Who told him to make the cards!

Can I pay on credit first?

Chen Zhi didn't answer, he just looked at him expressionlessly.

Old Zhou seemed to remember something and coughed: "Did I also buy on credit last time?"

Not just last time.

“You said the same thing the time before last,” Chen Zhi said.

Old Zhou chuckled: "Then let's keep track of them together? When I get paid... sigh!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhi had already snatched a hard biscuit from his arms.

Old Zhou immediately became furious: "You brat, why are you carrying a gun?!"

"To offset the debt."

Chen Zhi was too lazy to argue with him, so he took a bite of the pancake to assert his dominance.

A pancake only costs half a copper coin, so Old Zhou actually made a profit.

The people around them started to jeer.

"Old Zhou, it's been thirty years, how come you're still so stingy?"

"Even the stingiest people should be laying eggs by now."

"Oh no, it's Zhou Gongji (the rooster in the Chinese calendar)."

Old Zhou retorted angrily, "You guys don't know anything!"

"I call this knowing how to manage a household well."

He wanted to save the money and send it to his daughter who lived in the city.

Everyone burst into laughter.

The air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Laughter in the mining area is always rather short-lived.

Everyone has to go down into the mine soon, so there's not much time for idle chatter.

Old Zhou left, cursing under his breath.

The people behind him handed Chen Zhi cards one by one.

They're all old cards, already repaired several times.

The dust filter card used to block mineral dust got clogged again.

Some people ignored advice and insisted on using the hot water card that should have been thrown away, which resulted in it exploding.

Some people even pulled out a toy doll card that was broken in half and asked him, "Can this be fixed?"

Chen Zhi: "?"

"If you were cut in half at the waist, could you survive?"

"..."

"Next person."

Don't say it can't be repaired; even if it could be repaired, Chen Zhi wouldn't know how.

A toy doll isn't a jack for going down a well, so why would you need to repair it now?

This is taking up everyone's time.

The line for card replacements gradually shortened as Chen held the needle and thread.

Soon, the bells rang in the mining area.

Time to get to work.

After getting their cards replaced, the miners put on their work hats and left one after another, heading to the mine.

Once they left, the mining village quieted down.

Chen Zhi thought today would be another fruitless day.

Until a long cry suddenly came from afar.

That's the sound of a steam whistle.

It was higher and louder than the bells that had just started to ring, and even had a touch of sacred solemnity, as if it came from heaven.

The miners who hadn't left yet instinctively looked over.

Two beams of light shone in from outside the hazy, dusty fog.

The rumbling sound grew louder as it approached.

A silver train slowly came into view, cutting through the dust and following the old tracks that ran through the mining village.

An eye-catching card is embedded in the front of the train.

The card is light blue, like crystal, emitting a faint glow and forming a translucent film. Wherever it passes, dust and mud automatically part to the sides, as if commoners are making way for nobles.

"A big shot."

Someone whispered something.

Some people immediately took off their hats and bowed respectfully.

Some people turned around and left, not wanting to cause trouble.

Chen Zhi continued repairing the cards.

He sat in front of the stall, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his expression focused, as if he were completely absorbed in it.

But his arm accidentally bumped into the box containing change and ore, pushing it to a more conspicuous position.

Chapter 2 Noble Person

The train finally stopped at the entrance of the village.

It was exquisite and beautiful, spotless, and completely out of place with everything in the mining village, like a precious card that had been misplaced.

The only thing that could somewhat match it is the two-story building at the entrance of the village.

That's the main building.

It is also the only noble building in the entire Blackstone mining area with a "card arrangement".

Generally speaking, a deck of ten or fewer cards is called a "card deck", while a deck of more than ten cards is called a "card spread".

The main building is earthquake-resistant and dustproof, and miners who have been lucky enough to go inside say it's like spring all year round.

The miners dared not even imagine the cost of using at least five different card combinations.

The doors of the silver train slid open silently to both sides.

Ding Mao, wearing a black overcoat, got out of the car.

His hair was combed so neatly it shone like the leather shoes on his feet, and his face was full of smiles.

Some miners muttered under their breath.

"So this bastard can laugh."

After Ding Mao got out of the car, three more people got out of the car.

A young man, an old man, and a young girl.

The young man was holding a book with a black cover, wearing a blue quill pen badge on his chest, and large, round glasses perched on his nose. He looked refined, like a clerk.

A card floated on his shoulder, its surface reflecting a mirror-like light, recording everything around him.

The old man was dressed simply, had a kind face, and a slightly hunched back, making him look like a servant.

The girl was the last to come down.

She was around seventeen or eighteen years old, with long, jet-black hair tied back, wearing a light blue dress, and had delicate features, red lips, and white teeth.

What's most eye-catching is her skin.

Fair-skinned and clean.

Against the backdrop of the gloomy mining village, it seemed to glow, exuding an indescribable air of nobility.

The only drawback was that she had little expression on her face, making it difficult to guess her emotions.

"Miss Shen, please come in."

Ding Mao smiled obsequiously and invited the girl into the house.

Miss Shen ignored her.

She surveyed the mining village.

Before coming here, Shen Qinglian had wondered what the real mining area would be like.

But she clearly overestimated the company's conscience.

The dilapidated sheds, the murky ditches, the rusty rails... and the miners bowing to her.