I worked myself to the bone to become a saint, and survived on a deserted island with a stunning pri

"Surrender, or die!"

Chu Nan's voice was tinged with coldness.

Wang Cai's body trembled. Faced with that explosive thing, even with more than 130 brothers, he had no confidence in fighting back.

"I...I surrender..." Wang Cai said through gritted teeth, his head bowed.

"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you!" Zhang San took a rope, walked behind Wang Cai, and tied Wang Cai's hands together.

"Boss, what do we do now?" Zhang San asked Chu Nan.

Chu Nan looked at the 130 people surrounded by 68 people and stroked his chin: "Brothers, don't be nervous. Since I, Chu Nan, have taken over Qinglong Village, you are all my brothers. I will treat you all equally and will never show favoritism."

"Take two people to take stock of the money and grain in the village." Chu Nan looked at one of the prisoners he had rescued before, a former failed scholar.

"Yes, boss!" the scholar replied, and quickly led two acquaintances to the warehouse, guided by the bandits of Qinglong Village.

"Arrange for the brothers to guard the mountain gate properly, and forbid anyone from going out," Chu Nan instructed again.

"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away."

"Go to your room!"

Chu Nan, accompanied by several trusted confidants, arrived at the main hall of Qinglong Village.

He sat at the head of the hall, while the others stood in front of Chu Nan. Without Chu Nan's order, they dared not sit down.

"Big...Big Boss..." Wang Cai looked at Chu Nan: "What do you plan to do with me?"

Chu Nan's gaze fell on Wang Cai.

Wang Nengcai has the ability to maintain such a large family business and innovate, which shows he has some skill.

However, the world is never short of capable people. What Chu Nan needs are people who are loyal enough.

"I can spare your life."

Wang Cai's face lit up with joy, but then he heard Chu Nan continue, "However, whether you are loyal remains to be seen."

"So I'll trouble you to stay in the room for a while," Chu Nan said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Wang Cai's expression stiffened slightly.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but Chu Nan waved his hand and said, "Alright, that's enough for now. As long as you behave yourself, you can live."

"Alright..." Wang Cai sighed.

He also knew that as the leader of Qinglong Village, he would not be trusted by Chu Nan so quickly.

However, his heart was filled with the loss and sadness of going from being the boss to a prisoner.

Even if he is released in the future, he will still be Chu Nan's subordinate and will have to take orders from others instead of giving orders to others.

They arranged for someone to lock Wang Cai in a room in a nearby courtyard.

Chu Nan stepped outside and looked at the more than 100 people surrounded by his brothers.

"Brothers!" Chu Nan shouted.

All 100-plus bandits from Qinglong Village raised their heads and looked at Chu Nan's face.

"Qinglong Village is now under the Chu family name, so you are also my people, my brothers."

"I promise you that as long as you do not betray me, I will make sure you are well-fed and clothed, and you will not have to live in fear."

Upon hearing Chu Nan's words, the bandits immediately began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Boss... will we really have enough to eat and wear?" a bandit with tattered clothes asked tremblingly.

"I definitely can!" Chu Nan raised his fist, his expression arrogant, and said firmly, "From now on, I'll eat the same food as you."

"I'm willing to follow the boss as long as I can eat my fill and stay warm."

"I'd like to too!"

"Me too!"

The bandits echoed the sentiment, even those who disagreed verbally. After all, it was the prevailing trend, and Chu Nan possessed something that could explode; they were still afraid of dying.

After appeasing the bandits, Chu Nan dispersed all 60-plus of his men, letting them live with the original bandits from Qinglong Village.

Fortunately, Qinglong Village has enough rooms, making it look like a village.

To appease the men and reward his brothers, Chu Nan ordered a lot of dishes to be prepared, and even took out a lot of meat from Qinglong Village to cook for them. He also brought out some wine, but not much, enough for each person to have about two bowls.

Two bowls of wine wouldn't get them drunk, but it would satisfy the bandits' craving for alcohol.

After all, they rarely drank before. Except for major events and the New Year, only Wang Cai could drink every day.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Chu Nan instructed them to go and rest.

At this moment, the scholar found Chu Nan.

"Boss...the money and grain of Qinglong Village have all been tallied."

"Oh? How many?" Chu Nan raised an eyebrow, quite intrigued.

The amount of money and grain stored in Qinglong Village is crucial to its future development. If the money and grain are insufficient, they must find a way to earn more. If the money and grain are sufficient, they can gradually make plans.

The scholar took out a small notebook from his pocket.

This notebook was also from the Qinglong Village storeroom; it looked like it had been stolen from the roadside earlier. Since no one in the village could read or write, it was simply tossed aside in a corner, where the scholar happened to find it.

"After I just finished counting, Qinglong Village has a total of 3254 taels and six mace of silver."

"There are 23500 copper coins."

"There are various grains such as rice, millet, beans, wheat, and melons, totaling 730 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Upon hearing this, Chu Nan's eyes lit up with joy, and he couldn't help but clap his hands: "Good, this amount of money and grain is quite substantial, enough for us to use for a while."

The scholar hesitated for a moment: "The chief..."

"What else?"

The scholar carefully considered his words before speaking: "In the prison behind, I also found seven women with disheveled clothes. After questioning them, I learned that they had all been abducted to the mountain by Wang Cai and his men."

"It has already been taken by Wang Cai and the others..." The scholar didn't finish his last sentence, but Chu Nan understood what he meant.

These women have already been violated by Wang Cai and his accomplices.

Chu Nan tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep voice, "Bring all these women out and arrange for them to stay in the side courtyard. No one is allowed to offend them. Give them food and water."

"Yes, I will take care of it immediately." The scholar bowed and then left.

Chu Nan lay on the bed that originally belonged to Wang Cai and slowly closed his eyes.

The next morning, when Chu Nan woke up, Xiao Zhu brought him water to wash his face.

Because yesterday's attack on Qinglong Village involved a full-scale assault, Chu Nan brought Xiao Zhuzi along as well.

With Xiaozhuzi's help, Chu Nan's life became much more convenient.

After washing his face and having breakfast, Chu Nan went to the side courtyard next door.

At the entrance to the side courtyard, two sailors who had previously followed Chu Nan were guarding the entrance.

"Sir!" The two sailors greeted Chu Nan warmly.

"Okay, you've worked hard, go and get some rest."

Chu Nan patted the two men on the shoulder. In terms of their relationship, these two sailors were the ones he could trust the most at the moment.

These two have been with him ever since he left the deserted island. Unfortunately, the other sailor was in prison and didn't escape from the city, so he must be dead now.

"Yes, sir!" The two sailors glanced gratefully at Chu Nan, then turned to rest.

Arriving at the courtyard gate, Chu Nan knocked on the door.

A series of panicked and chaotic footsteps suddenly echoed from inside.