Road to becoming the wealthiest: Starting From Treasure Hunting in the Cabinets
Chapter 1018 - 552

Chapter 1018: 552

Nora Wilson had previously heard Sean Knight say that trading could yield eight to ten times the profit, and she had already found it quite exaggerating.

But now, looking at a piece of raw lapis lazuli that could sell for a five-digit figure domestically, yet was exchanged for only a few hundred yuan worth of various cheap clothes, at most a thousand, Nora’s entire worldview was on the verge of collapsing.

It was evident that the local resident who traded the raw stone for clothes was very happy, thanking the security guard who made the exchange profusely while holding the clothes.

What kind of world is this!

As a researcher at the Geological Research Institute and very familiar with various gemstones and ores, they were naturally clear about the value of the raw lapis lazuli.

So it wasn’t just Nora who was astonished—Caleb Stevens and Daniel Ward were equally shocked.

Fortunately, they quickly understood the reason and the rationale behind it. If Sean Knight could establish a foothold here, how the exchange was conducted would naturally be agreed upon by both sides.

Just as Tribal Elder Hassan had said, even if others came here to do business, they still trusted Sean Knight.

Because the convenient living conditions Sean Knight provided had brought about earth-shattering changes in their lives and made them feel genuine sincerity.

Even if others offered to trade several times the items, the local residents might not be willing to trade!

Several students had many thoughts as Sean Knight and Elder Hassan had finished their discussions; Elder Hassan then greeted Professor Oliver Bear, saying he would invite them for a meal at night before leaving the area.

"Mr. Knight, we would like to take another look at the coal mine today," said Oliver Bear to Sean Knight, "this time, the area we cover might be broader."

"Sure, no problem. But this time I can’t accompany you. I have some matters to attend to here," Sean Knight explained.

"Understood, understood. As long as someone can lead the way for us, that’s fine," Oliver Bear replied, laughing, "we went yesterday, and today we are going to get a rough estimate of the scope of the coal mine."

Sean Knight had a Humvee brought around and set off to the coal mine with Oliver Bear and his group.

He was now planning to transport mining equipment to this area. The construction of the road also needed to be scheduled because a high-quality highway was a must if they were to transport the equipment and start mining.

A highway that could sustain the weight of heavy vehicles over a long period.

Moreover, elders from nearby tribes came over one after another, hoping to discuss potential collaborations with Sean Knight.

After all, the Americans didn’t have just this one base, and when other tribes saw the greatly improved living conditions of Elder Hassan Bager’s tribe, they naturally hoped to enhance their own quality of life as well.

Who wouldn’t want to live a life with constant electricity, running water, television, and air conditioning?

Some tribes were quite large, with a single tribe’s population equating to the combined size of four or five tribes like that of Elder Hassan Bager.

The resources they could exchange were also quite diverse—minerals being the majority, along with handicrafts and agricultural products.

There were those who came with sincerity to do business, and also those who came with weapons, expecting Sean Knight to help them build infrastructure for free.

Of course, in such cases, Sean Knight would not directly refuse them but let Elder Hassan and others first have an extensive talk with them.

Then they would be shown the well-prepared fortifications surrounding the base and those freshly maintained weapons, pulled from the cave storehouse, that looked very intimidating due to regular cleaning and maintenance. After that, the excessive demands of those tribes would generally be withdrawn.

There were some who were not so perceptive, but Sean Knight was not afraid; the base captured individuals every day who were trying to sneak in to steal items and gather intelligence.

There were also those who deliberately tried to sabotage the photovoltaic equipment.

For these individuals, without waiting for Sean Knight to make a decision, the warriors in the tribe immediately captured them and then had them executed by firing squad.

Having tasted the sweet life, anyone who wanted to disrupt this was truly standing against the people, and there was nothing for them but death.

With the growing popularity of electric tricycles being transported over, the tribe’s donkeys gradually became redundant.

Compared to electric tricycles, donkeys were somewhat more troublesome. They needed fodder and care and had to be hitched to a cart every day.

Meanwhile, electric tricycles just needed to be charged regularly and required virtually no maintenance.

Then Sean Knight launched a business where one electric tricycle was exchanged for one donkey, and it turned out to be a hit!

After all, compared to donkeys, electric tricycles were just too convenient and much less hassle!

A donkey could be sold domestically for around ten thousand yuan (retail price), while an electric tricycle cost three to four thousand yuan. This business deal, compared to others, was at a loss.

But Sean Knight felt that since he had made so much already, earning a little less didn’t matter.

Subsequently, more tribes hoped that Sean Knight could take charge of road construction.

After all, the only downside to electric tricycles was the requirement for quality roads, and mountain paths were certainly not easy to navigate.

Some tribes, fearing that their turn for the road construction would be pushed to the back, brought construction supplies directly to the base to make their point. They forcefully unloaded the materials, insisting that Sean Knight deal with them.

There were even tribal elders who almost came to blows at the site.

They were arguing, hoping that their tribe would be the first to have the road constructed.

This significantly broadened the horizons of Oliver Bear and his colleagues who were present.

It was Sean Knight who finally said that they could start building multiple roads at the same time, and that managed to quell the dispute.

Sean Knight informed Craig Davis about this, and Craig couldn’t stop laughing!