Annie

Novia smiled, "You mean an assassin organization? That's going to be tricky. Even if I can recruit people here, can you guarantee they can actually kill the targets on your end?"

Jiang Chuan scratched his head and said, "There shouldn't be any problems."

Novia chuckled, "What if I ask you to kill Gangplank? You need to set some boundaries."

What Novia said was indeed a problem. There were many people whose enemies Jiang Chuan didn't want to kill or couldn't kill. If he acted according to his initial idea, the drawbacks would be too significant.

Jiang Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "You've reminded me. We can add a boundary. The organization can choose to refuse employment, which will help us avoid tasks we can't complete or don't want to complete."

Novia nodded, "That works. But do you have a way to find assassins?"

Jiang Chuan smiled, "I think Pyke is an excellent assassin. Simpler tasks can be handled by my subordinates."

Novia: "Alright, I can help you. The reward will be a fifty-fifty split."

Jiang Chuan drank his water and said calmly, "Of course. Since we've decided, I'll be leaving now. There's a lot to do on the island."

Novia looked at Jiang Chuan and smiled, "When will your island be established?"

Jiang Chuan calculated, "Building a castle would take too long. Even with fast construction materials, it would take two to three months. I think we need to change our plan. Building a tavern on the island has no profit. We can open one in Rat Town and another on Butcher's Bridge. If the island is our base, opening branch taverns elsewhere wouldn't be suitable."

Novia frowned, "Then how will we pass messages in the future?"

Jiang Chuan smiled, "Jenny! Or I can come find you directly. Black Rose isn't as terrifying as we think."

Novia chuckled, "Are you confident you can face Black Rose?"

Jiang Chuan smiled and replied, "I'm not afraid of Black Rose alone, but what if they play some unknown tricks? It's better to bring things out into the open. Does Black Rose prohibit you from doing business in Bilgewater?"

Novia shook her head, "No."

Jiang Chuan shrugged, "Isn't that enough? We are business partners, not some relationship that can't see the light of day. Even if we unify Bilgewater in the future, by the time Black Rose tries to interfere, it will be too late."

Novia pondered for a moment, "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

Jiang Chuan awkwardly scratched his head, "I didn't think of that before."

Novia: "..."

Jiang Chuan and Novia decided to open a branch in Rat Town in a week or two. After Rat Town, it would be the docks and the harbor. Novia's tavern was already very popular. This way, not only would the channels for spreading information be in their hands, but the profits would also be considerable.

Jiang Chuan rowed his small boat back to the island. Most of the houses on the island were already repaired, and the city walls and castle had taken shape. Master Nuo had also finished most of the parts for the Fortress Cannon. The manufacturing of cannonballs also needed to be put on the agenda. Moreover, Jiang Chuan had always wanted to mass-produce Steam Engines, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain things to Demacia. This made steel a necessary material. If steel couldn't be refined quickly, everything would be in vain. With steel, they could research ships, weapons, and other items. This matter was urgent.

Jiang Chuan called for Laurie and had him and a few workers carry several boxes of Gold Coins to Novia's tavern. After giving instructions, Jiang Chuan sat in his office, contemplating methods for large-scale steel refining.

Historically, humans have used various methods to refine steel. The simplest method is to melt iron into molten iron. Without batch separation, iron and scrap steel are continuously fed from one end of the furnace, and molten steel flows out from the other end. However, the technology Jiang Chuan currently possessed had not yet reached the temperature required for steel refining, which needs to be above 1500 degrees Celsius or even 2000 degrees. Burning with firewood alone would never reach such temperatures, even if one burned for a lifetime.

Jiang Chuan looked at the blueprints he had drawn and smiled, "It seems I need to find some helpers. Who should I look for?"

"Brand? Forget it, he's just a madman who only knows how to plunder."

"Annie? Child labor is illegal, isn't it? She's still young, still young."

"Ornn? Forget it, he's a demigod!"

After careful consideration, Jiang Chuan decided to summon Annie. If Ornn, a demigod, were summoned, he wouldn't know if Ornn would study him or he would study Ornn. As for Brand, no one knew what kind of creature Brand was. He only knew that Brand was a madman who plundered. Jiang Chuan couldn't guarantee he could subdue Brand.

Since the temperature issue was resolved, Jiang Chuan and Master Nuo began to forge machine parts.

As night fell, Nuo extinguished the furnace and looked at Jiang Chuan, saying, "I can finish these parts tomorrow. You should go rest. I see you haven't slept for two days."

It wasn't until Nuo mentioned it that Jiang Chuan realized he hadn't rested for two days. He put down his hammer and smiled, "Then I'll trouble you."

Back in his office, Jiang Chuan ordered some food and then fell asleep. He slept soundly and didn't wake up until noon the next day.

After waking up and washing, Jiang Chuan went to Master Nuo's blacksmith shop. Looking at the pile of parts, Jiang Chuan smiled with joy, "With these, we can achieve large-scale steel production!"

Nuo was surprised. "Did you find a magician?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "Of course. It was a simple matter. Let's assemble it first."

Jiang Chuan called Laurie to move the parts to the blast furnace that had been built a few days prior. After Jiang Chuan and Nuo installed the machine, Jiang Chuan dismissed everyone else and told them to return to their posts. Nuo stood behind Jiang Chuan, ready to verify if the machine worked as Jiang Chuan claimed.

Jiang Chuan snapped his fingers and summoned Annie. With a flash of light, a little loli holding a teddy bear and sucking on a lollipop appeared before Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan stared, dumbfounded, at Annie's attire and the lollipop in her mouth!

Annie was clearly wearing Earthling clothes! Jiang Chuan trembled and said in a calm tone, "Master Nuo, there's been a mistake here. You should go back. Don't mention what you saw today to anyone."

Nuo shrugged and walked out of the blast furnace, returning to his blacksmith shop. It was normal for his lord to have a few quirks. Nuo didn't think too much of it.

Annie looked at the man before her without panic. She held up the little bear in her hand and just stared at Jiang Chuan.

"Huff... huff..."

Jiang Chuan tried to calm his breathing and said, "Little girl, what's your name?"

Annie said in a soft, childish voice, "Jiang Yun Chuan."

Jiang Chuan said in a calm tone, "Isn't your real name Annie?"

Flames ignited in Annie's hand as she looked at Jiang Chuan and said, "My name is Jiang Yun Chuan!"

Jiang Chuan crouched down in front of Annie and said, "Okay, then who is Jiang An Ping to you?"

Annie replied, "He's my grandpa. Who are you, and why am I here? I'll call the police!"

Jiang Chuan trembled with excitement. He knelt on the ground, breathing heavily. He knew who Annie was. Before he died, he had saved a little girl whose parents had both died. She had been holding a teddy bear at the time. He had been a soul then and vaguely remembered his father adopting her. When Jiang Chuan heard Annie say her name was Jiang Yun Chuan, he was certain that Annie was the little girl he had saved!