188. Selling Trees is Big Business

Tonight, I'll tell my wife about this incredible opportunity, hoping it will make her even happier.

Catelyn was already thrilled to receive this gift from Lord Jason. Jason Liu was equally pleased to have earned the approval of Eddard Stark.

How could he not be happy?

A tree with a diameter of 30 to 50 centimeters costs only one silver stag. That's the same price as a bar of soap he sells. In modern terms, a tree of that size costs just 0.5 yuan.

Let's do some rough calculations. Taking an average tree with a 40cm diameter and assuming it can yield a log about 7 meters long, the total volume would be approximately 0.88 cubic meters.

The climate and geography of the North are quite similar to the far eastern regions of modern Russia. Most of the trees in these forests are coniferous, including species like larch, sycamore pine, white pine, and Korean pine. Hardwood trees are much less common.

Currently, logs like larch and sycamore pine are being imported at more than 1,200 yuan per cubic meter. To be conservative, let's use an estimate of 1,000 yuan per cubic meter. This means that a single 0.88 cubic meter log is worth about 880 yuan.

Now, consider that Jason Liu is essentially acquiring this log for just 0.5 yuan—the price of a bar of soap. That means he's making a profit of nearly 1,000 times his cost, even after deducting the expenses for hiring workers to cut and transport the logs.

A thousand times the profit. How many modern industries can offer such high returns?

The high-end medical industry? Pharmaceuticals?

Probably very few.

This business is beyond profitable!

Jason Liu couldn't help but worry—if he suddenly transported too many logs to the modern world, would it drive down timber prices?

Of course, that was just a passing thought.

Even if he didn't consider the international timber market, the domestic market alone had reached nearly 800 million cubic meters this year.

That's at least a billion trees!

If he could transport just one million trees annually and earn 800 yuan per tree, that would be a profit of 800 million yuan.

If he expanded the operation to ten million trees per year, that would mean 8 billion yuan.

It would be effortless to make billions. Even Jason Liu found himself in awe. If everything went smoothly, he could soon become a billionaire.

And all in cash!

Of course, if his wealth grew too quickly, Jason worried that government authorities might take notice.

A small amount wouldn't be a problem, but if the numbers became too large, he would need a solution to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

How would he solve it?

At this moment, Jason Liu had no idea. Just a few months ago, he was a regular worker stuck in a grueling 996 work schedule.

For now, he decided to focus on building his fortune first. Once problems arose, he could figure out how to handle them later.

While money can't solve everything, having enough of it makes most problems easier to deal with.

In short—more money is always the answer!

After contemplating a future of immense wealth, Jason Liu and Eddard Stark finalized their deal, both feeling satisfied with the outcome.

Jason left Eddard's study, excusing himself from further discussions. Accompanied by his guards and two of his attendants, he departed from Winterfell.

Eddard Stark had given him permission to select a piece of land for his operations. About ten kilometers south of Winterfell, near a dense forest, Jason would be allowed to construct a sawmill, warehouses, and housing for workers. Every tree cut down would be accounted for, and payments would be made accordingly.

Since Eddard was responsible for governing all of the North, he didn't have time to discuss the finer details of the arrangement with Jason. Instead, he entrusted the matter to his wife, Catelyn, and an overseer in Winterfell.

That evening, after leaving Winterfell, Jason gathered with his knights and attendants—Lina, Martha, and several other women—around a map of the North, carefully searching for the best location for the sawmill.

The first sawmill had to be close to Winterfell. Logging and transporting trees was hard, manual labor that required many workers, which meant a constant demand for food and supplies.

A site within ten kilometers of Winterfell was ideal. This would allow workers to purchase food and necessities from the nearby winter town while also making it easier for Jason Liu to travel between the sawmill and his store.

After finalizing the general area, they found a suitable location—an open clearing eight kilometers south of Winterfell, near a tributary of the White Knife River. Building the sawmill near the river meant they wouldn't have to worry about water shortages.

The land was vast enough to accommodate the sawmill, warehouses, worker housing, and even a perimeter fence to keep out wild animals, particularly wolves, that might attack the workers at night.

After marking the location on the map, Jason decided to personally inspect the site the following day.

By then, it was already late. Jon Snow and the others left to return to their barracks, while Jason Liu retired for the night.

After taking a hot bath prepared by Lina, Jason lay down in bed. The wine he had drunk at noon was still affecting him, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Jason woke up early, washed up, and had breakfast before heading to his storefront.

The previous day, he had arranged a meeting with several Northern lords who were interested in purchasing stab-resistant clothing, wagons, and solar lighting equipment. Today, they would gather to discuss business.

Jason saw an opportunity to make a significant profit from these noble families, who had accumulated wealth over generations.

Barlow had already prepared two types of wagons—a small one measuring 3m x 2m with two horses, and a larger one. Both were parked outside the shop, giving the lords a choice depending on their needs.

Since Jason was in the business of selling services, he had to make sure his offerings were convenient and appealing.

He also took out over twenty sets of stab-resistant clothing from his warehouse, ready to sell them at a premium price.

With the logging operation about to begin, Jason would soon need to hire a large workforce, which meant significant expenses. Making money off these wealthy lords would help offset his upcoming costs.

It didn't take long for the Northern lords to arrive. Soon, dozens of nobles, both high-ranking and minor, gathered outside Jason's store.

Leading the group were the most powerful lords of the North. The lesser nobles—viscounts, barons, and knights—stood around them, waiting for their turn to do business.

At the previous day's banquet, only counts and above had the privilege of sitting at the main table with Jason and Eddard Stark. The lower-ranked nobles had to sit elsewhere.

Now, early in the morning, these Northern lords had arrived at Jason's store, eager to see what he had to offer.

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