Chapter 947, The Currency Plan

Translator: Silavin

 

Su Bai was momentarily stunned, not expecting the normally reserved Yu Ying to speak such words.

 

However, he smiled afterwards. His mood was naturally quite pleasant.

 

Shaking his head with a smile, he finished the remaining milk potato balls, then resumed contemplating.

 

[Exactly how should currency be implemented in a Primitive Tribe? This is quite the undertaking…] Su Bai wondered once more.

 

Indeed, the matter troubling him continuously was creating currency in the primitive era. This was no simple task.

 

Su Bai felt they could not perpetually rely on labour values as currency. Bartering could only sustain for a limited period.

 

Once the Tribe developed increasingly successfully, bartering would prove inadequate for the era.

 

For instance, when highly valuable items emerge in the future, how many items would one need to bring for exchange? Moreover, besides exchanging for relatively valuable items, one would also need to exchange for necessities. This would require bringing even more items from the Tribe.

 

They couldn’t possibly mobilise half a Tribe’s population for external trading expeditions, could they? That would make residing in the Flame Dragon Tribe more sensible. But was that feasible?

 

[Recreating currency in the primitive era presents several major challenges: technology and raw materials…] Su Bai continued frowning, muttering to himself. [There’s also one crucial part I need to consider, which is anti-counterfeiting technology.]

 

The currency could not be too easily produced. Otherwise, everyone would imitate it, resulting in numerous counterfeit notes flooding the market.

 

This would prove catastrophically problematic for the Flame Dragon Tribe. Therefore, the primary consideration was establishing robust anti-counterfeiting technology.

 

[While most Primitive Tribe people are simple-minded, there are inevitably some clever ones. If the anti-counterfeiting is not sophisticated enough, cracking the production method will become merely a matter of time.] Su Bai blinked his dark eyes, index finger tapping the cup’s rim continuously. [The materials must also be unexpected. Plus the colouring technique…]

 

The currency materials required uniqueness. They must be made from unexpected materials, plus the colouring must be durable. The colour couldn’t fade when handled.

 

Considering this, he began contemplating whether any readily available materials existed nearby. After all, these designs originated from his environment.

 

“If a relatively resilient plant exists, producing paper according to papermaking methods, the paper would also be particularly firm and rigid, thus less easily damaged.” Su Bai recorded notes with his quill pen while murmuring, “The material’s water absorption must also be good. Otherwise, colouring would be difficult. Finding plants simultaneously possessing both advantages likely won’t be easy.”

 

He began contemplating other aspects: currency templates. For instance, one yuan, five yuan, ten yuan denominations. These templates all required differentiation.

 

Meaning each denomination’s currency needed different patterns, different colours as well. This constituted the primary method of distinguishing currency denominations.

 

“Why not copy existing designs? One yuan currency uses green, five yuan uses purple, ten yuan uses blue…” Su Bai continued recording, head lowered, frowning. “But, this isn’t the main problem. Selecting currency colours isn’t that difficult. The difficulty lies in obtaining those colours.”

 

He shook his head, not wanting to overthink matters. He retrieved fresh paper and began preparing to draw currency patterns.

 

Su Bai also extracted a pencil from the drawer and began sharpening it. The row of pencils from the previous System reward still had many unused.

 

After preparing paper and pencil, he also prepared a small wooden strip carved very smoothly – flat and exceptionally smooth, similar to Earth’s rulers.

 

Numbers were carved on it with a quill pen; measurement data essentially.

 

“The one yuan currency can be simpler. Draw a forest on it, perhaps add a lake. That lake in the forest would do.” Su Bai chewed the pencil tip thoughtfully, continuing to murmur, “Additionally, the Flame Dragon Tribe Totem could serve as the primary pattern, with some smaller secondary patterns…”

 

Various patterns began appearing on the pale yellow paper. Beyond the original patterns, numbers were added: uppercase numerals, Arabic numerals, and so forth.

 

All designed according to Earth’s currency, striving for refinement and unprecedented quality.

 

“What pattern should the five yuan denomination be?” Su Bai contemplated briefly, then said, “Perhaps some Totem Warriors? I believe that would work.”

 

Conceiving this, he began self-dialogue while continuing to draw, numerous inspirations flooding his mind.

 

*Rustle rustle rustle…*

 

Momentarily, the living room filled with the sound of pencil abrading paper. The Yong’an Building was typically quite silent, making the current friction sound seem rather loud.

 

Over half an hour later, Yan Jiao received the summons and arrived at the Yong’an Building from the Central Market.

 

He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement and asked, “Shaman, what are your instructions?”

 

“I wish to know whether any trees or plants exist with exceptional resilience, or strong water absorption properties?” Su Bai asked curiously.

 

“Plants with strong resilience? There seems to be a type of grass. Our Warriors use it to bind Ferocious Beast Meat for convenient transportation back to the Tribe.” Yan Jiao’s expression was entirely serious as he continued, “Regarding the water absorption you mentioned, Shaman, I’m not entirely certain what that means.”

 

“That’s true. Without successfully producing paper previously, how would you know about water absorption?” Su Bai smiled self-deprecatingly, then continued, “Have people locate several plants with high resilience. Send them all to the paper workshop. Have them produce paper following the usual procedures.”

 

“Why do you suddenly want to use other materials for papermaking, Shaman? Is the previous paper not good enough?” Yan Jiao was unaware of the currency matter.

 

“You’ll understand in future. Besides producing papers of different materials, I have other purposes,” Su Bai said.

 

He retrieved a notebook from the drawer, handed it over, and continued instructing, “Additionally, send various different plants to the workshop. I want to observe papers of different varieties.”

 

He knew not all plants were suitable for papermaking. Therefore, multiple trials were necessary. Besides, during the rainy season, everyone had little else to occupy them.

 

“Understood. However, Shaman, this object…” Yan Jiao continuously examined the notebook, touching it repeatedly and asking, “This is also paper? How is it completely different from the currently produced paper?”

 

“How do you assess this paper’s quality and its various aspects? How does it compare to the current Wolf Tail Grass Paper?” Su Bai enquired.

 

This notebook was merely a check-in reward the System had provided some time ago. Several more remained.

 

“Excellent. Exceptionally so. Whether colour, texture, or resilience, everything is all far superior to paper we’re currently using.” Yan Jiao stated without hesitation.

 

The notebook’s paper colour was extraordinarily attractive. It was brilliantly white and exceptionally appealing.