Chapter 12: Shaking One's Head

Sure enough, not long after Zhao Hai sat down, Green walked in. He bowed to Zhao Hai and said, "Young Master, I have already arranged everything at home. I will set off immediately in a moment."

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "There is no need to be in such a hurry. Rest assured, those items are safe with me; they won't have any issues even if they sit there for eight or ten years. Once you arrive, you must find some large merchants and sign long-term cooperation agreements with them. Also, remember, we will be raising Blue-Eyed Rabbits in large quantities in the future, so we must cooperate with them on that as well. If I’m not mistaken, the market will be impacted by the Magic Radishes we are introducing, and the price of Magic Radishes will likely drop. We need to be mentally prepared for that."

Green nodded. Zhao Hai gestured to the seat beside him and said, "Grandpa Green, you should sit down. It makes me uncomfortable to see you standing like this. Sit, I still have quite a few things to discuss with you. Muto, go and bring a breakfast for Grandpa Green. Let him eat here today."

Muto glanced at Green, and after Green nodded, Muto turned and walked toward the kitchen. Green sat down as well. Zhao Hai didn't make a fuss about this; he knew exactly what the former Adam was like. If it hadn't been for Green, the steward, Adam would have died countless times over. Now, he certainly wouldn't be jealous of Green's authority.

After Green sat down, Zhao Hai continued, "Grandpa Green, you know our current situation, so I hope you will remember: keep a low profile. We must keep a low profile. We have arrived in a place like this; if we do anything else that the great nobles find intolerable, we are finished. Therefore, this cooperation must not be linked to us."

Green nodded. Zhao Hai sighed and said, "Although I don't know why those great nobles spared the Buda family and only exiled us to such a place, I suspect we possess something they are wary of. If they want to deal with us, they will have to pay a heavy price. But if they find out now that the Buda family might rise again, they will stop at nothing to kill us. That is why we must stay low-key. It may feel cowardly, but it is the only way to ensure the Buda family survives until the day we can rise again."

Green’s eyes turned red. He stood up, bowed to Zhao Hai, and said, "Rest assured, Young Master, this old servant will handle this matter properly."

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Grandpa Green, don't be like this. Sit down. Remember, the Magic Radish is just the first step. In a while, I will try to see if I can turn the black soil outside into normal, arable land. That would be even better. However, we will need more manpower for that, so you must use every channel to buy more slaves. It doesn't matter which race they are; as long as they are useful and have a skill, buy them. Generally, no one will come here to take a look, but we still need to be careful."

Green nodded. He realized that the Young Master had truly changed. The former Young Master would never have thought of these things. Such a change was definitely a good thing for the Buda family.

At this moment, Muto brought in Green's breakfast. Zhao Hai glanced at the simple meal and shook his head. He turned to Green and said, "Grandpa Green, after the Magic Radishes are sold, first, buy some Blue-Eyed Rabbits; second, buy some Long-Tailed Chickens; and third, buy some Scaleless Fish. The moat outside the castle is currently empty. I checked, and the water seems to be flowing, so it can be used to raise fish. Don't worry about how much money we make for now; we just need to make our own lives manageable. When you go, don't be afraid of how many Magic Radishes they want; we can provide as much as they need. However, I suspect that our impact on the market will cause losses for many people, and they will surely investigate. No matter what, they must not find out it was us. Also, buy more books—preferably books about the continent's flora and fauna. They will be very useful to us. That’s all I can think of for now; handle the rest as you see fit. Oh, and our current defense is too weak. You need to pay more attention to that. It would be best to recruit some slaves with combat ability, but do things one step at a time. Improving our living conditions is the first priority."

Green ate while listening to Zhao Hai, noting down everything he said. These matters had their own order of priority, but these were things for him, the steward, to manage.

Before long, Green finished his meal. He had Muto take the dishes to the kitchen, then stood up and bowed to Zhao Hai. "Young Master, this old servant is leaving. If anything happens while I am away, you must consult with Merine. Young Master, you must take care of yourself. You are the last hope of the Buda family. If anything happens to you, how could this old servant face the late Master?"

Zhao Hai smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa Green. I know what to do. I won't be as reckless as I was before. Go and return quickly; just make sure the job gets done. By the way, transporting our Magic Radishes is a big problem. I think once you have finalized the arrangements, I will deliver the goods myself. That way, it won't attract attention. What do you think?"

Green thought for a moment and said, "Let's discuss that after I have finalized the arrangements. Rest assured, Young Master, I will arrange everything."

Zhao Hai nodded. He looked at Green and suddenly bowed to him. "Grandpa Green, I thank you on behalf of the Buda family. From today on, you are my family."

Green’s eyes turned red, but he accepted the bow. He laughed heartily, "Master, Old Master, do you see? The Young Master has grown up; the Young Master is sensible. There is hope for the Buda family! Even if this old servant has to break these old bones, I will make the Buda family flourish once again." After saying this, he bowed to Zhao Hai, turned, and left. At this moment, there was no trace of a servant in his demeanor; his spirit was soaring, and the majesty of an eighth-rank warrior was fully displayed.

Zhao Hai watched Green’s retreating figure and smiled slightly before turning to walk toward his room. He knew that it would take time for others to adapt to his changes. He had already been quite eye-catching; he should lay low for a while. Besides, Green had already arranged the household matters, and Merine and Meg would handle the rest, so he didn't need to worry. He would go back to his room and check on the farm; that was the foundation of his survival.

However, those two stubborn fellows, Muto and Stone, followed him like ghosts. No matter where he went, they followed, executing Green's orders to the letter, which left Zhao Hai feeling quite helpless.

Zhao Hai didn't want Green and the others to know too much about the spatial farm yet, but with Muto and Stone being so stubborn, he feared he might not be able to keep it from them.

Once inside his room, Zhao Hai turned to Muto and Stone and said, "Muto, Stone, go back to your rooms. I want to rest for a while. There’s nothing going on in the castle; you don't need to worry."

Both of them shook their heads in unison, refusing to speak. Zhao Hai said helplessly, "I'm going to rest. Why don't you go help Grandma Merine?"

*Shake!*

"I'm going to sleep. You can't just stand by the bed, can you? Go stand outside the door!"

*Shake!*

"I am the Young Master! Both of you, get out!"

*Shake!*

"Big brothers, I’m begging you, give me some personal space. Please, just go out."

...

Seeing that there was truly no way to deal with the two of them, Zhao Hai had no choice but to say, "Muto, Stone, I know you were both adopted by my father when you were young and are absolutely loyal to the Buda family. But I really need to go to a place that concerns the future development of our family. It’s best if you don't follow me, and you wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. So, in a moment, if I suddenly disappear, don't panic and don't shout. That should be fine, right?"

As soon as Zhao Hai finished speaking, both brothers reached out, drew the greatswords from their backs, and held them against their own necks, looking as if they would die immediately if he didn't let them follow.

Zhao Hai slapped his forehead. He had a splitting headache dealing with such stubborn people, but he had no choice. One look at Muto and Stone told him that if he didn't let them follow, they might actually commit suicide. They were among the few people who were absolutely loyal to the Buda family; he couldn't let them die.

But if he brought them into the space, they would discover its secret, and Zhao Hai was truly reluctant to do that.

However, Zhao Hai hadn't fully understood how the space worked yet. He had planted the radishes before dawn, and now it was broad daylight; he didn't know how they had grown. He had to go check. Once the radishes were mature, they had to be harvested—that was money.

Most importantly, Zhao Hai wanted to see how to bring the water and soil from the space to the outside. The spatial soil and water could transform land. If they could really transform the land, the black soil outside might become fertile fields. That was what Zhao Hai needed most right now.

As Zhao Hai weighed the pros and cons of entering the space, Muto and Stone kept their swords held firmly, their eyes fixed on Zhao Hai, fearing he might vanish at any moment.

After a long while, Zhao Hai came back to his senses. He looked at the two of them and smiled bitterly, "Fine, you can follow me. But you must never speak of what you see today. If you must, you can only tell Grandpa Green, Grandma Merine, and Meg. Aside from those three, you are not to tell anyone, even if you talk in your sleep."

Both of them nodded simultaneously, but they still didn't lower their swords.