Stepping onto the sturdy wooden path, Wei Jing felt as if he had truly set foot on solid ground!
In the distance stood a neat row of three-story cabins.
Ji Yizhi was already waiting for Wei Jing and his men in front of the cabins.
Seeing Ji Yizhi, Wei Jing quickened his pace, walked up to him, and extended his hand.
Ji Yizhi shook it and smiled. "Forgive me for not coming out to greet you."
"Captain Ji, you’re too kind! The Dragon Base is relocating today, so things must be busy. On the contrary, I was worried about disturbing you!" Wei Jing replied, shaking his head.
"Not at all. Let’s go inside and talk," Ji Yizhi said, leading them into one of the cabins.
After everyone was seated, Wei Jing remarked with admiration, "These houses you’ve built are exquisite!"
Ji Yizhi waved his hand dismissively. "Our resources are limited. This was the best we could do."
"You’re being too modest, Captain Ji!" Wei Jing said with a smile, then suddenly asked, "Is this more or less the center of the Banyan Forest?"
Ji Yizhi nodded slightly. "You could say that."
"I never imagined you’d manage to create such a vast forest!" Wei Jing exclaimed, then continued, "But with your population, you surely can’t use all this space, right?"
Ji Yizhi paused for a moment, instantly understanding his implication. He smiled and replied, "If it were just for housing, we definitely wouldn’t use it all. However, we also need to build factories, shops, and other functional buildings. That should use up most of it."
At this, Wei Jing looked a little disappointed. He had been hoping to lease a plot of land here to give the members of the Iron Wing Fleet a place to settle down.
Seeing the disappointment on his face, Ji Yizhi continued, "However, our Banyan Forest will continue to expand, so its area will only grow larger in the future."
Wei Jing’s eyes lit up. "In that case, would you be willing to sell us a piece of the Banyan Forest?"
He knew the chances of the Dragon Base selling off parts of the Banyan Forest were slim, but he had to try. What if they actually said yes?
Ji Yizhi shook his head decisively. "The Duckweed Continent is the foundation of the Dragon Base. We will never sell it to anyone! However, we can lease it out under certain conditions."
Wei Jing wasn’t surprised. He quickly asked, "What are the conditions?"
"No weapons are allowed. You must abide by the Dragon Base’s rules and submit to the Dragon Base’s administration..." Ji Yizhi listed a series of requirements.
Meeting these requirements was tantamount to handing themselves over to the Dragon Base, completely at its mercy.
The men who had come with Wei Jing all frowned, but Wei Jing himself answered decisively, "Those conditions are no problem. But how is the rent calculated?"
When the others heard this, they all looked like they wanted to protest, but Wei Jing raised his hand, firmly silencing them.
Seeing how decisive Wei Jing was, Ji Yizhi smiled and replied, "Currently, the rent is tentatively set at one thousand Peach Blossom Coins per square meter per month. However, if you can contribute to the development of the Duckweed Continent, the rent can be reduced."
"Peach Blossom Coins?" Wei Jing was a little surprised. It was the first time he had heard the term.
Peach Blossom Coins had only circulated internally between the Dragon Base and the Peach Blossom Base and had not been promoted externally.
"Correct. It’s a monetary system jointly launched by our base and the Peach Blossom Base," Ji Yizhi explained.
Wei Jing nodded and asked, "And how are these contributions evaluated?"
"We have detailed evaluation criteria. For example, working on the Duckweed Continent, participating in construction, paying taxes, defending against external threats, and conducting scientific research all grant a corresponding amount of Contribution Points," Ji Yizhi replied.
"I understand!" Wei Jing continued, "How many Peach Blossom Coins is a thousand-ton cargo ship worth?"
"Our base isn’t short on ships right now, so the price won’t be too high," Ji Yizhi replied. "Around five hundred thousand Peach Blossom Coins, depending on the ship’s condition."
Wei Jing nodded slightly. "That price is acceptable. We’re prepared to sell one cargo ship to lease a plot on the Duckweed Continent."
"I must remind you, it’s not as simple as having money to rent a large space. It requires approval," Ji Yizhi stressed.
"I understand that, of course," Wei Jing replied. "I just want to find a place for the members of my fleet to settle. It doesn’t need to be very large."
"Good, as long as you understand." Ji Yizhi glanced at the time. "It’s about time for dinner. Why don’t you join us for a simple meal?"
Naturally, Wei Jing wasn’t going to refuse. After all, they had been looking around for most of the day and had only eaten some dry rations for lunch. He was actually starting to feel quite hungry.
Ji Yizhi led them to a nearby dining room, where some cold dishes were already set out on the table.
"You can start serving the main courses," Ji Yizhi said to his secretary, who was standing nearby.
The secretary nodded and got up to inform the servers to bring out the food.
Watching the servers bring out plate after plate of exquisite dishes, many of them meat, Wei Jing and his men couldn’t stop swallowing.
Ji Yizhi saw their reaction and said with a smile, "Let’s begin."
With that, he was the first to pick up his chopsticks, officially starting the dinner.
It had been a long time since Wei Jing and his men had eaten meat. It wasn’t that the fleet had no poultry or livestock, but that they couldn’t bear to eat them.
The moment Ji Yizhi announced the start of the meal, they transformed into ravenous beasts.
Seeing his subordinates eating as if they hadn’t had a proper meal in days, Wei Jing apologized to Ji Yizhi with a helpless expression. "I’m sorry. It’s been too long since our fleet has eaten any land-animal meat. Please excuse our behavior."
Ji Yizhi shook his head. "Don’t worry, I understand. If we hadn’t encountered the Peach Blossom Base, we would be in the same boat. We might have even been worse off than you. We have more people, and with the food we had, we probably would have run out a month ago. Forget about eating meat like this!"

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