Cave Refuge

Although their cargo holds were empty when the merchant ships left, most of them returned fully loaded. The reason why their previously empty cargo holds could be filled up is clear to many.

As long as these merchant ships can bring back goods, as transactions are made at the Water Base, the base is entitled to tax revenue. With money, natural development wouldn't be too slow.

Now, Dawn City Base is like a city guarding a mine. As long as there are mineral deposits to be exploited nearby, life in this base can be quite prosperous. But since the amount of minerals is finite, once the surrounding resources are exhausted, Dawn City's future development will slow or even decline.

Since people can now choose which base they want to affiliate with, one should certainly choose a base with potential to settle down. If nothing unexpected occurs, even with frequent natural disasters, one can stay in a base built by the Imperial Court for three to five years.

Since it is after all a temporary dwelling, one should definitely opt for a base with great potential. Besides, you also know that at the end of the day, I am a merchant. So based on past experiences, coastal areas should have a better business environment compared to inland areas."

After understanding Ye Liuyun's thoughts, Dong Tianyu listened to him without interrupting despite having doubts about what Ye Liuyun said. Only after Ye Liuyun had finished talking did Dong Tianyu ask:

"Don't just focus on the disadvantages of inland cities and the advantages of coastal cities. Tell me about the benefits of the inland bases and the downsides of coastal cities as well,"

Upon hearing Dong Tianyu raise this critical question, Ye Liuyun put aside his little schemes and spoke frankly: "According to the intelligence my friend heard, because the surrounding soil is rich in nutrients, including our nearby Dawn City Base, most inland bases are planning to cultivate the land around the cities. In other words, most inland cities will mainly rely on agriculture.

If successful, these agricultural cities could continuously produce food. But as you know, solely growing raw materials isn't very profitable. Moreover, it's crucial to note that to guarantee the food production for the first few seasons, the designated cities will implement military management in the first year. They will only allow private land contracts after the first year, at the earliest, or up to five years later.

Coastal cities are different. By transferring all food pressures to inland cities, bases that can freely trade need to be responsible for gathering goods. Right now, the only way to gather resources is through plundering from the outside, which is the only method to rapidly acquire large quantities of resources.

Only in such an environment would there be a place for a merchant like me to survive. Most importantly, despite the flood recession, the sea still exists. Thus, the Companion Spiritual Treasures that we have can remain useful only if we are active near coastal cities."

After listening to Ye Liuyun's analysis, Dong Tianyu began weighing his options. From the information Ye Liuyun provided, Dong Tianyu was certain that barring extraordinary circumstances, inland cities in terms of security and stability are much higher than coastal cities.

Dong Tianyu was very clear about the implications of military management. While it means losing some degree of freedom, it also ensures that no chaos arises due to individuals.

For those with a stable disposition, a base maintained under military management is indeed a good place to be. However, for Ye Liuyun, who longs for freedom, and Dong Tianyu, who dislikes restraint, the atmosphere of life in coastal cities is more suitable for them.

Observing the fleeting hesitation on Dong Tianyu's face, Ye Liuyun immediately guessed that Dong Tianyu, although not verbally admitting it, might have given up on the idea of this base in his heart.

Although Dong Tianyu did not participate in the building of the base, when Ye Liuyun first proposed establishing the base, Dong Tianyu had invested some resources. Even though Dong Tianyu insisted at the time that the resources were a gratuitous sponsorship, Ye Liuyun had also offered to share profits with him once the base started making profits.

Regardless of what Dong Tianyu thought back then or now, as long as this base is not abandoned, the resources invested into it are not lost and may still turn a profit.

But once it's confirmed that they will abandon the camp, all their initial investment will vanish in an instant.

It's precisely because of this that Ye Liuyun hesitates so much about whether to give up the camp; after all, from its initial establishment to its current operation and maintenance, Ye Liuyun has been steadily pouring in substantial resources.

Although he did not hear any suggestions from Dong Tianyu, from the fleeting expression on Dong Tianyu's face, Ye Liuyun understood Dong Tianyu's choice.

If Dong Tianyu had not thought of leaving the camp, why would he show a thoughtful and hesitant expression after hearing the differences between the coastal and inland bases? Since a contemplative look appeared on his face, he must have indeed contemplated leaving the camp.

Now that Ye Liuyun understood what was on Dong Tianyu's mind, he did not linger there any longer. Since he hadn't entered the house anyway, he simply exchanged a few pleasantries with Dong Tianyu before taking his leave directly.

After watching Ye Liuyun walk away, Dong Tianyu returned to his room and recounted the gist of his conversation with Ye Liuyun to Father Dong and Mother Dong.

Having listened to Dong Tianyu's recount, Mr. Thompson reflected briefly and then directly voiced his judgment: "The fact that Ye Liuyun came over to tell you this doesn't seem like a simple probe of your thoughts, but rather a genuine desire to abandon this camp.

However, from the content of the conversation between you two, he also seems not to have made a firm decision, which is why he wanted to test your opinion.

His heart is most likely set on abandoning the camp, but if you were to persuade him not to give up and to persist, I reckon he would verbally agree and then take the opportunity to ask you for resources, to see if he can get some more from you.

If he can obtain something, that's best for him; if not, he won't be surprised. It's like beating the grass to startle the rabbit; earning even a little is good enough.

However, I estimate that if you just give him a small amount of resources, he might simply give up; but if you were to really pull out a large number of resources, he might actually consider persisting until the camp can turn its losses into profits or until you stop sponsoring.

After all, if you were to invest a large amount of capital into the camp, with the increased sunk cost, you might also develop a gambler's mentality like him. No matter the losses, as long as you still have capital, you would invest without hesitation."

At this point, Mr. Thompson paused briefly, stared intently at Dong Tianyu for a moment, then shook his head: "You don't quite seem like someone with such a mentality. After all, even if you invest more resources into the camp at this time, the camp still belongs to Ye Liuyun.

If the camp were entirely under your control, you might risk everything to gamble on it, but now that the camp belongs to Ye Liuyun, you naturally wouldn't devote so many of your resources wholeheartedly."

Indeed, the father knows his son best. When it comes to Dong Tianyu's character, Mr. Thompson still has a very clear understanding.

Dong Tianyu did not expect his father to have such a deep understanding of himself. Mr. Thompson's judgment was correct; compared to the camp that belonged to Ye Liuyun, Dong Tianyu was sparing no effort in investing and building up his own Cave.

The reason why the Cave has been upgraded so quickly is, in fact, largely due to Dong Tianyu's continuous investments.