At 10 AM, Bing’er and Sun Xiaoyue finally got up. In the face of these two lazy bugs, Ouyang Shuo was helpless. He took the breakfast in the microwave and poured it into the trash. He headed downstairs, off to the supermarket to buy them something for brunch.
While they were eating, Xiaoyue gave Ouyang Shuo a puzzled look, and asked him, “Hey, big brother Ouyang Shuo. Yesterday I logged into the forum of that game you play, Earth Online, and saw them talking about the Handan Six hegemony. Are their real-life identities really that strong and scary, or is it just not true?”
Ouyang Shuo was surprised, not expecting this line of heavy questioning or her curiosity, inadvertently saying, “Most of it is true.”
“This is so weird. With their background, why would all of them enter together? Is there some sort of secret behind it?” Her words began to burn with the soul of a gossip.
Ouyang Shuo’s heart was aflutter, but he pretended to be calm as he said, “Secret? This isn’t television, the game is the game, what secret?”
“Well, what do you know? I feel that you are a little strange as if you understand the game a little too well…” Ouyang Shuo had to say, women’s intuitions were sometimes really scary.
“If you’re so curious, you should do something about it.”
“Come on, it’s a lot of money. I couldn’t ask for it from my family,” Xiaoyue said, still hesitant.
Ouyang Shuo coughed once. “In fact, I could loan you the money if you’re okay with it.”
Xiaoyue’s eyes instantly went wide open, blushing deeply. “Big brother, what did you say? Are you trying to flirt with me?”
Ouyang Shuo had just said something off the top of his head, causing her to misunderstand his intentions. In response, he muttered, “What? Flirting with a girl with no chest and no ass?”
His eyes were wide open, unblinking. Xiaoyue looked down at her chest, blushed even redder, and loudly blurted out, “Pervert!”. And then, ignoring Ouyang Shuo, she buried herself in her food.
Bing’er, sitting on the side like a ghostly spirit, watched this little play with relish. This time, she turned to Ouyang Shuo, grinning, and said, “Brother, shame shame!”
Ouyang Shuo knocked on his little sister’s head. “Be good and finish your meal!”
After the meal, the three people were together on the sofa in the living room, watching a hit TV series. No one mentioned the topic at the dinner table. Ouyang Shuo certainly wasn’t going to force the topic!
***************************
Once again in the game world, the territory seemed quiet. Ouyang Shuo came into his office, and just as he entered, Gu Xiuwen came in. “Sire, I come to report!”
“Oh? About what?” Ouyang Shuo thought that something was strange. It was reasonable to say that with the establishment of the Administration Division, Xiuwen should’ve been reporting to Fan Zhongyan.
“This is the case. The influx of immigrants today was not the previous number of 15 people, but a full 52, suddenly jumping the population up over the 500 person ceiling. It was quite strange, so I came specifically to sire to report,” Gu Xiuwen explained.
Ouyang Shuo suddenly remembered why this happened. The design of the game was very realistic. Yesterday, nearly a quarter of the territories were destroyed by the battle. The survivors of those territories reappeared in the wilderness.
Overnight, the number of refugees in the wilderness had soared. In order to promptly process these people, the system had arranged this higher influx event.
The number of people coming in with this event was based partly on territorial reputation. Shanhai village had the Mazu temple and the recruitment hall, these two special buildings to improve the reputation of his territory, which was a huge advantage here.
Ouyang Shuo calmly explained the cause and effect to Xiuwen. “This was something I expected to happen. The reason for this mass influx has its root in the siege defense from yesterday, there is nothing to be surprised about. I estimate that it will take a few days and then return to normal.”
“Very good! Now that the territory’s population is full, are we going to upgrade?”
“Naturally! Let’s go to the meeting hall now.”
Ouyang Shuo walked into the meeting hall at the heart of his manor. A white light flashed, and in the middle of the chamber, the golden heartstone of the village rose slowly from the ground. Pressing his right hand to the stone, the system prompts sounded.
“System Tip: Detecting Shanhai Village upgrades conditions…
“Condition 1: Minimum population of 500 people; Population is over the limit and has met the requirements!
“Condition 2: All required infrastructure must be complete; Infrastructure is complete and has met the requirements!
“Condition 3: The Lord must have a Title of at least 1st Class Baron; The Lord has met the requirements!
“System Notification: Congratulations to player Qiyue Wuyi for establishing all the conditions to upgrade Shanhai Village! Do you wish to upgrade?”
“Yes!”
From the stone once again burst the golden light, a pillar rising high into the sky, turning into a massive golden halo that once again extended out to the new edges of his territory before disappearing.
“System Notification: Congratulations to player Qiyue Wuyi for becoming the first lord to upgrade to a Grade 3 Village! Your reward is 1100 merit points!”
“System Notification: Congratulations to player Qiyue Wuyi for becoming...”
“System Notification: Congratulations...”
This time, the players were not surprised by the system announcement. Compared to the miracle Shanhai Village had completed yesterday, this upgrade to a grade 3 village was nothing.
“System Tip: Congratulations to player Qiyue Wuyi for upgrading Shanhai Village to a Grade 3 Village! The Lord’s Manor will upgrade automatically! In addition, you can select one of three randomly selected buildings to add to your infrastructure!”
“System Notification: The selection of random buildings is completed! You may choose from the Weapons Workshop, the Basic Pottery Workshop, or the Wine Workshop, please choose!”
“I choose the Wine Workshop!”
“System notification: Building automatically generated, please take a look!”
A white light flashed, and with a quiet hum the gold heartstone once again slowly sank into the ground.
Territory: Shanhai Village (grade 3 village)
Lord: Qiyue Wiyu (1st Class Viscount)
Title: None
People’s Sentiment: 85
Security: 80
Territory population: 540/1000
Flow rate of immigrants: 10 * (1 + 50%) = 15 / day
Territory area: 100 square kilometers
Territorial characteristics: 50% increase attracting migrants, 20% increase in attracting special talents, 50% increase in crop production, 20% increase in production capacity of residents, 20% increase in military promotion, 10% increase in talent breakthroughs.
Treasury: 490 gold coins, 96 silver coins, 25 copper coins
Territory Resources: 1100 units of grains, 5200 units of wood, 900 units of stone, 500 units of iron ore
Territorial army: Crossbow Cavalry (50)
Territory Industry: North Salt Field (500 mu)
Political index: 35/100 (determines administrative efficiency and relationship with the people)
Economic index: 15/100 (determines trade prosperity and ability to pay taxes)
Cultural index: 20/100 (represents the degree of educational development and quality of life of residents)
Military: 30/100 (indicates military strength and morale)
Existing Buildings: Village Level Lord’s Manor, Basic Market, Simple Fence, Village Dining Hall, Public Bathroom, Wooden Residential Small Courtyard (25), Intermediate Blacksmith, Basic Grocery, Basic Logging, Basic Quarry, Simple Farmland (2000 mu), Intermediate Barracks, Pigsty, Cattle Pen, Wood Workshop, Village Level Ancestral Hall, Advanced Hospital, Village Private School, Advanced Martial Arts Dojo, Village Granary, Advanced Tailor Shop, Basic Mining Field, Basic Arrow Tower (8), Stone Sentry Outpost (3), Stables (2)
Special Buildings: Ferry, Wharf, Basic Shipyard
Secret Buildings: Mazu Temple (sealed), the Recruitment Hall
List of Capital Construction Buildings:
Village Temple: The villagers believe in the land, this enhances their reverence.
Requirements: Village temple building blueprints, 400 wood, 350 stone.
Build time: 2 days. (Note: Built)
Weapons Workshop: Comprehensive weapons and armor manufacturing workshops, able to make ordinary weapons and armor.
Requirements: advanced blacksmith, weapons workshop building blueprints, 400 wood, 200 stone.
Build time: two days.
Basic Pottery Workshop: Can bake simple pottery products used in daily life.
Requirements: Simple potters, pottery workshop building blueprints, 200 wood, 500 stone.
Build time: 2 days
Mill: A place for grinding grains.
Requirements: 150 wood, 100 stone.
Build time: 1 day.
Mulberry Sheds: Planted mulberry plants.
Requirements: Mulberry seedlings, 400 wood, 100 stone.
Build time: 2 days.
Wine Workshop: Uses various kinds of food to brew all kinds of drinks.
Requirements: basic winemaker, wine workshop building blueprints, 400 wood, 200 stone.
Build time: 2 days. (Note: This building has been randomly generated)
Stone Sentry Outpost: Basic military facility with strong defense and early warning capabilities.
Requirements: 40 wood, 200 stone
Build Time: 1 day (Note: Built)
Stables: Where horses are quartered.
Requirements: stables building blueprints, 200 wood, 50 stone.
Build time: one day (Note: Built)
It looked like he had most of what he needed to build for a grade 3 village, but the mulberries would be a little more trouble. He would need to find mulberry seedlings, which was not something he could acquire through the Market. He would have to go out into the wilds and find wild mulberries, then transplant them.
The rest of the buildings, Shanhai shouldn’t have much of a challenge to make, it would seem that promoting to a township would be quite smooth. Of course, it was not so simple.
Ouyang Shuo knew that the village upgrade to a township was a major jump for the territory. In addition to the normal upgrade conditions, there were additional conditions. Namely, the four political, economic, military, and cultural index indicators had to reach at least 30 points each. Otherwise, the territory couldn’t be upgraded.
*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes
*[12.47 to 13.07]: don't ask me about the tree sap