Yama Rising

Jiro Takeno nearly choked.

What a claim…

Even though the Mitsubishi Corporation is now technically the Mitsubishi Group, and even if Mr Iwasaki Senior has already retired, there really still not much that Mitsubishi won’t be able to resolve in Nippon…

But he didn’t verbalize his thoughts. Instead, he bowed respectfully and took down Qin Ye’s number, “Then, we’ll take our leave if you require nothing more of us. Ah, that’s right, sir, all expenses, including the rental of the warehouse and labour costs have been paid for in full. Mr Iwasaki has personally absorbed these costs.”

How sensible… Qin Ye sighed in exclamation. This was a favour that had gone above and beyond all possible expectations.

“Let me ask you something.” Qin Ye couldn’t help but cough lightly, “About… um… Mr Iwasaki… How’s his health right now?”

Jiro Takeno was slightly taken aback.

Qin Ye put his fist to his mouth and continued coughing dryly as he continued to drop hints as to the nature of his question, “That is to say… is he suffering from any chronic or incurable diseases such as cancer, AIDS, leukemia…? Particularly those that are terminal…”

Jiro Takeno’s lips trembled slightly, “N-no… Master’s body is as tough as nails right now. He can probably live for a couple more decades with no issues whatsoever…”

Qin Ye waved his hands at Jiro Takeno with great regret, “Understood. You may leave.”

With that, Qin Ye watched in dismay as Jiro Takeno gathered his men and left the premises of the warehouse.

Ah… Silly humans. Do you know what kind of goodwill you’re missing out on from this future King Yanluo? What’s there to be afraid of? Can you even tell when Hell is knocking on your door and greeting you cordially?

Ignoring the indiscretion of the mortals that had just taken their leave, Qin Ye watched silently as Jiro Takeno and his men piled into their dozens of cars parked some distance away before driving off in a neat convoy. And then, he turned back to look at the piles of goods that were in his possession right now. His heart immediately swelled with a sense of great satisfaction.

Hell’s development was going to soar in no time!

He waited patiently for another hour or so, until it was 3.00 a.m. Then, he grabbed at the air, and a stack of talismans which Arthis had previously drawn materialized out of nowhere and appeared in his hands. He waved his hands with a confident gesture as though flaunting his wealth, and the talismans scattered about, landing accurately on the piles of goods around. In an instant, everything ignited with a jade-green blaze that was invisible to the human eye, and the goods in the warehouse gradually turned into ash that scattered into the surroundings.

Qin Ye watched and waited silently as everything slowly vanished in the great inferno of netherflames. The sheer number of items to be consumed by the flames meant that the blaze went on for another one hour before it finally completed. And as soon as the final object vanished with the flickering flames, the shard of King Yanluo’s Seal glowed with a bright lustre, and Qin Ye once again found himself in the familiar realms of Hell.

That said, nobody was there to greet him this time.

Every single citizen of Hell, including the Death Inquisitors, were staring in great astonishment at the empty plot of land located right in front of Hell’s Gate. There were now over a hundred containers on this plot of land spread out in a neat circular formation, and all of the containers were open.

White paper money was scattered around and fluttering about like confetti, while a gaping wide hole could be seen right across the dark canopy of the skies. Every ten minutes, a massive container would come crashing down through this hole in the sky. Hell was set abuzz with a tide of endless chatter and discussions.

Qin Ye didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he simply took in the expression on the faces of each Yin spirit around.

Excitement, ecstasy and shock. The containers were filled with items that were commonly-seen in the mortal realm, and yet their existence in Hell still acted like a great source of stimulant to the citizens around, stirring up a great commotion in the otherwise silent and lethargic realm.

Qin Ye glanced about, before finally sauntering to Su Dongxue’s side and whispering, “What do you think?”

“Amazing…” Su Dongxue didn’t even turn back to Qin Ye. The appearance of these commonplace items had actually caused her breaths to grow ragged, “Mahjong, poker cards, and even books! My god! This… it’s almost as though Christmas has come early!”

“Do you like it?” A cacophony of excited squeals and discussions could be heard all around them. It was music to Qin Ye’s ears - Perhaps… this is what they mean when they say that a joy that is shared is a joy made double…

Unbeknownst to him, the citizens under his care and the growth of Hell had already found their way to the center of his heart.

Su Dongxue nodded her head fervently as she continued to stare at the containers with a bright glint in her eyes. Qin Ye could tell from her look on her face that she was probably thinking about what of the items in the containers she would like to have in her own possession. He coughed dryly, jolting Su Dongxue back to her senses. And as soon as she noticed how she had been casually addressing Qin Ye this entire time, she was so flabbergasted that she immediately motioned to kneel down to pay her respects to Qin Ye, only to be held back by him. Qin Ye held a finger to his lips and shook his head.

Just like that, the two of them hid in plain sight among the crowd of Yin spirits who continued to point here and there at the containers as they whispered to each other in amazement, “My god… we’ve even got mahjong in Hell?” “Fiction books! That’s awesome! I’ve been dying of boredom these last few months.” “Correction - you’re already dead.” “Sorry, my mistake. What I meant was that I was almost about to die a second time from boredom!”

Qin Ye continued to scan around until he soon noticed another familiar figure. Huang Liangchuan, one of the tycoons from the mortal realm, was trying desperately to get to the front of the crowd, close to where the mahjong tiles were neatly laid out. In fact, he was struggling so hard that his eyes had even grown bloodshot. Unfortunately, he was an old ghost whose physical strength was lacking. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get closer than twenty meters from the circle of containers.

Qin Ye also noticed Qian Tianyi, Hu Feng and the rest who were wearing their safety helmets, staring in astonishment at the footballs and related implements. The Yin spirits that had gathered nearby were excitedly discussing their favourite teams and the leagues that they enjoyed while they had still been alive.

Every single container was surrounded by a throng of Yin spirits that were packed like sardines. The buzz of their heated discussions had set the atmosphere in Hell on fire once more. Qin Ye took it all in. He had never expected the collection of seemingly ordinary objects from the mortal realm would bring about such a great commotion.

In fact, they were received with great exuberance.

It was almost as though a group of star-struck fans had just witnessed the arrival of their idol. The entire place was filled with an air of frenzied excitement.

Like seeing an oasis in the desert, or landfall after days of drifting in the open waters.

Yet what was even more surprising was the fact that their excitement filled Qin Ye’s heart with great satisfaction. It was an indescribable sense of fullness and accomplishment.

He drew another deep breath, and then coughed lightly. Instantly, the soft sound reverberated through the air like a bolt of lightning. And yet, it wasn’t sufficient to peel the attention of the ordinary Yin spirits away from their objects of desire displayed in the containers in front of their eyes. Rather, it was the Death Inquisitors around that gasped immediately, before chanting in unison as they worshipped on their knees, “Long live our great King Yanluo!” “King Yanluo is wise!”

Truly… this is truly satisfying…

Their worship was no longer out of fear, but from reverence that flowed from the depths of their hearts.

Qin Ye paused for a moment, before drawing a deep breath and speaking much louder than before, “Everyone, be silent.”

The throngs of Yin spirit finally quietened down, and Qin Ye promptly walked out of the crowd. With an entourage of hundreds of Death Inquisitors in tow, he slowly made his way to the containers and patted them lightly. He knew he had to say something to the crowd right now. But in the heat of the moment, he was unable to find the appropriate words to express the thoughts in his heart.

The last few months had been a tumultuous journey in Hell. They had seen a Yin spirit riot, several instances of unrest and discontentment and patchwork policies. The future King Yanluo of Hell even had to personally head out to the East Cathay Sea to reap a soul himself. That said, it was finally time to reap the rewards of his efforts.

The extent of his investment only made the fruition of his efforts all that much sweeter.

There were so many things he wanted to say, such as “Are you happy?” or “You’ve got to work hard for Hell from now on, alright?”

But he knew there was no need to express these things aloud right now. After all, the responses of the citizens of Hell were already written all over their faces.

“These items will be distributed to everyone over the next few months. I know that the last few months have been hard on everyone.”

Welling up with emotions, he bowed deeply to them.

Everyone was silent.

And it remained that way for some time, almost as though time and space had frozen in that instant. Then, a single clap broke the silence, followed by a sparse applause which gradually grew louder and louder, until all of Hell was filled with the sound of uproarious applause.

“Furthemore, the only reason why it’s not being distributed right away is due to logistical constraints.” Qin Ye placed his hands on his back and walked around the containers in Hell. Wherever he passed, the surrounding Death Inquisitors would retreat respectfully. Qin Ye gently placed his hand on the cold surface of the container, and yet his heart felt immeasurably hot, as though it were blazing with passion, “As you can all see, there are well over ten containers’ worth of amenities dedicated to your recreation and entertainment alone. Furthermore, there are over ten containers’ worth of manufacturing supplies pertaining to over a dozen industries which you are all familiar with. So, what are we going to do about these?”

Humans are incredibly strange creatures.

Qin Ye was obviously at a loss for words earlier, and yet as soon as the floodgates of speech were open, strings of verbal expressions immediately began to pour out of his lips unceasingly.

Ironic, isn’t it? Qin Ye felt that way about it too.

Nevertheless, he continued to declare with a sonorous timbre to his voice, “What we need most right now is regulation. Who would work in each of these industries? Who would manage the workers? How do we account for the goods manufactured? Everything has to be sorted out. Apart from that, there are also a limited number of recreational amenities to go around, and we’ll definitely have to share the use of these amenities. How are we going to allocate these resources? How do we return them? How would one compensate for damage to the amenities? We’ve not worked out a system for loans and returns as yet.”

Everyone’s ragged breaths began to calm down slightly. However, the glimmer of hope and expectation in their eyes didn’t dwindle in the slightest.

After all, what Man feared the most was the absence of hope. As long as there was hope on the horizon, Man would be willing to wait patiently for it, even if it meant a five or ten year wait.

“We’ll be seeing a massive upheaval in Hell moving forward. The arrival of these goods is a declaration that the days of mindless boredom and endless lethargy are over. The system of currency shall soon be established on the back of these developments. Therefore, I ask that you give the existing officials of Hell some time to tally up the numbers and take inventory of these goods. In the meantime, I’d like the rest of you to consider your expertise and be ready to register with us when we call for the corresponding applications.”

He scanned around, before continuing with a booming voice, “You will be the inaugural batch of employees of the new Hell. I guarantee that you will not regret participating in these reestablishment efforts of the new Hell. What I’m looking for are citizens who are willing to send coal in a snowstorm, and not those who are only willing to add icing on the cake!”

“With that, I’d like the leaders of Yin Construction and those who have been entrusted with planning the system of currency in Hell to remain behind. The rest of you are dismissed for now.”

The rest of the citizens left with a spring in their step. Unlike before, where they would be lazing about under a tree or staring blankly into the sky, they were now gathered in groups of three to five, discussing the current developments of Hell with great interest.

Things in Hell are getting serious! Who knows, maybe the desolate grounds we’re standing on right now might be filled with countless skyscrapers in just a few years’ time! Can’t you see the multitude of engineering equipment and construction materials laid out like a buffet spread in the back?

Those who had experienced the reformation of Cathay’s policies and reopening of Cathay’s borders would be fully aware that the early birds get the worms!

Qin Ye turned a blind eye to the great buzz of chatter that continued in the background. After all, he hadn’t witnessed such hope in the eyes of Hell’s citizens for several months now, and he knew it was high time for them to let all their frustrations out. Instead, Qin Ye slowly made his way over to the annex hall. Within moments, Gu Qing, the seven division heads of Yin Construction, and Huang Chuanliang and his team gathered around him.

“Lord Qin.” Gu Qing cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. His eyes were obviously gleaming with excitement when he raised his head again, “You’ve… truly outdone yourself and made waves this time!”

“With this, you’ve truly laid the foundation for a soaring growth in Hell!” “You’re the one who has sent us coal amidst snowy weather… This is practically a godsend! Do you know how wildly my heart was beating when I first saw the appearance of these construction machinery?!” “And that’s not all! Lord Qin, the recreational and entertainment amenities you’ve secured are the real deal! They’re sufficient to keep the Yin spirits satisfied for a decade, even if you decide not to continue with the construction of Qin Gardens Phase 1!”

They were obviously flattering Qin Ye, but he accepted them with open arms nonetheless.

After all, he had truly paid the price in blood to obtain these items this time.

It wasn’t until everyone had run out of flattering words to say that he finally knocked on the table with some measure of dissatisfaction, “C’mon, continue! You guys should take a leaf out of Mr Gu’s book. His wide vocabulary allows him to continue on end without sounding repetitive. Read more - it’s good for you. Otherwise, don’t you think you’ll be letting your language teachers down?”

Everyone sensibly shut their traps - I mean… as our supreme leader, shouldn’t you be giving us some face as well?

Seeing that everyone was now silent, Qin Ye waved his hands dismissively, and the smile on his face faded away, “Take a seat.”

Then, as soon as everyone had taken their seats, he finally got down to the main agenda at hand, “That’s right. These goods and materials would truly consolidate Hell’s foundation for development. That said, there’s too much to do, and too little time. Thus, I’m going to state some of my points of views and requests, and I’d like you to chip in later and build on it. We’ll need to ride this wave of momentum and get everything sorted out in the shortest time possible.”