Chapter 26 The Superficially Prosperous Bangta City

Xu Yi turned his head and smiled slightly: "Now you have seen it with your own eyes on behalf of His Majesty the King, isn't it the same?"

"Perhaps..." Seweney nodded with a chuckle.

Three months have passed, and at this time, Sevigny is no longer as sad as when he just received the news of Lampari XIII's death, and his usual peaceful smile has resumed on his face. And compared to before, her smile now seems to be much more sincere and gentle, which makes people feel more cordial.

Thinking of what Seweini had done during this period of time, Xu Yi couldn't help feeling a little admiration in his heart.

Being able to remain calm and strong in the face of great changes, and able to stick to her own ideas without being tempted by huge power, I am afraid that there are few people in this world who can match her in terms of determination.

"Speaking of which, you still only call your father His Majesty the King." Seweini glanced at the cargo ships of the Porter Chamber of Commerce shuttling on the Sandy River, and suddenly said again. "Brother, he has not done anything to you and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce since he took the throne. Are you still unwilling to accept him?"

"It doesn't matter whether you accept it or not." Xu <顶><点> novel also shook his head. "It's just a habit. I have only met one His Majesty the King in my life. As for His Royal Highness Prince Eric... I have never met him at all, so I am not used to changing his address. Besides, I am just a An ordinary small businessman, it doesn't matter what I think of him."

"Xu Yi, you've committed your old problem again." Seweini showed a slightly playful smile, and pointed Xu Yi with his finger. "Don't always look down on yourself like this. You say you are just an ordinary small businessman? I am afraid that there will be no second person in the whole kingdom who believes it except you. If a person who can even influence more than half of the city's decision-making in the whole kingdom is just a Small merchants, what are the other merchants in the kingdom?"

"Your Highness, please don't make fun of me." Xu Yi smiled wryly and shook his head. "What cities make decisions is just for them to earn more financial revenue. It has nothing to do with me. If your words fall into the ears of His Royal Highness Prince Eric, then I might be in trouble."

"This is another old problem of yours." Sevini pursed her lips and chuckled. "Every time you say something insincere, you will use the honorific title to me. Don't worry, big brother promised to treat you and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce well, and judging from now, he has indeed done it. You see, big brother has inherited the throne for three full months Now, it’s not like you and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce have never been taken care of. So in fact, you can be bold and continue to develop the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce as before.”

Xu Yi glanced at Seweini: "Are you here to be a lobbyist for His Royal Highness Prince Eric?"

"No. I'm here to be a lobbyist for the entire Kingdom of Lampari." Sevini shook his head lightly, his expression becoming serious. "Xu Yi, please don't abandon the Lampari Kingdom?"

Xu Yi was silent for a moment, and said: "I never said that I would give up the Lampari Kingdom."

"But that's what you did." Seweney said seriously. "In the past three months, not only did you not expand the base of the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce in the Rainfall Valley according to the plan you told me before, but you also relocated all the personnel and facilities in the Rainfall Valley. According to me As we know, the Magic Research Institute and the Magic Machine Tool R&D Center of the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce have now been relocated to your Chamber of Commerce’s base in the Principality of Standing, right?"

Xu Yi was expressionless, but he did not deny it: "Where did you know that?"

"Don't you think it's possible to hide such a big move from everyone?" Sevini asked unceremoniously. "In addition, Steele and your daughter Freya were also sent to the Principality of Standing by you. You did this. Don't you want to leave the Kingdom of Lampari?"

"You think too much." Xu Yi smiled and said. "The climate in the Principality of Standing is better than here. I sent Steele and Freya there just to make them live more comfortably."

"Don't lie to me." Seweini stared at Xu Yi with a firm tone. "Xu Yi, I've been with you for so long, why can't I see the thoughts in your heart. You have clearly made a plan, and you have already started to implement it step by step. In fact, seriously, as early as two years ago you When you first went to the Principality of Standing, you already had this plan, right?"

Facing Seweini's gaze and being silent for a while, Xu Yi sighed softly and said, "This is just leaving a way out for myself. Your Royal Highness, three months ago, didn't you still remind me to make preparations in advance? Why? Now they come to accuse me, why?"

A trace of sadness flashed across Sevini's face, he gritted his teeth lightly, and continued: "I understand what you are doing. But Xu Yi...can't you be more patient? Give brother more confidence, at least see him I really want to target you and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce, so why not make a decision?"

"It will be too late at that time." Xu Yi snorted softly. "Let me have more patience and confidence? Seweney, if you take over the throne, I can give you absolutely sufficient patience and confidence. As for His Royal Highness Prince Eric... hehe..."

"But I think the eldest brother has done a very good job in the past three months since he took over the throne. At least he didn't do what you were worried about before. Once he ascended the throne, he will attack you and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce, right?" Sevigny still refused to give up persuasion.

"Really?" Xu Yi asked back, looked at Sevini for a while, and suddenly asked: "Your Highness, I heard that you have been living in seclusion in your own territory since you handed over all your duties, and have never left?"

"Yes." Seweney nodded slightly. "This is also to reassure big brother. This time to see you is the first time I have left the territory in the past few months."

"Did His Royal Highness Prince Eric ask you to persuade me?" Xu Yi asked again.

"No, this is my own decision. Brother just told me the situation." Seweney replied.

"That's no different from him asking you out." Xu Yi shrugged. "It seems that His Royal Highness Prince Eric really knows your character quite well. Well, no matter what reason you came to see me, but you have been living in seclusion in your own territory for the past few months. Compared with the situation outside To understanding."

"What? Is there anything unusual?" Seweini was a little puzzled. "I didn't see any special abnormal changes along the way? Instead, I came to Bangta City. I saw that Bangta City has become more prosperous than before. This makes me very happy."

"Of course it can't be seen on the surface, but in fact... Let me give you an example. Sevini, do you know that the chamber of commerce policy in Banta City has been adjusted recently?"

"Adjust commercial tax?" Seweini frowned slightly. "How did you adjust it? Was it lowered or raised?"

"What do you think?" Xu Yi sneered. "Only six days ago, the City Lord's Mansion announced the latest tax collection standard for Bangta City. According to this standard, chambers of commerce that produce magic machinery, including our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce, will be classified as new industries and enjoy new business taxes. Tax standard. Specifically, it is necessary to levy additional special protection taxes for magical machines, ranging from 5% to 8%."

"Extra tax?" Sevini frowned a little deeper. "The previous commercial tax remains the same?"

"No. The previous commercial tax has also been increased. Take our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce as an example, because our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce reported an annual income of more than five million gold coins, which belongs to the first-tier income chamber of commerce. The commercial tax rate will be unified from the previous one. 43% of the increase to 56%. A direct increase of 13%. "

"13%?" Sevini was stunned. "How could it be increased so much all of a sudden? If you add that extra tax, wouldn't it increase by nearly 20% all of a sudden?"

"If we take our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce as an example, it's not close to 20%, but more than that." Xu Yi sneered. "Of course, apart from our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce, most of the other chambers of commerce are not mainly engaged in magic machinery, so the tax rate increase is not high. The Amly Chamber of Commerce with the most is only increased by about 17%. "

"This is crazy!" After hearing the data given by Xu Yi, Seweini's pretty face immediately sank. "Improved so much at once. How much profit do you have left?"

"His Royal Highness, if I tell you that our Xinfei Chamber of Commerce follows this commercial tax standard, and our annual profit this year may be cut by more than half in the end, do you believe it or not?" Xu Yi asked with a sneer on his face.

Sevini was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, and then he was a little puzzled.

"If this is the case, then why is Bangta City even more prosperous than before? You see, there are all kinds of goods being shipped out everywhere, and among them, all kinds of magic machines are the most. Why is this? "

"It's very simple, because the profit margin is too low. If you don't sell more things, you won't make any money at all. Even maintaining the basic operation of the chamber of commerce will be a problem." Xu Yi sighed. "Sevini, when you were wandering around the city just now, didn't you notice that the smiles on everyone's faces are much less than before?"

Sevini recalled what he saw when he and Xu Yi drove around the city of Bangta in a magic car, and found that Xu Yi was indeed right.

Banta City does look more prosperous, and the transportation of goods is busier, but people's faces are not always filled with nervous but happy smiles like when she was the city lord before, but all of them have solemn expressions, brows Tightly locked, you can tell that there is a lot of pressure at a glance.

"The Chamber of Commerce is no longer making money, so it will naturally find ways to save costs. The most important part of the cost is the wages of the workers." Xu Yi continued to explain. "In the last month alone, fifteen workers' riots broke out in the factories of the major chambers of commerce in Bangta City, all of which were to protest wage cuts."

Sevini looked at the old Bangta City in the distance, and remained silent.

"The workers are dissatisfied. In fact, many merchants in the city are even more dissatisfied. Many presidents of chambers of commerce that also produce magic machinery have complained to me, saying that they are almost unable to support themselves." Xu Yi's expression was also the same. nice. "There's nothing I can do about it other than to advise them to keep going."

"Then... can you hold on?" Seweini asked hesitantly.

Xu Yi sneered slightly: "What do you think?"

Sevini looked at the city of Bangta on the far side of the horizon again, lost in thought, and stopped talking for a while. (To be continued..)