The starry night sang like a melody.
Theresa lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She used to think that she would spend her whole life rotting away in the slums.
She thought of herself as someone indifferent to emotions, for more than once, she’d used her abilities to drive away those who tried to harass her or express affection.
But Theresa had to face one truth: maybe she wasn’t indifferent to feelings after all—she just didn’t care for those people.
Theresa rolled over.
“Miss Aililan.”
“She really is a special person!”
Theresa rolled over again.
“What does she look like?”
Theresa rolled over once more.
“No matter what, Miss Aililan must surely be a girl of the utmost gentleness!”
Theresa rolled over yet again, then opened her eyes wide—How could this be? Why couldn’t she fall asleep?
When the morning sun rose again,
the girl had dark circles under her eyes.
Theresa would never admit that she lost sleep last night, tossing and turning, thinking so much she just couldn’t rest, and that’s why she looked this way now.
But life had to go on. Theresa deftly picked up her clay jar and went out to the garden to collect Morning Dew Honey from the flowers.
She hoped the most fragrant and sweet Morning Dew Honey could be gifted to Miss Aililan, just hoping that lady wouldn’t disdain such a humble food.
She made another batch of ordinary Honey Water.
This was the drink for the Snake Gang.
And it was now Theresa’s main work.
As she neared the Snake Gang’s headquarters, Theresa suddenly heard the sounds of hawking and vendors calling out.
Since the Sewing Workshop had started smoothly, even though everyone was still poor, at least they could now afford some cheap porridge and pickled vegetables. Theresa found those sounds especially delightful.
Though she couldn’t see, it was as if she could glimpse the spirit called “the breath of everyday life” rising, little by little, from this muddy, stagnant slum.
And all of this was thanks to Miss Aililan and the changes she brought.
She was truly a kind-hearted girl; Miss Aililan was like a candle in the darkness, drawing in a big, blind moth like herself.
But soon, Theresa’s heart grew heavy again. Somewhat distressed, she muttered, “Miss Aililan said that if the Sewing Workshop can’t sell its goods, it’ll eventually go under.”
The blind girl was anxious and troubled.
She really wanted to offer some advice to Miss Aililan, but she just wasn’t good at that sort of thing. So frustrating!
If only she could be a little more useful and help share Miss Aililan’s burdens, that would be wonderful.
However.
What Theresa didn’t know
was that these matters didn’t need her to worry, and didn’t even need Aililan to pay much attention either.
There were only three large-scale Sewing Workshops in all of Atester City, and now, two of them had already been forced to shut down.
The merchant Beryon was in an utter panic.
Being audited for taxes and accounts by the Inspection Office was one thing.
But shops getting inspected several times a day? He’d never seen anything like it, and he couldn’t find any connections or ways out.
But soon, his merchant’s instincts told him where the problem was.
The Sewing Workshop?
Thinking back to his two former partners who used to monopolize Atester City’s garment trade—one dead, one arrested—
Beryon was filled with a chill that ran from head to toe.
All he needed was to verify it.
He ordered his subordinates to temporarily shut down the Sewing Workshop, and sure enough, the next day, the Inspection Office stopped coming to make trouble.
Beryon drew a conclusion: The force behind the Snake Gang, whom he’d once suppressed, was terrifyingly powerful. The waters there were deep enough to drown him.
So, he considered abandoning the Sewing Workshop.
But who could’ve expected that, on the third day after closing the workshop, he’d receive an invitation from the Snake Gang.
Aililan wanted to send a message, not end his life.
For Aililan, what she needed to focus on was the overall situation, not breaking up a monopoly just to establish her own. She wasn’t pursuing jobs and the economy for the slums at the cost of ruining others’ livelihoods elsewhere.
Besides, she needed a “catfish.”
To keep the slum’s workshop from becoming stagnant.
After all, she could oversee things for a while, but not forever—so she needed competition to keep things lively.
Inside the Snake Gang.
Aililan still wore her snake-etched mask.
On the other hand, the invited Beryon seemed rather nervous.
Aililan spoke, “Sir, there’s no need to be tense.”
Beryon forced a laugh, “Ha, haha.”
“Mr. Beryon, let’s not beat around the bush. You must’ve received a lot of orders lately, right? If you can’t handle them all, why not pass some along to our Snake Gang?”
“Haha, I… well, it’s not impossible.”
“Does Mr. Beryon have other requests?”
“I can give you all the orders, even close my Sewing Workshop, but can you keep the Inspection Office from harassing my other businesses?”
“Mr. Beryon, let me remind you—words can’t be spoken carelessly. We in these gangs try to avoid the Inspection Office as much as possible. Of course… so long as we keep to ourselves, even though the Snake Gang is still a gang, has the Inspection Office ever come to trouble us?”
Beryon squinted slightly.
There was a lot of information in that!
Just the fact that the Inspection Office hadn’t come after the Snake Gang was enough for him to ponder.
If he thought further, he could recall the downfall of Akoma’na and the David Family.
Thinking of this, Beryon immediately made up his mind, “Rest assured, from today on, I, Beryon, am withdrawing from the clothing industry. What do you think?”
Aililan hurriedly waved her hand, even sounding a bit like she was persuading him, “I think you’ve misunderstood me again. We of the Snake Gang aren’t bad people.”
“I…” Beryon really wanted to curse—As if I’d believe that!
“Why not hear my opinion?”
“Go ahead!”
“Akoma’na and the David Family have fallen, but their businesses remain. I want two-thirds of the orders. The remaining one-third goes to you.”
“What, you’re giving me a third?”
“Don’t rush, I have another condition.”
“W-what condition?”
“The workers from Akoma’na’s and the David Family’s workshops—we’ll each arrange for half of them to be employed, but as for the skilled positions, I want two-thirds. What do you say?”
Beryon’s mind started working.
It did seem like he was losing out.
But the clothing business in Atester City had gone from three players to just two, making the pie even bigger for each. He had no reason to object.
“I accept.”
“A wise choice. I look forward to working together.”
Everything after that was simple.
The Snake Gang’s Sewing Workshop absorbed the bulk of the talent from those two families—mainly skilled workers, especially the crucial sales channels.
The clothes stockpiled in the Warehouse, without any further obstacles, soon hit the market, and they even received a flood of orders from the Beastmen.
And so,
the Sewing Workshop was finally revitalized.
Inside Theresa’s little wooden cabin.
Aililan liked to handle the slum’s affairs here. After all, the Snake Gang’s place was still full of gang members, a bit too rowdy for her taste.
She was sorting through a few matters:
[1. No price wars. There’s no point in making our own people suffer while letting outsiders buy top-quality goods cheaply. Note: Anyone who starts a price war is courting death.]
[2. Cooperation with Beryon’s workshop is possible to develop the high-end Elf market. Note: Elves are rich and naive—luxury goods are the way to bleed them dry.]
[3. In addition to current-season clothing, we can produce some winter clothes for inventory. Note: While this can expand production, there are certain risks. Proceed with caution.]
[4……]
Aililan sat upright, fully focused on her “work.”
She really was beautiful.
Aililan was completely unaware
that Theresa, the little blind girl, kept wandering in and out of the inner and outer rooms.
It was just like a certain frail classmate who’d go to the bathroom nine times during eight periods, just for a chance to pass by that one classroom and catch a glimpse of the person they secretly admired.
Theresa:
“If only I could see?”
If she could see, if only she could catch a glimpse of Miss Aililan’s appearance.
How wonderful that would be!