Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 18 "Dawn", the first ray of light before the dawn (Seeking recommendation votes and monthly votes)

"It's Lord Yun Chuan!"

"Lord Yun Chuan has arrived!"

Some sharp-eyed people spotted Yun Chuan holding an umbrella in the distance, and their shouts attracted the attention of others nearby.

"Stop! Everyone, stop what you're doing!"

The old foreman's eyes lit up immediately. He told everyone to stop and rest for a while, and then he ran over to Yun Chuan.

"Lord Yun Chuan," the old foreman grinned, showing off his bright white teeth, and pointed to the completed house behind him, "How does it look? We tried our best to follow the design you gave me. If there are any problems, please let me know, and my old buddies and I will make the necessary changes as soon as possible!"

His roguish air hadn't completely dissipated, but you could still see his respect and gratitude towards Yun Chuan.

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Wudu." Yun Chuan smiled, looked up at the houses in the distance, and a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

The environment in the Land of Rain is indeed very special and harsh.

But life itself is a miracle.

Extreme and harsh environments have created unique life forms!

A plant similar to a banyan tree, with aerial roots, whose branches can absorb more than 30 kilograms of moisture from the air every day.

The juice can replace special coatings to provide moisture protection and can also purify rainwater into usable drinking water, making it a building material that is extremely suitable for the environment of the rain country.

This material was mainly used for construction, with high railings separating the upper and lower floors. People lived upstairs, while miscellaneous items were stored downstairs.

These things will definitely need to be upgraded in the future. After all, besides water supply and drainage, the strongest thing in the Land of Rain is actually its steel industry, but for now...

"Great, really great!"

Yun Chuan nodded, a smile playing on his lips, and looked at the old foreman before him, saying with a smile, "Work hard! Once the houses are built and you've settled down here, I'll introduce you bachelors to some wives!"

Upon hearing this, the old foreman was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. He abruptly turned around, cupping his hands in front of his mouth like a megaphone: "You old bastards, listen up! If you want to get wives, work hard! Lord Yun Chuan has granted our request! Work hard, and we'll get you wives!"

"Don't drag us into this, it's just that you, you old geezer, are thinking about women!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The rest of the people burst into laughter.

"Bullshit!" The old foreman's face flushed red at the shouts of his fellow workers, and he yelled, spitting as he shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! Get back to work!"

"oh!"

The others raised their tools and echoed, then resumed their busy work amidst laughter and playful banter. They were noticeably more enthusiastic, and one could almost feel the warmth and noise emanating from them, as if the surrounding chill had been dispelled.

"..."

Yahiko's expression became complicated, and a hint of envy flashed in his eyes. He whispered, "Do you really have that much personal charm?"

Even though he was reluctant to admit defeat, he couldn't help but admire Yun Chuan's appeal and affability here.

"Of course...no."

Yun Chuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You don't actually think I rely solely on my words, do you? I pay them double the market rate!"

He wouldn't "open the granary for disaster relief" like Hanzo, nor would he fantasize about making people work for free just by talking.

Yun Chuan's approach was actually quite simple.

—Work relief!

In this early chaotic period, the common people had lost faith in the nobles and daimyo, and simply opening granaries to provide disaster relief was no longer feasible, because they did not even believe that the nobles would be so kind as to send food without any reason.

Even if someone spreads Hanzo's virtuous reputation, those displaced people are unwilling to believe it.

Unless they are completely useless and starving, no one wants to become worthless cannon fodder in war. They would rather rely on their own skills to make a living.

Those who are willing to become cannon fodder will only become a burden if they are supported before the war begins; the effort and reward are completely disproportionate.

"Thousands of able-bodied people, if properly guided, can create even more value."

With this in mind, Yun Chuan never tried to gain fame through disaster relief.

Since this country is no longer trustworthy from top to bottom, it might as well establish new rules, and Yun Chuan can also add his own agenda to them.

Therefore, he simply made these refugees work, paying them with money and grain as wages, settled daily.

If you can work, you'll have food to eat—that's perfectly reasonable!

The work-for-relief approach completely dispelled the concerns of the displaced people, and wages were paid daily without delay, regardless of the number of workers.

"Double pay? Paid daily?" Hearing Yun Chuan's simple explanation, Xiao Nan was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Brother Yun Chuan, you actually have that much money?"

As if he had just thought of something, Yun Chuan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Why don't you ask me where all that money went?"

Since it's about development, it's naturally inseparable from "commerce"!

As the old saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Yun Chuan taught them how to build their own houses. Once they finished building, the money they received from Yun Chuan could be used to buy the houses they had built.

If that's not enough, you can move in by paying just a "down payment," and then pay a fixed percentage of the amount each month.

Once you pay the missing money, the house will be yours.

Similarly, if you're hungry from working, you'll need to eat and drink. If you have money, why don't you go to a bar and have some fun?

Yun Chuan even selected some talented people and taught them to make new dishes and brew wine, which not only promoted business development but also satisfied his own appetite.

After all, the most popular food in the Land of Rain is still "bread," and the culinary skills of the entire ninja world are really not something I can compliment.

The dishes he teaches always receive a lot of positive feedback.

Where there's a market, there will be people who want to make money from it. You need land to farm and open a tavern, right?

Commercial land, agricultural land.

I have land here!

Where did the land come from?

Of course, they'd steal it from the bandits...

Bah! Of course it was captured!

No money to buy land?

No problem, I can rent it to you!

30% tax, 20% rent! Just rent for ten years, and the land is yours. After that, you only need to pay taxes, no more rent!

"..." Yahiko remained silent.

"..." Xiao Nan remained silent.

"..." Ji Yun remained silent.

The expressions on the three children's faces gradually synchronized, and their gazes toward Yun Chuan became strange, as if they were looking at a living demon.

However, compared to Jiyun and Yahiko, Xiaonan seemed somewhat thoughtful.

Yun Chuan took the money out of his left pocket, spent it, and it ended up back in his right pocket. It never left the small town.

"Don't look at me like that. I never said I was a good person." Yun Chuan shrugged and said frankly, "But people need constant property to maintain their spirit. For them, who struggle to even get a full meal, being full is the only truth."

"I'm just giving them hope, an opportunity. Those who want to live will naturally hold on tight, and those who can't hold on don't deserve to live."

Like those construction workers, they are all low-level people with only a lot of strength.

If the job market is good, you'll be a "construction worker"; if it's bad, you'll just grab a hammer and become a bandit.

They may not understand grand principles, but they know who treats them well and who gives them hope for survival.

Who can make them no longer numb, no longer in pain, no longer weeping, no longer hungry...?

Therefore, they would stuff food they couldn't bear to eat, or things they considered "treasures" into Yun Chuan's hands, or even leave them outside his office and then run away as if afraid of them being returned.

Although it may seem rude and crude, this is how they express goodwill and respect.

Just as Yun Chuan said, as long as one is well-fed and clothed, one will know etiquette and value honor and shame.

Faced with these exceptionally clumsy fellows, Yun Chuan didn't mind "mingling with the crowd."

This alone caused his image and reputation to rise steadily in the minds of this group of people, to the point that they knew "Lord Yunchuan" but not "Your Highness Daimyo".

Your Highness the Daimyo?

What is that?

They believe in "Yun Chuan"!

"Brother," Ji Yun raised his head slightly and asked abruptly, "I haven't seen any guards. Who's maintaining order and protecting this small town?"

We can't rely entirely on self-discipline, nor can we rely on him alone; there will always be times when he's not around.

If someone takes advantage of this time to plunder, it doesn't seem reliable to rely solely on those refugees...

"It's just that you can't see it," Yun Chuan shook his head and corrected, "not that it doesn't exist."

As the words fell, it was as if a "switch" had been turned on, and the "curtain" covering the little ones was pulled back.

In the dimly lit alleys beside him, in those inconspicuous corners, and even among those workers.

Silently, figures of varying heights and builds, with unremarkable faces, appeared around Yun Chuan and his companions in a "silent" manner, as if they had stepped out from the shadows.

Everyone standing here looks like a born assassin.

"I gave them a name."

Looking at the still bewildered children, Yun Chuan's eyes deepened, and he chuckled softly, "Dawn."

It was the time when night met dawn, but the faint light of day was obscured by the fog, appearing and disappearing as if melted into the rain and mist.

Only a dim light shone at their feet, reflecting the dew and faintly illuminating the flock of owls behind them whose wings were still shrouded in the night.

That was the first ray of light before dawn.

(End of this chapter)