Chapter 99: Settlement and Integration·Extension of Ability

Dawn light faintly appeared.

The temporary settlement east of Chan Prefecture City had already awakened.

The influx of thousands of soldiers and civilians from Jiao Tu Zhen made this originally vacant land

Instantly it was filled with vitality and……great pressure.

People shouted, horses neighed, children cried, supplies piled like mountains, and personnel flowed like a woven cloth.

How to settle these several thousand people in the shortest time, avoiding chaos, disease, and conflict?

This is an extremely severe test.

The Clerk Cao dispatched by the Prefect's Office and his several minor clerks.

Facing such a massive and chaotic situation, he was already busy to the point of not touching the ground, sweat beading on his forehead, appearing somewhat overwhelmed.

"Clerk Cao, the support timber for the three rows of huts in the northern area is insufficient!"

"Report! Too many people drawing water at the source, already queuing and crowding!"

"The medical officer says there aren't enough tents for patient placement, and medicinal supplies are also tight!"

"Two groups almost came to blows over a piece of level ground!"

Problems came one after another, and Clerk Cao was harried.

He could only hoarsely assign tasks, but manpower was limited and efficiency low.

Just then, Chen Wen arrived with Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and others at the scene.

Seeing the slightly chaotic scene before him, Chen Wen furrowed his brows slightly, but did not panic.

"Clerk Cao, you've worked hard."

Chen Wen stepped forward, his voice calm yet carrying a reassuring power.

"Next, the specific settlement affairs will be handled by my people."

"Please also assist, Clerk Cao, coordinating material allocation with the prefecture."

Clerk Cao felt as if granted a great pardon.

He hastily clasped his hands:

"Thank you, Officer Chen! I will surely cooperate fully!"

Chen Wen nodded, then turned to Zhang Cheng and the others.

His speech quickened, orders clear:

"Brother Cheng, you take overall charge, coordinate all sides, handle sudden disputes, and must ensure order!"

"Understood!"

Zhang Cheng immediately agreed, bringing several core members of the original Sharp Soldier Battalion.

Like a divine needle calming the sea, he walked into the crowd, began loudly directing, easing congestion.

"Miss Wang, you lead the women's team, responsible for distributing today's rations, assisting the medical officer in caring for patients, and soothing the emotions of the elderly, weak, women, and children!"

"Good."

Wang Ru gave a brief response, calling out.

A group of women originally responsible for logistics in Jiao Tu Zhen immediately followed her into action.

They nimbly began distributing rations and boiling water.

"Shi Dun, take your people and split into two teams."

"One team will follow Old Zhao Lao's commands, handling all heavy labor, transporting timber and stone;"

"The other team will be led by Qian Gui, strengthening camp patrols to prevent theft and conflict!"

"Just watch!"

Shi Dun replied in a deep voice, waving his big hand.

That group of tiger-like Sharp Soldier Battalion troops immediately split into two groups.

One group rolled up their sleeves and walked toward the supplies piled like mountains.

The other group gripped knives and spears, eyes sharp, began patrolling the camp's perimeter.

"Old Zhao, all artisans and strong laborers shall be uniformly allocated by you."

"According to the plans we made on the road, prioritize repairing and reinforcing huts, digging drainage ditches, and building temporary workshops!"

"Leave it to the old man!"

Old Zhao Lao was spirited, took out a crude wooden board.

On it he drew a camp layout with charcoal, began shouting out task assignments.

Orders were clear-cut, responsibilities assigned to individuals.

This management system of Jiao Tu Zhen had long been honed to maturity.

At this moment, under Chen Wen's command,

Like precise gears meshing swiftly, it began high-speed operation.

The chaotic scene almost visibly became orderly.

And Chen Wen himself appeared to stroll casually through the camp, his gaze sweeping over every area needing labor.

He did not personally lift a hand, but in his sea of consciousness,

The Cow Horse System had silently activated.

He locked onto those areas currently performing collective labor

—the timber‑carrying team, the ditch‑digging crowd, the shelter‑building crowd……

"Broadly bestowed, double efficiency!"

An intangible, gentle yet firm force.

Centered on Chen Wen, it spread out like ripples in water.

It precisely enveloped those hardworking artisans and laborers.

A wondrous change occurred.

The massive logs that several people were jointly moving suddenly felt much lighter.

The work chants became resonant and powerful, their steps light and steady, and their marching speed nearly doubled!

Over there, the dozens of young and strong digging the drainage ditch felt their arms full of strength.

Iron shovels and picks swung with vigor, sending soil flying.

The ditch extended forward at an astonishing speed, its depth and width far exceeding normal standards.

The artisans building the shed frames became incredibly dexterous in their hands.

The mortise-and-tenon joints, which originally required repeated measurement and comparison, now came almost effortlessly.

Working in perfect harmony, the sounds of knocking and fixing stretched on continuously.

The frames of the sheds rose from the ground at a visible speed, one after another!

"Huh? Today this wood feels much lighter!"

"Hey! It's spooky—my arm feels like it has endless strength!"

"Quick! Put in a little more effort, and if we keep working like this, we'll have these sheds up before dark!"

The laboring populace merely thought they had arrived at a new place with hope, and they were full of vigor.

They noticed nothing unusual; only their enthusiasm for work grew higher, and their efficiency was astonishing.

But all of this fell into the eyes of Cao Lu Shi, the recorder who constantly stayed by Chen Wen's side, responsible for coordinating supplies.

Yet it was nothing short of a miracle!

He opened his mouth wide, watching helplessly as the main drainage ditch, which was supposed to take three days to dig,

In less than a morning, it had already been completed more than half!

Those extremely heavy beams, which required shouting at the top of one's lungs in a work chant just to move,

were carried by the men of Jiao Tu Zhen as if they were ordinary timber, jogging to the designated spot!

This… how could this be possible?

These people from Jiao Tu Zhen!

Could it be that every one of them is a tireless iron man with limitless strength?

Recorder Cao rubbed his eyes hard, wondering if he had grown dizzy from overwork and was hallucinating.

He looked at Chen Wen beside him, whose expression was calm, only occasionally speaking up to point out details.

His heart was stirred by tumultuous waves.

This Assistant Officer Chen not only possesses unfathomable ability in training troops,

but even in setting up camp, directing laborers, he actually has the miraculous power to turn decay into wonder?

The efficiency of these people under his command is terrifyingly high!

By afternoon.

The originally chaotic camp has completely changed.

Rows of sheds have become sturdy and orderly, the main drainage ditches crisscrossing.

The clean and tidy patient isolation zone has been completed, and even a makeshift workshop for repairing tools has begun to send up smoke.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians each took their place and received steaming hot meals.

On their faces appeared the first truly relieved smile since arriving at Chan Prefecture.

Wang Ru led the women's team and had even begun organizing manpower.

On the cleared space planned out, they opened small vegetable plots and sowed the seeds they had brought.

Order was well established, and vitality flourished.

Recorder Cao gazed upon this camp that, in an extremely short time, had shifted from chaos to order.

His awe toward Chen Wen reached its peak.

He respectfully said to Chen Wen:

"Assistant Officer Chen is truly a divine person!"

"I… I have never seen such an efficient resettlement."

"Even the elite engineering battalion of the Military Governor's Office would probably struggle to match this speed and order."

Chen Wen smiled faintly and waved his hand:

"It is all thanks to the villagers' earnest desire to survive, their united effort—how could I, Chen, dare to claim credit?"

He felt his mental energy slightly drained from the large-scale coordination, organization, and successful use of his abilities.

And the Fortune Momentum qi vortex that seemed to have condensed a bit more, settling his mind.

The first step of the resettlement was considered to have been firmly taken.

The roots of Jiao Tu Zhen, on this new land, were silently taking hold at a speed beyond ordinary imagination.

Next would come further integration and challenges.