Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 307 Looking for a way out
Luze continued registering the lambs, and one by one, ordinary people obediently provided all their information under the gaze of his golden eyes. And at the very end of each registration, he would ask the person an important question—

"Would you like to be my lamb?"

Whenever the other person answered "yes," he could sense that they had formed a connection on a soul level. This connection was not strong; in fact, it could be described as quite superficial. But even so, it indicated that, in a mystical sense, they had established a relationship of lamb and shepherd.

Luze's "Shepherd" potion was thus digested.

After establishing herds in the eastern district, he continued to explore and gradually gained some understanding of the rules of the shepherd's role:
First, shepherds need to establish flocks;
Secondly, it is necessary to feed the flock, ensure the lambs' survival, and maintain sufficient control over the flock.
But clearly, these alone wouldn't be enough to fully digest the shepherd's potion; he needed to discover other rules of role-playing. He planned to continue trying, at least to deepen and strengthen his connection with the lambs.

It would probably be quite simple for other shepherds.
Lu Ze thought to himself, "As long as I gather a group of people and spread the toxic belief in the true Creator to them, these people will naturally become fanatics. And the shepherd, who is between the gods and the believers, will naturally become the one who carries out the will of the gods and communicates with the lambs. The role will be played out easily."

Lu Ze had no intention of becoming a missionary for evil gods or anything else; he could only explore a new path through his own methods.

After a busy morning, combined with his previous efforts, the number of registered lambs had exceeded half, and he could clearly feel the potion in his body being digested. During the questioning, occasionally someone would genuinely answer, "I don't want to be a lamb." They all planned to stay here temporarily and leave once they had a livelihood.

Lu Ze didn't drive these people away, because doing so would cause the other sheep to distrust them. In any case, these people were only a minority and wouldn't affect the overall situation.

"Alright, Oliver, you should go eat too."

He said this to the child who was helping him.

I bought this child from a cleaning company. He had injured his arm while cleaning chimneys, and I felt sorry for him, so I kept him after he recovered. Unexpectedly, he had a good learning ability. After receiving spelling education for a period of time, he had almost mastered reading and writing.

"Yes, Your Excellency Missionary."

Oliver put down his pen, said respectfully to him, and turned to leave the room.

"call."

M's illusory figure appeared before him, smiling as he said, "This little guy doesn't completely trust you, you've noticed, haven't you? There's no connection between you. Not even the slightest one."

"Because he is very smart."

Luze replied, “Lambs do not need wisdom; they only need to obey the shepherd’s will completely.”

Yes, lambs are inherently foolish and naive, easily deceived and devoured, which is why they need shepherds to guide and protect them. On a religious level, believers are thus linked to the lamb, becoming beings in need of divine salvation.

"Aren't you upset? The people you saved don't completely trust you."

M asked with a light laugh.

"I don't care."

Lu Ze replied, "I saved him just to put my mind at ease; I never expected his gratitude or loyalty."

As he spoke, he got up from his seat, collected all the files registered that day, and put them into a brown paper bag.

The digestion of the potion was progressing steadily, and the formula for the "Black Knight" potion was on the agenda. As long as he continued to maintain the herd and explore the rules of the game, he would eventually be able to fully digest the potion and gain the opportunity for further advancement.
"Mr. Anderson!"

Someone rushed in excitedly.

"Oh, it's you. What's up?"

Looking up, Luze realized the other person was Charles, the current leader of the Lehman Gang. "This can't go on."

The latter said, "If this continues, our Lehman Gang really won't last much longer."

It turned out that he had come to Lu Ze specifically to complain.

After Luze brought his herd to this neighborhood, he gradually transformed it. The streets became cleaner, casinos and brothels were driven out, and prostitutes and thieves were no longer allowed—which was only natural, as he had to ensure his herd was in a stable and safe environment.

However, what Luze was cracking down on was precisely the gang's most important source of income. But the real problem wasn't over yet. Luze not only cut back on spending, but also increased it—the funds he used to help the lambs came entirely from the Lehman Brothers' coffers, and the gang members had to maintain order for him, working from morning till night.

Of course, the Lehman Brothers' ability to cooperate in this way was also due to Luze's ability to use the "audience" approach to make insinuations—but even so, Luze's behavior was too excessive and was met with subconscious resistance from the other side.

"Is there not much money left in the vault?"

Lu Ze asked.

He didn't feel guilty towards Charles; after all, it was just a gang, and their operations weren't clean, so their disbandment was deserved. But if this affected the survival of the lambs, that wouldn't be good.

"If this continues, it will probably only last a few weeks."

Charles replied, "Besides, you're too good to them. They just eat and rest all day long, and they don't have to do anything at all!"

"Um"

Lu Ze thought about it for a moment.

Indeed, relief alone is not enough; simply spending money won't suffice. A true shepherd doesn't let his shepherding cause him financial hardship—the lambs themselves are the greatest resource.

"I understand, let me think about it."

He said to Charles.

After being cared for for a while, these people have struggled back from the brink of hunger and death, so we can try to find them something to do.

What should I do?
Hmm, the files show that many people have worked as textile workers. Maybe we could start a factory with that kind of money.
Lu Ze thought for a moment.

It's unrealistic for him to provide all the funding himself, as he would also need to spend money on potions and recipes. However, the remaining money from the Lehman Brothers wouldn't be enough to start the factory.
Are you trying to attract investment?

It probably won't be easy. If investors hear that the employees are all laid-off workers, they definitely won't invest. Besides, even if they do invest, they'll certainly have expectations regarding returns. If I open a factory that way, the exploitation of workers will only worsen; the sheep will be dissatisfied, and it will affect my performance.

Unless, of course, there are investors who are completely unconcerned about profits and only want to do good.
Eh?
Something suddenly occurred to him.

Miss Audrey seems quite suitable.
Firstly, her family is wealthy.

Secondly, she is quite friendly.

Thirdly, this factory could enhance her reputation for philanthropy.
The more Lu Ze thought about it, the more reliable it seemed.

Should we try to communicate with her?
(End of this chapter)