Zhou Yi sized up the sea lord before him, "I've long admired your reputation. The timber from the Tree Monster Territory is very good. It's finally nice to meet you in person."

"Mr. Zhou is too kind."

The other party was somewhat restrained, "Compared to the Wasteland Development Company, our place is just a remote backwater."

Sea lord was a large black feline creature with green eyes, almost 3 meters long, with a majestic posture, yet moved without a sound.

Red Kestrel said, it's a species called Shadow Cat of the Guangna Species, which can disguise itself as a shadow to follow targets.

The Shadow Cat naturally excels as a lurker and assassin.

Behind the sea lord were several otter attendants, carrying several wooden boxes.

"These are Big Claw Beavers."

Red Kestrel, attuned in frequency, said, "Their claws are large and powerful, good at building dams, performing hydraulic works, and landscaping. Tree Monster Territory is rich in water resources, allowing them to utilize their full potential."

Zhou Yi was listening internally, but smiled and said, "I just baked some pancakes; would you like to try some, sea lord?"

The other's expression showed difficulty.

But the sea lord still forced a smile with clenched teeth and said, "I'd respectfully rather do as you say."

Zhou Yi handed over the steaming scallion pancakes.

The sea lord took a bite, chewed twice, and then swallowed with difficulty, "Very good, a fine food."

At this moment, Zhou Yi suddenly wondered, maybe felines don't eat pancakes?

Red Kestrel reminded, "Shadow Cats are carnivorous. Zhou, it's really being polite."

My.

Zhou Yi pondered internally.

Could the other party be considering this a test of subservience?

So he decided to clear the air, "Sorry, I was not aware; you don't eat this kind of food. It's made with flour..."

Sure enough, the sea lord's eyes became clear, its demeanor relaxed a lot, and it no longer kept its thick claws tucked up.

"Mr. Zhou's generous invitation, I would also like to try new things."

Misunderstanding resolved.

It said, "The reason for this visit is mainly to meet Mr. Zhou and hope we can cooperate."

Zhou Yi nodded, "Tree Monster Territory's timber is of good quality, our company likes it very much, and we will continue to buy in bulk moving forward."

The sea lord turned to look at its attendants behind it and said, "Present the gift."

"Yes."

The otters carried two boxes forward.

The sea lord extended its broad front paw and first opened one of the wooden boxes.

Inside was a kind of small mushroom.

They had slim stems and delicate caps, inherently just an ordinary gray-white color, but they glowed.

Zhou Yi commanded Jade City to turn off the lights.

Darkness immediately enveloped the room.

The brightness of the mushrooms in front suddenly increased, emitting a bright yellow glow, not inferior in illumination capacity to rhombic stones.

The room was soon brightly lit again.

Only then did the sea lord say, "Mr. Zhou, this is one of our special products from Tree Monster Territory, the Yellow Fluorescent Mushroom. It emits a yellow glow; it's very light, lighter and more convenient than rhombic stones."

"In Tree Monster Territory, it's mainly used for illumination. It's not only easy to cultivate and grows fast but is also edible. Just wrap it in soil, add some water, and it will glow."

"I am willing to gift these glowing mushrooms and their cultivation methods to your company."

Zhou Yi did not respond.

The sea lord had come bearing gifts, evidently asking for a favor.

But he still didn't know what it was about.

He decided to wait and see.

The sea lord then opened the second box nearby, "I heard Mr. Zhou likes food, and I have been researching in this area as well."

"Please look at this fish we raise in Tree Monster Territory."

The box was filled with ice, on which lay two large and several small fish, about fourteen in total, all looking very fresh.

Zhou Yi became interested, "You raise fish too?"

"We've only started in recent years."

The sea lord showed a toothy grin, "Our main export in Tree Monster Territory is timber, but relying on such a single resource makes it easy to run into problems."

"One year, the Tree Monsters contracted a disease, one by one they began to shed leaves, the branches turned yellow and withered. Despite inviting a professional Mechanical Doctor, we ultimately failed to save two Tree Monsters."

"There were several diagnosed causes."

"One was drought, inducing transpiration and leading to the rupture of the water column in the conduits. Another was the infection of the trees' roots and trunks by honey fungus, which is difficult to find promptly. The combination of both led to a great disaster. The Tree Monsters barely held on, but the forest suffered a widespread death; and at that time, Tree Monster Territory came dangerously close to extinction..."

Pain filled the large cat's eyes, and its paws scratched involuntarily.

Zhou Yi expressed understanding, "Every household has its difficulties; only those who have experienced it know the hardships. Still, we need to put proper disaster prevention measures in place."

"You're right."

Tree Monster Lord's eyes showed a hint of approval: "So since then, I have been looking for more transformation opportunities. I've planted many fruit trees in my territory, and the people there are good at tree cultivation, plus our soil and water are excellent, so that was not difficult."

"However, fruit export proved to be harder than I thought. Fruits are easily damaged during transportation, they don't last long, and there are issues with their natural taste and sweetness... This requires highly professional people and takes a lot of time to cultivate and breed better varieties."

"From planting the fruit trees to the present, Tree Monster Territory has endured more than a decade, and only now are we beginning to see some improvements. Our grapes, sweet and sour fruit, and pears are all pretty good, and many cities are willing to purchase them."

Zhou Yi internally adjusted his evaluation of Tree Monster Lord.

This sea lord with a wild appearance acts with a delicate touch, and the adaptation to local conditions is commendable.

"Apart from the orchards, we have also tapped into the unique hydropower resources of Tree Monster Territory."

Tree Monster Lord continued: "I have made some changes to the existing lakes and rivers in the territory, and the Big Claw Beavers have built dams and fish ponds there. We are currently focusing on farming these two types of fish."

He lifted a paw to indicate the larger of the two fish: "Grass carp grow very quickly on their own, eating grass and algae, and can reach a weight of five jin in just four months. However, they can only live in terrestrial rivers."

Tree Monster Lord pointed to the smaller fish: "Silver Needle Fish are tastier and can survive in the Dead Sea. They grow slowly, usually taking a year before they can be eaten, and they only grow this big. But the advantage lies in their high egg-laying volume. A single Silver Needle Fish can lay between 4000 and 6000 eggs, which also makes for excellent bait when seeking wild Guangna Species."

"Thanks to these two fish - especially the export of Silver Needle Fish - Tree Monster Territory is starting to improve slightly."

"If you don't mind, please accept these two types of fish, including the fry and the entire aquaculture know-how. I will not guard this information jealously."

Zhou Yi became alert.

The other party was making a substantial offer and surely had a significant request to match.

He asked, "So, Tree Monster Lord, what do you wish to receive?"

The sea lord, resembling a giant black cat, licked its mouth and said, "I earnestly hope to join the Development Alliance and, under Mr. Zhou's leadership, achieve better development."

"..."

That caught me off guard.

So, he's come to seek alliance and camaraderie.

Zhou Yi asked, "Why? Tree Monster Territory doesn't have external threats, and its development is not bad."

Tree Monster Lord showed a somewhat helpless expression, as though hesitating to say more.

Zhou Yi suddenly realized.

In Tree Monster Lord's eyes, the Development Alliance was a rapidly growing and powerful neighbor putting increasing pressure on them.

The Development Alliance was the external threat.

Tree Monster Lord simply said, "Tree Monster Territory heavily relies on extensive exports. If we join the Alliance, several cities here would be sufficient to absorb our timber, fruits, and even the fish produce."

"Now, I can clearly feel that the development here is extremely fast. In comparison, Tree Monster Territory's development is falling far behind."

It hesitated before adding, "I'm not ashamed to tell you that although the Development Alliance has not targeted Tree Monster Territory, our territory has suffered significantly because of it."

The big cat sighed.

"The Flame Cup's mass exports have hugely reduced the demand for timber for heating elsewhere, striking a heavy blow to Tree Monster Territory. In the last two quarters, our timber exports fell by 34% and 41%, respectively, and if it continues, it will fall even more sharply."

"Then there's the fish. Tree Monster Territory urgently needs the refrigeration boxes and the related inexpensive cold storage technology from the Alliance. Our fruits and fish need cooling and low-temperature technology, which can greatly reduce our natural losses. Frozen fish can even be eaten half a year later and still be good."

"Another aspect is the Mushroom House."

Tree Monster Lord continued, "Our urban construction is relatively poor in Tree Monster Territory, and Mushroom Houses can meet the vast majority of city building needs. Moreover, I believe that Mushroom Houses will not just stop there in the future."

"So, regardless of the present or the future, I very much hope to join the Alliance, become a part of it, contribute our strength, and hope for the Alliance's support and protection."

"Actually, before this, I also visited Lord Sand Sea, Duke Beidu, and Steel Refining Lord. They gave me some useful advice, but they all said that the key lies with your agreement, and only if you approve."

Zhou Yi thought to himself that despite his intimidating looks, this guy was good at networking.

He had contacted the other three sea lords.

Speaking of Tree Monster Lord, Lord Sand Sea and the others had good things to say.

Tree Monster Territory is geographically a neighbor, and its local produce can make up for the timber, fruits, and fish lacked by the Development Alliance.

Zhou Yi immediately nodded: "Then, welcome to the Alliance."

"I'm deeply grateful."

Tree Monster Lord's claws twitched with excitement: "Mr. Zhou, whatever you command from now on, I will follow!"

Zhou Yi replied with a smile: "Apart from other things, our side really lacks fish. You guys should raise plenty of them; our company staff do enjoy eating meat."

"Absolutely."

After the formal affiliation, Tree Monster Lord revealed another piece of news: "Mr. Zhou, I encountered another issue here. Because of fish farming, I hired a Mechanical Doctor who specializes in aquaculture breeding, named Sai'erliba."

"Recently, Sai'erliba was taken away by Mechanical City after getting infected with the Sunday Virus."

"Before leaving, the Special Commissioner from the Security Department particularly inquired about the mechanical lifeforms from Wasteland Development Company..."

His voice grew low: "I suspect that they may come here and perform a forced inspection on the company."

Zhou Yi frowned.

He silently asked Red Kestrel, "Can Mechanical City really do that?"

The drone replied, "According to specific agreements, triggering the forced inspection clause allows restricting the freedom of mechanical lifeforms until they are deemed harmless and released."

"Will Mechanical City go to war for being refused surrender?"

"No, but it will impose sanctions on cities that refuse to cooperate."

Zhou Yi had a clearer picture now.

Upon second thought, Mechanical City's actions were rather outrageous.

In normal circumstances, one would do everything to protect their own when they face threats.

Yet they choose to strike heavily at their own the moment they are infected with a virus.

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