Chapter 165 - 128: Struggling to Move Forward?

Within a few short minutes, the top floor conference room of the office building was filled with the high-level management of the Ark.

Besides the founding elders like Ed Charles, Mentor Yi Feng was also invited into the meeting room. She sat beside Molly and Daisy, gently comforting the two frightened Feis girls.

"...This is roughly the situation we are currently facing."

Lin Lan sat at the head of the table, calmly narrating the current state of the territory.

The situation faced by the Ark Kingdom is now very clear.

On the surface, the envoy of the Platinum Navigator Nightingale had delivered a precious ’gift’ to the Ark. All Lin Lan had to do was nod, and the Commercial Union would voluntarily cultivate Ark Island into the heart of the Alliance, elevating Lin Lan to an unprecedented height.

However, even a fool could see through it.

All gifts come at a price. The high-level officials of the White Oak Main Island had already keenly sensed the exaggerated profits behind the Sun Ash Soil and intended to seize the Ark Kingdom’s Sun Mine.

As long as Lin Lan conceded, Ash Soil currency would soon become subservient to Bright Gold Coins.

In simple terms, the Alliance plans to exploit the nascent Ark Kingdom’s vulnerabilities and completely strip it bare first.

Those greedy merchant politicians were like hyenas who had caught the scent of meat.

On the other hand, Nightingale also intended to exert pressure on the Ark under the name of Justice, attempting to eliminate competitors for new trade routes and stifle the Ark’s attempts to seek alternative breakthroughs in navigation.

"There’s no doubt about it, that ship is a warning to us."

Ed furrowed his brow, his face grim: "The highest Governor of the White Oak Main Island is one of the founders of the Commercial Union, and Nightingale is their cultivated glove."

"If we refuse the demands of the White Oak Main Island, what consequences will the Ark Kingdom face?"

Lin Lan asked.

"Then our future days will be extremely difficult."

Charles spoke solemnly: "According to our population statistics work, the population of Ark Island is currently around two million. The issue is that the noble granary reserves across the island can only sustain us for about one month."

This conclusion was reached even after managers had compressed the food needs of citizens to the minimum limit.

The grain that should have been harvested last quarter had long been contaminated by the Blood Plague.

By rights, Ark Island should have sunk long ago.

It was Lin Lan’s covert early development, slowly building up the Sun Legion and Ideal City War Chariot to seize Royal City and snuff out the embryonic form of the Celestial Calamity, which had barely managed to keep most people alive.

"I have already opened the ports of the southeastern and northern national borders, lowering the entry taxes for navigators as much as possible to import a large amount of food, but this lifeline is always clutched in the hands of the Alliance Main Island."

Charles stated frankly: "The official Alliance manages the safe trade routes for transporting food. Even if we exempt navigators from entry taxes, they must also pay a high ’safe passage tax’ to the official Alliance."

"As long as the official Alliance forcibly raises the safe passage tax, the price of food will be driven to a terrifying height."

"Although Old Dean and I can use the Cooperation Letter from Fortress Main Island to waive the passage tax, merely relying on two fleets cannot solve the food shortage of the Ark Kingdom, and we don’t even have our own shipbuilding industry..."

"This is just the difficulty on the surface."

Charles sighed deeply: "In reality, besides food, the Alliance can also intercept various resources on major trade routes, cutting off the Ark Kingdom’s potential for development in advance."

This is the Age of Exploration.

The vast sea is chaotic and unpredictable; only safe routes dictate everything.

The White Oak Main Island can easily strangle the throat of the Ark; as long as trade is severed, within less than two months, the majority of Ark’s people will hold onto their dying sun and starve to death.

The path before the Ark seems to be just one.

As long as Lin Lan nods, becoming the Alliance’s fourth heart, unimaginable resources will be poured in by the Commercial Union, resolving all issues.

Although Lin Lan remains the leader of the Ark, the Alliance will certainly airlift some authoritative management to formally take over this poor yet promising island.

Nightingale presents a seemingly flawless offer with no harms yet all profits.

The White Oak Faction seems to believe the Ark Leader will make the ’correct’ choice.

Therefore, their attitude remains lofty, and in the eyes of those merchant-politician celebrities, the citizens of Ark are still the country bumpkins wallowing in the mud.

The Commercial Union merely needs to carelessly throw a piece of meat on the ground, and with Nightingale’s eerie abilities showcased at Seagull Port, the small nation has no choice but to rush forward and grovel.

The classic carrot and stick.

The crowd fell silent.

Clearly, the Ark Kingdom would have a smooth future if they just accepted the Alliance’s demands, yet rather than feeling joy, the atmosphere in the meeting room became somewhat oppressive.

Sweeping away the nobility, eradicating the Blood Plague, facing the Celestial Calamity, bringing hope to all...

All the efforts made by everyone so far were just to kneel before the high and mighty Alliance?

So...

Displeasing.

Old Dean clenched his jaw, Yi Feng embraced the two helpless children.

The purple-haired Cat Girl looked up and quietly gazed at everyone. Yi Feng did not attempt to resist or change anything, but her eyes clearly said: To hurt these two children, you’ll have to step over my dead body.