Volume 4 Chapter 144: Nation's brand

October 1st was a day that had a meaningful significance for Xu Yi, but for the rest of the people of the Sines Continent, it wasn't a special day.

Even in the Lampuri Kingdom, October 1st wasn't that special.

Only in Banta City would there be something different that appeared on that day.

Because that day was the day of the Banta City's bicycle race.

Other than last year the competition was cancelled because of the civil war, since the Frestech Chamber of Commerce held this competition four years ago, Banta City had been lively every year on April 1st and October 1st.

As time passed, it even became a special holiday for the people of Banta City.

Especially since this year's fall bicycle race was being held by the City Lord Manor and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce. It had been advertised a month ahead of time and as the day came closer, there were countless people that came who wanted to join the competition.

There were even people who rode their bicycles from places that were over eight hundred kilometers away to come here.

After the «Banta Times» had done a report on these things, it made everyone even more excited to participate. The number of participants in this race reached a new high, it even surpassed the previous competitions.

The day before the competition was the registration deadline. The final number of people participating was over sixty thousand people.

Of course, the reason why so many people participated was other than the advertisement of the City Lord Manor and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, the other important reason was because the prizes this time far surpassed the prizes of old.

According to the announcement the Frestech Chamber of Commerce made a month ahead of time, just like with the previous competitions, the ones that finished in the top hundred would receive a cash prize.

But the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had greatly increased the prize this time.

From fifty first to one hundredth, each person would receive a hundred gold coins.

From eleventh to fiftieth, each person would receive three hundred gold coins.

From fourth to tenth, each person would receive five hundred gold coins.

Third place would receive one thousand gold coins.

Second place would receive two thousand gold coins.

And the winner would receive a shocking five thousand gold coins!

When the Frestech Chamber of Commerce announced the prizes through the major newspapers, it created a stir in every place.

The champion would win five thousand gold coins!

If they could become the champion, they wouldn't need to work for an entire lifetime!

Even if they couldn't become the champion, second place still meant two thousand gold coins which was a shocking wealth.

As long as they could enter the top hundred, they would win a hundred gold coins at least.

Although a hundred gold coins wasn't much for most people in Banta City, for the people of the other places, it was attractive enough.

So just with this high prize, there were countless people that came for this event.

"Hei, chairman Xu, I have to say that you really are going all out." City Lord Will and Xu Yi were standing on the ceremonial podium together, looking at the dense crowd from behind the curtain. He couldn't help giving an emotional sigh, "Not mentioning all the advertising and organization costs, just the prizes cost thirty thousand gold coins. Moreover, this event is a public event, so your Frestech Chamber of Commerce isn't earning any profit from this. I think.....other than chairman Xu, there isn't another merchant who would do this?"

"No, Lord Count, you're wrong." Xu Yi shook his head and said with a faint smile, "Although our company doesn't earn any real income from this event, even losing a hundred thousand gold coins investing in it, if you were to say that we don't earn any benefits from this, that would be wrong."

"Oh?" City Lord Will looked at Xu Yi curiously, "Why can't I see it?"

Xu Yi smiled and pointed at the crowd in the distance.

"Look, Lord City Lord, there are already over sixty thousand people participating in the event and the people that are watching surpass this number even more. At the same time, the people who know and care about this matter through this event are several times this figure. No matter how low my estimates are, there are still over a million people who know about this event."

"It definitely isn't just this little." City Lord Will shook his head, "With the advertisements from before, not mentioning other countries, but at least in our Lampuri Kingdom, anyone who isn't deaf or blind would know about this competition. Counting it up, it's possible that it's over five million people."

"So that means that this is the maximum benefit our company can gain." Xu Yi said with a smile, "Don't you think that this is actually the best method of advertising? Through this competition, it can make many people learn of our Frestech Chamber of Commerce and we can even leave a deep impression in their hearts. I think that with just normal advertising, not mentioning a hundred thousand gold coins, even if we used two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand, we wouldn't be able to achieve this effect."

City Lord Will was stunned before revealing a look of understanding.

"Indeed, it's no wonder you used the slogan of promoting health to publicize this competition. This would create a positive image in the minds of the people of your Frestech Chamber of Commerce."

"Lord Count really is wise." Xu Yi said with a smile.

City Lord Will nodded before asking with a bit of confusion, "But chairman Xu, there is no one in the Lampuri Kingdom that doesn't know about your Frestech Chamber of Commerce already. You've spent so much money to advertise with this competition, don't you think that this is a waste?"

"No, Lord City Lord, establishing a brand is a project that takes a long time and needs to continue forever. Moreover, establishing a brand is very hard, but breaking it is very easy. So no matter what, you have to work hard to create your brand and work hard to maintain it, making it so that it isn't easily damaged."

After saying this, Xu Yi suddenly turned his head and looked at Princess Caroline who was interested in looking over the crowd while listening to Xu Yi and Count Will's conversation.

"Your highness, with all due respect, because of the matter that happened with your Drake Duchy, the entire brand of the country has been damaged greatly. To recover the bad impression left on people's minds, you have to pay a large price. I hope that you are prepared for this and you can let Duke Drake also understand this point."

Princess Caroline was a bit surprised before revealing a faint smile and nodding. She said in a serious voice, "I understand, but chairman Xu, I'm not too clear on what you mean by establishing a brand. Can you help us understand what this means?"

Xu Yi shook his head. This Princess Caroline really did know how to play, she had changed it to depending on him.

But helping the Drake Duchy establish a magic machine industry and integrating it into Xu Yi's industrial system was something he had to do, so he didn't reject and just nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Xu Yi agreed, Princess Caroline immediately revealed a smile. She didn't care about City Lord Will on the side and took Xu Yi's arm, leaning forward to press her rich chest against it. Then she revealed a sweet smile to City Lord Will.

"City Lord Will, if you think that chairman Xu does any business that loses money, you are wrong. I've known him for this long and I've never seen him do anything that had lost him money."

Xu Yi coldly looked at her, "Not mentioning anything else, I've suffered quite a bit with the Drake Duchy matter."

Princess Caroline knew that Xu Yi was very dissatisfied with the Drake Duchy breaking their agreement from before and she had nothing to refute it with. She just stuck out her tongue and revealed a smile as she pressed her chest even harder against Xu Yi's arm. She had a coquettish look as she softly said, "At worst I can compensate you."

Xu Yi slightly knit his brows. He wanted to pull back his arm, but he never thought that Princess Caroline would use even more strength, making him unable to take his arm back.

In this situation, it was impossible for Xu Yi to use his full force to pull away, so he could just let her do what she wanted.

Princess Caroline saw that Xu Yi couldn't pull his arm back and revealed a proud smile.

Count Will on the side laughed when he saw this before saying to the two of them, "I must preside over the opening ceremony. If you two want to watch the competition, please wait at your reserved seats."

After watching City Lord Will leave, Princess Caroline suddenly turned to Xu Yi and asked with slightly knit brows, "Chairman Xu, I know about your two beautiful maids and I know about your daughter Freya, but where did that beautiful elven girl come from? Why was she in your room so late? Could it be that she is also your....."

Seeing the doubt on Princess Caroline's face, Xu Yi couldn't help laughing.

Because when he left Banta City before, Xu Yi had transferred out all the industries in Banta City and he even sold the Falling Star Manor. When he came back this time, Xu Yi didn't have a residence.

He rejected City Lord Will's invitation to stay in the City Lord Manor, so he chose to stay in the Amrit Hotel.

One, it was to make it easier to discuss with Princess Caroline about the Drake Duchy and two, it was because the Amrit Hotel was the most luxurious residence in Banta City right now. Adding in the fact that chairman Cruise had given him a VIP card so that he didn't need to spend a single coin to stay there, naturally he didn't choose any other places.

Princess Caroline was living in the most luxurious room, so she was beside Xu Yi. Last night, Princess Caroline had knocked on Xu Yi's door.

Princess Caroline had some different thoughts, but when the door opened and she found that there was an elven girl who was also in the room with Xu Yi, she was very confused.

Although Princess Caroline had retreated after learning about this, she had always been confused about what the elven girl had appeared. She finally couldn't take it and asked Xu Yi about it.

"You're right." Xu Yi naturally replied, "She is called Agnes, she is my new elven wife."

Princess Caroline looked at Xu Yi for a while before taking a breath and giving a sigh filled with shock, "You can even conquer elven girls, it's no wonder you can ignore my charm."

Xu Yi revealed a faint smile. If Princess Caroline knew that even for Agnes, it had taken elder Illusia and elder Lisanya to force him a long time to make this choice, what kind of expression would she have?