Chapter 422: The Dawn of the "Technology" Era
"Splash!"
A massive swamp crocodile furiously defeated two competitors and rushed toward its desired spot.
As the crocodile charged into the reeds, the hulking Old Six silently blocked its path.
The swamp crocodile glared at Old Six with fierce eyes.
And then, it got beaten soundly by Old Six.
Against overwhelming size and strength, its carefully calculated combat techniques were meaningless.
When Old Six was about to crush its head, the swamp crocodile decisively surrendered.
Courageous yet sensible—exactly the type of subordinate Bobo liked.
Thus, another intelligent swamp crocodile left the breeding zone and ventured into the true Misty Swamp.
The druids, observing the process, quickly recorded it in detail.
After all, the lord had previously mentioned that they would study better breeds of magical creatures in the future.
After chatting with an excited Bobo for a while, Matthew learned that the little guy wanted a few druid trainees. Smiling faintly, he said:
"If you can convince them to stay here willingly, you can have your wish."
With a twinkle in his large eyes, Bobo eagerly began formulating his plan.
One was good, two were better.
As long as he completed the tasks assigned by Butler Ralph, any extra output would become his freely distributable property.
Having tasted success, Bobo was naturally motivated and diligent.
Meanwhile, Captain Sean, overhearing the conversation, felt a pang of regret.
Why hadn't he thought of that earlier?
Reflecting on the journey so far, Captain Sean made up his mind.
On the way back, he would carefully strategize. If things didn't work out, he'd have to enlist help.
Matthew didn't linger too long in the Misty Swamp.
Over the course of two days, he led the group to various magical plant cultivation sites in the Dark Forest.
He fully demonstrated Bay Territory's "self-sufficiency" development philosophy.
Most druids felt greatly enriched, soon receiving transformation assignments from Old Li and Elona, which they began tackling with a batch of new trainees.
Now, they too had their own tasks.
After finalizing the druids' assignments, Matthew turned his attention to planning new development initiatives for the territory.
He spent two full days discussing with Butler Ralph, identifying numerous critical technologies that needed improvement in Bay Territory.
These technological improvement tasks were then disseminated to everyone in Bay Territory.
They encompassed but were not limited to factory production techniques, crop development methods, material manufacturing processes, and livestock breeding technologies—anything that could enhance Bay Territory's growth.
Interestingly, Bay Territory didn't restrict anyone from taking on these tasks.
Anyone achieving a 10% efficiency improvement could earn a 10% profit bonus in the next quarter's technical improvements.
That's a significant sum of money!
Every resident of Bay Territory had heard the stories of Master Druid Old Li and other druids earning hundreds of thousands or even millions of gold coins by improving rice strains and magical plants.
These were officially disclosed figures!
Consequently, more and more people were inspired, sparking a wave of "technical improvements" and propelling Bay Territory into a new era of rapid development.
Meanwhile, Matthew examined a thick stack of parchment filled with slightly messy common tongue writing. Turning to Butler Ralph thoughtfully, he asked:
"We need cheaper and more durable paper. Let's start making our own."
Butler Ralph, hearing the basics of papermaking from Matthew, immediately grasped its significance and excitedly asked:
"If we fully develop and produce this, could paper become as widely used as Vitality Potions?"
Matthew understood the transformative potential of paper.
But he didn't mind, knowing full well that his identity as an Arcanist and Bay Territory's displayed strength could withstand any backlash of this magnitude.
Matthew needed the world to undergo more changes and couldn't rely solely on Bay Territory.
He never believed he could reshape the world; he simply wanted to help those around him live better lives and survive the grim future.
Now, it was time to give others a "small" shock.
"No problem. Papermaking is relatively simple. Its lack of widespread adoption is mainly due to knowledge-bearing power structures deliberately restricting its dissemination."
"We won't promote it. We'll use it solely within Bay Territory to meet our developmental needs."
"If others want to collaborate, tell them it's fine. We can sell them the machines and methods for papermaking."
Hearing this, Butler Ralph glanced skeptically at his lord.
Since when was the lord so "generous"?
Something felt off.
Matthew flashed a brilliant smile and explained:
"The risk will be theirs to bear. We just need to focus on technological upgrades. They'll come to us eventually."
Recalling the recent changes brought about by technological advancements, Butler Ralph finally understood.
As Matthew had said, when people aren't accustomed to using paper, even the best product won't generate profits.
Once everyone starts relying on paper, even the cheapest version will yield enormous gains!
Butler Ralph immediately organized a team to research it.
The lord wasn't concerned about losing the papermaking technology.
However, Butler Ralph believed it prudent not to reveal the technology until they had developed two or three generations of advancements.
Moreover, he understood a fundamental truth:
People seldom cherish things that come too easily.
Those promoting paper mainly sought profits anyway.
So why not let them provide more funding for Bay Territory?
This was Butler Ralph's growth, showcasing his mastery over the territory's production and foundational matters.
The better the lives of Bay Territory's residents, the more benefits it could extract from others.
"If you can't do it well, leave it to us."
Matthew was unaware of Butler Ralph's maneuvers but would have applauded them had he known.
After all, who could refuse capable subordinates eager to bring more benefits?
For now, Matthew turned his focus to researching the third stage of enhancement surgeries.