I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1886 - 317: Clear Goals

Chapter 1886: Chapter 317: Clear Goals

Ideals are fragile, unable to withstand the onslaught of realistic interests.

In today’s Lingjiang Central Region, millions of craftsmen have gathered, yet only a very small number of them wish for their children to follow in their footsteps.

Even those craftsmen willing to let their children inherit their skills stubbornly believe that what they teach is hundreds or thousands of times better than what any academy could provide.

Even if there are one or two craftsmen’s children who want to enroll in an academy, they are often persuaded to return by their families.

"The children are naive; the academy wouldn’t teach them anything real."

Almost every child taken back by their family has heard this kind of advice, which is directly responsible for the decline of the Craftsmanship Academy’s admissions office on Golden Avenue.

Clearly, the Ou Family’s master craftsmen and prestigious figures from various fields are ready to teach their most treasured skills, yet the applicants are few, to say the least.

Compared to martial arts, the technical skills of the Five Elements and trades are far less attractive, and this pressure ultimately falls back on the municipal office.

For Unparalleled City, even though the admissions rate of the Craftsmanship Academy falls far short of expectations, the maintenance costs remain unchanged.

In this situation, merging some of the academies with few students into external colleges and expanding the admissions of the three fields has obviously become the best solution.

Despite Mi Bai’s persistence, facing the stark realities and the pressure from all levels of the municipal office, he has to submit this opinion upward.

And above him is the new king of Red Cloud Mountain, the principal of Unparalleled Academy.

"So, this is the collective opinion of the municipal office?"

Tang Luo placed the recommendation from the municipal office aside and asked Mi Bai, who remained calm in expression, "Do you think the same?"

The weak should be discarded and severed; this is the merchant’s ideology, the politician’s perspective, but never the choice of the benevolent.

However, having traveled through so many cities, Mi Bai has understood that there is no humanitarianism not tainted by dust; humans are who they are because their strength can only accomplish so much. As long as this limited capability is used without regret, it is enough.

So he raised his head and seriously replied, "Individual wisdom is short, collective wisdom is long; this is the result of a consensus from the municipal office. From the current situation, converting several Craftsmanship Academies into external colleges is a better strategy for Unparalleled City."

"With August more than halfway over, the admissions office of the Craftsmanship Academy on Golden Avenue has already reported the admissions situation. Based on a comprehensive judgment, the municipal office believes it is viable to dissolve the Agricultural, Shipbuilding, and Textile Colleges and convert them into Unparalleled external colleges to enroll primary, middle, and advanced level students in each."

Since he has taken on the responsibility as chairman, he should not shirk it. As long as everyone believes this decision is for the benefit of Unparalleled City, no matter what he, as the chairman, thinks, he should accurately express the collective opinion.

The difference between a benevolent person and a politician is that they would not forget the minority while taking care of the majority’s interests.

"But Mi Bai believes that it might be unnecessary to dissolve these three colleges as long as the teachers and students from these colleges are merged into the Engineering College and see if the admissions situation improves next year before making a decision."

Weakness should never be a reason for obliteration; Mi Bai just cannot understand why industries so closely connected to life, like agriculture, would have so few students enrolling, even facing the imminent danger of having the school premises reclaimed.

In fact, even if Mi Bai were to plead with the principal, there is still no certainty about whether the admissions situation will improve next year.

"The Shipbuilding College was affected by the lowering water levels of Lingjiang, leading to an excess of sailors. As for the Textile College, neither dyeing houses nor fabric houses are willing to learn because they consider their own skills too invaluable. But why is the Agricultural College unable to recruit students?"

After hearing Mi Bai’s words, Tang Luo did not immediately express agreement or disagreement. Instead, he carefully reviewed the recommendation from the municipal office. After finishing, he directly asked Mi Bai, "By the end of this year at the latest, the silt covering the Lingjiang Plain will be cleared, and next spring will be the best sowing season. With a lack of a million agricultural workers in sight, how can there be no applicants for the Agricultural College?"

The so-called rarity derives its value, but it depends on the kind of rarity.

Sewer workers are always rare, yet no one sees it as their career goal. In reality, those who come to Unparalleled City are minorly affluent craftsmen, so why would they let their children become farmers?

Mi Bai, clearly aware, addressed the crux, "Agricultural workers are deemed lowly; families with some savings all wish to send their children to college. Even those master craftsmen who have settled in Unparalleled City hope their children can enter a college for a better future. Back and forth, agricultural workers naturally become scarce."

"Since that’s the case, so be it."

Tang Luo nodded, placing down the recommendation, "In the name of the lady, have the municipal office draft a notice, allowing the lord’s escorts, after clearing the post routes and plains, to enter the Agricultural College in batches to learn how to reclaim and sow land. Shorten the courses or teach alongside the work, ensuring the agricultural worker gap is filled by the end of the year for next year’s planting season."

Such a decree in any city of Xiehe would cause uproar or even an exodus. Although Unparalleled City is currently thriving, such an order is enough to incite public discontent within the inner city.

Therefore, Mi Bai quickly advised, "Principal, you mustn’t. After the recent river and city cleaning, the inner city people are already exhausted to death. If forced to farm again, it could lose public support!"

"Don’t your family’s long-term workers or escorts help the master’s family with work or farming during the festive seasons?"

Tang Luo smiled and reassured, "This notice is not forced conscription but a directive aimed only at the lord’s escorts. Additionally, have the garrisons cooperate with the municipal office in patrolling the borders and supervising the work, ensuring the safety of farmers and farmland."

"So your intent, Principal, is that there’s no need to dissolve the Agricultural College, right?"

Gradually, enlightened, Mi Bai also sensed Tang Luo’s emphasis on agriculture and hurriedly asked.

"Not just the Agricultural College, but the Shipbuilding and Textile Colleges as well."

Tang Luo calmly said, "Now that the water levels of Lingjiang have recovered, the resources for rebuilding the city won’t conjure out of thin air. This Lingjiang River will soon become the hub connecting each city, and the role of the colleges extends beyond mere lecturing; they must apply what is learned. It doesn’t matter if we can’t recruit students; let the Craftsmanship Academy conduct independent research. We need better and faster cargo ships and passenger ships, and research funds will directly be allocated from the municipal office."

Not just the Shipbuilding College, but other Craftsmanship Academies also need to deliver results for Unparalleled City, with all funding allocated from the municipal office.

"Sir, the maintenance costs for the Craftsmanship Academy are already quite high; if more funds are allocated, I’m afraid the municipal office might be overburdened."

Mi Bai said honestly.

"If craftsmen become instructors, does it mean they can’t earn money anymore?"

Tang Luo chuckled, "The purpose of the Craftsmanship Academy is to cultivate elite craftsmen, not to pamper master craftsmen. Isn’t there a lucrative opportunity right now?"

Saying this, Tang Luo pulled out a document from the stack on his desk and handed it to Mi Bai: "Rain Forest Pavilion, Wuji Mansion, and Qiyao Temple are very satisfied with the results of this year’s Xiling admissions. They have decided to station permanently in Xiling and wish to have the Craftsmanship Academy redesign the admissions office. Let the academy’s craftsmen handle discussions with these masters; there’s no need to think about saving costs or pleasing the sects. Their wealth level exceeds the limits of your imagination. Seize the opportunity well!"