Chapter 224: Bang!

It wasn’t that Zheng Fan had suddenly become dense. As the person directly involved, perhaps he simply couldn’t grasp the point immediately.

After all, it was genuinely hard to imagine that while discussing serious business, this entire crowd of Demon Kings would collectively start making dirty jokes at your expense.

The wheels had already rolled over your face again and again, yet you were still foolishly shouting, “No speeding! Maintain a safe following distance!”

Siniang, on the other hand, knew perfectly well what this bunch was doing. She couldn’t be bothered with them.

But in her heart, she slowly began taking a little “self-driving tour” of her own.

If this old lady succeeds, don’t tell me the rest of you will have to learn from me?

Ohohoho… Just thinking about it makes the wheels start skidding.

Zheng Fan had been about to rise and leave, but he sat back down and lightly patted his head.

“There’s one more thing I want to add to what you were discussing earlier. Everything else can wait until another day. I only just thought of this. Sorry—I know everyone is tired, but since we’ve already started talking, we may as well finish it all at once. Better to lay the groundwork comprehensively from the beginning than patch holes later and create even more trouble.”

He truly had only just thought of it.

The reason he hadn’t paid attention to it earlier was because he had assumed the Blind Man and the others would already have it in mind. But after listening to one arrangement after another and realizing no one had mentioned that particular matter, Zheng Fan began feeling that something was missing.

The Demon Kings immediately turned solemn. Siniang included, they all bowed their heads.

“Please instruct us, Master.”

“Mm. Then I’ll say it. There’s an old saying: if you don’t run the household, you don’t know how expensive firewood and rice are.

“I know maintaining troops isn’t cheap, and developing a city isn’t easy either.

“We’ve only just started building our foundation, and everywhere we look there are places demanding money. Even if we secretly transport over the wealth from Chuzhou later, and even if we include all the wealth we openly and secretly carved out of the imperial region, truthfully, there’s no such thing as having too much money. There will always be ways to spend it.

“But there are certain things I discussed with you, Blind Man, all the way back in Tiger Head City.”

Zheng Fan looked at the Blind Man.

The Blind Man frowned slightly, then immediately understood.

“People’s livelihood?”

“Yes. People’s livelihood.”

Zheng Fan sat upright, holding a hand warmer and stroking it as he continued.

“You can say I have a bit of a bleeding heart. I won’t deny it. I’m different from you lot. Sometimes, under certain circumstances, I do get softhearted.”

“That is precisely what makes Master worthy of our trust and admiration!”

Xue San immediately lunged half a step ahead of everyone else and began flattering him.

The Master had only just advanced. At a time like this, the sound of bootlicking needed to be loud and magnificent.

Fan Li chuckled foolishly. Seeing Xue San spring into action, he instinctively felt that he ought to say something too.

So he said, “Fussy bastard.”

“…”

Zheng Fan.

“…”

The Demon Kings.

Zheng Fan smiled and waved a hand, signaling everyone not to mind it, then continued.

“When we talk about people’s livelihood, there are really only three things we need to handle in this era: schools, medical clinics, and charity mortuaries.

“And for all three, what we need to contribute ultimately comes down to one thing—money.”

As long as there was money, as long as they were willing to spend it, and as long as there was enough of it, maintaining and operating all three would not be much of a problem.

The Blind Man was about to speak, but Zheng Fan stopped him first.

“I know. You might advise me to postpone this for a while. Once we’ve settled down, silver will start flowing out like water. Some things can wait until later.

“But you were the ones who originally asked me whether I wanted to live comfortably as a rich man or actually make something of myself.

“We aren’t playing some one-round game here, and it’s not like once we die and lose our lives we can log off, go sing karaoke, and hit the clubs.

“In the schools, teach them useful things. Ideological instruction can have a general program. In practical terms, something roughly along the lines of the Whampoa Military Academy—but don’t take strides so large we tear our balls. We’ll start slowly, with the children.

“Blind Man, I’ll have to trouble you with this. You’re responsible.”

The Blind Man sighed, bowed, and said, “This subordinate understands. I’ll immediately arrange for people to begin.”

“No distinction between peoples. Education for all without discrimination. Savages, Jin people, Yan people—as long as the children are of the proper age, we teach them and accept them.

“They don’t have to be brilliant students. They don’t have to become exceptionally capable. But they must remember clearly who paid for them to attend school, who paid to feed them, and who they are supposed to serve with their lives when they grow up.”

“This subordinate understands.”

“Mm.”

And with that, the matter was settled.

Zheng Fan trusted that with the Blind Man’s experience and insight, he could only do the job better than Zheng Fan himself.

“As for the medical clinics, A’Ming and Siniang, the two of you will handle them. I’m not saying treatment has to be free, but we can subsidize part of the cost. Siniang can also take on some apprentices.”

Siniang was highly skilled at surgery. In previous battles, whenever someone suffered an external wound, Siniang had been the one to stitch it closed.

In an ancient setting like this, having battlefield first-aid teams could greatly improve the chances of wounded soldiers surviving and recovering.

A’Ming spoke.

“I have to go too?”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“You can be the chief anatomy instructor.”

“…”

A’Ming.

“As for the charity mortuaries, San’er, you and Fan Li will—”

“Master, let San’er and me handle that,” Liang Cheng interrupted.

As a zombie, he had an innate fondness for the atmosphere of a mortuary.

“Fine.”

Fan Li immediately asked, “What about me?”

“Li, you can start by building twenty public latrines in the city.”

Fan Li instinctively sensed that something about this wasn’t quite right, but just as instinctively, he nodded to show he understood.

Zheng Fan began his concluding remarks.

“When I used to play strategy games, I liked developing the economy first and unlocking technology. I’d wait until everything was ready and I had a better, more comfortable rear area before I started expanding.

“Reality is obviously different from a game, and we have to analyze our specific circumstances here. But truthfully, given the current situation, there doesn’t seem to be much else for us to do besides settle down and develop properly.

“In our corner of the world, the Emperor of Yan and both Marquises are still alive and well. There are rumors that the Emperor of Yan’s health has gone wrong, but he hasn’t died yet, has he?

“And even if he did die, with Tian Wujing sitting here in Jin territory, we still wouldn’t have the qualifications to snatch chestnuts from the fire.

“To the east, the State of Dacheng has reached an understanding with Yan. As long as they’re fighting the savages, Yan won’t go to war against them.

“There’s no fighting to the east or west.

“And Yan won’t be launching another campaign against the State of Qian anytime soon either. We can use this period of peace and stability to make our own foundation solid.

“There are plenty of savages in the Tianduan Mountains to the north. Some of them, like Xiong Lie, have already been assimilated, but aren’t there still plenty of genuine savages left?”

Liang Cheng nodded.

“Master is correct. Once the troops have been reorganized, this subordinate will lead them into the mountains to attack savage settlements. First, it will train the troops. Second, we can seize resources.”

Developing your own territory was all well and good, but if there happened to be some little brothers living nearby whom you could rob, so much the better.

The truly powerful savages were being held back by the Situ Clan. The savages around Shengle City had never posed much of a threat, making them perfect whetstones.

“Mm. We can also use the opportunity to train the infantry. Cavalry is our trump card, yes, but we need an effective system for attacking fortified cities. We can’t keep getting headaches every time we run into a city wall.”

“Master, this subordinate will consider that in the future.”

“Good. As long as you have it in mind.”

With that, Zheng Fan stood.

“Everyone has worked hard. Get some rest early.”

The Demon Kings replied in unison, “Master has worked hard.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan turned and left the hall.

At that moment, the gazes of all the remaining Demon Kings landed on Siniang.

Siniang snorted. Unhurried, she lifted her teacup and took a sip.

Xue San was ultimately the thickest-skinned of them and cared least about appearances. He said outright, “Siniang, do your best!”

Siniang rolled her eyes at Xue San.

“Why don’t you go instead?”

“…”

Xue San.

Seeing that, the others were too embarrassed to say anything more.

After all, there were some matters—especially matters between a man and a woman—that became downright hurtful and vulgar if you insisted on reducing everything to calculations of benefit.

And everyone understood that Siniang might not love the Master. At least, theirs was not the pure sort of relationship between the male and female leads in a romance novel.

Siniang was far too proud and arrogant for that. She was the kind of veteran driver who could drift a car around a grave mound.

But Zheng Fan was different.

Zheng Fan had once personally continued many of Siniang’s storylines. Even if what existed between them wasn’t romantic love, Siniang did possess a deep trust in and reliance upon Zheng Fan.

Jia Baoyu once said that all women under Heaven were made of water.

In Siniang’s eyes, all men under Heaven were molded from mud.

Only Zheng Fan felt somewhat like a real man.

After finishing her tea, Siniang rose gracefully.

“I’m leaving.”

With that, she followed Zheng Fan out.

There were plenty of rooms in the rear residence, and they weren’t particularly small. But because the place had only been hastily cleaned, it still fell somewhat short of Zheng Fan’s standards.

Renovations would begin in a few days. By then, this place could be made as comfortable to live in as their old residence in Tiger Head City.

Siniang accompanied Zheng Fan inside, lit the charcoal brazier, then walked over and helped him remove his outer garments.

“Master, take a bath first.”

“Mm.”

The hot water in the bathing tub had already been prepared.

Zheng Fan sat down inside, resting both arms along the rim of the wooden tub and narrowing his eyes.

After advancing, his body felt almost weightless, as though his entire person had become considerably lighter.

In truth, there was one major difference between Eighth Grade and Seventh Grade: control over strength.

One began progressing from relying primarily on brute force toward effortless, precise control over the smallest movements.

In other words, he was finally beginning to have a little of the flavor of a grandmaster from a wuxia novel.

Beyond the folding screen, Zheng Fan could see Siniang’s graceful silhouette.

She seemed to be changing clothes.

Zheng Fan smiled.

Then he casually picked up the stone that had been soaking in the bathing tub with him.

Certain things, after all, weren’t suitable for children.

He weighed the stone in his palm a few times and looked toward the partially opened window diagonally across from him.

“Son, go play outside by yourself for a while.”

With that, Zheng Fan hurled the stone directly toward the gap in the window.

Who would have expected the stone to make a forced U-turn in midair and come flying straight back?

Zheng Fan only had time to shout, “Fuck!”

Then, the stone smashed directly into his forehead.

“BANG!”

[End of Chapter 224]