"Morning, Factory Director."
"Morning."
"Good morning, Mister Ji."
"Mm, good morning."
New Spring Town was bustling and clamorous in the early morning. The market district, rebuilt several times larger than before, teemed with people.
Passersby eagerly greeted Ji Jue as he walked by. He waved back, taking in the morning scenery. A stall owner poked his head out and asked, "Out this early, Mister Ji? Want a bowl of rice noodles?"
"Sure. Add an egg. Got chili?"
"Right away. Please wait a moment."
The vendor grinned broadly. Before long, he served up a paper bowl of soup noodles piled high with beef and sprinkled with chili. One mouthful of noodles and broth, and the damp chill of dawn vanished beneath the salty, fragrant heat.
The flavor was not bad, and the meat was decent too.
It was just a little technological.
But out in the Wilderness, never mind technology—even getting rice noodles fresh out of the pot counted as progress. Who had that many standards?
The price was fair enough. Nobody should be picky about anybody else.
Ji Jue slurped his noodles and watched idly.
The marketplace was packed with heads. Amid the lively clamor came a chaotic racket like chickens flying and dogs leaping, with greetings ringing out now and then from the crowds passing by.
The bleakness and coldness of the rainy season had disappeared.
It was not just settlers from the Wilderness and Garbage Collectors. Merchants from Yacheng and Tide City were gradually becoming more numerous as well.
As the coast expanded further, more employees and spending power with nowhere to go had drawn in more businesses. Prosperity had arrived so suddenly that even Ji Jue had been caught off guard.
Even if this prosperity was only a temporary view.
Out in the Wilderness beyond the city,