"Good morning, Director."

"Morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Ji."

"Mm, good morning."

The early morning in New Spring Town was bustling and noisy; the market area, rebuilt to be several times larger than before, was crowded with people.

People coming and going greeted Ji Jue warmly as he passed by. Ji Jue waved in response, enjoying the morning scenery. A stall owner leaned out and asked, "So early, Mr. Ji, would you like a bowl of rice noodles?"

"Sure, add an egg. Do you have chili?"

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The stall owner grinned, and soon, a bowl of beef-topped soup noodles sprinkled with chili was served. A single bite of the noodles and soup dissipated the morning's damp chill under the salty and savory warmth.

The taste was quite good, and the meat was alright.

It's just... a bit technological.

However, in the wilderness, not to mention technology, being able to eat freshly cooked rice noodles was considered progress—no need for such fuss.

The price was acceptable; let's not criticize each other.

Ji Jue slurped the noodles, casually observing.

The market was crowded, the bustling noise filled with chaos, and amidst the coming and going of people, greetings were occasionally heard.

The desolation and coldness of the rainy season had disappeared without a trace.

Not only the settlers and scavengers from the wilderness, but even merchants from Cliff City and Tide City had gradually increased.

With the Coast's further expansion, more employees and the surplus purchasing power attracted more businesses, making the prosperity seem sudden, taking even Ji Jue by surprise.

Even if this prosperity was merely a temporary scene.

In the wilderness outside the city, very few things are everlasting. A heavy rain, an earthquake, a flood, or a landslide could easily cause a large settlement to disintegrate—too many accidents and disasters.

When the next rainy season arrives, who knows if it might once again return to a dilapidated state.

But at least before the storm arrives, everything could be alright.

Perhaps, after a few more years, when New Spring reaches a certain level of development, it could become an official small city. Even if it couldn't compare to central cities like Cliff City and Tide City, at least under the shelter of the Heavenly Governor's Law, everything could stabilize.

At the break of dawn, the construction site of the town sent out bursts of rumbling as New Spring started expanding again after surpassing the dismantled high walls.

The Messenger Logistics building and the first large transit warehouse were about to be completed. By then, all related staff and operations would move out of Coastal Industry, avoiding the awkward situation of competing over office space in a shared building.

By that time, the increasingly frequent traffic jams on the main road would also be somewhat mitigated; at least there wouldn't be a mass of overloaded small tri-cycles stuck in traffic.

All along the road, swaying and meandering back to Coastal Industry.

After flipping through the reports piled on the desk and signing the documents Isis picked out, Ji Jue finally pushed open the door leading to the workshop from the office.

The Doomsday Special Train on the platform remained silent, with only the headlight shining, watching the returning conductor.

In just a few days, the workshop inside the train had changed once more.

The old Saintly Mercury workshop module had already begun to be gradually transplanted. Although limited by the insufficient output of the core Spiritual Furnace, it couldn't be completed in one go, but compared to other new craftsmen painstakingly gathering scraps for upgrades, merely repairing, transplanting, and remodeling was like a dream.

"Good afternoon, sir."

In the projection that resembled a collection of starlight, a blurred figure appeared: "It seems you've been resting well recently."

"Don't even mention rest."

Ji Jue smiled self-deprecatingly, taking over the operation of several mercury mechanical arms, checking the progress, casually asking, "Any new messages?"

"Mr. Yu from Lihua District sent a message yesterday; the school you requested has been found, and communication is completed. Enrollment can begin at any time.

Of course, regarding your requirements for student coursework, I've already coordinated with the school. The school has assured that they will assign coursework in the most serious manner, to provide some untold twisted pleasure during your busy affairs."

"That's wonderful." Ji Jue followed her words, jokingly reflecting, "I do enjoy watching children cry. Anything else?"

"The association sent an invitation, inviting you to participate in an exchange event at the end of the month. As per your instruction, it has been declined."

"Besides that, there's an order from Red Country that requires your confirmation. That accountant seems no longer satisfied with tractors and modified small tricycles, asking if you are willing to further deepen cooperation in the field of Alchemy..."

"No rush."

Ji Jue shook his head, "Just tell him I'm busy lately, reply in a while."

After all, dealing with Central Earth requires caution. Previously exporting disassembled power exoskeletons was already borderline, how could one go further... Besides, there's no red line for this kind of matter; it varies from person to person, and changes with time. What's permissible today might be a death sentence tomorrow.

And the association's regulation on Alchemy products will only get stricter.

The situation in Central Earth is turbulent now; all city-states are busy preparing for who knows when a new large-scale conflict or even war might break out.

Ji Jue does not want his work to appear in any sensitive venues; otherwise, if exploited by the ambitious, it could end disastrously. The peers' favorite game is to sabotage each other, especially for Embers, whose eyes only see those not yet killed and those about to be.

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