Chapter 707: This Business Seems Profitable
The grand train, carrying the women and children, sped onward until it finally arrived at Gao Family Village proper.
It was already evening, the sun setting in the west.
But Gao Family Village proper had long since developed a vibrant nightlife; the entire Gao Family Business District was ablaze with lights and revelry, a picture of prosperity and flourishing times.
No sooner had the women stepped off the train than they were stunned by the bustling atmosphere of the Gao Family Business District. "What kind of super city is this?" they wondered. "Surely it's more prosperous than Qinzhou City?" Even though they hadn't been to Qinzhou City, they felt it must be so.
Coming abruptly from a rural area to such a large city, their hearts pounded with trepidation.
Just then, they suddenly saw someone approaching from the front—a young man they recognized well. The admirable young man who, back in Houjia Village, had single-handedly protected them in the stone house.
Li Daoxuan had arrived!
The Test-03 Heavenly Lord, finally completed. It housed various bizarre weapons, a terrifying war machine whose very ribs could even flip out into blades, yet externally, it looked no different from an ordinary person.
He waved at the women: “Hey! Welcome to Gao Family Village.”
“No... the Heavenly Lord!”
They already knew that Li Daoxuan was the supreme leader here, the greatest lord.
They were simply curious: back in Houjia Village, this great lord had clearly intended to continue with the army to suppress bandits, so how had he returned here now?
Li Daoxuan smiled at them: “As I told you, once you arrive in my domain, you'll find that I am omnipresent.”
The women thought carefully, and indeed, he seemed to have said those very words.
Li Daoxuan said, “It's late today, so I'll have Yiye arrange your accommodations and meals. Please get some good rest first. Afterwards, feel free to walk around the village, explore, and find work that you enjoy. If you have any questions, you can ask Yiye or consult with the village administrators; everyone will be happy to help you.”
The women quickly thanked the Heavenly Lord.
Li Daoxuan continued, “I only hope you remember one thing: as long as you wish and are willing, you do not need to rely on others to survive. You do not need to place your future solely in a man's hands.”
The women gasped in surprise.
Just then, songs suddenly erupted from the nearby Gao Family Business District. A female star from Puzhou's Flower World Star Agency was performing a concert tour through the district.
“I'm not afraid of cockroaches, not afraid anymore... sleeping alone, I'm not afraid anymore... no matter how dark the night, I'll just pretend not to see, the sun will surely appear...”
As she sang, many men and women joined in, and the entire Gao Family Business District erupted in joyous revelry.
Large groups of women danced and bounced beside the parade, with not a trace of the usual societal restrictions on women visible on them.
The newly arrived women noticed that the women in Gao Family Village were different from those in Houjia Village.
How they wished to live like them! ——
On the eastern outskirts of Xi'an City, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was underway.
The long-distance train route directly connecting Xi'an City to the Hedong Circuit officially opened today.
Establishing this railway was no easy feat. Spanning over six hundred li, it crossed mountains and valleys, rivers and bays, connecting the vital locations currently under Gao Family Village's control from east to west.
The sheer amount of iron needed just for laying the tracks was astronomical.
The output from the few iron mines currently held by Gao Family Village was nowhere near enough; it was all thanks to the Heavenly Lord's 'cheating'... of course, for the next railway, the Heavenly Lord definitely wouldn't 'cheat' again.
Almost all the high officials and nobles from Xi'an Prefecture had gathered at the train station to witness this grand ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Padi Tu, Gao Family Village's chief representative in Xi'an, stepped forward and picked up the large scissors. However... after a moment's thought, he handed them to Wang Tang, whispering in his ear, “You do it. I don't seem suited for such a scene. I'm currently itching to unleash my My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword and 'rob the rich to help the poor' among all these guests, rather than exchange empty pleasantries with them.”
Wang Tang could only offer a wry smile. “Rabbit Lord, you truly are something else.”
He took the scissors, exchanged countless polite formalities with the guests—omitting a hundred million words of flattery—then, with a crisp snip, cut the ribbon.
“I declare! The Xihe Number 1 train, connecting Xi'an to Hedong, officially begins operation today!”
Applause erupted.
The high officials and nobles all clapped enthusiastically.
“Boarding is now open! Today's a special offer: the first journey is free!”
Who doesn't love something for free? The high officials and nobles eagerly boarded the train.
Only the Prince of Qin's heir, Zhu Cunji, stood by the station platform, a crestfallen expression on his face. “Alas! I cannot go.”
Ming Dynasty imperial princes were forbidden from leaving their granted fiefdoms.
Zhu Cunji could only venture as far as the outskirts of Xi'an City, perhaps to take a hot spring bath in Lintong. Any further, and he dared not step.
Wang Tang walked over, smiling. “This train will also stop in Lintong, Your Highness. You can ride it and simply disembark there.”
Zhu Cunji was overjoyed, and with a quick dash, he leaped aboard.
Soon, the train began to move, carrying a full carriage of wealthy individuals, their guards, maids, and servants, towards Hedong.
Zhu Cunji could only ride for a short distance, but even after just a brief stretch, an unusual thought sparked in his mind. He beckoned a train conductor and asked, “This ride is free today, but future journeys will require tickets, correct?”
The conductor nodded. “Yes, that's right!”
Zhu Cunji: “Are the tickets expensive?”
The conductor replied, “One could say they are expensive, or one could say they are cheap. If you ride in the front few luxurious carriages, the fare will be quite high—dozens of taels of silver for just a few stops. But if you sit in the middle-class carriages, the fare is much lower; a few taels of silver will get you several stops. And for the lowest-class carriages at the back, a few dozen copper coins suffice.”
Zhu Cunji counted the number of carriages, then estimated how many people each carriage could hold, calculating on his fingers. “Hmm? If this train is full, one trip could earn over a thousand taels of silver.”
The conductor laughed. “It's not that easy to fill it to capacity!”
Zhu Cunji retorted, “Even half-full, that's hundreds of taels of silver in revenue. My, this business seems quite profitable.”
As an imperial prince, he had no ambition for power; he simply wanted to earn more money.
Zhu Cunji was quite interested in accumulating assets.
However, at this point in the conversation, the conductor could no longer keep up, as his knowledge and perspective were insufficient to continue the discussion.
Zhu Cunji quickly searched the carriage and indeed found him: the behind-the-scenes boss of Gao Family Village, Test-01 Heavenly Lord, holding a birdcage containing a black mynah bird.
Zhu Cunji promptly plonked himself down on the seat opposite Li Daoxuan, smiling. “Steward Li, we meet again. This humble prince has a small business proposition I'd like to discuss with you.”
The mynah bird squawked: “What's the use of talking business? It won't get hard!”
Zhu Cunji: “...”
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