41: Second Village

Stepping out of the main hall, he saw Pan Feng and the three Wang brothers surrounded by the crowd.

Lin Yue approached, and the crowd immediately cleared a path for him.

"My Lord, I have fulfilled my mission!

Eight thousand piculs of grain have been delivered!" Pan Feng bowed and reported as he saw Lin Yue approaching.

"You've worked hard. You didn't encounter any dangers on the way, did you?" Lin Yue asked with a smile.

"Uh, near the foot of the mountain, a group of bandits tried to ambush us. We killed one of them."

"The rest fled, but they left this behind," Pan Feng handed Lin Yue a storage pouch.

Lin Yue opened it and saw only a dozen coppers inside. He figured it was a storage bag dropped by a player upon their first death, so he smiled and tossed the bag to Pan Feng: "It's yours. This is a storage bag with an internal space, half a meter in length, width, and height, convenient for carrying small items."

"Thank you, My Lord!"

"Oh, right, after you three brothers deliver the grain, you'll report to Wang Hu for assignments," Lin Yue said to the three men beside Pan Feng.

"Yes!" The three men were stunned for a moment, then their expressions turned to surprise and joy. The four of them were already brothers; they had only been separated because Wang Hu was too outstanding. Now that they could be together all day, the three were very happy.

"Wang Cai (Wang Lang) (Wang Hu) (Wang Bao) thanks My Lord!" The four said in unison.

"Alright, send a team to hunt. It would be best if you could catch a wild boar and bring it back."

"Then, start cooking!" Lin Yue instructed.

"My Lord, what about those Mountain Bandits?" Wang Hu asked.

"They eat too. Look how hungry they are. How many of them still have the strength to fight?

And you want them to watch you eat?" Lin Yue scolded.

Hao Nan Ge once fascinated him, but as he grew older, he understood that only children would have that kind of loyalty; adults talked about benefits.

You drive a luxury car, wear a famous watch, carry cash, and flirt with your elder brother's wife.

I starve myself to work for you, be a scapegoat, and go to jail for my elder brother. All of this is acceptable, but if you don't give me a good life and I still do this, then I truly have no brain.

And those who don't use their brains will always be 'Gu Huo Zai' (young and reckless gangsters).

Just now, some of the Mountain Bandits were still resisting. If they are well-fed, a capable army can be drawn from among them!

"Wang Hu, go tell the Mountain Bandits that those willing to surrender will be fed immediately!" Lin Yue said, giving Wang Hu a chance to win over people's hearts.

"Yes!" Wang Hu grinned, then immediately led his three brothers and ran towards the captive Encampment!

Lin Yue, on the other hand, led Pan Feng to the spot where the two had previously observed. That location was a huge hidden danger for the Mountain Bandit Encampment; every move within the Mountain Bandit Encampment could be seen clearly from there.

Upon reaching the spot, Lin Yue looked towards the Encampment and heard cheers, presumably Wang Hu had persuaded a large portion of the people to surrender.

"Use the Bronze village building token!" Lin Yue thought in his mind.

"Congratulations, player, for using the Bronze village building token. Please name your village."

"Black Wind Village!"

"Congratulations, player, for establishing Black Wind Village!"

"Do you choose to broadcast regionally, with double rewards and prestige?"

"No."

"Player chose hidden broadcast."

"Congratulations, player, you have received 1 tael of silver."

Then a green light flashed, and a village appeared before Lin Yue's eyes!

"Village: Black Wind Village

Level: 1/3

Population: 100/1000

Area: 5 square kilometers

Public Sentiment: 60

Buildings: Level 1 Residential Houses: 10 rooms

"

"Player, either serve as Village Chief yourself or designate a Village Chief."

"Designate Cheng Ai as the Village Chief."

"Cheng Ai has now been designated as the Village Chief."

Lin Yue approached to observe the 100 villagers, finding no outstanding talents, so he returned directly to the Encampment.

"My Lord! All the Mountain Bandits have surrendered!" Wang Hu laughed loudly.

He now had a thousand mercenaries, and although their combat power wasn't high, the other Mountain Bandits were even weaker!

"Excellent. From now on, you will partner with Cheng Ai and listen to his opinions more often."

"I have established a village nearby, securing the Encampment's weakness, and it can provide you with food and logistical support daily. Cheng Ai is the Village Chief," Lin Yue said to Wang Hu.

"Alright, My Lord, I will!" Wang Hu nodded. He didn't like managing such trivial matters anyway, so this was perfect.

He still didn't know how to handle some of the old, weak, sick, and disabled Mountain Bandits. They had all surrendered together, so he couldn't just use some and not others. Now that Cheng Ai was the Village Chief, he could send them to farm!

No, it was to send them to be responsible for the logistical work of Black Wind Village.

As the two spoke, a voice came, and Lin Yue looked in the direction of the sound.

"My Lord! My Lord!" A man ran over barefoot.

"My Lord, have you set me as the Village Chief?" The newcomer pulled at his disheveled hair and asked with an incredulous expression.

"Yes, it's over there," Lin Yue pointed to a nearby hill and said to Cheng Ai.

Cheng Ai felt a surge of complex emotions. He had just surrendered and intended to be a transparent person, but he never expected his Lord to place him on the throne of Village Chief!

He was deeply moved. He had been resting in bed and ran out without even putting on his shoes, eager to confirm the truth.

"I have named this village Black Wind Village, and you are its Village Chief, providing logistical support to the Encampment!"

"Strive for a day when everyone can eat their fill," Lin Yue said.

"Your Subordinate pledges his life to serve My Lord," Cheng Ai knelt and bowed, tears streaming down his face.

"Cheng Ai's loyalty +40 points, reaching unwavering loyalty. Reward player with Lucky Small Treasure Chest ♦ 1."

Lin Yue's expression was one of surprise. This… came so unexpectedly!

Just being a Village Chief, was it that big of a deal?

If Cheng Ai knew he was thinking this, he would say it was a big deal, a very big deal!

If one has not experienced the pain of being ignored, then one will not appreciate the preciousness of trust.

"Work hard. There are even greater platforms awaiting you in the future to showcase your talents," Lin Yue said with a smile as he helped Cheng Ai up.

"Thank you, My Lord!" Cheng Ai said.

"Go on, your villagers are waiting for you."

Cheng Ai quickly scurried away, while Lin Yue returned to the Encampment. Soon, dinner was ready.

The aroma of rice wafted through the air, enveloping the entire Encampment.

"What's that smell?"

"Rice! It's rice!"

"The adults are eating rice!"

The Mountain Bandits exclaimed in surprise; the smell was a fatal temptation for them!

"Everyone, quiet down! Form ten lines and receive your food!" Wang Hu shouted loudly!

For a moment, the entire Encampment was so silent you could hear a pin drop!

After a brief silence, a thunderous roar erupted from the Encampment!

"Really!"

"Commander Wang Hu, can we also have some!"

"Everyone can! Form ten lines, don't look like you've never seen the world before!" Wang Hu shouted.

The slow ones were still asking questions, while the smart ones had already quietly lined up.

The cook served a full bowl of rice to the Mountain Bandit in front of him, then sprinkled a little meat broth, and finally topped it with three slices of meat.

The cook thought for a moment, his hand trembled slightly, deliberately adding an extra slice of meat, and shook his head, sighing: "Come back for more if it's not enough. Look at the lives you've been living."

Because Wang Hu hadn't hunted much, everyone's portion of meat was fixed at three slices, but the cook still gave an extra slice.

"Th-thank you." The Mountain Bandit took his bowl and ran to the side, wolfing down his food.

Many Mountain Bandits gathered around, saw the fragrant rice and three slices of meat, and instantly ran to queue up.

"Serve me half a bowl first!" Huang Liu said to the cook.

"Oh, Huang Liu, why do you only want half a bowl?" The cook looked up and asked in surprise. This was the first time someone asked for half a bowl instead of a full one.

"Brother Ergou!" Huang Liu looked up. His attention had been on the meat, so he hadn't noticed that the cook was Ergou.

"You wouldn't understand this, sigh. Just serve me first, and I'll tell you after I finish eating," Huang Liu said impatiently, staring at the meat with a drooling expression.

"Alright, come back to me later and tell me," Ergou gave him a look and secretly added two more slices of meat.

He had made up his mind to get closer to Huang Liu in the future. He felt that Huang Liu always knew some strange and interesting things, which was very appealing to him.

"No problem, no problem," Huang Liu agreed with a smile.

As a newcomer, Ergou seemed to have some status, and getting to know him was also very good.

"So fragrant!"

For a time, the sounds of ravenous eating spread throughout the Encampment.