132: Chapter 132 Mikey Talks About Rewards (Part 2)

Qin Ce's breath hitched slightly.

The privileges of an entire squad, all concentrated on him alone?

"Do you know what this means?" Mike's expression turned serious. "It means that you, as a single person, possess the equivalent resources of an entire noble family. You've become a prize in everyone's eyes."

"Social security quotas, Inner City housing, security levels—not to mention these, they're all top-tier. What’s truly valuable is the franchise rights."

Qin Ce's spirits lifted, and he leaned forward slightly.

franchise rights.

He had seen this term on his squad badge but hadn't looked into it deeply.

Seeing his confusion, Mike explained, "In today's social system, businesses concerning ordinary civilians are the same as before; anyone can do them. Selling vegetables, opening a restaurant, making clothes—as long as you have the capital, you can do it."

"But—businesses concerning Beast Tamers are different."

His expression became earnest. "Hunting in the wild, resource collection, transportation, manufacturing, and sales are all regulated businesses. Without privileges, you aren't allowed to operate them."

Qin Ce nodded. He had known this for a long time. The mines, hunting grounds, and material processing plants around Fengling City were all operated by various factions, large and small. Ordinary people couldn't even get through the door if they tried to touch them.

"In the past, most top graduates would pull strings in advance based on their family's specialties, hoping to obtain franchises in those areas to create an industrial advantage. Those whose families already held privileges would pull strings to acquire related franchises, linking them to form an industry chain."

"But for someone like you—" He looked at Qin Ce with a special kind of admiration. "A commoner taking first place as a one-man squad has never happened before. Since you don't have a family industry advantage and haven't pulled any strings, you'll simply be assigned randomly."

Qin Ce's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred slightly.

Random assignment?

Mike paused, a mysterious smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"But don't worry, the assignment mechanism has changed. In the past, people would act maliciously, assigning completely useless franchises to their rivals just to be spiteful. After things escalated, the rules were changed. Now, they usually give you three to five franchises to choose from."

Qin Ce breathed a sigh of relief.

"Generally speaking, these resources could be mines for minerals used only by Beast Tamers, manufacturing rights for weapons and armor, trading rights for fierce beast eggs, transportation rights to another city, or contract hunting rights for a certain area."

Qin Ce's eyes lit up slightly.

Every one of these was a goose that laid golden eggs.

But Mike's next words made his heart skip a beat—

"However, a beast tide occurred this time. Your performance during the beast tide was outstanding. Ranking first in military merit below the Bronze Rank, killing the Raven King, and turning the tide of the battle—with all these contributions combined, the scale of the rewards will be at least three times that of previous years."

"Three times?" Qin Ce's voice changed slightly.

"Three times."

Mike nodded with certainty.

"Everyone is watching. If we give too little, people will lose heart; who would risk their lives then? So, the reward given to you this time must be generous—so generous that everyone is envious, yet left speechless."

He extended his finger and tapped the table three times.

"By my estimation, it will be at least three franchises. And they will be three franchises that complement each other to form a complete industry chain."

Qin Ce's breathing became a bit heavier.

A complete industry chain.

This meant that he alone possessed the core resources that a mid-tier noble family relied on for survival.

"Do you know what this means?" Mike's voice was filled with emotion. "This is something many mid-tier noble families in Fengling City have craved their entire lives. With this complete industry chain, you, as a newly minted noble, will be in the strongest tier below the five major powers. Even the five major powers will be scrambling to win you over!"

He paused and looked at Qin Ce, his eyes full of mischievous amusement.

"So, you brat, you're standing right in the path of the best opportunity. From now on, having many children might be your primary job."

Qin Ce was choked up by those words, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Having many children?

He was only eighteen!

Mike burst into laughter and patted his shoulder.

"Just a joke. My point is—what you hold in your hands now is enough to give you a firm foothold in Fengling City. But whether you can stay firm and last long depends on your own ability."

His expression became serious.

"Remember, all capital lies in strength. Privileges, resources, and connections are just the icing on the cake. Without strength, these things will eventually belong to someone else."

"To secure your place in Fengling City's noble circles, at the very minimum, you must reach the Star-Glow Rank and possess an Innate Method. Only then will you truly have the status to stand on equal footing with those major powers."

Qin Ce took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

Star-Glow Rank.

Innate Method.

That was his next goal.

Mike looked at him, his eyes full of admiration and expectation.

"Alright, I've said all that needs to be said. Think carefully about what comes next. Whether you want to cooperate with other powers for complementary resources or join forces with the strong to form a monopoly—it's all up to you."

Qin Ce remained silent, digesting the information.

Mike picked up his teacup and took another sip, giving him time to think.

After a while, Qin Ce looked up. "Uncle Mike, the beast tide has receded, and the fierce beasts to the west have significantly decreased. The territory of human cities is about to expand. Those new lands..."

"Smart." A light of admiration flashed in Mike's eyes. "The arrival of a beast tide is both a danger and an opportunity for people. If it can't be stopped, it's naturally a danger. But what if it is stopped?"

He stood up, walked to the map hanging on the wall, and pointed to the vast area to the west.

"That means the fierce beasts in that direction will be greatly reduced. The territory of human cities will expand once more. And since those are all new territories—with no conflicting interests or entrenched factions—it's particularly beneficial for new powers."

He turned around and looked at Qin Ce.

"Your three franchises will likely be in that new territory. Mines, hunting grounds, transportation routes—all starting from scratch. With no old powers to hinder you, you can do whatever you want."

Qin Ce's eyes lit up.

New territory.

New power.

No old rules.

This was an even greater opportunity than the three franchises themselves.

Mike looked at his expression and nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he changed the subject. "Alright, that's enough about franchises. Now let's talk about the second item: positions."

Qin Ce was slightly taken aback.

Position?

...