I'm the boss because I have a harem of anime characters.

Page 59

Although he was disgusted by the mountains of excrement in this world, Qin Shan felt a deep sense of regret after calming down.

Don't look down on manure. Manure is a resource, and it is quite valuable to agriculture, even in modern times. Fermented manure can be processed into fertilizer. Even if modern agriculture doesn't use it, it can always be thrown into the wilderness to give back to nature. Moreover, manure itself contains a variety of chemical substances that can be utilized in a comprehensive way. Modern industry has given manure even more development prospects.

Aside from the odor and psychological impact, objectively speaking, feces, as organic matter, have very high utilization value.

Don't underestimate your body; everything is valuable, including your excrement.

Therefore, Qin Shan felt that the Dark Moon Empire's crude handling of the capital's excrement made them think that they were truly Celestial Dragons who didn't understand the value of these raw materials at all.

Of course, there is also an objective reason for this: the people of the Augu Continent believe that using excrement as fertilizer to nourish crops is a filthy and vile act of fraud. Crops must grow clean to fetch a good price. If fertilizer is used, it must be a refined fertilizer produced by a mage. Otherwise, the crops are allowed to grow naturally, and at most, they can try to think of other ways to process them.

Well, there's a reason why famines frequently occur on the continent of Augu; the famines themselves are simply misdirecting their efforts.

As for magical fertilizer, wow, that's like giving 15th-century people modern fertilizer, and it's all handmade. Just do the math on the cost.

But all this excrement needs to go somewhere, and that's where human history gets interesting. The best example of this is the French dung mountain, so high that Paris had to build a wall to separate it.

Don't they have any other, more efficient solutions!?

The answer is no. Any method requires money, or is affected by the level of importance the authorities attach to it. Lack of money and lack of attention will allow problems to accumulate into something frustrating, like the situation we are in now.

Although the beginning of the trip to another world with the beauty was full of the atmosphere of the Ganges River in India, fortunately, apart from cities of the capital level, it would be quite difficult for other places to build such a majestic mountain of excrement. However, in order to respond to the imperial court's call, increase awareness of civilization, effectively deal with the inconvenience caused by excrement, and allow nature to complete the material cycle, other villages also used their own methods to deal with excrement. Considering that the height of the excrement mountain involved the dignity of the imperial court, if it exceeded the limit, it might be considered an act of insubordination. Therefore, the method used in other places was to dig a pit.

If it were just digging holes, it wouldn't be a big problem. The problem is that these people don't mark the holes at all. Non-local residents don't know where these minefields are hidden. If outsiders enter randomly from outside the main road of the village without knowing, they may trigger a death trap called "cesspool".

It's truly a death trap, because villagers usually dig these latrines four or five meters deep and pile them up with a mixture of solid and liquid substances. At most, they cover them with a layer of loose soil to avoid an overly pungent smell. After these old, fermented feces are both smelly and dangerous, they will definitely let any passerby know what it means to be covered in excrement.

Fortunately, none of these problems were a problem for Qin Shan. He had an official 24K gold travel document with royal seal and magical anti-counterfeiting features (it wasn't just for passing through customs, but also served as a travel permit, meaning you had to report to the local authorities wherever you went; with a royal-issued pass, you could enjoy special treatment at any time).

The design of this thing is simple yet sophisticated, understated yet luxurious and meaningful. Anyone who takes it out is either a member of the royal family or a high-ranking official. And those above that... Yi Yin, Huo Guang, Gao Huan, Zhu Di, you guys come out and explain yourselves.

Anyway, anyone with a brain cell count greater than that of a paramecium knows that the person wielding this thing is absolutely not to be trifled with. Although it's meaningless to the cesspool, it can enhance the efficiency of traveling on the main road (official road). If we encounter anyone blocking the way, we can simply reveal our identity, and they will immediately step aside, ensuring our troops can travel unimpeded.

There are definitely no latrines on the official roads. At most, you might see some horse or cow dung, but the patrol teams take care of it. There are dedicated people responsible for each section of the road, just like sanitation workers. However, these sanitation workers are all wearing leather armor and carrying knives. As for why the local people are so honest and simple, you have to ask about the local security situation and why the locals are not allowed to let their horses roam freely.

Less than ten kilometers from the capital, you'll encounter bandits robbing you on the road. If you're lucky, you might even randomly encounter a noble white glove (who is also a bandit) who is out hunting in the wild. These people are better equipped and occupy the roads to collect protection money. Through their meticulous cultivation of the Red Sea market, they are working towards their grand ideal of having enough to eat every day.

Considering the ancient saying "murder and arson bring wealth," it's understandable that the locals wanted to get rich as quickly as possible in this rigid feudal society. However, Qin Shan found it hard to understand why they were robbing him.

There are many kinds of qualities that make someone not want to live, but they chose the most challenging one.

"Admiral, can we take them out?" Xiao Zhai asked eagerly.

"Children shouldn't fight and kill each other. We should be peaceful, understand?" Qin Shan admonished sternly.

"Then I'll knock them out."

"This child is teachable; go forth."

Section 126: The Chance of Survival

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, bandits had never disappeared from the land of China. Besides the fact that they were difficult to eradicate, another important reason was that local gentry and powerful people needed them to act as front men.

The privileged class all have something they can't hide in the light of day. They can't just expose it to the public, so they have to silence the culprits forever, destroy the evidence, and scatter the ashes. After all, in this magical and extraordinary world, even the dead aren't safe enough.

Therefore, any bandit force that has connections with powerful figures is quite elite in terms of both equipment and organization. If there are also some elite soldiers in charge of command and management, then apart from the equipment aspect, their combat power can already compete with local armed forces, and even have an overwhelming advantage.

It's not surprising. Back then, many landlord militias were quite capable fighters. After all, they were protecting their own property, and with ample food and pay, their fighting strength was guaranteed.

"I'll ask you a few questions. If you don't cooperate," Qin Shan said, crushing a large tree with his spatial skill, then continued, "you'll die. Do you understand?"

Even if Qin Shan hadn't threatened them like that, they would have honestly confessed that these people were just a bunch of bandits with no dignity or backbone whatsoever, pitiful people who banded together simply to survive.

Half of these people were using wooden sticks, some of which broke easily. You can imagine how desperate they were; they were forced to turn to crime because they couldn't survive.

But when the whole society is Diode-like, you can't blame people who have lost their conscience.

Unless you can smash the old world, create a new world, and provide better order and protection, you are just pointing fingers from a moral high ground, as despicable and worthless as those so-called experts and professors.

How many bandits are there around here?

"No... don't know."

"Hmm?" Qin Shan raised an eyebrow, and the other person was so scared that he wet himself.

"Really, we really didn't know! We've only been bandits for a short time!!!"

"Judging by your audacity, you don't seem like bandit material. Tell me, how many people did you kill?"

"Sir, we haven't killed a single person."

"What kind of bandit are you if you've never killed anyone? You're kidding me!"

"We're just threatening you and trying to scam you out of money. We would never actually fight."

"Good heavens, so you guys are a bunch of scammers."

I initially thought they were newbies, but it turns out their profession wasn't even in the bandit category. But I have to admit, their method was quite clever. A few well-equipped people stood in the middle of the road to intimidate others, while the rest waved flags and shouted from the sidelines, creating a powerful and imposing presence. Small caravans would usually be scared off and obediently pay protection money and leave.

However, there was one thing that Qin Shan found quite frustrating: these people were truly ignorant and fearless. This place was only ten kilometers away from the imperial capital, and the patrol teams that could patrol here were the capital's patrol teams, equipped with elite-level gear and combat capabilities. Truly law-abiding bandits would never cause trouble at this distance, which allowed these people to find a loophole that was practically a death trap.

That's dark humor.

After figuring all this out, Qin Shan began to think about how to deal with these people.

The simplest way is to kill them directly, but these people really don't deserve to die. If we're really going to talk about crimes, every single one of the high-ranking officials in the empire who led them to this state should be dragged out and tortured with a cangue, the kind that crushes their heads.

But if you expect them to become combatants, they'll need to train for a very, very long time. These people are just ordinary people, wait, ordinary people from the Augu Continent. Oh my, they're like materials delivered right to our doorstep!

As a world that has been filled with extraordinary power for a long time, the ordinary people on the continent of Augu have also been affected to some extent. For example, when it comes to learning magic, the locals progress much faster than humans on Earth. After all, this knowledge was originally tailored for them, and people on Earth need to go through a period of adaptation and transformation to adapt.

Therefore, as long as Qin Shan opens up his treasure trove of knowledge, every ordinary person here is a potential superhuman.

Most importantly, if Qin Shan hadn't given them this opportunity, these people would have remained lowly ants for their entire lives, never even worthy of a glance from a powerful figure, struggling to even survive. Now, as the benefactor who gave them everything, these people would certainly be willing to break their crutch—cough cough cough—to offer their loyalty.

Thinking of this, the ragged bandits in front of him suddenly began to appear handsome.

Indeed, the most valuable thing in the world is talent!

So how do you win them over? It's very simple, just a few words.

"You guys are really bold," Qin Shan said, looking at them with amusement, his expression saying, "You're all dead."

The bandit leader nearly fainted, and replied in a trembling voice, "Sir, we really didn't kill a single person!"

Qin Shan shook his right index finger: "No, no, no, the point isn't whether you killed anyone or not, but that you robbed people so close to the capital. You know, bandits operate in sections, how could you rookies possibly compete with real master thieves? Yet, no one is robbing you here. Don't you think that's suspicious?"

The group of fake bandits looked at each other in bewilderment. Their limited knowledge of burning books and burying scholars alive did not allow them to think more broadly about this issue, because they really didn't even have a logical starting point.

"Forget it, I don't expect your vast blind spots to glean any useful information. Let's get straight to the point: is it possible that there are no bandits here to steal business because other bandits dare not approach this area? There are elite patrol teams protecting the area around the capital. You guys are lucky to have gone undetected for so long. If you had been discovered, guess what would have happened next? Would they have tried to use your heads to earn military merit?"

I understand now, I understand completely. The fake bandits all wished they could learn to escape and bury themselves in the ground. Some of them, unable to control their urinary systems, urinated and defecated wherever they pleased, filling the air with the fragrant smell of urine.

If they were caught by the patrol teams in the capital, any charge of "tainting the capital" would be a death sentence, and they would be spared a brutal execution.

Death is certainly terrifying, but a living death is even more terrifying. No one hopes their death will be more unimaginable. Red Bull, which sponsors extreme sports, is an exception; that's part of the news, a new era of paying for one's life.

Feeling that the time was right, Qin Shan revealed his pass, a magnificent brocade document specially signed and stamped by royalty. Even though these fake bandits were illiterate, they could tell how prestigious it was.

In other words, Qin Shan is a powerful figure who can send them to the guillotine.

"My lord, spare my life!"

Despair! Utter despair! Who could have imagined that my starting point today would be the end of my life?

"Spare lives are reserved for useful people. What use are you?"

Qin Shan said nonchalantly while glancing at Lexington.

As the wife of the admiral, who wore a thick cotton-padded coat, she immediately understood Qin Shan's implication and said, "Admiral, they look so pitiful. Could you make an exception for them?"

Lexington's words immediately ignited hope in these people's hearts; this beautiful lady was truly an angel! "It's not impossible."

Qin Shan's indifferent attitude fueled their hopes even more.

"But..." Qin Shan's sudden change of topic made the fake bandits' hearts leap into their throats, until Qin Shan continued, "They need to be useful, so what use are you?"

The fake bandit leader quickly said, "We know how to farm, and we also know a little carpentry. I can even do some stonemasonry. We also have a blacksmith here. If you want to repair a house, we can even provide some sculptors..."

The hope of survival made the fake bandit leader spill everything he could, like pouring out beans.

Qin Shan exclaimed in surprise, "You guys have quite a complete pool of talent!"

"Because everyone in our village ran away."

"The whole village, are you fleeing disaster?"

"Yes, sir, it's a drought. Our village has no harvest, but the tax officials won't show any compassion. They'll only try to force us to sell our children to pay the taxes. We have no choice but to escape and become refugees. If we don't become bandits and solve our food problem, we'll have no choice but to sell ourselves into slavery."

Qin Shan nodded expressionlessly.

Their tragic experiences deserve sympathy, and Qin Shan decided to help them within his power. Of course, he was not the kind of pushover who would expect these people to repay him with equal loyalty and dedication.

“I can give you fertile land, enough food, and decent clothes. You can even use many things you never dared to dream of before. My only requirement is that you work for me and be loyal to me.”

"Thank you, sir!"

The fake bandit leader reacted very quickly and his posture of clinging to someone's leg was very effective; otherwise, how could he become the leader?

"Good, very spirited! Now you are my men. Tell me how many of you there are?"

The other person hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "137 people." Qin Shan glared at him: "Tell the truth!"

"Including the elderly and children, there are a total of 219 people!"

Are they all around here?

Yes, they're all around here.

"Then let's call them all together. It's just a few more bowls; I can afford it."

Qin Shan was only taking everyone in the village along out of basic modern morality, but for these villagers who were forced to become fake bandits, this was an immense favor that could make them cry on the spot.

In the past, when similar situations arose, they would only accept young and middle-aged laborers, at most children and young women, and would not accept anyone over forty years old. They said they were giving them a way out, but in reality, it was a matter of life and death for family members. The fate of the elderly who lost the care of young and middle-aged people is unimaginable.

"My lord, thank you for your mercy! From this day forward, our lives belong to you."

Section 127: Give America a New Name

After successfully recruiting a group of refugees, Qin Shan settled them on an island near the island base.

The world is full of islands, there are as many as you want. The smallest is only a few square kilometers in area, and the largest is hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. With such a small population, if we find an island of more than 30,000 square kilometers to settle them, it would be a perfect paradise.

The world is covered by oceans for more than 90% of its area, and the remaining land area consists of islands of all sizes. There are not many mountains and hills on these islands. Even the most complex islands have more than half of their land covered by contiguous plains.

Ah Zhong was so envious he cried. Who wouldn't want a vast plain where they could farm everywhere?

Oh, right, besides the Great Plains, bird droppings are everywhere. Wherever there are islands, migratory birds leave behind a huge amount of gifts. Almost every small island is a Nauru.

Of course, with modern fertilizer technology available, bird droppings are no longer a necessity, but who would refuse a treasure that can be obtained for free by simply bending down?

As for whether these immigrants will accept their new lives...

Hehehe, now that you're on my turf, of course you have to listen to me. Let's start with some literacy training, popularize nine-year compulsory education and stuff, and cultivate them slowly. Compared to their past lives, the allure of being well-fed and clothed will make them do their best to adapt to their new life, even if Qin Shan requires them to learn Chinese later.

Learn Chinese or starve to death—the choice is yours.

Language habits are hard to change? That's because you haven't been starved enough. Starve yourself for two more days, learn ten Chinese characters, and then you'll be fed.

"This is how you use it. Everyone, follow my instructions."

In terms of talent for farming, or rather, construction, the Chinese ship girls are all excellent teachers. Pinghai is teaching these people how to use a push-type tiller. This thing is really useful; it can increase the labor efficiency of ordinary people by more than ten times. It is also simple to operate, easy to learn, durable, versatile, and good at getting things done. Everyone who has used it says it's great.

At first, it really scared the new immigrants. They thought it was some kind of magical creation, and they all knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. If you didn't know better, you would think that Warhammer 40K veterans were comforting the machine spirit.

Once they truly learned how to use it, they immediately fell in love with it and couldn't put it down. If it weren't for the size and weight of this thing, Qin Shan would believe that someone would sleep with a push-type tiller in their arms.

There is plenty of wasteland on the island. Of course, the ownership belongs to the Shenzhou civilization. They can only be considered tenant farmers of the country. However, when Qin Shan told them that he would only charge 20% of the land rent and that the remaining grain could be purchased at the market price, the enthusiasm of these people instantly burst forth, and they all started working with great enthusiasm.

LOL, there's hardly a market in this world. If you have to say there is, it's just the transactions among these villagers. But as long as Qin Shan can provide them with enough goods that they can afford, these people are still very willing to spend money.

Don't spout nonsense about farmers only knowing how to save money. If they weren't so poor they didn't even have enough pants to wear, who the hell would want to save money? Besides, most farmers work hard their whole lives and don't save much money, and some even lose money. As for why, guess how industry developed so rapidly.

Someone always has to bear the cost, but it's always the farmers who suffer the injustice and the cost. When it comes time to share the benefits, big cities are making a fuss, setting all sorts of restrictions and obstacles, shouting "My success is all due to my hard work," completely ignoring the cheap labor and agricultural productivity that rural areas provided during a critical historical period. These people have lost all conscience.

A price difference isn't necessarily bad, but who cuts chives by targeting the roots?

What? I don't care about the floods after I die. The world is so big, and capital flows freely.

Hahaha, alright, still so stubborn. Avengers, get out there!

Since the Avengers have been able to roam the globe as freely as capitalists, it feels like there are far fewer bad guys in the global village. That's something to celebrate!

With recent localized turmoil and overall peace in the world, it's unlikely that Season 3 will start anytime soon. Countries are busy dealing with their internal conflicts, while the American Civil War is almost at its breaking point.