Chapter 757: News Broadcast
As Gao Yiye continued her explanation, the scene shifted. On the Immortal Treasure Mirror, a panorama of Huanglong Mountain appeared: a beautiful concrete road, winding and spiraling, climbing a massive, steep slope, and then cresting over it...
A group of labor reform prisoners, equipped with hoes and other tools, stood at the summit, cheering triumphantly towards the sky: “We succeeded!”
“It’s built!”
“The Heaven-Defying Highway is finally complete.”
Next, the camera cut again, returning to an indoor setting.
The same labor reform prisoners who had cheered on the slope now stood in a line indoors, each adorned with a large red flower on their chest. Warden Zhong Gaoliang stood before them, announcing in a loud voice: “Thank you for your contributions to the development of Huanglong Mountain. Your spirit of unyielding struggle and defiance of hardship has greatly inspired those who will follow... To commend your efforts, the Gao Family Village Committee, after deliberation, has decided to grant you early release. From this day forward, you are free citizens, enjoying the same rights and treatment as all ordinary residents of Gao Family Village.”
The former prisoners erupted in joyous cheers.
Warden Zhong Gaoliang then said, “Now, please, let your representative step forward and speak.”
The representative from the Thirty-Two Labor Reform Valley stepped before the screen, his face alight with emotion: “I thank the Heavenly Lord, I thank the Gao Family Village Committee, I thank Warden Zhong Gaoliang, I thank my parents and my fellow inmates! It is your support that allows me to stand here and speak these words...”
“Whoosh!”
Applause erupted!
His fellow inmates cheered, “Go for it! You can do it!”
Wang Chenggong watched this scene, utterly dumbfounded. “What... what exactly is going on here?”
Feitian Shu clapped him on the shoulder, chuckling, “This is exactly what’s going on. Every scene displayed on this Treasure Mirror has actually happened somewhere else.”
Wang Chenggong felt his mind reeling. There was too much information; his brain simply couldn't process it all.
Even he, with a few days of schooling under his belt, felt bewildered, let alone his two thousand illiterate subordinates, who watched slack-jawed, as if witnessing a divine myth.
The screen then shifted, and Gao Yiye reappeared, smiling. “Next is our second news item: our West Steel No. 1 Factory has received a major order! The Prince of Qin’s household has decided to fund the construction of a railway line from Xi’an to Yan’an Prefecture. This railway will require a huge quantity of rails and a train. West Steel No. 1 Factory is currently working tirelessly, putting in overtime to fulfill this grand order...”
The camera spun, cutting to the interior of the steel factory.
A worker in the casting workshop was carefully observing molten iron pouring into molds. As if noticing he was being recorded, he abruptly turned his head and exclaimed, “Oh my! Greetings, Heavenly Lord.”
From off-camera, the voice of the Heavenly Lord’s Test03 series resounded: “Come, face this way and introduce the technology we are currently using to our viewers.”
The worker’s spirits lifted. “Before, all our rails were hand-forged by workers, which was time-consuming and often inconsistent. To achieve perfect uniformity, we constantly had to compare, re-hammer, and re-melt them... But now, our steel quality has been optimized, allowing us to use casting technology with molds, mass-producing rails in a single go. My workload has been greatly reduced; now I just need to carefully monitor these molds.”
As he explained, the camera zoomed in on the molds, watching the bright red molten iron flow in, a sight that was inexplicably satisfying.
Li Daoxuan instructed, “Ensure construction safety, and strictly adhere to the operating manual.”
The worker replied, “Understood!”
Gao Yiye continued, “Next is our third news item: the Gao Family Village Militia, in the defense of Luoyang, displayed remarkable demeanor and overwhelming momentum, routing the siege forces led by Meng Hu and Du Hu, sending them fleeing in disarray, crying for their mothers... However, due to the overly graphic nature of the scenes, we will not be broadcasting the frontline footage... The militia captured over five hundred rebel soldiers outside Luoyang. They will soon be escorted to Huanglong Mountain and are expected to be assigned to the Thirty-Two Labor Reform Valley.”
Hearing this, Wang Chenggong leaped in surprise. “What? Big Brothers Meng Hu and Du Hu just attacked Luoyang? They were also defeated? And five hundred of their men were captured, to be sent to *our* valley?”
Gao Yiye announced, “Next up, entertainment news... According to information personally provided by the Heavenly Lord, the Flower World Star Agency is currently preparing a new film titled *A Foot Soldier from Daling River Border Army*. The plot remains confidential for now, but it is known that General Lao Nanfeng himself will star as the male lead... Filming locations will be chosen in Han City.”
The screen shifted again, and an aerial view of Han City appeared on camera.
Ancient common folk rarely had the chance to view a city from above, so witnessing this aerial perspective left them utterly awestruck.
Gao Yiye's voice continued in the background: “This is Han City, where General Lao Nanfeng’s team is currently filming. We don’t know the plot yet, only that this production involves a massive investment, with almost half the population of Han City participating as extras.”
The camera zoomed in, showing the common people dressing up to look filthy and unkempt, as if they hadn’t bathed in days and had been enduring bitter battles.
The plaques above Han City’s gate arches had been removed, replaced with new ones bearing the characters for “Daling River City.”
Large contingents of the Gao Family Village Militia, clad in standard Ming army armor, played the role of defenders.
Poor Chen Qianhu, with his perpetually grim expression, wore the official robes of a Ming dynasty official, portraying Zu Dashou.
The camera then cut back to Gao Yiye’s face, who stated: “The clips you just saw were scenes from the filming of *A Foot Soldier from Daling River Border Army*. To avoid spoilers, we won’t show any more. Those who wish to see it should patiently await the film’s release.”
Wang Chenggong blurted, “What the—? I don’t quite understand it, but it seems... they mobilized half a city’s populace to perform in a play? What kind of play is so powerful? Even the imperial corvée labor wouldn’t dare involve so many people at once.”
Feitian Shu laughed, “If it’s something the Heavenly Lord wishes to do, no one is unwilling to participate. Everyone respects His Venerable Self from the bottom of their hearts.”
Wang Chenggong still didn't know who the Heavenly Lord was. Hearing everyone refer to the Heavenly Lord, he couldn't help but whisper, “What exactly has the Heavenly Lord done to make you all like him so much?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard a “clang-clang-clang” sound.
Feitian Shu chuckled, “Oh, it’s dinnertime! We eat right after the news broadcast. Come on, let’s head to the mess hall together.”
Wang Chenggong followed behind, thinking to himself: *The food they’ll give people like us will probably be like what we ate halfway here during our escort—the coarsest gruel, barely enough to half-fill the stomach.*
However, as he walked into the mess hall and saw the meal box handed to him by the cafeteria auntie, he was utterly bewildered... utterly bewildered...
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