Chapter 479
"That's right, they're dead. I heard they were killed by their own people, so they deserved it. I heard that Mister Zhongli will take over the remaining Sarkaz and bring these tens of thousands of people to a place called Liyue City."
Vigna had heard Amiya mention this place.
Morgan, oblivious to her distraction, continued speaking while gesturing with his hands:
"You don't know, a lot of Duke rushed over back then. But they all slunk away with their tails between their legs, not daring to utter a sound, hahaha!"
She talked for several minutes straight without stopping, her little mouth rattling off like a machine gun:
"I heard that Liyue City has preconditions for accepting Sarkaz. They won't accept those who have committed countless murders and are deeply sinful. In other words, if we encounter a lone Sarkaz in Victoria, we don't need to ask any questions; we can just kill them..."
With the war over, Vigna was naturally happy. The weight that had been hanging over her heart was finally lifted.
But there is an even more important issue to be resolved: what will become of the Glass Gang?
A day after Vigna led her people to evacuate from Londinium, they discovered that a massive Storm Cataclysm had struck the city.
Not only the Central City District, but also the Mid-level District such as Norbert District suffered great damage.
Vigna longs to go back and rebuild her home with her neighbors. However, her current status makes it inconvenient for her to remain in Londinium.
Otherwise, the Duke might come knocking on her door, threatening her with Vigna friends and forcing her to do things against her will.
"Vigna, you seem unhappy. Did something upset you?"
"No, Morgan, I'm very happy."
Vigna grinned in agreement and gave the order:
"Call everyone in and tell them I have something important to discuss."
Although Morgan sensed something was amiss, he still obediently went out and called Dagda and others in.
"Vigna, what do you need us for?"
Vigna sighed as she faced the gaze directed at her.
"Although the war is over, have you thought about where you'll live from now on?"
"I don't care, I'll do whatever you say."
"Same here, I don't care where you go. Wherever you go, I'll follow, and we'll never be apart again."
Seeing that everyone was leaving the decision to her, Vigna pondered for a long time before raising her head and speaking:
"Or should we go to Liyue City? If we go now, we should have enough time."
This proposal displeased Dagda, who crossed his arms to express his disapproval.
"No way, are you kidding me? Are we supposed to live with those Sarkaz from now on?"
Vigna understood how disgusting it was to live with the Demon Race who had invaded Londinium, but she had her own reasons:
"To be honest, I'd rather go back to Norbert District and rebuild my home. But now many forces are eyeing me, and going back would only harm my neighbors."
The cohabitation issue you mentioned should be solvable. Besides the Sarkaz, Liyue City should have its own Native.
Whether Mister Zhongli is willing to accept us is still unknown. Perhaps we should pack our bags now and go ask him; if that doesn't work, we can reconsider."
"I'll do as you say, Vigna."
Seeing that others echoed Vigna's sentiments, Dagda's opposition became meaningless, and he was forced to compromise.
Everyone began packing their luggage and set off immediately.
June 27, 11:15 pm
After escorting the three the Doctor back to their This Ship, Shi Lei returned directly to Londinium. However, he did not land but instead looked down at the earth from a higher altitude.
The Duke's high-speed warships have withdrawn, but their ulterior motives may not have stopped. Near the rendezvous point, there are still quite a few suspicious individuals, presumably intelligence operatives, left behind to gather information.
Sometimes I feel that Dukes like Victoria were so engrossed in the game of power that they were almost obsessed. They treated the people as pawns to be discarded at will, which greatly displeased him.
At 11 PM, Vigna arrived with the Glass Gang. She seemed quite reserved, as if she wasn't very comfortable in such situations. In the end, Dagda relayed her message, expressing her desire to settle in Liyue City.
Shi Lei knew about Vigna's status as the heir to the throne, but he didn't take it seriously. Based on the principle that one more or one less wouldn't make a difference, he readily agreed.
Anyone who is homeless and loves peace can find a haven in Liyue City.
As for the trouble they might cause, Shi Lei will take care of it. He doesn't need to do anything extra; simply holding the title of Liyue City Lord is enough.
Speaking of which, when negotiating with Wei Yenwu, the Longmen Governor, I even fabricated an older brother. But once he transformed into a real dragon in Kyoto, there was no need for the fabrication anymore.
At midnight, Talulah arrived with over a thousand infected people from Victoria. Because they were scattered, it took a considerable amount of time to gather them together.
In total, three groups of people moved in, bringing the total to over 31,000. It seems that the existing empty rooms in Liyue City are no longer enough to accommodate all of them.
We could consider emulating Londinium and creating Central City District with Mid-level District and Outer District. Alternatively, we could build another city along the trade route to Shangshu.
But if that were the case, Liyue would no longer be a city high in the mountains, but would represent a power.
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Chapter 554 I Want Them All (Bonus Chapter)
The construction of the Mid-level District and Outer District, or the rebuilding of a new city, each carries different meanings.
The former is like the extension of power, radiating outwards like the light of a lighthouse at sea.
When Liyue City was only divided into the inner and outer cities, the difference wasn't immediately apparent. However, with the addition of the middle and outer districts, the inner city became the core area, and the outer city was upgraded to the central urban area. Even though the outer city remained unchanged, it was elevated in people's minds.
Early members of Liyue City enjoy higher property values. Those who join later need to perform exceptionally well to qualify for residency.
This promotion mechanism has both advantages and disadvantages, but overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and it can maintain people's enthusiasm.
But if a new city is built and the veterans are treated the same way, no matter what they say, they will feel a little resentful.
Shi Lei didn't care about this; power and money were fleeting. But these were the things that ordinary people pursued throughout their lives, making it difficult for them to be indifferent.
Moreover, building a new city carries different strategic significance. First, it sends a signal to other forces that are constantly monitoring the area: Liyue City is likely to continue expanding in the near future. This will trigger a series of Stress Response and measures.
Leaving aside these political factors and focusing solely on productivity, Liyue City and the new city share similar geographical environments, resulting in a high degree of overlap in the crops that can be grown.
Without proper differentiation and planning, merchants from Shangshu could buy the goods they want halfway through their journey. This would significantly reduce the flow of visitors to Liyue City.
There are so many things to consider, and I have to be fair to everyone. Ugh, it's such a hassle.
Texas was adept at reading people and noticed that Shi Lei seemed to be struggling with something. So she took the initiative to walk over, put her delicate hands around his neck, and whispered in his ear:
Actually, there's something I'm very curious about.
"What's up?"
Is there anything in this world that you've been struggling to decide for so long?
Shi Lei instantly understood and grinned:
"Actually, it's nothing much, just the resettlement of tens of thousands of people. I'm thinking about whether to build a new city, or to add Mid-level District and Outer District to Liyue City. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but neither is necessarily the most perfect choice."
Texas nodded and suggested:
"Since you think both options are good, why not choose both? Then give them full responsibility for where they will live from now on. Trust me, this is more convincing than you arranging it directly."
Yes, that's right.
Children make choices; adults want it all.
Shi Lei felt a sudden enlightenment, and let Texas sit on his lap, his left arm around Mudrock and his right arm around Xi.
"If we implement both plans simultaneously, we'll have to make Liyue City the capital. Different cities must be managed differently to avoid resentment among the people below and to ensure fairness for everyone."
Mudrock, unfamiliar with political affairs, simply leaned her head on his shoulder after listening, offering no personal opinion. These professional matters should be left to professionals.
Xi seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this, and asked:
"So, what name have you decided to give the new city?"
"Hmm..."
Since we're already in Liyue City, let's name the second city after Liyue and skip Mondstadt's Inazuma.
Shi Lei looked up at the sky, his thoughts drifting back to Genshin Impact, which he had played a few years ago. He had started from Mondstadt and traveled south until he finally arrived at Liyue Harbor.
Places with historical allusions, such as Mt. Tianheng, Lu Hua Pool, and Dihua Marsh, are definitely Tai He. Jueyun Karst and Qingce Village are not suitable as city names.
"Then let's call it... Guili City, and the plain where the new city is located will be named Guili Plains."
Xi pondered to himself, then suddenly his eyes lit up:
"Far from the world, hidden in the mountains. The city that embodies both return and departure is called Guili City; the plain that embodies both return and departure is called Guili Plains. What a beautiful name!"
The name Guili Plains is actually related to a woman named Guizhong in Genshin Impact. It is said that it was named after her territory and the place where she was buried.
Shi Lei couldn't explain to the three of them what "Genshin Ignition" meant. Since Xi had given a reasonable explanation, they should just go along with her.
"That's very clever, that's exactly what I meant."
Receiving her boyfriend's praise, Xi felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey. She imitated Mudrock, shyly tilting her head to rest on Shi Lei's shoulder, feeling exceptionally happy at that moment.
The 30,000 Sarkaz who went out in the afternoon gradually returned to the fields outside the city after midnight.
They dared not spend the night in the city, for fear of being arrested and publicly executed by the Victorians. So no matter how hard, tiring, or exhausted they were, they dared not stay in the city for even a second longer.
To accommodate these people, Shi Lei built a cluster of Rock House under the cover of night. Once everyone arrived, he could directly control the Rock House to take off and save time.
Shi Lei first created the basic shape of the room, outlining the overall shape. Then, following the general format of a train carriage, he placed two beds in each room, one on the left and one on the right after entering, with two more beds added above.
This way, each room can accommodate four people, and the space between the beds can be used to store personal belongings.
One toilet was built for every ten rooms, with Rock Constructs container underneath to prevent excrement from falling from the sky.
To keep the overall size under control, the main hall for activities was omitted. Instead, a ten-story staircase was built, allowing visitors to simply go up the stairs to find their rooms.
He did not hide the fact that he was making the rock artifacts from the intelligence agents sent by the Dukes to observe him.
It's impossible to hide the fact that they want to take these 30,000 people away. Besides, the commotion from breaking through the Star Pod was so great that the Cave Entrance hasn't completely healed yet.
What they think is their business. Shi Lei can't care about that; he'll do whatever is convenient for them.
Witnessing the City Lord's abilities firsthand moved some of the Sarkaz to tears.
This further convinced them that only under Shi Lei's protection could they live a stable and peaceful life.
No more running around all day, no more getting bogged down in the quagmire of war, no more living in fear for one's life.
Considering the conflict between the Sarkaz and the Victorian Infected had come to join them, Shi Lei also designated a special area to separate the two sides.
The Glass Gang was small; two rooms were enough to handle them. With Shi Lei's permission, they returned to the Norbert District of Londinium. They distributed most of the supplies they had exchanged for the Breath of the Kings, keeping only a week's worth of rations for themselves, just in case.
At 5:30 a. m., Sarkaz Representative came to report that everyone had arrived.
Shi Lei used his Psychic Power to confirm that no one else was approaching, and prepared to set off ahead of schedule. He manipulated the huge Rock House to ascend into the sky, flying northeastward.
After flying for more than half an hour, just as the sun was rising, the Sarkaz, as if they had never seen anything like it before, all crowded to the windows of the Rock Fence and peered out.
They were extremely excited, just like when the infected in Kazimierz climbed the Rock House.
Warm sunlight appeared in the distance, with endless white clouds below, resembling a fairyland on earth.
Many Sarkaz marveled at the sight, while Sarkaz were moved to tears.
"Look! It's sunrise!"
"I've never seen the sunrise in the sky, but at least my life hasn't been in vain."
"This sunlight feels so warm. Crewboy, how long has it been since we last saw a sunrise?"
"I don't remember, it was a long time ago anyway."
At this moment, whether it was the Sarkaz, the infected in Victoria, or the Glass Gang, everyone felt their hearts warmed by the rising sun amidst the white clouds.
Bathed in the warm sunshine, Theresia smiled a long-lost smile, her mind filled with a myriad of emotions.
The word "peace" is too far removed from the Sarkaz. So far that every Sarkaz born believes they will live their entire lives under the shadow of war.
No Sarkaz knew better than her how hard-won peace truly is. Only by experiencing the darkest night can one keep the burning flame in their heart burning brightly.
The flight lasted nearly 20 hours, arriving over Liyue City in the early hours of June 29th.
But Shi Lei wasn't in a hurry to land. Instead, he left the Rock House and flew down to begin expanding Liyue City.