I Can See Your Combat Power

In fact, exclusionism and regional superiority are very interesting and natural phenomena, especially in economically prosperous areas like Da Lin and Chuanyuan. Take Da Lin as an example, a city of more than 15 million residents which, hundreds of years ago, was home to only two or three million people. These inhabitants considered themselves locals of Da Lin, and among them, many complained about the influx of outsiders.

They believed that the newcomers, numbering twelve million, had occupied their resources, seized their opportunities, and even begun to despise foreigners coming to Da Lin.

These people stopped speaking the official language and used only the Da Lin dialect, manifesting the superiority of their culture.

Another interesting phenomenon is that in prosperous cities like Da Lin and Chuanyuan, such people are not a minority.

Without much thought, one can realize that the powerful warriors and established families who truly occupy resources are unlikely to be exclusionists. Otherwise, they wouldn’t conduct trade with different states and departments, and export food in large quantities.

This group of elites rely on the substantial population of Da Lin to recruit plenty of clan warriors to strengthen their families. Perhaps a small portion of them have a deep-rooted sense of regional superiority, but they would never voice it. Revealing such sentiments would make it difficult for them to attract wandering warriors.

Excluding these resource monopolists, without close observation, we can feel that those who dislike outsiders the most are often the ones who struggle in the city. For them, whether it’s city welfare brought by excess wealth, generations-old dilapidated ancestral homes, or an illusory feeling of superiority from living in a top-tier city, these are their last straws.

They serve in various industries in Da Lin and are trusted because of their long-term residence. They hold positions like shopkeepers, secretaries, and stewards, which are quite laborious yet not high on the social ladder. Yet they are well aware that they might not be able to break through economic classes in a big city like Da Lin in their lifetime.

Therefore, of course, they cannot admit that it’s their incompetence that has led to this outcome. People are accustomed to putting blame on others, so who do they turn to?

Having found a scapegoat, the logic suddenly becomes clear.

These people naturally blame their hardships on the large number of outsiders.

In fact, at the end of the day, it is just a manifestation of their own incompetence.

By associating their emotions with it, this exclusionism and superiority seem incredibly strong.

Indeed, the first generation of newcomers to Da Lin may not fit in with these exclusionists. But they have to earn a living in Da Lin, so what would they do?

They would start learning the Da Lin dialect and teaching it to their children as if forgetting their hometown. Once mastering this language, they could integrate into Da Lin.

Look, I live in Da Lin, I speak in Da Lin dialect; I am a local of Da Lin now.

The second generation of newcomers then become exclusionist locals of Da Lin, swelling the size of this group from two or three million gradually.

The environment can shape a person. Even if some people realize there’s no need to exclude others in Da Lin, they become a vulnerable group in such an environment. Therefore, they can only fluently speak the Da Lin dialect, hiding among the crowd.

Tang Luo did not have to think about it to know that Cui Dayou’s best friend must be a shopkeeper. He could even imagine how Cui Dayou had portrayed himself to befriend this person.

A local of Da Lin whose opportunities have been snatched by outsiders, had to venture afar reluctantly. He built a vast world in Xiling, returned to chat with his friend about hometown development, and complained about foreigners together. There seemed to be a consensus between the two, and friendship formed under equal status and similar understandings can lead to a strong bond.

One has to say, this shopkeeper Cui, is indeed a people-person. Tang Luo smiled and said: “Shopkeeper Cui, since I have entrusted you with the task of purchasing food, feel free to tell me if you need any assistance. If you have to explain every matter to me, there is bound to be a flaw seen by others. Just consider me an errand boy and focus on your tasks.”

The key to doing business is flexibility. If Cui Dayou has to notify Tang Luo about every decision, it would only restrain him. Right now, the priority is to complete the purchase of six million bags of grain. As for other formalities, they will let go whenever possible.

Cui Dayou had heard this before, but how could habits formed over decades be changed in a moment? He could only keep responding: “I understand, I won’t let Minister Luo down.”

Longzhou Calendar, 1780, October, the 3rd

A group of six, who travelled day and night, officially entered the territory of Lin Chuan Plain, and Cui Dayou, who was extremely familiar with the area, led Tang Luo and his companions to the renowned Longzhou Granary – Da Lin City.

To assess a city’s prosperity, it is insufficient to look only at the city center. One should pay attention to the villages and towns that guard the city.

Perhaps Xiling is as bustling as Da Lin City given its many shops and amenities, as well as the Lingjiang River that runs through it, bringing a subtle sophistication. However, when viewed from a 7,000-meter-high bird’s-eye view, it becomes clear that there’s no comparison between Xiling and Da Lin.

The city of Xiling, a large city formed by the gathering of hundreds of families, is indeed sprawling. However, there’s a divide between the territories of these families, with at least two or three blocks separating them. As for Da Lin, likely due to the premium on space, the areas owned by different families are tightly interconnected.

Tang Luo had seen more than one or two cases of family territories being separated by merely a wall, which is unimaginable in Xiling.

Peering through a small hole can give one an idea about the larger picture, but with enough imagination, one can see into minute details.

Although seated on the back of a Cloud-Piercing Beast, his amplified hearing could still pick up the bustle of the city below, involving an overwhelming amount of information. However, Tang Luo could not discern any useful information, as nobody in Da Lin was speaking the official language.

The only ones who spoke the official language were in the streets and alleys where local miscreants congregated, and they only spoke the official language to attract customers.

As one of the cities with the highest grain output in Longzhou, countless families and wandering warriors came here to buy grain. Yet, for most people who could only speak the local dialect and the official language, Da Lin was not much different from a foreign country.

Tang Luo believed that those shop-assistants and owners must understand the official language, but they insisted on replying in the Da Lin dialect, making those purchasing grain feel frustrated. Probably, every businessman who entered Da Lin unprepared would encounter such a situation.

Whenever this happened, those local miscreants gathered in the streets and alleys, speaking the official language, would opportunistically approach. Without a doubt, this situation was a cooperative exploitation setup by hustlers, thugs, and shopkeepers. Their targets were the foreign “fat sheep”.

If it wasn’t for Cui Dayou’s presence, Tang Luo, who needed to buy six million bags of grain, would probably be the fattest “sheep” among these foreigners.

Truly an unrivaled! Fat. Sheep..

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