All Heavens Strategy Game

Perhaps it was his wife's unintentional words that instantly gave Su Dashun a sense of sudden enlightenment.

My wife is right!

Failure won't kill you.

Success will enable one to achieve upward social mobility.

The benefits outweigh the costs.

Whether it succeeds or not, it is an opportunity, an opportunity to achieve upward social mobility. Many people pray to gods and Buddhas for such an opportunity but cannot find it.

Now that this opportunity has come knocking on my door, what is there to hesitate about?!

I never imagined that I could see things less clearly than a woman!

"Cuihua, do you believe I'm capable of great things too?" Su Dashun stared intently at Wang Cuihua.

"We're just farmers, what big things are we doing?" Wang Cuihua didn't understand.

Su Dashun laughed heartily, no longer holding back: "More than twenty years ago, when we got married, I said I would give you a good life. I never imagined that after more than twenty years, our family would still be poor and destitute. But don't worry, just wait, that day won't be far off!"

After saying that, Su Dashun stood up, strode out, pushed open the door, and went out, just like he had been more than 20 years ago when he couldn't wait to go to Cuihua's house to pick up his bride, with the same radiant spirit.

Looking at the man's hurried manner, Wang Cuihua cursed, "What are you doing out in the middle of the night? Don't catch a cold, put on a thick coat..."

When Wang Cuihua chased after him to the front gate, she couldn't find her husband anywhere. He had vanished without a trace!

……

Sishui Village.

Ancestral hall, parliament building.

The oil lamp was lit, and the candlelight flickered.

At this time of day when people should be sleeping, quite a few people have come to the council house at the invitation of the village chief, Su Dashun.

The village elders, the respected seniors, are all clan elders of the village, and any major decisions in the village must be approved by them.

The saying goes that imperial power doesn't reach the countryside; the orders of the clan elders sometimes carry more weight in the village than the emperor's words!

"Da Shun, what are you doing making a fuss in the middle of the night? Why did you call us here?"

"What major event has happened in the village this time? Why make such a big fuss?"

"The village council hasn't held a large meeting like this in many years..."

One by one, the clan elders took their seats, and Su Dashun, the village head of Sishui Village, presided over the meeting.

"Quiet, quiet!"

Su Dashun cut to the chase: "Does everyone know Su Ming?"

"Su Ming? I don't remember him."

"I remember, this is Widow Liu's third son, he lives at the edge of the village..."

"Oh, so he's Widow Liu's son!"

Liu's husband passed away a few years ago. She herself was lame and raised five children on her own. She was a strong-willed person and had a good reputation in the village.

Few of the village elders recognized the name Su Ming, but if you said it was the third son of Widow Liu, everyone would immediately know who he was.

"Village chief, why are you asking about Su Ming? Could it be that this kid has gotten into big trouble?" someone asked, raising their head.

"I haven't caused any trouble." Su Dashun glanced at everyone and said, "I want the whole village to support Su Ming's martial arts training!"

"What?! We're providing this kid with training in martial arts?"

"Does this mean the whole village has to support them?"

"What are you doing? Are you crazy or are we crazy?"

Unsurprisingly, the entire audience refused.

One by one, people suspected that Su Dashun had lost his mind, how could he say such absurd things!

Su Dashun did not refute, but said seriously:

"I'm serious!"

"I'm not crazy, nor am I talking nonsense!"

"Su Ming has this talent; he's incredibly gifted. If everyone supports him in training in martial arts, he'll definitely achieve great things in the future, and everyone will benefit!"

"It's not easy for our village to produce such a talented person; we must nurture him!"

"Our village has no connections, and there are no capable people among us surnamed Su. For generations, we have been farmers, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, our descendants will also be farmers..."

"I think if our village wants to get ahead, then someone needs to step forward and lead everyone else to do the same. Su Ming has that potential!"

Su Dashun's words were forceful and his gaze swept over everyone present.

"How can you be sure this kid has the potential to learn martial arts?"

"Practicing martial arts is not as good as studying. Of all professions, only studying is noble. Only by studying can one become an official. What's the use of practicing martial arts?"

"I was just saying my son has potential, so why didn't you give him to my son instead of Widow Liu's third son? You wouldn't be having an affair with Widow Liu, would you?"

Everyone started talking at once.

In response, Su Dashun waved his hand, and his eldest son, Su Dashan, walked in from the side.

"My son can testify that Shanzi and Su Ming had a match today, and Shanzi couldn't even last one move against that kid before being strangled unconscious!"

In an instant, everyone's eyes were on Su Dashan, and they all showed surprise.

Su Dashan, Shanzi…

He is very honest in the village, tall and strong, and is considered one of the strongest among the younger generation.

He was actually strangled unconscious by an eight-year-old child?

Some people scoffed and didn't believe it.

Some people were astonished, their expressions strange.

Everyone was waiting for Su Dashan to speak.

Su Dashan blushed with embarrassment and testified, "I...I really am no match for that kid. He's incredibly strong. I lost without even realizing it..."

Having said that, he fled as if he were escaping.

His embarrassed appearance instantly silenced everyone.

Su Dashan is known for his honesty and inability to lie.

Look at him, he's really been knocked unconscious by a child?!

"Really? That's amazing?"

"The village chief wouldn't wake everyone up in the middle of the night to lie to them."

"Su Dashan has never lied in his entire life. He wouldn't admit to something so shameful even if his father held a knife to his head if it hadn't actually happened..."

"Wow, an eight-year-old kid!"

Many people looked at each other, still finding it hard to believe.

"Even if what you're saying is true, so what?"

"Our village is too poor; everyone is starving. How could we possibly spend money to support an outsider?"

"Let's not even talk about whether this kid will make something of himself in the future. Even if he does, what if he doesn't help us later?"

"It's utter nonsense to expect us to use money to raise someone else's child, hoping that the child will become successful and then help us out."

The risk was too great, and still no one agreed.

Su Dashun ignored the objections, his eyes filled with reminiscence. He gestured for everyone to quiet down, and then recounted to the elders what Su Ming had said that day, as well as what his wife had said.

Those present were all clan elders, and he believed that everyone would understand these principles.

After his words, the room fell silent. Many people looked thoughtful, wanting to say something in opposition, but for a moment they didn't know how to start!

These words are absolutely right!

For an eight-year-old child like Su Ming to possess such knowledge and strength, he is indeed a martial arts prodigy.

Who knows, they might actually be able to make a name for themselves!

Su Dashun said sincerely:

"In short, I don't want to be poor my whole life. Whether you do it or not, I'm doing it! If you don't do it, don't consider me a friend or relative; I'll cut ties with you!"

This threat actually worked.

As the village chief, Su Dashun has helped many people in the village, and many people owe him favors.

His grandfather was the village chief, and his father was also the village chief, so Su Dashun was also the village chief.

The prestige and connections accumulated over three generations were enough for everyone present to treat this matter with utmost care.

In particular… Su Dashun’s actions were not for his own personal gain, but for the future of the village!

Seeing everyone's hesitant expressions, Su Dashun pressed his advantage, saying, "I'll vouch for Su Ming! If things don't work out, all the responsibility will be mine. What are you afraid of! You're all useless! The poorer you are, the more useless you become. Our village is already poor, and we finally have a talented person. If you can't even work together, you deserve to be poor! We're all poor!"

These words spurred someone to stand up immediately:

"I've been poor enough already. I don't want my son to be poor too. I'll support him. The whole village supports one person, more than 200 households support one person. Can't we afford to support him?"

"If someone is willing to take on the responsibility of leading our village, what reason do we have to disagree?"

"We're already poor. Without Su Ming, we'd all be poor anyway, and we'd stay poor forever. By supporting this outstanding individual, at least we have a chance to get ahead. Let's do it!"

Many people have expressed their opinions.

The village council operates on the principle of majority rule, a rule that has always been in place.

The remaining elders who disagreed could only sigh: "Go ahead and do it, but if it all comes to nothing, then let's see where you can cry then!"

Seeing that everyone agreed, Su Dashun seriously set a rule:

"Let's make it clear: once we start making offerings, we can't stop."

"Even if people starve to death in the village, we cannot stop."

"Either don't do it at all, or if you do it, even if it means breaking bones and tearing tendons, you have to grit your teeth and keep going!"

"These things are all voluntary. Since everyone agrees, let's draft a book, write down all the rules, and specify how many copper coins and how much grain to raise each month, and make it the village rules for the next few years. Then everyone can sign and put their fingerprints on it."

By winning over these clan elders, you win over the entire village.

With these clan elders leading the way in persuading people, no one in the village could refuse!

The matter of supporting Su Ming's martial arts training has been finalized!

……

Day two.

Su Ming did not do any work.

He stayed at home waiting for the village chief's message.

"I wonder if the village chief will agree to my request?"

"My request is reasonable, my potential and strength have been demonstrated, and I have done everything I should. If he had any sense, he would definitely agree to my request."

In other words, Su Ming comes from a poor family and is too young to leave the village, so he has to seek help from outsiders in order to learn martial arts as soon as possible.

If he were born into a wealthy family, he would never agree to invest in him!

He seemed to be trying to get the villagers to invest in him.

Isn't it also his own investment in the villagers?

The village is very poor.

They were so poor that few families could afford to eat their fill.

They were so poor that few families could afford to eat meat.

They were so poor that paying even a little more grain tax would cause people to starve.

In this situation, no one is willing to give up resources to outsiders, even if that outsider is a talented and outstanding person; few people have that kind of courage.

It takes great courage and long-term vision for poor people to make the decision to use their resources and money to support such a promising outsider.

If the village chief and others had vision, courage, and ambition, they would naturally not be content to be farmers for the rest of their lives, and would definitely invest in themselves without hesitation.

The fact that they have such vision and courage proves that they are not useless burdens to their teammates, and that they have some potential for development...

So, if Su Ming really achieves great things in the future, he naturally wouldn't mind helping his clansmen.

In the chaotic times of ancient times, during the era of cold weapons, it was impossible for an individual to accomplish great things.

Throughout history, those who aspire to great things have always needed the assistance and support of a group of people. Many hands make light work, and a team can go further.

As blood relatives from the same village, everyone is related by blood and naturally belongs to the same team, making them more united than other temporary outsiders.

Therefore,

Yesterday, it appeared that Su Ming went to the village chief to ask for his help.

Isn't this actually an investment by Su Ming in the village chief and others?

The day passed quickly, and evening was approaching. Su Ming, who had been waiting all day, still hadn't seen the village chief.

He sat on the threshold of the courtyard and sighed:

"The village chief is really short-sighted..."

An eight-year-old child defeating a strong, twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old man—anyone who isn't stupid can understand how formidable that potential is.

The village chief is such a fool to give up an investment opportunity like this!

Su Ming was not discouraged. He figured he could just wait a few years until he grew up, work hard to earn money, and then practice martial arts. It wasn't a big deal.

Although he developed a few years late, he is still full of confidence in the future, given that it is possible to cultivate internal energy in this world!

at this time,

A figure slowly approached from afar.

"Su Ming, were you waiting for me?"

Su Dashun strode over, grinning widely to reveal his large, yellow teeth.

"Oh?" Su Ming stood up and looked up at the 40-year-old man. "What have you decided to do?"

"Of course I'll help you!"

Su Dashun took out a money pouch from his pocket, which contained some loose silver and a lot of copper coins: "This is the subsidy for your martial arts training this month."

"Among them, there were eight taels of broken silver and more than three strings of copper coins."

"In addition, some poor people in the village can't afford to pay, so they will give you extra rice or chickens and ducks every month as a form of assistance."

"The clan elders have decided that a able-bodied adult will be sent to cultivate your family's fields in your place."

"From today onwards, your only responsibility is to eat and drink your fill, practice martial arts diligently, and hone your skills!"

At this point, Su Dashun's expression was particularly interesting, changing repeatedly, sometimes hesitant and wavering, sometimes expectant and longing, with happiness and sadness spreading and pressing against each other.

It's clear that this village man single-handedly facilitated this "investment." As Su Ming's guarantor, he's completely on Su Ming's side now, with no room for regret.

If Su Ming succeeds, then he succeeds.

Su Ming is a piece of trash, so he will be crushed to pieces.

He staked his entire life on this young boy!

He didn't know whether his decision was right or wrong, nor did he know what the future held, which led to his complex expression.

As people from the bottom of society, we can only do this kind of big thing once in our lives, and no one can face it easily!

"Village chief, believe me, this is the best thing you've ever done in your life." Su Ming took the money bag, his gaze indifferent.

Su Dashun pursed his lips, his sincerity evident, and said, "Okay, I believe in you. You definitely won't let me down. The future of the village rests on your shoulders!"

"I only hope that when you become successful in the future, you can help the village and prevent our people from being bullied by officials..."

Su Ming said, "Okay."

There were no earth-shattering vows.

They didn't say anything particularly impressive or harsh.

Faced with the bewildered village chief, the boy made the first promise he had made since coming into this world.