Chapter Summaries

A foreign merchant accused his maid of stealing a gold plate, then whipped and killed her during a fit of rage. The Nagaril People and the Nagaril Youth Party retaliated, and the merchant’s friend’s home became the focus of a growing confrontation.

• The merchant discovered that a commemorative gold plate was missing and accused the maid responsible for the Collection Room of stealing it.
• The steward hanged the maid beneath a courtyard tree, and the merchant stripped and whipped her in front of the household servants.
• After drinking tea, the merchant grew increasingly agitated and strangled the wounded maid to death.
• The steward drove the merchant to his close friend’s home and claimed that the merchant had fallen after a conflict with the servants.
• Nagaril People stormed the merchant’s residence, and the Nagaril Youth Party surrounded the friend’s home after learning the merchant was there.
• When a group appeared to protect the merchant’s friend’s house, the crowd shouted for the foreigners to be beaten to death.

A growing crowd attacked a foreign merchant’s residence, while the Nagaril Youth Party debated how to exploit the unrest and hastened its plans. Mr. Simon barricaded himself at home as the crowd spread into the foreign quarter and the police could not be reached.

• Angry locals began calling for foreigners to be killed and stormed a rich man’s residence under the direction of unidentified people.
• The Youth Party leader suspected the assault was being deliberately orchestrated, while his companion urged the group to join in.
• After the crowd entered the residence, the leader sent his cadres elsewhere to persuade people to act before the unrest escalated.
• The Youth Party leader accelerated the plan to ensure foreign merchants’ wealth passed to their children or local families rather than being confiscated by the government.
• Mr. Simon learned that locals were attacking foreign residences, locked his doors, and took a shotgun to his study.
• As more locals gathered outside, Mr. Simon tried to call the police but found the phone line silent and called for his butler.

As unrest spread through Nagaril, a young man urged Mr. Simon’s son to kill his father in exchange for protection and the right to inherit the family’s wealth. The youth chose to give Mr. Simon a chance, but Mr. Simon refused to leave the country, leaving their agreement unresolved.

• Mr. Simon ordered his butler to keep the growing crowd away from the house while the butler silently met his gaze for the first time.
• A young man told Mr. Simon’s son and the butler that foreign-linked property was at risk and offered protection if Mr. Simon died, warning that the police were not on their side.
• Mr. Simon’s son asked what had happened to the police, then decided to give Mr. Simon a chance and brought him water.
• The youth told Mr. Simon that wealthy families were being attacked and urged him to flee the country with him.
• Mr. Simon refused to leave Nagaril and dismissed the youth.

The boy confronted Mr. Simon about planning to abandon him and his mother, then shot and killed him after Mr. Simon admitted he had never loved him. With help from the young man and the Nagaril Youth Party, the boy secured protection for his family and a claim to Mr. Simon’s property, leaving him to consider whether he had won a chance to control his own fate.

• The boy accused Mr. Simon of selling off his property and planning to leave him and his mother behind.
• Mr. Simon admitted he had never regarded the boy as his child and had used him to gain the trust of Nagaril locals.
• After Mr. Simon denied ever loving him, the boy called him papa and shot him with a hunting rifle.
• The young man promised that the Nagaril Youth Party would protect the boy, his family, and the property.
• The young men claimed Mr. Simon had been killed by rioters and warned intruders that the boy, a Nagaril Youth Party member, would inherit the estate.
• The boy sat with his mother, wondering whether his decision had been right as he fought for a chance to control his destiny.

As unrest spread through the provincial capital, Lin Qi turned a gathering at Governor Drag’s residence into a donation drive and promised protection to the foreigners. The chapter ended with a small merchant betting his savings on Lin Qi’s support and anticipating a profitable factory built on local labor.

• The Police Chief reported that rioters were attacking foreign residential districts and businesses, while he feared the unrest might turn against Nagaril’s Ruling Class.
• Lin Qi proposed donating one hundred thousand Federal Sols to help the victims, and Governor Drag pledged ten million Galil.
• Little Fox donated twenty thousand Federal Sols, and Penny surprised Lin Qi by offering all her personal earnings.
• After gunshots sounded outside, Lin Qi reassured the foreigners and promised his friends would not come to harm.
• A small merchant donated his five thousand Federal Sols, and Lin Qi directed him to President Qiao Geliman of Jinhui Bank to discuss a loan.
• The merchant thanked Lin Qi, believing the loan would let him build a factory and profit from cheap local labor.

As the riot spiraled out of control and looters stole police handguns, Lin Qi reassured foreign businessmen by presenting Blackstone Security and turning donations into security contracts. Meanwhile, Mayor Mishe Haye hid in his basement, where the Police Chief arrived and shot him as they met in private.

• The Police Chief told Provincial Governor Drag that rioters had attacked the Governor's Residence, Lin Qi's people had driven them back, and the mob had stolen seven or eight handguns.
• Lin Qi introduced the armed Sergeant and Blackstone Security to the businessmen, then revealed that he owned the company and offered protection to those who donated.
• The businessmen began making larger donations in exchange for security, while Lin Qi's butler photographed the gathering for publicity.
• The riot spread through the city as looters wrecked its prosperous areas, and Mayor Mishe Haye hid in his basement, fearing Lin Qi would remember their past conflict.
• The Police Chief arrived at Mishe Haye's home, asked to speak privately, and shot him in the basement study.

The Police Chief killed Mishe Haye and staged his death as an attack, while Lin Qi and Drag continued waiting as unrest spread through Nagaril. Lin Qi reflected on the Federals’ plan to remake the local ruling order, then spent time with Penny, who asked how she had done.

• The Police Chief told Mishe Haye that the Governor-General had sent an apology on Lin Qi’s behalf, then shot him after Mishe Haye warned that the Police Chief would be next.
• The Police Chief declared Mishe Haye had been killed by criminals, and his policemen echoed his oath to catch the supposed attackers.
• Drag and Lin Qi held off on restoring order while riots spread beyond the city, as Lin Qi considered how the Federals planned to replace Nagaril’s ruling class with collaborators.
• Lin Qi relaxed in Drag’s hot-spring bathing pool, where Penny joined him and later explained that Little Fox had paid her thirty thousand, with the Agent Company taking two-thirds.
• Penny asked Lin Qi to judge her performance, and he said she had been unskilled at first but had earned a passing grade.

As Nagaril’s unrest spread, the Nagaril Youth Party grew rapidly, then ordered its branches to restore order and protect their gains. A meeting in Mengwu Province ended abruptly when the Fur Merchant Hunting Squad entered the city.

• The Nagaril Youth Party’s slogan attracted recruits as disorder spread across Nagaril, while wealthy families became targets.
• The Mengwu Province Youth Party Leader called a meeting at Mr. Simon’s former residence and urged the party to end the unrest.
• Gardon argued that the Youth Party should use the chaos to seize more assets and strengthen its position against the Federation’s people.
• The Youth Party Leader rejected further attacks on locals and asked Gardon and the other heirs to organize recruitment and donations to improve the party’s reputation.
• Gunfire erupted nearby, and the Youth Party Leader learned that the Fur Merchant Hunting Squad had entered the city.

The Hunting Squad violently suppressed the unrest in the city, ending nearly two weeks of chaos in a day. Lin Qi then announced that the Police Chief would become the new mayor, leaving him eager to prove his loyalty.

• The Hunting Squad entered the city and opened fire on a mob, killing people and driving the crowds off the streets.
• The Hunting Squad swept through the city, and by nightfall the unrest had subsided; conscripted Lowly People burned the corpses to prevent disease.
• Lin Qi told the Federal merchants that their business prospects were secure but warned them not to assume they could control the market.
• Lin Qi announced that, with Provincial Governor Drag's agreement, the Police Chief would be promoted to mayor.
• The Police Chief accepted the promotion and promised not to disappoint Lin Qi or the others.

Lin Qi guided journalists through the devastation in Nagaril, shaping coverage of the unrest to build support for the Federals and condemn the Nagaril Youth Party. He brought them to the family of Simon, a foreign merchant killed during the violence, where Simon’s son explained why his father was buried in the courtyard.

• Lin Qi addressed the newly appointed mayor and laid out plans for Nagaril’s reconstruction under Federal control.
• Lin Qi led Federal and international journalists through the ruined city, blaming the unrest on the Nagaril Youth Party and showing them evidence of killings and destruction.
• Lin Qi told the reporters that the violence had spread from foreigners to wealthy residents, and argued that the world needed to see the brutality committed in Nagaril.
• Lin Qi described Simon as a close friend and a hero who had died protecting his family, then led the journalists to meet Simon’s surviving family.
• Simon’s son told the group he had found his father dead and had left him buried in the courtyard so he could rest.

Gardon discussed rebuilding Nagaril and urged its people to grow prosperous and strong, while Lin Qi judged that Gardon’s confidence and business instincts were less genuine than they appeared. The chapter left Gardon presenting himself as the new leader and Lin Qi quietly assessing his potential.

• Reporters pressed Gardon with cruel questions about Mr. Simon’s death, and Lin Qi intervened to stop them from exploiting his grief.
• The reporter apologized to Gardon, and the group entered the house, where Gardon’s mother prepared to host them according to local customs.
• Gardon said he had inherited the estate and argued that Nagaril’s people needed prosperity, education, and industrialization to protect their future.
• Gardon praised Lin Qi’s factory for hiring workers and urged Nagaril’s people to build their home rather than flee.
• Lin Qi compared Gardon’s carefully displayed abilities with his own childhood business experience and concluded that Gardon lacked a certain natural spark.

After news of the turmoil in Nagaril spread, Simon’s wife and son learned that he had died and rushed there to claim his estate. Meanwhile, Mr. Truman pressed the Nagaril Diplomat to join the Federation, while revealing that the Former President’s son had been appointed ambassador to Nagaril.

• News reports about Nagaril drew attention from the International Community and reached Simon’s wife and son.
• Simon’s wife and son panicked at the news of his death, then decided his businesses and wealth must belong to them.
• The mother and son hired an inheritance lawyer and sailed to Nagaril with their dog, Colonel.
• The Nagaril Diplomat received a telegram ordering him back and learned that the royal family had secretly arrested members of his immediate family.
• Mr. Truman urged the Diplomat to join the Federation and told him that the Former President’s son had been appointed ambassador to Nagaril.

The Diplomat agreed to work with Mr. Truman after learning that the telegrams about his family were fabricated, and he demanded that his family remain safe. In Nagaril, Simon’s heirs arrived with a lawyer to pursue an inheritance claim, while Lin Qi heard Asier’s report about surviving the unrest by being recognized as a local.

• The Diplomat punched Mr. Truman, then agreed to become his colleague on the condition that his family was safe.
• Mr. Truman revealed that his agents had forged the telegrams and that the Diplomat’s family was doing well.
• Three days later, a sealed letter box arrived at a Nagaril port as Simon’s son, a woman with a dog, and their lawyer came ashore to pursue an inheritance claim.
• The lawyer planned to consult local judicial authorities and seek support from Simon’s wealthy and political friends.
• Asier reported that he had toured Mengwu Province and avoided harm during the unrest because people recognized him as a Nagaril Person.

Lin Qi explained how Blackstone-branded clothes had helped attract workers and set plans to start road repairs and train promising employees. Asier accepted responsibility for his brother’s pregnant wife and agreed she would become his wife, leaving him looking forward to becoming a father.

• Asier told Lin Qi that he had recruited over 1,300 strong young men and that Blackstone-branded clothes had drawn additional applicants.
• Lin Qi explained how repeated exposure to the Blackstone names had built familiarity and trust, then ordered the Cement Factory opened quickly to support road repairs.
• Lin Qi told Asier to promise outstanding workers advanced training in the Federation and at least double wages after they returned.
• Asier went home, where his father and brother told him that his brother’s wife was pregnant and asked what he intended to do.
• Asier acknowledged the pregnancy, agreed that she should give birth, and accepted his father’s declaration that she would be his wife.

As Nagaril recovered from the unrest, Lin Qi saw Penny return to work and attended a City Hall meeting while discussing the Federation’s pressure on the royal family with Provincial Governor Drag. Lin Qi proposed a joint bank as a way to manage foreign exchange reserves, leaving Drag to consider the plan.

• Lin Qi persuaded Penny to return to the film crew, and she left the hotel after they said goodbye.
• Lin Qi traveled with Drag to a City Hall meeting and learned that the royal family was preparing to accept the Federation’s demands and raise Galil’s value.
• Drag asked Lin Qi how Nagaril could increase Galil’s value without provincial governors risking their own interests.
• Lin Qi suggested that Nagaril establish an international bank with the Big Six Banks and place foreign exchange reserves under joint management.

Lin Qi advised Provincial Governor Drag to urge Nagaril’s rulers to move their assets and prioritize their own survival, while keeping Drag unaware that the Federation had already uncovered the transfers and recruited others. At a gathering in City Hall, Lin Qi calmed merchants’ fears by hinting at substantial tax concessions and his influence over local officials.

• Lin Qi told Drag that other privileged and ruling-class figures were also transferring assets, and advised him to frame the move as a chance to exchange Galil for more foreign currency and secure their futures overseas.
• Drag agreed to present Lin Qi’s advice at the meeting, still unaware that the Federation already knew about the asset transfers and had recruited others.
• Lin Qi arrived at City Hall and was greeted with deference by the assembled merchants and investors.
• Lin Qi suggested that the local government would offer major tax concessions to calm investors and encourage development, easing the crowd’s anxiety.
• When a merchant asked whether Lin Qi had inside information, Lin Qi said he had played a role and that local officials valued his opinions.

Lin Qi guided newly appointed mayor Afule Ang through a speech offering foreign investors tax cuts, assistance, and security measures to encourage investment in Nagaril. The chapter ended with Afule Ang presenting Lin Qi’s “win-win” plan as a way to advance Nagaril’s development and help its people see the truth.

• Afule Ang entered the meeting room and, following Lin Qi’s instructions, acted as though he had not seen him before delivering his first speech as mayor.
• Afule Ang apologized for the recent unrest and announced that Nagaril would reduce the commercial tax to seventeen percent.
• Afule Ang promised full tax exemptions for infrastructure investment and production, then proposed an office to help foreign and joint-venture enterprises establish themselves.
• Afule Ang announced a comprehensive gun ban in Mengwu Province, with police protection and selective Gun Licenses for security-related enterprises.
• Afule Ang called investors Nagaril’s partners and family and promoted Lin Qi’s “win-win” plan to link their profits with Nagaril’s development.

Lin Qi’s paid work and fair dealings with Nagaril people undermined the Nagaril Youth Party’s claims that foreigners had come to exploit them. Unable to understand the Federation merchants’ intentions, the Youth Party’s Leader proposed that its members disperse and take jobs among them to learn what they wanted.

• Foreign investors hired Nagaril people to clear rubble and paid them wages, while posters promoting work drew people away from the Nagaril Youth Party.
• A Youth Party member warned This Province Leader that attendance had fallen and that members might be betraying the group to the foreigners.
• This Province Leader admitted that the Federation merchants behaved differently from past foreigners and that the Youth Party could not defeat an enemy it did not understand.
• This Province Leader proposed that the members disperse, apply for jobs with the foreigners, and investigate their intentions from within.
• The Youth Party members considered his proposal and began raising their hands in support.

Akumali and a cadre member applied for work, passed their physical examinations, and chose driver training after hearing about the wages and benefits. The promising opportunity left Akumali questioning whether the Youth Party and its awakening movement still had a purpose.

• A recruitment worker gave Akumali and the cadre member application forms, which they completed with help from simplified questions and fingerprint requirements.
• A doctor ordered Akumali to undress for a free physical examination, then approved him and advised him to choose work with room for advancement.
• Akumali and the cadre member chose driver training so they could later teach driving skills to their organization.
• Recruitment staff explained that trainees would receive free food and lodging for three months, then earn at least 150 Galil a day after qualifying, with the possibility of higher wages.
• Akumali wondered whether people who gained better lives through these jobs would still need the Youth Party and its awakening movement.

The Old King and Provincial Governor Drag exchanged veiled threats before Nagaril’s Provincial Governors met to discuss the Federals’ demand to raise Galil’s Exchange Rate. The Old King accepted the demand and proposed that the Governors publicly take credit for persuading him, leaving the room stunned.

• The Old King greeted Provincial Governor Drag, who mocked his age and suggested he would outlive him.
• Provincial Governor Drag reflected that the Old King’s effort to reunify Nagaril was doomed because the Provincial Governors and Federals opposed him.
• The Provincial Governors gathered for a meeting that the Federals had made possible, but no one dared speak first about the demand.
• The Old King said he would agree to raise Galil’s Exchange Rate and warned that the Federals valued the Governors only for their positions.
• The Old King offered to let the Governors claim they had persuaded him, arguing that this would keep them useful to the Federals and preserve Nagaril’s chance to escape their control.