The population transfer project is in full swing, and Sage has also seized the opportunity to initiate infrastructure development.
As for how to go about it...
In the center of Storm City, a new skyscraper has been built, marking the official opening day.
"Disaster Gold Bank is open for business!"
Temporarily acting as the signboard girl, Renedia held up a sign and loudly announced to the passersby:
"The bank opened by your master, my captain, is now open! Deposit now... I mean, save now, and not only can you enjoy an annual interest rate of 3%, but you'll also receive oil, rice, and weapons as gifts!"
"Deposits over 300,000 Belly will get oil and rice. Deposits over 1 million Belly will receive premium oil and rice, every year! Deposits over 5 million Belly will be rewarded with our specially designed commemorative weapons!"
Beside her, a group of neatly dressed maids smiled while displaying the oil, rice, and gilded firearms.
The skyscraper started construction early on, guided personally by Hawkins. Everyone worked rapidly, building a roughly six-story high building here, serving as a temporary bank.
Currently, it can't be too tall because Sage needs it now, and skyscrapers are not yet feasible.
But six stories are certainly enough.
Renedia doesn't even need to come to promote it. If necessary, Sage would force people to save, but it's not at that point yet. At least, the current promotion is quite effective.
No introduction is needed; as soon as people hear it's a business started by the master, they flock to it. Hearing it's like an exchange office — something that existed when this place was still called Gares.
But it had nothing to do with them; it was something the nobles and merchants played with. Unexpectedly, now they can also get involved.
Some people privy to the inside details know what an exchange office is about. That thing has zero interest and charges a fixed management fee; money is used for lending and doing business.
But the master's is different...
He really gives money!
As for how wealthy the master is, everyone knows!
A little thought reveals that it's just another welfare distribution by Sage. They immediately rush home to get money to deposit here.
Working for over a year, each of them has savings — as little as 200,000 to 300,000 Belly, or as much as a million Belly. After all, food and drink don't cost much.
Anyway, it's just sitting at home, and if not spent, it's just like waste paper. Now depositing it in the bank is just right.
A million Belly in the bank for a year equals 30,000 Belly...
According to the tax rate, in O'hara, there are monthly salaries below 50,000 Belly, with the average around 30,000 Belly. These people pay the least taxes but also belong to the relatively lazy and people in the simplest industries.
A million Belly for a year equals one month's salary for such families...
Why not deposit?
Moreover, they're giving away oil and rice. It's beneficial, so why not take it?
The scene quickly became lively. People rushing home to get money crowded, trying to rush into the bank.
"Queue up! All of you queue!"
Renedia threw down the sign and took out a hammer, shouting at these chaotic people, "Dare to rush in front of me? Are you monkeys?! This doesn't look like Sage's territory people, don't disgrace yourselves! Line up one by one, according to order, if you cut the line, I'll hammer you to death!"
...
"See, isn't this simple?"
From the balcony of the Royal Palace, Sage put down the telescope and smiled at Lily beside him. "Getting them to save money isn't that hard. Prepare to connect with Doflamingo and Crocodile; I'll soon need large resources."
The World Government and Revolutionary Army ships came one after another, adding quite a few populations. Although the Revolutionary Army is small, it's stable. As long as trade continues there will always be incoming people.
However, the World Government, initially had many ships coming, but recently the number of ships has started to decrease.
Probably not long before they stop trading, shouldn't bring many people...
"Over there at the World Government, based on the current rate of decline, they can ultimately bring us about 300,000 people. The initial 100,000 brought over had a third stay in O'hara to fill gaps, the rest were placed on various subsidiary islands."
Lily said, "The Revolutionary Army side, very scarce. If counted per half-month, they can bring a few thousand people, sometimes only a few hundred."
The sea is a case of vast and sparsely populated; to get more population you have to accumulate slowly like this.
This is less related to having more or fewer births. The main issue is the sea being incredibly large and dangerous.
"This can't be done overnight; the industry chain is always expanding endlessly. More people mean more demand, more demand means more industry, more industry means business expansion... Once expansion occurs, the population becomes insufficient. So the more the population, the less the population," Sage smiled.
Lily: "..."
What strange thing are you talking about!
"First, let's get what I want started."
What Sage is doing here is inherently expansive, but he doesn't have to worry because the business he holds now is just a little bit anyway.
At most, world weapons and shipbuilding accounted for 20%, no idea where the rest is.
He's confident he can accommodate more and more people.
Now, just develop slowly.
Sage handed the telescope to Lily, turned, and walked into the hall. In the inner hall on the third floor of the Royal Palace, a farmer with a chonmage hairstyle kneels on the ground, head lowered, motionless.
Sage sat on the throne of the inner hall, rubbed the armrest, glanced at him, "Ah Qiang..."
"Sir, I am called Shintaro, not Ah Qiang."
The chonmage head lifted, revealing a relatively young face.
This person was sent by the Revolutionary Army. Among those wearing shirt-blouse pants, this one wearing distinctive Wano Country attire caught Sage's attention.
Wano Country, a closed-off land, not many are abroad.
Initially, Sage wouldn't have noticed him. After all, there were too many people, who has time to care about this, he had even filled the schedule with banquets and fishing sessions.
But he just found the right chance, coincidentally, when Sage was passing through the port, the ship carrying him just docked, then he did a sliding kneel, catching Sage's eye.
Well, let's say he's not really a Wano Country person.
Moreover, the descendant of someone who left Wano Country twenty years ago, similar to Faust's experience; both drifted abroad since childhood but due to education, still retained some Wano Country customs.
With such customs, Sage doesn't believe he's a mere commoner, but it doesn't matter.
The reason for calling him over is only one.
"Can you make swords?" Sage asked, "I thought you'd sell fish..."
"Sir, I have studied fish selling too, due to lack of materials, fishing was the only livelihood. But I can make swords, and also craft fine armor!"
Shintaro spoke solemnly, "I have great confidence in my craftsmanship. If you wish to employ me, you need only promise me one condition, and I will willingly serve as your household servant, loyal forever, never betraying!"
"Let's hear it," Sage said.
Shintaro's face turned serious, his eyes filled with hatred, word by word, he said, "Revenge against Wano Country!"