There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 451 I'm Not Doing It

"Brother"

Li Shuchen's smile remained unchanged. "You seem pretty free? Interested in doing something with potential? Our project needs a security captain, someone to lead a few guys, maintain order, and prevent anyone from slacking off or causing trouble, or... other Tom, Dick, or Harry from coming to cause trouble."

"As for the wages, it's just a pittance for now, but once this territory is properly organized and there are profits, we'll definitely give priority to you veterans! How about it? Better than just sitting here watching, right?"

The burly man looked her over suspiciously: "You think you can make that decision?"

"I can offer suggestions, but the princess can make the decision."

Li Shuchen pointed at Zoya, "The princess is kind, but she's not stupid. Only those who sincerely work will reap the rewards, while those who cause trouble will..."

She weighed the shovel in her hand, her meaning clear even before she finished speaking.

The burly man glanced at the bustling construction site, then at the pot of porridge, hesitated for a moment, and said in a muffled voice...

"I...I'm called Rock. I can give it a try, but you'd better make sure my people have porridge to drink."

"make a deal!"

Li Shuchen clapped his hands, "Captain Rock, go help the princess move some heavy logs! Show off your strength!"

Rock scratched his head, and actually went over with two of his men.

Evening

The simple medical tent frame actually stood up!

Although still simple, it was clean and tidy, with hay and burlap mats laid out.

Beside it, a crooked but effective shallow ditch that could divert some of the sewage had also been dug.

Although it was only a minor change, the atmosphere in this corner of the camp was noticeably different.

The numbness on people's faces was no longer genuine; a glimmer of light appeared. Those who had worked even showed brief smiles when they received their porridge.

Zoya was so exhausted she could barely stand up straight, and her hands were blistered, but looking at the erected shed and the satisfied expressions on people's faces as they drank their porridge, she felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and strength.

She walked to Li Shuchen's side and whispered, "Miss Li, I never... knew before that accomplishing something with my own hands, even something so small, could bring such... joy. I also never imagined that these people, given a little hope and fairness, could unleash such power."

Li Shuchen wiped his sweat with his dirty sleeve and laughed.

"This is just the beginning, Your Highness! Our 'Spark Plan' has only just been ignited! We still need to be wary of people trying to dampen our enthusiasm, though..."

She looked into Zoya's bright, no-longer-confused green eyes and said, "You're already a qualified 'contractor' and 'community director'! Keep it up, I believe in you!"

Zoya couldn't help but smile; though the smile was tired, it was full of determination.

She knew that her father wanted to bury her in this quagmire, but inadvertently, he gave her a testing ground to truly understand the country and unite its forces.

She wants to not only light up the stars here, but also grow into a sun that can illuminate a wider desert.

next morning

Camel Camp Spark Construction Site

The construction site was bustling even earlier than yesterday, just as dawn was breaking.

Having tasted the benefits, the refugees were highly motivated. After registering with Granny Wang, they took the initiative to clean up another garbage dump or continue to widen the drainage ditches.

Zoya and Li Shuchen were squatting on the ground, using charcoal to draw a plan for the next step on a relatively flat stone slab—how to build more shelters that could protect them from the wind and rain using limited materials.

“This can be built as a row house, sharing one wall, which saves materials,” Li Shuchen gestured. “For the roof, we’ll first build a frame with wooden sticks, then cover it with thick thatch and mud. It’ll be ugly, but it’ll keep out the rain. We can build more later when we have the conditions…”

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden burst of arguing and crying erupted.

Rock and his men stormed past a group of refugees who were carrying stones, and kicked over a simple wooden frame that had just been set up the day before for drying herbs!

"What are you doing! What are you doing!" one of the women who had helped shouted.

Rock's face, full of menacing features, trembled. A stark contrast to his submissive demeanor yesterday, he roared in a gruff voice.

"What are you doing? I'm quitting! This lousy place, the porridge is so thin you could see your reflection in it! We've done so much work, and this is all we get? Brothers, this princess and this brat are treating us like animals! What bullshit hope, it's all a lie!"

His men also joined in the commotion.

"Yes! It's a lie!"

"They were saying it would be a good day yesterday, and today it's all over!"

"Those medicinal soups might be poisonous!"

The crowd immediately stirred, and the newly ignited flame of hope was doused with cold water.

Many people stopped what they were doing, looking at the rocks with surprise and uncertainty, then at Zoya and Li Shuchen.

Zoya's face turned pale instantly, and her fingers became icy cold.

She never expected that the rock, which seemed to have been tamed yesterday, would turn on her so completely today.

Li Shuchen narrowed his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the rocks and his men.

Although they shouted fiercely, their eyes darted around, as if... there was a hint of deliberate acting?

Moreover, their methods of causing trouble were very targeted: kicking over the medicine shelves and questioning the herbal decoction. This didn't seem like a simple case of complaining about the porridge being too thin; it seemed more like they were trying to destroy the little bit of trust and order that had just been established.

Captain Rock

Li Shuchen stood up, dusted off his hands, and even had a smile on his face.

"Thin porridge? You and your brother ate quite a bit yesterday. I saw you lick the bowl clean. What, your appetite has increased overnight? Or... did someone give you something better, giving you the confidence to cause trouble?"

Rock was momentarily speechless at her blunt question, then shouted even louder.

"Stop talking nonsense! I just don't like you guys! Brothers, smash this! Let them know who's in charge of this Camel Camp!"

As he spoke, he reached out to push the shelf next to him where tools were stacked.

"Let's see who dares to move!"

Li Shuchen's voice suddenly rose, clear yet stern.

Instead of using force, she stepped forward, stared into the rock's eyes, lowered her voice, and spoke rapidly, like a machine gun.

"Rock, that new wound on your arm, you got it from moving wood yesterday, right? The wound isn't deep, but the location is unusual. I happen to know that scorpions like to mark their stings near this spot—although it looks like a scrape, isn't the shape a bit too coincidental?"

Yan Shi's pupils contracted sharply, his hand instinctively reaching to cover his arm, but he stopped abruptly, his fierce expression masking his underlying fear.

"You...you're talking nonsense about scorpions! I don't know anything about them!"

"do not know?"

Li Shuchen smiled, but the smile was cold.

"Then why are you so nervous? After work yesterday, you sneaked out of the camp and went to the rocky beach to the west, right? Apart from snakes and scorpions, there doesn't seem to be anything worth going there at night, unless... you were going to see someone? Someone who would give you something better?"