Chapter 212

"Hoo..."

Lucas exhaled a warm breath, tugging at his collar as he gazed out the window at the clear blue sky, lost in thought. "The weather is getting colder. It seems like the cold front from the Forbidden Mountains is moving in."

"Young Master, according to last year's records, there's only about five or six days left before the first snow of winter." Nicole said softly as she poured him a cup of hot tea.

"I see." Lucas furrowed his brow, pulling his gaze away from the window to look at Annie, who was busy handling administrative tasks. He asked gently, "Annie, what's the current production count of those furnaces?"

"One moment, let me check," Annie replied, picking up another notebook from her desk and flipping through it quickly.

Lucas had arranged a set of office furniture for Annie in the study room, positioned on the left side. Most of the administrative work had been delegated to her, with Lucas only needing the specific figures and broad summaries.

From the sight of the dozen or so notebooks on Annie's desk, it was clear how busy she was. She received reports on all sorts of data from the territory, which she then organized for Lucas's review.

"Young Master, we currently have three thousand ceramic furnaces," Annie said as she continued flipping through her notes. "The daily production is around seventy units."

"How about the population of Sedona City now?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. The number of furnaces seemed too low, and the daily output was insufficient.

"Young Master, the population of Sedona City is around nine thousand," Annie said, picking up another notebook and flipping through it. "In the past ten days or so, people from other cities have been arriving steadily. On some days, nearly three hundred people came."

"Oh? So many?" Lucas was surprised. The number was beyond his expectations.

"Young Master, don't forget that winter is coming," Mina said, swinging her feet and offering a gentle reminder. "Winter can be very harsh."

Lucas immediately understood. With winter approaching and snow expected, many people would struggle to survive without food and proper warmth.

He had sent out word through James that anyone coming to work in Sedona City would be guaranteed a full meal and a place to stay. It was no wonder so many people were arriving; they were coming with the mindset of "grasping at straws," preferring to try their luck in Sedona City rather than waiting passively for death in other cities.

"Let's move the ceramic furnaces to the main market," Lucas instructed. "Put the coal there too. They should only be sold to those with identification and temporary residence permits, and not to the merchants for now."

With winter approaching, having a furnace in each home could fend off much of the cold, as long as people have enough coal.

"Alright." Annie wrote down the order in her notebook, then looked worriedly at Lucas. "Young Master, what if the merchants cause trouble?"

"Cause trouble? Then we'll just lock them up in the Patrol guard division for a few days," Lucas said calmly.

He recalled that recently, many people had been detained in the Patrol guard division, including a large man named Hal. On his first day in the small cell, he had been shouting about duels and such, but after three days, he had been seen trembling at the sight of Ayesha, being dragged away from the Patrol guard division.

"Hehe... Young Master, they wouldn't dare to openly cause trouble," Mina said with a small smile. She pulled out a palm-sized notebook from her pocket, opened it, and handed it to Lucas. "They are all discussing whether to use civilians to smuggle goods to avoid the tax."

Indeed, they wouldn't dare cause trouble. Over the past few days, anyone caught and placed in the small cell had left the Patrol guard division in a state of terror. The reputation of the Patrol guard division had spread through word of mouth, and it was seen as a place of dread.

Ayesha, in particular, was regarded as the top enforcer of that reputation. People who had been fighting one moment would be hugging each other and calling out "brother" the next upon seeing her.

Originally, some lazy troublemakers had hoped to get free food and lodging by causing disturbances, but the three days in the small cell had driven them to the brink of madness.

"Smuggling?" Lucas took the notebook and carefully reviewed the information. These details had been collected from the second floor of the Drunken Night Restaurant.

The popularity of the Drunken Night Restaurant was evident just from its second floor. At meal times, the private rooms on that floor were always fully booked by merchants. Inside those rooms, discussions ranged from boasting and flattery to serious business matters.

Fragments of these conversations, overheard through hollow walls and bamboo tubes used for eavesdropping, were compiled into records, which were then sifted through by Mina and Ben.

"Interesting, they're actually considering avoiding taxes through smuggling. It seems I shouldn't place too much trust in the integrity of these merchants." Lucas said with a cold smile. The idea of using civilians to bypass inspections by breaking bulk into smaller quantities was akin to a form of smuggling.

It was somewhat similar to the concept of purchasing agents back on Earth, but with a crucial difference: here, the costs were lower, and the merchants made more profit by paying civilians only a small fee for their troubles.

Lucas realized he shouldn't underestimate the cunning of merchants obsessed with profit. When it came to their interests, their ingenuity was boundless.

"Young Master, should we arrest them all?" Mina asked, her eyes glinting with cold light as she brandished a military knife. "I can take them down right now."

"No, that would be too lenient," Lucas replied. "If they dare to breach the rules, they should pay a price."

This time, Lucas decided to set an example to warn other merchants. He would allow them to earn money, but he would also make sure they didn't profit too easily.

"Young Master, what's your plan?" Mina asked with curiosity.

"When they attempt to smuggle again, I want to catch them red-handed. We'll seize all their goods, lock them up in the small cells, and then expel them from Sedona City after three days. They'll be added to Sedona City's blacklist, and they won't be allowed to return." Lucas said calmly.

If they were unwilling to make money within the rules, they shouldn't make any money at all. He would cut off their revenue stream and direct them elsewhere.

"I fear those merchants might end up crying their hearts out in the small cells." Annie said with a light laugh. Considering Sedona City's current profitability, the merchants were making money. Otherwise, so many wouldn't be coming to the city.

"Have Aiden strengthen the border surveillance," Lucas said seriously. "I don't want to discover any smugglers slipping through."

He was determined to keep a tight rein on all changes in Sedona City during its early stages.

"Understood." 

Mina and Annie both acknowledged the orders. Mina turned on her heel, her expression set with resolve as she prepared to take action. Annie quickly began coordinating with the staff to implement the new orders.

Lucas watched them leave with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that the wheels were in motion to maintain order and discipline within Sedona City. He turned back to his desk, ready to address any other pressing matters, fully committed to ensuring that his city thrived under his watchful eye.

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