The logging camp had grown into a town sizeable by any Westerosi standard. The workers earned a wage of at least ten silver stags a month, a respectable sum that was more than enough to cover their food and lodging. They were also provided with sturdy, durable work clothes.
This standard of living was a world away from their previous lives as tenant farmers, who were perpetually on the brink of starvation. For them, the logging town was a paradise. With savings in their pockets for the first time, the workers began to create consumer demand.
A small market had spontaneously formed on a flat piece of land just outside the town's perimeter. Every day, merchants and hawkers from across the North and the Riverlands arrived to sell their wares. They were drawn by the thousands of workers with money to spend, and the managers of the logging town allowed them to operate freely, so long as they conducted their business honestly and caused no trouble.
As the war raged in the Riverlands, more and more merchants chose the stability of the North. The market grew larger and more prosperous, and its success even boosted business for the inns and taverns in the winter town outside of Winterfell.
That night, Jason slipped away from the bustling town and made his way to the log warehouses. Under the cover of darkness, he transported millions of logs back to his modern-day warehouse. He had already sold off most of the previous shipment through Fusion Trading, and supplies were running low. This new influx of a million logs would be enough to last for another three months.
Before returning to Westeros, Jason decided to spend the night with his girlfriend, Lin Xiaohan. Over the past six months, he had spent far more time in Westeros than in the modern world, and it had been nearly a month since they had last seen each other.
Later that night, Lin Xiaohan snuggled into his arms, her frustration softened by their reunion. "When are you going to stop taking these long business trips and actually stay for a while?" she murmured, gently patting his chest. "I can never reach you. It's like you just disappear."
Jason held her close, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I'm sorry, Xiaohan. I know it's been hard on you running the company alone. But this is for our future. It won't be for too much longer, I promise. Soon, I'll be able to stay here with you more."
Lin Xiaohan hugged him tighter, a happy smile gracing her lips. Despite his long absences, she was immensely proud of what they had built. She had watched Fusion Trading grow from nothing into a powerhouse with monthly sales reaching 400 million yuan, putting them on track for an annual turnover of at least 4 billion.
What was truly staggering was the profit margin. Because Jason's "cost" for the logs was effectively zero, the company's profit was nearly 50%, even after factoring in the massive purchases of modern supplies he was shipping to Westeros. That amounted to an annual profit of at least 2 billion yuan, a figure that surpassed over ninety percent of publicly listed companies.
Of course, going public was out of the question. Jason had no need for the money, but more importantly, he had a secret to protect. He couldn't risk the kind of scrutiny that would come with being a public company. If the wrong people started asking questions about where his endless supply of high-quality timber came from, he could be exposed. The thought of being detained by government agencies, locked away in some black site, and possibly dissected for research sent a shiver down his spine.
He quickly pushed the terrifying thought from his mind. In this dangerous game he was playing, protecting himself was the first priority.
After reassuring his girlfriend, Jason returned to Westeros. With the final group of refugees now in the North, the rest of the journey was straightforward. He arranged for the logging town to help transport them the final four hundred kilometers to Sailor Lake, providing an escort of three hundred cavalry to protect them on the road.
Word from Starfire City reported an increase in activity from robbers and wildlings, with several small villages being attacked. To ensure the refugees' safety, Jason ordered Starfire City to mobilize more soldiers and increase patrols in the lands around Sailor Lake. He also established cavalry patrols along the entire route from the logging town.
The presence of his well-armed, professional soldiers was a powerful deterrent. Most bandits and wildlings took one look at the disciplined patrols and retreated, wanting no part of a fight with such an elite force. Because of Jason's efforts, the vast stretch of land from White Harbor to his own territories had become remarkably stable.
This stability naturally attracted more commerce. The war in the south had barely affected business at his company store in Starfire City; in fact, it had become more prosperous than ever. A constant stream of merchant ships sailed the waterway connecting White Harbor to Sailor Lake, bringing wealth not only to Jason's domain but also to the Manderlys, who controlled the port city.
The next morning, Jason rode out from the log palisade of the town, accompanied by his fifty household guards, including his captain, Rickard. He was joined by Saranke, the junior maester from the Citadel who now managed the logging town and had proven to be a capable administrator.
They rode west, toward the Wolfswood. Over a year of continuous logging had carved a massive clearing out of the ancient forest. The gray earth was littered with the dense stumps of nearly ten million felled trees, and the forest's edge had been pushed back more than ten kilometers.
Yet, the Wolfswood was ancient and vast, covering an astonishing area. To the forest itself, the clearing was merely a scratch on its surface.
Jason rode to the edge of the felled area and reined in his horse. At his command, Rickard ordered the guards to fan out and form a protective perimeter. Though an attack was unlikely, the captain was always cautious when it came to his lord's safety.
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