As the New Year approached, every household hung lanterns and decorations. Lungmen was as lively and festive as the previous year. Terrans and adventurers filled the streets and alleyways, soaking in the atmosphere together. Shops all along the commercial district launched holiday discounts to draw customers in, and cafés and diners were packed from morning to night.
Even during the holidays, the LGD ran like a machine that never stopped. Some officers took leave in the days leading up to the New Year to spend time with their families, but many remained at their posts. This was, after all, one of the busiest times for dispatches.
Ch'en Hui-chieh finished an energy bar in two quick bites and returned to the LGD headquarters with the other officers who had been out on assignment. She nodded to the people behind her and headed straight for her office.
There was no time to rest. Within a short span, she had resolved a case in the Central District involving the trafficking of infected individuals. Adventurers working with the LGD had contributed significantly, and crime rates had dipped by a few tenths of a percent. It was a small change, but Ch'en Hui-chieh believed that with time she could make Lungmen even better.
"You're still here, Hoshiguma?"
The Oni woman looked up. Hoshiguma—Ch'en Hui-chieh's right hand and also her close friend—was wrestling with a stack of documents.
"Missy booked a dinner banquet at the Taotie Pavilion on Dagu Street. She invited both of us."
"How did I not hear about this?"
"You were on assignment. Couldn't reach your phone."
Hoshiguma stretched, eyeing the faint dark circles under Ch'en's eyes. "Old Ch'en, you've been stressing yourself too hard. I know you want to prove yourself after Madam Nine left, but working yourself into the ground isn't the right path."
"Nine is working right across the street. I can't let her watch me fail, can I?"
Ch'en nodded toward the Tomorrow's Development building opposite LGD headquarters. Unlike the brightly lit LGD offices, only the residential floors of Tomorrow's Development had their lights on. Employees clocked out on time; no overtime, no late nights.
"Tsk, heard Madam Nine earns twice the salary of an LGD officer and doesn't have to run headfirst into danger. Sounds like a cushy job to me."
Hoshiguma sighed. Watching Ch'en sit down and immediately start reviewing documents again, she frowned. "You're really not going to Missy's dinner?"
"Where would I find the time?"
"You've stood her up so many times she might really get mad."
Hoshiguma put her hands on her hips, exasperated. "I went down to Lower District the other day to discuss security with Lin Yühsia. You know what happened?"
"What?"
Hearing Lin Yühsia's name, Ch'en looked up. They were rivals after all, both second-generation, and each wanted to outpace the other.
Hoshiguma shrugged. "She wasn't there. Her subordinates said she took a private car to Kazdel this morning. I mean, why would anyone go to that war-torn place?"
"Rumor says the civil war ended."
Ch'en pressed her lips together, feeling an inexplicable irritation—as if Lin Yühsia had somehow gotten ahead of her. The feeling was strong enough that she set her work aside.
"Where did Missy book the restaurant?"
"Haha, let's go then, Old Ch'en."
Lungmen's New Year was bustling, and Kazdel's was no less lively. Normally, such holidays meant nothing to the region, but this year was different. Every shop along the main street of the new district hung new year's decorations. Promotions and signs decorated the storefronts. For many of the Sarkaz, who had never celebrated a festival like this, it was their first time experiencing what a holiday felt like.
At first, the Sarkaz mercenaries were hesitant, but with adventurers leading the mood, they began enjoying the New Year break. Weapons were set aside as they took their families by the hand and strolled through the streets.
Felix had just finished his work for the day. Loughshinny, ever attentive, stepped behind him to massage his pressure points. Little Narcissa, the kitten, sat on the windowsill watching the lights outside with wide, curious eyes.
"This year's financial report is in. We earned a total of 1.1 billion LMD in the Lungmen region."
Loughshinny spoke softly while massaging his shoulders. Profits were higher than last year, but so were the expenses. Equipment for adventurers, construction of landships, the ongoing reforms in Kazdel—everything burned through money at an alarming rate.
As for the finances, Felix was completely at ease leaving everything to Loughshinny. Just as he was drifting toward sleep, two cool hands gently covered his eyes.
"Guess who I am."
Felix smiled. "I'm guessing it's my lovely little sisters."
"Ehh? No fun at all. You guessed it right away. I even told Sister Loughshinny to keep it a secret."
Mandragora complained with a pout. Senomi planted a playful kiss on Felix's cheek, then her gaze landed on the small, slender Narcissa. Curious, she walked over and greeted her.
After biting Felix lightly on the lips, Mandragora also moved beside Narcissa.
The two sisters were full of curiosity and affection toward this adorable, pitiful little cat girl.
"Boss, Kazdel has changed so much."
Degenbrecher stood behind Felix. Loughshinny looked over and cheerfully called out, "Sister Degenbrecher," receiving a warm smile in return.
"Next year, during the second quarter, we aim to reform all of Kazdel. After that, it'll be time for us to expand outward."
Felix smiled. Internal stability first, external challenges later. He needed to secure the loyalty of central Kazdel Mobile City before setting his sights on the two difficult regions to the east and west. Rumor had it they were loyal to the Military Commission, with members of the royal court among them.
The players were eager for action. They couldn't yet replicate the overwhelming battlefield dominance they achieved in late-game stages of their previous world, but as long as Felix had a steady influx of players on his side, no one could truly contend with Tomorrow's Development. He only needed time. Then he would liberate all of Kazdel and become the King of Liberation.
"I believe the Lightbearers can participate in battle now."
Degenbrecher spoke with her hands clasped behind her back. "They've grown more coordinated with the Drones. They've been tested before, but this will be their first time fighting on an actual battlefield for you. I think this is an essential step in their development."
"Of course."
When Felix played Civilization, HOI4 or any Paradox game, he preferred peaceful development at the start, quietly building up his tech and political trees while staying under the radar. Then, at the critical moment, he would unleash a wave of units and steamroll the enemy's entire empire.
Damn, it really was satisfying.
But this entire nation governing things will be not funny when he heard Declare War sound accompanied by that text...
[Transmission from the Empire of Ursus.]
[The Empire of Ursus declared war on Kazdel(Tomorrow's Development).]
...yeah, imagine waking up and hearing that information at Kazdel current stage.
Anyway, not only Senomi and Mandragora had come; Susie, Rafaela, and the others also arrived in Kazdel to celebrate the New Year together.
As graduation approached, they were ready to take over their roles, fulfilling the goals they had set from the beginning.
"You all should go out and look around. Days like this aren't convenient for me to appear in public."
"Still worried about your race?"
Degenbrecher paused in thought. "Boss, this isn't a long-term solution. One day, you'll need to show yourself openly. And many people in the city already know you're the true leader of Tomorrow's Development."
"There are also many who don't. Right now isn't the right time."
Seeing that Felix had his own reasoning, Degenbrecher didn't push further. She led the girls out of the office and onto foreign soil to enjoy the New Year festivities. Felix leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes.
Earlier, thanks to his rare class, he had obtained blueprints for the Eternal Botanical Garden and the Mechanical Wonderland during his exploration runs. The Eternal Botanical Garden was similar to Rhine Lab's Horizon Ark Project, requiring vast amounts of plant matter to be piled up in the botanical garden to sustain itself and influence the surrounding terrain and environment.
Could the Eternal Botanical Garden be applied to Kazdel? That was Felix's question. Theresa had once demonstrated turning Originium into flowers. He wondered whether he could replicate something similar.
Kazdel's soil couldn't grow crops. Even imported soil couldn't withstand the harsh, scorching sunlight. Felix had thought about researching how Yan managed agriculture, but there were no available channels.
As for the Mechanical Wonderland coupled by Landship Core blueprint, allowed the creation of a mechanical-based mobile city. Every component could self-repair and replace itself. Buildings would rise automatically according to preset instructions. A single command, and the machinery would begin working on its own.
Creating anything from these two blueprints would take years—just like Kristen's current plan to reach the sky. Both were massive, long-term projects.
In the year 1095, the arrival of version 3.0 drew even closer. Many players joined Tomorrow's Development, and many others had sided with different factions. Once war erupted, endless PVP would plunge every front into prolonged stalemate.
He needed stronger players, better strategies, and a more secure plan for annexation.
Kazdel was already within his grasp. All that remained was to consolidate his internal power, then extend his hand toward Victoria.
A gentle glow shimmered around him. The next moment, someone knocked on the door.
"On New Year's Eve, why are you sitting here by yourself, spacing out?"
Lin Yühsia stepped into the office, her black silk stockings and heels tapping softly against the floor. She wore a traditional Yan qipao, holding a fan that discreetly hid the flush on her cheeks. "Since you're alone… you don't mind keeping me company, do you?"
"What brings Miss Lin here?" Felix stood up with a smile. "Where's the old master?"
"At this hour, he's probably drinking with Chief Wei. He left half of his business for me to manage. Spending the night here is all I can afford."
Lin Yühsia gave him a teasing wink. "You really shocked me, Mr. Pioneer."
"Kazdel is nothing like the lawless wasteland from the rumors."
"You flatter me... but that reminds me, I wanted to ask, Do you have any channels for selling weapons on your side?"
Felix asked casually. His factories in Kazdel were now fully operational. Aside from Tomorrow's Development's standard gear, he also produced items he considered defective—specifically to sell to outsiders.
Lungmen's black market was chaotic and diverse. Merchants from all over the world gathered there, with mysterious buyers lurking among them. Exporting weapons through Lungmen was indeed a good choice, sparing Felix the trouble of finding buyers himself.
"Weapons, is it?"
Lin Yühsia switched into business mode instantly. "Higashi and Bolívar need them the most. Sargon too, though those merchants tend to demand more customization."
Sargon consisted mostly of tribes, each with their own preferences and ornamentation on their weapons. They were wealthy, troublesome clients.
Those Sargon tribes didn't look rich on the surface, yet their land held endless deposits of pure gold ore—a resource comparable to crude oil in real life. The only reason Columbia hadn't gone to war with Sargon was simply that it chose not to.
"For now, sell them to Higashi and Bolívar. I can supply around a hundred thousand Lungmen Dollars' worth of weapons."
Felix handed her the list. "Go by the usual black market rules. As intermediaries, you can evaluate the pricing."
"…This is quite the scale."
Lin Yühsia scanned the list. Aside from all kinds of melee weapons, there were even basic handguns. Bolívar's soldiers would love them, and they might attract interest from the families of Siracusa as well.
"Any other business?"
Felix thought for a moment. His construction materials came from Columbia—cheap yet durable. As for anything else…
"I'll be purchasing fertile soil and seeds."
"Planning to start cultivation here?"
Lin Yühsia jotted it down. "I'll keep an eye out, but buyers for these items are hard to find."
A bit of Yan soil was fine to bring home—after all, the land was vast. But Felix's appetite wasn't something a few bags could satisfy. He'd end up needing half a landscape's worth, which would be illegal.
Where there are laws, there are loopholes. The "clumsy" method was to dig small amounts from multiple regions.
There was also officially sold soil, but turning it fertile required cycle after cycle of cultivation. Soil like that was often bought for high prices in the black market.
"That's why I'm asking you, not Ch'en Hui-chieh."
"Honestly, only you would talk about black market trafficking in such a righteous tone, Felix."
Lin Yühsia rolled her eyes at him. She cleared her throat lightly and walked around the desk, taking a seat beside him.
"Aren't you going out to take a walk?"
"I'm not in the mood for that right now."
Lin Yühsia gave a soft laugh. "You know, my goal back then was to surpass you, to stand at your side and move forward with you. But after seeing Kazdel, I realized I can't catch up to you in the short term… and it bothers me."
"But when I think of Ch'en Hui-chieh, I feel much better."
Lin Yühsia leaned in and brushed a light kiss against Felix's lips. "And now I feel even better."