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

miracle?

Qin Shaolang remained completely unmoved.

For a special forces soldier who once survived for seven days on a military-grade compressed biscuit and filtered urine while on a mission in the Gobi Desert, finding a groundwater seepage point by observing lichens, mosses, and rock formations is just a basic wilderness survival skill.

The so-called "miracle" is nothing more than a dimensional reduction attack on the level of knowledge.

What he needs is obedience, not worship.

Worship breeds laziness and fantasy, while obedience can be transformed into efficient execution.

"Wang Tiezhu." His voice remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Yes, sir! Please give your orders!" Wang Tiezhu stood up almost as if he had been ejected, his face flushed with fervor.

"Take these ten men and find everything that can hold water—wooden buckets, earthenware pots, water bags, even broken bowls—bring them all. Build a simple water reservoir here."

"Then, you eleven people will be divided into two shifts and guard this place day and night. No one is allowed to approach the water source without my order."

"The water will be distributed by you. The rules will remain the same as before."

Qin Shaolang's orders were clear, concise, and devoid of any emotion.

He was telling everyone in the most direct way that he could give you water, but he could also cut off your water supply at any time.

He firmly held the source of life in his hands.

"Yes! We guarantee to complete the mission!" Wang Tiezhu led ten men, accepting the order and leaving with his footsteps filled with strength and honor.

The remaining nearly one hundred people were still kneeling on the ground, looking up at Qin Shaolang as if he were a god walking among mortals.

They dared not get up.

Qin Shaolang didn't look at them, but turned around and walked up to Su Jin and Su Tang.

Su Tang's little face still showed a hint of fear, but more so curiosity and dependence.

Qin Shaolang's gaze lingered on Su Tang's pale face for a moment, then he said to Su Jin, "Find a sheltered spot and let her rest properly."

Su Jin helped her younger sister up, nodded, and moved her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

The turmoil in her heart was far more intense than that of anyone else.

Others see it as a miracle, as a savior.

What she saw was the methods, the control, and the hearts of men.

This man, from the moment he appeared until now, has stepped on the most crucial juncture at every turn.

Killing someone to establish authority and create initial fear.

By bestowing kindness and providing water, one can win the hearts of the weak.

By performing "miracles," he completely shattered everyone's psychological defenses and elevated himself to a divine status.

Ruthless, precise, and efficient.

He wasn't some god descended to earth at all; he was... a monster who knew how to wield power better than any emperor!

Su Jin helped her sister to a relatively clean rock wall and sat down, but her gaze never left the man's back.

She had a strong premonition that, from this day forward, this valley would no longer be a temporary refuge for refugees.

It will become a kingdom of one person.

A kingdom ruled by absolute dictatorship, where Qin Shaolang has the final say.

When Qin Shaolang and Wang Tiezhu and the others returned, they put the various containers away and watched as the dripping water droplets began to gather into a small puddle. Only then did he finally face the dark mass of people kneeling down again.

"Get up, all of you."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it clearly.

The crowd hesitated for a moment before standing up one after another, but everyone kept their heads down, not daring to look him in the eye.

"From this day forward, there will be only two rules in this valley."

Qin Shaolang extended one finger.

"First, my word is law. Those who disobey will either get out of the valley themselves, or I'll send you out."

His words carried an undisguised stench of bloodshed.

A commotion arose in the crowd, but no one dared to make a sound.

He then extended his second finger.

"Secondly, everyone must work. Those who don't work will not have food or water."

"Men, women, even toddlers who can walk, are all the same."

"I don't support idlers here, much less useless people."

The moment the second ironclad rule was announced, the crowd erupted in uproar once again.

"What? Women have to do chores too?"

"How can such a young child do any work?"

"We're here to escape, not to do hard labor..."

Whispers began to spread among the crowd.

Especially the men, whose inherent male chauvinism makes them feel that it is a disgrace to make women and children do the work.

Some women also looked troubled, as they had families to support and children still in swaddling clothes; how could they possibly work?

Qin Shaolang listened quietly, his face expressionless.

He offered neither explanation nor reassurance.

He only looked at Wang Tiezhu, who had just established his authority.

Wang Tiezhu understood immediately. He took a step forward and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

"Mr. Qin's words are the law of nature! Who dares to question them?"

"Think about it, without Mr. Qin, where would you be now? You would have died of thirst on the road long ago! Would your children and wives still be alive?"

"Now that the master is giving you water to drink, providing you with a way to survive, and asking you to do some work, what's wrong with that? It's only right and proper!"

"If anyone dares to utter another word, before the master even makes a move, I, Wang Tiezhu, will be the first to tear their mouth apart!"

Wang Tiezhu's crude yet highly inflammatory words instantly suppressed all the dissatisfaction.

Yes, my life was saved by others.

Compared to survival, what does doing some work matter?

Qin Shaolang then spoke slowly, his voice like ice, striking the hearts of everyone present.

I'll repeat it again.

"Children who can walk can go and collect firewood."

"Women can be responsible for washing, sewing, or picking some wild vegetables and fruits that I specify nearby."

"Men, those with good physical strength, come with me hunting, or be in charge of guarding the valley. Those with less physical strength, be responsible for reinforcing the caves and making tools."

"Everyone has a way of life that suits them."

"I don't care what you did before, whether you were wealthy merchants or tenant farmers. Here, you only have one identity—workers."

"The more you work, the better you eat. The less you work, the hungrier you get."

"Those who refuse to do it, go die."

"Did you understand?"

With the last four words, his tone suddenly turned cold, and an invisible killing intent spread out.

Those who had just harbored some ulterior motives felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads, instantly chilling them to the bone.

They had no doubt that if they said "no," they would be beheaded the next second.

"I...I understand!"

This time, the response was uniform and filled with fear.

Qin Shaolang nodded in satisfaction.

What he wanted was this absolute obedience.

"very good."

"Wang Tiezhu".

"exist!"

"Gather all the men and divide them into three teams according to their physical strength. One team will be responsible for guard duty, another for logistics and infrastructure, and the strongest team, come with me."

"yes!"

"Also, have Su Jin come over."

Su Jin was comforting her younger sister when she heard her own name and her body stiffened.

She didn't know what Qin Shaolang wanted her to do, but she suppressed her unease and went over.