After receiving Shen Feng's permission, Yu Zhijing continued, "Since others can sell land, we can do the same. As long as we sell land, we'll have money. More and more people will reside in Yuzhou City in the future, so we won't worry about not recouping costs. Moreover, this experience is right before us, why not use it?"
Yu Zhijing's meaning was simple: predecessors had already laid out the experience, and in this situation, they should simply follow it without worrying about making money.
Shen Feng pondered and found it quite good, but he felt an inexplicable aversion. This conflicting emotion prevented him from answering.
Yes, successful experience was laid out before them. Why not use it? Clearly, by selling land and building houses, they could earn a lot of money. Why wasn't he doing it?
At this moment, Feng Shicheng could no longer listen. Before the apocalypse, he was just a struggling online writer. For a living, he had to write some "cool" stories that catered to readers, which resulted in constant mockery and no income. Every day, he stayed in a cramped rental room, looking at the high-rise buildings outside his window with only resentment. Now, Feng Shicheng heard Yu Zhijing wanting to repeat the practices of the past, and he immediately couldn't stand it.
"You shut up, you're just talking nonsense and giving bad advice! City Lord, you must not believe this kid, he's trying to harm you. Not to mention anything else, there are already vacant houses in the city that were built before. Even if we build new houses, who will buy them?" Feng Shicheng quickly said. At this moment, Feng Shicheng no longer wished for the past situation of sighing at high-rise buildings to be repeated for others.
Yu Zhijing, however, felt that Feng Shicheng was raising a question. Wasn't it about who to sell to? This was too easy to solve. He directly said, "City Lord, as long as houses can be built, there will be no shortage of buyers! First, strictly investigate the household registration of the people below. If they are not locals, they will not be allowed to enjoy education and medical care. Various welfare benefits will be tied to household registration. To obtain Yuzhou's household registration, it is also very simple: you just need to buy a house in Yuzhou!"
Shen Feng was silent at this time. Without anyone reminding him, he had already figured out why his heart felt aversion. It turned out he had almost experienced such a life before.
Yu Zhijing continued to speak eloquently, "When all welfare benefits are tied to housing, houses will generate high value. If you want to survive, you can only buy a house. It's okay if you can't afford it now; you can pay in installments, over ten or twenty years. If you still can't pay, you will be ordered to move out of the house."
Shen Feng looked at Yu Zhijing silently, saying nothing, his expression complex. A young boy had so many ideas about selling land and was even preparing to implement them. Was this the fault of the times?
"City Lord, are you also planning to exploit the farmers?" At this moment, Dan Zhengming spoke.
It turned out that seeing Shen Feng's prolonged silence, the half-immortal thought Shen Feng had agreed with the suggestion and couldn't help but speak to dissuade him. If it really came to selling land, society would become stagnant, and the bottom of this stagnant water would still be the farmers.
Shen Feng came back to his senses, looked at Dan Zhengming, and asked, "Half-immortal, what are you talking about? I never said I wanted to exploit farmers. Besides, Yuzhou is currently practicing land reclamation, and there are no farmers in the true sense of the word."
Dan Zhengming sighed and said, "The farmer class is truly too bitter. I was once a farmer and knew the hardships of farming. That's why I'd rather be a fortune teller, earning a meager salary with my eloquence, than return to the village. If land is really sold and household registration is really tied to housing, the first to be exploited will be the farmers!"
Shen Feng quickly explained, "I have no intention of selling land, you misunderstood. I was just thinking about how to refute Yu Zhijing's words. You have to believe me, I'm not that kind of scoundrel who exploits the masses."
Upon hearing Shen Feng's explanation, the half-immortal showed a look of relief. Clearly, the half-immortal was very fortunate at this moment to have met such a kind person as Shen Feng. Perhaps he wasn't a dominant figure in establishing a territory, but he definitely understood the people's sentiments.
Yu Zhijing was confused by their conversation. His excellent suggestion had been so easily rejected by these two. No, adding Feng Shicheng's words, it meant that all three people present had rejected his suggestion.
"Why would this be exploiting farmers? Sir, please enlighten me." Yu Zhijing quickly asked.
The half-immortal did not hide anything and began to explain directly, "First of all, the method of using household registration was a measure taken by ancient rulers to restrict population mobility. In modern times, the household registration system has been relaxed, but it is still tied to housing. Originally, with the arrival of the apocalypse, countless mutated beasts forced people from villages to flee to big cities. Unable to live in the villages, they entered the cities and became manual laborers, possessing nothing but their strength. Once household registration is tied to housing again, it forces these people to buy houses. But, do they really want to do this? Twenty years of hard work in exchange for a 70-year ownership of steel and cement?"
"But if this method is implemented, everyone without household registration can only buy houses. It's just a bit of hardship for the common people," Yu Zhijing said as a matter of course.
"This is called exploitation! You are a genius, no doubt, but you haven't seen the plight of the lower class! How many people buy houses for a household registration, working from dawn till dusk, not daring to eat more expensive food, not daring to wear nice clothes, working hard for decades, ending up with injuries and illnesses, with no one to care for the elderly, and children becoming left-behind children. After decades, it looks prosperous and beautiful, but in reality, this splendor is built on the blood of the lower class. It's not worth it!" Dan Zhengming said with great distress.
Originally, Dan Zhengming had cultivated great self-control and rarely got angry. An eighty-year-old man in good health also had this personality of rarely getting angry.
But now, after Dan Zhengming spoke, he was truly agitated and immediately coughed.
Feng Shicheng, sitting next to Dan Zhengming, quickly poured tea for the old man and said, "Half-immortal, don't be angry. He's just a kid who doesn't understand anything. He hasn't seen families torn apart. You don't need to get angry. Drink your tea."
Shen Feng also said to Yu Zhijing, "I cannot accept your suggestion. Before the apocalypse, I was just a student at a third-rate university. Although I stayed in school, I also knew that real estate development was a practice that overdrafts a generation's youth. When most people's money is invested in real estate, society becomes stagnant. It might make money in the short term and help overcome the current crisis, but it will completely ruin a generation of young people."
As someone who grew up during the era of rapid economic development, Shen Feng also witnessed different scenes. Behind the high-rise buildings were many farmers being exploited, and various methods forced farmers to work in the cities. The rapidly developing economy was inseparable from land sales, and land sales led to soaring prices. Ultimately, those who built houses couldn't afford them, while those who controlled resources lived a life of luxury.
After this situation occurred, young people lost all desire upon seeing the high housing prices and became a lost generation because they lost all hope.
Upon hearing their explanations, Yu Zhijing fell silent. He had only seen various economic miracles in books and thought that selling land was a matter of infinite profit. But now, it seemed that this matter was also stained with the blood and tears of the people, which were simply not seen in books.
Dan Zhengming also knew that Yuzhou was currently facing a crisis and needed to raise grain quickly. Since he had rejected someone's suggestion, he should also propose a solution.
After thinking for a moment, Dan Zhengming said to Shen Feng, "City Lord, we cannot sell land, but we can sell other things, such as ability potions! I heard that when the City Lord returned, he brought back many ability potions and extraterrestrial elements. Before that, he killed over twenty ability users and obtained their abilities. We can sell the abilities that are not used to exchange for grain!"
Shen Feng finally remembered that besides land, he could also sell ability potions. Such precious items would surely find buyers.
However, thinking of this, Shen Feng hesitated again and asked, "Isn't Yuzhou already blockaded? Even the trains from Rongcheng to Yuzhou have stopped. Who would trade with us at this time? Even if the trade is successful, how will the grain arrive?"
Shen Feng was not reluctant to part with the ability potions. Yuzhou had enough ability potions at the moment, enough to cultivate dozens of ability users. Selling a few bottles was simple. But Yuzhou was blockaded, so who would dare to deliver grain?
When Shen Feng raised this question, Dan Zhengming thought seriously and said, "Let Wang Aoye help. Don't the people of the Qinghong Gang have channels to reach Dongting Lake? Let's quickly open a secret trade route now and transport grain from Wuling Mountain. Wuling Mountain is high and far, with mountains and water everywhere, and the terrain is treacherous. Transporting grain from here will not be a problem."
Shen Feng nodded. Shi Weitian's intention before was also to use the small paths in Wuling Mountain for underground transactions. Now, the half-immortal also mentioned Wuling Mountain, indicating that they had the same idea.
Originally, Yuzhou's transportation was most developed by waterways and railways. As a major town on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, transporting supplies via the Yangtze River was the most suitable. However, Yuzhou was blockaded by headquarters, so neither of these routes could complete the transportation task. They could only choose road transportation. If gasoline was lacking, they would have to use horse-drawn carriages.
Thinking of this, Shen Feng immediately said, "I will contact Wang Aoye. This matter requires Wang Aoye's help. As for the ability potions, let's auction them. Perhaps we can earn more grain. I also need to sound out Ke Yiming. Implementing this matter is not easy."
After speaking, Shen Feng left the room. The matter of mutated birds was imminent. They couldn't just wait for the autumn harvest; they had to work hard to accumulate grain before then.
"Sir, I have an impertinent request." At this moment, after Shen Feng left, Yu Zhijing respectfully said to Dan Zhengming.
Dan Zhengming quickly said, "Speak, what do you need me to do? I will try my best to help you."
Although the other party was only a ten-year-old child, Dan Zhengming did not underestimate him, as he was a true prodigy and also a colleague. Treating him as an adult was appropriate.
Yu Zhijing said seriously, "I want to become your disciple. Please agree!"
Seeing this, Feng Shicheng couldn't help but want to laugh, "Why don't you find me to be your teacher? I can be your teacher too. Not to mention anything else, my stamina is better than the half-immortal's. I'm in my prime, the half-immortal is in his twilight years. It's better to bother me than him!"
Yu Zhijing, however, glanced at Feng Shicheng and said indifferently, "You're just a writer of erotic novels. You are not worthy of being my teacher."
Upon hearing this, Feng Shicheng immediately became angry, his beard bristling. He didn't expect his image in Yu Zhijing's mind to be so不堪. However, he couldn't refute the fact. During the apocalypse, to make money, he could only write novels that catered to readers' tastes. What were novels that catered to readers' tastes? Of course, they were novels that described the lower body.
Feng Shicheng had also planned to stop after one stint, but he didn't expect to be caught. His heroic deeds had already spread widely. Others didn't care if Feng Shicheng had true talent or not. When they criticized him, they would bring up this matter. Feng Shicheng couldn't refute the facts.
"Damn it, I can't be bothered to argue with a brat like you. I'm leaving." Feng Shicheng left the room indignantly.
Dan Zhengming hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then so be it. It is an honor to be the teacher of a prodigy."
Yu Zhijing kept his word. Upon hearing Dan Zhengming's agreement, he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed "bang bang bang" without any hesitation.