I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

As night fell, the noise in the factory compound finally subsided.

The villagers, carrying their thick wads of wages, walked home in groups of three or five, beaming with joy, excitedly discussing how much money they had earned in the past three days.

Jiang Chen didn't join in their commotion. Instead, he had a small table set up under the big locust tree in the courtyard and brewed a pot of fresh tea.

Third Grandfather Jiang Wanshan sat opposite, slowly sipping a purple clay teacup.

The old man's gaze passed over Jiang Chen's shoulder and landed on a figure slowly walking away in the distance.

That figure from behind is Jiang Mancang.

Instead of taking the main road like the other villagers, he took a narrow path along the field ridges, carrying a tattered snakeskin bag bulging with the hard-earned money he had made over the past three days, as well as the braised pork ribs that Jiang Chen had given him separately.

His back was still somewhat hunched, but his steps were much more steady than when he arrived.

"Tatsuko."

Third Grandfather put down his teacup, his voice clear in the quiet night.

"You handled this matter very well today."

Jiang Chen smiled and poured more tea for his third grandfather.

"Sir, do you mean the money we're giving to Uncle Mancang?"

"Giving money is a minor matter."

Third Grandfather shook his head, his eyes, which had witnessed more than seventy years of trials and tribulations, revealing a clear understanding of the world.

"What has enabled Jiangjia Village to go from being dirt poor to where it is today?"

Before Jiang Chen could answer, the old man continued the conversation himself.

"It's not about those who are cunning, lazy, or greedy for small advantages."

"It's all thanks to honest people like Jiang Mancang who silently take on all the work themselves."

"In the past, when the village built irrigation canals and distributed grain, whenever there was a good thing, those who were quick-witted and eloquent were always the first to rush to the front."

"When it comes to doing heavy and tiring work, all those people hide in the back, and it's always people like Mancang who step forward."

Third Grandfather sighed, picked up his teacup and took another sip, as if savoring the hardships of bygone years.

"Their lack of competitiveness and refrain from fighting or grabbing doesn't mean they're stupid; it simply means they're honest and kind-hearted."

"Today, in front of the whole village, you gave him the largest portion. You not only gave him money, but you also gave him a tremendous amount of face."

"You're telling everyone that honest people in Jiangjia Village won't suffer losses anymore."

Jiang Chen looked at his third grandfather and was deeply moved.

The wisdom of the older generation is sometimes more profound than any modern management theory.

"Sir, you're right."

Jiang Chen looked at Jiang Mancang's back, which was almost disappearing into the night, and said earnestly.

"I just want everyone to understand one principle."

"Talking nonsense won't work with me, Jiang Chen, and pulling strings and using back channels will be even less effective."

"Whoever is willing to work diligently and treat the affairs of Jiangjia Village as their own, I will treat them as family and will never mistreat them."

"From now on, the rule in our Jiangjia Village will be that honest people will surely be blessed!"

Jiang Chen's words were resolute.

The moment he finished speaking, the long-lost system notification sound rang clearly in his mind.

[Ding! Detected that the host has officially established and publicly declared the family's core principle: "Never mistreat honest people!"]

This guideline aligns perfectly with the concept of "family prosperity," greatly enhancing the family's cohesion and unity!

[System determination: Core values ​​successfully established!]

[Special Reward: The [Cohesion] attribute of the entire Jiangjia Village area is increased by 20%!]

[Note: After cohesion is enhanced, the collective sense of honor, work enthusiasm, and hostility towards outsiders among village members will be significantly strengthened.]

A smile appeared on Jiang Chen's lips.

This reward made him even happier than if he had been given a hundred million in cash.

He has plenty of money, but people's hearts are priceless.

Only when people are united can Jiangjia Village truly become a cohesive force and an impregnable fortress.

He wanted to chat with his third grandfather for a few more minutes and share his joy.

But when I looked up, I realized that something was wrong with the sky.

Just a moment ago, the sky was full of stars, the moon was bright, and the breeze was gentle.

In the blink of an eye, a thick, dark cloud appeared out of nowhere on the western horizon, pressing down as dark as if ink had been spilled.

There wasn't even a breath of wind; the air was so stuffy it made your chest tighten, like the brief, deathly stillness before a storm.

"The weather is about to change."

Third Grandfather also looked up, squinted for a while, and put down the teacup in his hand.

"I need to hurry home and collect the laundry."

The old man hadn't finished speaking.

A figure rushed out from the factory office in a great hurry.

It's Wang Dagou.

"Brother Chen! Brother Chen! Something terrible has happened!"

Wang Dagou ran up to him, panting as he spoke because he had run so fast.

"I just checked the weather forecast on my phone, and it says...it says there will be severe convective weather, with heavy rain tonight and possibly thunderstorms!"

Jiang Chen frowned.

"So what if it's a downpour? What's the panic?"

"No, Brother Chen!"

Wang Dagou was so anxious he was stamping his feet. "The key issue is that newly installed signal tower on the top of the back mountain! The equipment was just hoisted up a couple of days ago, and we haven't even had time for the final adjustments and reinforcements!"

"That thing costs several million! If it gets struck by lightning or blown down by a strong wind, the loss will be huge!"

Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat.

That signal tower is the core infrastructure he is preparing for the next steps of the "village-wide Internet of Things monitoring system" and the "smart agriculture phase II project".

It not only concerns the safety of the factory, but also the future digital blueprint of the entire Jiangjia Village.

If something goes wrong, the delays and losses will be substantial.

"Someone has to go up and keep watch. At the very least, they have to cover the exposed interfaces with tarpaulins and check the grounding wire of the lightning rod."

Jiang Chen made a decisive decision.

"I'll go upstairs."

"I'll go with you!"

A crisp sound came from the shadows beside them.

Su Qing followed us out at some point, carrying a tablet computer with a complex circuit diagram of the signal tower on the screen.

"That equipment is German-made, and the system interface is in German. I've attended their company's training sessions; I know it better than you do!"

Su Qing raised her chin, her face showing an undeniable sense of pride.

Jiang Chen looked at her, then looked up at the dark, almost dripping night sky, feeling somewhat hesitant.

Bringing a delicate young lady up the mountain, especially in this awful weather, what if something happens...?

"What are you looking at? Afraid I'll hold you back?"

Su Qing noticed his hesitation and became somewhat displeased.

"Don't forget, last time the drone almost had a problem, who manually corrected the parameters for you?"

Jiang Chen chuckled to himself.

This girl really has a competitive spirit.

"OK."

He nodded without further hesitation.

"Let's go, get in the car."

Jiang Chen turned around and strode towards the top-of-the-line off-road RV parked in the corner of the yard, which looked like a steel behemoth.