CXnovel #863 - The First Island Residents Representative Conference
#863 - The First Island Residents Representative Conference
Beneath a sky full of stars, a massive tree of fire and silver blossoms erupted from a solitary island in the center of the sea.
Across a thousand-mile radius of ocean, all living creatures witnessed this exquisite and proud flower blooming beneath the night sky.
The scorching heat and brilliant flames conveyed a single message.
That was the arrival of Quan Yi and Fire Dance.
In the chaotic and dangerous deep-sea region, countless undercurrents surged beneath the surface.
Yet, this declarative and gigantic firework display forcefully nipped all potential crises in the bud.
A thousand kilometers away on Seagod Island, High Priestess Bo Saixi also noticed the firelight in the sky.
Deeper still, within the Demon Whale Sea, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King opened its enormous eyes, staring at the same firelight.
These powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the continent all had expressions of shock and apprehension in their eyes.
Their strength was sufficient to sense the aura of divine power contained within the firelight.
Among them, Bo Saixi, as the High Priestess of the Seagod Hall, was more aware of the changes in this sea area than the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
And precisely because of this, she was even more aware that this power could become a factor in changing the entire sea's situation.
"Alas."
Myriad thoughts transformed into a helpless sigh.
That night, the High Priestess stood waiting for the Seagod's decree, but it was long in coming.
The fireworks that were a deterrent to outsiders were a reassuring fireworks display for the island's residents and the Four Sacred Beasts.
Even rural areas that hadn't come to the city could fully appreciate this scene.
The fireworks, filled with holy, purifying, and healing properties, provided a grand visual enjoyment while also eliminating various evils, viruses, and other harmful substances on the island.
Everyone bathed in the fireworks couldn't achieve the heaven-defying effect of increasing their lifespan out of thin air, but at least, it greatly reduced the chances of getting sick.
This was also the congratulatory gift that Quan Yi and Fire Dance brought to them.
This extravagant fireworks show, sparing no divine power, lasted for a long time.
The frenzied night passed.
The residents were still immersed in the joy and emotion of the Harvest Festival, but as the island's higher-ups, they didn't have time to enjoy it for too long.
After properly handling the post-festival work, the higher-ups, under the leadership of Quan Yi and Fire Dance, gathered in the large conference room of the Seadragon City's municipal government a few days later.
Here, in addition to the core members of the Quan family led by Quan Li, the Huo family, the Ye family, Lou Gao of the Blacksmiths' Association, Yuan the blacksmith, and Jiang Jun of the shipyard were also gathered.
Zi Zhenzhu and Quan Ming, representing the armed forces, also attended the meeting.
Besides these familiar faces, many other people were gathered in the conference hall.
They were all representatives of various industries on the island, and also leading figures in their respective fields.
Today was the first time that these leaders had gathered on such a large scale.
After taking their seats in an orderly fashion, their gazes all focused on the banner on the display stand.
It read:
'The First Island Residents' Representative Assembly.'
The huge banner with gold characters on a red background was placed before everyone's eyes.
Having received prior notice, everyone knew that with the return of Quan Yi, the true backbone hidden behind everyone, the entire island's situation would undergo tremendous changes.
And they were currently at the very center of that change, and perhaps, they themselves would become a part of driving the change.
It was precisely because of this that they attended the meeting with complex emotions such as nervousness, anticipation, and excitement.
"Ahem, esteemed guests, the meeting is about to begin, please those who have not yet taken their seats, take your seats in an orderly manner."
Under the host's instructions, the entire venue fell silent.
The host didn't delay at all and directly said: "Next, we invite the initiator of this meeting, Young Master Quan Yi, to come to the stage to speak."
On one side of the rostrum, Quan Yi's tall and straight figure, amidst the applause and gazes of everyone, walked onto the stage.
"Thank you, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting.
As the initiator, I would like to first explain to everyone the purpose and goal of holding this meeting.
It has been four years since the plan to develop the island was formulated, and in this process, thanks to the support and cooperation of all parties, we have achieved extremely significant results."
As he spoke, Quan Yi looked towards Fire Dance on the side of the rostrum.
Without needing to speak, Fire Dance understood his intention, and a fair white light instantly shot out from between her eyebrows, using visual simulation to project an image that everyone present could see clearly onto the huge wall behind Quan Yi.
Amidst the surprised gazes of everyone, various simple and clear patterns and numbers began to appear on the whiteboard.
This scene was extremely common in modern settings, especially in schools and workplaces.
"According to the population attracted from the mainland over the years, as well as the newborn population born independently.
The total number of people living in the territory has reached an astonishing 400,000!"
The numbers on the data table, as Quan Yi explained, began to change in the form of animation.
The changes depicted above summarized the firsthand data they had mastered over the past four years, or even longer.
Among them, there were also changes in population data divided according to islands, industries, and cities.
When the complex data was presented to everyone in such a concise and vivid way, everyone couldn't help but be surprised.
Some people didn't even realize that the overall population had already reached 400,000.
This population was already comparable to the population of a medium-to-large town.
After letting everyone admire the data for a moment, Quan Yi continued:
"As you can see, the population has grown explosively in just four years.
However, I am showing you this picture not only to show the previous achievements, but more importantly, the future trends."
The data showing the overall population began to change to the total population change for this year.
Among them, judging by the comparison of the number of new population added each month, this year's population increase showed a cliff-like decline.
"From this picture, we can know that our number of new population additions this year is constantly decreasing.
The reason for this is also very simple, that is, the way of absorbing down-and-out population from the mainland has gradually reached its limit.
Without attracting the attention of official forces, it is almost impossible to continue to maintain the previous high-speed growth.
And this will naturally cause the problem of slow development."