Chapter 140

“First time I opened a shop; the first time I sharpened a blade; the first time I received my wages; the first time I was appreciated for my work…”

He paused, and then suddenly smiled, “Haven’t I been far too indolent and unambitious in the past?”

“I don’t blame you.” In a rare turn of events, Arthis didn’t berate him, “It’s only natural for anyone who has lived a long life to steer clear of harm’s way. It’s also natural for anyone who has lived a long life to grow sick and tired of it as well. It’s precisely because life is finite that people cherish each and every day they live. You, on the other hand, have a limitless life ahead of you. There’s naturally no impetus for you to cherish what you have before you and not take things for granted.”

“Whether a day is good or bad, or whether it’s boring or busy… none of these things change the fact that you’ll continue to live on endlessly. Since that is the case, what others covet and pursue quickly turns bland and pointless in your eyes. If I were you, I wouldn’t bother cherishing anything around either. That said…”

She smiled, “The ‘you’ right now isn’t too shabby either.”

She gazed into the distance where the roaring machines were located, “There’s no hurry. Can this feeling of accomplishment really count for much? We’re talking about the establishment of an entire realm. When you finally complete your first building; or your first city, that feeling of accomplishment would take you over the moon, and what you’re experiencing now would simply pale in comparison.”

Qin Ye nodded his head. When he first started out on this arduous journey, he felt completely lost, and at his wits’ end. Even though Hell was still destitute, and he was still living like a pauper, he had nevertheless managed to scramble some pieces of the puzzle together and ignite a flame of hope in his heart. At the very least… things were getting better, weren’t they?

The time to ascend the throne and pronounce judgment over the evil and misdeeds in the mortal realm was still well on the horizon. That said, it was still better late than never.

“No… the first step is still incomplete.” He collected his gaze and glanced down at the drawing in his hands. Then, he turned to Su Dongxue and instructed, “Summon the division heads of Yin Construction for a meeting right away.”

The first step could only be considered complete when this first stabilizing force was in place.

No… it had to be more than that!

Everything had been prepared, and the east wind was already blowing. The establishment of the new Hell was the headline news of the year! How could he not announce such a glorious turn of events to his citizens?

A government cannot simply do well. They also had to be seen performing up to par!

They would have to let all of the ghostly citizens know that the presently destitute Hell was only going to get better over time.

They would have to make it clear to the ghostly citizens that their boss is presently wracking his mind and pouring his heart into improving everyone’s life after death.

They would have to help the ghostly citizens understand that even though Hell was small, its future was infinitely bright.

Hmm… how do I put on a political display? Qin Ye had never done such a thing before. However, the thickness of his skin was probably… no weaker than any of the politicians around.

Several probationary Death Inquisitors immediately drifted off to inform the various division heads. That’s right, Qin Ye could always call out to them on his own. But he was in Hell right now, and he had a cold and distant persona to maintain. Did the future King Yanluo have to do everything himself? What would be the point of having subordinates if that were the case?

Several ghostly shadows drifted over promptly in no time. They were the seven division heads of Yin Construction. All of them displayed some measure of fatigue, but these were overshadowed by the ostensible excitement written all over their faces.

“My lord!” “My lord, you’ve returned.” The seven men stood before Qin Ye and reported to him. Qin Ye casually nodded his head and led everyone to the annex hall.

“The drawings have arrived. In the upcoming meeting, I want to talk about the development of the first high-end neighbourhood, including its name, its space allocation, and the direction of the actual operations. Let me know if you have any thoughts. I can’t be supervising in Hell all the time.” Half an hour later, Qin Ye sat on the main seat in the annex hall and led the discussion.

The drawings were laid out on the table in the room. The division heads scrutinized the drawings, while Qin Ye stared intently at each of them.

All seven men looked incredibly excited, and not a single one of them revealed a negative response in any way. Despite a large age gap of thirty years between the oldest and the youngest of the lot, they continued to discuss the drawings excitedly amongst themselves as equals. If Qin Ye didn’t know any better, he would never have been able to tell that these were important members of rival companies in their respective past lives.

“Well?” Qin Ye asked after approximately one hour of such discussions, when the seven division heads finally looked up.

“It looks pretty good.” Qian Tianyi responded, “But there are a lot of specifications that aren’t present. We won’t be able to guarantee any lack of incidents or accidents with just this drawing alone. But, that said…”

He coughed dryly, and then smiled, “We don’t have to be afraid of any incidents or accidents to begin with…”

Dissatisfied?

Take it or leave it. That’s how cocky the Yin Construction can be.

Compensation for the loss of human lives?

That’s entirely non-existent… Everyone’s already dead. As things were right now, it was practically impossible to die a second time unless Qin Ye personally made a move against them…

The collapse of an entire building?

All they needed to do was to start over from scratch… After all, the Yin spirits who were buried underneath would sprout up from the surface of the rubble and debris like mushrooms after a rain, and then excitedly exchange their experiences about having been buried alive…

There would be no compensation in this regard either. Joint statement by Qin-Emperor-Ye and Minister of Justice: Letting you live is the greatest compensation you can hope to receive…

With a thick and black company that’s not afraid of any occurrence of death and not inclined to making any payments, how could they possibly be afraid of any incidents or accidents?

And the so-called ‘thick and black company’ means thick-skinned and black-hearted. Arthis and Qin Ye are each responsible for one aspect of these… Tsk tsk tsk, they’re practically an ideal combination…

Qin Ye thought for a moment, before continuing with a deep voice, “Then let’s execute the works in accordance with this drawing. Furthermore…”

He paused for a moment and drew a deep breath, “Gentlemen, I intend to convene the ghostly citizens for a general assembly to announce the direction of Hell over the coming two years.”

The eyes of the seven division heads immediately glistened with burning passion. They stared back at Qin Ye, and their chests began to rise and fall slightly in tandem with their escalating breaths.

This was the sign of recognition and approval.

“I’m a veteran in Smooth Sailing Construction, and I’ve experienced my fair share of projects, including massive governmental projects that are always accompanied by glorious groundbreaking ceremonies and press conferences. So, why is it that I’m feeling so especially excited this time?” Hu Feng smiled with a sigh as he fervently repressed the burgeoning emotions in his heart.

“Old Hu, you’re no longer in Smooth Sailing Construction. We’re all part of the Netherworld Construction Incorporation right now, and we’re working directly for Lord Qin.” The oldest Yin spirit in the group, Song Ming cupped his hands together and smiled with blossoming wrinkles all over his face, “I’d never thought that there would come a day… when we would all be able to work for the government once more…”

It was unlike anything they had experienced before.

This was a whole new experience that was completely fresh to them.

They used to be representatives of a company, but how many people did they have to beg and plead with throughout the course of an entire construction project? From the internal politics at the beginning, to the bidding and tender process, and then to the most difficult aspect of negotiating with the respective governmental departments… These struggles they f