No sooner had Yang Zicang stepped out to take a couple of fresh breaths near the courtyard than the driver and Darui emerged. Together, they gazed at the deliberately destroyed field ridges all around them.

“Everyone’s gone. If no one farms the land, taking it back for the lords is just a waste. ” The old man, pipe in mouth, chuckled dryly.

It wasn’t long before the deputy director trudged over, his shoulders drooping.

“Well? Will he sign? ” Darui asked.

“How is that possible? ” As he spoke, the Deputy Director looked at Yang Zicang with a pleading expression. “Brother Fog-Man, I know you’ve got the kindest heart of anyone here. Can you help me solve this problem? I’m counting on you. “

Frantically, he shoved a form into Yang Zicang’s hand.

“Huh? I— “

“Just get even one person here to sign, and I’ll have something to show when I report back. You know, if I lose my job now, my entire family is done for. “

Yang Zicang hissed through his teeth.

He looked up. “I think I’ve got the gist now… You mean the land you’re reclaiming doesn’t actually belong to you, right? “

Nuoneike shook his head. “We’re just following the rules and regulations. This right was granted to us by the ‘Ordinance on the Unified Management of All Duchy States’ issued by His Highness, the Grand Duke Heir—we have the authority to reclaim any land or housing sitting empty and unused, and redistribute it to the lords who contributed to the state during the war. “

A glint flickered in Yang Zicang’s eyes.

As Samson let out a snickering laugh, Nuoneike gripped Yang Zicang’s shoulder tightly. “Do me this favor, and from now on, if you need anything in the city, I’ll get it sorted for you right away—as long as it’s within my power. “

He thumped his own chest.

“Alright then. ” Yang Zicang unfolded the sheet of paper. The Deputy Director hurriedly grabbed a pen, pressed the paper against his ledger, and began scribbling.

Stone’s figure appeared in the doorway.

“What are you all still doing here? “

“Forget it, son. Let them rest here for a while. ” The old woman quickly tugged on the disabled young man’s arm, signaling him not to cause trouble.

Yang Zicang took the form and strode toward Stone, whose burly frame stared back at him without yielding an inch.

“Friend, although this request of mine might put you in a bad mood… “

“Then don’t bother saying it. “

The old woman tugged the man again. Yang Zicang smiled and said, “But compared to having your body healed, a bad mood doesn’t count for much, right? “

“What did you say? ” Stone was taken aback.

“I’m proud to be a Fogfolk, ” Yang Zicang said, raising the paper. “Because some of our friends can treat your injuries. You just need to sign this. “

“You… “

The man was still stunned, while the old woman beside him stood frozen for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out with a wild cry of joy before breaking into sobs.

“Sign it, quick, son! A Fogfolk—this Fogfolk is a good one. Sign it, quick! “

“You can sign it too. ” Yang Zicang smiled and handed the paper and pen to her.

……

“Let’s head over to the Old Stone Mill and take a look! “

The deputy director gleefully rolled up the paper in his hand. He had gotten two signatures in one go; even if the operation failed this time, it wasn’t his problem anymore.

“Once I’ve confirmed that all the villagers have gone to the Old Mill, I’ll go back and report this. “

The truck started up again, leaving the man Stone behind, his mind still buzzing as they drove away.

He had heard of the wonders of the Fogfolk but had never seen one in person—those who came from the other side of the sea mostly appeared in the bustling big cities.

However, among all the tales Stone had heard, one message was consistent: when they made a promise, it was either a success or a failure, never a deception. So he wasn’t worried the Fogman was lying to him; he just wondered how it could possibly be true.

The truck rumbled and groaned, winding past a few patches of woods. Less than twenty minutes out in the suburbs, those in the truck bed—Darui, Samson, and the others—gradually began to hear chant-like shouts of “Hey-zo! ” and “Hey-yo! “

The vehicle quietly came to a halt by the bend in a small path. From a distance, they could see heavy logs rolling on huge timber rollers with a low rumble. People of all skin colors and in all sorts of clothes were engaged in a bustling construction effort, with half-built courtyard walls rising around many of the houses.

“They really did come all the way out here. Damn it all. “

“What’s the story here? ” Yang Zicang asked the fuming Nuoneike.

Darui chimed in from the side, “Strictly speaking, this land is no longer under the jurisdiction of White Violet City. So even if we came to do surveys or secure those structures, we don’t really have much of a legal leg to stand on. “

“Hmph, we’re in wartime. They took off with so much public property—don’t we have a reason to take it back? “

Yang Zicang stifled a yawn. Well, he really had gotten tangled up in matters like this, after all…

Nuoneike said angrily, “I’ll be right back to report to the Director, let the division come up with a plan. It’s best to mobilise some people—we can’t let them abscond with so much public property!“

-｛Distributor February. Di’an is currently observing the moment of my life’s experience with a spectator’s attitude.｝

“What about us?” The man holding the pipe asked.

Yang Zicang, leaning against the truck bed, dropped his arms from where they had been folded.

He looked at Nuoneike’s embarrassed face. The man said: “If we all head back without doing anything well, I’m afraid that’s not appropriate. How about you guys just do some desultory surveys around here and fill in the forms. I’ll do my best to come back before afternoon. As long as we’ve done what’s necessary, Kangde can’t criticise us.“

Faint chants from the distance drifted into his ears intermittently.

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Hurry up.“｝

“Hurry up?“

Yang Zicang pondered: What does this bloke expect me to do?

Nuoneike jumped onto the truck. The idling engine gave an urgent “vroom“. Then the truck slowly began to move, labouring and groaning as it ground forward over the deepening, rutted mud.

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Talk!“｝

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Scared.“｝

Just as the truck crept forward about half a tyre’s length, Yang Zicang’s hand suddenly braced against the body of the shabby old truck.

“Friend, I have an idea for you.“

“Huh?” Nuoneike stuck his head out.

The Fogfolk are the most warm-hearted—anyone of standing knows this—and usually, once they take on a matter, they see it through to the end!

Thus, a flicker of delight warmed Nuoneike’s heart as he looked at this young-faced man, whose real age no one could guess.

“Good brother from Mist Realm, do you have any other good ideas to help me save face?“

-｛Distributor February. Di’an initiates an assessment of my experiences.｝

“Why don’t you set up a negotiation team?” Baffled, Yang Zicang said flatly.

The handful of people around all turned to look at Yang Zicang. The driver scratched his head, while Darui didn’t quite grasp the meaning.

“A negotiation team?” Old Pipe-smoker smacked his pipe thoughtfully.

The Deputy Commander furrowed his brows. “I see—you’re suggesting the Count Bureau negotiate with these local yokels? That’s a rare oddity.“

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi, with ample experience, remarks, “This is tasty. “｝

“What good would that do?” Darui looked at Yang Zicang with simple, pure curiosity, voicing the very question weighing on Nuoneike’s mind.

-｛Distributor Tata Mingqi says, “Spit it out. “｝

Yang Zicang let out a long breath, then began explaining the idea that had struck him in a flash of inspiration.

“Offer the villagers more respect; bring the potential for armed conflict to the negotiating table. Wouldn’t that earn you, Deputy Commander, even more praise in your position? And what a great story it’d make!“

Nuoneike’s eyes lit up slightly, this man from the Fog Realm spoke truly.

“Your suggestion is quite good. It’s just that… negotiating with them is something we’ve never done before. Hmm, I’ll report this suggestion to Director Kangde when I get back. I’ll take my leave now. See you later. “

Yang Zicang opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Maybe the Deputy Director in this world has very little power,he thought to himself.He needs the Director’s approval for something like this—couldn’t he just do it himself?

“Ha! Noineke, you sure know how to climb the ladder to Deputy Director. Gotta report every little thing to the Director just to feel at ease, huh? ” Samson grumbled, crouching down with a sigh and leaning against a wooden crate, starting to doze off.

……

News of what happened in Qiaoshi Village quickly reached the city.

“What?! They dared to demolish houses and destroy fields! ” Director Kang De of the Land Administration Office rose from his leather sofa in a fury. “How… how dare they! ” He slammed his teacup down and stormed over to Noineke.

The man in the grey tweed suit ranted, spittle flying from his mouth.

“With such a huge incident, how can you bear the consequences?! “

“I… ” Noineke’s heart fluttered with panic.Hey, I came to ask you about that, didn’t I?**he thought protestingly.

The assistant, quick to read the room, withdrew from the office, gently closing the door behind him. The muffled sounds of the deputy director’s plans and the director’s scolding filtered through from inside.

“Listen—I think that spot over there is just perfect for conversion into a livestock farm, ” Noineke’s voice could be heard through the door. “Didn’t the Military Division say they wanted to build a standard-compliant livestock farm? “

— “Almost the entire village is gone. Ha, you submit this proposal, and you’d better tell them it’s land the villagers voluntarily offered up!“

The assistant on the corridor sighed and shook his head.

This Deputy Director was good in every way—whatever he was told to do, he did, and he reported everything to the Director; he was very obedient.

There was just one thing: he wastooobedient. Sometimes even Director Kangde wanted to shirk responsibility, but he couldn’t!

Because for every matter, the Deputy Director had a file in hand, all documenting that he acted on the Director’s instructions.

The assistant pulled the door tight and hurried off to the conscription office. This matter couldn’t be shouldered by the Director alone; he needed to find the few who had originally come up with the idea to bear it together.