Chapter 59 - 55: Blacksmith

"There’s a monster in the water! Why didn’t you say anything? You’re setting us up!"

Lu Hongtao’s expression changed.

The crocodiles by the river had killed people several times before, sending the Gated Community into a panic.

This pool inside the cave didn’t look like anything good, either. To be honest, he had been wary of it when he came yesterday.

But there was nothing unusual at the time.

Zhang Bo said, "I didn’t know. We weren’t attacked when we came here before."

Lu Hongtao seized on the loophole in his words. "Not attacked, which means you’ve seen it before."

Zhang Bo chuckled. He had indeed seen it and knew there was something in the pool, but he’d deliberately kept quiet.

Being threatened by this group into revealing the altar’s location had already pissed him off. He wasn’t running a charity, so why should he explain everything clearly? He’d held back some information specifically to prevent anyone from coming early.

But he certainly wouldn’t admit it. He immediately retorted sarcastically, "We never saw anything. But didn’t you guys send someone to take the Card early? Didn’t the person who came ahead of time see what was in the water? Did they not tell you?"

Lu Hongtao’s face turned red with anger. He glanced warily at the bottom of the pool. "I didn’t leak the information."

Zhang Bo taunted, "Then can you guarantee no one else on your team leaked it?"

Lu Hongtao couldn’t.

His was just a loose alliance, thrown together at the last minute.

Zhang Bo sneered, "See? You can’t even guarantee it yourself."

Lu Hongtao scanned the surroundings and suddenly asked, "Could it be a third party?"

Zhang Bo frowned. "A third party?"

Lu Hongtao said in a cold voice, "Yes. Tomorrow, we come earlier. We’ll set out half an hour early—no, an hour early! I refuse to believe we can be beaten to the punch again. If there really is a third party, and he took the Card today, he’ll definitely be tempted to come back tomorrow."

Zhang Bo was starting to understand. "And if no one shows up tomorrow, that means there’s a mole."

...

After leaving the cave, they walked east along the foot of the mountain for a long time before stopping.

Qin Ziwen took out the Card and let his brother and Deng Guang take turns examining it.

Once they got their hands on it, the two of them stared at the Recruitment Card as if it were a priceless treasure.

Deng Guang marveled, "A Recruitment Card... can this really summon a living person? It’s incredible."

Qin Ziwu was happy for his older brother. "Brother, this means our team can have one more person."

Handing the Card back to his brother, Qin Ziwu said, "Brother, what do you think that group who found the altar will do when they realize the Card is gone?"

Qin Ziwen shook his head. "I don’t know. But if I were them, I’d definitely come early tomorrow and set traps in the area. They’ll never let us get another Card this easily."

After a pause, Qin Ziwen said, "I think we need to set a rule for the future. Everyone’s going to want something like a Card. We’re a team, and you can’t get anywhere without rules. I’m not a dictator. I’ve always believed in one principle: one person can’t earn all the money in the world. If there’s money to be made, we all make it together. That’s how a team stays energetic, and it makes everyone more dedicated."

Qin Ziwu started to say something, but Qin Ziwen raised a hand to stop him.

Qin Ziwen said, "Starting today, whoever on our team discovers an altar gets to claim any one Card it produces. Of course, only one. You can save this opportunity. If a Card you really want shows up later, you can claim it unconditionally. But you only get one chance."

"Then, for any subsequent Cards the altar produces, distribution will be decided by the number of people who participated in the operation. For example, there are three of us. Each person who participated in today’s operation earns one-third of a contribution share. Once you accumulate one full share, you can reserve a Card produced by any altar on the following day."

Qin Ziwu asked curiously, "Brother, why do we need to reserve one?"

Qin Ziwen explained, "Because the Cards are random. Different Cards have different functions. We’ve only just started dealing with Cards, so it’s hard to establish a fair standard for their value. For now, we’ll just leave it to luck.

This method is also temporary. If we develop a standard for valuing Cards later on, we can change the rules."

Deng Guang hadn’t expected he would also have a chance to get a Card. Moreover, Qin Ziwen’s method sounded very fair. He just felt a little ashamed, as if he hadn’t contributed much. "I just feel like I’m taking advantage of you."

Qin Ziwen smiled. "Brother Deng, everyone has a role to play. You’re an indispensable part of our team."

Deng Guang let out a long breath, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. "I understand."

Qin Ziwen said, "Let’s head back for now."

’I got a Card today. It’s a good chance to test how high of a rating I’ll get for acquiring one.’

The three of them didn’t take the same route back. They took a detour and returned to the Gated Community before noon.

In the wasteland outside the Gated Community’s entrance, Qin Ziwen saw a man pushing a wheelbarrow.

This wheelbarrow had a single tire at the bottom, with two long handles passing on either side of the wheel. A large, open-topped wooden box was mounted on top.

The thing looked crude, but it was a transport tool well-suited for mountainous terrain.

Qin Ziwen inquired, "Brother, where did you buy this?"

The man pushing the wheelbarrow had a deeply tanned neck. He took a towel from his shoulder to wipe away his sweat. "There’s a Carpenter’s workshop in Building 7, Unit 1, on the seventh floor. They sell these. It’s pretty handy for moving things. Oh, right, my name is Qin He. If you ever need anything moved, you can find me. I live in Building 2, Unit 1, on the first floor. The price is negotiable. Just trying to make a living."

’He has the same surname as me,’ Qin Ziwen thought.

The Gated Community was gradually becoming home to all sorts of people. All kinds of professions were popping up, even primitive manual laborers like this.

Back home, with the door closed, Qin Ziwen took out the Recruitment Card.

He silently willed it to activate.

The Recruitment Card transformed into a streak of light, flying from his fingertips and coalescing into a solid ball of white light on the floor in front of him.

When the white light dissipated, a Blacksmith, identical to the one in the Card’s illustration, appeared in its place.

The Blacksmith was only about five-foot-seven, but the muscles on his shoulders were prominent.

The Blacksmith stood in place, his eyes blank for a moment before quickly regaining clarity.

He looked at Qin Ziwen, opened his mouth, and stammered, "My... My Lord."

His speech was halting, but the language was intelligible.

Qin Ziwen asked, "Can you understand what we’re saying?"

The Blacksmith nodded. "Ye... Yes."

Qin Ziwen pondered for a moment, then asked, "What’s your name?"

The Blacksmith replied, "My name is Li Tieshan. I’m a Blacksmith from the West Market Iron Workshop in Yangzhou City."

The Blacksmith’s speech grew more fluent. Qin Ziwen picked up on the keywords. "Yangzhou? Iron Workshop? Where did you come from?"

Li Tieshan frowned, thought for a long time, then shook his head dejectedly. "This humble one can’t remember. I only know that from now on, I must obey My Lord’s commands."

Qin Ziwen asked, "Then what do you remember?"

At the mention of his trade, Li Tieshan immediately puffed out his chest, his voice growing a few shades brighter. "Reporting to My Lord! This humble one is an expert in smithing! I can forge farm tools for the fields, fittings for the canal boats, and everyday ironware for the neighborhood!"

...

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