369: Chapter 369 Becoming a city lord is too easy

Chen Yu stared into Sander's eyes, which were filled with both sincerity and greed, and quickly calculated the time in his mind.

Two and a half hours.

There were nearly four hours left until the Guild Boss battle at 8:00 PM, so there was plenty of time.

Most importantly, since this quest couldn't be skipped, it likely contained hidden plotlines.

"Deal." Chen Yu nodded expressionlessly, transferred thirty thousand gold coins from his inventory, and tossed them over.

The crisp notification sound of gold coins being received echoed in the courtyard.

"Two and a half hours. If it's a minute longer, I'm logging off immediately."

"It's a deal!" Sander grabbed his shoulder and dragged him toward the center of the City Lord's Mansion.

"Come, come, come, I'll show you the ropes of the office. Don't worry, it's absolutely easy—anyone with hands could do it!"

The two passed through several stone doors and arrived at a spacious administrative hall.

The interior design style here was, well, a perfect fusion of wasteland punk and classical fantasy, creating a jarring sense of contrast.

The hall's vaulted ceiling was made of rough rock walls, embedded with several fluorescent stones emitting a faint blue glow.

In the center stood a massive obsidian long table, piled high with mountain-like stacks of parchment scrolls, bamboo slips, and even a few clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform.

Behind the long table was a wide throne pieced together from the bones of unknown giant beasts.

Draped over the armrest of the throne was a tattered cloak stained with engine oil and unidentified blood.

"This is your workstation." Sander pointed at the bone throne, her tone tinged with pride.

"The ancestors sat right here when they built Cangxing City from the ground up."

Chen Yu looked at the uncomfortable-looking throne, his eye twitching. "Did your ancestors never suffer from a herniated disc?"

"A what?" Sander was stunned.

"Nothing. I'm complimenting his physical health."

Chen Yu sighed, walked up to the throne, and tentatively sat down.

To his surprise, the throne was actually quite ergonomic; the curve of the bones fit his back perfectly, and it even had a slightly cool massaging effect.

"This is your battlefield now, Acting City Lord."

Sander pulled a dark seal from her bosom and shoved it into Chen Yu's hand.

The moment the seal touched his hand, a system notification exploded in Chen Yu's mind.

[Ding! You have obtained the 'Star Core Great Seal,' the token of supreme authority over Cangxing City.]

[Identity Change: Acting City Lord of Cangxing City (Countdown: 2 hours, 29 minutes, 59 seconds).]

[New functional module unlocked: City Construction System.]

A holographic panel, a blend of sci-fi and magic, popped up before Chen Yu's eyes.

[City Status: Cangxing City (The Dilapidated Pearl of the North)]

[Prosperity: 15/10,000 (Awaiting Reconstruction)]

[Public Security: 30/10,000 (Rife with Unruly Citizens)]

[Happiness Index: -45 (Widespread Grievances)]

[City Treasury: -28,500 Gold Coins (Severe Deficit, Riots Imminent)]

Chen Yu's eye twitched violently as he looked at those glaring negative numbers.

He couldn't help but look at Sander. "Did you mortgage the City Lord's Mansion to loan sharks?"

Sander guiltily looked away and coughed twice. "Ahem, it was mainly to rebuild the trade routes... I invested a little bit of capital..."

"Uh, the ancestors are calling me, I'll leave things here to you!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the burly female City Lord turned into an afterimage and fled faster than a rabbit.

Chen Yu sighed, too lazy to say anything more.

As a veteran player, seeing a management panel full of red text made his gamer instincts kick in hard.

"Prosperity, Happiness Index... if I max out these values, it'll definitely trigger hidden achievements or rewards." Chen Yu rubbed his chin.

What was the one thing he didn't lack?

Money.

In a way, he was now the biggest capitalist in the Source Realm.

"First, solve the fiscal deficit." Chen Yu opened the treasury options and unhesitatingly entered a string of numbers.

[Ding! You have injected 50,000 gold coins into the Cangxing City Treasury.]

[Fiscal deficit eliminated! Current funds are abundant.]

[City Prosperity +500, Happiness Index +100.]

Watching the values turn from red to green, Chen Yu nodded with satisfaction and picked up the top administrative scroll.

He wanted to see what kind of 'state affairs' a main city in this game usually handled.

Unrolling the scroll, he saw crooked Common Tongue script writing:

"Mediation Application Regarding the Dispute Between the South District Xiao Shuai Basketball Team and the Square Dancing Aunties Over Open Space"

[Case Description: The Xiao Shuai Basketball Team attempted to set up a hoop in the South District Square, meeting strong protests from the local aunties.]

[A physical altercation ensued, resulting in three players being knocked unconscious by the aunties' canes and the aunties' speakers being kicked and broken by the players.]

Chen Yu fell silent.

What kind of ridiculous administrative work was this?

He picked up a quill and wrote his instructions in a flamboyant hand at the bottom of the scroll:

"Approve a grant of one thousand gold coins. Build a floating disco hall for the aunties in the East District with 24/7 soundproofing."

"Allocate a dedicated court outside the city for the Xiao Shuai Basketball Team. Medical expenses and speaker replacement costs will be fully reimbursed by the City Lord's Mansion."

Stamped with the Star Core Great Seal.

[Ding! Administrative task completed. Dispute resolved perfectly.]

[Public Security +50, Happiness Index +20.]

"That's it?" Chen Yu sneered. This game was too easy.

He continued to the next one.

"Compensation Claim from Horn, Owner of the Blacksmith Shop"

[Case Description: Horn attempted to use a fire magic circle for a barbecue, causing half the street to catch fire. He believes this is a design flaw in the magic circle and is demanding the City Lord's Mansion pay for mental distress and shop renovation costs.]

Chen Yu's mouth twitched.

Was this a freaking scam?

Instruction: "Claim rejected. Fine of five hundred gold coins."

"Furthermore, invest two thousand gold coins to take a stake in the blacksmith shop. Pivot it into the 'Cangxing City Officially Designated Magic Barbecue Experience Store,' install fireproof barriers, and the City Lord's Mansion will take a 30% cut of the revenue."

Stamp.

[Ding! Business empire expanded.]

[Prosperity +120.]

Chen Yu's approvals became smoother and smoother, his capitalist nature fully exposed.

"Application from the Captain of the Third Squad of the City Guard to Legally Marry a Slime"

Instruction: "Respect biological diversity. Approved. However, a 'Special Interspecies Marriage Management Tax' of one thousand gold coins must be paid, collected by the City Lord's Mansion."

"Succubus Tavern Suspected of False Advertising; Adventurers Complain of Back Pain and No Stat Buffs After Patronage"

Instruction: "Shut it down! After rectification, incorporate it as a high-end club directly managed by the City Lord's Mansion. Set a VIP threshold, ban entry for those under level 18, and increase ticket prices tenfold."

Time passed minute by minute.

The only sounds in the administrative hall were the scratching of the quill and the 'thump-thump' of the seal being pressed.

Chen Yu was completely immersed in the pleasure of 'spending money to buy stats.'

As long as it was a problem that could be solved with money, he approved the maximum amount of funding.

When he encountered bizarre requests, he used even more bizarre business logic to convert them into profitable projects for the city.

Two hours later.

The mountain of scrolls on the table had been cleared.

Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, exhaled a long breath, and pulled up the City Construction System panel.

[City Status: Cangxing City (A Rising City of Miracles)]

[Prosperity: 9850/10,000 (Extremely Prosperous)]

[Public Security: 10,000/10,000 (Crime-Free)]

[Happiness Index: 990 (Fanatical Worship)]

In just two short hours, this city on the brink of bankruptcy had been forcefully transformed into a paradise on earth by Chen Yu.