Chapter 255: Building the Shops
Upon hearing this, Storm could no longer remain calm.
Coming to this barren land, Yu Luo’s family had already performed a miracle by providing food, shelter, and stability for nearly twenty thousand people. And now, she was saying that she was going to build houses for all of them?
Houses for nearly twenty thousand people—how big would they need to be?
“Mi-Miss… Are you really sure about building houses for nearly twenty thousand people?”
“Of course. How else will everyone get through the winter? Even with coal for heating, tents are nowhere near as good as brick houses. Besides, we now have our own brick kilns. The only real challenge is sourcing timber. Fortunately, over a hundred miles northwest, our scouts have discovered a large forest—enough to build houses. Once we lay down a rail track, transporting the wood won’t be an issue.”
“But… this… The wages are paid by you, and the work is being done for us. Isn’t that…”
Even though Storm didn’t finish his sentence, Yu Luo understood what he meant.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Right now, we’re in the city-building phase, so the men are working as laborers. But once the city is complete and running smoothly, some of them will become the city’s guards. They aren’t just here to stay for a year or two—many of them might be here for three, five, even ten years, or possibly for life. Naturally, their housing needs to be taken care of.”
“She’s right. Just focus on leading the men and getting the work done. Miss will never treat you unfairly.”
Seeing Storm hesitating like a worried old woman, Zhang Hu cut in impatiently.
Storm immediately nodded in agreement, and Yu Luo moved on to the next topic.
“Ask your men if any of them are skilled blacksmiths. It’s necessary to ensure that every man is armed.”
Yu Luo had enough weapons from the stolen armory in the gold mine, but she had other plans.
She hadn’t originally wanted to rely on Storm’s people, but now, she had no choice.
The city was fully constructed, which meant it was time to organize security forces. The system had provided all the materials they needed—what was still lacking were trustworthy people.
“There should be some,” Storm replied. “I’ll ask around. But forging weapons requires bronze or wrought iron, and we don’t have any local sources. Do you have a solution for that, Miss?”
“Why are you asking so many questions?” Zhang Hu interjected coldly. “Just do what Miss orders. She has powerful allies—if she needs something done, someone will handle it. You’re overstepping your boundaries.”
Storm quickly bowed his head, realizing his mistake. “Yes, yes, I spoke out of turn. I won’t ask again.”
Yu Luo’s expression remained neutral, but as she lowered her gaze, the corners of her lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile.
This was why she needed people of her own to truly feel secure.
Zhang Hu had already proven his loyalty. Storm had performed well over the past month, but Yu Luo still had lingering doubts.
Forget it—when it came to manufacturing firearms, she and her father had already planned to split the production process. Storm’s men could handle iron smelting and making individual parts, but the final assembly would remain under her family’s control.
And then there was gunpowder—its production would be a tightly held secret.
“If you don’t understand something, ask Zhang Hu. He’s right—some things are better left unasked.”
Though Yu Luo’s words were casually spoken, Storm felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.
In the following days, work resumed at an even faster pace.
Watching Storm’s men work, Yu Luo found herself growing increasingly suspicious.
“Father, Mother, are you seeing this? They don’t even need supervision—they’re giving it their all.”
Ten days later, the foundations for two main streets in the city center were already dug out, and construction had moved on to wall-building. In some areas, they were already installing roof beams.
Back in the countryside, house construction was a major event. But here in the wilderness, everyone was racing against time, desperate to have shelter before the first snowfall.
Even with the damp and muddy conditions, no one complained. Their eagerness to move in was undeniable.
Yu Luo watched as the workers—drenched in sweat—labored tirelessly, without even stopping for a break. Many of them worked in shifts, seamlessly taking over tasks from one another without slacking off.
The sheer dedication of the workforce unsettled her.
“I’ve never seen so many people working like this—without a single one trying to slack off,” Yu Haojie remarked.
Even Ye Jiamei noticed something was off.
She had rarely left home before, but now that construction had reached the heart of the city, she took daily strolls with Yu Xiangxiang to observe the progress.
After hearing Ye Jiamei’s comment, Yu Haojie furrowed his brows. “They work as if they’ve been trained—everything is coordinated, and they instinctively support each other. Maybe I’m just overthinking it. After all, they spent years in forced labor at the mines. Under constant oppression, they probably learned to work like this.”
Yu Haojie wasn’t trying to overcomplicate things, but his words confirmed Yu Luo’s suspicions.
Yes! That was exactly it!
The strangeness she had sensed all along—it was their coordination. But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t pinpoint the root of it. As expected, her father saw right through it.
But when she glanced at him again, he had already returned to his usual expression, eyes filled with anticipation as he admired the city taking shape.
Yu Luo decided to suppress her unease.
Two months later, many of the crops were ready for harvest.
This was a rushed growing season, having started late, but Yu Luo had spent a fortune on acceleration potions from the system’s shop. Thanks to that, by the end of July, the rice was golden, the corn was mature, and the sweet potatoes were ready to be dug up. Pumpkins, winter melons, potatoes, and other grains were also ripening.
Meanwhile, the commercial district was nearly complete, with only minor carpentry work remaining.
Housing for the remaining ten thousand-plus workers was finished as well. Xiao Yi even supervised the digging of multiple wells throughout the city.
That day, Yu Luo personally went to the fields and picked a few ripe watermelons, along with a basket of tomatoes, before returning to the city.
Tomatoes didn’t exist in this era. Since discovering this, Yu Luo had bought tomato seeds from the system shop and planted a large quantity. She intended to use them for a bumper harvest this year.
