**Chapter 129: Starting to Spend Money to Build the Territory**
Su Yu organized all his knowledge about territory construction and sent it to Wing Dragon via a private message. He also made a copy and forwarded it to Snow Leopard, who was on his way to help.
Su Yu had informed Snow Leopard about his plan for territory construction half an hour earlier, and Snow Leopard had agreed to bring along 500 guild members to assist. Su Yu appreciated the help but knew he couldn't rely on Snow Leopard's guild members indefinitely. Over the next couple of days, he planned to recruit heavily from his own guild. Having his guild members working on the territory would make it easier to manage the accounts.
Snow Leopard quickly messaged back after reading the guide. "Senior, shouldn't we focus on leveling up? Why are you pouring so much energy into territory building?"
Su Yu thought it was time to tell him the truth. "This is all because of a building called the [Mage Tower] — or for druids, the [Emerald Dream Portal]."
Su Yu explained to Snow Leopard the functions of the [Mage Tower] and the challenges of gaining experience in the later stages of the game. Upon learning the implications, Snow Leopard was stunned.
He pulled his mount to a halt, frowning deeply as he processed the information. He knew that the game wouldn't allow every player to reach world-breaking power, but he hadn't realized how dire things would become. Most players would lose access to experience sources and could only scrape by using the limited benefits of items like [Sunflower].
"What's up, Old Bell?" one of his members, Range is Truth, called out, stopping his mount to check on the guild leader. The 500 guild members following behind also stopped, turning to look at Snow Leopard in concern.
After a moment, Snow Leopard released a long sigh, his expression finally easing. He replied to Su Yu in a private message, "Senior, if the territory is that essential, we'll give everything we have to help you build it!"
Then, he messaged Range is Truth: "Old Li, when we get back, we have to do whatever it takes to recruit the players who triggered the rebel main storyline!"
---
Su Yu made his way to the center of his territory. The area currently had just four thatched cottages, with a small field of crops growing in front of them. On the left, four peasants in ragged clothes were shivering slightly in the cold wind.
Upon seeing Su Yu, the peasants cautiously approached and bowed respectfully.
"Lord," they murmured, "we greet you, Lord."
Su Yu scanned each of them and viewed their attributes.
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**[Jenny]**
*Gender*: Female
*Occupation*: Farmer
*Stamina*: 70/100
*Loyalty*: 50/100
*Abilities*: Gather, Hunt, Build
*Specialty*: Gathering Efficiency +20%
**[Mike]**
*Gender*: Male
*Occupation*: Farmer
*Stamina*: 83/100
*Loyalty*: 50/100
*Abilities*: Gather, Hunt, Build
*Specialty*: Hunting Success Rate +15%
**[Robert]**
*Gender*: Male
*Occupation*: Farmer
*Stamina*: 64/100
*Loyalty*: 50/100
*Abilities*: Gather, Hunt, Build
*Specialty*: Basic Construction Knowledge
**[Wendy]**
*Gender*: Female
*Occupation*: Farmer
*Stamina*: 96/100
*Loyalty*: 50/100
*Abilities*: Gather, Hunt, Build
*Specialty*: Gathering Efficiency +20%
---
The four peasants, two men and two women, looked at Su Yu warily, standing a fair distance away with their heads down.
With a reassuring smile, Su Yu took some grilled meat and cheese from his backpack and offered it to them. "Don't be afraid of me. Now that I'm here, I'll make sure life improves for everyone."
The peasants' faces lit up with gratitude as they accepted the food. They typically ate whatever they could hunt, but the meat Su Yu offered was seasoned with black pepper — an expensive spice almost worth its weight in gold in the city. The peasants' eyes shone with gratitude.
"Ding! [Robert]'s loyalty has increased by 25."
"Ding! [Wendy]'s loyalty has increased by 22."
"Ding! [Jenny]…"
Each peasant's loyalty had risen by more than 20 points.
Just then, Wing Dragon arrived with boatmen who were carrying additional supplies. Su Yu opened the boxes, took out coarse clothes, and distributed them to the peasants. Their loyalty immediately soared to 90 points, and their faces reflected newfound confidence and appreciation.
While waiting for Snow Leopard and the guild members, Su Yu took a moment to chat with the peasants.
"Jenny, Wendy, you're skilled gatherers. What exactly do you gather?" Su Yu asked.
Jenny nervously adjusted her clothing and replied, "Gathering includes foraging for wild fruits, farming, logging, stone collecting, and even mining for gold. We handle all of these, Lord."
"Excellent," Su Yu nodded approvingly. "When the adventurers arrive, I'll have you two supervise the woodcutting. We need a lot of timber to start building."
Jenny and Wendy exchanged uncertain looks but nodded. "Yes, Lord."
Su Yu gave them a reassuring smile and added, "You'll receive 50 psionic coins per day for your work."
This was far beyond the usual expectations. Lording over NPCs didn't normally require wages, but Su Yu's generosity was intentional, to foster enthusiasm at this critical stage.
"50 psionic coins? Thank you, Lord!" Jenny and Wendy immediately knelt to express their gratitude. They typically earned less than 10 psionic coins a day, even after selling food and game. Their loyalty quickly maxed out at 100 points.
---
A few minutes later, Snow Leopard arrived with the 500 guild members in tow.
"Mr. Nemesis, we're here!"
"We're here to help, Mr. Nemesis!"
"This is a player's territory? It looks so… humble."
"Don't worry, Mr. Nemesis. We'll make this place more beautiful than Oran City!"
Su Yu waved to the players and spoke with a warm smile, "Thank you all for coming to help build my territory! Those of you who've worked with me before know that I make it worth your while."
His tone grew more persuasive as he continued, "This time is no different! For helping me today, everyone will earn 20 psionic coins per hour! And if you ever need extra cash in the future, you're welcome to work here again. I'll always make it worth your time!"
"20 psionic coins an hour?!"
"Today's exchange rate is 1 psionic coin to 3.3 yuan, right?"
"That's 66 yuan an hour! Mr. Nemesis is unbelievably generous!"
The players were stunned. They'd expected to volunteer, thinking it was just an opportunity to participate in a historic event for the guild and to meet the legendary Mr. Nemesis. But now, they were being handsomely compensated.
At 66 yuan per hour, an eight-hour day would net 528 yuan — around 15,000 a month! The idea of long-term work here became tempting to many.
"Mr. Nemesis, will you keep this pay rate in the future?"
"Absolutely. As the value of psionic coins fluctuates, the rewards will only increase."
"Can we work here long-term?"
"Of course."
"Mr. Nemesis, can we bring friends?"
"Feel free!"
Some players even jokingly nudged Snow Leopard, saying, "Boss, you need to step up our guild's benefits if you don't want us quitting to work here!"
"Yeah, President! Improve the guild benefits, or you might lose us!"
Snow Leopard's face darkened. He raised a hand, feigning irritation. "Enough! Didn't we just talk about benefits two days ago? Now get to work!"
Turning back to Su Yu, Snow Leopard asked, "Senior, where should we start?"
"Simple — woodcutting for building materials," Su Yu replied. "Wendy, Jenny."
The two farmers stepped forward. "Yes, Lord."
"You two will be the supervisors. Take the tools and guide everyone to the forest. Gather as much timber as possible."
"Yes, Lord!"
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*(End of Chapter)*