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

Qin Shaolang slowly sheathed his knife, his gaze calmly sweeping over the faces before him, each one filled with fear, greed, or despair.

His voice was still hoarse, but it carried an irresistible authority.

"The water, I found it."

"How we divide it is up to me."

"Anyone who has objections can leave the valley and find their own water."

Three sentences, not a single word wasted, yet they weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like three mountains.

He paused, his gaze falling on Wang Tiezhu.

"Wang Tiezhu".

"Here! Mr. Qin!" Wang Tiezhu jumped up and immediately straightened his back.

"From now on, you're in charge of maintaining order." Qin Shaolang's tone left no room for argument. "I'll set the rules, and you'll enforce them. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown out of the valley. Whether they live or die is none of our business."

"Yes!" Wang Tiezhu answered loudly, a surge of excitement rising in his heart. He knew that this meant Mr. Qin trusted him and was also giving him an opportunity to establish his authority.

Qin Shaolang then turned to the crowd, raising his voice slightly.

"First, all the children, lined up in a row, led by their mothers, drink first."

"Secondly, sick people and the elderly are placed behind the children in line."

"Third, the remaining women."

"Last but not least, it's the man."

"Each person may only drink three sips. Anyone who dares to drink more, or cut in line or cause trouble, will not be allowed a single drop of water from now on."

His rules were simple and brutal, yet exceptionally fair.

In such dire circumstances, prioritizing the allocation of the most precious resources for survival to the vulnerable is itself a manifestation of civilization.

The crowd fell silent.

Those men who had been so frantic before now bowed their heads. Though selfish, they were also husbands and fathers. Qin Shaolang's rules left them no room for argument.

"Did you hear that?" Qin Shaolang asked coldly.

"I...I heard it." A few scattered responses came from the crowd.

"Speak louder!" Wang Tiezhu roared from the side.

"I heard you!" This time, the voices were much more unified.

At this moment, Su Jin had already helped Su Tang over. Su Tang had drunk some water and felt much better, but seeing this scene, she was still a little scared and hid behind her sister.

Qin Shaolang took the water bag back from Su Jin and handed it to Wang Tiezhu.

"Let's begin."

Wang Tiezhu solemnly accepted the water bag, feeling as if he were receiving not just water, but the lives of nearly a hundred people.

He cleared his throat and, following Qin Shaolang's instructions, began to organize the team.

Soon, a crooked line of mothers carrying or leading their children was formed.

The first person to step forward was a young mother holding a baby. Her child was already drowsy and had cyanotic lips. Trembling, she took the water pouch and, under Wang Tiezhu's supervision, carefully fed the child water.

After a few drops of water were added, the baby burst into tears.

Though the cry was weak, it was full of vitality.

The mother burst into tears instantly, hugged her child, and kowtowed heavily in Qin Shaolang's direction.

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

The procession moved forward slowly and in an orderly fashion.

Every child who drank the water received a grateful look from their mother. Every elderly person who drank the water bowed to him with trembling hands.

Su Jin stood behind Qin Shaolang, silently watching everything.

She watched as this man, using the simplest and coldest methods, forcibly established a system of order on the edge of chaos and despair.

Unlike those gentlemen who spout benevolence and morality, he is more like a ruthless monarch who controls the life and death of everyone with absolute power and iron-fisted rules.

Yet it was precisely this kind of person who gave everyone hope to live.

The water in the water bladder was quickly emptied.

The people at the back of the line started to get anxious again.

"Mr. Qin, the water... the water is almost gone..." an old man asked worriedly.

Everyone's hearts sank again. Yes, this one bag of water was far from enough for everyone. This was only a temporary reprieve; the crisis was far from over.

Qin Shao-Lang remained expressionless.

He didn't speak until the last woman in line finished her last sip of water.

"Wang Tiezhu, pick out ten more of the strongest men."

Wang Tiezhu immediately selected ten strong and robust men.

"Mr. Qin, what are your orders?"

Qin Shaolang did not answer, but said to everyone, "Those who want to live, those who want to have water to drink every day from now on, follow me."

After saying that, he turned around and walked into the depths of the valley.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment, but driven by the will to survive, they all instinctively followed.

Su Jin, supporting Su Tang, followed behind without hesitation.

Qin Shaolang led the large crowd all the way to the place where he had fought the previous night.

It was a bare rock face, with nothing particularly special about it.

People looked at him with suspicion, not understanding why he had brought them here.

Qin Shaolang walked to the foot of the rock wall and pointed to an inconspicuous little crevice.

"here."

The crowd crowded forward, and by the morning light, they could finally see clearly.

In that narrow crevice, drops of crystal-clear water were slowly but steadily seeping out, then dripping onto a slightly damp stone below.

"Tick-tock".

"Tick-tock".

The sound was soft, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Everyone was stunned.

Their mouths dropped open; they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

How could there be water in this barren, rocky mountain? And why would it be seeping out from the cracks in the rocks?

"This...this is..." a man stammered.

"A miracle...this is a miracle!" An elderly man with white hair suddenly shouted excitedly. He knelt down with a "plop" and kowtowed heavily to the water-seeping rock wall, no, to Qin Shaolang in front of the rock wall.

"It's a deity! Mr. Qin is a deity who descended to earth to save us!"

This sound was like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

Everyone realized what was happening.

Yes! How could a mortal possibly make water flow from a stone? This must be a skill only a deity could possess!

They recalled Qin Shaolang's miraculous medical skills and his decisive and ruthless demeanor, and then they saw this unbelievable scene before them.

All the awe, gratitude, and fear transformed into the most devout worship at this moment.

"Splash! Splash!"

The crowd knelt down in droves, like felled wheat.

Wang Tiezhu and the ten men he had chosen knelt willingly, their eyes filled with fervor as they looked at Qin Shaolang's retreating figure.

Even Su Jin was deeply shocked. Supporting her younger sister, she stared blankly at the man's retreating figure. She knew Qin Shaolang was very capable, but she never expected him to be able to accomplish such a near-creative miracle.

Facing the worship of a hundred people behind him, Qin Shaolang didn't even turn his head.

He simply gave instructions to the ten men who were still kneeling on the ground in his usual calm tone.

"Get up, everyone. Find something to fetch water, then take turns standing guard here."

"The water flows slowly, but it won't stop. From now on, this will be our water source."