Chapter Seventy-Two: The Servant

When Fan Bei departed, he no longer enjoyed the privilege of Xie Bo personally seeing him off. Instead, he boarded a coach bus. Among his fellow passengers were Da Bai, Iron Ball, He Xixi, the newly hired housekeeper, and fifty workers—all employed through the Star Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber had only just begun operations, yet within such a short time, it could supply so many personnel. Clearly, Lin Zhongqing had powerful supporters backing her with all their might.

The return journey by bus was nothing like the pleasant trip they had earlier. The “Mist Glider” was but a fleeting marvel and did not reappear.

To Fan Bei, such technology was truly extraordinary. That it could not be widely adopted seemed a great pity.

At first, things were manageable. Within fifty kilometers of Silver City, the roads had all been repaired, and were more or less on par with the standards of his previous life. Beyond that range, however, their speed dropped sharply—from eighty kilometers per hour to thirty or forty, and even then, the ride was rough and unpredictable.

They set out at ten in the morning. At this pace, it would be at least eleven at night before they reached home. The outbound journey had taken barely three hours; the return trip would cost them over twelve. Such a disparity spoke volumes.

“If only your Chamber would promote the ‘Mist Glider’ technology,” Fan Bei remarked to the driver, a man surnamed Liu. “I’m at the Bronze level—should be able to use it.”

“Sorry,” Mr. Liu replied, shaking his head. “That technology is reserved for internal use, and only for those recognized by the boss. To use it, you have to be at least a team leader. People like me, even at Bronze level, don’t get the chance. I’ve heard each person is limited to a certain number of uses per year.”

“I see. What a shame—it’s a technology that could greatly invigorate business,” Fan Bei probed.

“Oh,” Liu said, steering as he spoke, “there’s not such a huge demand for goods and personnel movement these days. There are still plenty of evil spirits on the roads.”

“But I’ve noticed Chamber staff aren’t afraid of those spirits, nor are those working outside Silver City. Why not offer this service to outsiders, at a higher price? There’d be plenty willing to pay,” Fan Bei pressed.

“Chamber personnel quotas only increase by a set amount each year. As for being able to work near the city and ignore the threat of evil spirits—that’s thanks to the boss’s authority and regular patrols. The vast majority of those working outside the city aren’t official Chamber staff, just nominal workers under unified management,” Liu answered readily, indicating that these were not state secrets.

So that was the case. Fan Bei speculated quietly that the boss was a figure far more advanced than Little Bai, but even the mind-link had its limits.

Yet the boss seemed able to contract unlimited puppet servants—a mystery in itself.

Through the arduous journey, they stopped four times, resting a total of an hour. Without breaks, many would have been worn out by the ride.

Finally, at 2 a.m. on August 11, after fourteen full hours, they arrived at Shelter No. 364.

Throughout the trip, aside from his conversation with Mr. Liu, Fan Bei mainly communicated with the newly hired housekeeper.

She was a woman in her forties, plain in appearance, with streaks of gray in her hair and a stern, upright manner. Her surname was Huo. Fan Bei politely addressed her as “Aunt Huo,” but she insisted he call her Housekeeper Huo instead.

She had undergone rigorous training in the housekeeper’s curriculum and mastered many skills—training that clearly was beyond the means of ordinary powers.

After disembarking, Fan Bei said to Mr. Liu, “Your vehicles are truly robust…”

“Haha, these are specially made to handle these terrible roads. If you want to buy one, you can place an order,” Liu replied, proud and ever ready to promote his product—a testament to his enthusiasm.

“If I have need, I’ll certainly order. As agreed, when the next caravan arrives, you’ll return home with them. In the meantime, please rest well here,” Fan Bei said courteously.

“I couldn’t ask for more,” Liu nodded.

The group then sorted themselves and entered the shelter in order.

Given their numbers, Fan Bei had them gather in the residential square for a meeting.

He brought Housekeeper Huo before the crowd, gave a brief introduction, then announced,

“From today onward, I’m entrusting all affairs of the shelter to Housekeeper Huo. Aside from the control room, which I’ll handle personally, all other tasks will be managed by her. Please cooperate fully.”

With that, Fan Bei breathed a sigh of relief, at last freed from these petty matters. Now he could focus on cultivation and his true duties—building systems, organizing systems, managing hosts…

Housekeeper Huo nodded and bowed, saying, “Thank you for your trust, sir. I swear on behalf of the Star Chamber of Commerce that I will ensure your enterprise flourishes.”

“Excellent. If you need anything, contact me via the intercom. The rest is up to you,” Fan Bei replied, full of trust, before leaving with Da Bai.

After his departure, the crowd in the square—apart from the fifty newcomers, who remained silent—began to murmur among themselves.

“What’s going on? Mr. Fan is just handing everything over to an outsider?” someone grumbled, dissatisfied.

“What else could he do? She’s got powerful backing—Star Chamber of Commerce. Never heard of it, but it’s surely higher status than us, who were once slaves,” another replied, tone tinged with envy and resignation.

“Uncle He has served Mr. Fan for so long, but never received such status…” another protested.

“Uncle He never vied for anything. He just wants to be a chef in peace.”

Though their time with Fan Bei was not long, it was still far longer than that of the new housekeeper. They regretted not seizing the opportunity to rise sooner.

Housekeeper Huo paid no mind to the gossip. She simply took out a document and held it up before them.

“On the way here, Mr. Fan discussed with me the settlement’s development goals. We are to become an agricultural base, focusing on farming and animal husbandry. Accordingly, I will train everyone to suit these objectives.”

“This is a classification list for workers. I’ll assign tasks and determine treatment levels based on your skills, then submit them to Mr. Fan for approval.”

“I am a fair person. Regardless of your past relationships or deeds, I judge only by future performance, strictly according to the assessment system. Wages, housing, meals, clothing—all benefits will be tied to your grade and conduct.”

“If you fail to meet requirements and your grade falls below the minimum, then, I’m sorry, we must proceed officially. You’ll be dismissed and required to leave, to make your own way.”

At these words, the whispers ceased instantly.

People are practical creatures, most concerned with the present. A local official is more immediate than a distant one.

Chef He and his ten kin, born into servitude, were destined to stand lower than the others. Though rescued by one of status, that benefactor rarely intervened, and prayers were largely fruitless…

In the previous two weeks, Fan Bei had left everything unattended, which had led to some dissent. Chef He, leveraging both family ties and outside pressure, had managed to quell it.

Now, with a new manager in place, the focus of discussion shifted. Chef He himself felt relieved—not needing to constantly step in and soothe tempers.

After all, he was just a cook. His greatest wish was to work peacefully, cook meals, and care for his wife and children.

Beyond that, he had no ambition. Otherwise, he would never have chosen to flee.

Still, he was human, and had his concerns. He worried that his daughter, He Xixi, might be assigned heavy work by the impartial Housekeeper Huo. Previously, he’d arranged for her to do light, respectable tasks, and no one objected.

But on reflection, he relaxed. Mr. Fan was an honorable man; surely he would not let such things happen, given their mutual understanding.