Tens of thousands of beastmen gathered outside the city gates.
If he could capture them all, Chen Yu's city-state would no longer lack labor. The problem was capturing them all.
Although he had expected it, the sheer number of beastmen still shocked him.
He truly hadn't expected that the big crocodile, in league with that old hyena Kimura, and Giles of the Ska family, could persuade several encampments around his territory to join forces against him.
It was truly troublesome!
Although his city-state now had over twenty thousand troops, well-equipped, the training time was too short. The generals of these indigenous encampments outside the city, if not battle-hardened, had all experienced wars big and small. If a real fight broke out, Chen Yu's side might not have the advantage.
His only advantage was his equipment.
"Quite a lot of people."
Fu Hua Aiderton, from the city wall, also sighed softly, but he showed no intention of helping. If Chen Yu's city-state couldn't even deal with the scattered soldiers of these outer encampments, then there was no point in talking about autonomy.
"How about it, Clan Chief Fu Hua, do you think this battle is enough proof?" Chen Yu asked with a sideways glance and a smile.
"What do you think, Mr. Chen?"
Fu Hua Aiderton smiled and kicked the ball back. Chen Yu, with a smile on his face, muttered inwardly.
"Old fox!"
He's good at playing the diplomat.
"The scale of tens of thousands of beastmen besieging us is not insignificant," Chen Yu said with a soft laugh. "I ask, can the other city-states withstand these beastmen?"
"Mr. Chen, you can't put it that way."
Fu Hua Aiderton did not acknowledge Chen Yu's statement.
"The other city-states are protected by the kingdom, so how would these outer encampment beastmen dare to encroach? Moreover, you want autonomy in the future. At least in my opinion, your city-state shouldn't find this scale of external enemy troublesome. Otherwise, as your city-state develops better and better, the 'beasts' it attracts will also become stronger."
Chen Yu finally understood. He had to win this battle.
A complete victory!
Only then could he gain Fu Hua Aiderton's approval.
Otherwise, even if Chen Yu won, if it wasn't an overwhelming victory, he would reconsider Chen Yu's city-state, and Fu Hua Aiderton was someone Chen Yu needed to keep.
The Aiderton family was Chen Yu's bargaining chip in negotiations with the kingdom.
Many things were interconnected.
Why hadn't Chen Yu submitted his application to the kingdom earlier? He had concerns. If the kingdom didn't accept his application, and his city-state's location was exposed, and the kingdom sent troops to exterminate his city-state as if they were bandits, what would happen then?
This was a city-state that had invested tens of millions of gold coins.
As long as the kingdom sent troops to conquer it, everything in the city-state would belong to the kingdom. This was much simpler than collecting taxes continuously.
Chen Yu had to make the royal city wary!
The Aiderton family was the best object to make the royal city wary. As long as the Aiderton family settled in his city-state and invested capital.
The kingdom would not dare to attack rashly.
Only then could Chen Yu dare to apply.
Although the Aiderton family's participation might not make the application 100% successful, the probability would be much higher, so he had to get their support.
"Mr. Chen, you don't think my words are a bit harsh, do you?"
Fu Hua Aiderton spoke again with a smile. Chen Yu glanced at him sideways and shook his head.
"Don't worry, our city-state will never disappoint Clan Chief Fu Hua. Investing capital and shops here will definitely be the safest and most promising."
"Then I shall look forward to it."
Fu Hua Aiderton, with a smile on his face, quietly stepped back two paces. It was obvious that Roni had something to say, but he swallowed his words back due to Fu Hua's gaze.
Chen Yu also slowly walked forward a few steps, waving to Kimura.
"Long time no see!"
The loud shout made Kimura and his group look up at the city wall. It was only then that they noticed Chen Yu's figure.
"Chen, open the gates and surrender immediately, release our tribesmen, and offer compensation we can accept, otherwise these tens of thousands of warriors will break down your city gates!" Kimura shouted with narrowed eyes.
"Ah?! What did you say?"
Chen Yu, from the city wall, feigned not hearing, turned his head sideways, and frowned.
"You said you're giving me slaves? Oh my, why are you being so polite? Look at you, you didn't need to bring any gifts when you came."
"Who the hell is giving you slaves?" Kimura yelled.
"Do you want to be a slave team leader?"
Chen Yu continued to pretend to mishear, a smile on his face, and he waved his hand.
"Why be a team leader? You're too polite. I'll make you the chief leader. From now on, you'll be the chief overseer of our city-state's slaves, leading these slaves. I'll pay you eight copper coins a year, how about that?"
"Go to hell!"
Enraged, Kimura shook his wooden staff non-stop, and a blazing fireball instantly flew towards Chen Yu.
Kailin instinctively let out a cry, and Roni also raised his hand to pull Chen Yu, but the fireball inexplicably extinguished before it even reached five meters from Chen Yu.
Chen Yu, on the city wall, was also a little dazed.
Kimura and the others were standing in a spot covered with anti-magic gems, so they shouldn't have been able to cast spells. Just as Chen Yu was in a daze, he suddenly clapped his hands.
Almost forgot!
His anti-magic gems were effective only against those below the Golden Rank. Kimura was above the Golden Rank.
Then how did the fireball extinguish?
Chen Yu subconsciously looked for Sona and Barbara, but neither of them was nearby. Then Chen Yu saw the old city guard sitting leisurely drinking wine in a chair within the city.
"It's him."
Chen Yu frowned, didn't think much of it, and returned to his previous position, looking at Kimura below the city.
The magic failing also surprised Kimura.
He stared at Chen Yu on the city wall, a bad premonition inexplicably arising in his heart.
"Old hyena, I'm offering you an official position, and you want to burn me? That's not how you do things." Chen Yu pretended to be angry and frowned. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Lay down your weapons now, accept the transformation of our city-state, and I'm willing to take you as citizens of my city. Those who resist will truly become slaves."
"I should be saying that to you!"
Kimura's face was ashen, his fists clenched.
"Open the gates and surrender, and we can spare your life."
"Ignorant," Chen Yu muttered and shook his head. "Since you want to die, then don't blame me. I really gave you a chance."
He lightly tapped his wristband and sent a message.
Instantly, the spaces north and south of the city gates glowed with fluorescent light. Tens of thousands of well-equipped beastmen warriors, led by Kuka, Black Donkey, and Lion Jack Rose, appeared.
At the same time, the city gates were opened wide, and Er Gou, leading the city guards, also led thousands of warriors, looking menacing.
Suddenly, Kimura and his group were astonished.
"I told you to surrender, but you refused. Now look, you're all waiting to die," Chen Yu murmured, leaning on the city wall. Giles and the leaders of the encampments also frowned. "What do we do now? His city-state actually has so many troops, and their equipment is much better than ours."
Kimura was also surprised. How could this foreigner possess such strength?
When he came before, there were so few people in his dilapidated city-state. Now, tens of thousands of well-equipped warriors had appeared.
Indeed, he couldn't be allowed to continue developing, otherwise, no one would have a good time in the future.
"Hmph, what are you afraid of?"
Kimura, surrounded by Kuka and the others, had disdain in his eyes.
"Don't you forget, we weren't here to attack the city in the first place. We're just trying to scare him now. This is only one of our plans. Don't forget we have Plan B!"