The towering buildings, the bustling harbors, the speedboats, and the ships before them made Zhang Tian feel as if he had traveled to modern times.
Indeed, during the Second World War, in its early stages, Xia Guo was still in the Qing Dynasty.
At that time, Fuji Country, with the help of Mi Guo, had developed at an astonishing pace.
The scene before them was the fruit of Fuji Country's rapid development.
Not far away, the main city was adorned with towering skyscrapers, and cars were moving along the roads.
If this were in Xia Guo, it would surely shock many people.
"Boss, is all this real? Their buildings are so tall."
Fatty swallowed, having grown accustomed to the courtyard houses, he rarely saw such tall buildings.
"Yes, the development is good. However, our Xia Guo will catch up sooner or later. Rapid development inevitably brings some side effects."
Zhang Tian nodded slightly, then looked away after a brief glance.
To be honest, Zhang Tian found these things rather distasteful.
If possible, Zhang Tian would have preferred Xia Guo's development to have remained at the early stages of reform.
Cities, skyscrapers, these things made Zhang Tian feel somewhat stifled.
"Sect Master, why do you say that? Isn't rapid development a good thing? What are the side effects?"
Wu Tianzhen had also changed his address.
Since he had agreed to join the Nine Sects, Zhang Tian's identity was no longer "Young Master Zhang" but "Sect Master."
Zhang Tian glanced at Tianzhen, feeling quite satisfied. This fellow knew how to play along!
"When the economy develops rapidly, it inevitably enters a capitalistic society, where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small minority. This is one of the side effects."
"However, Xia Guo has a very large population base. If it doesn't develop rapidly, its technology will lag behind. Thus, one cannot have both."
Zhang Tian said slowly.
Hu Bayi and Fatty nodded in unison.
They both understood, as such matters could not be openly discussed, lest trouble arise.
"Alas, I wonder when we will be able to catch up."
Wu Tianzhen sighed and shook his head, saying no more.
The group walked out of the harbor.
Outside the port, a group of taxi drivers were looking for passengers.
For a moment, Zhang Tian felt as if he had returned.
"Young man, where are you going? My car is cheap! I can take you anywhere."
A driver, seeing that Zhang Tian and his group had no one to pick them up, quickly smiled and approached.
"Excuse me, sir, may I ask where the Jingguo Shen Cè is? My father died on the battlefield, and according to his merits, he should be buried there."
"I want to see him. This is my first time in Jingcheng."
Zhang Tian put on a façade of a grieving person searching for family.
His expression and demeanor evoked immediate pity.
Tears even glistened in Zhang Tian's eyes.
"Wow, is the Sect Master's performance always this good?" Wang Banyue whispered.
"My elder brother is good at everything, right, Second Brother?" Wang Kaixuan even pulled Zhang Qilin into it.
Zhang Qilin remained silent, clearly too lazy to bother with Fatty.
Fatty deflated immediately.
"Ah, so you are the descendant of a hero! The Shen Cè is over there to the east, with signposts. You'll see it easily."
"If you don't mind, I can take you there for free."
The driver became even more enthusiastic.
Zhang Tian shook his head.
There was no need to burn down the Shen Cè while being escorted by one of their people; that would be quite strange.
"Thank you, I have a car here. Thank you."
Zhang Tian expressed his gratitude and then led Hu Bayi and the others out of the port area quickly.
"Alas, what a pity. He looks so young. His father must have been around my age."
The driver watched Zhang Tian's retreating figure, feeling a pang of regret.
With the route, Zhang Tian and his group proceeded more smoothly.
"Boss, that guy offered to take us for free. It would have saved us the trouble of finding it." Fatty asked from behind, puzzled.
"Trouble." Zhang Tian waved his hand.
The driver was so enthusiastic; he might have even insisted on accompanying them for the memorial. Zhang Tian preferred to avoid such complications and drive himself, which was better.
Then, Zhang Tian found a small alley and retrieved his off-road vehicle.
There were no surveillance cameras at this time, so Zhang Tian could drive out a car from a hidden spot.
The group got into the car, and Zhang Tian drove in the direction indicated by the driver.
Indeed, there were directional signs along the road.
The location of the Shen Cè was particularly obvious.
"Aren't we going to the Shen Cè?" Seeing that Zhang Tian wasn't heading directly to it, Hu Bayi asked.
"Everyone is tired. I heard there are unique hot springs at the foot of Mount Fuji in Fuji Country. This is probably the cleanest time for hot springs. Let's go and soak first."
"Besides, it's not night yet. Special matters are best handled at night for the full effect." Zhang Tian said softly.
He had just seen the signpost for Mount Fuji and had wanted to experience the hot springs for a long time. This was a good opportunity.
Moreover, in the future, Zhang Tian planned to buy land and start businesses in Fuji Country. A preliminary tour of Jingcheng to select some plots would be beneficial.
"When we visited Thataro's house previously, we signed some cooperation agreements with his father. He should have finished handling the matters by now."
"Tianzhen, go and finalize things there. First, establish a construction group in Fuji Country." Zhang Tian said while driving.
Wu Tianzhen nodded. He was quite dedicated to the development of the Nine Sects' influence, having promised Zhang Tian. Wu Tianzhen was a man of his word.
"I understand. I will cooperate with your arrangements, Sect Master." Wu Tianzhen replied softly. Zhang Tian said no more, and the off-road vehicle accelerated further.
Time passed quickly, and Zhang Tian successfully arrived at the foot of the great volcano.
On the way, Zhang Tian had also refueled the car to avoid running out of gas.
Looking at the massive active volcano before him, Zhang Tian's mind conjured images of a volcanic eruption.
Yes, it would be somewhat spectacular and dazzling.
"Fatty has never seen such a huge volcano before."
"If this thing erupts, wouldn't it burn people to a crisp?"
Fatty gazed at the colossal volcano with sparkling eyes.
At the foot of the volcano, there were many cherry blossom trees.
It was spring, the season when Fuji Country's cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
Frankly, Zhang Tian felt that Xia Guo increasingly neglected its culture. In his previous life, how many traditional cultures remained in Xia Guo?
On the other hand, others diligently protected their own national cultures and held onto them tightly.
Take Fuji Country, for example. When one spoke of their beautiful scenery, cherry blossoms might be the first thing that came to mind. However, Fuji Country's climate was similar to that of central Xia Guo.
Xia Guo could also grow cherry blossoms, but hardly anyone paid attention to them.
Looking at the countless cherry blossom petals drifting in the air, and the numerous "Little Fujis" taking pictures beneath the blossoms, Zhang Tian felt a sense of tranquility.
"Let's go."
Zhang Tian did not linger. After returning, he would also renovate Longteng Mountain properly.
There were many bathhouses at the foot of the volcano. Zhang Tian casually found a relatively large one, bought a few tickets, and they entered.
However, what surprised Zhang Tian the most was that this bathhouse was a mixed-gender establishment!