Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1303: 427: Purpose of the Hongmen Martial Arts Competition, Advancement of the Sect Festival Day

The ninth year of Great Xia, May 30th

The Hongmen Government Building shone brilliantly through the night.

Lin Kai occupied the primary position in the upper hall.

Seven figures were seated beneath him: Li Longkai of Camp Supply and Military Equipment, Military Department Commander Liu Yuan, Prison Department’s Chief of Punishment Zhao Bao, Civil Affairs Director Ying Yi, Hunting Bureau’s Yuan Shan, Logging Department’s Chen Hua, and Artisan Department’s Craftsman Kong Xiu.

“Tomorrow kicks off the martial arts competition for real—let’s cover the final arrangements tonight. Director Ying, fill us in on the competition preparations!”

Anticipation gleamed in Lin Kai’s eyes. For half a year, he’d poured endless effort into this event, making three or four trips to various towns, and now victory loomed close. Excitement surged through him naturally.

This massive gathering’s true aim was to speed up the three-town merger that the lord had suggested last year. All the outside guesses about talent scouting, youth power displays, or Great Xia’s glory were just side notes.

Lin Kai cared most right now about how many youths from the Eight Towns the event drew and the city’s total population stats, so he first turned to the Civil Affairs Department.

“Registrations for the martial arts competition closed at midnight right on schedule. We’ve got 115,285 entrants total: 45,413 teens from 15 to 20 years old, and 69,872 youths from 20 to 25;

Of these over 110,000, our own locals make up the biggest share at nearly 40,000; Jiangxia and Muyin together contribute about 35,000; the rest of the 40,000-plus hail mostly from the other Six Towns, with barely any from the Outer Realm.”

“Over 110,000, wow…”

“That many!”

“How many youths in the Eight Towns total?”

“Nearly half, right?”

……

Ying Yi’s contestant numbers left Liu Yuan and the other six gasping in shock. Even Kong Xiu couldn’t resist guessing that almost half the Eight Towns’ youths had shown up.

Kong Xiu’s remark made everyone bow their heads in thought, only to shake them soon after, rejecting the idea.

The Nine Towns boast at least 15 million souls. By the camp’s standard age breakdown, 15-to-25-year-olds number over a million. 115,000 barely scratches one-tenth.

“Half the Nine Towns’ youths showing up? Impossible. But call it over half the elite young talents from the Nine Towns, and it fits perfectly!”

Lin Kai’s words lit up everyone’s gazes instantly.

Exactly!

This year’s Three-Town Martial Arts Competition set no limits beyond age, but it was still a fierce selection. Those traveling afar to Hongmen had to trust their skills. Labeling these 110,000-plus as the Nine Towns’ elites? Spot on.

Lin Kai’s eyes returned to Ying Yi as he pressed on: “That’s just contestants. The city’s population surge these past two months must be even stronger, yeah?”

Ying Yi’s face eased a bit at the query, and he nodded firmly: “After cracking those big March cases—Decapitation in Series, Snow Night Butchery, Daytime Breach—the city’s population influx roared back to life, topping 350,000 by March’s end. Once the martial arts competition news dropped early April, growth exploded—13,000 arrivals in April, a whopping 19,000 in May. Hongmen’s now past 670,000 residents.”

670,000!

Whoa……

Ying Yi’s stat hit like thunder, sending shivers through Lin Kai and the six below—pure thrill etched on their faces.

This rivals a full town’s populace!

“No surprise North City’s packed lately; this stealthy swell to such heights is downright scary.”

“Director Mu raced from Xia City three days back to map out expansion. 670,000? Tsk, 25 square kilometers won’t cut it anymore!”

“Artisan Department’s been flat-out tearing down and rebuilding homes in South City’s east and west zones to carve out more space. I figured a boom to 500,000 tops, but 670,000? Shocking!”

………

“Lord Li, what’s Camp Supply Department’s haul these last two months?”

While others fixated elsewhere, Lin Kai—struck by the 670,000 figure—switched straight to Li Longkai, probing revenue stats.

“31,580,000 taels in April, 48,210,000 in May!”

Li Longkai’s figures drew no shock from Lin Kai.

Population explosion drives trade skyrocketing—unavoidable.

Plus, Hongmen’s earnings go beyond mere trade. Outsiders pay for food, clothes, lodging. It’s less than trade volume but, with bigger crowds, adds up huge.

Recalling right, March profits hit 16,820,000 taels—so April doubled it, May tripled.

“This population wave ties to the martial arts competition, but keeping them post-event? That’s on our skills.

Lord Kong, city’s bursting now—ramp up expansion and aim to finish this month;

Prison Department, keep order ironclad. Report and squash any troublemaking scum fast. Safety first to hold onto the people;