I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 237: Chapter 136: Chief Yang

The core of Lingshan New District is its central administrative zone, expanded from the original Town Hall, City Defense Bureau, and logistics center. The central plaza is paved with smooth Rune Stone slabs, and a massive holographic billboard cycles through civil information and safety notices. The tops of several of the taller towers are fitted with large-scale communication and warning Arrays.

Three wide main roads radiate outwards from the central district, like the city’s arteries.

To the east, the industrial zone and the small wharf are the busiest. The once-crude ore processing plants have expanded into a sprawling factory district. Several medium-sized transport airships and freighters are moored in the adjacent, newly built inner harbor.

To the north lies the storage and resource zone, extending toward the mining area and water sources. Large, standardized warehouses stand in neat rows, and vital facilities such as the power station and water treatment center are located here.

To the west and south are the residential and commercial districts. This area is the most densely built and has the most vibrant atmosphere. The streets form a neat grid, lit by energy-saving fluorescent Rune Lamps. Several of the larger intersections feature small public gardens and communication booths.

According to last year’s census, the New District’s resident and transient population has surpassed one hundred thousand. The cultivation and harvesting techniques for Coral Ore have matured, forming a stable industry.

The real cash cow, however, is Energy Stone processing. A few large factories, licensed and technologically supported by the Civil Affairs Bureau, process crude Coral Ore crystals into standardized Energy Stones annually, supplying Donghai Province and even more distant regions.

This industry brings tens of millions in taxes and profits to the New District annually. However, the public sector’s share isn’t included in this figure; it is directly exchanged for cultivation resources of equal value and allocated to the New District. This underlying profit is the true engine of the New District’s economy.

Yet, beneath this prosperity, undercurrents and conflicts are just as prominent...

Over seventy percent of the New District’s residents hail from various parts of Donghai Province. While they bring vitality, they also bring their own regional customs, leading to constant friction between the original inhabitants and the newcomers, between early and late immigrants, and among people from different industries and hometowns.

Plots of land near the central district, the industrial zone, or in areas with better environments feature newer buildings, more complete facilities, and consequently, higher rent and land prices. These are mostly inhabited by administrators, skilled artisans, successful merchants, and Cultivators with a certain level of Cultivation. In contrast, the peripheral or poorer areas are home to ordinary workers, small-time vendors, and service industry employees. The population turnover in these outer regions is high, making them difficult to manage.

Furthermore, the Energy Stone industry is immensely profitable, and the competition over its supporting industries—from transportation and shop rentals to even waste disposal—has never ceased. Although the Civil Affairs Bureau and the City Defense Bureau keep things in check on the surface, covert rivalries, anonymous tips, and even small-scale clashes occur from time to time.

As a result, in the last two years, the incidence of crimes such as theft, fraud, and brawling in the New District has been far higher than in established counties. Some shady industries have also begun to emerge, placing ever-increasing pressure on the New District’s City Defense Bureau.

As the Flying Shuttle streaked across the sky high above the city, approaching the City Defense Bureau, Yang Zhong lowered its altitude and flew steadily along the central avenue.

Yang Wenqing withdrew his gaze from the city below, the warmth in his eyes gradually replaced by a quiet solemnity.

The Flying Shuttle landed smoothly on a dedicated platform behind the City Defense Bureau branch. The cabin door opened, and Yang Wenqing stepped out. Two guards on duty, who were already waiting at the platform’s entrance, immediately straightened up and gave a solemn salute. "Director Yang!"

Yang Wenqing walked straight into the building without breaking stride. Everyone he passed along the way, whether they were civilian staff or members of the action teams, immediately stopped what they were doing. Some nodded in acknowledgment, while others stood at attention and saluted, all respectfully addressing him as "Director Yang."

As was his habit, Yang Wenqing headed for the command and dispatch center on the first floor. On a massive, ring-shaped light-screen wall, real-time surveillance footage of the New District’s main streets and key facilities was displayed, along with Spiritual Qi fluctuation monitoring data.

Seeing him enter, the supervisor on duty immediately stood up. "Director Yang!"

"Anything to report from the night shift?" Yang Wenqing asked, walking up to the main console, his gaze sweeping across the light screens.

"Reporting, Director Yang. The night was generally quiet. There was an abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuation alarm in the northern storage district at 0300. Team Three investigated and confirmed it was a batch activation test for a new shipment of Dust-clearing Talismans. It’s been logged. Additionally, Energy Stone Factory Number Three reported unidentified individuals loitering near their raw material transport route. We’ve dispatched undercover lookouts. Also..."

The supervisor’s report was clear and concise, yet it continued for over ten minutes. Yang Wenqing listened attentively to every item but didn’t ask any further questions. Once the report was finished, he turned and left the dispatch center.

These routine patrols and briefings were one of the ways he kept his finger on the pulse of the New District’s public security. It also served as a reminder to everyone of who was truly at the center of the district’s daily operations.

When he reached his office, Liu Qin was already waiting at the door, holding a folder.

"Director, Director Gao had Secretary Chen send word. He’d like you to go to his office now that you’re here," Liu Qin said quickly in a low voice while handing him the folder. "These are urgent and need your signature first."

Yang Wenqing took the folder and began walking into his office, quickly flipping through an application for the new quarter’s training supply procurement as he went. "Do you know what Director Gao wants?" he asked casually.

"Secretary Chen didn’t say, but judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like a trivial matter," Liu Qin replied, keeping pace at his side.

Yang Wenqing grunted in acknowledgment, entered his office, and sat down behind his large desk. He picked up a pen and deftly signed his name on the documents. His signature carried a unique, personal Spiritual Energy Mark.