As Gu Qingcheng finished at the pharmacy and entered the rice shop, the system suddenly issued a mission:
"Host, for every starving civilian you save due to famine, you will be rewarded with 100 Pleasure Points."
Received.
Gu Qingcheng's rice shop sold millet, which was half the price of rice.
Her goal was clear: if their rice sold cheaper than what was on the market, she would offend the rice merchants.
Currently, those who could supply enough rice were backed by powerful forces.
Gu Qingcheng did not want to get into conflicts. By selling millet cheaply, she would avoid competing in the rice market.
As the system continued to issue tasks, Gu Qingcheng realized that her desire to relax was impossible. The system's purpose was to make her do more, even to the extent of saving the common people of the world.
The system was subtly pushing her forward. Although it provided the benefit of Pleasure Points, in reality, it was the suffering common people who benefited the most.
At the rice shop, many helpers were busy unloading goods.
This time, 10 merchant ships followed Gu Qingcheng, all loaded with millet, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other daily necessities for investment. In addition, there was a large quantity of dried mutton and pork.
Cattle were livestock forbidden from slaughter by the government. Although there was no longer government control, cattle were essential for farming. Therefore, Gu Qingcheng did not plan to sell beef. Even though the government was gone, she wanted to avoid trouble.
Upon arriving at any location, the first step was to establish connections.
Gu Qingcheng was now powerful, with over 10,000 villagers at her beck and call. Her strength was unparalleled within a radius of several hundred miles.
However, there was always someone stronger, and mountains beyond mountains. She could only be considered a representative figure of her "new home," but there were "old money" forces with unfathomable foundations.
Families like Prince Xia's, for instance, had sufficient manpower and resources to cope with the sudden natural disaster.
Therefore, Gu Qingcheng did not intend to reveal her strength too early, lest her tender shoots be nipped in the bud.
To pay respects to the local powers, introductions from locals were necessary.
Wang Dapeng had not spent two months here in vain. That day, through the intermediary Old Hu, he arranged for Boss Du of the merchant ships, Shopkeeper Xia of the cloth shop, and Shopkeeper Su of the pharmacy, among others, to gather at the Eight Directions Inn for a welcoming banquet for Gu Qingcheng.
During the two months Wang Dapeng stayed here, he had been generous with his spending. Everyone thought he was a capable figure in charge. They never expected him to mention a young master Gu, implying that Young Master Gu was the power behind Wang Dapeng.
Upon realizing the truth, everyone secretly marveled.
If Wang Dapeng, a subordinate, could spend so lavishly, his master's strength must be even more unfathomable.
Everyone was curious about who this Young Master Gu was.
At the Eight Directions Inn, Wang Dapeng booked a private room and asked the waiter to serve all the restaurant's signature dishes except fish.
Wang Dapeng was responsible for the early reception. Gu Qingcheng did not arrive at the inn immediately.
For her first appearance, she wanted to maintain an air of mystery, so she would make a late entrance.
Only after everyone had arrived did Gu Qingcheng make her appearance, timing it perfectly.
Because of the grand setup, the crowd did not find Gu Qingcheng arrogant. Instead, they felt it perfectly suited the status of Young Master Gu.
What they did not expect was that Young Master Gu was a frail, scholarly young man.
However, knowing that he was only 14, almost 15 years old, everyone immediately felt that Young Master Gu was unlikely to be the mastermind behind Phoenix Pharmaceuticals. Behind the vast family power, there were clearly more mysterious influential figures.
They were all people of the world and would not pry into his background.
Gu Qingcheng's prestige had already been established through Wang Dapeng's lavish spending, so everyone treated her with utmost respect.
Gu Qingcheng took her seat, exchanged pleasantries, and after introductions, she spoke:
"Esteemed shopkeepers, I am still young and my family forbids me from drinking. However, Dapeng and the others can accompany you all to drink to your heart's content. I will have to substitute tea for wine. I'll drink this first toast, and you all may drink as you please."
Gu Qingcheng spoke frankly from the outset.
Looking at her age, everyone agreed she was still growing.
Such a young scion of a noble family would naturally not ruin his developing body with alcohol during social events. Everyone agreed and praised Young Master Gu for being so well-raised by his family.
After a round of flattery, Gu Qingcheng generously presented a bottle of 20-year-old Maotai, inviting everyone to taste this mellow, high-priced wine.
When everyone heard that the alcohol content was a staggering 54 percent, they were incredulous.
The brewing technique for this wine was astonishing!
They expected such high proof to be fiery and intense on the palate, but to their surprise, it was smooth and mellow, incredibly delicious.
The wine Gu Qingcheng presented once again allowed everyone to perceive her deep foundation from the details.
If not from a centuries-old noble family, such exquisite ambrosia could not be produced.
Despite experiencing severe natural disasters, those noble families with deep foundations could always find ways to evade them and survive. In their eyes, Gu Qingcheng was of such a background.
Gu Qingcheng intended to use Chaoliaodao as her base and expand her business to the surrounding areas. Therefore, she conversed cordially with everyone.
Although young, she possessed extensive knowledge of worldly affairs, and information from later generations could easily outshine them all.
She chatted and laughed with them, her presence being the center of attention.
At the banquet, Gu Qingcheng preliminarily established friendly relations with these local powers.
Of course, such friendly relations were merely superficial, based on a first meeting, and not profound. Maintaining such relationships required more than just words.
Gu Qingcheng had her own plans.
During the feast, as they were all merry with wine, she dropped a bombshell:
"Elders, I, Qingcheng, am unskilled, but I intend to build a cargo port. May I ask if you are interested in investing and building it together?"
Building a cargo port required enormous investment, a colossal sum of money. However, once the port was built, the flow of goods and the docking of merchant ships would bring in continuous, substantial revenue.
If it could be built, given the current situation on Chaoliaodao, it would definitely not be a loss.
These people lacked experience in building ports, but Gu Qingcheng said she would take the lead, meaning she would bear the brunt of the investment.
Inviting them to invest showed her confidence and understanding that such wealth could not be amassed by one person alone; it required leveraging their local influence.
Instantly, Gu Qingcheng, a newcomer, became a sought-after figure in everyone's eyes by offering this path to wealth.
"Young Master Gu, how much silver will it cost to build a cargo port? Can you give us a detailed figure? That way, we can consider and prepare."
Said Boss Lu.