The Spark Tribe launched a sweeping rectification campaign that struck at everyone.
Those responsible for the gambling incident were all held accountable. Any caravan or tribe that interfered was immediately put on the danger list.
If those caravans or tribes still wanted to trade with the Spark Tribe in the future, they would have to pay a far higher price than others, and they would be forbidden from settling in any part of the Spark Tribe’s territory.
All gate management offices received the relevant notice: anyone who dared to let them into the city without authorization would be punished.
When it came to restricted goods, they would be flatly excluded and given an economic warning.
They would not cut off relations outright, but they would make them pay a heavy price.
They would even give slightly better treatment to caravans or tribes that were hostile to those offending caravans or tribes. There was no public declaration, but anyone watching closely could feel the difference.
Internally, those directly involved would either be killed outright or sent to the mining areas to work. Their families were no exception.
Now the tribe rarely expelled people outright. More often, they confiscated all property and sent the person to the mines to work.
Mining was an extremely exhausting and dangerous job. The conditions there were harsh beyond measure.
Because of that, the welfare and benefits were quite good. If a probationary member voluntarily requested to go there, they could obtain their “green card” much faster.
The miners generally worked in shifts. After a few years, they would be rotated back.
Aside from these official workers, there were also those who had been punished and exiled there.
Their treatment was worlds apart from that of official employees. They could never leave, forced to labor there until death.
The punishment didn’t only fall on the direct culprits or those in charge. Neighbors, friends, and other associates were also given warnings. Though they weren’t punished outright, records would note their suspected involvement in covering up the matter.
At first glance, this seemed somewhat like collective punishment. Yang Yi had once worried it might be too harsh.
But after some discussion, everyone agreed that with such a major incident, it was impossible for no one to have sensed anything at all.
Especially since the tribe and the people of the Western Continent had never been entirely close. Frequent contact would easily draw attention.
Still, everyone preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble and chose not to interfere too much.
“Becoming a member of the Spark Tribe isn’t just about working hard. You must also have a heart that upholds the tribe’s honor. Our tribe has come this far with great difficulty. Those who don’t know how to cherish it are not worthy of being Spark people!”
At the time, Jiao’s attitude was extremely firm. She believed that such negligence reflected the tribe’s growing lack of internal identity. A weakening sense of belonging that led more people to think only of their own interests rather than of the tribe’s.
This was something Jiao could not tolerate. She did not consider such an error to be a minor one.
It was rare for Jiao to be so forceful. Normally, she was gentle and kind, so much so that everyone had nearly forgotten she could also have quite a temper.
“Divine Envoy, Lan is dissatisfied with the punishment and wishes to see you,” Ying said.
As the lord of a city, for Lan to be completely unaware of such a major incident meant he could not escape responsibility.
The same applied to the other related personnel. If they were incapable of fulfilling their duties, it was equivalent to occupying their posts in vain. They could simply pack up and leave, making room for someone more capable.
Lan bore the greatest responsibility, because the investigation had clearly uncovered numerous connections between him and the matter.
In the end, everyone decided to dismiss him from his post and send him to the mining area.
The punishment shocked everyone. Even outsiders hadn’t expected the Spark Tribe to be so severe.
To many, while the incident wasn’t trivial, it didn’t seem to warrant such a harsh penalty.
After all, Lan’s abilities were well recognized. The port city’s rapid development owed a great deal to his efforts.
Yet the Spark Tribe still showed no mercy, letting everyone see the resolve behind this sweeping rectification campaign.
Not only that. From then on, city lord–level administrators would no longer hold lifetime positions. Elections would be held every five years, and no one could serve more than three terms. The lifetime system was abolished.
Even after one’s term ended, they would still be held accountable for the consequences of the decisions they had made while in office.
If anyone violated the rules, their family would also be implicated. No one within three generations would be allowed to work in government-related positions.
This rectification campaign was the first time the Spark Tribe had ever targeted its leadership in such an internal reform. The regulations were extremely strict, shocking not only the people of the Spark Tribe but also outsiders.
Everyone believed that the punishment given to Lan was meant to “kill the chicken to warn the monkey”. It was a warning to all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been treated so severely.
Yang Yi set aside what he was doing, thought for a moment, and said, “Have someone bring him up.”
Lan was soon escorted in. He was utterly different from the confident man he once had been. His entire demeanor was listless and dim, though his eyes lit up the moment they fell on Yang Yi.
He tried to move closer, but the guards restrained him.
Seeing Lan like this, Yang Yi couldn’t help feeling a pang of sorrow. For such a capable man to end up like this… It was a real pity.
“The tribe hasn’t treated you unfairly. Why did you do it?”
Yang Yi said, unable to stop himself. Even though he already knew what kind of answer the other would give, he still couldn’t help but ask.
Lan didn’t answer. Instead, he burst out indignantly, “We’re both city lords. Why is there such a huge difference between me and the others?”
Yang Yi glanced at him. Lan went on:
“You and Hei Lie don’t care about those things, but why should everyone else be like you? I’m a city lord, the master of a city, yet I live like an ordinary person! No slaves, and my pay is almost the same as my secretary’s. Why should it be like that?”
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, all the more convinced that he had done nothing wrong. After all, what city lord anywhere lived such a miserable life?
Who would have thought that he, a city lord commanding over ten thousand people, numbers still rapidly increasing, would eat, drink, and use the same things as the janitors?
Though his house was a bit better in condition, there really wasn’t much difference.
In other places, people of his rank would be attended by hundreds of slaves, living in grand, resplendent halls and eating the finest delicacies.
By comparison, his situation here was utterly pitiful.
Even the poorest tribes, small towns, or petty landowners on the Western Continent didn’t live like this.
“I only wanted what should rightfully be mine! What did I do wrong? If you won’t give it to me, am I not allowed to find my own way to get it?”
Yang Yi looked at him deeply. “It seems you’ve forgotten the days of the past. You’ve forgotten what the tribe gave you. Now, look at how you’ve destroyed it.”
Lan had once been a defector. His combat ability wasn’t strong. When he first arrived at the Spark Tribe, he had nearly starved to death from lack of food.
When he had first arrived, Lan had felt that the Spark Tribe was a paradise. He didn’t want to leave, so he worked hard, studying diligently and using his knowledge to establish himself within the tribe.
But when he later became a leader, he completely forgot about the tribe’s interests. To satisfy his own desires, he betrayed it from within.
Lan sneered. “If you hadn’t treated managers like me so harshly, this never would’ve happened! People naturally strive upward, just as water flows downward. Your kind of thinking will never last. Today, it’s me. Tomorrow, it’ll be someone else.”
Yang Yi shook his head. “That’s no excuse for betraying the tribe. Your greed has made you lose all sense of reason.”
Lan wanted to argue further, but Yang Yi no longer wished to listen.
At this point, if he still couldn’t reflect on himself and continued to speak so righteously, then there was nothing more to say.
When Hei Lie returned and heard of the matter, he said, “Don’t waste your thoughts on someone like that.”
“I know,” Yang Yi replied, “it’s just… a bit disheartening.” He wasn’t deeply shaken by it. But still, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret.
Though the initial shock had been great, the more he thought about it, the clearer it became. Such things had happened throughout history. Human desire was endless.
And precisely because of that, they had to keep pushing forward while also acknowledging the many negative effects that came with it.
“Still, there’s one thing he was right about. No matter how strict or how well-designed the policies are, he won’t be the last.” Yang Yi sighed.
If this world had only the Spark Tribe, things might have been simple. But there were other tribes out there, especially on the Western Continent.
Some of the systems from the Western Continent were bound to impact the Spark Tribe to a certain extent, especially among the upper levels of management.
The Spark Tribe had no class divisions. For ordinary people, that was something truly wonderful.
They didn’t have to worry about becoming lowly slaves. Regardless of one’s birth, everyone lived more or less the same.
But for those at the top, highly capable and ambitious individuals, the contrast brought by the Western Continent could easily stir feelings of imbalance.
The average standard of living on the Western Continent couldn’t compare to that of the Spark Tribe, but the luxury of its nobility was something the Spark Tribe could never rival.
For the rich and powerful, the Western Continent was a paradise. In comparison, life in the tribe could seem bleak. It was inevitable that some whose willpower wavered would start feeling they were being treated unfairly.
They would think that if they held the same position on the Western Continent, how comfortable and beautiful their lives would be.
But here on the Eastern Continent, their lives weren’t so different from those of ordinary people.
Once such thoughts took root, it was easy for their sense of balance to collapse, leading them to commit violations.
That the two societies were fundamentally different, such basic truths were easily forgotten when one viewed things purely from their own standpoint.
Hei Lie understood this as well. “Keep looking forward. As long as we maintain proper oversight and can pull back those whose thoughts begin to stray, that too is progress and victory.”
“Ah… you’re right. But watching the city I built fall into this state… I really can’t feel happy about it.”
From the very beginning, Yang Yi had never wanted to become a leader. Placing himself in the special position of ‘Divine Envoy’ had always been because he loathed this kind of political struggle.
As the “plate” grew larger, corruption wouldn’t be the only thing to appear in the future. There would also be political struggles and power games.
Just thinking about all the scheming and backstabbing for personal gain made Yang Yi feel utterly exhausted.
He was the typical technical-minded type, completely uninterested in such conflicts.
Back in school, when his classmates tore into each other over scholarships, Yang Yi had practically wanted to throw a stack of money at them just to make them stop fighting. It was annoying.
At this point, even Hei Lie didn’t know how to comfort him. This was something inevitable. He himself had once been a victim of such struggles.
Even on Earth, where civilization was far more advanced, conflicts were still abundant and often intense.
“Have faith in the strength of our people,” Hei Lie said. “Winds of corruption may rise, but they won’t blow for long. Our people are educated. They know how to fight for their rightful interests.”
Yang Yi nodded, not wanting to dwell on the matter any further. He just wanted to keep building. After all, with Hei Lie handling these political headaches, all he had to do was nod or shake his head when needed.
Sensing his mood, Hei Lie tactfully changed the subject, bringing up a new kind of “sweet burden” the tribe was facing.
“This year’s fruit harvest is massive. Current estimates show it’s far beyond what we can consume. If we don’t find a way to deal with it, a lot will just rot in the fields.”
