The news that Ye Tiancheng had revived the dead sapling quickly spread throughout the village. Everyone believed Ye Tiancheng must have befriended immortals. Otherwise, why would it have rained on the night he successfully planted the tree, after a month of drought, precisely at the moment he planted it? It was too bizarre. The story became more and more exaggerated, and eventually, Ye Tiancheng was rumored to be a lucky star descended from heaven.
"These guys are probably too bored. They always gossip behind my back and make my story sound more and more outlandish. It's truly embarrassing. I was just a bit luckier," Ye Tiancheng said to Xiao Pang, his tone laced with smugness. Xiao Pang, unimpressed, rolled his eyes at Ye Tiancheng.
Feeling bored, Ye Tiancheng stopped talking. He then smiled faintly and began his free-spirited planning. His next step was simple, and he hadn't overthought it, as everything had been planned beforehand. The general direction remained unchanged, and minor adjustments were acceptable, which made him appear very relaxed, as if he had nothing to do and was bored to death.
"So, should we plan the road construction next? Didn't you say that to get rich, you must build roads first? Planting these saplings also requires fertilizer, doesn't it? Using high-grade fertilizer now can promote plant rooting, rapid sprouting of tender shoots, and vigorous growth into landscape plants." At this point, Xiao Pang was more excited than Ye Tiancheng. He knew that following Ye Tiancheng meant good food and drink. The more money Ye Tiancheng made, the more he could enjoy the good life. Therefore, he eagerly encouraged Ye Tiancheng to invest in road construction.
"Let's put aside the road construction for now. To fertilize the saplings, rural manure is everywhere, as long as you're willing to collect it." As he said this, Ye Tiancheng pointed to a pile of cow dung on the ground.
"Oh, my heavens, you're too disgusting to do something like that." Xiao Pang had a bit of a germaphobia. Whenever he saw something dirty, he would instinctively feel disgusted and nauseous. Some people called him fussy, but he genuinely felt that way.
"It seems some things don't go as planned." When Xiao Pang first arrived, he was as incapable as Ye Tiancheng, only able to earn a little money to get by.
"If we talk about building roads, we'll build roads immediately. The estimated investment is 1 million yuan. I don't think you have much left. Money is easy to spend, but earning it is difficult." Xiao Pang knew Ye Tiancheng was not easy to talk to, but he didn't want to be the one to offend his absolute benefactor. This benefactor was extremely important to him, so he understood and decided to follow Ye Tiancheng's lead, letting him do as he pleased. It was for this reason that he expressed his thoughts completely.
"I know you're unhappy, but I regret to tell you that I know what you're thinking and what you're doing, I just choose not to say it." Xiao Pang was surprised that Ye Tiancheng knew everything. He felt awkward because his recent performance was terrible. However, he was also worried about Ye Tiancheng. Seeing Ye Tiancheng's indifferent attitude made him feel very embarrassed. He had to admit that this situation was his own doing, and no one else was involved. This is what they call "self-inflicted suffering, impossible to survive."
"Since the decision is made, let's act immediately. As the saying goes, speed is of the essence." Xiao Pang finally said something sensible. Ye Tiancheng nodded and immediately began to act. They then reported the matter to the village chief.
The village chief was surprised when he learned that Ye Tiancheng wanted to build roads again. He wondered why they needed to build roads after spending over 300,000 yuan. Road construction was not cheap; any project would cost hundreds of thousands or even millions.
"I have prepared 1 million yuan for road construction. I will cover the funds. The village can handle what it can, and if it can't, it can contribute money. Every penny is welcome, as long as there is the intention." Ye Tiancheng had previously revealed his considerable wealth. This time, he announced another 1 million yuan for road construction, and the village chief's jaw dropped in astonishment. He couldn't comprehend this young man. In his eyes, Ye Tiancheng was incredibly capable, having earned so much money so quickly, as if he had become rich overnight.
"So, as long as there's money, it's fine then?" Ye Tiancheng didn't hide his emotions and spoke directly to the village chief. The village chief nodded and said, "Of course, we can start construction immediately. Money makes the world go round." You said this to the big shot with a hint of sarcasm, as seeing Ye Tiancheng earn so much money in such a short time likely stirred envy and jealousy. Of course, Ye Tiancheng knew that every ordinary person harbored a desire for vanity and wealth. Even the poorest person wished to become rich, and the poorer they were, the stronger this desire became, consuming their thoughts from the moment they woke up. Although it might be unrealistic, and manna from heaven wouldn't fall, the hope for a better life would never cease.
The village chief held a brief mobilization meeting. The Hou family members who hadn't gone out to work carried their hoes and came out to build the roads. Later, Ye Tiancheng realized that carrying hoes to build roads was too slow. He suggested they just help out, as he had already notified the construction team. At this moment, the construction team's vehicles appeared from afar, beginning to excavate the road. Within a day, they had dug almost to the village entrance. After the dirt road was dug, it would naturally be hardened.
Ye Tiancheng then went to the town to withdraw money, as the construction team required an advance of several hundred thousand yuan before they would start working. The construction team didn't want to cover the material costs, which Ye Tiancheng had to bear. Ye Tiancheng arrived in town and withdrew several hundred thousand yuan from an ATM. Just as he was about to leave, the scoundrels he had dealt with the previous day reappeared before him. It was still the same tattooed man with a blue snake, but this time, he wasn't accompanied by seven or eight henchmen, but by a swarm of them. The tattooed man with the python saw Ye Tiancheng withdrawing hundreds of thousands of yuan and couldn't help but drool.
"Kid, you're impressive. I didn't expect you to earn so much money again in such a short time." The tattooed man looked at the cash in Ye Tiancheng's hand with a sinister gaze. In this town, millions were common, as money wasn't worth much anymore. With rising prices, millions didn't make one a rich person. However, in the eyes of these poor people, every penny was money. The poorer people became, the richer the rich became, creating an imbalance in people's minds.
"It seems your standards are very low. Millions of yuan are considered poor? Now, a bowl of noodles costs over ten or twenty yuan. It's not like years ago when a bowl of noodles was three or four yuan!" Ye Tiancheng couldn't understand what these poor people were thinking. Even when he was poor, he hadn't thought of becoming a rich man like them. Although he later obtained a divine stone by luck, which sparked his desire to become a rich man, before that, he had never imagined becoming rich overnight. Things that are bound to happen will happen, and things that might not happen will also occur. This world is full of dramatic plot twists.
Ye Tiancheng glanced at the man and said no more, then began to act. He wanted to leave, but the man didn't want to let him go and blocked his path. One of the men had a very fierce gaze, as if he wanted to devour Ye Tiancheng. This fierce-looking man was named Da Pao. He came from the city and had a connection with the tattooed man, so he was there to back him up.
"I heard you're very powerful. You beat up my brothers yesterday. Today, you still want to walk away with the money? You're dreaming too big. Hand over the money quickly and get lost, or I'll make sure you have nowhere to be buried." Da Pao's tone was extremely ferocious. Ye Tiancheng didn't expect this guy to be so crazy and so desperate to rob him.
"I understand what you mean, but I regret to tell you that you're dreaming." Before Da Pao could even react, he was sent flying and landed face-first on the ground. He hit the ground hard, his nose completely caved in. "Ouch, it hurts so much! My nose is ruined. Rhinoplasty will cost tens of thousands!" The man writhed on the ground in pain, rolling around. The pain from his collapsed nose felt world-ending.
"Next time, I won't just break your nose; I'll send you flying, so you can never extort or blackmail others again. If I were an ordinary citizen today, this money would definitely be yours. Don't you understand that those who live by the sword will die by the sword?" He understood the meaning, as Ye Tiancheng was already incredibly powerful, exuding a dominant aura. Those men scrambled away, seeing Ye Tiancheng as a plague god.
"This is too boring. I haven't encountered any masters," Ye Tiancheng said, looking somewhat disappointed at the retreating figures. "You will encounter masters in the future, as the world is full of them." As he said this, he sighed to the heavens, as if he had returned to his former self.
"Why are you sighing like that?" Ye Tiancheng heard his sigh and couldn't help but smile. He felt that the man was faking it and wasn't that pathetic. Therefore, he thought the man was truly asking for a beating. It was more than that.
"Under these circumstances, there's nothing more to say. It's meaningless to keep talking."
"I understand what you're saying, but what does that have to do with me?" The divine stone suddenly felt empty. Talking to a fool was utterly unconvincing.
"I know you look down on me, and I know what you want to express. But I regret to tell you that the more you want to express, the less you can express it. The more you want to grasp, the less you can grasp it..."
"So, you're saying I'm like a big fool?" The man's intentions were already clear. At this moment, he exuded an aggressive aura, directly and sharply pressing towards Ye Tiancheng.
"Are we enemies now?" Ye Tiancheng meant that they were not enemies, but merely discussing a problem. Why was it like a fight? "Because you are so incorrigible, you are too proud. One day you will understand my meaning." He sighed helplessly, wishing Ye Tiancheng would cultivate to become an immortal and live eternally in heaven, rather than living a short life like mortals, then falling into reincarnation and suffering endless torment.
"Life is short precisely because we must seize the time to enjoy it. As the saying goes, 'We envy only lovers, not immortals.' Do you understand?" The two returned to their previous topic, arguing over such trivial matters.