『 Stelle quickly found the most economical way to arrange the cargo, and soon a Starskiff fully loaded with goods flew off.
The little secretary smiled, "This will definitely save a lot on shipping costs."
"But, won't this be a bit unsafe?" Sushang voiced her concern.
The female worker nodded repeatedly, "The young lady is right to worry. Leave the safety checks to us."
Stelle stood tall with her hands on her hips, "Aren't you going to praise me?"
"Fine, fine, I'll praise you. Your nose is almost reaching the sky," Bailu said, looking up at the smug Stelle. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: So perfunctory.
〘Bailu〙: …Wow, big sister, you're amazing!
〘March 7th〙: Wow, big sister, you're amazing!
〘Hanabi〙: Wow, big sister, you're amazing!
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: Wow, big sister, you're amazing!
〘Stelle〙: Stop it, I know I'm amazing, no need to keep saying it.
....
『 The male worker, however, poured cold water on Stelle, saying that while she certainly had some skills, just increasing loading efficiency was useless. As long as Heron Express Logistics didn't ship the goods, they could only sit around waiting.
The little secretary nodded after hearing this, then looked at the three of them, asking if it would be convenient for them to accompany her to the Aurum Alley branch of Heron Express Logistics.
Sushang said she had no problem with it, but when it came to things that required brainpower, she definitely couldn't help. After saying this, she looked at Stelle with anticipation.
"It seems this Aurum Alley still relies on me. Let's go," Stelle turned and laughed.
The three of them, led by the little secretary, arrived in front of a shop. The little secretary first exchanged pleasantries with a man named Yuanfeng, then asked with concern whether the rumor going around town that they had to bark like a dog if they couldn't pay back their debts was true.
The little secretary scratched her head awkwardly, "…Is this news spreading that fast?"
Hearing that it was true, Yuanfeng covered his face and sighed, "Oh my, those IPC outsiders are young and don't know any better. Little Secretary, why are you getting involved in this, too?"
"It's not necessarily us who will be barking like dogs," Stelle retorted.
"Exactly, what if the Aurum Alley Merchants' Guild pays off the debt? Then it should be them barking like dogs," Sushang chimed in.
The little secretary looked at Yuanfeng, "The dock workers said that even if we increase loading efficiency, it's to no avail. They wanted to ask if our logistics side could…"
Yuanfeng sighed and spread his hands, saying, "If you listen to the dock workers, they'll surely say the fault doesn't lie with them. But if you ask me, the fault doesn't lie with us either."
"Then… who should we blame? The IPC again?" Sushang asked, confused.
Yuanfeng nodded and explained, "The IPC said that they would handle operations at Aurum Alley and promised to give subsidies to the vendors... I suspect they secretly told all the vendors not to use the dock for logistics."
"My head is itching, I feel like I'm about to grow a brain," Stelle said, scratching her head. 』
『 ....』
〘Sushang〙: My head is itching, am I about to grow a brain too?
〘Guinaifen〙: Shangshang, your CPU is fried, you're not about to grow a brain.
〘Boothill〙: Heh, the IPC's usual tricks. Simple, but effective.
....
『 Then the little secretary explained the consequences of failing to pay the rent to the three of them. If they couldn't pay the rent, the Merchants' Guild would lose the trust of the shops and exist in name only. This way, the IPC would have no competitors in this Aurum Alley commercial district.
At this point, Yuanfeng added that the IPC planned to turn Aurum Alley into a large-scale logistics transit warehouse, at which point the snack shops and second-hand stores would all have to move away.
"Ah… in other words, is Aurum Alley going to disappear?" Bailu asked, shocked.
"Yes, although every inch of land in Aurum Alley will still be there, its flavor, its tourists, and everyone's memories of its prosperity will cease to exist," Yuanfeng nodded and replied.
Sushang sighed and said to Yuanfeng, "Let's talk about the matter at hand—what should we do?"
Then, under the little secretary's explanation, Stelle fully understood the process and quickly came up with the most reasonable route. The mechanical birds took off from Aurum Alley one after another.
Yuanfeng nodded in praise, "Hmm, following your approach, logistics costs should be reduced significantly."
"I knew I wasn't wrong! You are the saviors who can help Aurum Alley revive," the little secretary looked at the three of them excitedly.
"Now, can you tell us what exactly happened to Aurum Alley?" Sushang asked, looking at the little secretary.
The little secretary nodded and began to explain. Aurum Alley was originally the most prosperous night market in Exalting Sanctum, crowded every day with Aurumaton sentinels buying things for their masters, but that prosperity had long since passed.
Because of the Aurumaton rebellion, civilian Aurumatons were restricted, and new commercial centers began to emerge. Aurum Alley began a slow downhill slide. Everyone knew it was declining, but no one thought it was a serious matter.
As the Luofu Xianzhou temporarily docked for repairs and trade with the IPC became more frequent, the Merchants' Guild encountered a real threat—the IPC high-profile announced a bid to develop Aurum Alley. And the promises they made were visible, tangible, and extremely aggressive.
"The slow downhill slide suddenly broke and collapsed; no one could pretend not to see it anymore. Both the Merchants' Guild and Aurum Alley itself were in jeopardy."
"But the Merchants' Guild must do something, at least to secure some more benefits for the local merchants," the little secretary looked at the three of them solemnly.
"So, on behalf of the Merchants' Guild, I invite the three of you to serve as business consultants and participate in the plan to save Aurum Alley."
The three of them fell into deep thought. Seeing this, the little secretary looked at Stelle, "Why don't you discuss it with your companions first?"
Stelle nodded and went to Bailu, only to hear her sigh, "Sigh, I only came to Aurum Alley for snacks… I didn't expect to run into so much trouble."
"However, if you are willing to help, maybe Aurum Alley won't disappear."
Stelle crossed her arms and teased Bailu, "Hmm, now that I think about it, you haven't really done anything, have you?"
"How can you say that? I persuaded you, doesn't that count as my contribution to Aurum Alley?" Bailu said righteously.
After asking Bailu, Stelle went to Sushang.
"I definitely hope you'll come and help."
Stelle grinned mischievously, "What if I said I wouldn't help?"
Sushang put her hands together and said to Stelle, "You wouldn't want to see me barking like a puppy in front of so many people, right? Besides, I really want to help Aurum Alley."
"My hometown, the Yaoqing Xianzhou, has close ties with the IPC. It is said that at first, it was just the IPC investing in trade there. But as time went on, things changed…"
"Gradually, the younger generation of the Yaoqing began to like the dramas and toys produced by the IPC's entertainment department; they wore form-fitting, trendy IPC clothing, until it was almost impossible to tell if they were Xianzhou natives or IPC employees."
"There are also many people who aspire to go to the IPC's worlds to make money after their coming-of-age ceremony."
"The buildings in the cave-heaven have also become unrecognizable. The beautiful flying eaves I saw when I was a child are becoming fewer and fewer, and the glazed tiles and breathing bricks have disappeared. IPC buildings, smooth-surfaced like monuments, have begun to rise one after another."
"Anyone who has lived for over five hundred years in Yaoqing, like my mother, says that Yaoqing has changed. But they also can't say whether all these changes are heading towards a bright future or sliding down a slope controlled by short-lived species… They are just terrified and uneasy."
"Seeing Mingxi facing that person from the IPC, I felt the same unease. Even though I have lived several times longer than them, I felt lost and helpless when facing them."
"If the opponent were a villain skilled in kung fu, I could step forward and trade a few blows. But this matter with Aurum Alley cannot be solved by fists and feet alone. I have the strength, but nowhere to use it."
"I want to help the Aurum Alley Merchants' Guild. I want to help them protect Aurum Alley, please!"
Sushang bowed deeply to Stelle. 』
『 ....』
〘Suyi〙: You've grown up, Shangshang.
〘Guinaifen〙: It's hard to imagine these words coming from you, Shangshang.
〘Sushang〙: Hehehe.
....