Chapter 265: The Infrastructure of Douluo, Part II
After an intensive day of work, Ye Wen felt a rare sense of fatigue. Even so, his strategies and planning were well suited to this era. Following one last check of his plans, he distributed instructions to begin.
For the rural developments, simple, local materials would suffice. The main expense would be labor. When the first batch of roundhouses was completed, Ye Wen personally inspected the site. The traditional architecture, with its timeless Chinese style, reminded him of his previous life.
"Is there an issue, my lord?" asked the overseeing official, visibly nervous. Having handled this project for the first time, he was wary of mistakes with Ye Wen, an influential figure.
Ye Wen snapped out of his reverie and gave a slight shake of his head. "No, everything's well done. Moving forward, this project is yours to supervise. I don't need it to look elegant, but the quality must match this first roundhouse. If it doesn't, you know the consequences."
Relief flooded the official's face, quickly replaced by excitement. He understood the considerable profit margins of such a project, and while he dared not risk embezzling funds, the experience he gained overseeing this nationwide project could greatly advance his career.
Unconcerned with the official's excitement, Ye Wen held to his principles: reward merit and punish transgression. Next was the plan's second phase.
He recalled his miserable journey by carriage to the Far North, jostled so roughly he nearly lost his lunch. Coming from a socialist upbringing, he knew that while education was essential, economic infrastructure had to be prioritized as well. As the saying goes, If you want to get rich, build roads first.
The next project would be to renovate the Saint Soul Empire's primary roadways. Though the previous Tian Dou Empire had similar plans, bureaucracy had bogged down any meaningful progress. Corrupt officials stalled the work with delays and embezzlement, leaving pothole ridden roads that slowed travel for ordinary citizens. In a world of superhumans who could zip around at top speeds, infrastructure had often been neglected.
But Ye Wen wouldn't let this slide. Coming from the people, he intended to improve their lives. Road repairs, though smaller in scope than the rural reform, required a concrete plan. Fortunately, cement was a technology he'd already refined and was now ready for mass use.
Watching the newly paved roads develop day by day, Ye Wen nodded in satisfaction. At this rate, the infrastructure of the Saint Soul Empire could be fully modernized within five years. Now, he simply had to wait for it all to be completed. Stretching his limbs, Ye Wen felt content. His inspection team was already in place to monitor for issues like corruption and shortcuts in the work. Anyone foolish enough to try underhanded schemes would face his swift response.
If you're an official who won't work for the people, you might as well go home and plant sweet potatoes! Humming a tune, Ye Wen returned to his chambers, ready for some relaxation with his two ladies.
After a refreshing "training" session, however, more work came knocking.
"Ah, really…?" Ye Wen sighed at the subordinate waiting with a report. He had just completed his previous tasks, and more work was already piling up. But as he'd delegated this task himself, he accepted it. Guess Bibi Dong wasn't wrong to pass it on.
The ruins of the Slaughter City had been fully cleared. With the Soul Saints using their martial spirits, clearing the area was just a matter of time. Now, Ye Wen had to consider how to repurpose the location.
Returning to the Slaughter City, Ye Wen surveyed the barren Blood River, the cleared ruins leaving a clean slate. As the sole dual god pathway on the continent, the Slaughter City held a unique significance. While the Asura God and Rakshasa God both embodied dark forces, they represented different aspects. The Asura God was about pure slaughter, while the Rakshasa God dealt in corruption and evil. Originally, the Slaughter City had been a place of combat, but over time, Rakshasa's influence had twisted it into a den of vice and moral decay.
Ye Wen didn't see a reason to restore it to its former glory for the Asura God's sake, as that god had no relevance to him. Instead, he would dedicate it to his wife Bibi Dong's needs. Though Bibi Dong had been a Rakshasa God for years, her growth in power had been slow. Without Ye Wen's support, she would still be stuck at the demigod level, unable even to reach the strength of a third tier god.
The problem lay with the selfishness of both the Asura and Rakshasa gods. In the early stages of godhood, one needed an ample supply of faith to gain power quickly. But when Bibi Dong had inherited her godly mantle, she found almost no leftover faith to draw from. And the residents of the Slaughter City, having long since descended into depravity, had little faith to offer.
This shortfall explained why, in the original storyline, Bibi Dong had been defeated by Tang San, who only became a god later. Though she and Tang San were both dark deities, and Bibi Dong had ascended first, she was ultimately overwhelmed and her godhood destroyed. Ye Wen was determined to change that. He would transform the Slaughter City into a place that nourished Bibi Dong's power.
Lost in thought for a while, Ye Wen finally snapped his fingers, a smile spreading across his face. "Got it."
The power of evil, as Bibi Dong had explained, stemmed from negative human emotions the essence of "evil energy." Negative emotions are universal, encompassing suffering, sickness, hatred, unfulfilled desires, and more. Thus, Ye Wen envisioned a labyrinthine prison filled with illusions to torture captives until they were forced to seek salvation from the Rakshasa God.
Ye Wen's smile widened. This would be the perfect gift for Bibi Dong.
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