  ”Are you endorsing them?”

  ”I didn’t say that. I just exercised the rights granted to me by the Constitution and did what I thought was right.” Gu Ning smiled faintly, and his words were flawless.

  Wu Jingshan, who was sitting opposite him, was silent for a while, sighed and said.

  ”You know that the administrator is coming soon.”

  Gu Ning said faintly.

  ”Everyone in the settlement knows it.”

  Wu Jingshan continued.

  ”Then you should know that we are in a big conflict with the Legion now. If the administrator has any objections to this project, this project will definitely fail, and this is definitely not a good thing for those Willant people.”

  Gu Ning said concisely.

  ”You think the administrator will have an opinion because you don’t know him at all.”

  Wu Jingshan asked back.

  ”Do you know him?”

  Gu Ning smiled faintly.

  ”I dare not make such a boast, but I can be sure that the gentleman’s support for the Borneo Province is not out of special treatment for the Borneo people, but for the benefit of the alliance, which is fundamentally different from those guys who are full of sympathy.”

  Wu Jingshan couldn’t help but say.

  ”Then have you considered another situation?”

  Seeing that the ordinary committee member seemed to be hesitant to speak, Gu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly.

  ”What’s going on?”

  Wu Jingshan stared at him for a while, and suddenly a sentence popped out of his mouth.

  ”What if those Brahmas ran to kneel in front of him?”

  He didn’t know why he suddenly thought of this. Just a few minutes ago, he was still worried that those Brahmas would make a bomb and blow up the place where they were having a meeting.

  Maybe in his subconscious, this is more like something those people might do.

  Gu Ning looked at the regular committee member sitting opposite in surprise, not knowing whether he was surprised that he would think so, or was surprised by the situation he imagined.

  Sitting up straight in his chair, Gu Ning stared at him.

  ”…Do you know what I think?”

  Wu Jingshan said undecidedly, suddenly feeling a little unpredictable about this guy.

  ”…What do you think?”

  Gu Ning suddenly smiled and leaned back in his chair leisurely.

  ”I couldn’t ask for it.”

  (End of this chapter)