Super Gene Hunting Ground

Yang Xiao patrolled the marketplace and found that there were very few types of goods on sale.

In front of a stall selling pots and pans, Yang Xiao pointed at an iron wok and asked,

"How much is this?"

The stall owner saw it was Yang Xiao, with Elder Qi, Chen Peng and other guards behind him. How would he dare take Yang Xiao’s money? He immediately said,

"City Lord, this one’s for you, no charge."

Yang Xiao laughed and said,

"I’m a堂堂 City Lord—do you really think I’d just take your wok for free? What kind of person do you take me for?

I’m just asking about the price. Just tell me honestly."

Chen Peng, standing to the side, glared at the stall owner and said,

"The City Lord is asking you a question. Speak up, what, are you mute?"

Yang Xiao turned his head and glared at Chen Peng, and Chen Peng could only lower his head in embarrassment.

The stall owner saw this and immediately said,

"City Lord, this wok is twenty Crystal Disks each."

Yang Xiao didn’t know whether this price was high or low, so he asked Elder Qi beside him,

"Elder Qi, how’s this price?"

"City Lord, this price is considered normal here in Death Castle, and even across the Central Continent. However, if we were in other Dwarf Star Cities outside the Central Continent, this price would be very high. Under normal circumstances, outside the Central Continent, this iron wok would be worth about three Crystal Disks."

The stall owner heard this and, afraid Yang Xiao would misunderstand, hurriedly explained,

"City Lord, there’s something you may not know. All our goods are brought in from places outside the Central Continent. Never mind that the journey is long, we also have to pass through areas where Demon Beasts appear. If we’re not careful, we could lose our lives at any time.

Honestly, the goods I’m selling here are all second-hand that I bought from other traders. They sold it to me for fifteen Crystal Disks. I’m just making a bit of living money."

Yang Xiao swept his gaze over the other items laid out by the vendor. He asked about a few pieces, and the situation was more or less the same as with the iron wok.

"Does the Central Continent not have any craftsmen who produce daily necessities?"

Elder Qi chuckled and said,

"Compared with other places, the Central Continent is practically a barbaric land. People here only know plunder and war. Who would bother to research production? The daily necessities they need are all transported in from other regions."

"What about weapons, equipment, Elixir Medicine and such?"

"Same story. So the prices of things here are several times, even dozens of times higher than outside."

Yang Xiao fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then suddenly had an idea.

When he returned to the City Lord Mansion, Yang Xiao convened a meeting with Elder Qi, Wanyan Bai, Fan Chen, Chen Peng, Le Ting, and the others.

"Tell me, what’s the most important thing for a city to develop?"

Everyone was stunned and looked at Yang Xiao.

Fan Chen had followed Yang Xiao the longest and naturally understood what he meant. He said,

"For a city to develop, population is the most important."

Yang Xiao nodded and gave Fan Chen a satisfied look. As expected of someone by his side—he was getting smarter.

"That’s right. For a city to develop, population is the most important. So for our Death Castle, the most important thing is to massively absorb outside population.

By the way, this name has to change. Death Castle? Damn it, who would dare come here after hearing that name?"

Chen Peng laughed and said,

"Lord Yang, the name Death Castle has probably been around for a few hundred years. It’s said that originally it was a small town established by a group of vicious people who gathered together. They never intended to attract any population; on the contrary, they rejected outsiders, so they chose such a fierce name.

Not only Death Castle—many cities on this Central Continent actually reject outside population."

"Why?"

"The reason is simple. Most of the people who come to the Central Continent are criminals fleeing from other races on the Dwarf Star. These people have complicated backgrounds and are hard to manage. The more people come, the easier it is for a city to fall into a state of unrest.

But a city can’t function without people either. So most castle lords will set restrictions and, through various conditions, keep those whose Genetic Evolution Level is higher.

Some of these people are absorbed into the Guard Team, while others become the city’s residents. They can go out to hunt Demon Beasts and are capable of paying city protection fees, becoming the targets for the City Lord to exploit and squeeze."

After hearing this, Yang Xiao said,

"Others restrict population; we won’t. We’re going to uphold an open attitude. As long as people come in, there’ll be consumption and labor, and that will create value and make the city more prosperous.

On the Central Continent, our Death Castle is going to become a brand-new banner.

Freedom, equality, fraternity!

A city full of hope.

Mm, the city’s name must be changed. Let’s call it the City of Hope!"

Everyone stared blankly at Yang Xiao. They still hadn’t fully digested his words about "freedom, equality, fraternity," when the phrase "City of Hope" flashed through their minds like a streak of light.

The City of Hope, a name that gives people hope and dreams.

Elder Qi nodded approvingly and said,

"Good, Lord Yang, this name is good. City of Hope—just hearing it feels warm."

Chen Peng, Le Ting and the others also said this name was very good.

Yang Xiao waved his hand broadly,

"Then it’s settled. We rename it City of Hope. The spirit of our city is freedom, equality, and fraternity. We’ll carve these six characters in purple outside the city gate and on the city square, so everyone knows,

besides that, dismantle Death Avenue. Anyone willing to enter the City of Hope can come and go freely. Those who want to settle down can go to the Citizen Hall to register,

ordinary tourists, passersby, merchants and the like, don’t need to pay any city protection fee,

also, expand the market trade, encourage everyone to set up all kinds of shops, so it’s convenient for everyone to come trade all kinds of Demon Beast prey, Weapons, Armor, Elixir Medicine, and so on,

we’ll strive to use one or two years to build the City of Hope into the biggest trading market on the Central Continent,

oh right, I just saw that daily necessities in the market are sold very expensively. That won’t do. We need to drop the prices and give everyone a low-cost living environment,

pass down my order: anyone willing to go to cities outside the Central Continent to ship daily necessities here for sale will be exempt from city protection fees and trading tax—everything is waived."

"Huh?"

Chen Peng, Le Ting and the others stared at Yang Xiao in surprise.

Other cities only value vagrants with high Genetic Evolution Level; why is Yang Xiao valuing these ordinary merchants so much?

Yang Xiao didn’t explain and said,

"Chen Peng, you’re an old-timer of the castle. You’ll be in charge of this. Within three days, let everyone in the city know about my order. Anyone happy to engage in commercial trade and transport can be exempt from city protection fees and trading tax,

in addition, turn that Death Avenue into a commercial street."

After Chen Peng heard this, he said loudly,

"No problem. I’ll have the guards post your notices in the market and on every street, send out propaganda teams to explain your orders, and start the renovation of the commercial street immediately."

"Le Ting, I also have an important task for you. Take people to the surrounding cities to spread the news. Just say Death Castle has been renamed the City of Hope. All newly relocated residents are exempt from city protection fees for one year, and after one year, each person only pays 50 Crystal Disks per month,

also, tell them that the City of Hope has a large amount of daily necessities for sale, high quality and low price,

in addition, go advertise in the markets of other cities: doing business in the City of Hope means exemption from city protection fees and trading tax."

Le Ting said,

"Alright, no problem. I’ll dispatch ten small teams to go promote in ten surrounding cities respectively."

"Elder Qi, as the general captain of the Guard Team, from now on, you need to arrange for the guards to patrol the city’s security 24 hours a day."

Elder Qi patted his chest and said,

"Lord Yang, don’t worry, the city’s security is on me."

...

Soon, Yang Xiao’s new policies caused a huge sensation in the city. Everyone was discussing doing business, especially the two points he mentioned—merchants exempt from city protection fees and trading tax—which were extremely attractive.

Some people who usually made a living by hunting, and had relatively high Evolution Level, were tempted too and planned to form teams to go out and bring goods back for trade.

Rows of shops began to be built on both sides of Death Street, and the bidding for the shops also began.

The name City of Hope and the six words "freedom, equality, fraternity" had already been carved outside the city gate.

Yang Xiao also had people set up road signs at several road junctions hundreds of kilometers away, pointing toward the City of Hope, and conveniently introducing the City of Hope on the signs.

...

A team of a dozen people who had just finished hunting in the Dark Forest came to a fork in the road.

"Eh? Damn, since when is there a road sign here? City of Hope? Where the hell is the City of Hope, never heard of it?"

"You can’t read or what? Didn’t you see the introduction on the sign? The former Death Castle has been renamed the City of Hope. The City of Hope is a good place for everyone to settle down, start careers, and do business. New residents are exempt from city protection fees for one year, business people are permanently exempt from city protection fees and trading tax..."

Everyone looked at the introduction on the sign and was instantly dumbfounded.

"Damn, I heard the City Lord of Death Castle was killed. Is this New City Lord an idiot? If he doesn’t collect protection fees, where does he get money to support the Guard Team?

Merchants permanently exempt from city protection fees and trading tax—did this City Lord grow up drinking Northwest wind?"

"Boss, should we go take a look? I heard you don’t have to pay to enter the castle and you can go in and out freely."

"Sure, since that’s the case, let’s go take a look."

This group came from Titan City five hundred kilometers away. They were just a bunch of ordinary Hunters, and the boss was called Ge Mu.

Titan City, just like the former Death Castle, also had a population of around five hundred thousand, and each person paid 100 Crystal Disks per month as a protection fee.

Ge Mu was the head of a family. Including women and children, his whole clan had more than fifty people. Just the monthly protection fee alone was over five thousand Crystal Disks, which was a heavy burden for him.

Ge Mu led a dozen of his clansmen and used a Floating Flight Technique, and after a few dozen minutes they arrived at the City of Hope.

Ge Mu and the others landed about one kilometer from the city gate and saw crowds coming and going outside the city, very lively. Many were families pushing small carts, carrying quilts, furniture, pots and pans, moving over.