Chapter Summaries

The Police Chief tortured a young rioter until he confessed that the Nagaril Youth Party had organized protests against Lin Qi’s recruitment meeting without outside instructions. Lin Qi and Provincial Governor Drag left the station wary of the movement, and Lin Qi began comparing their situation to building a sandcastle.

• The Police Chief whipped the captured young man with a saltwater-soaked lash until he was close to breaking.
• The Police Chief reported to Provincial Governor Drag and Lin Qi that young people had formed the Nagaril Youth Party and acted on their own to disrupt Lin Qi’s recruitment meeting.
• Lin Qi said the party’s influence should be suppressed, and Drag ordered the Police Chief to keep a close eye on it.
• Drag admitted that the sudden formation of groups had caught him off guard as he and Lin Qi left the station.
• Lin Qi asked Drag whether he had ever built a sandcastle and recalled that growing up had not made him better at building one.

Lin Qi explained to Provincial Governor Drag that social unrest was like a sandcastle threatened by the forces that had built it, and argued that the tide should be guided rather than suppressed. He then ordered Asier to expand recruitment and spread the word that his factories would help locals earn money, leaving Asier to carry out the plan.

• Lin Qi used the image of water building and destroying a sandcastle to show Provincial Governor Drag how concentrated wealth and power had fueled unrest.
• Provincial Governor Drag asked whether they should suppress the protesters, and Lin Qi said they should guide the movement instead.
• After recruitment resumed, Asier reported that nearly two hundred people had been hired, and Lin Qi told him to aim for ten thousand workers for four factories.
• Lin Qi challenged Asier for shifting from wanting to change the province to worrying about costs and local workers' work habits, then reassured him that pursuing a better life was not wrong.
• Lin Qi instructed Asier to recruit gradually from across the province and spread the message that his business would help locals make money rather than exploit them.

Asier examined Lin Qi’s escalating wage system and worried that the workers would exploit his generosity, while Lin Qi explained that the plan would offer them a chance and bind their advancement to long-term work. The next morning, Lin Qi received Mr. Simon and his family for a friendly visit.

• Asier recalled workers who had deceived him and questioned Lin Qi’s plan to help them earn more.
• Lin Qi directed Asier to the wage table, which outlined rising pay and worker ranks based on consistent performance.
• Asier objected that the wages were too high, but Lin Qi reassured him, and Asier left to publicize recruitment with protection arranged by Sergeant.
• Lin Qi’s plan required workers to sign agreements and meet escalating standards, with demotions for serious mistakes.
• The next morning, Lin Qi waited at Provincial Governor Drag’s residence and welcomed Mr. Simon, who arrived with his wife and children.

Lin Qi reassured Mr. Simon that the Federation and the United Development Company would not target foreign merchants, while warning that they would face open competition. Mr. Simon left with the choice to adapt and compete or leave Nagaril.

• Lin Qi observed that Mr. Simon’s wife and son seemed uneasy despite Mr. Simon’s affectionate introduction of them.
• Mr. Simon sent his son away and explained that the Federation’s expansion and the disappearance of Preton had unsettled Nagaril’s foreign merchants.
• Mr. Simon admitted that he feared losing his business and asked Lin Qi for reassurance.
• Lin Qi promised that lawful businesses could continue operating, but emphasized that the Federation opposed monopolies and would allow competitors to challenge Mr. Simon.
• Lin Qi told Mr. Simon that merchants who could not compete might leave Nagaril, though he would welcome their departure.

Lin Qi refused Simon’s request to buy shares in the Nagaril Joint Development Company, explained that the stake prices were far beyond Simon’s means, and assured him he could obtain goods through the company’s distributors. After Simon left, Lin Qi resolved to make departing merchants surrender some of their monopoly profits, then went with Sergeant to an orphanage to make a donation.

• Simon asked Lin Qi about buying into the Nagaril Joint Development Company, but Lin Qi said each percent had cost ten million Federal Sol at the fundraising price and now cost even more.
• Simon accepted that he could not afford shares and asked about obtaining goods, which Lin Qi said he could purchase directly from the company’s distributors.
• After Simon left, Lin Qi blamed merchants like him for damaging Nagaril’s market and decided departing merchants would have to return some of their gains through a foundation.
• Sergeant told Lin Qi that everything was arranged, and Lin Qi said they would leave after lunch.
• Lin Qi’s convoy arrived at a local orphanage with supplies as reporters and curious residents watched, and Lin Qi climbed down to face the frightened children.

Lin Qi visited a Nagaril orphanage, donated supplies, and announced plans to build at least twenty free Hope Schools. He defended his choices to the crowd and named children the nation’s hope.

• Lin Qi greeted the orphanage director and praised her dedication to caring for the children.
• Lin Qi donated food and daily necessities, then announced plans to build at least twenty free schools across the province.
• A small child dirtied Lin Qi’s clothes, but Lin Qi calmly picked him up and explained that the schools would give children a chance to change their futures.
• When a reporter questioned why he had not donated money, Lin Qi said cash could invite crime and put the children at risk.

Lin Qi’s charity event ended after he explained why he donated supplies rather than cash, earning the respect of a young revolutionary who hoped to overthrow Nagaril’s corrupt system. Lin Qi then met Neil and outlined plans to build a local cement factory and acquire the mines and equipment needed to support Nagaril’s development.

• A young man reconsidered his mocking view of Lin Qi after recognizing why he had donated supplies instead of money, while his companions argued over whether foreigners intended to help or exploit Nagaril.
• The young revolutionary left with renewed determination to build a government that served the people, and Lin Qi’s charity event ended amid applause.
• Lin Qi decided against adopting a child, then met Neil, who had arrived early to prepare for their work.
• Lin Qi told Neil to prepare a local cement factory and acquire the resource mines and equipment needed to produce cement in Nagaril.

Neil enjoyed his new life in Nagaril until Lin Qi warned him that his workers’ behavior could bring danger in a foreign country. Neil returned to camp and had the Vice Manager end the men’s carefree vacation and prepare them to work.

• Neil told Lin Qi that he had come to appreciate Nagaril, and Lin Qi warned him to keep the workers from causing trouble and to find a nearby worksite.
• Neil realized that the men’s relationships with local girls might put them at risk and returned to camp more cautiously.
• Neil told the Vice Manager that allowing the girls into camp could be unsafe and cause conflict.
• The Vice Manager gathered the workers, announced that their vacation was over, and gave them one day before work began.

Neil tried to manage a young man’s affair with a local girl who was pregnant, but the girl and her relatives demanded that the man marry her. The crowd’s anger grew as a rumor spread that a foreigner had raped her, leaving the camp surrounded and the situation escalating.

• Neil learned that a married young man had gotten a local girl pregnant and urged him to end the pregnancy, but the man said he was a believer and the girl fled.
• Neil ordered the young man to speak with the girl and offered him money to compensate her.
• The next morning, the girl and a crowd of local youths blocked the camp entrance and demanded that the young man be handed over so she could marry him.
• Neil told the girl that the man was already married and had a child, prompting the crowd to rage and attack the gate.
• A rumor spread that the foreigner had raped the pregnant girl, drawing more locals into the protest.

The Police Chief arrived late to a crowd protesting Neil and his coworkers, but failed to contain the unrest as the people broke into and looted the camp. Lin Qi arrived with armed soldiers and fired a warning shot as the crowd attacked Neil’s container home.

• The Police Chief tried to clear the crowd, but the young men linked arms, sang an ancient Nagaril song, and refused to move.
• The crowd stormed the camp, forcing Neil and the others to flee while onlookers dismantled and stole the buildings and equipment.
• The Police Chief ordered his officers to disperse the crowd, and a chaotic clash broke out as people chased Neil’s group and looted the camp.
• Sergeant arrived with Lin Qi and fully armed soldiers in modified armored trucks, prompting many looters to flee.
• Lin Qi entered the camp with Sergeant and four soldiers, then drew Sergeant’s pistol and fired into the sky as people attacked Neil’s container home.

Lin Qi intervened after Nagaril locals attacked Neil, then explained that the young people had hoped to leave their desperate circumstances by attaching themselves to foreigners. He confronted the man responsible and offered him a choice, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Lin Qi used a gunshot to stop the crowd, ordered soldiers to control the troublemakers, and had Neil released from a container.
• Neil apologized to Lin Qi and declined medical help, asking for a cigarette instead.
• Lin Qi explained that the Nagaril youths had targeted foreigners because they hoped to escape poverty and leave the country.
• Lin Qi dragged the man responsible before the crowd and offered him a choice: lose an arm or a testicle, or marry the girl.

Lin Qi settled the dispute between a young man and a local girl, then confronted the group who had attacked his property and injured his father. When their leader chose to accept a broken leg rather than go to prison, Lin Qi fired three shots at him.

• A young man and the girl agreed to marry, and Lin Qi asked the girl to confirm her choice.
• After the Police Chief tried to apologize, Lin Qi revealed that Neil was his father and demanded punishment for the attack and the damage to his property.
• Lin Qi offered the attackers a choice between having one leg broken and going to prison for life.
• The group's leader chose to accept the punishment and asked how Lin Qi would carry it out.
• Lin Qi handed Neil a pistol, but when Neil hesitated, Lin Qi took it back, disengaged the safety, and fired three shots.

After punishing the men who attacked the camp, Lin Qi offered leniency in exchange for the stolen property and hinted to Neil that he had a further plan. The stolen goods soon returned as locals realized honesty might earn them jobs with Lin Qi’s company.

• Lin Qi shot the attackers in the legs, paid for their treatment, and ordered the Police Chief to arrest anyone who refused to return stolen property.
• Lin Qi told Neil that killing the locals would bring more danger than benefit, then hinted that he would give them a fair result.
• A teenage boy returned a bag of stolen goods, and the Vice Manager offered him a chance to work for Lin Qi, possibly abroad.
• The boy told others that returning stolen goods could earn approval and employment with Lin Qi’s company.
• More locals brought back stolen property, and the camp recovered everything that had been taken along with additional miscellaneous items.

Lin Qi expanded hiring in Nagaril and ordered workers assigned to road repairs while explaining wages and workplace rules. He approved an environmental assessment and pollution controls for the planned cement factory, then told Neil that he was not the one paying for them.

• The Vice Manager told Lin Qi that locals were bringing in questionable goods to seek work, so Lin Qi ordered them added to the hiring records and sent to repair roads for daily wages and lunch.
• The Vice Manager asked whether the cement factory needed an environmental assessment, and Lin Qi said it did and promised dust-control equipment to protect nearby residents.
• Neil asked why Lin Qi would spend money on environmental protections or build the factory near the city, and Lin Qi explained that Neil should learn how business worked.
• Lin Qi told Neil that the environmental costs would not come out of his own pocket.

Lin Qi explained to Neil that Jinhui Bank and Nagaril’s authorities would ultimately bear the costs of environmental assessments and protection, while the projects would help build his public image. Meanwhile, Qiao Geliman arrived in Nagaril to lead Jinhui’s new branch and revealed that the bank’s loans were aimed at gaining control over the country’s currency rights.

• Lin Qi told Neil that factory rights and their liabilities would eventually pass to successors designated by the Nagaril United Kingdom, and that Jinhui Bank would pay for the environmental spending.
• Qiao Geliman arrived in Nagaril after being appointed president of Jinhui Bank’s new branch there, a promotion that came years earlier than he had expected.
• A young Jinhui employee questioned the long-term loans, and Qiao Geliman told him the bank did not expect the Nagaril People to repay them.
• Qiao Geliman explained that Jinhui’s real target was Nagaril’s currency rights, which the bank could pursue by making the country unable to repay its debts.
• The chapter described how the Federation’s government and businesses benefited from Nagaril’s labor and resources while publicly presenting their control as international aid.

Lin Qi explained to Neil how banks profit by lending to the wealthy and seizing their assets when they default. After Lin Qi welcomed bank officials arriving in Nagaril and showed them the privileges of the Provincial Governor’s Residence, he offered Qiao Geliman a lucrative opportunity connected to his planned Cement Factory.

• Lin Qi warned Neil that banks favored wealthy borrowers because they could profit by collecting their assets if repayment problems arose.
• Lin Qi met Qiao Geliman and visiting bank officials at the port, where he welcomed them with scented handkerchiefs.
• Lin Qi invited the officials to the Provincial Governor’s Residence, where they witnessed police clearing the route and enjoyed an elaborate reception.
• Lin Qi asked Qiao Geliman to recommend someone for the Cement Factory’s environmental assessment and dust-control work.
• Qiao Geliman realized Lin Qi was offering him a business opportunity, and Lin Qi told him he deserved it for his past help.

Preton considered starting a new life in the Federation while living with his young girlfriend, but he recognized a dark-windowed car outside as belonging to Federal operatives. He went outside with his pistol and pointed at the car, drawing armed operatives from hiding.

• Preton watched a report about the Nagaril Joint Development Company and considered becoming a Federation citizen and leaving his past behind.
• Preton's girlfriend told him she would be late after work because the supermarket staff were counting shelves, then left for her shift.
• Preton watched television until he noticed a dark-windowed Business Travel Car parked across the road and suspected Federal operatives had come for him.
• Preton took his pistol, went outside, and pointed at the car.
• Federal operatives emerged from hiding and aimed their weapons at Preton.

Preton surrendered to the Federation after its agents tracked him through his anonymous accounts, and he agreed to provide Mr. Truman with information about Gefra’s senior ministers in exchange for staying alive. That evening, the Gefra Construction Minister received a phone call that left him grim-faced.

• Preton verified the agents’ identification, surrendered, and explained that he would cooperate with the Federation rather than risk capture by Gefra.
• The agents revealed that purchases from Preton’s dormant anonymous accounts had helped them find him, and Preton realized his precaution had exposed him.
• Mr. Truman obtained presidential authorization, met Preton alone in the interrogation room, and asked for his dealings and connections with Gefra’s senior ministers.
• Preton agreed to provide information in exchange for a chance to live, and Mr. Truman left with a valuable collection of materials.
• That evening, Gefra’s Construction Minister answered a local call at home and turned grim-faced.

Preton revealed that he had been captured by the Federation and used a call to pressure the Construction Minister, who later discovered that Preton wanted to help resolve the Empire’s crisis in Amelia Region. As the Resistance Organizations continued to challenge Imperial control, the Emperor again asked who could solve the problem.

• The Construction Minister tried to reassure Preton while secretly signaling his butler to trace the call.
• Preton revealed that he was outside the Empire and had been captured by the Federation, leaving the Construction Minister alarmed that their dealings might be exposed.
• The butler reported that the call had passed through modified telephones in an empty house, and the Construction Minister read Preton’s letter.
• Imperial troops suffered heavy casualties in Amelia Region while Resistance Organizations gained support and surrendered local figures voiced dissatisfaction.
• At the Ruler's Hall, the Imperial Emperor asked who could solve the crisis.

The Defense Minister argued that Gefra’s rule over the Amelia Region could not be stabilized while its people saw the Gefrans as invaders, and proposed using the Bayer Federation as a bridge. The emperor rejected the proposal and stormed out, while the Defense Minister later warned other ministers that the Resistance Organization was growing and planning to claim territory as a base for Amelia’s independence.

• The Defense Minister told the emperor and ministers that Gefra’s invader identity fueled resistance and that economic development could not erase the hostility.
• The Defense Minister proposed bringing in the Bayer Federation as a third party, but the emperor angrily refused and left the Ruler’s Hall.
• The Defense Minister joined the Navy Minister, Army Minister, and Construction Minister in a car after the court session ended.
• The Navy Minister questioned why the Defense Minister had suggested involving the Federation, and the Defense Minister pointed to the Amelia Governor’s report about growing resistance.
• The Defense Minister said the Resistance Organization planned to seize territory as a rear base and promote Amelia’s independence.