Patriarch Wei’s words instantly cast a heavy atmosphere over the meeting.
Elder Wang remained silent for a long time before slowly saying:
"Exchanging mineral resources for goods has many precedents within Huaxia’s mainland. For example, our country is currently aiding a region named ’Africa’, which is a typical case of trading resources for goods.
However, compared to simple aid with materials, I believe what is more necessary is to solve the problem of Chixian City’s basic productive capacity."
The Wei Family’s Ancestor appeared puzzled:
"Basic productive capacity?"
Elder Wang shifted his position in the chair, slightly facing Patriarch Wei:
"The concept of productive capacity is quite complex.
Simply put, productive capacity is the ability to create things.
Considering Chixian City’s current situation, the less rigorous but straightforward explanation would be... opportunities for work and production."
The Wei Family’s Ancestor blinked, thinking of something:
"I seem to understand your point a little. Isn’t this similar to what Si Ming Ancestor once said, ’rather than giving fish, teach how to fish’?"
"That’s basically the idea." Elder Wang didn’t elaborate on the distinction between individual productive capacity and social productive capacity, as some concepts don’t currently apply to the family-controlled Chixian City, for now, at least.
Then Elder Wang continued:
"The general meaning is good enough for you to understand; Huaxia also has many means to help you out of the predicament of lacking productive capacity.
But before that, there’s another prerequisite issue that needs to be solved."
Patriarch Wei and Wei Fan exchanged a glance and together asked, "What issue?"
Elder Wang raised a finger:
"The monetary systems between the two worlds are entirely different.
So before exchanging goods or engaging in trade, we need to determine a trade equivalent."
Saying this, Elder Wang picked up a teacup:
"Let me give you an example.
Suppose the teacup in my hand is a trade equivalent.
During the trade between us,
Your Spirit Stone or other items must first be converted into so many cups, and then we use an equivalent number of cups’ worth of domestic goods to exchange with you, which is called the cup-based system.
If we replace the cups with gold or silver, it’s called gold-based or silver-based—I remember it was mentioned in Wei Siming’s letter that they once exchanged a gold bracelet for their initial capital, which suggests that gold in the Damo Realm is also somewhat considered an equivalent, so you should be able to understand this conceptual issue."
Patriarch Wei pondered for a while: Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novelꜰire.net
"I roughly understood, so, Elder Wang, you mean to use gold as the trade equivalent between Huaxia mainland and Chixian City?"
To his surprise, Elder Wang shook his head:
"While the gold-based system might be applicable in the Damo Realm, it has completely collapsed on Huaxia’s mainland.
There are many reasons, the main one being the limited gold mining and reserves, while the total amount of domestic goods continues to rise annually, eventually far exceeding the gold’s equivalent measurement standard.
Though I don’t know the gold reserve amount in the Damo Realm very well, judging from Wei Siming’s ability to exchange just one gold bracelet for startup funds, the Damo Realm’s gold reserves might not be exceptionally abundant either.
So I have a suggestion.
To prevent our transactions from being one-off deals, how about using Huaxia currency as this trade equivalent instead?"
Perhaps due to a lack of understanding of economic knowledge, the Wei Family’s Ancestor didn’t perceive anything amiss and cheerfully agreed after thinking for a few seconds:
Elder Wang’s maneuver somewhat toyed with a minor conceptual discrepancy—naturally, it’s just a conceptual discrepancy, nothing akin to getting something for nothing.
After all, the ultimate exchange between both sides focused on tangible materials.
Introducing the concept of the Huaxia currency as a trade equivalent was more about the future plans of the rabbits.
No matter how spiritually deficient the Damo Realm is, it’s ultimately a large world, with inherent development value beyond verbal discourse.
Considering the domestic world’s current shortage of construction sand soil, even digging earth in a different world would be immensely profitable.
Therefore, from a long-term perspective, the rabbits absolutely couldn’t limit their focus solely to a small place like Chixian City.
Since they didn’t intend to fire one shot and leave, the rabbits naturally had to make comprehensive preparations—the definition of fundamental trade currency was one of them.
The concept of currency might be difficult for some to grasp, so let’s put it plainly—move Kang Shuifu’s processing plant to the Damo Realm, a bucket of instant noodles priced at ten baskets of earth, and three years later, it could be the Dragon King... oh no, I mean the next tobacco group!
That’s the production capacity and resource disparity.
Considering it’s an immortal cultivation world, where everyone pursues cultivation, the social structure of the Damo Realm is certainly and inevitably pyramidal.
Also known as the world of superiority and inferiority.
In such a world that exploits the lower-class folks to support the upper structures, the basic livelihood domains are destined to be severely flawed.
From decades of rabbits’ experience, gaining a certain voice in livelihood affairs in the Damo Realm isn’t particularly difficult.
Clothing, food, housing, and transportation... um, these five sectors, holding just one can lead to rapid development.
If someday the Damo Realm’s commoners spend Huaxia currency, live in a Green Park, wear Anta and Li Ning, eat Kang Shuifu, and drink Jiadobao Laoshan white flower snake grass water...
Then how much resources could the rabbits exchange for?
You ask, what are the rabbits gaining from mastering these critical industries?
Obviously, it’s for self-preservation, not for the sake of conquest, right?
What ill intentions could gentle little rabbits even have?
Nonetheless, in the process of self-preservation, helping to relieve and support the suffering people of another world slightly.
Sharing Huaxia’s cuisine and culture with them, and occasionally cultivating immortals, is both normal and reasonable, wouldn’t you agree?
With both sides agreeing to use Huaxia currency as the trade equivalent, the Foreign Liaison Department’s mission was about halfway done.
In a good mood, Elder Wang, unusually, enjoyed a Xu Fuji hard candy:
The specific value of Spirit Stones will be coordinated by my colleagues from the Ministry of Commerce with you, and they will also provide your side with a detailed list of domestic goods.
The list will specify the Huaxia currency prices for those goods, and you can make exchanges at those prices according to the list.
To express our sincerity, we will gift you sixty tons of rice, twenty-four tons of vegetables, and eight tons of pork for free.
Your city’s population is roughly over ten thousand people, excluding the wealthy families.
The remaining individuals will calculate daily at one and a half pounds of rice, three hundred grams of vegetables, and one hundred grams of meat, which is enough to feed the whole city for seven or eight days.
Considering the freshness of the food, the vegetables and pork will be delivered in batches."
Due to having ancestors who were Huaxia transmigrators, Patriarch Wei and Wei Fan were not unfamiliar with the concepts of ’tons’ and ’grams’.
Wei Fan made a quick calculation in his mind, and was immediately delighted:
"That’s wonderful. After the beast tides have passed, the city’s supplies are indeed a bit scarce. With the mainland’s help, this time we can actually save some lives."
After Wei Fan finished speaking, Elder Wang pondered for a while and continued:
"Patriarch Wei, do you remember the productive capacity issue I mentioned earlier?
I want to inquire if you have any intention... of taking on a contractor role?"