Rain season.

Hai Province is rainy, each year as the temperature gradually rises, the rainfall becomes increasingly abundant.

With the operation of ocean currents, a large amount of moist air flows from the Endless Sea, turning into frequent storms. And after a rain, the temperature rises again...

Until the earth cracks dry, then turns into swamps amidst torrential rain.

Such cycles repeat endlessly.

The brighter the sun shines, the higher the temperature, the heavier the rain, the more humid the air becomes.

It's difficult to rely on the blazing sun to disperse the moisture, nor can one expect the rain to relieve the scorching heat. Under the combined influence of both, the world will become a giant steaming pot.

Sometimes, the impurity content in the rainwater surges, and under acidic conditions, anything high-tech in the wilderness is doomed. Solar panels rapidly age under the erosion of hurricanes and acid rain, while clumsy wind turbines endure, at worst replacing some blades and bearings.

Not only that.

With the arrival of the rain season, the entire Hai Province will enter another period of turmoil.

It's not just the flooding and waterlogging in the cities, floods and tsunamis outside the cities are also increasingly frequent...

Every summer is a peak season for disasters.

Inside the cities is better; the large and small cities throughout the Federation are covered by the Heavenly Governor's Law, which can maximally suppress the spread and intensity of disasters. But outside the cities in the wilderness, the effectiveness of the Heavenly Governor's Law rapidly diminishes.

For settlements in the wilderness, every summer is a trial.

Frequent natural disasters are secondary because preparedness is possible. Under climate change, the activeness of various Disaster Beasts is manageable; if can't be provoked, at least can avoid. People already have the experience of fleeing.

The most terrifying thing is that as the sea rises, the sea level elevates, the complicated reef areas of many coastal regions in Hai Province will be submerged by seawater.

Large ships will be able to cross previous obstructions, freely entering and exiting coastal regions, even advancing inland along rivers during floodwaters...

—This means the 'Water Ghosts' from the sea are coming ashore!

Just as there are different classes among people...

The wish for equality at birth is beautiful, but it's too distant from reality. Not only are there superior horses, middle horses, and inferior horses, even in wrongdoing, there is a contempt hierarchy.

In the wilderness outside the order, where lawless people prey on each other, there are dramatic differences among them.

In the market, forced sales, fake goods, or simple scams and extortions by small-time hustlers are merely childish competitions akin to small kindergarten classes. In comparison, those with a bit more courage would dare to hold a gun at the pass or on wilderness roads to collect tolls as road bandits.

Getting crazier, garbage looters during the day, at night, entire settlements, men, women, young or old, would be masked and armed, rampaging through the wilderness, even daring to rob caravans from large cities.

But no matter how overboard they go, they are still in the Federation, harboring a tiny bit of reverence and fear, not daring to go too far.

Unless, they incur a great catastrophe or harbor great ambition, hitching a ride on a smuggling boat or small dinghy, venturing into the boundless sea... within the now still continuously contentious Thousand Islands, jumping into that Hell beneath the blue sea and clear sky!

The wars among the City States have continued for hundreds of years for various reasons.

Countless life-or-death struggles.

Under the brutal waves of the Endless Sea, it's unknown how many outlaws have emerged, almost blatantly engaging in illicit activities.

Among them are fugitives causing trouble unable to survive within the Federation and Empire, exiled failed kings and rogue priests from Central Earth's conflicts, retired soldiers or villains from several Thousand Islands' navies... even those originally from City States' Federation defensive fleets making extra cash after taking off their uniforms!

Almost every rain season, big and small pirates seize this opportunity to raid the Federation's coastal areas.

Though they dare not appear or approach around large cities in the Federation, to them, countless settlements throughout the wilderness seem almost like fat sheep.

Even if destitute enough to stir souls, nevertheless, do you not still have your life?

When life becomes increasingly cheap, people become more valuable, alive or dead, whole or in fragments, all have their worth.

Evil deeds can vary, but straw is straw everywhere.

Most small settlements have few useless broken guns, utterly incapable of self-defense, only yielding to slaughter.

Moreover, quite a few locals would help show the way...

How many locals have mingled among them?

To seek survival, or to avoid being exploited too much, one must endure various harsh treatments, seeking protection from one side.

Certainly, the best method is to get into the city, but unfortunately, an ID is a valuable thing, yet many people lack it.

Every year, for those in the city, the scorching heat and rainfall are merely troublesome, but for the settlements outside, it means the approaching of catastrophe.

Moreover, at this moment before Ji Jue's eyes, this small village with no more than a hundred people clearly resembles a fat sheep, one holding treasures or plentiful assets...

The young ones still have futile dreams and hopes, but as the leader of the settlement, the middle-aged can't be ignorant?

What's dug from the ground is hardly a treasure.

But rather an outright death warrant!

Money or life, one can only choose one; if one desires both, then one must gamble.

Gamble that this overly youthful director before you still wishes to achieve something. Gamble that oneself will become that valuable horse bone purchased with thousands of gold.

Amidst the brief silence, Ji Jue said nothing.

He quietly tapped the origin stone at hand, a crisp echo resonating in the silent garage.

Until much later, Ji Jue turned back to him.

Suddenly asked, "Do you want money or goods?"

In an instant, the middle-aged man was pardoned, almost bouncing out of his chair, wiping sweat in ecstasy: "Anything, anything! It's just... it's just... could you... could you please..."

"Coastal Industry indeed lacks manpower recently, recruitment is ongoing, if you're interested, you can certainly sign up."

Ji Jue told him, "It's just that, when we recruit people here, they need to have experience and a foundation."

"We can learn!" the leader assured firmly.

"So, that's a long-term contract, right?"

Ji Jue nodded, "Six months of training, ten years of work, including food and accommodation. No foundation required, but you have to be honest and straightforward, no trickery, clean hands, can you do it?"

"Yes! Yes!"

The leader's eyes lit up, "I have... over a hundred people here, all young adults, all honest and willing to work hard!"

He turned around and kicked the young men behind him, "Anou, Anong, what are you standing there for! Say hello to the boss!"

"Hello, boss!"

"Hello, boss!"

Some young men hesitated while others were decisive, obediently bowing their heads.

Ji Jue laughed, "Your settlement only has over a hundred people, where did you get over a hundred?"

"All... have some relatives and friends, all honest people, honest people!" the leader smiled obsequiously, "Everyone admires Director Ji's character, admires Coastal Industry, all are willing to come and willing to work!"

"Whether they are honest isn't for you to say."

Ji Jue glanced at him, "I don't care how they came, but after they sign the contract, how they're managed isn't up to you, understand?"

"Understand! Understand!!!"

The leader's face lit up with joy, nodding repeatedly, without even asking Ji Jue how much money and goods would be given, that wasn't the focus anymore, it certainly wouldn't be little.

The key is that after these over a hundred people sign a contract with the Coast, they can logically stay at Xinquan, and won't their relatives also settle down along with them?

The space isn't large, can't they squeeze a bit?

Among all the settlements in the wilderness of Hai Province, which one is the largest, Xinquan certainly isn't, but if you talk about where the future development prospects are, apart from Xinquan which monopolizes the lump of Spring City Ruins, where else could it be?

There's a knack to holding onto someone strong; if you're going to hold on, hold onto the thickest thigh; if you're going to be a dog, be the dog of the richest person.

If you can become the Coast's dog, why fear enduring more hardships in the wilderness?!

"Discounted price acquisition, four million."

Ji Jue finally patted the origin stone and told the finance department, "No need to sign the loan agreement for training, give an empty quota of four million for the factory's products, let them choose what they want."

After speaking, he glanced back at the still-smiling middle-aged man.

This time, before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man had already taken out a piece of paper with already pressed fingerprints and signatures from his pocket and offered it with both hands.

The paper clearly states—grateful for the Coast's continuous selfless assistance and charity, this origin stone is given to the Coast without compensation for use as rockery decoration.

Prepared long ago.

Contracts in the wilderness are not even as useful as toilet paper; if you're going to offer, why pretend to be polite?

Ji Jue lowered his gaze, staring at the strip of paper presented under his nose.

His eyebrows slightly raised.

Once again, he looked at this man with a sincere yet obsequious face.

From the beginning to the end, he actually had a choice...

A few hundred thousand to several million, sometimes this sum can be a huge fortune, sometimes it can mean nothing.

If used for the settlement, it's just a drop in the ocean, but if used on himself... it's enough to change his ways, establish a decent business in the city, and from then on, become a well-off person.

Is his heart set on the settlement, unwilling to betray everyone's expectations, or does he want to take a chance, be the head rather than the tail, and perhaps bet on going further?

Ji Jue surprisingly found it hard to tell.

But no matter what, it didn't matter to him.

Glancing at the strip of paper, he chuckled softly, took it, and suddenly asked, "What's your name?"

"I, I..."

The middle-aged man paused for a moment, his eager smile gradually growing more excited, "My surname is Gou, my name is nothing notable, I'm the second, you can call me Old Gou or Old Two."

"Then register Old Gou, the shed area next to the factory zone has been getting messier, we're still missing an administrator, let's see your skills."

Ji Jue waved his hand and left with the backhoe and origin stone.

In the silence, Lu Feng, who was smoking and watching the scene, chuckled, patted his shoulder, and turned to leave too, leaving only Yan Jian and the finance team.

At this moment, Yan Gong still had a smile, looking at Gou Er, "Shall we hand over?"

"Alright, alright."

Gou Er wiped his hands on his body, then enthusiastically shook hands with him; during the handshake, he quietly slipped a heavy little bag over, "Being new here, please guide me."

"We're all family, no problem."

Yan Jian chuckled too, not bothered, not pushing the bag back.

It's not even as much as his daily dividends.

"Alright, no need for any more formalities."

He handed over a list, "I'll accompany you to get the money later, feel free to choose transfer or gold. All the goods are here, take a look."

Gou Er held his breath.

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