Love Lock

Chapter 132 Joining the Ranks of "Nobles"

Han Lei's movements were fluid and swift, each step executed with ease, clearly demonstrating her mastery of the explosives' placement.

Her gaze was focused and calm, as if she were performing a perfectly ordinary task.

Zhao Zun stood aside, his eyes following her every move closely, feeling both surprised and admiring.

Although he didn't know what Han Lei was doing, he was still shocked to witness her working so skillfully and attentively.

Little did he know that although Han Lei had received professional training in handling explosives during her time in the military, this was the first time she had personally operated such a large-scale explosion.

Therefore, she must focus.

After the explosives were set up, Han Lei carefully checked them one last time.

After confirming that everything was in order, Han Lei took Zhao Zun's hand and retreated to a safe area to reunite with the laborers.

Her movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, as if she were already accustomed to this tense and dangerous scene.

"Everyone close your eyes, cover your ears! Squat down!"

Han Lei called out twice, her voice soft yet powerful, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

Although the hundreds of laborers present were puzzled, they still did as instructed, closing their eyes and covering their ears.

Han Lei looked around to make sure everyone was ready before taking out the remote control.

She lightly pressed the button, paused slightly, and made sure everyone was outside the danger zone before pressing it without hesitation.

"Bang! Bang bang bang!"

Several deafening roars followed one after another, as if the entire world was trembling.

The rocks shattered under the impact of the explosion, dust flew up, and fragments of rock scattered everywhere.

The massive shockwave shook the ground. Although everyone had their eyes closed and ears covered, they could still feel the powerful force. Many were terrified, their bodies trembled, and their faces turned pale.

After the sound of the explosion gradually subsided, and quite some time had passed, the laborers dared not open their eyes.

They shook off the dust, stood up, and waved away the dust and smoke that were obstructing their view. The sight in the distance left them speechless.

The once solid mountain was blasted open, leaving a huge gap, as if a piece had been torn off by the hand of a god.

Around the gap, the ground was covered with iron bauxite ore that they had been vigorously mining with hoes; it was all within easy reach.

A pungent smell filled the air, and dust was still slowly settling down, as if a storm had just ended.

"Is this...is this the work of a deity?"

A laborer muttered to himself, his eyes filled with awe and disbelief.

He had never seen such power before; it seemed as if only legendary gods could achieve it.

"My God! It must be divine lightning!"

Another laborer said, his voice trembling with deep shock.

They usually rely on hoes and chisels to dig little by little, and they have never seen such a rapid and efficient blasting.

Old Meng and Zhang Ergou, who were carrying shovels and spades, were so shocked by the sight before them that their mouths dropped open, and they almost dropped their tools.

Seeing the farmers heading back, they went back to retrieve the shovels and spades from the cart, intending to distribute them to the farmers.

They didn't hear Han Lei's shouts. Just as they hoisted the tools onto their shoulders, a thunderclap sounded.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Zhao Zun stood beside Han Lei, his gaze deep and complex.

As he gazed at the scene of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting open, his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

Han Lei's methods far exceeded his expectations. If such powerful force were used on the battlefield, it would surely change the entire course of the war, making her invincible.

"Girl, isn't it a terrible waste to use such a precious material to collect iron oxide?"

Zhao Zun couldn't help but speak, his tone filled with unspeakable heartache.

Han Lei brushed the dust off her clothes and smiled nonchalantly: "I have money!"

Her tone was relaxed and casual, as if it were nothing more than a simple matter.

Since that day when she and Zhao Zun locked themselves in their room and secretly plotted to "do it with him," the system unexpectedly rewarded her with a huge amount of gold that very night.

It's a huge amount!

This made her even more convinced that the system seemed to be secretly supporting her actions.

Perhaps, her emotional entanglement with Zhao Zun was secondary; assisting him in completing that grand plan was her true mission in this era.

The power she possesses is precisely to help him achieve that goal.

Thinking of this, Han Lei's lips curled into a slight smile. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, she had to keep moving towards that goal.

After all, this was not only her mission, but also her shared destiny with Zhao Zun.

"Alright, stop standing there! Let's get started!"

After a brief moment of shock and amazement, Zhao Zun rallied everyone to get back to work.

The mine was bustling with activity; the dust from the blasting had not yet completely settled, and a faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the air.

The laborers gathered in twos and threes, holding the tools Han Lei had given them, and began to busy themselves filling baskets and hampers with the iron alum that covered the ground, while others carried it to the three-wheeled vehicles to load it onto the trucks.

Although their faces were covered in dust, their eyes shone with excitement.

It was around two or three in the morning, and the sun was blazing. The mine was surrounded by bare rocks, barren of any vegetation, and there wasn't a single ray of shade to be found.

Han Lei looked up at the glaring sun, sweat trickling down her cheeks.

She pondered this and decided to build a simple shed for the workers nearby so that they could have a place to rest in the sweltering heat.

Zhao Zun summoned dozens of laborers with shovels to help clear the open space. Han Lei quickly opened the computer in the system and searched for tutorials on building corrugated steel roof sheds.

A moment later, she decisively placed an order in the system to purchase corrugated steel sheets, steel pipes, and the necessary tools.

The laborers were once again shocked to see a large pile of strange things suddenly and inexplicably appear on the ground.

"Hey, don't you think the princess is a goddess descended from heaven?"

A young laborer wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered to his companion beside him.

"you do not say!"

"I wanted to say it just now, but I didn't dare to."

Another older laborer put down his shovel and squinted at Han Lei, who was directing the construction of the shed in the distance.

"Look at the things she took out, we've never seen anything like them in our lives. And those tools, they're so easy to use, much better than our old hoes."

"Yes, yes!"

A thin laborer nearby came over, his eyes full of admiration.

"The princess even taught us how to build the shed herself! Look at what she's holding... what's that called again? A wrench? A screwdriver? Tsk tsk, what a strange thing."

"Do you think the princess was sent from heaven to help us?"

The young laborer scratched his head, his tone now tinged with awe.

“She not only helps us with the work, but she also thought of building us a shady place. We’ve never seen a princess like this before.” “That’s right!” The older laborer nodded, his eyes full of emotion. “Those nobles in the past, would they care about our lives? But the princess is different. She seems to genuinely care about us.”

"Look, the princess is coming!"

The thin laborer suddenly lowered his voice and pointed at Han Lei, who was walking in their direction.

Han Lei was dressed in an elegant ancient-style long dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind, but in her hand she held a modern lithium battery rechargeable mini electric drill.

Her steps were light, and a faint smile graced her face, as if she didn't care at all how mismatched her attire was with the tools in her hands.

"Thank you all for your hard work!" Han Lei walked up to the laborers, her voice soft and gentle. "They're already setting up the sheds over there. You should all go and help out. Hurry up and get them up so that everyone will have a place to rest when they're tired from working."

The laborers nodded, their eyes filled with gratitude and admiration.

One of the laborers, seeing that Han Lei was approachable, mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation with her.

"Your Highness, you are so kind! We have never met such a noble person before. Other noble people have treated us like cattle and horses."

Han Lei waved her hand casually: "No need for such formalities. We're all working together, so it's only right that we look after each other."

"Your Highness, we've never seen these tools in your hands before. Where did you get them?" the thin laborer couldn't help but ask curiously.

Han Lei smiled mysteriously: "This is my secret weapon, specially made to help everyone."

The laborers laughed upon hearing this, their eyes filled with admiration and trust.

"Alright, let's go!" Han Lei waved the electric drill in her hand, signaling everyone to follow. "I'll teach you how to do it, so you can do it yourselves in the future."

The laborers responded enthusiastically, following behind Han Lei and listening attentively to her explanation.

They felt that working for such a princess was worth it, no matter how tiring it was.

Not far away, Zhao Zun was also clearing the open space with a shovel when he looked up and inadvertently saw this scene.

His gaze fell on Han Lei, his eyes filled with tenderness and relief.

A slight smile played on his lips as he murmured to himself, "Heaven has been kind to me, allowing me to meet such a woman."

A gentle breeze blew across the mine, carrying a hint of coolness.

Han Lei's figure shone brightly in the sunlight, and her smile, like the tools in her hands, was deeply imprinted in the hearts of every laborer.

With many hands making light work, dozens of laborers worked together, digging holes, drilling, setting up frames, and installing the equipment, their sweat pouring down their faces.

In less than three hours, a shed of about 200 square meters was erected.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the newly erected corrugated steel roof, casting a warm golden glow.

Under the shed, the laborers sat on the ground to rest, reaching out to touch the sturdy frame and smooth roof, unable to help but exclaim in admiration.

"My God! This shed is made of fine iron! It's actually a place for us to rest."

An old man with a wrinkled face squinted, his rough hands rubbing back and forth on the steel pipe, as if confirming whether the solid feel was real.

"Your Highness and Princess are really generous; they've really gone all out!"

Another younger laborer hugged the steel pipe, closed his eyes, and gently rubbed his face against it, as if he were rubbing his wife's delicate face.

In ancient times, iron was a scarce commodity, let alone refined iron. Iron mines were strictly controlled by the imperial court or local government, and those who privately mined iron were punished with exile or even beheading.

Refined iron is even more precious and is mostly used to forge important items such as weapons and agricultural tools.

The imperial court appointed special iron officials to be responsible for the mining, smelting, and distribution of iron ore.

If folk artisans wanted to obtain a little bit of refined iron, they had to go through layers of approval, and the quantity was limited.

Therefore, fine iron products were often priceless, becoming treasures that the powerful and wealthy sought after.

Little did the laborers know that the shed's frame was not made of ordinary refined iron, but of steel pipes, which were even stronger than iron, and the roof was made of lightweight and durable steel sheets.

These modern materials were like aliens to them.

As the sun gradually set and darkness fell, Han Lei brought out a folding ladder and had the laborers climb onto the roof, where they laid two layers of straw mats. This was mainly for insulation and soundproofing.

After everything was done, the laborers packed up their tools, carried baskets on their backs and lifted hampers, and prepared to go down the mountain to the cement factory for lunch.

Han Lei sat on the three-wheeled vehicle and sighed softly, "There's just not enough time. It's only a matter of setting up a shed, and half a day is gone."

Zhao Zun sat down, put his arm around her shoulder, and quickly stole a kiss on her dusty cheek, causing Han Lei to turn her head and glare at him.

Zhao Zun smiled and said, "Don't rush, take your time. We've already had three cartloads of iron oxide clay today, and with what the laborers brought back, it'll be enough for the cement plant to use for several days."

Han Lei nodded, her gaze falling on the winding Qulin River not far away, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her.

"Tomorrow, all the three-wheeled vehicles will come and make a trip. While we have this time difference, we can buy some ready-made cement from the system and repair the road."

Zhao Zun raised an eyebrow: "Build a road? Now?"

"Yes, let's get the road repaired before we run out of materials, so that transportation will be easier in the future."

As Han Lei spoke, she opened the system interface and quickly purchased a batch of cement and sand.

The road down the mountain was not smooth. Every so often, Han Lei would take out enough cement and sand from her spatial storage and pile them up by the roadside.

Looking at the building materials that appeared out of thin air, Zhao Zun couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your system is really convenient. It can be carried around at any time, and it has everything you need."

The three-wheeled vehicle clattered back to the cement factory, where all the factory workers gathered around.

Upon seeing the cart filled with iron oxide clay, the laborers cheered.

"So much bauxite! Enough for all of us to carry on our backs for days!"

A laborer, his face covered in dust, excitedly patted the cart bed, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Yes, this saves a lot of effort!" another laborer chimed in with a smile.

After unloading the goods, everyone went into the thatched shed to rest.

Dinner was already laid out, with only a few bowls of coarse grain buns and a bowl of wild vegetables on the table. Han Lei looked at the meager meal and couldn't help but sigh.

Since leaving the Beiguan military camp for the capital, she has also joined the ranks of "noble people".

With the ability to buy food anytime through the system, she hadn't seen such simple meals in a long time. Even the people around her gradually improved their diets.

Cement plants and mines are inherently physically demanding jobs. Even though Zhao Zun paid them double wages, these laborers only thought about taking the money back home to help support their families and couldn't bear to buy anything good to eat.

Han Lei was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Zhao Zun and said, "Announce that starting today, the factory will have meat every two days. I'll go and arrange it now."

Zhao Zun nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, knowing full well that the work here involved manual labor.

Although he adopted Han Lei's method and paid double wages, he wouldn't act like those wicked nobles who used whips to drive the laborers to work.

However, the laborers worked themselves to the bone in order to earn double wages.

There are very few places selling pork in the county town; it's almost always mutton, chicken, or fish, but those are all quite expensive.

He had long wanted to improve the laborers' meals, but unfortunately, there were too many places to spend money on the cement factory during this period, and Han Lei had not yet returned. He was afraid that his meager salary and rewards would not last long.

Besides, it's quite a distance from here to the county town, and the laborers are busy working while the guards have all been sent out on missions.

He leaves early and returns late every day, and it would be inconvenient for him to bring enough meat from the county town to feed several hundred people.

Fortunately, Han Lei has arrived now.

I always take comments lightly, but I always go against the grain when it comes to collecting. Hahaha.