In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

Report it to higher authorities?

He dared not!

How should he tell the prefect? ​​Should he say that a tyrant has emerged in his jurisdiction who can privately smelt steel and also maintains a private army? The prefect's first thought would definitely not be to send troops to help him, but to remove him from his post and punish him for negligence!

At that time, Li Jian'an will be the scapegoat!

Moving forward is a bottomless abyss, while retreating is a bottomless quagmire!

He was driven into a dead end by that young man named Qin Shaolang with a small steel ingot!

Li Jian'an slumped back into his chair, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He looked at the steel ingot and suddenly remembered Qin Shaolang's last words.

"If he takes this deal, I guarantee that within three years, his political achievements will be the best in the entire prefecture, and the treasury will be overflowing! I can give him anything he wants."

These words no longer sound like a threat, but rather like a...fatal temptation.

Political achievements...

Treasury...

Li Jian'an studied hard for ten years, leaving his hometown to come to this poor and remote place. Isn't that what he sought?

If... if we could really cooperate...

A crazy idea began to grow uncontrollably in his mind.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Zhang Wenyuan thought he was about to fall asleep.

Finally, he slowly raised his head, his voice hoarse, yet carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Master."

"I am here!"

"Pass on my message: open the county granary, count one thousand shi of fine rice, and deliver it to Master Qin as quickly as possible!"

"Furthermore, post notices announcing the discovery of a rich iron ore deposit within the county. The government encourages the people to mine it, and the county government will buy back any ore found at double the market price! All the collected ore will be sent to Qin Family Village!"

"As for the household registration..." Li Jian'an gritted his teeth, as if making a huge decision, "You handle it personally! Just say they are disaster victims who arrived here last year, and re-register them! Be thorough, and don't leave any evidence!"

Zhang Wenyuan was stunned. He opened his mouth and said with difficulty, "Master...you...you are..."

Li Jian'an stood up, walked to him, picked up the steel ingot, and stroked it with a complicated expression.

"He's neither a troublemaker nor a ruthless bandit."

Li Jian'an sighed deeply and said something that Zhang Wenyuan would never forget.

"From today onwards, he is our ancestor in Lantian County! We must treat him with the utmost respect!"

The carriage sped along, the dust it kicked up resembling a vengeful ghost chasing after Zhang Wenyuan.

He lay slumped in the carriage, his mind blank, the cold steel ingot in his arms feeling like a branding iron, searing his heart.

Finished!

It's all over!

Only those two words remained in his mind.

That young man named Qin Shaolang is not human at all; he is a devil! A devil who possesses the power to overturn the world!

The three conditions he proposed were hardly a business deal; they were clearly an ultimatum!

If Li Jian'an agrees, it will be tantamount to putting a noose around the neck of the entire Lantian County, handed over by Qin Shaolang, so that they can only be led by him and become puppets.

But if you don't agree...

Zhang Wenyuan shuddered; he dared not think any further.

He had no doubt that if the magistrate dared to say "no," Lantian County would have thirty-six more killing gods tomorrow, clad in fine steel armor and wielding divine weapons that could cut through iron like mud!

At that time, all county government offices and official authority will be torn to shreds in the face of that terrifying torrent of steel!

"Faster! Faster!" Zhang Wenyuan shouted hoarsely at the driver, his voice distorted.

He had to get back as quickly as possible to tell Li Jian'an this earth-shattering news.

This is no longer a question of whether they can keep their official positions; it's a question of whether they can keep their heads!

……

Earthen kiln.

With Zhang Wenyuan's disheveled escape, the oppressive atmosphere vanished.

After a brief silence, an even more frenzied cheer erupted!

"Brother Qin is awesome!"

"Long live Brother Qin!"

The soldiers no longer looked at Qin Shaolang with worship, but with a kind of fanatical faith!

A dark, unremarkable lump of iron terrified the high and mighty county clerk, who was so scared that he wet himself and knelt down to beg for mercy!

What incredible skill!

They don't understand what steel is, nor do they understand what mass production is.

All they knew was that by following Brother Qin, they would have meat to eat, wine to drink, and the right to stand tall, with even government officials kneeling before them!

This feeling is fucking awesome!

"Brother Qin, what exactly is that iron lump?" Chu Wu came over, scratching his head, his face full of curiosity and excitement.

Qin Shaolang simply smiled faintly and casually tossed the steel ingot to him.

Chu Wu hurriedly caught it, only to feel his wrist suddenly sink, almost causing him to lose his grip.

"Good heavens! It's so heavy!" He looked at it from all angles, but still couldn't figure it out.

"This isn't a treasure." Qin Shaolang's gaze swept over the excited yet bewildered faces as he slowly said, "This is the foundation we will rely on to make a living in the future, the source of our confidence to stand tall as human beings."

He paused, his voice not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"From this day forward, each of you will learn how to create this thing. I will make sure you all wear armor made of it and use weapons made of it! I will ensure that no one in this world will dare to bully us again!"

boom!

Qin Shaolang's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the minds of all the family soldiers!

Everyone was so excited that their faces turned red, their breathing became rapid, and their bodies trembled slightly from the extreme excitement.

Don steel armor and wield divine weapons!

What does that mean?

That's a privilege reserved only for the most elite imperial guards!

How could these refugees, who can't even get enough to eat, have such a day?

"We will follow Brother Qin to the death!"

Chu Wu was the first to react. With a "thump," he knelt down on one knee, raised the steel ingot high above his head, and roared at the top of his lungs.

"We will follow Brother Qin to the death!"

More than thirty soldiers knelt down on one knee in unison, their roars converging into a torrent that soared into the sky, making the entire valley seem to buzz!

In their eyes burned a flame called "hope"!

Sisters Su Jin and Su Tang stood not far away, quietly watching this scene.

Su Tang's face flushed red with excitement, and her little hands gripped her sister's clothes tightly.

Su Jin's heart was also churning with turmoil, unable to find peace.

She looked at the man standing in the center of the crowd, being stared at by everyone with fervent eyes, and a complex emotion welled up inside her.

With a piece of steel, he not only intimidated the government officials, but also completely won over the hearts of these thirty-six fierce soldiers!

From this moment on, this team truly has a soul!

They were no longer a mob, but a true army in its infancy that obeyed only Qin Shaolang's orders!

His methods have gone beyond the realm of political maneuvering.

This is a power that is almost "creative"!

Just how many secrets is he hiding?