Chapter 263 - 152: Commencing Operations

Chapter 263: Chapter 152: Commencing Operations

If that’s the case...

"..."

Chen Fan’s expression grew a little odd. ’It seems the "Mortal Realm Communication" idea from my drafts can finally be put on the agenda.’ He would start selling Sound Transmission Talismans directly, and only those crafted by the Mortal Realm would be relayed through the Signal Towers.

Sound Transmission Talismans were a consumable item.

They would generate repeat purchases.

And they were a necessity.

In the past, only major powers built Communication Stations. After all, the costs for both construction and maintenance were high, and they were always built in key regions; no one would bother setting them up in remote corners.

But now, with the High-speed Rail in operation, the Four Areas Jiangbei would grow much closer.

The demand for Communication Stations would increase dramatically. Launching "Mortal Realm Communication" at a time like this was a surefire way to make another fortune.

"Nice."

He couldn’t help but laugh, planning to announce the news once the High-speed Rail network was mostly complete. ’Seems like life is slowly getting better, huh?’

...

"Sometimes, human effort really seems so insignificant."

Ping City.

West of this ruined city.

Inside the headquarters of the Jiangbei Commerce Association, its leader stood by a window in a daze, gazing out at the peach blossoms.

The Jiangbei Commerce Association now existed in name only.

The Silk Road had completely shattered his monopoly.

It had practically cut off all his sources of income.

Forcing him to pivot.

He pivoted.

He wasn’t the type to blame the world and wallow in self-pity. When crisis struck, he didn’t complain; he found a way to break through.

He tried to find a way.

He went with the flow and joined the Mortal Realm’s Silk Road initiative, purchasing large quantities of Skeleton Horses to sell in other regions. But... he was a Jiangbei-based power; his network in other regions was nowhere near as wide as his rivals’.

Sales were very slow.

When he finally managed to find a client, a single question revealed they had already paid a deposit to another power.

That path was a dead end.

So he tried another way.

His next idea: since the Mortal Realm had become the focal point of the Four Areas Jiangbei, he would build outposts near the Jiangbei Wilderness where traveling merchant caravans could rest. That seemed like a decent business. The more the Mortal Realm grew, the more he would profit.

He had just laid the groundwork and hadn’t even begun to recoup his investment...

...when he learned about the "Mortal Realm High-speed Rail." In the future, all merchant traffic would take the high-speed rail. ’Other than those buying massive cargo like Giant Turtles, who would even pass by my outposts anymore?’

It looked like this venture was also doomed to fail.

He was trying to pivot so quickly he was about to pivot himself to death.

He knew the Mortal Realm wasn’t targeting him intentionally, but it was unintentionally driving him to ruin all the same.

He stared blankly into the distance, at a complete loss as to which path to take next.

...

「Xiyang City.」

Within this city, which the Mortal Realm had dedicated to cultivation and breeding, a new set of districts had just been opened.

Chen Fan had built ten Max Level Life Workshops in one go.

He smiled as he looked back at Xiaoyu.

"From now on, your biggest task is to craft Sound Transmission Talismans."

"There’s no quota. The more, the better."

"..."

Xiaoyu stared at the ten neatly arranged Life Workshops, momentarily stunned. "Do you have a rough number in mind?" they asked instinctively.

"Let’s aim for 200,000 to start."

"We don’t have that many Meat Ghost Mother-Child Fruits in the Warehouse."

"Yes, you do."

Standing to one side, Qi Chong said quietly, "I have this huge city and all these people working day and night. You think we’re just playing house over here? The Mortal Realm has collected all sorts of Ghost Plant Seeds recently, and they’re all being mass-planted."

"The current supply of Meat Ghost Mother-Child Fruits is enough for you to craft 200,000 Sound Transmission Talismans."

"If it’s not enough,"

"I’ll just expand our operations further. I’ll absolutely meet your demand."

"Deal!"

Xiaoyu took a deep breath, their expression turning serious. "No problem! As long as the Fruits are sufficient, there won’t be any issues on my end."

...

「Three days later.」

The members of the Logistics Pavilion had returned.

The necessary finishing touches on the High-speed Rail line Chen Fan had built were now complete. Markers had been placed all along the route, and the Logistics Pavilion members had fleshed out the specific details for the stations he’d constructed at each stop.

He had also taken a trip on the High-speed Rail himself in the past two days.

He built a total of five Signal Towers across Jiangbei and Jiangnan.

This ensured that the signal between Jiangbei and Jiangnan was completely unimpeded.

In other words, from any corner of Jiangbei or Jiangnan, one could now contact the Mortal Realm.

He also built basic structures like City Walls, turrets, and Ghost Fire braziers around the Signal Towers. The Signal Towers didn’t need to be physically connected to the Mortal Realm; the personnel from the original Communication Stations were all relocated to live near the new towers.

They were responsible for daily tasks such as replacing the Sound Transmission Talismans placed in the Signal Towers.

After three busy days, the High-speed Rail line that everyone in the Four Areas Jiangbei had been watching with bated breath finally began its first official run!

Inside Mortal City.

A platform, rushed to completion overnight by the Mortal Realm, stood in stark contrast to the surrounding architecture. At the platform’s edge, a red line was painted on the ground, leading straight out into the Wilderness.

On the ground sat a high-speed train composed of eighteen connected Max Level Suspended Baskets.

Next to it stood a station sign.

"Fan City Station."

Chen Fan called it Line One. It passed through a total of twelve stations: Mortal City, Jiangbei Bridge, Medicine King Valley, and the Nine Great Cities of Jiangnan. This was the first major route.

The moment its official operation was announced, a host of faction leaders were invited for the inaugural ride.

"Everyone,"

Chen Fan stood on the edge of the platform, grinning at the assembled faction leaders. "All aboard. This is the first official route of the Mortal Realm High-speed Rail. Come on and experience it for yourselves."

"Domain Lord Chen."

The Patriarch of one of the factions asked the question on everyone’s mind: "This... High-speed Rail... how do you plan to charge for fares?"