Chapter 114: Year-End Summary

Yang Cheng had no desire to pry deeper. Those levels of society were far removed from his own; while they appeared lofty and prestigious, they were in reality riddled with corruption and filth, and he had no interest in getting entangled. He was, however, quite interested in Zhongdu. In any era, the capital was always the most prosperous place. Wuzhou City was tucked away in a remote corner, and since ordinary people rarely had the freedom to travel between city-states, the information they could gather was extremely limited.

Lu Baichuan had traveled to many places, but his knowledge was confined to the affairs of the martial world.

Consequently, Yang Cheng sought guidance from Mr. Chu regarding the state of Zhongdu. Since he wasn't asking for classified secrets, and because no one had spoken to him about the past of Zhongdu for six or seven years, Chu Feitian was more than happy to share everything he knew.

The Liuyun Kingdom was divided into four regions—East, West, South, and North—each overseeing eighteen cities. Zhongdu alone governed thirty-six, its prosperity beyond anything a remote town like Wuzhou could compare to.

Zhongdu was over a million miles away from Wuzhou, separated by more than a dozen city-states. Beyond the inherent dangers of the journey, the sheer distance alone was daunting. Situated at the very heart of the Liuyun Kingdom, it had served as the capital for every new dynasty to ensure ease of governance once stability was established.

Because the capital had been located in Zhongdu throughout history, the city-state possessed an ancient heritage, an immense territorial scope, and a population numbering in the billions. All administrative bodies were concentrated there, drawing in talent and formidable experts from every corner of the kingdom. It was truly a land of vast resources and extraordinary people.

Although the imperial family had seized the world through conquest, they valued civil governance, knowing that rule could not be maintained by martial cultivation alone. Apart from military commanders, the high-ranking officials in the administrative departments were predominantly civil servants, with rank determined not by cultivation level, but by merit. Officials were primarily appointed based on recommendations from various families and regions. Promising newcomers with established reputations from across the land were gathered in Zhongdu as reserve officials, awaiting imperial appointment whenever a vacancy arose.

Governance in the Liuyun Kingdom was led by officials, while the actual implementation was carried out by clerks. These clerks were either appointed by officials or selected through examinations. While those from modest backgrounds could become clerks through these exams, their origins barred them from ever becoming officials.

Regarding the livelihood of the people, Zhongdu was not only incredibly prosperous, attracting merchants from all over the land, but also hosted many traders from foreign nations.

Listening to Mr. Chu’s vivid description, Yang Cheng felt a sense of longing. If he were in Zhongdu, such an open and bustling capital would allow his business to spread across the entire world in no time. Yet, with his current strength, he was not yet ready to expand into Zhongdu. He had to take it one step at a time, building his own foundation before he could establish a foothold in the wider world.

The two continued to discuss the customs and culture of Zhongdu until darkness fell. Yang Cheng then had food and wine prepared, personally hosting his guest. The excellent wine and dishes delighted Mr. Chu, who praised them repeatedly, claiming he hadn't tasted such delicacies even back in Zhongdu. Both host and guest enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Yang Cheng had a villa temporarily arranged for Chu Feitian in the residential area and personally escorted him there, explaining the functions of the various modern furnishings. Mr. Chu marveled at the wonders of Wuzhou City, noting that its ingenious craftsmanship was in no way inferior to that of Zhongdu.

Seeing that his guest assumed this was simply the local custom of Wuzhou, Yang Cheng smiled without offering an explanation. He merely told him that the Yang household was busy with year-end affairs and suggested that Murong Tie accompany him around the city for the next few days, promising to entertain him personally when he had more time.

Murong Tie was also born in a major city-state; he was cultured and knew how to conduct himself, lacking the rough edges of common martial artists. Entrusting him to escort Mr. Chu was a safe choice.

After settling Mr. Chu, Yang Cheng summoned his three managers to discuss the year-end plans.

Yang Cheng’s plan was to summarize the performance of every industry, assess the situation, and set the operational guidelines for the coming year. His main focus was to host an "Annual Meeting" at the end of the year, much like the companies he once knew, to bring everyone together for a celebration. It would be a time to honor those who had contributed and inspire the newcomers. More importantly, in this relatively cold and indifferent world, it was an effective way to foster cohesion, drawing everyone closer to the Yang family and strengthening their mutual dependence.

The Annual Meeting was scheduled for the night before the Lunar New Year. Su Yinxue and the others didn't fully understand the concept, so Yang Cheng had to break down the specific tasks for them.

For instance, Old Yang was tasked with building a temporary stage on the vacant lot near the distillery, as the front courtyard couldn't accommodate everyone. He also needed to arrange tables and chairs, decorate with colorful lights and red ribbons, and set a festive tone.

Steward Su was responsible for the banquet arrangements, the list of those to be honored, the prizes, and a detailed schedule—even including the lottery and performances Yang Cheng had planned. The performers had already been borrowed from the Prince, who had readily agreed, curious himself about what this "Annual Meeting" would entail and expressing his intention to attend as an observer.

In addition to organizing the security rotation for the event, Li Tianjun was tasked with assisting Old Yang, as the guards and martial artists had the strength and agility to help assemble the site quickly.

Furthermore, over a dozen guards, like Liu Feng, had earned their departure through repeated meritorious service. Yang Cheng had instructed Li Tianjun to complete the paperwork to dissolve their service contracts with the official authorities, planning to present the documents to them during the meeting to add to the joy of the occasion.

The three managers then reported on the year's progress. The family’s martial force had reached forty-eight members, though only four were at the Fusion Stage. Li Tianjun had maintained the guard count at two hundred for several months; as everything was recorded in the labor market and verifiable by the authorities, no deception was possible. Although the number of family martial artists was small, they had made significant progress in their cultivation due to the advantages provided by the Yang family.

The food factory’s product range was becoming increasingly diverse. Many items were priced low, but due to high demand, the workforce had expanded to five or six hundred people. Under the guidance of the managers, they had spontaneously developed simple tools—such as dumpling molds and noodle-processing aids—which had greatly increased efficiency. One person could now do the work that previously required ten, negating the need for further staff expansion.

Most areas of Wuzhou City were now supplied, and the daily profit reached over eighteen thousand spirit coins. It had taken five or six months to open the market and stabilize, but after deducting costs, they had reaped over 3.2 million spirit coins.

The side-line food business, however, had grown at a breakneck pace. Under the incentive schemes, the workers were highly enthusiastic, developing over thirty types of snacks. While these were sold in grocery stores across the city at low prices, the volume was immense. Items suggested by Yang Cheng, such as spicy gluten strips, beef jerky, and instant noodles, were addictive and sold exceptionally well. The workforce had grown to four hundred and was still struggling to keep up with demand.

These snacks were easy to preserve, and many merchants were beginning to export them to outer cities. Yang Cheng planned to significantly expand the scale of snack production next year to facilitate wider distribution.

Yang Cheng often imagined a future where a sword-wielding, ethereal cultivator stood on a mountain peak, pulling out a bag of spicy gluten strips to eat; the imagery was truly jarring.

Although the snacks were cheap, they were not accepted as quickly as staple foods, resulting in only about a million in profit for the year. It was only a matter of time, however, before they became a craze across Wuzhou.

Yang’s Furniture had only been operating for a few months, but since its primary clientele consisted of the upper class with high purchasing power, the profits were substantial. Including the branch in Linhai City, they had earned over five million, providing a very healthy income.

With the addition of various franchise fees, Yang Cheng’s income had steadily surpassed ten million. However, expenditures were also significant; various investments and construction projects had consumed over a million. For example, the paper mill currently existed only for food packaging and was not profitable, while the printing house and distillery had incurred heavy research and development costs.

The academy now housed over eight hundred children and instructors. Between the factory workers and the household staff, there were now nearly three thousand people. As the workforce grew, Yang Cheng expected even more children to be sent to the academy next year. He planned to double the size of the academy buildings after the new year. After all expenses were deducted, the vault held a surplus of over eight million.

As they tallied the numbers, everyone was exceptionally excited. They had been exhausted throughout the year, but even if the young master stopped his schemes, the Yang family would continue to thrive next year. It seemed, however, that Yang Cheng would not be stopping; he appeared eager to gather all the wealth of Wuzhou into his own hands immediately.

To Yang Cheng, however, this was merely the beginning of the initial accumulation. The coming year would be when the qualitative leap truly began.