Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"In other words, almost every party has their own cave heaven to use?"

Lin Chengyang nodded: "I think it counts."

"Then tell me, is this considered feudal?"

"Establishing states and granting people and territory. This is indeed feudalism. It's just that our methods of handling territory are different. The Jinei is generally managed carefully, while the Nanyang has more wild caves, so we manage it more extensively. That's all."

"Actually, I've been thinking about something." Shang Luo touched his chin. "Next, the imperial court will gradually move towards the heavenly court. You know, right?"

"I understand. The Thunder Department has been established."

"I actually also awarded the Water Department to Suncheon and handed over many projects to them. I also want to ask you for a favor - I plan to ask you to form the Fire Department."

"Well, what does the Fire Department do?"

"Deal with some incidents and settle some things."

"As I recall, this shouldn't be the Thunder Department's business, right?"

"No, this is different from the Thunder Department's business. The Thunder Department punishes those who have committed crimes and uses force to provide relief. As for the Fire Department, I need you to deal with those who have not committed any crimes."

"You mean, slash-and-burn farming?"

"Yes." Shangluo nodded. "Sometimes we have to inflict the fire of impermanence on innocent people. This requires division of labor. If you are willing to accept it, I would like to let you do this job."

"I want to ask why? Do you think I don't like to laugh?"

"I see professionalism and concentration. You are much more focused than the rest of us. I think this job requires someone who is fully focused to do it well." As he spoke, he took out a small gold seal from his hand.

"No problem, I'll take it." Lin Chengyang took the golden seal.

"Are you so straightforward?"

"Because I heard from Han Xingzhi that this golden seal can be used to ask for leave."

"." Shangluo looked at him, "You actually need to ask for leave sometimes?"

"Well, I'm not an iron man. I occasionally have my own work to do, and I can't take care of school matters at the same time. Getting a leave note from you can save me a lot of trouble. Of course, I will also take on this responsibility. It has nothing to do with the leave. I think I can do it well. For the sake of the court, I don't feel comfortable letting someone else do this job."

"Ah! Right, right, that's the spirit we need. I think Gao Shiyu lacks it. He just wants to go online."

"But if that's the case, there is something we need to discuss."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"Heavenly Laws," Lin Chengyang replied. "There are a thousand, eight hundred caves in the world, but they all operate independently. I think it's time to establish Heavenly Laws. Only then can we distinguish between what the Ministry of Thunder should be responsible for and what the Ministry of Fire should be responsible for. The Ministry of Fire is there to help the court increase its return on investment. I know this very well."

"The concept of return on investment is quite insightful. I'll consider the matter of the Heavenly Law and invite you to Yingtian for a meeting. We'll have to wait until the Heavenly Court's framework is completed. By the way, your Fire Department needs guidance."

"How about letting Guoxing come?"

"A national surname is not a teaching position."

"Then we're not a student club."

"So what do you think we should do?"

"Company." Lin Chengyang looked at him. "If you want us to act with the motivation of promoting the 'development' of the court, then we should organize according to the principles of a company. When the Western Zhou Dynasty divided the land, there were also sayings like "rein with Zhou ropes" and "rein with Rong ropes," which means choosing different management methods according to local conditions. But we have to manage these caves in a more orderly manner, and we also have to appoint supervisors."

"Inspector?"

"Because who knows if anyone would use the cave to do their own thing. That's what the Zhou Emperor did."

"Hmm, wait a minute. I'm going to Nanyang soon. Are you free?"

"It depends on the time. I'm going to Bali in the next ten days."

"Bali? Where are you going on vacation?"

"Why take a vacation? My hometown is there, and I have to go back to see my grandparents. For those of us who live in scenic areas and don't work in the service industry, the most annoying thing is seeing so many tourists crowding in front of us that we can't even get a seat on the bus."

"See you later then? Contact me via Feixun if you need anything."

"See you."

Afterwards, he also learned from relevant personnel of the Guangzhou team about how to make the small paper man and how to make the big paper man.

"Huh? Are you going to be a paper man?" Zhu Xianxi received Shangluo's notification immediately. "You're so busy! You're here to deal with this right after the competition."

"Because I think it is really important. What do you think, Brother? Do you think we should use some star officials? Should we inform Daozu about this?"

Zhu Xianxun shook his head: "I'll teach you. Don't ask Daozu for everything. Just do it first. If Daozu has any objections, he will naturally ask you to stop before things become irreversible. If he doesn't say anything, just finish the task first and then show it to him."

"Ah! That leaves only one thing!"

"Well, tell me, if you need help, just come to me."

"I want to know where Wang Lingguan's painter is! I want him to help me draw a set of 28 constellations!"

"Huh? Why are you looking for someone who draws comics?"

"Because no one knows what the 28 constellations should look like. But from a technical perspective—from what I've asked about—it requires character design! The drawings need to fit the character design, and the content needs to be self-consistent. I think storytelling is more important than craftsmanship. Because only when the characters are well-established can the paper figures stand on their own, right? So, finding a cartoonist is the best choice!"

Chapter 530 Wontons

The next day was the weekend, but Shangluo got up early. After having breakfast with Phaethon, they both started their work for the day.

Shangluo is going to meet someone he hasn't seen for a while today.

Confucius Temple, roadside breakfast stall.

"Master Sa, good morning."

"Well, good morning. Come, come, sit here." Sa Shoujian was sitting on a bench at a roadside stall, eating wontons from a porcelain bowl with a small spoon.

This wonton shop is so popular that the seating extends from inside the house to outside. It's late autumn, and a bit chilly outside, so a bowl of hot wontons is just the right way to keep out the cold—but do immortals also need to keep out the cold?

It’s hard to tell from Shangluo, but Sa Shoujian seems to really like eating this wonton.

"I know the owner of this store."

"Oh~~ This shop seems to be quite famous. I heard Wen Yuan mention it before. He said it's a time-honored shop that opened during the Wanli period. It's still open today."

"I'm talking about the boss of Wanli Year."

"Good fellow, Master, what are you doing?"

"Every time I come to Beijing, and every time I leave, I always eat a portion, and by the way, I see how my old friend's descendants are doing. However, since this shop has been open for many times, it has been inherited by apprentices, so the name has changed many times. This taste."

"what about the taste?"

"It's completely different from the way it was back then. Back then, there was no MSG in wontons. But I think it tastes better with it. That soup... wow."

"Master Nasa, what did you taste like?"

"Egg skin, seaweed, pickled mustard greens, and dried shrimp—these are the side dishes. The soup base is made with lard and boiled water, and it tastes pretty ordinary. But the seaweed and dried shrimp bring out a bit of freshness, but only a little bit—back then, this shop was still a wonton stand, selling wontons from a shoulder basket. You know that shoulder basket, right?"

"Uh, I don't know." Shangluo shook his head.

"Tsk tsk, young people these days. They carry the entire wonton stall's equipment on one shoulder. For example, if they're selling wontons, they have a small cabinet to store the wontons and a small stove to heat water. They carry the stall with one hand while clapping their hands with a bamboo clapper to peddle their wares. The way they clapper their wares is different in different places: in Beijing, it's one way, in Ningbo, and then in Shandong, Henan, and even further north, there's another."

"what"

“Never eaten it?”

"No." Shangluo shook his head. "I eat most of the time in the cafeteria."

"How about trying it? One bowl?"

"Yeah." Although he had already eaten in the morning, a bowl of snack would be nice.

"Boss, give me a bowl of Quanjiafu." Sa Shoujian called from behind his sunglasses. It was almost winter, but he was still wearing a beach short-sleeved shirt and didn't look cold at all.

The wontons came out incredibly quickly, a large bowl arriving in less than a minute. They contained large wontons, unlike the small ones Sa Shoujian had eaten.

The wonton floating on the top has egg yolk faintly visible through the semi-transparent skin. This is an egg yolk wonton.

"Wow, this is quite luxurious." He glanced at the price list next to him. This bowl of wontons cost 45 wen. "Then I won't thank you. It would be a bit awkward to thank you for a bowl of wontons, right?"

"That's right. Just eat, why bother with so much? By the way, are you ready for the trip to Southeast Asia?"

The sentence spanned two topics without any preparation. This was more efficient for Tianren.

"Are you going now?"

"Because the crew is in Lanfang, I have to go to Lanfang to watch. If you want to learn supernatural powers, then come with me to the crew first, because Wang Lingguan will start filming next year. Do you have any plans with Guoxing?"

"Ah, yes, indeed." Shangluo nodded. "It's not just about filming, there are other things as well. But now I want to ask, Master Sa, what are your thoughts on inviting the Heavenly Official down?"

"Hmm." Sa Shoujian nodded and ate a bite of wonton first. He knew about this matter before, it was Zhu Xianxin who told him.

"First, you need to know how to invite a Heavenly Official. A Heavenly Official doesn't just appear out of thin air, just like a Heavenly Noble Person. You need to give them a meaning. Take Wang Lingguan for example."

"Can Wang Lingguan be summoned in the form of a paper figure?"

"Of course," Sa Shoujian nodded. "But it looks like the door gods in New Year paintings, so you young people might not like it. You like the Wang Lingguan cartoon look, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Shangluo nodded repeatedly.

"Then you'll have to talk to them in person."

"Talk to the real person? But isn't that a character from a comic book?"

"One painting, one world. Once a story is created, it becomes alive. Of course, I'm not asking you to negotiate directly with the characters in the story; we'll find ways to do that when the time comes. However, which one you can negotiate with depends on your own luck. And it's not just Wang Lingguan comics. You want the 28 Constellations' Celestial Officials? That can be discussed as well."

"Wait, are they in a good mood?"

Sa Shoujian shook his head. "First, you have to understand what you're inviting down. What you're actually inviting down is how they appear to everyone, in their hearts, rather than their true intentions. Because fundamentally, they don't exist. They're just a mirror, reflecting everyone's vision. But the moment you invite them, they're fixed, fixed in your painting. So the closer your painting is to the real person, the better the result. Do you understand what 'close to the real person' means?"

"Yeah. I see. So even though fictional characters don't have portraits themselves, people tend to form an image of them when they see them? That's why some people think they look like the characters, while others don't."

"Here's a list." Sa Shoujian sent an invitation and added Shangluo to the group. "The group includes artists who have collaborated with our company. If you're interested, you can contact them. Their portfolios can be seen on the forum. You're quite handy at what you do. When are you free soon?"

"Right away. Winter vacation is coming soon. During the winter vacation, should I go to Southeast Asia?"

"It's a good opportunity to escape the cold. You're quite thoughtful. But before that, before you start studying here, you'd better go say hello to the other old friends. Let's not talk about those two who are elusive. You have to go to Wudang Mountain because you need to get the textbooks there."

"I know. I'm going there soon."

"Besides, there's the most important thing." He looked at Shangluo, "There's one thing you still have to deal with with Daojun. You want to change this, change that, but you still have to meet him in person, right? You'd better talk it out first. Daojun doesn't like to talk openly, so you have to start talking yourself. Okay, that's it for now. Boss, check out."

There is one more chapter. Wait, it will be around one o'clock.

Chapter 531: Time-honored Wontons

Sa Shoujian seemed quite busy, and so did Shangluo. Their meal was like a secret service meeting; they didn't arrive together, nor did they leave together.

"Feels like I could eat another bowl. This tastes good."

He looked up and was about to order another bowl when someone brought him a second bowl of wontons.

"Ah, thank you. This store has really good service. It's ready before you order."

He put the finished bowl of wontons in front of him aside and placed the new bowl in front of him.

"Oh, by the way, let me give you the money first."

He turned around and took out a 10-cent copper coin and handed it to the visitor, but the other party didn't reach out to take it. The wontons were priced at 6 cents a bowl.

"Hmm?" Shangluo turned his head to look. The man just looked at him and smiled, as warmly as a waiter serving customers, with a towel draped over his shoulder. Shangluo tried to pass it over again, but the man waved his hand away, but pointed to Shangluo's right pocket.

"Pocket?" Shangluo reached into his pocket and felt around.

He pulled out six Yongle Tongbao coins. "Hmm? I didn't bring any Yongle Tongbao coins this morning. Did Master Sa give them to me? Ah. I want to give them to you, right?"

Shangluo held out his hand, and the waiter-like man took it. The copper coins jingled as they touched his hand, and he bowed and smiled at Shangluo. He then picked up the shoulder pole beside him and walked over to where Sa Shoujian had sat. He put the wonton bowl he had eaten from into his cupboard and wiped the table clean with a towel.

"Ah! Are you the one from the Wanli era?"

He nodded, shouldered his shoulder and stepped aside, wiping the dishes with another clean rag. The water for washing the dishes came from his copper kettle. The boiling water in the kettle could be used to rinse the dishes as well as make wonton soup. After pouring the water into the bowls, he placed the small copper kettle back on the charcoal stove.

Shangluo ate like this and finished the wontons.

"Well, I'm done." He greeted the person behind him, "It tastes really good. Would you consider adding more pepper next time?"

The man thought about it thoughtfully and nodded. When Shangluo left his seat, he collected the bowl he had eaten from and wiped the table clean as usual, not causing any trouble for the store today. However, he didn't sell the other bowl of Quanjiafu wontons, so he didn't collect it either.

"No wonder Chef Sa always comes here to eat, it turns out he eats this."

Thinking about it carefully, Sa Shoujian was dressed so strangely, and the people around him didn't seem to even glance at him. Most of them probably couldn't see him either. Immortals always float in and out, but he had definitely been there, and he had eaten wontons, two bowls. It seemed the person who made wontons for him only made them for him.