Chapter 502: The Final Week
All officials in Hell were busy, regardless of whether they held executive roles or not. The implementation of a new unified currency in exchange for all prevailing currencies of old was no trivial matter. Furthermore, the development of the Spider Lily Island didn’t merely comprise the establishment of an amusement park, it even incorporated a variety of stores, including clothing stores, food and beverage stores, costume stores, and so on and so forth. Everything was to be rolled out under the government’s oversight.
In fact, even the ordinary Yin spirits of Hell were busy with their own affairs. During this time, there was an endless queue of Yin spirits leading straight into the Central District that continued straight through the night, clogging up the streets so much so that the government of Ashmound had no choice but to establish four new exchange points in each of the other four major districts of Hell. Each of these had 2,000 tills, and Hell had no choice but to hire several thousands more civil servants to plug the gap in their workforce!
That said, they were also apprehensive. Although they had personally experienced some of the differences between the netherworld and the mortal realm, they couldn’t profess to know the limits of just how different things could be. The only thing they knew thus far was the fact that announcements could simply be broadcasted instantly throughout the city, and this was something that Kong Mo had never done in the past. Thus, with the new notes of Hell now in hand, they began to wonder why Spider Lily Island hadn’t made its appearance just yet.
Unfortunately, the passage of time didn’t help with the tension in their hearts. Time kept on moving, marching towards the 15th at a constant tempo.
Thunder rumbled, and forked-lightning arced menacingly in the sky. A single Yin spirit stopped dead in his tracks, followed by another, and then tens, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and then tens of millions. Soon, everyone halted what they were doing to observe the terrifying phenomenon in the sky. The citizens of Ashmound erupted into a clamor in an instant.
The preparations leading up to the much-anticipated Hungry Ghost Festivals were finally beginning!
The Harken had made its move!
The Yin energy poured down like a mighty waterfall pouring right out of the skies, almost as though the heavens had crumbled. The fluid that poured out appeared completely dark, but crystal clear, almost as though it was liquid glass. The Yin spirits could tell that the seemingly liquid glass appeared to stack atop each other as they fell to the ground, just like a series of building blocks. The deafening roar of construction instantly drowned out the silent cheers across the entire city, and it continued for several more hours until it finally ceased entirely. Then, as the works finally came to a close, the diminishing construction noise once again gave way to the wave of whistles and cheers that tore through the city. Everyone located within buildings that were slightly on the taller side desperately crane their necks to catch a glimpse of the works that had just been completed.
11 August. The sky cracked open once again, and countless facilities descended from the skies. The upcoming festivities were like a young lutist playing lilting tunes, tickling the hearts and drawing in the souls of all Yin spirits. This time, a ferris wheel, a pirate ship, and even an entire water park were among the facilities that were gently set in place, as though by an invisible hand.
So it turns out that one can enjoy entertainment facilities in Hell too. It’s all a matter of whether Hell has the heart to do something like that for us.
There were only four days until the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Fortunately, Hels came in several denominations, including 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 8,000 and 10,000. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have printed so much money in a single month’s time. After all, Hell had neither sufficient printers nor sufficient power supply to support an expansion in their production. Hell still needed to locate an alternative source of electricity or energy.
The first batch of Yin soldiers that had been deployed to the Spider Lily Island finally returned from their shift. At once, all of their friends and acquaintances alike swarmed around them like an unsolicited tidal wave, instantly filling their usually vacant and quiet residences into an echo chamber of questions, “How’s the situation over there?” “Would Spider Lily Island be ready in time for the Hungry Ghost Festival?” “How much more work is there to be done?” “Is it truly as miraculous as what we see over here?”
“It’s absolutely astonishing… Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined construction works to go on like that… There’s simply no way to put it in words. Anyway, you’ll know on the morning of the 15th…”
That night, the rate of distribution of the new notes of Hell reached a new height, amounting to a total of 430 billion HL in value. To date, more than 60% of the total savings in Ashmound had already been traded in for the new currency of Hell.
Silence.
Tang An was among the Yin spirits that had flocked to the city wall exits. His heart was practically thumping with excitement. He wanted to scream! He wanted to roar! He wanted to share his joy with everyone around him!
He already had the perfect plan of the places he was going to visit. He longed for kindred spirits to share his joy, to scream together on the roller coasters, and to splash about in the water parks. Yet he soon discovered that the younger Yin spirits appeared to be the minority among the Yin spirits that had gathered.
There was a tacit understanding between them borne out of their deep desire to confide in others, yet an inability to locate a kindred spirit. Locating each other amidst the crowd of seniors felt like a breath of fresh air alleviating the stifling sensation in their hearts.
“Same here! Shall we go together?” They weren’t from the same neighbourhood. In fact, it might even be a stretch to call them acquaintances, given that they had done nothing more than to exchange a few words or nod at each other when they crossed paths. Even then, they were speaking with each other like long lost friends who were once again reunited with each other.
There were sights similar to this spawning everywhere around the city wall. People of various generations and times were spontaneously forming their own social circles and sharing their speculations about the Spider Lily Island with great excitement. Meanwhile, everyone had each set their eyes on a specific goal.
Every minister standing on the wide terrace of the building located in the core of the Mythic Palace of Reflections only felt their eyes burn with passion as they saw this sight unfold. If ghosts could shed tears, perhaps the ministers would already be bawling and weeping by now.
Naturally, everyone who had been involved in the planning process couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment swell up in their hearts. It was an incredibly satisfying sight to behold.
Thousands of civil servants located down below responded in unison, “Yes!!!”
The Yin spirits were gathering silently and patiently like the rain clouds in the sky.
It was a spectacular scene, comparable to the annual New Year’s Eve festival in metropolitan nations.
Bolt after bolt of light lit up the sky. The first wave was silvery white, just like a flurry of cold winter snow. Then, before the dust could even settle on the first wave, a second volley whistled into the sky, lighting it up with a majestic display of striking crimson.
At once, the eternal darkness looming over the dark skies of Hell lit up with a glimmer of brilliance. At once, the hearts of the Yin spirits were lit with the fuse of fascination and their faces the expressions of elation.
1. Moving forward, I’ll refer to Hell’s notes currency as HL, or Hel. This will make distinguishing Hell’s notes from mortal currency far easier.
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