Chapter 113 The Chief Advisor's Circle of Friends: Hope No. 1 Heavy Truck...

When the Hope No. 1 heavy truck reappeared at the entrance of the Blackstone City branch, it had undergone a complete renovation and looked brand new.

Having absorbed some of the essence of dwarven mechanical engineering, this veteran transport vehicle underwent a radical overhaul. Huge ironwood wheels were fitted with thick, solid rubber tires, and deep anti-slip treads greatly improved shock absorption and grip. The axles were replaced with a newly developed second-generation transmission system, employing ball bearings for lower friction and greater load-bearing capacity. Even the cab was thoughtfully equipped with a simple shock-absorbing seat and sunshade made of tanned animal hide. The number of rock-walking lizards responsible for towing the heavy truck has now expanded to five, two of which are in their prime.

"Look, the family car has arrived."

Aque and Lingdang, along with several other young women, were the first to rush out of the store.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Ah Hu's honest-looking face peeked out from behind a pile of goods. He grinned and shouted to the few young people in the store who were curiously looking around, "Come out and receive the goods, see who's here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, two familiar figures jumped down from the back of the carriage.

"Sister Mia! Brother Amu!"

Aque let out an excited squeal and flew straight into Mia's arms like a swallow returning to its nest. The two sisters, who had fought side by side in Blackrock City for so long, embraced tightly, their faces filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion, but their eyes were red.

On the other side, Fei Ye, Shi Tou, and the others surrounded Amu, who also had a happy expression on his face, and punched his arm repeatedly.

"Brother Amu, you've finally arrived! Is your injury fully healed?"

"Goodness, he looks even stronger than before. He's been sneaking all sorts of good food at home, hasn't he?"

Amu smiled憨厚ly, letting them play around, but his eyes kept searching through the crowd.

Just then, Ah Hu carefully helped a figure get out of the car.

Everyone stared intently, and were all stunned.

"The village chief's wife?!"

Aque and Lingdang rubbed their eyes in disbelief, then burst into even greater joy, quickly stepping forward to support the venerable old man who was smiling and watching them.

"Oh my, what brings you here? You must be exhausted from your journey. Come in and rest."

Behind them, the members of the transport team carefully lifted a huge, square object wrapped in layers of thick animal hides from the wagon, treating it as if it were a rare treasure.

Seeing the lively scene, Lingdang turned around and tried to run towards the city lord's mansion: "I...I'll go find Mayor Lin and tell him that you and Sister Mia have arrived."

"No need, child." The old lady stopped her and smiled kindly. "That child is busy with the affairs of Hope Town and also has to worry about this huge Blackstone City. He must be exhausted. Don't bother him. I will go and talk to him when he is done."

The atmosphere in the study of the city lord's mansion, which had witnessed countless secret negotiations, was peaceful.

Lin Yue, in his capacity as Blackrock City's Chief Development Advisor, was hosting a small trade exchange to promote local business development. Those invited were businessmen who had chosen to support or at least remain neutral in the previous poisoned soup incident.

Barry of the Clover Merchant Guild was riding high. He had not only successfully sold Hope Town's canned goods to the capital and made a fortune, but also, thanks to this exclusive channel, was beginning to rival the Golden Scales Merchant Guild. He had brought Lin Yue a large quantity of rubber and saplings on his return, and was also attending the meeting to further deepen their cooperation.

The smiling, chubby grain merchant was also among them. He had provided tremendous help to Hope Trading Company during the last crisis, and now naturally became one of Lin Yue's most important partners.

Kaven, sitting to Lin Yue's left as the general manager of Hope No. 1 Store, radiated confidence in his comeback.

In addition, several astute small and medium-sized chambers of commerce sent their core representatives, hoping to get a share of the pie in this upcoming transformation.

Lin Yue didn't rush into the main topic. Instead, he gestured to the waiter behind him to pour each guest a steaming cup of Hope Town's specialty—corn coffee.

When the unique aroma, a blend of caramel and malty notes, filled the study, every merchant present was invigorated.

"Consultant Lin," the chubby grain merchant said, picking up his exquisite celadon ceramic cup and taking a satisfied sip, "you really keep bringing out one good thing after another. I heard that Hope No. 1 Store recently got a new batch of clothes? My wife dragged me there the day before yesterday, and wow, she bought three sets in one go. Now she's at home every day trying on herself in front of the mirror. She never cooks, but now she goes out to buy groceries every day, and she has to change her clothes every day, saying she wants to wear that fitted jacket called Feng Hua to show off her figure. It's so hot, I feel sweaty just watching her."

His words, which were a mix of complaint and boasting, immediately drew good-natured laughter and agreement from the other businessmen present.

“Indeed, Fatty, you’re lucky,” Barry chimed in with a laugh. “Ever since my good-for-nothing son started wearing those work pants from Hope Town, he’s been bragging to everyone how sturdy and durable they are, with lots of pockets that can hold several gold coins. Now, all the young people in Blackrock City are proud to own a pair of Hope Town pants.”

Even the representatives of several small and medium-sized chambers of commerce, who had maintained their composure, couldn't help but reveal envy and longing in their eyes when they saw the waiters in their simple and neat uniforms serving them tea.

Seeing the lively atmosphere, Lin Yue cleared his throat and distributed a pre-prepared draft of the cooperation proposal to everyone present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I won't bother with formalities. I've invited you all here today because I want to work together to create a new era of commerce that belongs to Blackrock City."

He elaborated on his vision for establishing the Blackstone City United Chamber of Commerce. From priority allocation of exclusive goods to preferential policies for resource exchange, and the promising prospect of profit sharing, every clause precisely addressed the deepest desires of the merchants.

“…Of course,” Lin Yue added, “this chamber of commerce is not something I can decide on my own. It belongs to all members who are willing to abide by the rules and develop together.”

"Therefore, I suggest that in the first year of the Chamber of Commerce's establishment, Lord Ryan, who has made the greatest contribution to Blackrock City and is most committed to revitalizing the local economy, should serve as our first president. Boss Wang and I will temporarily serve as vice presidents, offering advice and handling daily affairs. After one year, we will hold an open and democratic election based on all members' trade contributions and support for the Chamber of Commerce over the past year to re-elect a new president and vice presidents. The capable will rise, and the incompetent will fall."

The businessmen present were stunned. They looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw shock and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

“Advisor Lin…” a middle-aged businessman hesitated for a long time before finally raising his question, “Your idea is good. But we small chambers of commerce have limited resources and few people. What if… what if we join a chamber of commerce but don’t get the quota for those good products, or are squeezed out by you big merchants? Wouldn’t all our efforts be in vain?”

“Good question.” Lin Yue nodded approvingly. “This boss’s concern is also what I’m about to address. Our joint chamber of commerce isn’t an arena where big fish eat small fish, but a big family where we help each other. All quotas for core goods will be allocated fairly based on each member’s actual sales capacity and market demand. Furthermore, we will establish a public warehousing and transportation system, jointly formed by the Hope Town transport team and your merchant caravans, to help everyone solve logistics problems.”

“We can even,” he emphasized, “share information. For example, if Mr. Barry opens up a new channel in the capital, he can share this information, and the Chamber of Commerce can organize the supply of goods and work together to develop the market. The profits, apart from Mr. Barry’s reward as a pioneer, will be divided among all participants proportionally.”

This forward-thinking concept of the sharing economy thrilled every businessman present, their faces flushed. They seemed to already see an unprecedented, powerful business empire, capable of binding everyone's interests together, about to rise in their hands.

When Lin Yue returned to Yihaodian with a satisfied heart after the meeting, he was greeted with an even bigger surprise than the establishment of the joint chamber of commerce.

"The village chief's wife? Mia? Amu? You've all come?!"

After a joyful and warm exchange of pleasantries, Ah Hu mysteriously approached.

"Mayor, this return brings more than just this surprise. Norm and the others have prepared a big gift for you."

He and Stone carefully took out an object, also wrapped in layers of animal hide, from a huge wooden box.

When the animal skin was peeled off, a smooth, flat piece of glass, still containing some bubbles and a faint green glow, yet clearly showing a person's reflection, appeared before everyone.

"Glass?!" Lin Yue exclaimed in shock. "You...you actually managed to make it?"

“Hehe,” Ah Hu scratched his head smugly, “Norm and the others said that you mentioned the general method of making this thing before, and they’ve been keeping it in mind ever since. They figured that since the kiln is firing every day, they might as well give it a try. They didn’t expect that they would actually figure it out. This is the largest and smoothest piece they’ve fired so far.”

"There's an even bigger surprise in store," Ah Hu said with a mysterious smile, leading Lin Yue to the door of a locked, empty room in the backyard.

As Lin Yue approached, a sudden, frantic sound of claws scratching at the wooden door came from behind it. The sound grew increasingly intense, and the entire wooden door rattled as if it were about to be smashed open at any moment.

Lin Yue was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was going on, and a look of ecstatic joy appeared on his face.

He rushed forward in three strides and suddenly pulled open the door latch.

A gray bolt of lightning, accompanied by a gust of wind, shot out from the door and knocked him to the ground.

"Awooo—!!!"

It's Xiaofen!

It pinned Lin Yue down, rubbing its huge, furry wolf head against his face, whimpering with a mixture of grievance and longing.

"Alright, alright, I know you missed me." Lin Yue pushed its head, both amused and exasperated. "Get up, you're going to suffocate me."

Xiao Fen reluctantly stood up, but still kept circling around Lin Yue, its tail wagging like a runaway propeller. It even stood on its hind legs, put its two front paws on Lin Yue's shoulders, and stuck out its huge tongue to try to lick the black fur ball that was lying on Lin Yue's shoulder and looking at it with disgust.

"Meow~" Little Black nimbly turned its head to the side, dodging the impending shower of saliva.

Having regained a more comfortable "mount," Xiao Hei unceremoniously jumped off Lin Yue's shoulder and landed steadily on Xiao Fen's broad back, once again putting its little hands in its pockets.

That evening, a warm family dinner was taking place in a private room on the second floor of the No. 1 store.

Lin Yue finally had the opportunity to learn in detail about the various changes that had taken place in Hope Town during his absence.

"...Elder Gray and Elder Falador, along with Norm, Hawkeye, and a few other young people, returned to the Valley of Tears again." The old village chief's wife said slowly as she served food to Lin Yue. "They are worried that with the arrival of summer, the power of the Earth's Sorrow will become active again, causing torrential rains like last year. So they want to go back and see if they can use the methods of the Druids combined with their own abilities to try to temporarily reinforce the seal."

"That's why Gray hasn't been able to come to Blackrock City lately. I'm just an old man with nothing to do anyway, so I came to check on him. And also to see for myself just how much of a mess you've made of Blackrock City."

“Perfect timing,” Lin Yue said with a smile. “I don’t have anything major to do these days, so I’ll personally be your tour guide tomorrow and show you around.”

The next morning, a strange sight appeared on the streets of Blackrock City.

Lin Yue leisurely walked ahead, leading a magnificent wolf the size of a small calf. Beside him followed a sprightly old woman.

Xiao Fen's enormous size immediately attracted the attention of passersby and caused a brief moment of panic. But when they saw that the other end of the leash was held in the hand of the all-powerful chief development consultant, their panic quickly turned into curiosity.

"My goodness, is that Consultant Lin's pet? It looks like a wolf."

"That's right, it looks really imposing. I wonder what it ate to grow up like that."

The children were even bolder, following behind, wanting to see but not daring to get too close, following all the way, just to see or even touch Xiao Fen.

The old village chief's wife smiled with satisfaction as she watched everyone interact with Lin Yue in a warm yet respectful manner.

"Seeing that everyone respects and supports you makes me feel relieved," she said softly. "I used to worry that once you left Hope Town, you would face such a complex mix of people and be ostracized."

“Actually, most of us ordinary people aren’t inherently bad.” Her voice carried a hint of emotion. “It’s just that in recent years, in order to survive, we have had to fight and compete, which has even led to many worse behaviors.”

“Yes, I understand.” Lin Yue nodded. “Everyone is very good. As long as they are given a chance, they are willing to exchange their labor for food and dignity. Moreover, many of them are hardworking and resilient, and are the best builders.”

He took the old lady to visit the bustling Hope Canteen, and then to the construction site of the new district on the outskirts of the city, which was already taking shape.

In the new district, the old lady even encountered several acquaintances from neighboring villages who had been sold into slavery.

"It's you guys..." She looked at her fellow villagers, whose clothes were simple but whose spirits had been completely renewed, and her eyes reddened.

"Ah, it's the old village chief's wife from the neighboring village. What brings you here?" The people were both surprised and delighted to see her.

"Work hard." The old lady patted a young man on the shoulder. "Lord Lin is a man of his word. Since he bought you and promised that you could regain your freedom as long as you work hard, he will definitely keep his word. You all have hope now."

“We all know that.” The young man nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with hope. “We’re still doing the same work, but now we have something to look forward to every day. We look forward to what delicious food we can eat tomorrow, to how much money we can save, and to how long it will take before we can stand proudly on this land.”

The old lady went to the textile factory again and saw her daughter, Leah, energetically leading hundreds of female workers busily at the spinning wheels and looms. She was filled with pride. This daughter, who had been heartbroken after losing her husband and children, had finally found her new value and direction.

On the way back after the visit, the old lady suddenly asked, "Child, you're so busy every day, not only managing Hope Town but also worrying about the entire Blackstone City. Don't you feel tired?"

"No, not at all," Lin Yue replied with a smile. "I feel very fulfilled."

"Then...don't you think that we rough people are hard to manage? We don't know anything, we're not very educated, and we can't even read a few words."

"Of course not." Lin Yue shook his head. "Everyone is very nice. Besides, I don't actually know anything. Everyone has been teaching me a lot of things."

The two chatted all the way, just like a real grandfather and grandson.

Finally, looking at Lin Yue's face, which, though young, always seemed to reflect his age as he was the pillar of the family, the old lady couldn't help but ask about his marriage.

"My dear child, you're not young anymore. It's time you had someone to take care of you. What kind of girl do you like? When are you planning to get engaged? Would you like me to introduce you to someone?"

Lin Yue was caught off guard by this sudden marriage-urging attack, and he was both amused and exasperated. He scratched his head and said with a smile, "Oh, my dear wife, I'm still young. Where I'm from, my age is considered a prime time for success. Besides, I don't have the mind to think about these things right now. I really enjoy my life now, helping each other and making progress together, it's great."

“Besides,” he became serious, “two people becoming partners isn’t about one taking care of the other, but about taking care of each other, supporting each other, and facing the ups and downs of the future together. And there’s no age when you have to start a family; it’s about having someone and feelings you have to be with.”

The old lady looked at him, stunned for a long time, before slowly revealing a kind smile.

“Your ideas are always different from ours, but they are so beautiful,” she said with emotion. “I hope that the young people in our town can follow in your footsteps, make their way in the world, learn more about life, and find their own path.”

"You're not old either," Lin Yue said with a smile. "Let's go out and explore together."

The old village chief's wife simply smiled and said nothing more.

In the distance, Xiao Fen, with her little black hair on her head, was running ahead with great joy. Seeing the terrified expressions on people's faces made her even more excited. She ran around like a child, then stopped at just the right moment.

In the sunlight, the shadows of the old man and the young man were stretched very long.

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Author's Note: It's been a long time since I've written any short stories in the author's notes, and I'm not as enthusiastic about replying to comments as I used to be. Actually, it's because the more I write, the more I realize my shortcomings, and sometimes I don't know what to talk about with everyone, so I just silently continue telling the story.

Looking back at what I wrote before, it's true that some parts were less than satisfactory (I'm not saying it's perfect now, but there should be some improvement). While one shouldn't be too hard on their past self, one needs to take responsibility for each stage of life. Therefore, I plan to revise the previous chapters slowly each weekend. The content should remain largely the same; I just hope to improve the flow of the writing. If you see any notifications about chapter replacements, please don't worry about them.

Thank you again to everyone who has read this far.

(P.S.: I usually take a break every Friday, even though I always want to spend the weekend organizing the plot, saving up for next week's drafts, and then be a diligent daily updater. But when the weekend actually arrives, I end up watching videos, reading novels, playing games... and the night just slips away. Then I wake up and it's afternoon again, get up to find something to eat, tidy up the room, do this and that, and the weekend is over... My resolutions keep coming back and forth. Fortunately, despite being lazy, the story, both in and out of the story, continues [applause])