188: Secret Strategy (Bonus chapter for reaching 50 gift points on the West Ring Mandala overall ranking)

Wang Hu took the paper handed to him by the young man, walked around the desk, and looked at the row of houses behind him.

Different scripts were written beside the door of each house, but Wang Hu did not recognize them; he could only stand far outside the doors, glancing into the rooms from time to time.

The first one seemed to be for cooking, with a stove burning inside; someone happened to be finishing a meal and serving it for the examiners to taste.

Many women sat in the second room, threading needles through handkerchiefs; Wang Hu understood that this was an examination for Seamstresses.

Many medicinal herbs were laid out on long tables in the third room; there was no one inside at the moment except for an old doctor engrossed in a medical book.

An entire wall of wood was stacked in the fourth room, where a carpenter was measuring lines and sawing timber.

Upon reaching the door of the fifth room, he felt a familiar wave of heat and heard the sound of hammering; Wang Hu immediately stopped in his tracks, knowing he had come to the right place... By evening, having worked hard all afternoon, Wang Hu returned home.

The key in his palm and the property deed in his breast pocket felt so hot they seemed to burn; he felt as if it were all a dream—that he had just obtained a property deed in the new town and a job he could start at any time.

With excitement, he pushed open the courtyard gate and walked into his somewhat cramped little yard.

This courtyard had been passed down from his ancestors; he had heard that the Wang Family used to be managers for a certain Noble Family and had enjoyed some wealth, but later the Family fortune declined, and by his generation, they made a living as blacksmiths.

The meal was already prepared; seeing him return, the silent woman brought water for him to wash his hands before letting him sit at the table.

At a square table sat an old man, two young men, and two young children; this was the entire makeup of the household.

Wang Hu looked at the simple meal on the square table, sighed inwardly, and then placed the key he had been clutching onto the tabletop.

"I've decided. We're moving tomorrow to the new town. I've already found a job and won't be going back to that black-hearted Blacksmith Chen anymore."

Hearing his words, the old man frowned slightly. "The news about that new town is spreading like wildfire, but is it really reliable? Giving away houses and jobs?

This is even more far-fetched than a pie falling from the sky. Big Tiger, don't be fooled."

The silent woman looked up, her eyes flashing with a bit of worry; clearly, she didn't quite believe this outrageous news either.

Knowing his Family didn't believe him, Wang Hu pulled out the property deed and pointed to the seals on it.

"This one is from the Chu Family, the managers of Qixia Town; this one is from the Qixia Town authorities; and this one is from our Heyu Town's Town Chief's Mansion. With all these powers acting as guarantors, it shouldn't be fake.

If they joined forces to trick us, they wouldn't need to go to such great lengths; we have no power to resist them anyway."

The old man looked at the Chu Family's seal. "The Chu Family? Isn't this Qixia Town's new town under the same management as our Heyu Town?"

"That place is within the Chu Family's jurisdiction. Since the new town is on the Chu Family's territory, it's naturally under their management," Wang Hu explained.

The old man looked uneasy. "What is the reputation of this Chu Family? If they are..."

Before the old man could finish, Wang Hu interrupted, "The Chu Family's reputation is good. During the Source Beast disaster, they specifically gathered the villagers under their jurisdiction near the Family estate for protection.

Furthermore, I heard that many Contract Masters have emerged from the villages the Chu Family originally managed. Even those selected by the Chu Family to be Maidservants or servants have now become managers in the new town.

Moreover, Qixia Town is going to open an academy, saying that children of the right age from families with property deeds in Qixia Town can enroll for free. Even if it's just for the sake of the two children, we must move immediately.

If we go late and the slots are filled, it will be too late for regrets."

Each point Wang Hu made left the old man looking more stunned. "So good? How many resources does the Chu Family have to consume for this? How long can they sustain it?"

"You don't need to worry about that. They are a Noble Family; even the scraps from their table are enough for us to live well, unlike the two Noble Families in our town..."

Wang Hu mumbled something at the end that no one could hear clearly.

Wang Hu picked up his chopsticks and urged, "Hurry up and eat, then pack your bags. We move tomorrow. I'll strive to start work a day earlier to earn my wages."

That night, many households in Heyu Town were unable to sleep, while in the villages closer to Qixia Town, moving parties were constant from the afternoon until late at night.

The streets of Qixia Town were bustling with noise and excitement.

Chu Qinhui watched the increasingly vibrant Qixia Town with people coming and going, a smile appearing on his face. But this was not enough; he hoped the population of ten thousand he had agreed upon with the Town Chief would arrive in Qixia Town soon... Heyu Town, Shi Family.

Upon receiving news that the Town Chief was supporting the construction of Qixia Town, the current Head of the Shi Family's expression instantly turned ugly. He looked at his second uncle.

"Things haven't developed as we expected. This Town Chief is actually willing to share the risk of being punished by the higher-ups along with the Chu Family."

The Shi Family's second uncle, Shi Jingtai, looked composed. "This is normal. The Town Chief always wanted to make some achievements. Didn't he dare to step in and block the Liu Family back then?

Now that he sees the Chu Family's strong momentum, he wants to place his bets. He even wants to hand over the town's management rights to the Chu Family."

Seeing his second uncle mention this, the Shi Family Head slammed his hand on the table in anger.

"By doing this, the Town Chief is clearly draining the blood of the current Heyu Town to nurture Qixia Town. Does he still have any regard for our Shi and Zhang Families?"

Shi Jingtai gave a cold laugh. "I'm afraid he just doesn't have any regard for our Shi Family. As far as I know, that Guard Commander under him, Zhang Yu, who has the Zhang Family Bloodline, already went to Qixia Town for duty today."

The Shi Family Head looked surprised upon hearing this. "There was such a major conflict between the Chu and Zhang Families before. Even if it wasn't a fight to the death, they should have become like strangers.

Even if Zhang Yu had some friction with his Family, he shouldn't have easily agreed to go on duty in a town under the Chu Family's jurisdiction."

"Who knows what our Town Chief is thinking? Perhaps it's to warn the Chu Family, or perhaps for checks and balances. These Town Chiefs are the best at weighing such things. Regardless, our Shi Family has indeed been excluded."

A ruthless look appeared on the young Shi Family Head's face. "Since they won't let our Shi Family participate, don't blame us for flipping the table. Second Uncle, quickly send this news to the higher-ups.

Add one more thing: the Chu Family's Luck is surging; it probably won't be long before they reach Rank 8."

Shi Jingtai nodded solemnly. As long as those two families were struck down so they couldn't recover, it was hard to say who would eventually have the final say over Heyu Town and that new town.