Curiosity

In a hidden river bend within Golden Sand Valley, seven men led by Chief Steward Qian Wen had gathered together. They were all minor stewards of Golden Sand Valley, overseeing every aspect of its affairs. At this moment, they sat around a table, and the atmosphere was rather heavy.

"Chief Steward, you have to do something about this. That Jiang fellow is completely using public resources for private purposes. The Mine Protection Team has now become his personal hunting party. The brothers have been following him into the woods every day—we can barely go on living like this."

The angry voice rang out. A bearded man could no longer hold back and was the first to break the silence. His name was Hu Yong. He had originally been in charge of the Mine Protection Team, but after Xiong Li arrived, he had been squeezed out. Though Qian Wen had secretly given him some compensation and promises afterward, he had never truly accepted it.

At his words, the other stewards also began pouring out their grievances, fiercely accusing Jiang Chen and his men. They claimed that Jiang Chen cared only for his own enjoyment and had no concern for whether they lived or died. Catching rats in particular was simply absurd; he did not look like someone capable of truly taking charge.

In truth, many things were not as excessive as they made them sound. Since Jiang Chen had come to Golden Sand Valley, he had basically never directly interfered in the valley's affairs. Though he had affected most of their lives to some extent, the impact had been quite limited.

But since someone had spoken up, as a whole, they naturally had to cry along with him. If everyone else cried while they did not, what would the Chief Steward think of them? What would their colleagues think? Wouldn't they seem like they did not fit in?

Seated at the head of the table, Qian Wen watched this scene without being moved. He knew these people's circumstances like the back of his hand, and he understood their thoughts just as clearly.

"Enough. Quiet down."

After watching the performance for a while, Qian Wen finally spoke.

Seeing Qian Wen's response, everyone immediately lowered their voices and waited for him to continue. Even Hu Yong, who had shouted the loudest, did the same. They could make a fuss—it was a way to show their stance—but there had to be limits.

Seeing this, Qian Wen set down his teacup, his expression turning serious.

"Hunting, catching rats—these actions are indeed somewhat ridiculous. But for us, this is not only not a bad thing; it is a good thing. What we want is gold dust. So long as he does not interfere with the mining of gold dust in Golden Sand Valley, then let him fool around as he pleases."

"What we need to do now is make him as happy as possible, so that he has no interest in causing us trouble. Do you understand?"

His sharp gaze swept over everyone present as Qian Wen set the tone.

At this, everyone voiced their agreement. Only Hu Yong remained somewhat unwilling, because among them, he was the only one who had truly been tormented badly.

Though Golden Sand Valley was surrounded by mountains on both banks, hunting large prey was not so easy. As the number of hunts increased, this became even more apparent. During this period, he had truly been run ragged. Hunting was not only dangerous, but also genuinely grueling work, nowhere near as pleasant as some people imagined.

But before Hu Yong could say anything more, Qian Wen spoke first.

"Ah Yong, I know you have worked hard this time. I have seen all your efforts. Once this batch of gold dust is ready, I will personally ask the Third Boss to reward your merits and request that he grant you medicinal pills to help you break through to the Second-rate Realm sooner. When that time comes, there will certainly be a chief underling's position for you."

"For now, you must endure. Put the bigger picture first."

His words were full of solemnity. Qian Wen once again skillfully made Hu Yong a promise, telling him that hardship was only temporary and that the future held promise.

Hearing this, Hu Yong swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth and merely nodded silently. He knew perfectly well that Qian Wen's words had the air of drawing a cake to satisfy hunger, but having a cake to look forward to was better than having none at all. At least it was something to hope for.

Moreover, with Jiang Chen's promotion to Fourth Boss having been settled, there truly was now an opening for a chief underling under the Third Boss. If he could render meritorious service within these three years and break through to the Second-rate Realm, then he indeed had a chance of becoming a chief underling.

Seeing this, Qian Wen nodded in satisfaction.

"Judging from our observations during this period, our Chief Jiang may be somewhat absurd, but he truly has no intention of managing the valley's specific affairs. We should also loosen our hands and feet and speed things up."

"Notify everyone as soon as possible. Tell those mine foremen under you to work harder, move up the gold-panning schedule, and further increase the output of gold dust. That way, not only can we fulfill the Third Boss's orders, everyone can also live a little more easily."

After pondering for a moment, Qian Wen made a new decision, understanding that if one wanted the horse to run, one had to feed it grass.

The moment these words were spoken, everyone present looked delighted.

The Third Boss would naturally be the one eating the meat from secretly mining gold dust, but people like them could still drink a mouthful of soup. The more they mined, the more they would gain. So long as they worked for a few years, they would amass a considerable fortune, and every one of them would become a wealthy man.

As for danger, in these years, there was nothing without danger if one wanted to make money. Besides, this was not something they had any choice in.

"Please rest assured, Chief Steward. We will handle this matter beautifully."

Without hesitation, everyone present voiced their stance.

At this point, the atmosphere finally became harmonious. From top to bottom, everyone was smiling. Yet one person's smile was slightly different from the others': Wang Yuan.

Perhaps the time has come.

Looking at Qian Wen seated at the head of the table, holding a teacup and smiling with calm composure as if everything were under his control, Wang Yuan silently lowered his head. He did not want to wait any longer. Hatred gnawed at his heart every moment like venomous insects.

Moreover, after observing for so long, he had always felt that Jiang Chen was not the sort of person who would allow Qian Wen to hollow out his authority.

A moment later, everyone dispersed, leaving only Qian Wen where he was.

It was at this moment that a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Zhao Er.

Upon seeing Zhao Er appear, a trace of anxiety could not help appearing on Qian Wen's face. None of his former composure remained.

"Zhao Er, tell me the truth. What exactly happened to the Third Boss?"

Staring fixedly at Zhao Er, Qian Wen seemed to want to read something from his face.

Zhao Er showed no reaction. He had come this time for two reasons: first, to observe Jiang Chen's situation; second, to urge Qian Wen along, because the Third Boss was already becoming impatient.

"Nothing has happened to the Third Boss. Just do your own work. Do not ask about what you should not ask."

With a cold expression, Zhao Er made his attitude clear.

In the end, Qian Wen had merely sent his younger sister to become Zhao Meng's concubine, not his principal wife. Though his abilities had earned him some standing before Zhao Meng, he was still not qualified to compare himself with Zhao Er.

Hearing this, a surge of anger immediately rose within Qian Wen. But at that moment, an aura like that of a fierce beast burst forth from Zhao Er's body, making him shudder from head to toe.

"Second-rate Realm expert!"

Remembering Zhao Er's strength, Qian Wen immediately became like a deflated leather ball, unable to stiffen up again.

"I understand."

Somewhat dejected all of a sudden, Qian Wen nodded. The schemes he had always prided himself on were utterly useless before Zhao Er.

Seeing this, Zhao Er gave Qian Wen one more look before quietly leaving. He still needed to go to the South Slope and take a look. He wanted to see exactly what Jiang Chen was doing there. From the information he had gathered, Jiang Chen's every move was simply too strange, and a trace of curiosity could not help rising in his heart.