“Divine Envoy, the food you sent out has immediately brought returns.” Han Bing handed the data to Yang Yi, beaming with excitement.
At first, when Yang Yi said he wanted the cafeteria to make some delicacies for those coming to trade, some people couldn’t understand.
In the past, there had been no such rules, and they even provided the venue. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it was just a large flat area. It still required manpower to clean it up.
During that time, they even dug a well specifically to make it convenient for fetching water.
This was already extremely thoughtful. In previous trade fairs, every tribe had to clean their own lodgings before they could set up camp, which took a while.
Because it was always so haphazard, it felt like being in the wild, with snakes, ants, and poisonous insects often crawling into the tents.
Nothing like now. Everything was ready upon arrival. All they had to do was set up the animal skins.
If they didn’t have wood, they could even borrow some from the Spark Tribe.
If they had a bit more money, they could stay directly in spacious, bright, comfortable, and safe houses, with different levels depending on the price.
Now, every team was being given a portion of delicacies. While the amount per person wasn’t large, altogether it was certainly substantial!
Each portion was more than enough, and each had a different variety. It was clear that a lot of thought had gone into it. They couldn’t even eat like this every day!
And the best part? All of this was free!
The Divine Envoy had always been a generous person, treating everyone well. Even if someone had complaints, they wouldn’t dare say much.
After all, the tribe as it is now would never have developed without the Divine Envoy.
Now, everyone finally understood the reason why the Divine Envoy did all this.
After most tribes ate these foods, they immediately placed orders with their own tribes for corn, wheat, rice, and other foods they had never seen before and had previously shown little interest in.
Some of the wealthier tribes even directly exchanged goods for meal tickets at the Spark Cafeteria, eager to enjoy a proper feast right away!
The small taste they had earlier was barely enough to satisfy them.
Not eating it would have been fine. Even just smelling it was fragrant, and they could still fool themselves into thinking they were only enjoying the aroma.
But once it was eaten, such self-deception no longer worked.
Affluent tribes no longer held back or were stingy. They satisfied their appetites first.
As a result, in just one night, a lot of consumption was stimulated.
The previous caution and wariness also noticeably faded. Some tribe members even took the initiative to chat with the Spark Tribe people, asking about what delicacies the Spark Tribe had.
Yang Yi glanced at the data on the paper and smiled. “There are still a lot of people who know quality when they see it!”
These people were straightforward and charming. Once they approved, they acted decisively.
“Divine Envoy, they also want to know how these foods are made.”
There were no recipes per se, but the kitchen staff remained very cautious and did not reveal the secrets. They only mentioned the main ingredients of each dish.
“As long as someone buys food from our tribe, we’ll have someone from the kitchen explain some of the preparation methods to them. Only when they enjoy the food will there be more transactions next time.”
Opening a restaurant here wasn’t practical. Yang Yi saw no reason to be overly stingy.
Moreover, some of the preparation methods they couldn’t replicate anyway. There were no iron pots. Cooking in stone pots would quickly cause them to crack.
The fact that humans only developed stir-frying in later periods wasn’t because they couldn’t think of cooking that way. It was mostly due to limitations in available ingredients.
“Alright, I’ll arrange for someone specifically to explain it to them.”
“Later, discreetly let everyone leak a bit of information. Just say which tribe or team was the first to assess and set prices. In the end, there will be a rather substantial reward.” Yang Yi said.
Han Bing blinked.
Yang Yi smiled. “Remember, if it’s accidentally revealed, it’s not the official statement.”
Han Bing still didn’t understand. “Why do it this way?”
“Sometimes, unofficial news is more effective than official announcements.”
Saying it so plainly might seem like trickery, which could instead raise suspicion.
At present, their trading process is the same as last time. For convenience, goods could first be brought to the Spark Tribe for assessment. The corresponding certificate could then be used to purchase other items.
This type of trading was built on trust. Although tribes like Green Python and Dayuan, as well as certain merchant caravans, set examples, most tribes still didn’t dare to trust fully.
Some bolder tribes would submit part of their items for assessment, but most stuck to the old ways, unwilling to change, fearing they couldn’t bear unexpected risks.
Yang Yi understood this thinking very well. He would feel the same in their position.
But to make transactions smoother, to highlight the advantages of the Spark Tribe’s professional trade zone, and to attract more tribes here for trading in the future, Yang Yi needed to find ways to get more tribes involved.
Han Bing half understood. In any case, if the Divine Envoy did it, there had to be a reason.
“What kind of big gift would that be?”
“Ironware.”
“What?!”
Han Bing was extremely surprised. This gift was far too precious!
Although many warriors in the tribe were now equipped with ironware, it was still very rare.
Especially with so many tribes coming here for the trade fair, the way they looked at their weapons made all the Spark people incredibly proud.
Everyone understood the importance of ironware very clearly. They hadn’t expected Yang Yi to hand out something like this.
Whether it was forged by their own people or brought by Yang Yi from the gods, it was extremely valuable.
“Divine Envoy, is it really necessary? They are willing to participate in the evaluation for their own benefit. Do we need to go this far? Actually, once the trade fair starts, seeing the convenience, they will most likely begin to trust us on their own,” Han Bing couldn’t help but say.
Yang Yi: “This is a kind of signal.”
“A signal?”
“As long as they actively cooperate and trust the decisions of our Spark Tribe, there will be generous rewards. It’s not just for this one matter, but to lay the groundwork for the future.”
Han Bing suddenly understood. The look in his eyes toward Yang Yi was filled with even more admiration.
“Divine Envoy, you really think far ahead!”
Although the Eastern Continent was, like primitive Earth, surrounded by countless dangers, they had already appeared in large numbers.
But here, communication between tribes was clearly more frequent, not isolated.
It was also for this reason that the entire Eastern Continent had a common language. Most tribes had people who could speak it, making communication between them much smoother.
“To develop, one must think far ahead. Otherwise, momentary prosperity is just a fleeting bloom.”
After the “rumors” spread, more tribes were indeed willing to have their goods evaluated, not only because they were genuinely attracted by the prizes.
It was also because some tribes that had arrived early had already experienced the convenience of doing so.
The official trade fair had not yet started. Many experienced tribes were waiting until all the tribes had gathered before observing, so they could exchange goods that suited them best.
For the tribes willing to participate, the Spark Tribe even assigned financial staff to follow them, voluntarily analyzing and calculating on their behalf.
Before the trade fair, Yang Yi had specially trained these people.
They were not only good at arithmetic, but more importantly, they were capable and not easily deceived.
They would not foolishly make decisions for others, avoiding complications if problems arose later.
They only needed to provide the results of their calculations. How to act on them was entirely up to the other party.
“Good thing I have you! My good partner, the trade fair has just begun, and I’ve already exchanged for more and better things than before!” The Great Wind chief counted the items exchanged that day, overjoyed.
The Spark staff smiled and said, “I’m glad my service can satisfy you.”
“Completely satisfied, really completely satisfied!” The Great Wind chief patted the shoulder of his Spark staff. “Tonight, I’m going to the mess hall to grab some good food. You absolutely must come. We’re opening a cask of wine!”
The whole tent instantly erupted.
“Wow! Wine, wine!”
“Chief, really?! We’re opening wine?!”
No one could resist the temptation of fine wine. After exchanging for salt, almost every tribe wanted to exchange for wine next.
The Spark Tribe’s wine suited the tastes of most people on the Eastern Continent. It was richer and more potent.
The most crucial part was that it was far cheaper than the fine wine brought from the Western Continent!
Previously, a small cask could only be exchanged for a small amount. Now, it could get a whole barrel. Before, they dared only to sip a little. Now, they could drink a big mouthful!
It was truly satisfying!
All the hard work of the year, what was it for, if not for the enjoyment of this day?
Any tribe with even a little capability was willing to exchange for fine wine.
If they couldn’t afford it before, now at least they could taste it.
Some clever tribes even thought that if they didn’t drink it themselves, they could take it back and trade it with tribes that hadn’t come to the fair!
“Thank you very much for your kindness, but we have rules that forbid us from drinking during work hours, so as not to delay matters,” the Spark staff said, unmoved, still smiling sincerely.
“Besides, it’s my duty.”
“Why does your tribe have so many rules!” Great Wind Chief frowned.
The Spark staff still smiled. “The Divine Envoy said that only with regulated conduct can the whole tribe develop in an orderly way. If it’s all chaos, having more people only means tripping each other up.”
Great Wind Chief already had some understanding of the Spark Tribe by now, so he didn’t make things difficult. Here, there wasn’t the idea that refusing food or drink meant looking down on someone.
“Your Spark Tribe is very principled,” Great Wind Chief praised.
The Spark staff lifted his chin slightly with pride.
This trade fair allowed the Spark people to experience even more deeply the benefits brought by a strong tribe.
“I have some matters I’d like to discuss privately with your chief,” Great Wind Chief suddenly said.
The Spark staff didn’t ask further. “I’ll pass on your request.”
Soon, Great Wind Chief met with Hei Lie.
Although about thirty tribes had already arrived here, keeping Hei Lie extremely busy every day, he still made sure to set aside time for friendly talks with each tribe’s leader.
“Long time no see.” Hei Lie bumped his fist toward Great Wind Chief.
Great Wind Chief was slightly stunned when he saw him. “You’ve gotten so much stronger than before! I didn’t pay much attention before, but now you’re a level five warrior, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t just Hei Lie who was busy. Great Wind Chief had also never been idle. Their past meetings were always rushed or in large gatherings, so he hadn’t had the chance to observe carefully.
He could feel this man had grown stronger and stronger. But he hadn’t expected him to be this strong.
A level five warrior!
There weren’t many in the entire Eastern Continent.
Hei Lie grinned proudly. “I just broke through. I was surprised myself.”
He had been stuck at level four for a very long time. He could clearly feel that he had touched upon the key, but there was always just that little bit missing.
He had been anxious about it deep down, yet there was nothing he could do.
This time, because of all the preparations for the trade fair, he had been extremely busy and had no time to think about it.
And in the end, he had actually broken through without even realizing it, which astonished him greatly.
Great Wind Chief felt jealousy bubbling up uncontrollably. This fellow was simply too enviable. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he gave a cold snort:
“I have some not-so-good news to tell you.”
