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Resets Weekly! [Monday]
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Wu Zhong'ou glanced up at the blazing sun overhead, wiped the sweat off his neck, and then turned his gaze to the wheat sprouts growing in the fields. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"I don't get why you're always smiling. Back in the Land of Fields, we were farming. Now that we're in the Land of Wind, we're still farming," his younger brother, Wu Zhonghe, muttered while lazily pulling weeds from the field.
"What do you know? Our lives were saved by Lord Kazekage. What's there to complain about? And whose land were we farming back then? The landlord's! And now? Whose land are we farming now? Ours! We've got official land deeds signed by Karuke-sama and Baki-sama. It's completely different! Most of the immigrants are working on construction sites building houses or planting trees in the forestry division. How many people got a large piece of land like us right away? This is all thanks to Lord Kazekage's generosity. Do you even understand that?" Wu Zhong'ou replied, clearly annoyed by his younger brother's attitude.
"Maybe Lord Kazekage only brought us here because of our Crystal Release," Wu Zhonghe retorted, his tone full of defiance. At his age, he was the kind of person who loved to argue for the sake of it. If you said salt was salty, he'd insist it tasted sour. If you said the sun was round, he'd squint and claim it had edges.
"You ungrateful brat! Looks like you're itching for a beating!" Wu Zhong'ou grabbed his hoe and chased after Wu Zhonghe. Seeing that his older brother was genuinely angry, Wu Zhonghe quickly scrambled up the field ridge and ran off. The two brothers turned the narrow paths between the fields into the stage for a lively game of chase.
As they ran, a clear, childish voice suddenly rang out from the field.
"Dad! Uncle He! Stop messing around! It's time to eat!"
Wu Zhong'ou froze mid-step and turned toward the voice, searching for his beloved daughter, Honglian. To his surprise, he saw her perched on the shoulders of a tall figure, holding a lunch box in her hands, her face radiant with happiness.
"Lord… Lord Kazekage!" Wu Zhong'ou exclaimed. The moment he recognized the man's face, he fell to his knees in the field with a loud thud.
"Oh, come on, Brother Wu Zhong, there's no need for such formalities. Get up, get up!" Jinghang said hurriedly. "Pakura, help me with the child."
Jinghang handed Honglian over to Pakura, then quickly helped Wu Zhong'ou to his feet, brushing the dirt off his clothes.
"Actually, I overheard your conversation with your younger brother just now."
"Huh? Lord Kazekage, I…"
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. In fact, I think your brother has a point."
"What?"
"To be honest, when I brought you all out of the Land of Fields, I did have a bit of a selfish motive. That motive was your family's Crystal Release."
"Ah?!" Wu Zhong'ou was utterly confused, unsure of what to make of this revelation.
"Relax, relax. Let's eat first. Let me see… Oh, this looks pretty good! Flatbread, vegetables, and even fish from the Lake of the Moon! Honglian, how about Uncle joins you for lunch today?" Jinghang said, lifting the lid of the lunch box without hesitation.
"Sure! Uncle, eat as much as you like. I brought plenty today—it's enough for three people!" Honglian replied sweetly, her smile as bright as the sun.
The Lake of the Moon Administrative Office was located in a quiet corner on the western shore of the lake. Calling it an "office" was a bit of a stretch—it was essentially a modest two-story house. At first glance, one might mistake it for the home of a middle-class family. Despite its unassuming appearance, this small building housed two of the most important institutions in the Lake of the Moon Base.
The Production and Construction Corps Commander, Karuke, and the Immigration Bureau Director, Baki, were both military men by background. Known for their efficient and pragmatic styles, they had no interest in luxury or extravagance. The entire office building was strictly functional, containing only dormitories for staff and basic office spaces. There wasn't a single superfluous room or piece of furniture. Even after receiving a one-billion-ryō loan from Konoha, Baki hadn't spent a single coin on upgrading the office.
As Baki often said, "That billion ryō was something Lord Kazekage managed to secure with great difficulty—by swallowing his pride and bending his back. He entrusted me with such a large sum to build up the Lake of the Moon Base, not to waste it on some fancy office. When we have more money in the future, we can build as many luxurious offices as we want."
Under the leadership of such frugal and efficient commanders, the administrative staff at the Lake of the Moon naturally adopted a similar ethos. They developed a "Three Simplicities" style of governance: concise language, straightforward documents, and efficient procedures. This approach not only improved administrative efficiency but also won the admiration of the immigrants, many of whom chose to build their homes near the office, despite the location not being the most ideal.
At this moment, the heads of the Immigration Bureau and the Production and Construction Corps, Baki and Karuke, were holding a meeting in a small conference room on the second floor. The room wasn't large, the attendees weren't numerous, and the discussions were direct and to the point. The meeting followed a simple Q&A format, making it highly efficient.
"What's the status of the plan to purchase sea buckthorn shrubs from the Land of Forests?" Karuke asked.
"I've reviewed the proposal. It's feasible," Baki replied.
"We're planning to procure 50,000 shrubs at an estimated cost of 2 million ryō."
Baki's advisors huddled together for a brief discussion before handing him a note. After reading it and thinking for a moment, Baki nodded.
"Allocate 1.5 million ryō. Use 1 million for the purchase of shrubs and 500,000 to recruit at least two forestry experts from the Land of Forests. Additionally, allocate another 500,000 ryō to establish a specialized greenhouse on the sunny eastern side of the Lake of the Moon. This way, we won't have to rely on importing tree species from other countries in the future."
Karuke's advisors quickly assessed the feasibility of the plan and concluded that it was workable. With a nod from both commanders, the secretary promptly compiled the meeting minutes into an official document. Two copies were prepared—one for archival purposes and the other for the implementers. From proposal to resolution, the entire process took less than six minutes!
"Next topic: grain imports."
"I think we can stop importing grain from the Land of Rice and switch to the Land of Millet. Their rice and wheat are nearly 10% cheaper."
"If the quality of grain from the Land of Millet is acceptable, proceed with that plan. However, don't cut ties with the suppliers from the Land of Rice just yet. Use the price difference as leverage to negotiate better terms. Right now, the Lake of the Moon has a high demand for grain. Relying on a single supplier is too risky. Until the newly cultivated farmland starts producing, you absolutely cannot afford any disruptions in the supply chain," Baki said sternly.
"Understood! The Production and Construction Corps will ensure food security!"
"What about the resettlement of refugees from the Land of Rain?"
"Let's handle it the usual way. Provide them with some food and have the Construction Corps build temporary housing. As always, screen each individual carefully. A reminder to our colleagues in the Anbu: Lady Chiyo is personally overseeing counterintelligence. If there's a breach in this area, she won't be lenient."
"Yes."
"What's the status of the poultry and pig farming projects?"
Just as they were about to move on to the next topic, the door swung open, flooding the room with dazzling sunlight. Four figures stood silhouetted in the doorway.
Baki was about to lose his temper—interrupting a high-level meeting at the Lake of the Moon was no small offense! But as his eyes adjusted, he realized the figures looked familiar.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent plan to discuss," said one of the figures.
"Lord Kazekage!" Baki exclaimed, his initial irritation replaced with joy as he stood up excitedly. Karuke was even more dramatic, rushing over to embrace Jinghang in a bear hug.
"Alright, alright, I know you've been working hard. Let's focus on the urgent matter first. We can talk about other things over dinner. Pakura, hand it over."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage." Pakura handed a document to Baki.
"The Desert Highway Project Proposal?"