Chapter 47

Since an initial agreement had been reached, Xu Dong and his group finally entered the residence of Village Chief Yang. Yang Shenghua had already grown accustomed to the pain of seeing his fur carpet trampled by dirty shoes. To be precise, he had become numb to it.

After everyone was seated, Yang Shenghua hurriedly called for his servants to serve tea and snacks. Who, besides Xu Dong, had the mood to eat and drink?

Kuang Niu, whose steel round shield had been destroyed and who had six broken ribs, was now enduring the pain and sitting beside his master.

The round-faced man was even worse off. He had thought he was the most powerful Awakened person present, only to be severely injured by an adventurer without a badge.

Han Bi was the most depressed. Covered in mud and with a swollen, bruised face, he had no mood for eating or drinking.

Xu Dong didn't have the mood to eat or drink either, but the bandages on his abdomen and hands were causing him unbearable pain. If he didn't activate his Devouring skill to speed up his recovery, he might develop complications, which would be even more troublesome.

Therefore, in the silent living room, everyone sat quietly, while Xu Dong ate frantically, his hands greasy and his chewing noisy, completely lacking in decorum, looking like a starving ghost who had just crawled out of hell.

Not only did the adventurers beside him turn their faces away, pretending not to know him, even Han Bi and Kuang Niu, who had already changed their opinions of him, showed a hint of bewilderment.

Xu Dong glanced at the snacks in front of Young Master Yang, "Do you want to eat? If you don't, I'll eat them!" Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the plate and placed it on his own table. After recovering about thirty percent of his injuries, Xu Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped his frenzied behavior.

This confrontation, although led by the mysterious adventurer, who had remained silent since entering the village chief's residence, seemed to have given Xu Dong full responsibility. What did Xu Dong want from Young Master Yang?

As the saying goes, times change. Before the confrontation, his goal was simply the villagers of Nangu Village. After the confrontation, how could Xu Dong, with his nature, ignore the fact that Young Master Yang was a big stick to beat? Not giving him a few whacks would be a disservice to himself.

Xu Dong picked up a towel prepared by the servant and wiped his oily lips, finally feeling comfortable. He then glanced at the composed Yang Shenghua and asked, "Let me clarify something first. Who is in charge of Nangu Village, the village chief or Young Master Yang?"

Yang Shenghua raised his eyes slightly and looked at Young Master Yang, then, after some thought, replied smoothly, "In general, the village affairs are managed by this old man. If there are other emergencies, the Yang family of Xuecheng City would not stand idly by, right, Third Young Master?"

Young Master Yang instinctively wanted to leave, but the old fox Yang Shenghua had already shifted the blame to him, making it impossible for him to escape.

Young Master Yang could only nod slightly, though he was seething inside. If it weren't for your good luck and a brain-damaged adventurer helping you, I would have dragged you back and made you a dog!

After confirming the first question, Xu Dong pursed his lips, and his eyes sparkled. "So, Nangu Village has suffered a flood, and the whole village is busy with the harvest. I'm not saying this to you, Village Chief Yang, but if you want the horses to run, you have to feed them grass. How can you treat the compensation as a joke?"

Yang Shenghua clasped his hands and said, "To be honest, it's mainly due to a lack of funds. We can't afford to pay wages. Besides, in the countryside, food is more important than money... Those who work in our village are at least fed, even if not fully, but they won't starve."

Xu Dong finally revealed his true intentions and made his first request. "Here's what I propose. Nangu Village has at least a thousand people. Giving me three or four hundred villagers shouldn't be a problem, right? This way, you save on wages, and the efficiency improves. What's not to like?"

Village Chief Yang thought to himself, "You damn hypocrite, do you think I don't know you've already set your sights on them?"

However, since Nangu Village was a significant project, he didn't dare agree lightly. Instead, he said tactfully, "What you say makes sense. With more people, management becomes difficult, and there might be slackers. But this decision isn't mine alone; it needs Young Master Yang's approval."

Young Master Yang, being quite reckless, waved his hand and said casually, "What's the big deal? Give him five hundred people. You can choose them yourself. Those who are willing to follow you can go, but if you touch those who don't want to, I'll chase them down to the ends of the earth."

Young Master Yang clearly didn't understand the impact of the White Fox incident in the isolated Nangu Village, which is why he could be so generous.

Upon hearing the agreement, Xu Dong immediately sent Da Lang to call his relatives and friends, reminding him that Beigu Village had everything—land and houses—except for people!

However, he repeatedly instructed Da Lang to take as many people as possible who were unwilling to stay, and not to force those with strong ties to their homeland.

Therefore, when a servant reported that five hundred people had followed them, Young Master Yang was utterly shocked, feeling as if he had swallowed a fly. His eyes began to glint with unpredictable thoughts.

In fact, if Xu Dong really wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult to take away all the villagers, not just five hundred.

However, earlier, he had carefully considered the side mission's description, which didn't seem as straightforward as he initially thought.

Mission Description: Nangu Village has suffered from natural and man-made disasters, and the villagers are suffering. Please rescue them from their dire situation.

What does it mean to rescue them from their dire situation? The villagers in Nangu Village are suffering for two main reasons: a shortage of production resources and food, leading to a miserable life; and some people who want to seek their own livelihoods but are deterred by the Self-Defense Team, making them dare to be angry but not to speak or escape.

These two factors intertwine and create a vicious cycle, slowing down the reconstruction of Nangu Village, which in turn makes the villagers' lives even more miserable.

Therefore, to truly rescue them from their dire situation, Xu Dong believed he needed to address both issues, which would earn the highest evaluation for the side mission.

By taking half the population, he was addressing one of the issues.

Among this half, most were families, and the actual labor force was small. These laborers, who wanted to escape Nangu Village, were likely to have been slackers in their work.

By taking away these non-workers, the remaining people would have more resources and be more motivated to work together, like removing the rotten cells from a diseased spine, allowing the remaining healthy cells to recover.

Xu Dong had some reservations, as Nangu Village was a key project for the Yang family. He didn't want to know the reasons, but if the project was delayed indefinitely due to him, the Yang family would not let him off.

Taking away five hundred people at once was a slap in the face of the Yang family, a brutal and unfeeling slap.

Xu Dong had been thinking about how to deal with this. However, the appearance of the adventurer and the duel she facilitated inadvertently solved this major problem.

This brought both sides to the same level for negotiation. As Xu Dong often heard in his previous life, "A weak country has no diplomacy." Only when both sides are of similar strength can they sit down to negotiate.

Xu Dong cleared his throat and said calmly, "To compensate for your losses, we will not only release all the Self-Defense Team members, including the bayonet, but we are also willing to make a deal with you."

Young Master Yang snorted, "I don't care about ordinary deals."

Xu Dong took out a bamboo tube and poured out a fruit shaped like a fish bladder but pulsating like a heart—a Divine Power Fruit.

The appearance of the Divine Power Fruit made Young Master Yang, who had been lazy, suddenly wide-eyed. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this, is this a Divine Power Fruit?!"

In his excitement, Young Master Yang even reached out to grab the fruit, but Xu Dong slapped his hand away.

The effect of the Divine Power Fruit was undeniable. This first-stage Divine Power Fruit almost guaranteed an Awakened person. The value of Awakened individuals was evident, as someone like Han Bi, who had earned countless merits in the military, had never received a Divine Power Fruit.

Xu Dong smiled slightly, "This Divine Power Fruit was obtained by chance. I originally planned to offer it to the City Lord of Xuecheng City in exchange for a reward. Since Young Master Yang likes it, you can have it."

Saying he would let Young Master Yang take it, Xu Dong still held onto the fruit tightly. The adventurer beside him rolled her eyes; one shouldn't be so hypocritical.

Young Master Yang calmed down and extended a finger, "One hundred gold coins, no more!"

Xu Dong thought for a moment and shook his head, "One hundred gold coins is too little."

Young Master Yang's face changed, and he said angrily, "This Divine Power Fruit has been stored for a long time, and it even shows wrinkles. According to market prices, one hundred gold coins is already generous. Do you think it's too little? Fine, how much do you want?"

Xu Dong held up two fingers, "Not much, two hundred gold coins should be enough."

"Up to one hundred twenty."

"One hundred eighty, not a single coin less."

"Fine, one hundred forty. Take it or leave it!"

"Deal, I want the money upfront, no delays."

Young Master Yang, being wealthy, immediately had his attendant bring a box from the carriage. The box contained exactly one hundred fifty gold coins. He took ten coins and pushed the box to Xu Dong.

Xu Dong, of course, didn't go back on his word. He had planned to sell the Divine Power Fruit anyway. Now, not only had he sold it, but he had also gained favor with Young Master Yang, ensuring that the Yang family wouldn't seek revenge.

With everything settled, Xu Dong was eager to leave, as the side mission had been completed. He was anxious to know what the reward would be.

However, the adventurer, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "By the way, I remember one of you has an adventurer qualification certificate. Take it out. Don't force me to take it by force, or it won't look good for either of us."