Chapter 581: 581
“One should not be too greedy. We’ve already swindled so many guilds, and this little setback got us through the crisis and earned us a pretty penny.” Li Yao was philosophical, largely because he had so many money-making strategies up his sleeves that it didn’t matter much to him.
“No wonder others are trying to scheme against us,” Li’s sister sighed.
Li Yao shook his head and replied, “I didn’t force them to buy my video. They eagerly handed over their money of their own accord, received their video, and I didn’t falsify anything. They have no reason to complain. If they didn’t like it, they could have simply not bought it. However, them trying to plot against me? That’s not something I’m going to let pass.”
“What are you planning on doing?” asked his sister.
Li Yao thought for a moment and said, “We’ll have to stay busy with guild matters for a couple of days, then I have to find the Touch of Darkness. If we delay, things might change. After that, we might need to consult with the Archangel, look into the whereabouts of the wing fragments, and finally, seek revenge. But as compared to revenge, boosting my own strength is what I deem the most important.”
“I’m glad you think that way, I was worried you were too hotheaded,” Li’s sister sighed with relief.
Although Starfire had achieved a great victory, they only had three thousand members, and the guild scheming against Starfire was formidable. Now, seeking revenge would be like using an egg to hit a rock.
In her perspective, the most important task for Starfire at present was development. They needed to at least match the top guilds in terms of outward guild rank, and also increase their player numbers significantly.
If Li Yao were to impulsively start a guild war, it would certainly impede Starfire’s rapid growth. If they were to fail again, their morale would be crushed and it would not be easy for Starfire to regroup.
“I understand, even in seeking revenge, unless absolutely necessary, I won’t start a guild war. There are other ways to annihilate a guild stronghold,” Li Yao smirked. Destroying a guild stronghold was a simple task, Li Yao just didn’t have the resources at the moment.
“That’s better,” If Li Yao were to act alone, she believed that with his skills, even if he failed, he’ll be able to escape unscathed. Starfire needs to focus on the construction of their stronghold and also building their roster.
The trial contest starts at level thirty, which is the first such event being held by the ancient gods. Starfire cannot afford to miss this. In reality, Starfire is tight for time, they simply cannot afford to engage in a guild war.
“You all start preparing, I’m heading back to the main city,” Li Yao said, “I’ll leave this to you.”
Li’s sister stopped Li Yao and questioned, “Have you really decided to use blueprint number two? Maybe give it more thought.”
When Li Yao and several others were planning their stronghold, they came up with different plans. These plans not only determined the scale and location of the buildings but also the direction of growth and short-term focus.
In the first plan, the race track was the key to development. They would establish a simple race track, host races, and gradually attract an audience.
In the second plan, the short-term focus was on the harbor and stronghold. In this plan, the idea was to increase popularity first, and build a luxurious stronghold aimed at transforming Starfire’s stronghold into a massive supply station.
The second plan was considerably more complex than the first.
In the first plan, they simply needed a racetrack, which naturally didn’t require a lot of construction. They could purchase cars, hire a few goblins, then gradually plan and set up a small harbor. The plan was to project racing as a central feature, and drive the development of the Starfire Guild.
Li’s sister was quite fond of this approach, believing that racing will definitely attract a lot of players. With gambling and lotteries, they could see profits pretty quickly.
Li Yao initially leaned towards the first plan, but unexpectedly he had now changed his mind.
It should be noted that the second plan was more complex, to attract a crowd, Starfire would first have to set up a sizable harbor and own their own ships.
And although these obstacles were significant, and the costs associated with constructing the harbor and stronghold were enormous, as long as they had money, it could be managed. Starfire wasn’t short on funds, so they could certainly make it happen.
However, the biggest challenge was the NPCs. Even if the guild owns ships, they’ll still require sailors and captains. If they want to be a supply station in the north of the sandbar, they’ll need various NPCs.
Trainers, professional trainers, various shopkeepers, they would need a variety of NPCs for it to run smoothly. Relying on just the players isn’t feasible.
At this stage, Starfire’s stronghold was only a Level One Village, how could they get that many NPCs to come willingly? Most of the strongholds at this point are operated by players. Recruiting NPCs is too difficult, not many guilds can handle it.
“There’s no need to reconsider, you just focus on construction. We will slowly deal with the NPC issue. I’ll think of a way. By the way, when I return, I’ll buy two small transport ships directly. We have to establish a rudimentary harbor as soon as possible,” Li Yao said after a moment, “Besides, some facilities and equipment, I’ll have the transport ship haul them over, so we need to hurry up. In particular, the inns, shops and some residences need to be good, otherwise nobody will come.”
Li’s sister nodded with resignation. If this was the plan, the project would be tremendous. Luckily, thanks to Li Yao’s connections, they could keep craftsmen longer. If they were to rely solely on Starfire architects and members, the stronghold alone would take well over a month.
The construction of a primary dock was extremely complicated, and there was a distance between the stronghold and the dock. There were monsters along the dock and they would also need to build a road.
The guild was constructing a residential area for members to live in, and they would need at least three thousand houses even if everyone gets only one room.
Guild players were used to staying in guild inns, as long as they had their own rooms, they would be satisfied.
But NPC residences wouldn’t work that way. They would have to be individual courtyards. The shops were even more demanding.
And this was just the construction, what about the furniture, decorations, all sorts of things. Spending money like water was inevitable, Li’s sister was even more eager to recruit players interested in the life-style aspect.
Li Yao didn’t concern himself with these detailed calculations and left the bustling construction site of the stronghold, heading directly to the coast.
There was a small stronghold over there where the Frogman Prince and a few Frogmen were stationed to collect some materials from the mainland, which was an idea of Li Yao’s.
The frogmen had already defeated the Bluefin Fishmen who were occupying this place and enslaved some of them.
“Brother, I knew you’d come. How are you doing?” As soon as the Frogman Prince saw Li Yao, he eagerly inquired.
Li Yao nodded and said, “Thank you for your help, Prince. We were able to barely make it through this crisis.”
“That’s great, that’s great,” the Frogman Prince sighed, “Brother, when you asked us to retreat, I…”.
Li Yao waved his hand and stated, “The Frog Tribe hasn’t fully recovered so your help is greatly appreciated. If the tribe had suffered more losses, your trials would have ended in failure.”
“We Frogmen hold our promises and vows in the highest regard. I will remember your kindness, Brother. If you ever need anything, just let me know,” the Frogman Prince was moved by Li Yao’s considerate nature.
Li Yao laughed, “I actually have an idea for a mutually beneficial venture. Would the Prince be interested?”…