TPWBI Chapter 131

The greatest gain from Yang Yi and Hei Lie’s journey to the Western Continent was none other than the deal they made with the new king.

Not only did they open up a new route in the Western Continent, but they also obtained coal resources, both of which would have a significant impact on the tribe’s development.

Especially the former. It not only allowed them to earn more profit. It also enabled them to truly enter deep into the Western Continent, rather than, as before, only making one-way trips.

They could now better understand the movements and trends of the Western Continent and infiltrate their own influence to serve the tribe.

Yang Yi disliked invasion and plunder. The entire Spark Tribe upheld the principle of “if others don’t offend me, I won’t offend them”. But a necessary defense was still indispensable.

This cooperation with the new king might very well become an important turning point that would reshape the balance between the Eastern and Western Continents.

“With rubber, we can make canned goods with a longer shelf life! Our fruits can now be processed and transported to places even farther away!”

On the way back, Yang Yi looked at the plan in his hands, the corners of his eyes and lips lifted in delight.

He couldn’t be bothered to think about any so-called ‘continental balance’. What mattered to him more was that all the fruits and vegetables their tribe produced finally had a way to be preserved and used. It would no longer be wasted simply because they couldn’t finish eating them.

Many kinds of fruits simply didn’t exist in the Western Continent. Apart from a few common varieties, most fruits were luxuries that only nobles could afford to eat.

If the fruits were made into canned goods and transported to the Western Continent for sale, it would not only solve the problem of surplus fruit but also allow them to create greater value from it.

Hei Lie listened with a smile as Yang Yi spoke of his plans for the future, clearly sensing his satisfaction with this journey.

“You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Aside from the royal city, we can also cooperate with other cities. Morri’s city shouldn’t be abandoned either.”

Yang Yi’s mind was pulled back to focus. He nodded, analyzing seriously:

“You’re right. Having only one dominant partner is always risky. A bit of competition keeps things in check. Besides, the Western Continent is so vast, it’s only fair to bring convenience to people from other cities, too.”

After saying this, Yang Yi couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

Hei Lie, however, didn’t find anything wrong with his words. “We’re not like them. We’re not plunderers. We seek mutual benefit. The locals will be grateful for our arrival.”

After traveling around the Western Continent, Yang Yi and Hei Lie finally returned to the Spark Tribe.

Stepping once again onto the land of the Spark Tribe, Yang Yi felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. No matter how wonderful the outside world was, this place still felt like home.

The entire round trip had taken about half a year. When news of their return spread, even Jiao, who now preferred to keep a low profile, went to great lengths to organize a welcome ceremony for them.

From the Port city’s port all the way to the central city, people spontaneously gathered to celebrate their return. The city was beautifully decorated. Everyone sang and danced as if it were a grand festival.

“Honored Divine Envoy, you’ve finally returned!”

The crowd cheered, eyes filled with reverence.

Although Yang Yi had long been used to such treatment over the years, he still couldn’t help but be deeply moved every single time. And this time, the emotions welled up even stronger.

“It’s still best to be home!” Yang Yi said with heartfelt emotion as he looked at everyone’s warm and familiar faces.

The corners of Hei Lie’s lips curved slightly upward. He loved hearing Yang Yi refer to this place as “home”. Grasping Yang Yi’s hand, he said nothing, yet everything was conveyed in that simple gesture.

The next day, after Yang Yi had rested, he shifted from basking in the warmth of “it’s good to be home” to entering the phase of “settling accounts after autumn”.

This journey wasn’t just to satisfy Yang Yi’s desire to go out and see the world, or to expand new business ventures. It was also meant to test whether the tribe’s management system could withstand such a challenge.

Both the Divine Envoy and the Chieftain had left at the same time. For the entire Spark Tribe, that was an enormous trial.

They were the tribe’s core pillars, the ones who oversaw and guided everything, ensuring the tribe’s steady growth.

Although Yang Yi and Hei Lie held absolute authority and were irreplaceable in that sense, what they valued more was not the control of power, but the tribe’s ability to continue developing smoothly in the future.

Without the constraints of heirs or family ties, they could afford to be freer and more detached.

“How have things been in the tribe while we were away?”

Yang Yi didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly.

Everyone present were key administrators of the tribe, each responsible for managing different departments.

The reports they gave made both Yang Yi and Hei Lie fairly satisfied. In fact, from the journey back—from the Port city to the Central city—they had already observed that the tribe’s overall operations remained quite stable.

“The letters from the message box reflect about the same situation as the reports,” Yang Yi said.

Hei Lie nodded. “The information I’ve received says the same. Nothing major went wrong, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.”

Negative incidents did occur. Their absence had indeed brought some impact to the tribe. However, everything remained within control, without touching the core foundation.

But then again, it had only been half a year. Before leaving, Yang Yi and Hei Lie had already made careful arrangements.

If they were to be gone for much longer, neither of them could guarantee what might happen.

The Spark Tribe was still too young. Not only the other administrators, but even Yang Yi and Hei Lie themselves were far from perfect.

What made things harder was that there was no similar model in either the Eastern or Western Continents that they could use as a reference or lesson.

Even the books Yang Yi had brought back from other lands couldn’t be fully applied, as each place had its own unique circumstances. Only by adapting everything into a “Spark-style” system could they truly make it work.

No decision was ever flawless. Every one of them was a continuous process of discovering problems and making adjustments to improve.

“I think most of the conflicts are centered around private businesses. It seems more and more people want to start managing their own ventures.”

The Spark Tribe’s development had always followed a planned economy. But now, individual enterprises were beginning to emerge. It was an inevitable trend of progress.

Yang Yi hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. He had thought it would take at least twenty or thirty years or maybe even longer.

He wasn’t sure whether such rapid progress was a good or bad thing, since he wasn’t particularly skilled in this area.

“This might not necessarily be a bad thing. As long as we regulate the market properly, set clear laws and rules, and maintain overall control, no major problems should occur,” Hei Lie said calmly, showing little concern.

Especially after traveling through the Western Continent, he had gained a broader understanding of how things developed.

Besides, some forms of progress simply couldn’t be stopped. Going with the flow was often the best solution.

While Yang Yi and Hei Lie began granting more people the freedom to run their own businesses, they also started working on plans to open shops and build factories in the Western Continent.

Both matters concerned the tribe’s future. Neither could be taken lightly.

“The workers can be locals, but the managers must be from the Spark Tribe.”

When everyone learned that they would be opening factories and shops in the Western Continent, there was one point of unanimous agreement. The need for absolute control over these establishments.

“I can’t believe I’m still alive to see the day we set foot in the Western Continent!” an elderly member of the Spark Tribe said, eyes glistening with tears, his voice choked with emotion.

In the past, the Western Continent had seemed so distant and unreachable. But now, everything was reversed!

Their king had actually taken the initiative to request cooperation with them, even offering mining rights in exchange. That was something they wouldn’t have dared to even dream of before.

The Spark Tribe had created far too many miracles. Each one left people deeply moved and amazed.

Everyone’s gaze naturally fell on Yang Yi, their eyes full of admiration and respect. Yang Yi couldn’t help but frown slightly at the attention.

Hei Lie quickly stepped in to redirect everyone’s focus back to the main topic at hand.

“We’ll be forming a specialized team to head to the Western Continent to establish and manage the shops and workshops. Participation will be voluntary. Each term will last five years. Before departure, everyone will undergo special training.”

The Spark Tribe never did anything unprepared. Opening a market in the Western Continent and especially setting up factories there was the tribe’s first attempt of this kind, so extra caution was needed.

All of this would take time. The Spark Tribe wasn’t in a rush for quick gains or immediate results. They didn’t hastily send people to the Western Continent.

From the team’s formation to the training, and finally to their official departure, the entire process took more than half a year.

The group included not only skilled technicians and managers, but also security personnel.

When venturing into foreign lands, everyone’s safety was always the top priority.

The Eastern and Western Continents were far apart. But because there had always been frequent contact between them, especially between the Western Continent and the Spark Tribe, people were quite familiar with the situation of the Spark people living there.

“The people of the Western Continent are really crazy! They actually sold out everything on the very first day!”

When Yang Yi heard the news coming from the Western Continent, he was utterly astonished, gaining a whole new understanding of their purchasing power.

Since trade between the two sides had always been steady, each shipment was fairly large. Yet even so, he hadn’t expected the Westerners’ spending ability to be this strong. They actually cleared out all the goods on the shelves on the first day.

If it weren’t for the need to keep the store running, even the warehouse stock might have been emptied out by half that very day.

Aside from the first day, business remained excellent afterward. The daily turnover was remarkable. Though not to the extent of selling out again, the level of consumption was still astonishing.

The Spark Tribe’s store in the royal capital was quite large, divided into three tiers: high-end, mid-range, and regular. Different kinds of goods were placed in different sections to make shopping more convenient for people of varying means.

However, even the most basic tier wasn’t exactly cheap. Because the first batch of goods had been shipped directly from the Spark Tribe, the high transportation costs drove up prices, affordable only to families with at least a comfortable level of income.

Even so, there were still plenty of customers. Even the poor gritted their teeth and saved up just to buy everyday items like the fragrant soap that could clean thoroughly and leave a pleasant scent.

“The Western Continent, especially the royal capital, has been developing for so many years after all. Its foundation is still solid,” Hei Lie remarked as he looked over the report in his hand, feeling fairly satisfied with the current situation.

“For now, things seem to be going quite smoothly. The factories have all been set up, the farmlands are being cultivated, and we haven’t encountered too many problems. The new king seems to be relatively trustworthy,” he added.

Yang Yi, however, was reading another report. His expression didn’t look so good. “Not everyone is like the new king. They were all talk before, but now that our investment has gone in, they’re starting to go back on their word.”

Besides the royal capital, the Spark Tribe had also established partnerships with other cities. But things hadn’t gone as smoothly everywhere.

At first, everything seemed fine. But once the money had been invested and the factories were nearly finished, all sorts of people started showing up to demand additional fees.

Hei Lie narrowed his eyes. “In that case, we’ll just change locations. Put that city on the blacklist.”

Yang Yi had no objections. Such behavior couldn’t be tolerated.

“They also need to be taught a lesson, so others won’t follow their example.”

Hei Lie nodded, already having a plan in mind. He had no intention of letting the dishonest city off easily.

Yang Yi didn’t concern himself with the aftermath. He fully trusted that Hei Lie would handle everything properly.

The years they had spent together had built a deep trust between them. They both understood each other well enough to know what the other would do without needing to say it aloud.

“Once operations start running smoothly, we’ll hit the one-million target soon enough,” Hei Lie said, pointing at several marked spots on the map of the Western Continent.

Yang Yi froze for a moment before speaking. “Why do I feel like you’re even more anxious about it than I am?”

Reaching that goal might very well mean his departure. Hei Lie might not have the chance to leave with him.

At the beginning, this man had resisted that idea deep down. He’d kept emphasizing the strengths of the Spark Tribe, hoping Yang Yi would willingly stay.

But as time passed, it seemed that Hei Lie had become even more eager than Yang Yi to see the one-million goal completed.

Moreover, after learning that Yang Yi would also have to return goods of equivalent value to the space to truly complete the task, Hei Lie had begun providing all sorts of tribal products for him, while still making sure the tribe’s foundation remained steady.

Hei Lie looked up at him and replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

“Because it’s one of the few wishes you have. I want to help you fulfill it.”

“But if I do, I’ll have to leave. We might be separated,” Yang Yi said, a trace of melancholy in his voice.

Hei Lie’s gaze flickered slightly, then he spoke with firm resolve:

“No matter where you go, I’ll find you. I’ll be like your shadow, always by your side. Even if I disappear for a while, I’ll always return.”

Yang Yi smiled and grasped Hei Lie’s hand. “Then I’ll stand in the light and wait for the shadow to appear.”

 

Author’s Note:
Sorry it took me so long to update. Every time I reach the ending, I can never seem to finish cleanly… Maybe deep down, I just don’t want to type “The End.” = = Even when there’s only one chapter left, I still manage to drag it out for ages, orz. It’s such a bad habit. I’ll fix it in the next story!

There should be a short modern-day extra after this one; you can choose to read it or not.

If you’re not interested, then see you in my next story! Click on my author name, and you’ll find my upcoming novel, “The Apprentice Land God[mfn]《见习土地神》[/mfn].”

I really hope you’ll continue to support me!

Having all of you accompany me along the way has been my greatest joy. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to finish this story. Love you all!!!

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