Lin Feng reached out and touched the ore vein on the rock wall, a cold sensation transmitting through his fingertips.
He remained silent for a mont before withdrawing his hand.
"Let's go up."
The suspension basket rose slowly, the light from the shaft opening drawing closer and closer.
Lin Feng stepped out of the basket and stood in the sunlight, glancing back at the deep shaft.
It was already this dense at sixty ters; what would it be like further down?
He didn't dare to imagine, nor did he need to. Regardless, this mine belonged to him from this day forward.
"Zhang Ping." He turned to look at Zhang Ping.
"Present."
"The miners will start today. First, mine the layers above fifty ters. Get Master Tian Zheng's slting furnace built as soon as possible; I want to see the first batch of Mithril soon."
Zhang Ping cupped his fists. "Understood."
Lin Feng nodded, picked up the Wildfire Spear leaning against the headfra, and strode out of the village.
On the way back to Beacon Fire Town, his steps were much lighter than when he had arrived.
Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds in streaks, like golden curtains hanging against the dark red sky.
The walls of Beacon Fire Town were already visible in the distance; though dusty and gray, the sight was reassuring.
He rembered a few months ago, when he had just awakened and was cast into the wilderness, not even daring to drink a sip of water without caution.
And now? He had soldiers under his command, grain in the granary, stone, wood, and iron ingots piled in the warehouse, and a Mithril Mine buried underground.
Lin Feng smiled and quickened his pace.
As the city walls drew nearer, the two Beacon Guards standing watch at the gate straightened their postures upon seeing him.
"Lord."
Lin Feng nodded and strode through the city gate.
...
Lin Feng sat in the Council Hall for a while.
He carefully reviewed the matters regarding North Slope Village, and after confirming nothing was missed, he stood up and returned to his room on the second floor.
He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
His consciousness communicated with the Lords Authority, locating Blue Star.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar ceiling.
Rongcheng, Villa No. 7, Lords Ho.
Outside the window was a murky gray sky, and the aroma of his mother's cooking drifted up from downstairs.
He sat up, picked up the dedicated communicator by the bedside, scrolled to Lin Xiaoyu's na, and pressed the call button.
It rang three tis before connecting.
"Lord Lin?" Lin Xiaoyu's voice ca through the receiver, tinged with surprise. "Are you back on Blue Star?"
"Yes." Lin Feng leaned against the headboard. "Xiaoyu, please ask Director Chen if he's free today. I have sothing I'd like to discuss with him in person."
The other end of the communicator went quiet for a mont, followed by the sound of typing. "Please wait a mont, I'll check."
Holding the communicator, Lin Feng could faintly hear Lin Xiaoyu speaking to soone, though the content was muffled.
He waited patiently, his gaze falling on the old locust tree outside the window.
New buds had sprouted on the tree, their tender green appearing exceptionally bright against the gray sky.
About a minute later, Lin Xiaoyu's voice rang out again: "Lord Lin, Director Chen is at the Rongcheng Nightmare Affairs Bureau right now. You can co over directly."
Lin Feng stood up. "Alright, I'll be there shortly."
He hung up, changed into clean clothes, and went downstairs to tell his mother he was heading out.
His mother poked her head out from the kitchen, spatula still in hand. "Will you be back for lunch?"
"Not sure. Don't wait for ."
His mother muttered sothing and retracted back into the kitchen.
Lin Feng stepped out and hailed a hovercar by the roadside.
The driver, a middle-aged man, glanced at him, asked for the destination, and then started the vehicle.
The hovercar zipped through the streets of Rongcheng, the scenery outside the window rushing past.
Lin Feng leaned back in his seat, his mind still calculating the matters of the Mithril Mine.
A hundred miners, thirty units of raw ore per day, could yield ten units of pure Mithril.
But the problem was, Mithril was too sensitive; once word got out, every power in the South Pole Region would set their sights on Beacon Fire Town.
The hovercar stopped in front of the gate of the Rongcheng Nightmare Affairs Bureau.
Lin Feng paid the fare and stepped out of the car.
The gate was the sa as the last ti he visited: grayish-white stone walls, a black iron gate, and two guards ard with live ammunition standing at the entrance.
But this ti, when the guards at the gate saw him, they imdiately straightened up and saluted.
"Lord Lin!"
Lin Feng nodded. Just as he was about to head inside, he saw ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a familiar figure jogging out from the doorway.
Lin Xiaoyu was wearing the dark blue uniform of the Nightmare Administration Bureau, her hair tied in a ponytail, a smile on her face.
She ran up to Lin Feng, panting slightly. "Lord Lin, you got here so fast."
"The hovercar is fast." Lin Feng smiled. "Let's go."
The two walked inside side-by-side. Just as they entered the main gate, a young man in uniform ca toward them, holding a stack of docunts and walking hurriedly.
He froze for a second upon seeing Lin Feng, then hurriedly stepped aside to the edge of the path and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Lin."
Lin Feng nodded and continued forward.
A few more steps in, a middle-aged woman appeared from a corridor corner; she had an ID badge hanging from her chest and looked like a mid-level cadre.
She paused when she saw Lin Feng, her face showing a look of surprise before she quickly moved out of the way. "Lord Lin, I have heard so much about you," she said with a smile.
Lin Feng responded politely.
Along the way, they encountered more and more people.
There were uniford staff, officers in military dress, and several individuals who looked like liaisons from other territories.
Everyone who saw Lin Feng stopped and stepped aside, their gazes a mix of awe and curiosity.
So whispered to those beside them, "That's Lin Feng," while others pulled out their communicators to take photos secretly.
Lin Feng's expression remained neutral, but he felt a sense of reflection in his heart.
The first ti he ca here, no one knew him, and no one cared.
Now, as he walked through the corridors, everyone made way for him.
As they were walking, a young man with glasses jogged over, holding a tablet. He said to Lin Xiaoyu, "Section Chief Lin, there's an approval that needs your signature..."
He stopped mid-sentence as he saw Lin Feng, his entire body freezing up.
His glasses nearly slipped off his nose as he hurriedly took a step back, his voice changing pitch. "L-Lord Lin! I'm sorry, I didn't see you..."
Lin Feng waved his hand. "It's fine. Go about your business."
The young man nodded repeatedly, then turned back to Lin Xiaoyu, his voice hushed. "Section Chief Lin, this isn't urgent. I'll co find you later."
With that, he turned and walked away quickly, as if afraid of disturbing so great figure.
Lin Feng glanced at Lin Xiaoyu, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "Section Chief Lin?"
Lin Xiaoyu's face turned slightly red, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.
She cleared her throat, pretending to be nonchalant. "It was a last-minute decision by Director Chen."
"He said that for a liaison to a county-level lord, the rank shouldn't be too low."
Lin Feng nodded with a smile. "Not bad. You've been promoted."
Lin Xiaoyu smiled bashfully, her eyes sparkling. "It's all thanks to you. You rose so quickly; I was originally just a regular clerk, and my rank was too low to match your status."
"Director Chen said we couldn't let the outside world think the Rongcheng Bureau doesn't value you, so he promoted a few levels first."
"That's good," Lin Feng said sincerely. "You were due for a promotion anyway."
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