Although Liang En and his group were mining in Central America, a place that could be described as lawless, they had to maintain proper conduct because it was a directly managed mine.
For example, they had to implement environmental protection measures, provide workers and security personnel with adequate labor protection equipment, and offer a salary that was considered decent by local standards.
This was not because capital had become benevolent, but because for these people, reputation was evidently more important than the money earned by exploiting workers. Ruining their reputation for an extra one or two million euros a year clearly wasn't worth it.
Take the simplest example: the Count's business dealt in luxury jewelry. If it got out that their subsidiary mines were exploiting workers, the company's value would be severely damaged.
Luxury goods consumers buy these items partly because they want to feel superior. A company with clear moral flaws obviously cannot provide that feeling.
While this approach did incur higher costs, it was beneficial in the long run. For instance, it reduced the presence of idle individuals around the area, which in turn improved local safety.
Moreover, with the establishment of a security team, the operating space for the surrounding bandits was gradually compressed until they were completely cleared out.
For example, the group of bandits that attacked them last time would be wiped out soon enough if there were no surprises, posing little threat to the mine.
Of course, truly solving the bandit problem didn't rely solely on violence. According to Liang En's assessment, with the current development speed, they would solve the local population's basic income issues within six months, which would address many other problems.
An American president once said that all problems are economic problems, and this was indeed the case. The significant chaos in the area was largely due to the vast wealth gap and the extreme poverty of most locals.
That's why they chose to incur higher costs. They realized it was better to ensure stability from the start than to spend more on security due to worker exploitation.
If it were an important energy or metal mine with lower unit profits, many might choose to over-exploit workers. But this was a jade mine, a type of gemstone, with enough profit to ensure fair distribution to workers and the surrounding area.
As the mine developed, Liang En and his group planned to use it as a springboard to start investing in Guatemala, thereby reaping benefits.
Guatemala was impoverished mainly due to its unstable environment. In terms of natural resources, it was a rich country.
Guatemala's forests cover 38% of the country, especially concentrated in the Petén lowlands, producing valuable woods like mahogany. Its mineral resources include lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, gold, silver, mercury, nickel, and an oil reserve of 1.43 billion barrels.
Half the workforce was engaged in agriculture, with key products like coffee, cotton, bananas, sugar cane, corn, rice, and beans. Industries included sugar, textiles, flour, brewing, and tobacco.
Export crops were the main source of foreign exchange, with coffee, bananas, cotton, and sugar being major exports. Guatemala was the world’s top cardamom exporter and the second-largest coffee producer in Central America.
This agricultural advantage was unfortunately dominated by American capital, making other investments challenging.
A good jade mine provided a solid foothold, enabling them to protect the mine and expand their influence.
After the Guatemala trip, Liang En and Fan Meng returned to Dublin. Upon landing, Liang En quickly parted ways with Fan Meng and went home with Joan of Arc to study their recent card haul.
When they discovered the ancient jade mine, Liang En obtained nine cards at once, indicating the mine's historical importance to the Mayan civilization.
Five of the nine cards were common, including four [Detection (N)], two [Legendary Power (N)], and one [Identification (N)], replenishing Liang En's nearly depleted card deck.
The other two cards were intriguing: one was [Jungle Survival (R)] and the other, the most valuable, was [Prophecy (SR)].
[Jungle Survival (R): As the only human civilization that emerged in the tropical rainforest, the ancient Maya built towering structures without knowing metal smelting. Their ability to provide the manpower and resources needed for such buildings demonstrated their strong jungle survival skills.
Enhancement Card (One-time use): Consuming this card grants the user tropical jungle survival skills, making them feel at home in the rainforest.]
"This might come in handy," Liang En thought, considering that mastering wilderness survival skills was essential for someone like him who often worked in the field.
Though he might not face life-or-death survival situations as a scholar, it was better to be prepared.
Thanks to his many enhancements and self-study, Liang En had already mastered a lot of wilderness survival knowledge. He felt he might even compete to be at the top of the food chain.
For city dwellers, the biggest challenge in learning survival skills was the lack of real wilderness experience, making it hard to learn properly.
For instance, no matter how detailed books, pictures, or videos described fire-starting by friction, you couldn't learn it without hands-on practice.
This principle applied to many things, but most people had neither the energy nor the time for such practice.
Often, their first practice was during a major crisis, and failure could be fatal.
Fortunately, the cards compensated for this. The knowledge gained from them felt like it was acquired through numerous practical experiences, eliminating misunderstandings.
Liang En felt he had acquired extensive knowledge on tropical jungle survival and could confidently use it if needed.
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