Chapter 614.5: The "Cost" of "Goodwill"
Five days later.
At the United Chemical Fertilizer Plant.
The first batch of mineral-based fertilizers was completed.
Anthony couldn't wait to begin his experiments.
After just one application, he fell in love with the isolated lab at the Druid Substation.
When they personally witnessed the crops they brought, which initially yielded 450 catties per acre.
Under the nourishment of the fertilizer, their yield surged to an astonishing 700 catties.
They couldn't help but cheer excitedly.
Soon, the production lines of the United Chemical Fertilizer Plant began to grow day by day.
Daily output skyrocketed from just a few dozen tons to over ten thousand tons.
Bay Territory received 50% of the fertilizer, using it to enrich barren lands and the Underworld.
The Harvest Church specifically commissioned Bay Territory to transport the fertilizer to the Kingdom of Falceco.
When Matthew heard that they planned to distribute the fertilizer for free to the poor and lords there, he wisely chose to remain silent.
Just as the entire Northern Continent was unknowingly slipping into the catastrophe of zombie contamination spreading.
The high-profile appearance of the Harvest Church, with a fertilizer that could greatly increase crop yields, stirred a huge sensation among various kingdoms and organizations.
Mining certainly brought in a lot of money—and quickly!
But for the vast majority of lords and nobles, it was the land and the people within their territories that generated endless, perpetual wealth.
Fertilizer that could drastically increase crop yields!
Not only would it allow them to collect more grain, but it would also enable them to feed more people.
This, in turn, meant more labor force and higher tax revenue!
It was practically a godsend!
It had the power to elevate everyone's overall wealth by at least one level!
The members of the Harvest Church soon discovered that purchase orders from major kingdoms and organizations poured in one after another.
The fertilizer they distributed to the common people and the ordinary lords was quickly seized by the other parties through various means.
The enormous gap left them helplessly watching as if nothing had changed.
Compared to their anxiety, the rapidly expanding United Chemical Fertilizer Plant became yet another pillar industry for Bay Territory's swift development.
In just a month, it recruited and trained over 100,000 workers.
Its massive production scale even left the Eternal Church in shock.
They watched as the United Chemical Fertilizer Plant's production scaled up from tens of thousands of tons to a staggering hundreds of thousands of tons in just one month.
Every day's output of fertilizer could be piled into a tall hill.
Faced with such a massive amount of fertilizer, Bay Territory accepted its entire share without hesitation and absorbed it completely.
The Druids personally witnessed Bay Territory using it for land transformation and soil enrichment.
Meanwhile, the fertilizer distributed to the Harvest Church was hoarded by major organizations and factions, with no signs of it being used for its intended purpose.
What frustrated them even more was that whenever they distributed the fertilizer,
The farmers who received it would voluntarily turn it over in exchange for more coins and grain.
The daily transportation of enormous amounts of ore and minerals became a heavy burden for the Harvest Church.
Many within the church even began subtly suggesting an alternative.
Since giving it away wasn't yielding results and was only enriching those idle lords and nobles, why not sell it instead?
Initially, Anthony and the upper ranks of the Harvest Church rejected the idea outright.
This was Mother Earth's blessing; it was not meant to be a tool for amassing wealth.
But when they watched the wastelands reclaimed by Bay Territory turn into fertile lands,
While those areas where fertilizer was distributed remained barren,
After a heated discussion and debate, their resolve wavered.
Thus, the Harvest Church, with no other options, began selling the fertilizer at cost price—just enough to break even.
This time, the lords and nobles did not stockpile it.
However, they still did no good. Under the pretense of the fertilizer increasing crop yields, they gleefully raised taxes.
The already impoverished farmers suddenly faced even greater hardships, making their lives even more miserable.
This time, the Harvest Church was utterly stunned.
Once widely welcomed, they were now cursed by many farmers and commoners.
They dared not curse the lords and nobles, so they vented their anger on the original distributors—the Harvest Church.
The well-intentioned Harvest Church found itself in a situation where good intentions led to terrible outcomes, leaving them utterly speechless.
Their example served as a harsh lesson for Bay Territory.
"Yes, never think of doing good things too easily."
"Just handing out money or supplies is always the worst choice. It only serves as a tool and a target for opportunists."
The children who greeted the Druids with smiles nodded in sudden understanding.
After experiencing this event, they would understand the dangers and treachery of areas outside Bay Territory.
They would also learn not to let their honesty and kindness be easily exploited and manipulated.
The Harvest Church, struggling to maintain its efforts, found itself stuck—selling wasn't right, and not selling wasn't right either. In the end, they pleased no one.
Although Mother Earth did not blame them for their inefficiency, everyone, including Anthony, was deeply frustrated.
At that moment, Butler Ralph cheerfully approached them.
He presented a groundbreaking and jaw-dropping proposal:
"We should make the fertilizer formula public to all lords and kingdoms, completely free of charge."
"And, we will help them resolve the troubles within their territories."
"However, this will require the Harvest Church's assistance."
Naturally, Anthony didn't believe it, but he was already fed up with those greedy lords and nobles. He gestured for Butler Ralph to continue.
"It's simple. After sharing the formula, they would naturally produce the fertilizer themselves."
"This is far more economical than us producing it alone..."
"Moreover, with the zombie calamity spreading across all the major territories and kingdoms, there are countless refugees and displaced people."
"If left unchecked, these refugees won't just die of hunger; they'll fall to war or become food and soldiers for the zombie horde."
"So we can use the fertilizer formula as a means of exchange for what they consider burdensome refugees..."
This so-called 'selfless' proposal was quickly approved by the high ranks of the Harvest Church.
When the deal was presented to the major territories and kingdoms, most of the nobles and lords were tempted.
The refugees left.
They were safe.
And they gained substantial benefits.
They even cleared out vast amounts of unclaimed land.
It was a total win-win!
Of course, there were always a few ignorant fools who wanted more.
But they were soon dumbfounded.
The Harvest Church, long fed up with their antics, decisively placed their trade orders at the very bottom of the list.
Even the most patient saints have their limits!
Let alone a church that naturally clashed with lords and kings.
When the first lord completed the transaction and, with the help of Bay Territory, established a fertilizer factory in just a few days,
The other lords and nobles quickly followed suit, eager not to be left behind.
Some lords and nobles, eager to complete their cooperation with Bay Territory as quickly as possible,
Actually came up with a move that left the Harvest Church both laughing and crying.
"You need a lot of refugees, right? How about 100,000? If that's not enough, I'll go get more!"
Goodness!
That was truly a 'noble' move!
What the members of the Harvest Church didn't expect was that Bay Territory wasn't the least bit picky; they cheerfully completed the transactions.
What the Harvest Church thought didn't matter to Matthew and Bay Territory.
After all, Matthew had already obtained the thing he wanted most besides population.
The Harvest Church's specialty—Life Essence!
It was genuinely good stuff, derived from the natural deaths of magical creatures and plants, leaving behind this concentrated life energy.
After being purified through the secret methods of the Harvest Church, it turned into a powerful healing elixir that restored vitality.
Compared to the Life Water produced in Bay Territory, its effects were even better, and its price was only marginally higher.
The latter could extend one's lifespan!
The value of Life Essence was incredibly high; each gram could easily sell for thirty to forty gold coins and had a significant purchase barrier.
The primary reason was simple: its effects were outstanding, and its production was extremely limited!
In the wild, magical creatures and plants had numerous ways of dying.
Killed by predators, starved from lack of nutrients, captured or harvested—these would all end their lives prematurely.
Those that lived to a natural death were incredibly rare!
And for people to actually come across one was nearly impossible.
Even for Druids, who were closely attuned to nature, it was impossible to stand guard over magical creatures and plants all the time.
A single mishap could undo decades or even centuries of effort.
The reason the Harvest Church could obtain enough raw materials,
Was because these materials came from magical creatures and plants that traveled alongside them.
The Druids would protect them, offer guidance, and help them thrive.
In return, when these creatures or plants died naturally, they would offer up their Life Essence, returning it to the embrace of nature.
In simple terms, this method was quite similar to Bay Territory's practice of breeding magical creatures and plants.
Except that the magical creatures and plants raised in Bay Territory,
Would typically be 'honorably sacrificed' once they reached the required age and quality.
With the Life Essence in hand,
It only took Matthew two hours to unlock the secret formula that the Harvest Church had kept hidden for so long.
That very afternoon,
Matthew gathered some raw materials from various parts of Bay Territory.
At the cost of hundreds of thousands of Destiny Power, Matthew 'successfully' produced Bay Territory's first batch of Life Essence.
Life Essence
Type: Advanced Magical Construct.
Quality: Excellent.
Effect: Restores the equivalent of 100 points of vitality.
Cooldown: None.
Description: An exceptional magical item.
Gazing at the pale blue Life Essence in his hand, Matthew stroked his chin and quickly issued a new directive throughout Bay Territory:
"Increase the cultivation ratio of magical plants and creatures at the farms and breeding grounds from the original 1% to 5%."
This decision would cause the initial profitability of the farms and breeding grounds to drop by 40%.
Raising and nurturing 5% of the magical creatures and plants until their natural deaths meant providing them with constant care and nutrition.
Moreover, the task of selecting and optimizing breeds would become much heavier.
However, after understanding the effects of Life Essence,
Butler Ralph firmly supported the implementation of this policy.
The investment would be greater, but the quality and yield of the magical plants and creatures would also improve.
Although the investment cycle would be longer, the return rate of over 800% would easily justify it.
Meanwhile, the 'refugee recruitment' operations between Bay Territory and the Harvest Church were in full swing.
Matthew, along with Annie and Yaya, was busy in the underground laboratory.
The first batch of obedient test subjects had already completed their training and learning, waiting for the surgeries to begin.
Matthew had promised them.
Given their voluntary acts of redemption,
As long as they endured the surgeries,
They would gain a certain degree of freedom.
Yes, from immobile cells to functional prison cells.
As for true release?
Impossible!
The minimum sentences they carried were life plus 200 years!
Matthew's upcoming modification surgeries were in desperate need of test subjects...