The refugees from Daning County boarded the large cargo ships, their lives—quite literally—turning southward.
Most northerners feared water the way cats feared baths. But Daning County was different. It sat beside the Xinshui River, and if you grew up there, you might not know how to fish or row, but you had at least sat on a ferry without screaming your lungs out.
So when the ships rocked and swayed, there were fewer pale faces than expected.
A few people clutched the railings.
A few swore they'd never eat noodles again.
But no one actually threw up.
The Yellow River stretched long and wide. Riding the current downstream, the journey took less than half a day.
Then—
"Look! Look ahead!"
A refugee pointed forward, voice cracking.
"A bridge! A huge bridge!"
Heads snapped up all at once.
The Dragon Gate Yellow River Bridge appeared like something that had wandered in from a storybook—massive, spanning the river with an arrogance that suggested rivers existed solely to be crossed.
People froze.
Even those who had been dizzy moments ago suddenly felt cured.
"That… that thing's real?"
"So big…"
"Who in their right mind built that?"
The chatter exploded.
At the bow, a crewman laughed and turned around. "Why the shock? This is a divine bridge. Brought down from the Celestial Realm by Dao Xuan Tianzun himself."
A collective gasp rolled across the ships like a wave.
Someone shouted again, "Look at the bridgehead! There's a fortress!"
Sure enough, at the eastern end of the bridge stood a gray-white cement fortress—solid, angular, utterly un-Ming in temperament.
Longmen East Fortress.
Inside it stood Shi Jian.
At this very moment, Shi Jian was peering through a telescope atop the battlements, scanning the river like a man hunting fat fish.
Three large cargo ships.
Packed.
With.
People.
His eyes lit up so fast one could practically hear the spark.
He bolted out of the fortress, boots thundering, waving his arms like a lunatic who'd just spotted a shipment of free labor drifting toward him.
"Hey—HEY—OVER HERE!"
Wang Tang leaned out from the bow and laughed. "Brother Shi! Why are you waving like a river ghost trying to hitch a ride?"
Shi Jian squinted. "Those ships… refugees from the north?"
"Bingo," Wang Tang said. "Instructor Xing ordered me to bring them to Puzhou for resettlement."
Shi Jian's smile froze.
"…Instructor Xing's orders?" he asked carefully. "Not Dao Xuan Tianzun's?"
Wang Tang paused, thinking. "Now that you mention it… no. The Dao Xuan Tianzun didn't specify where they should land."
Shi Jian's face broke into a grin so wide it nearly cracked. "Then don't send them to Puzhou. Leave them with me."
Wang Tang stared. "You're… snatching people now?"
Shi Jian rubbed his hands together shamelessly. "Look at this place! Bridgehead fortress—check. Strategic importance—check. Supporting facilities? Absolute garbage."
He gestured around. "This bridge was personally ordered by Dao Xuan Tianzun to be developed. If it turns into a glorified empty dock, won't that be embarrassing?"
Wang Tang laughed. "So you want refugees to save your reputation?"
"I want manpower," Shi Jian said bluntly. "The people from Hejin County come here, see it's safe, and immediately run back home. No one wants to stay."
He lowered his voice. "This place sits right on the Shanxi–Shaanxi border. When bandits stir, everyone avoids it like plague soup. I can't build anything without people."
He pointed downstream. "Puzhou is drowning in manpower. Let me borrow a few thousand souls, will you?"
Wang Tang hesitated.
Then nodded.
"…Alright. You've convinced me."
Shi Jian nearly laughed himself breathless.
"There are about three thousand total," Wang Tang added. "I'll bring them all here over a few trips."
Shi Jian clasped his hands. "I knew you were reasonable."
Wang Tang smirked. "If Instructor Xing comes for your head, don't drag me into it."
Shi Jian waved dismissively. "Instructor Xing is reasonable too."
—A dangerous statement, but he said it anyway.
The ships docked.
Gangplanks dropped.
Crewmen shouted, "Everyone off! You can live peacefully here!"
The refugees stepped down in a daze.
They had heard everything.
The shouting wasn't subtle. The river wind carried every word.
"Snatch people."
"Manpower."
"Borrow a few thousand."
The refugees exchanged looks.
Since when did officials fight over refugees?
Aren't we mouths to feed? Burdens? Walking problems?
Yet here they were—being competed for.
Shi Jian strode up, grinning like a shopkeeper welcoming customers. "Welcome to Dragon Gate Ferry! Food's distributed daily at the fortress gate. No one starves."
Cheers erupted.
"But," Shi Jian added, "just surviving is boring, isn't it?"
The crowd leaned in.
"If you work," he said, pulling out a familiar Gao Family Village wage sheet, "you earn real wages."
The list unfurled.
The refugees gasped.
"These wages—are you serious?"
No one hesitated.
They rushed forward like a dam breaking.
Dragon Gate Ferry gained people.
Shi Jian gained his future city.
Wang Tang watched the chaos and sighed inwardly.
"…Instructor Xing's going to find out," he thought.
Then shrugged.
"Ah, forget it."
If people could be fought over like treasure—
That meant the world, at least here, was pointed in the right direction.