Sixty Flame Fruits were secured.
Looking at the fiery red fruits burning before him, Chen Yu’s eyes were filled with a smile as he gained more ideas for the future development of the region.
He might not need to absorb all the survivors in the region.
He could keep some, much like adventurer groups such as Noise’s.
Perhaps Chen Yu could gain more unexpected pleasant surprises.
Survivors who entered his Free City-State would have their lives of ease dull their drive for exploration. Even if they joined the city-state’s exploration teams, they would merely complete tasks perfunctorily, which might not be absolute but was certainly the case for the majority.
This was indeed true based on the actual situation.
The Free City-State’s exploration teams had been formed for nearly half a year. Equipped with excellent gear and sufficient food, they did not face the pressure and burden of other survivors in the caves.
However—
The results of their explorations were, in fact, somewhat unsatisfactory for Chen Yu.
Initially, he had provided the exploration teams with equipment through loans and offered a relatively high buy-back price, not wanting them to develop a mindset of complacency with a secure livelihood.
Unfortunately, things were still developing in the worst direction he had envisioned.
Thousands of people were in the exploration teams, and while the unearthed treasure chests were piled high within the city-state, they had yet to discover any rare resources or secret realms like the Pure Fire Land that Noise and his group had encountered.
“City Lord, are you dissatisfied with our current exploration teams in any way?”
Kaelen, who was on a video call, sensed the disappointment in Chen Yu’s eyes after she reported the exploration team's achievements.
In her opinion, she was quite satisfied with the exploration teams.
The gains were stable.
The exploration teams dispatched received their corresponding supplies, and the city-state consistently had income, never facing a deficit that required subsidies.
She had not touched the various treasure chests, as per Chen Yu’s instructions.
The city-state had dozens of warehouses solely for storing treasure chests.
“It’s nothing, as long as the city-state is safe.” Chen Yu nodded with a slight smile. “Contact me immediately if anything happens.”
After ending the video call, Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed.
Could it be—
He needed to venture outside to recruit adventurer groups?
At this current stage of development, Chen Yu no longer had a significant need for basic resources. Furthermore, with sufficient wealth, he could purchase any basic resources he needed through various channels.
What he needed more now were rare resources.
Outputs from secret realms.
Yet, the feedback from the city-state adventure groups was not entirely satisfactory.
The adventure groups’ returns were indeed stable; after going out to explore, they would receive corresponding resource feedback. The problem was that their current findings were not keeping up with Chen Yu’s expectations.
This was not the fault of the city-state adventure groups.
In the early stages of the adventure groups’ establishment, Chen Yu had been pleased and content with their stable returns. Ultimately, his appetite had grown, and the development of the Free City-State was no longer keeping pace with his needs.
“It seems the plan needs to be moved up.”
Leaning back, Chen Yu murmured softly. The little demon standing beside him frowned.
“What are you mumbling about?”
“Hehehe, you’ll know when the time comes.” Chen Yu smiled mysteriously, then rubbed the little demon’s head, his gaze deepening as he looked out the window.
All along, Chen Yu had his own development plan in mind.
Unfortunately, changes always came unexpectedly.
Therefore, his plans also needed corresponding adjustments, bringing forward tasks that perhaps should have been scheduled for half a year or a year later.
Fortunately, everything was still within Chen Yu’s control.
It wasn’t exactly a situation of being caught off guard.
“Putting on a mysterious act,” the little demon said with disdain, then gestured outside. “Lia has been waiting outside for a while. Aren’t you going to let him in?”
“He’s here?”
As Chen Yu’s voice fell, a crisp knock sounded outside the rudimentary city guard lounge.
“Enter.”
With Chen Yu’s low command, the door was slowly pushed open. It was Lia, accompanied by his Black Obsidian-grade retainers, and a half-beast man with a distinct slap mark on his face and blood flowing from his lip standing outside.
“Get inside.”
After being struck several times, with half his face swollen, the half-beast man was kicked by Lia and forced to kneel on the ground. Lia then entered, glaring as he walked in.
The half-beast man kneeling on the ground dared not even breathe, looking at Lia as if he were about to devour him.
“How unlucky.”
Lia spat fiercely, then, as if still unsatisfied, kicked the half-beast man again. Only when the half-beast man curled into a ball, covering his head with his hands, did Lia look up, his fierce expression instantly transforming into a fawning smile.
“I am truly sorry for making you wait.”
Lia, with a face full of nervous smiles, kept rubbing his hands. His gaze briefly paused on the Flame Fruits outside before he shifted his attention away, though his heart was filled with slight shock.
Flame Fruits were not uncommon to Lia.
As the son of the Chief Financial Officer, no matter how idle he was, the wealth he controlled was staggering. Occasionally, when bored, he would frequent auctions.
He was surprised that Chen Yu possessed so many.
Sixty of them.
The annual auction volume of the entire Tatu Kingdom might not even reach half of this.
Possessing such a quantity of Flame Fruits could only mean one thing: Chen Yu held at least one secret realm.
Holding a secret realm was no small matter.
In the hundreds of years since the Tatu Kingdom was founded, the royal family had explored fewer than 10 known secret realms. These secret realms were, without exception, heavily guarded.
How many secret realms did Chen Yu possess?
That brief shock was noticed by Chen Yu. He had placed the Flame Fruits outside precisely so Lia would see them, and to send a signal to Lia.
He, possessed secret realms.
From the little demon, he learned that secret realms were extremely special in the caves. Not only did they produce rare resources, but more importantly, their internal spaces were natural cultivation paradises.
Just like the Pure Fire Realm Chen Yu had recently obtained from Noise and his group.
If fire mages were to cultivate inside, their mastery of fire elements would increase several times, even tens of times, compared to outside, depending on the concentration of fire elements within the secret realm.
But even the worst secret realm was superior to the external space.
This alone proved the importance of secret realms.
Since Lia was an intelligent person, and the Chief Financial Officer likely did not wish for their demise, if they needed a partner, Chen Yu was willing to showcase his resources.
Secret realms, Tiger Seals, equipment.
Perhaps compared to the hundred-year foundation of the Tatu Kingdom, Chen Yu was merely a foreigner who had just begun to show his edge, or perhaps not even that.
However, he held the future in his hands!