Before he had even crossed Mondstadt's border, Lin Yi spotted it from far away.
Countless antlike figures dotted the distance.
As he drew closer, he saw that Liyue's intercity highway had already reached this far.
It was not an asphalt road, but the concrete surface was more than adequate for this early stage of development.
It was thousands upon thousands of times better than dirt roads that turned muddy whenever it rained.
At this rate, the highway would reach the city of Mondstadt in less than half a month, practically shoving itself straight into Venti's mouth.
"Good progress, everyone. Thank you for your hard work."
When the busy workers saw Lin Yi appear, they were overwhelmed by the honor. They called out at various volumes, and he could just make out wishes for him to live forever and the like.
The crew leader overseeing the work was a talented man Lin Yi had personally recruited in Liyue.
Though the work was exhausting, his generous wages would soon let him buy a home around Liyue Harbor and settle into a stable life, instead of sleeping rough beneath a bridge.
They were tired, but every face looked happy.
Sometimes, this was the true meaning of development, rather than those at the top exploiting those beneath them.
"Everyone, once the highway reaches the border, you can take some time off."
"Please don't, my lord! We can't hand such a well-paying job over to someone else! Do you think we're working too slowly? Just watch-we'll have this road laid in no time!"
Before Lin Yi could say anything, the workers threw themselves back into their tasks with such enthusiasm that there was no stopping them.
Numerous transfer points had also been established along the cement supply route behind them, ensuring that paving materials arrived