Chapter 293: Black Dragon City's Population Boom
Three days later.
On the rugged mountain road from the Theed Empire to Black Dragon City.
A group of several thousand people traveled together, carefully crossing the Alcolon Mountains where monsters were rampant.
"So there really is a pass here. This map is really accurate..."
"I thought this road was very dangerous, but I didn't expect that after we passed this 'Black Dragon Pass', we basically didn't encounter any large monsters. This is much easier to travel than the road to the Glory City..."
"Yeah, it feels weird. It's like someone has cleared this road..."
“…”
This is a team that brings together the Chamber of Commerce, the hunting group and the refugees. Most of the people in the team come with the purpose of "opening up new land", "being the first to try new things" and "exploring new ways".
Unexpectedly, the journey over the mountains and across the rivers was much safer than expected.
The foggy area in the southwest of the Theed Empire, next to the Alcoron Mountains, has always been a high-risk area, with a high casualty rate for hunting. They didn't expect that after leaving the Theed border and going deep into the mountains, the frequency of encountering monsters became less and less.
The first half was a bit dangerous, but the second half became safer and safer.
"What else could be weird?"
"Didn't you see that after we passed the 'Black Dragon Pass', there were blue-tailed eagles and flying dragons passing by from time to time? I thought they were passing monsters, but just now I saw that there was a person on the flying dragon, and I realized that things were not simple."
"You mean, the flying dragons have driven away all the monsters on this mountain road?"
"Yes. That should be the 'Flying Dragon Army' in the Black Dragon City legend. Haven't you heard about the grand battle of 'Black Wind Territory' in the Glorious City? Thousands of flying dragons descended from the sky and directly captured a large city..."
"Oh, I heard that too. But... since Black Dragon City is inhabited by barbarians, will they trick me into going there and then eat us as food? I heard that barbarians like to eat people."
"You are too out of date. The 'Black Dragon City' was founded by Princess Ymir of Omar, and it is backed by the 'Black Gold Chamber of Commerce'. How could it be a barbarian city? I guess the barbarians are probably war slaves or something..."
"I've also heard that those barbarian dragon riders actually have no ill will towards us civilians. At least in the previous Battle of Black Wind Territory, they didn't harm any civilians at all."
"We'll know the specific situation once we get there. Our captain is waiting for me to go there early and send a message back. If the actual situation in 'Black Dragon City' is as the intelligence says, a large army will come here to make a fortune..."
“…”
Because they did not encounter any attacks from high-level monsters, the team moved very quickly.
That day, just after noon, they saw a majestic city appear in their sight.
Towering steam boiler chimneys, thick city walls made of rivets and steel plates, scattered artillery, neatly planned streets and houses...
Because the city is on the ground, the scale of the city in front of us is even much larger than some large territories!
"This... Oh my God, there really is a city here!"
"Let's go! Let's go and take a look..."
“…”
The moment they saw this huge city, the first group of people who came to Black Dragon City immediately realized that the information was true.
Having such a city to settle down means that the hunting group will have a solid shelter here.
Mechanical City, this is the foundation for all conditions to be established.
Originally, if they wanted to hunt in the land west of the Alcoron Mountains, they could only go to the City of Glory.
Now, there is one more option!
…
"Everyone, please don't crowd, please line up to enter the city !"
Municipal officials had been waiting at the gate of Black Dragon City for a long time. They were responsible for registering people entering the city and explaining the requirements for entering the city.
Because there were not many people on the first day, everyone entered the city quickly.
Some of the "permanent residents" in the city were the craftsmen who participated in the construction of Black Dragon City. They were also low-level civilian craftsmen from the two empires. When asked, some of them were even related to some of the first batch of refugees.
After this conversation, everyone soon understood the truth.
"What? The entrance fee is so cheap! It's only one tenth of the price of Glory City!"
"Is the tax really that real? Only about 10%?"
"Is it true that permanent residents enjoy the benefits of medical care, education, and potions? If you contribute to the city, you can become a permanent resident?"
"Anyone can join the army, even nobles? And can anyone become a permanent resident if they meet the requirements?"
"Oh my God, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was real..."
“…”
The scavengers and refugees seemed to have entered a dreamland. They looked around the city and became more and more shocked.
Not many shops on both sides of the street were open for business, but the goods in the display cabinets were delightful.
In the potion shop, there are all kinds of extraordinary potions, from level one to level five.
The key is... the price is very cheap!
Now, whether in the two empires or the City of Glory, the magic potion industry is monopolized by the nobles and is a highly profitable industry. If ordinary people want to afford a magic potion, they need to spend their savings from decades of hard work.
And here, it’s only less than one-tenth of the price!
This price means that everyone has the opportunity to advance to the extraordinary level even if they fail multiple times due to the potion's compatibility not being high enough.
Because taxes in the city are extremely low, everyone can earn contribution points and income through their own labor.
(In the early stage, Black Dragon City will use the contribution model of the previous Glory City to sell most of the city's goods. This is to prevent those old nobles from taking advantage of the loopholes and disrupting the market with their huge financial advantages.)
Moreover, there are not only magic potions, but also various high-level magic beast materials and alchemical materials...
In the machine shop, there are all kinds of high-level mechanic equipment, four-cylinder and six-cylinder steam-powered boilers, robotic arms, high-power muskets, and various high-precision mechanical parts.
Its technological level has even reached the military level of the two great empires...
This is high-end mechanical equipment that cannot be bought anywhere else!
There is also the [Black Fog Detoxification Potion] that can resolve the aftereffects of the black fog, and it is also in unlimited supply here!
Seeing all these things in front of them, the first batch of people who came to Black Dragon City were all excited. They wanted to participate in the hunting and city construction tasks immediately and earn contribution points to buy these items.
…
After the visit, the managers of various chambers of commerce who came to investigate, as well as the advance teams of large-scale hunting groups, all eagerly rented communication equipment in the city to contact the headquarters.
The situation is true, come quickly.
The hunting group needs a large number of people to open up the wasteland and seize the first-hand resources...
The Chamber of Commerce needs a lot of funds to buy and rent shops, and needs to mobilize a lot of goods...
Everyone saw the huge business opportunities in this city!
Compared with other cities, the conditions in Black Dragon City are simply heaven.
It is conceivable that once the news spreads, a huge number of refugees will flock in... By then, the city's business will experience a "boom".
This group of people were also fortunate that they were the first group to come here!
…
On the city wall, Ryan and Ymir stood there, looking at the thousands of people pouring into the city, their eyes shining.
The city was large enough that the arrival of a thousand people did not cause too much commotion, but it did inject a bit of new vitality into this emerging city.
"The first batch of refugees has arrived, and there will be more people coming later..."
"Yes. We have a great advantage. Once the news spreads, even if the two empires block the border, they can't stop the development of our Black Dragon City."
"In the next half month, I estimate that at least one million people will pour in. They will bring a large amount of supplies, and then we can start building some new small mechanical cities. Our Black Dragon City will become more and more powerful..."
"Um."
“…”
The rise of Black Dragon City is unstoppable.
From the day this city was planned and built, it was destined to become "unique".
This is a true "free city".
In other aristocratic cities, the two empires, or the current City of Glory, all policies and laws are for the service of the nobles, and are all aimed at exploiting every penny of the hard-earned money of the common people as much as possible.
But Ryan, the time traveler, knows very well that traffic and population represent prosperity.
This world has extraordinary powers. As long as every civilian advances to extraordinary levels, their hunting and planting efficiency will be extremely high, and they will never have the problem of food shortage.
After having no worries about food and clothing, spiritual enjoyment is the real source of profit.
Instead of exploiting the potatoes that ordinary farmers use to fill their stomachs, it is better to put taxes on this.
For example, in his previous life, tobacco, alcohol, and various entertainment industries…things that improve the quality of life and provide people with enjoyment are the industries that can really make you rich.
Once the wasteland hunters have extra money, the various entertainment industries in the city will explode in growth.
Commercial taxes will become the bulk of the city's revenue, which will be a virtuous cycle that will make the territory more and more prosperous.
Moreover, Black Dragon City is not without monopoly.
They have a monopoly on the high-end market.
High-level mechanical equipment, high-level materials, high-level potions, and rich mining resources...
Things that others don’t have and things that have technical barriers are where the bulk of the profits come from.
Therefore, the rise of Black Dragon City is unstoppable and no one can stop it.
Moreover, the two great empires were unable to imitate and could only watch their populations drain away.
This is a problem with the system itself. Even if other cities knew about Heilongcheng’s various welfare policies, they would not be able to imitate and follow suit.
It is impossible for the old nobles to give up their rights.
And there are a large number of nobles in each territory.
The "nobility" of the nobility is reflected in their exploitation of the common people.
Without high taxes, where would the nobles get their income from if they did not work or hunt on weekdays?
Even if there is a territory that really follows all the policies of Black Dragon City, it will still be of no help.
Black Dragon City has the unique geographical location of the "Kalatwa Basin", technological and resource advantages that no other territory can match.
The only one that is somewhat competitive is the City of Glory.
Unfortunately, it has just been established and the people of the five major families haven’t even gotten comfortable in the aristocratic chairs. How can you ask them to give up their aristocratic rights and give concessions to the common people?
impossible!
It's impossible even if you beat me to death!
With so many nobles, if the aristocratic system is abolished, the kingdom will collapse immediately.
If the impact of Glory City on the two empires is like a channel draining water from a dam, then the existence of Black Dragon City is like directly opening a hole in the dam that could cause it to burst...
…
In this first group of thousands of people who came to Black Dragon City, in addition to the refugees and scavengers who came to explore the way, there were naturally some guys with ulterior motives.
Among them, the intelligence personnel of the Sid Empire were naturally the first to arrive.
There were a few sneaky guys mixed in with the team entering the city. Unlike the others, they were not concerned about welfare policies, but were secretly looking at the city's defense facilities.
The more they looked, the more shocked they became.
The more I inquire, the more disappointed I feel.
In fact, after the Black Tide broke out, there was already a large-scale population migration to Glory City. No matter whether it was blocking the border or amending the law, it was impossible to stop the population migration.
However, as the exploitative policies became increasingly harsh after the founding of the Glorious Nation, this trend was greatly alleviated.
The isolated Glorious City followed the trend and integrated into the world of aristocrats.
But unexpectedly, one crisis came after another.
Now there is an even more terrifying "Black Dragon City"!
Even people who don’t understand politics know that things are not good when they see the various policies of Black Dragon City.
This will fundamentally and thoroughly shake the social system of centralized monarchy!
"Damn it, that Princess Omar actually built this city! Send a telegram to the imperial capital immediately and report the situation here so that His Majesty can make the decision. If it's too late, it might shake the foundation of the empire..."
"Team leader, should we send troops to block the pass and prevent refugees from coming?"
"Blockade? Isn't the lesson from Black Wind Territory enough? Even though there are no sentries at the pass, don't you see the Dragon Legion? How many people will be needed to withstand the attack of the Dragon Legion? Moreover, the pass belongs to the Black Dragon City territory. Are they planning to declare war directly by sending troops here? Do you think the Imperial Legion can defeat the barbarians and the Dragon Legion in this mountain battle? And what about this city?"
“…”
If the problem could be solved by war, then the Glorious City would have ceased to exist long ago.
This special geographical environment makes it impossible for large machinery cities to cross the mountains.
It is impossible to destroy the "Black Dragon City" with erected walls and artillery with the army alone.
…
Just as Ryan and his team had expected, the population of Black Dragon City exploded.
On the first day, 8,000 people entered the city, on the second day, 20,000... After ten days, the number suddenly increased to 100,000, 200,000...
On the mountain road leading from the Sid border to Black Dragon City, large numbers of refugees pour in almost all the time.
In the sky, there is a dragon army patrolling around the clock.
At first, there were some forces with ulterior motives that caused trouble, but once they were discovered, they were immediately wiped out by the Flying Dragon Riders.
There were no monster raids, no thieves, and the journey was almost unimpeded. As a result, ordinary civilians who were originally worried about the dangers of the journey also flocked here...
Just one month later, the population of Black Dragon City skyrocketed from the initial 50,000 to 60,000 people to 3 million!
Moreover, the population is growing at a rate of hundreds of thousands every day.
There are a large number of craftsmen among these refugees. They can collect stones to build houses, mine, and forge iron tools...
Also, because urban construction provided a large number of jobs for refugees, civilians who were not extraordinary people no longer had to go out hunting, but could survive by working with their own hands.
Originally, craftsmen in other territories earned 90% of their daily income in taxes, and the rest was barely enough to feed themselves, so it was not easy for them to survive.
In Black Dragon City, the tax rate for a day's work is only 10%, and most of the money goes into your pocket.
Therefore, the common people also had extra money in their hands, so they could go to the taverns in the city to spend money, buy more clothes, and delicious food...
Business in the city came to life almost overnight.
Various chambers of commerce, large and small, organized teams of materials to be transported to Black Dragon City in a steady stream.
Those refugees would also choose to bring some materials that are urgently needed for building the city at this stage. Millions of people would bring a few kilograms of steel each, which would be the amount needed to build a small mechanical city...
This is hundreds or even thousands of times more efficient than relying solely on the "Black Gold Chamber of Commerce" to mobilize materials.
Ordinary civilians can easily buy basic potions and upgrade to extraordinary ones in the potion shop in the city with money and contribution points.
The grand occasion of "Everyone is Extraordinary" in Guanghui City was reproduced in Black Dragon City, and even more so.
The former Glorious City was just a "temporary place" for hunters to hunt, and ordinary civilians had no chance to survive.
But it exists in Black Dragon City!
No oppression, no exploitation, everyone is equal...
This is a true “city of freedom and equality”!
In less than a month, the refugees who originally wanted to "get rich" had changed their minds. Almost all of them set their goal to "become a permanent resident of Black Dragon City" and actively participated in labor, hunting, and joining the army...
A life with a promising future can motivate the people to produce actively and to their full potential...
The city area is getting bigger and bigger, and the efficiency of construction and land reclamation is getting higher and higher...
Black Dragon City is developing at an unimaginable speed.
…
The construction of a city, especially with explosive population growth, is bound to have various problems.
Medical gap, housing gap, chaotic public security...
If this happened in Ryan's previous life, it would have collapsed in minutes.
But in this era, the opponents (the noble territories) are too weak. Even if Black Dragon City is temporarily in chaos, it is still very different from other territories.
In the refugees' own words, even if they were to be a temporary bricklayer in Black Dragon City, they could earn more money than a common middle-class person in other territories!
However, these minor problems will gradually disappear over time. The system of Black Dragon City, which is several stages ahead of its time, also plays a huge role in the development of the city.
…
And on this day, a group of special visitors came to Black Dragon City.
Leading the group was a bearded, grey-robed wizard.
