Forced to become a top influencer, I rely on my tu cao to ruin the cultivation world.

Although the farce in the Lingxiao Palace ended with the Jade Emperor's "forced magnanimity," Jia Zang's ambition clearly did not stop at a small glass cup.

"Chairman Jia, the Heavenly Court's energy structure is too singular."

In the office on the South Heavenly Gate Tower, Deputy Wang Tiezhu pointed to the data charts on the holographic projection, his face full of worry. "Although we've made a lot of money selling psionic sports cars, the Heavenly Court's power core—the 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil Power Plant'—is under a lot of load lately. If we can't find a new energy source, our tens of thousands of 'Somersault Cloud Pro Max' vehicles will be grounded."

Jia Zang sat in the boss's chair, toying with a lighter he had brought from the mortal world, the flame flickering.

"An energy crisis?" Jia Zang smiled. "The Heavenly Court possesses thirty-three heavens, how could it lack energy? They just don't know how to develop it."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed to the huge, shimmering river that stretched across the sky below.

"That's the Milky Way, and flowing within it is the Weak Water of the Nine Heavens."

"Of all the waters in the world, I only need a single sip." Wang Tiezhu blurted out unconsciously, "That's divine water that can't even float a feather. How can we use it to generate electricity? Wouldn't a turbine be instantly corroded to dust if we put it in?"

"That was before." A glint of light flashed in Jia Zhuang's eyes. "Now, we have Qingyun Heavy Industry's specially made anti-corrosion alloy, and high-temperature resistant technology 'borrowed' from the Tushita Palace. As long as we build a dam on the Milky Way and create a 'Milky Way Hydropower Station,' we can not only light up the South Heavenly Gate, but also turn the entire Heavenly Court into a city that never sleeps!"

"But..." Wang Tiezhu swallowed hard. "The Milky Way is the territory of Marshal Tianpeng, the Grand Marshal of the Navy. That's the Heavenly Court's regular army, even more elite than Li Jing's Imperial Guard. If we go and intercept their flow, isn't that suicide?"

"Looking for death?" Jia Zang sneered. "Tianpeng is currently worried about military expenses. The Heavenly River Navy is idle year-round, spending its time patrolling and drinking. The Jade Emperor has long wanted to dismiss them. We're going to give him a political achievement, a little comfort!"

[System notification: Critical mission triggered – Tianhe River diversion plan.]

[Mission Objective: Establish a hydroelectric power station in the Heavenly River to control the Heavenly Court's energy lifeline.]

[Current live stream popularity: 4000 million (The entire internet is watching: Are ordinary people going to build a dam in the Milky Way?)]

[Livestream chat]

Holy crap! Chairman Jia is serious this time!

[The Milky Way? Isn't that Pigsy's territory?]

[That's Marshal Tianpeng up ahead! It's certainly a lucrative position.]

[Looking forward to it! Let's see how Chairman Jia fools this pig!]

Intercepting the Tianhe Weak Water for Power Generation

The Milky Way, the source of the Milky Way.

The Black Weak Water flows here year-round, its surface shrouded in a light mist, exuding an aura of mystery and danger. The Heavenly River Navy's main camp is stationed on the riverbank, with massive warships hovering majestically and solemnly on the water.

However, this tranquility has been shattered today.

"Boom—!"

The enormous roar of the machinery made the water surface tremble.

Marshal Tianpeng, clad in armor, staggered out of the cabin, his face full of displeasure: "Which blind fool dares to make a scene by the Milky Way? Don't they know I'm taking a nap?"

When he saw the scene before him clearly, he instantly sobered up by half.

In the middle reaches of the Milky Way, a colossal steel structure was rising from the ground. Countless robotic arms swung, inserting massive prefabricated steel plates into the riverbed. The surfaces of these steel plates shimmered with blue runic light, clearly made of a specially treated "weak water resistant alloy."

On the riverbank, a group of workers in Qingyun Heavy Industry uniforms were directing cranes to lower huge turbines into the water.

Most strikingly, at the forefront of the construction site, several massive tracked dredging tractors were roaring into action. These tractors had undergone special sealing treatment, their exhaust pipes soaring into the sky, and their huge buckets were scooping up the silt from the riverbed and loading it onto trucks for transport.

"Stop! What are you doing!" Tianpeng shouted, transforming into a streak of light and rushing over.

"Oh, Marshal Tianpeng, you're awake?"

Jia Zang stood atop a newly erected command tower, holding a large megaphone, and waved cheerfully at Tianpeng, "We're doing construction! Responding to the Heavenly Court's call for 'increasing revenue and reducing expenditure,' we're utilizing the drop in elevation of the Milky Way to generate hydroelectric power and solve the Heavenly Court's energy crisis!"

"Bullshit!" Tianpeng was so angry his beard stood on end. "This is the Milky Way! The Weak Water flows here! How dare you mortals provoke the Grand Duke Jupiter? If you disturb the river monsters or disrupt the feng shui of the Milky Way, can you bear the consequences?"

"Marshal, you are mistaken." Jia Zhuang jumped down from the command tower and walked to Tianpeng, his face still bearing that annoying professional smile. "Although the Weak Water cannot float a feather, its gravitational potential energy is enormous. After careful calculation, we have determined that intercepting this section of the Heavenly River will not only not affect the downstream areas, but will also allow us to divert excess water to the arid Northern Immortal Realm through the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. This is a great thing that will benefit future generations!"

"Besides," Jia Zhuang leaned closer to Tianpeng and lowered his voice, "this project has a very generous budget. If the Marshal is willing to be lenient, we can cooperate. The electricity generated will be prioritized for the Tianhe Navy camp, so you'll have heating in winter, air conditioning in summer, and constant-temperature bathwater—how wonderful would that be?"

Tianpeng paused for a moment. Constant temperature bathwater? ...That does sound tempting.

[Livestream chat]

[Hahaha! Constant temperature bath water! Hitting the nail on the head!]

[Tianpeng: I can resist the temptation of money, but I can't resist bathwater!]

[That's called precision marketing!]

[Chairman Jia understands this too well; this pig is the most lecherous... oh no, the most pleasure-loving.]

But he quickly realized what was happening and said sternly, "Don't give me that! Without the Jade Emperor's decree, no one can touch a single blade of grass or tree in the Milky Way! Stop work immediately, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

As he spoke, he swung his nine-toothed rake, and a terrifying burst of energy rushed towards Jia Zang.

Jia Zang did not dodge Tianpeng's attack.

Because behind him stood a row of security guards holding "psychic Gatling guns," and... a live-streaming camera.

"Family members! Did you see that? This is the attitude of the Heavenly Court's online army!" Jia Zang shouted into the camera. "We came here with good intentions to help the Heavenly Court with infrastructure construction and solve the energy crisis, and this marshal actually tried to hit us! This is the bureaucracy of the Heavenly Court!"

The live stream chat exploded instantly:

"This is outrageous! Marshal Tianpeng is bullying the working class!"

"We need electricity! We need heating!"

"Protest against the Heavenly Court's monopoly on water resources!"

At the same time, Jia Zang secretly handed Tian Peng a card.

"Marshal, this is a special fund card for the 'Tianhe Hydropower Project,' containing five million merit points. The password is six sixes."

Tianpeng's hand trembled slightly, and the imposing aura of the Nine-Toothed Rake immediately weakened by three points.

"This...this is bribery!" Tianpeng said, but his hands honestly stuffed the card into his pocket.

"No, no, no, this is a technical consulting fee," Jia Zang said with a smile. "Besides, Marshal, think about it. Once this hydroelectric power station is completed, the lifeline of the entire Heavenly Court will be in our hands. The Jade Emperor will have to ask us for electricity; Laozi will also have to ask us for electricity to refine elixirs. At that time, the Heavenly River Navy will be the Heavenly Court's 'energy guard,' and who would dare to lay you off?"

Tianpeng's eyes lit up.

Yes, holding the switch in your hand is much more useful than holding a rake!

"Ahem," Tianpeng put away his rake and cleared his throat, "Since you're doing this for the good of Heaven, then I'll give you this opportunity. However, construction safety must be strictly observed; there can be no mistakes!"

"Rest assured, Marshal! Qingyun Heavy Industry guarantees quality and provides worry-free after-sales service!"

Three months later.

A magnificent dam spans the Milky Way, cutting off the surging Ruoshui River. Huge water turbines spin at high speed under the impact of the Ruoshui River, emitting a deep roar.

Countless silver cables extend from the dam, connecting to every corner of the heavens like blood vessels.

The neon lights at the South Heavenly Gate are brighter, the alchemy furnace in the Tushita Palace is spinning faster, and even the osmanthus trees in the Guanghan Palace have been equipped with an automatic sprinkler system.

The Heavenly Court has fully entered the "Electrical Age".

The master switch for all of this is in Jia Zang's hands.

"Chairman Jia, Marshal Tianpeng just sent a message saying that the air conditioner in their camp is broken and asking if we can send someone to fix it," Wang Tiezhu reported.

"Repair it, of course we'll repair it." Jia Zhuang leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the tamed Milky Way, a cold smile playing on his lips. "However, we'll charge a service fee. And we'll let him know that without us, they can't even get hot water for a bath."

The Heavenly River Navy, nominally the Heavenly Court's army, has in reality become Jia Zang's "property security guards."

Jia Zang not only intercepted the water of the Milky Way, but also cut off the lifeline of the Heavenly Court.

In this era, those who control energy are the true kings. The Jade Emperor is gradually becoming a figurehead, a figurehead with no real power.

"Next," Jia Zang looked at the plan in his hand, which had the words "Feasibility Report on the Transformation of Nuclear Fusion Technology in the Tushita Palace" written on it, "it's time to pay a visit to Laozi."

[Livestream chat]

Holy crap! Tianpeng (a character from a popular Chinese TV show) is amazing! The constant temperature bathwater feels so real!

This is the power of capital! It can even dam the Milky Way!

[Chairman Jia is awesome! He's got the lifeline of Heaven in his hands!]

[Jade Emperor: I feel like I've been sidelined...]

Looking forward to the next chapter! Let's see how Laozi gets fooled!