Chapter 383: Only My Unique Method Chapter 383: The Resource Era (6)

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Upon entering the West River Water Fortress gate, Li Yizhuang got out of the vehicle and immediately asked, "Has the Lord arrived?"

The gate guard was an old acquaintance; he shook his head lightly.

Li Yizhuang felt a deep pang of regret.

At this moment Sun Ruihe also arrived, barking sharply, "Li Yizhuang!"

"Present!" He hurriedly snapped to attention and stood straight.

"What are you inquiring about?"

"Just... asking whether the Lord is here."

Sun Ruihe bulged his eyes and said, "Is that something you're allowed to ask?"

"Yes." After answering, Li Yizhuang hastily shook his head again: "No, I'm not allowed to ask."

Sun Ruihe glared at him for several seconds before saying, "Where are the prisoners?"

"In Vehicle 255." Li Yizhuang, a soldier of ten years, had figured out two things. First, don't join the army if you have no connections; second, being scolded is a good thing. So he actually liked being scolded — if a superior doesn't scold you it means your training is poor and you're not valued. This time he had distinguished himself and got scolded again; he was practically beaming.

Sun Ruihe had just opened the door of Vehicle 225 when Naba inside went crazy shouting, "Sir, Sir, save my brothers... please, I beg you..."

He had seen the insignia on Sun Ruihe's shoulders. By now everyone in Ma La knew: those with insignia are officers, those without are soldiers.

Li Yizhuang said quietly from behind, "They were hiding in the brush; our firepower reconnaissance scared them out. The heavy machine gun got three; only one survived intact. I promised to send him to the hospital."

"Then go." Sun Ruihe took out a small notebook, wrote a few characters — his signature of consent.

The field hospital isn't a place just anyone can go. Normally, aside from letting Sima Lue's two disciples take turns doing outpatient rotations for cultivation, Sima Lue himself performs surgeries nonstop. Once a major surgery appears, all doctors must scrub in; therefore not just anyone can go see a doctor. First priority: "Jiangning People"; second: soldiers serving at West River Water Fortress; third: "Good Citizens"; only if time remains do outsiders get treated — usually there is no remaining time, so even port merchants scramble for Good Citizen Certificates, greatly advancing the work of the West River Water Fortress Civil Affairs Office.

Li Yizhuang took the signed note and told Naba, "You speak properly to the Chief; I'm taking Tie Jiu away for treatment."

Two soldiers hoisted Tie Jiu onto a stretcher and left. Naba clung to the stretcher, weeping and howling. Li Yizhuang held him back, laughing, "Stop yelling, sounds like a woman calling for her husband."

Naba turned a resentful face, snot and beard scaring Li Yizhuang, who couldn't help thinking: With this look, could he really be the injured man's lover?

This wicked notion made him instantly decide to distance himself from the upcoming interrogation.

Mu Tianhua was the most educated among the soldiers on this trip. His father had kept accounts for the village back then, knew thirty characters, and taught them all to him. Thus Mu Tianhua unhesitatingly stepped forward to persuade Naba, urging him to cooperate with questioning and brought him to the interrogation room.

In the empty room, Sun Ruihe sat in the large armchair, ordering Naba to sit opposite.

The interrogation would be conducted by him; She Lei, Da Yang, and others watched the real-time video feed.

For Earthlings, the West Continent's resource issue is truly strange. If you say there are no mineral deposits, the locality does indeed produce metal, albeit in small quantities. But if you say there are deposits, no one knows where they are, who is mining, or where they are mining.

On Earth, this is almost impossible.

Even a small coal mine would require hundreds of workers, right? Food, drink, waste, the ore produced — all involve transport coming and going.

Yet they combed the entire area around Ma La and found no such place.

Now the Ring City Highway is nearly complete; the Native Company and an Inspection Team searched in a dragnet, and this is the first time they've encountered Ma La people who might be miners... If Ma La didn't occasionally produce metal weapons on its own, West River Water Fortress would have believed the locality had no mineral deposits at all.

Da Yang originally thought watching the slave camp closely would help, but facts proved they don't use slaves for mining at all; ordinary Ma La people involved with minerals are exceedingly rare, giving the impression of a secret art rather than a large-scale economic activity.

Sun Ruihe had attended several plenary meetings and shared the same doubt. In his view, given the scarcity and value of metal minerals on the West Continent, information on this aspect must be extremely valuable; it would only yield results through slow, patient questioning.

However, sitting in the interrogation room chair, he was amiable and kind, like the friendly uncle next door: "Your name is Naba? Good name; we have a port called Naha."

Naba stared at him stupidly.

"You're really called Naba?" Sun Ruihe asked again, "What's your companion Tie Jiu named that?"

"He's an Iron Workshop person." Naba now looked at Sun Ruihe like he was the fool.

Sun Ruihe knew the Iron Workshop — it was the "Metal Birth" place reported by informants inside Ma La, and one of the few villages able to cluster within the city.

His spirits lifted, he asked, "You're not an Iron Workshop person?"

Naba said dully, "I'm a Strongman. I must work to satisfy the Workshop Master so my son can learn Iron Art and become an Iron Workshop person."

Sun Ruihe asked with a beaming face, "What is Iron Art?"

"It's the method of producing iron; very few know it."

Sun Ruihe guessed he might not know, but still had to ask: "How is Iron Art carried out?"

This is likewise a phenomenon Earthlings find hard to understand. By their common sense, whether smelting steel or iron, you need roaring flames and blast furnaces, thick black smoke and tall chimneys; yet inside Ma La there are not only no such facilities, not even a wisp of black smoke has ever appeared.

Now the Temple War has begun; Ma La is working overtime producing war materiel, metal weapons being the bulk. Yet no matter how many shiploads of metal enter Ma La, how many shiploads of ore enter, never has smelting black smoke appeared, never has ore flowed out.

Thus everyone can only attribute this to alchemists' techniques.

West River Water Fortress has also captured high-ranking Knights, like the former Grand Knight. But these people either feign nobility and refuse to speak, or simply don't know; occasionally a Manor Lord describes things, but only as far as the Iron Workshop.

The work inside the Iron Workshop seems like the secret art of Yun Village people transporting goods — kept secret for hundreds or thousands of years.

Naba gave the expected, disappointing answer: "Don't know."

"Does Tie Jiu know?"

Naba's expression darkened; he said in a low voice, "Don't know. Tie Huo knew; he's dead."

By West Continent naming conventions, the more irregular the name, the higher the status; but ordinary villagers have regular names — names like Lie Feng or Tie Huo, using nature for naming, already count as high-ranking figures in the village.

Sun Ruihe was slightly disappointed but still adhered to his interrogation routine, speaking gently: "Then what do you usually do?"

"A Strongman is the person inside the Iron Workshop who moves heavy objects." Naba paused, then said, "Those with names are Iron Workshop people."

"Seems you and Tie Jiu get along quite well." Sun Ruihe smiled at the surveillance camera and asked, "The heavy objects you speak of — are they iron ore?"

"Not necessarily."

"Is there ore among them?" Sun Ruihe had seen ships deliver ore into Ma La, yet the city had no blast furnaces or such smelting tools.

"Yes." Naba basically cooperated; he held no loyalty to the Iron Workshop.

Sun Ruihe shifted the topic, asking with slight urgency: "The ore transported into the city — was it all made into metal ingots by you using Iron Art?"

"Yes."

"Then this time, why are all the things you brought back metal ingots?"

Sun Ruihe's tone was much sterner with this sentence. This was also the secret everyone in the water fortress wanted to know.

Dayang outside was equally anxious, eyes bulging.

His intelligence department was under the greatest pressure. If he had three to five months to focus on researching this problem, he would certainly find the enemy's mine. But Chen Yi gave too little time, the West Continent was too unfamiliar, he didn't have many capable subordinates, and obtaining the enemy's important technical information was really not that easy.

Amid the expectant gazes of everyone inside and outside the room, Naba said lightly: "Tie Huo used Iron Art outside."

"How was it used?"

"I don't know."

"Did you see anything at all?"

Naba fell silent.

Sun Ruihe knew this was the critical moment.

He took a sip of water to compose his mood, then used the most advantageous threat in his hand, speaking with unprecedented solemnity: "You'd better think carefully. Tell me everything you saw, answer properly, otherwise not only will you not survive, Tie Jiu will die too."

Naba panicked: "Your people promised me, that lord said he would definitely cure Tie Jiu."

"We will cure him, but you must tell us what we want to know, otherwise you both will still die."

Naba's head probably couldn't process such a complex sentence; he only knew to weep sadly: "You said you'd cure Tie Jiu, you'd cure Tie Jiu."

She Lei outside laughed heartlessly. Sun Ruihe called himself an omnipotent special forces soldier, rushed to interrogate the prisoner, and got this result — it was quite amusing.

The two inside the room naturally didn't know the outside joke; Sun Ruihe kept feigning severity: "Tie Jiu will be cured, but you must answer my questions truthfully, otherwise I'll kill him."

Naba understood now, and naturally asked: "If I tell you, will you let me and Tie Jiu go?"

"If you tell everything, yes."

"We don't want to go back to Ma La, we want Lani City-State."

Lani City-State wasn't far, but he couldn't think of anywhere farther.

Sun Ruihe agreed with a straight face.

"We also need some money..."

"Agreed."

"300, no, 500 copper." Naba looked stupid, but when it concerned his own interests, he still had a strongman's wisdom.

"I've agreed to all, but that's it — only these three conditions." Sun Ruihe softened his tone, picked up his teacup, and said: "Can you speak now?"

"Yes." Naba shrank his neck.

Light cheers immediately rose outside; after all they were all young people, and such a major breakthrough, solving a problem hanging over their heads for so long, was truly exhilarating.

Naba composed himself for a while, and under Sun Ruihe's incomparably stern gaze, haltingly recalled: "That day at Shenqi Mountain, we were originally going to Gate One, but Tie San made us go to Gate Two. After arriving, Tie Huo had me and Pao San stand watch. I climbed a tree — it was a Gate One tree — and happened to see a bit."

His words weren't very logical, but Sun Ruihe didn't want to interrupt, letting him speak first.

"I saw... saw Tie Huo and Tie Jiu put the Divine Box inside Gate Two, hanging it with thick rope, like how we hoisted things out of the city. After about a quarter-hour, they pulled the thick rope out, opened the Divine Box, and there were metal ingots inside. They dredged 10 times a day, then had us carry them out. It went on for 4 days, gathered 40 portions, then we left the mountain."

This account wasn't very clear, but Sun Ruihe was thinking while Naba spoke.

He didn't continue letting Naba describe the matter, because as long as he wanted, the latter certainly wouldn't mind describing in more detail.

Sun Ruihe asked first: "Shenqi Mountain — is it a mine?"

"It produces ore."

"Where is it." That was the first question to ask.

Naba scratched his head and suddenly said: "I want water."

The expectant gentlemen outside nearly slammed their heads into the screen.

Sun Ruihe made a gesture, and Dayang personally brought water in. A paper cup of plain boiled water — probably worried he'd commit suicide.

"Thirsty? Drink." After speaking, Dayang also sat down beside him.

Sun Ruihe was somewhat displeased, feeling Dayang was stealing credit. But his status wasn't higher than the Double Waist Person, and he couldn't flare up in front of the prisoner, so he tacitly accepted Dayang's behavior.

Naba drank the water dry in one breath, stretched out a hand, and said: "More."

"No more. You have to answer my question first — where is the mine?" Sun Ruihe said impatiently. If this fellow hadn't wanted water, where would Dayang have had a chance to participate in the interrogation?

This was a huge merit picked up for free.

Naba reluctantly licked his lips and said: "Follow Shenqi Road, and it's Shenqi Mountain."

"Be more specific."

"Yes." We left the city from the west at night, took Shenqi Road — it's a path along the water, never any beasts on the road, narrow, two people abreast at most, can't use pack animals. Reached the lakeside, right in the lake center. That mountain is Shenqi Mountain. Reached Shenqi Mountain... after getting up the mountain, there are three gates. Put the Divine Box in, and metal ingots come out — not sure what exactly. "

Though a bit disjointed, the matter was explained clearly.

Dayang opened the map, pointing at the lake before Ma La, and asked: "Is it here?"

This lake was quite vast, the island inside as large as a county town. But the exploration team had been to the lake island and found nothing. Of course, this wasn't strange — West River Water Fortress couldn't organize a professional exploration team at all; actually even if they did, it would be extremely hard to find a mine.

Finding a vein isn't simply using instruments; one must analyze based on geological conditions and history. The West Continent is destitute, no data at all; even if by luck they dug into a mine, it's hard to judge the vein's location and reserves — little actual meaning.

It was based on this understanding that the gentlemen in the water fortress placed their targets on locals, hoping to get intelligence and information from them.

Naba answered softly: "Yes."

Dayang wrinkled his nose and said: "Do you know how to read this map?"

Naba shrank his head: "Don't know."

"Then think carefully. If you're wrong, I'll kill Tie Jiu too."

Naba looked to Sun Ruihe for help. Perhaps in his eyes, this military-looking fellow seemed safer.

Sun Ruihe proudly raised his square face, patiently explained how to read the map to Naba, then asked again: "Shenqi Mountain — is it here?"

"Yes." Naba was much more certain this time.

Sun Ruihe maintained a friendly smile and said, "Think it over. We'll send someone to check right now. If you're wrong, Tie Jiu dies."

"It's here." Naba looked exhausted, as if he were on the verge of a mental collapse.

Da Yang gave Sun Ruihe a smile-not-smile glance, stood up, and said, "I'll go verify it."

The intelligence officer left the interrogation room, and even Sun Ruihe felt much less pressure, almost beaming as he said, "Naba, don't worry. As long as it's the truth, we'll definitely let you go."

"Send us to Lani City-State, and give us 500 copper coins." Naba was like a wilted farmer who needed a stick to get anything out of him, but when it came to money and grain, he became energetic again.

Sun Ruihe nodded helplessly and repeated, "We'll send you to Lani City-State, and give you 500 copper coins. Now let's just chat casually."

"And you have to let us go," Naba said, conflicted.

Sun Ruihe had to nod again and asked urgently, "You said the Divine Box—what kind of thing is it?"

"This big, long, square." Naba gestured, describing a box about half a meter long and 30 centimeters wide, height unknown.

Sun Ruihe silently recalled the confiscated metal ingots; they seemed several sizes smaller than this.

So he said to the surveillance camera, "We'll bring your personal belongings in shortly. You tell us which one is the Divine Box."

"When they left, Tie Huo hid the Divine Box in the mountains, saying he'd use it next time they came."

Sun Ruihe immediately pressed, "Where did he hide it?"

This was important intelligence.

"Don't know. We used to mine ore; this was the first time we saw the Divine Box. Tie Huo didn't let us know when he hid it." Naba instead showed off a bit—perhaps he was proud to have seen the divine object in the Iron Workshop—and he became more relaxed, actively requesting again, "I want water."

"Here you go. We're sending people to find the Divine Box now. You guess, roughly where is it?" Sun Ruihe said this both to Naba and to the people outside.

"At Er Dao Zha. I don't know anything else." Naba spoke more and more fluently.

Sun Ruihe guessed that Naba might truly not know any other information, but he couldn't give up. Any bit of information he could get now was extremely valuable—perhaps a great merit. For example, the Divine Box.

Although the West Continent had its magical side, it actually still conformed to the most basic laws of the universe. Sun Ruihe didn't believe the Divine Box had the ability to "create metal"; otherwise, Iron Workshop people could just produce it inside the city—why risk their lives leaving the city, or spend money buying ore? This magical method of smelting iron not only fascinated Sun Ruihe, but also showed him a golden path to success. (Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian. com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)