Today, Verum woke up craving a deliciously buttery croissant. When she told Orak about this, he knew exactly what to do. After all, Orak was from the Time-traveler Tribe. He opened a portal and popped into a French cafe in Paris. When he returned to the Mystical dorm room, he had bought croissants for all his friends.
As the Gifted Four enjoyed their croissants, Scorch said, “We are so lucky to have Orak! Otherwise, it would be impossible to get the things we want from the human world.”
“I wonder how humans do it,” said Felix, “How do coffee beans from Brazil reach Germany?”
“Through trade routes!” replied Verum, “Earlier today, my crystal ball brought me a story around this topic. On 25th August, China opened the new railway line called China-Myanmar New Passage. It connects the Myanmar border to Chengdu in Sichuan Province, an important trade port in western China. A test cargo arrived in Chengdu on 27th August.”
“Oh,” said Orak, “What is so significant about this new railway line?”
“It’s really important for China’s trade. You see, it connects the country to the Indian Ocean,” explained Verum, “And from there, to Singapore. Let me explain the trade route to you.”
“Yes please,” said Felix.
“Singapore is an island country located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is the largest port in Southeast Asia,” started Verum, “Since 2003, China has been Singapore’s largest trading partner. So, goods from Singapore travel via ship through the Andaman Sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean. They reach the Yangon Port in Myanmar, which is China’s neighbor.”
She continued, “From Yangon, they are transported via road to Lincang in Yunnan Province. It is located near the Myanmar-China border. The new railway line runs from Lincang to Chengdu. It takes three days to make this journey. But it is still currently the most convenient channel connecting southwest China to the Indian Ocean via land and sea. One-way journey through this route saves 20 to 22 days!”
“That is really convenient for China’s trade,” said Scorch.