At the docks of Macau, the fast ship slowed as it approached the shore, cutting its speed smoothly before coming to a steady stop, and once the vessel had settled, Er'zhe personally escorted Fan Bulian down onto the pier, completing his task with the kind of casual efficiency that suggested this was nothing more than a routine errand.
He was just about to turn around and leave when Fan Bulian suddenly spoke up again, his tone carrying a strange mix of excitement and confidence.
"Young sir, after reading your Dao Xuan Tianzun Demon-Slaying Chronicles and studying it carefully, I have come to a conclusion, and that is that your Dao Xuan Tianzun and our God may actually be the same being, because in the West he is called God, and here in the East you call him Dao Xuan Tianzun, so in truth, we are followers of the same faith."
Er'zhe froze for a brief moment, then turned back with a look that was half disbelief and half annoyance.
"What nonsense are you talking about now."
Fan Bulian did not seem bothered at all, and instead nodded earnestly.
"I truly believe this."
Er'zhe snorted.
"Say whatever you want, because if I believe even a single word, that just means my cultivation is not firm enough."
Fan Bulian was not discouraged in the slightest, because in his mind, this was merely the beginning, and he was already thinking ahead, planning to return and carefully study his own scriptures in order to find similarities that could be exaggerated or reshaped, allowing him to bridge the gap between the two belief systems.
As far as he was concerned, this was simply another form of adaptation.
Meanwhile, back at Fort Zeelandia, an entirely different kind of work was already underway.
Groups of blue-capped and yellow-capped workers from Gao Family Village arrived by ship and began disembarking in waves, and their purpose was extremely straightforward, because they had come to build a labor reform camp.
In their view, labor reform was something that should be applied equally, because it would make little sense to reform only their own people while allowing foreigners to escape consequences simply because they were outsiders.
The captured Dutch soldiers and black slave troops were all in their prime, making them valuable labor, and before long, they were assigned to various tasks, including repairing the damaged fortifications of Fort Zeelandia, expanding the harbor into something larger and more efficient, and even rebuilding sections of the city that had been destroyed during the fighting.
It was efficient, practical, and to some, deeply satisfying.
At the same time, there was another group that required attention, namely the local natives who had once aligned themselves with the Dutch, because with their former masters defeated, they found themselves in a state of uncertainty, unsure whether the Dadu Kingdom would seek revenge against them.
This was where the people of Gao Family Village stepped in, acting as mediators to calm tensions and prevent unnecessary bloodshed, persuading the Dadu Kingdom to set aside past grievances and accept these people back under the rule of Ganza Xia Alami.
With stability gradually restored, Fort Zeelandia entered a phase of rapid development, as numerous construction projects were launched simultaneously, supported by wages that were far more generous than anything the Dutch had ever offered.
Those natives who had previously worked under the Dutch adapted quickly, transitioning almost seamlessly into their new roles as workers for Gao Family Village, and compared to the more isolated tribes in the mountains, they found it much easier to accept the idea of working for pay.
A large-scale construction boom began in full force.
Meanwhile, the fleet of Gao Family Village did not remain idle, because after completing their work in the south, they set sail once more, heading toward the northern part of the island, where Spanish forces still held their own fortifications.
A few days later, the Spanish were driven out as well.
At that moment, the entire island was effectively liberated, and governance was jointly established between the Dadu Kingdom and Gao Family Village.
While these changes were unfolding at a rapid pace, another journey was quietly taking place.
The prince of the Dadu Kingdom, Ganza Xia Malu, had changed into a set of Jianghu-style clothing gifted to him by Zheng Chenggong, and after enduring a long and difficult voyage aboard the Pingyi ship under Zheng Chenggong's command, he finally arrived at Zhoushan's Dinghai Port.
Despite being born on an island, this was Malu's first time spending such a long period at sea, and the experience had not been easy for him, because the constant rocking of the ship had left him nauseous for much of the journey.
Fortunately, he was resilient, much like Er'zhe had been in his younger days, and although he suffered along the way, he ultimately made it to his destination without serious harm.
The moment he laid eyes on Dinghai Port, however, all discomfort was forgotten.
Buildings.
So many buildings.
Compared to Nantun, the scale was overwhelming, and what shocked him even more was that these were not simple structures, but sturdy cement buildings, each one solid and capable of withstanding the violent storms that so often destroyed the fragile homes of his people.
The streets were clean and orderly, filled with the movement of carts and people, and vendors lined the roadside, calling out to passersby as they displayed a wide variety of goods.
The level of prosperity was on an entirely different level.
Malu stared in open amazement.
"So this is how wealthy your lands are, because the gap between us is far greater than I imagined."
Zheng Chenggong smiled calmly.
"We were not always like this, because we were once poor as well, but after Dao Xuan Tianzun came, everything began to change."
A small, short man nearby was loudly calling out as he sold his goods.
"Flatbread for sale, one coin for two pieces, come and buy."
Zheng Chenggong handed over a coin, took two pieces, and passed one to Malu, and as they walked, they ate together, the warm, fragrant bread quickly winning Malu over.
"In this place, as long as you have money, you can buy food anytime," Zheng Chenggong said.
Malu nodded eagerly.
"I have already learned in Nantun that if you work hard, you will earn money, is that correct."
"That is correct," Zheng Chenggong replied. "Here, everyone exchanges labor for reward."
Malu thought for a moment.
"In our tribe, it is actually similar, but we have never clearly understood or explained it like this."
Zheng Chenggong chuckled softly.
"You are already using words like 'understand' and 'explain,' so it seems you have learned quite a bit."
Malu's face flushed slightly.
"I learned it from you."
Zheng Chenggong waved it off.
"Once you are here, you will not need to rely on me anymore, because there are proper schools here, so come, I will take you to enroll."
On Zhoushan Island, the most prestigious institution was the Zhoushan Naval Academy, personally overseen by Li Daoxuan, but that was a military school and not suitable for Malu.
Instead, there was another school known as the Zhoushan People's Children School, where the children of workers and farmers studied, and although its facilities were still expanding, it already had primary and middle school divisions, with a high school section under construction.
When Zheng Chenggong brought Malu to the entrance, the old gatekeeper took one look at the boy and broke into a grin.
"I can tell right away, this is a hunter's child, isn't he."
Malu blinked in surprise, then nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, I am, but how could you tell."
The old man laughed.
"With your complexion and build, it is obvious, and you must be quite strong, so do not bully your classmates."
Malu scratched his head awkwardly.
"I would not dare."
The old man tilted his head.
"Your way of speaking is a bit strange, where are you from."
Malu hesitated, unsure how to answer.
Zheng Chenggong stepped in with a smile.
"Sir, do not make things difficult for him, because he is an exchange student, and he will be enrolling in the first grade of primary school."
The old gatekeeper froze.
"An exchange student?"
He looked Malu up and down again, clearly struggling to process what he had just heard.
Starting from the first grade at that age, this was something he had never encountered before, and for a moment, he simply did not know how to respond.