Chapter 495, Spend Some Money
Hearing Phi's comment, Wu Heng remembered this pirate group.
The Mad Lion Pirates were a well-known large pirate group in the Emerald Sea.
After the last battle on Gold-Silver Island.
The discovery of the Mad Lion Pirates' flag led to the assumption they had been eradicated, and their bounty was removed.
Now they had reappeared, planning to raid merchant convoys along the routes.
Either some of the Mad Lion Pirates hadn't participated in the battle at Gold-Silver Island.
Or they had survived by luck and reformed their group.
Philipa's voice came through again.
She gritted her teeth. "It was this pirate group that tricked me before, accusing me of being a guild spy. If not for two friends I had among the pirates, I would have been dead."
Wu Heng frowned slightly.
He recalled Philipa mentioning her capture and imprisonment by pirates before.
It seemed the Mad Lion Pirates were responsible.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "The pirate group hasn't changed its flag, so their captain is likely still alive. Be cautious when you approach."
Given the ships under Philipa's command.
Defeating ordinary pirates shouldn't be an issue.
However, encountering a Level 15 Professional still posed a risk.
Philipa continued, "Then I'll use that equipment you gave me. You said the ammunition was limited, so I haven't used it yet."
"Go ahead. It has strong recoil. Aim the first few shots at their hull."
Now that the factory was secured and production recovery was underway.
Although ammunition was still scarce, there was no need to be overly frugal.
"Got it! I'll blast those bastards to pieces," Philipa said eagerly.
After all, the battle at Gold-Silver Island.
Had made Wu Heng famous on the island, and Philipa had always wanted to test the power of this weapon.
Returning without using it even once would feel unsatisfying.
"Alright, stay safe."
Philipa chuckled. "Sure. Anything else? If not, I'll go command the ships."
"Go ahead. Once this is over, prepare to return. You've been out long enough," Wu Heng said.
Philipa readily agreed. "Alright. I miss you too. I'm heading out now. Bye, Dad!"
The line disconnected, leaving only silence.
Wu Heng hung the microphone back on the radio and stored the emerald sand table away.
He walked to another radio station and picked up the logbook for a glance.
This was the log for the "Shanaila" radio.
A brief message had been recorded.
「Docked safely, no need to worry!」
It seemed the wood elves were quite far away, taking so long to reach their destination.
Perhaps they were unfamiliar with the radio or in a bad mood.
In the past, Shanaila had enjoyed chatting with him.
Now, after all this time, she had only sent a few words.
Still, Wu Heng felt reassured.
Shanaila was safe and hadn't forgotten him.
He placed the logbook back and left the room.
Joining his two maids, he had breakfast together.
They boarded a carriage bound for the central district.
...…
The Island Lord's carriage.
Was pulled by two skeletal horses.
The carriage bore engravings of Gold-Silver Island and the guild's emblem, appearing quite ornate.
The skeletal horses were repurposed cavalry mounts bought from the Snake Emblem Consortium for carriage use.
Wu Heng considered getting a few luxury cars as the Island Lord's official vehicle but felt that skeletal horses were far more stylish than cars.
The carriage clattered into the central district.
Wu Heng disembarked midway to visit the guild, while Andviel continued to the town hall.
Having recently taken over the entire island, the town hall's workload was heavy.
Things should stabilize over time, and Andviel wouldn't remain so busy.
Entering the guild hall.
Staff and guild teams warmly greeted him.
Wu Heng smiled back and headed directly to the steward's office.
He knocked on the door and, hearing Sheila Grey's voice, walked in.
Inside, Sheila Grey sat behind the desk, and a golden-haired elf girl sat in the assistant's seat.
The assistant bore some resemblance to Sheila Grey, though her features were more mature compared to Sheila's baby-faced appearance.
Her figure was quite exaggerated, contrasting with her appearance.
When Wu Heng entered, Sheila's expression lit up, and she glanced to the side.
Clearing her throat, she said, "Wu Heng, you're just in time. Let me introduce you to my assistant."
Then she turned to the assistant and said, "This is Island Lord Wu Heng. We've worked as deputy stewards and fought side by side before."
The short-haired elf smiled, stepped forward, and bowed slightly. "Island Lord Wu Heng, I'm the new assistant, Shiyali, and Sheila Grey's older sister. Thank you for taking care of her."
"Hello," Wu Heng responded with a smile.
Sheila Grey interjected, "This is work time. Let's keep personal matters aside."
Shiyali continued to smile. "Island Lord, please take a seat. I brought some floral tea from the elves. Please try it."
She walked to the side and began preparing tea.
Wu Heng sat down.
Sheila looked at him curiously. "What brings you here today?"
Wu Heng said, "Just checking in. Nothing serious on the island lately, right?"
"Not much. But with the growing number of merchant fleets, I think you should consider expanding," Sheila suggested directly.
The increase in merchant activity on Gold-Silver Island was a good thing.
It boosted local income and taxes.
The merchant fleets Wu Heng personally endorsed were still in the minority; most of the trade came from independent merchant groups that paid taxes.
However, with the growing population, the current infrastructure.
Was starting to feel cramped.
The assistant brought over the tea. Wu Heng thanked her and said, "I'm here to talk about that. I plan to resume city expansion and add a new port to separate the guild's ships from the merchant vessels."
"Hmm, that's a good idea," Sheila Grey agreed.
Wu Heng looked at her. "So, building a dedicated guild and island port—it's fair if the guild also chips in some money, right?"
Pfft!
Sheila Grey spat out the tea she had just sipped.
She hurriedly wiped her face, trying to recover her composure, and said angrily, "You talked all this time just to ask me for money?"
"Building is a collective effort. Happiness for everyone, right? You could write up a request for a dedicated port from the headquarters. I'll propose the construction plan and get them to approve funding. How about that?" Wu Heng said, taking a sip of tea.
Sheila Grey's eyes widened.
"You're still planning to get money from headquarters!"
"What's with that look?"
Sheila Grey shook her head. "I'm not writing it. I'm a steward, not a secretary."
"It's not embezzlement; it's for an actual port," Wu Heng emphasized.
"Even so, it's inappropriate. If word gets out, it'd be so embarrassing," Sheila Grey insisted.
Wu Heng continued to persuade, "With the growing number of fleets, the current port is insufficient. Separating them makes perfect sense. How is that embarrassing? Just write it up, and we'll see if it gets approved."
Sheila Grey thought for a moment.
She finally said, "I'll think about it and let you know."
"Alright, no harm in trying. If they don't approve it, we'll build it ourselves."
Sheila Grey rolled her eyes but said nothing more.
Wu Heng finished his tea, stood up, and said, "I'll use the meeting room for a bit. Let's talk more later."
Sheila Grey nodded.
Wu Heng headed straight to the guild's meeting room.
...…
After waiting in the meeting room for a while.
There was a knock on the door.
A staff member entered with a gnome.
The gnome wore a black suit, his hair slightly messy, and round black-framed glasses.
"Island Lord, Mr. Yusef from the town hall said you wanted to meet him," the staff member said.
The gnome bowed. "Yusef, at your service, Island Lord."
"Yes, I asked for him," Wu Heng nodded and gestured to the gnome. "Have a seat."
The staff member left.
The gnome sat on one side of the conference table.
Wu Heng went straight to the point. "Did you design the overall layout of Gold-Silver Island?"
The gnome looked a bit nervous and cautiously replied, "Our team handled it. If the Island Lord feels something is unsuitable, we can make adjustments."
Designing a city wasn't something one person could do alone.
A team was more practical.
"I'm quite satisfied with your design," Wu Heng said.
The gnome visibly relaxed, his demeanor becoming more focused.
Wu Heng continued, "I called you here to discuss resuming expansion work. I'll need your team to coordinate on-site when the time comes."
The gnome nodded in understanding. "That won't be a problem. I can arrange for people to follow up immediately."
"Good. Make the arrangements when you return. The work will resume tomorrow morning, so have someone on-site by then," Wu Heng instructed.
"Understood."
Wu Heng took out a blueprint of Gold-Silver Island and added, "I'll also need you to continue working on the designs."
"Island Lord, do you have specific requirements for the design?" the gnome asked.
Wu Heng thought for a moment. "First, continue expanding the commercial and residential areas. Second, add new ports—one for civilian use and another dedicated to the guild. Third, choose a site for constructing functional buildings that are concealed and easy to transport to."
The gnome noted down all three points at the table.
After recording everything, he said, "Got it all. I'll arrange for my team to start designing once I return."
"Good. Once the designs are ready, notify Andviel. She'll inform me."
"Understood, Island Lord."
After finishing their discussion, Wu Heng reminded him to expedite the process.
The gnome bowed and left the room.
Wu Heng also left the meeting room and went to Lighthouse Street to buy some food supplies.
Returning to his residence.
He used the gate to travel to the zombie world.
...…
At the munitions factory.
Wu Heng exited the gate and went downstairs.
As he descended, he noticed something was off.
Large groups of skeletons were assembled, and the armed skeletons on the walls were no longer standing idle but had their weapons aimed outward.
A survivor hurried over.
It was one of Qi Hancai's people who had joined from Dong'an Village.
Lowering his voice, the man said, "Lord, the rescue team is here—several armored vehicles outside."
The rescue team had arrived!
"Are they here to investigate yesterday's squad?"
"Yes! Before they died, they must have sent a message back. They're certain we killed them."
Wu Heng frowned. "Where is Qi Hancai?"
"Sister Qi is in the conference room, negotiating with them."
"Take me there," Wu Heng said.
"This way, Lord."
The man led the way into an office building.
As they entered the corridor, they heard someone roaring.
"If you don't hand over the people, I'll make you pay! Don't think your fancy skeletons can stand up to modern military forces!"