In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 106 Achieving Thirty Years of Development in Three Years!
"Huh, huh..."

The next day, Aktos received an urgent summons from the Snow Demon, but was delayed because of the inspection of the wasteland reclamation. He rushed to the Manju Institute.

Actos wasn't quite sure why the tyrant had summoned him, but he had no time to care.

For the past two weeks, Actos, who has been worried about his imprisoned wife and daughters every day, has been diligently handling his work as "Minister of Agriculture".

In order to meet the targets set for him by Chen Qi, Aktos even had to go against tradition and use the agricultural machinery of the Shivaesh family.

Latatos was in a similar situation.

To achieve Chen Qina's vision of "expanding Shelag's livestock industry tenfold within three years and completing the industrialization of fur and leather production lines," Latatos went almost insane.

She violated the ancestral teachings of Sherag, which emphasized "moderate hunting" and "animism," by sending her people extensively into the jungle to hunt animals.

She kept all the animals she caught in captivity and demanded large quantities of crops from Aktos, who was in charge of managing agriculture, as fodder, completely breaking with Sherag's "sacred hunting" tradition.

Actos even heard that Latathos had sent his people abroad in search of a way to "make animals grow faster".

For the past, Ratatos's actions were an absolute blasphemy against living beings.

According to the laws of Sherag, Latathos's crimes were enough to warrant the death by hanging.

But now, no one will punish Latatos, and even the heads of the families, including Actos, are full of empathy for him.

Having escaped death, Latatos still lives in the shadow cast by the tyrant Chen Qi.

Rumor has it that this once shrewd and resourceful patriarch hasn't had a single good night's sleep in the past two weeks.

Whenever she was overcome by sleepiness, she would dream of frantically fleeing through a forest, but the clutches of evil behind her were relentlessly pursuing her, drawing ever closer...

Ultimately, she could never escape and was always dragged back into the abyss by those dark claws, no matter how hard she struggled.

Even in her dreams, "before she died," she could still see the remains of her sister and brother-in-law in the abyss.

The torment of nightmares kept Latatos in a state of high tension, forcing her to be extremely careful in her work in the livestock industry.

All the family heads who held positions, big or small, spent some time in this state of anxiety, just like them.

Let's get back to Actus.

When Aktos rushed to Manjusin, he found that the courtyard was already filled with prominent figures from Sherag.

Not only the head of the family, but also the prime minister Ensiodes, as well as the left and right generals Chen Huijie and Fiona were present. Actos immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

"What happened, Your Excellency?"

Actos immediately turned his gaze to Ensiodis and asked nervously:

"Could it be that the tyrannical... cough cough, Lord Kalan is not satisfied with our recent work efficiency?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, you should at least give us a definite answer. This constant anxiety is really unsettling."

"And the other two generals, do you know anything? Could you reveal a little something so we can be prepared?"

Aktos's words were quickly echoed by the other family heads.

However, the three of them, who also knew very little about Chen Qi's next plans, exchanged glances and all sensed the lack of knowledge in each other's eyes.

"Gentlemen, please wait patiently."

In the end, it was Prime Minister Ensiodes who stepped forward and patiently explained:
"Ms. Chen, Ms. Fiona, and I don't know any more than you all."

"But I think His Majesty doesn't mean to blame you all this time. If he does, the two generals and I will take the blame for you."

"Thank you very much, Your Excellency." XN
Ensiodes's words immediately relieved all the family heads present, and also unintentionally earned him their trust.

But just then, the head maid Yela's voice floated over:
"King Kalan and His Highness the Holy Maiden have arrived."

"Gentlemen, please bow."

"—Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, Holy Maiden!"

Under the leadership of Chancellor Enshiodis, the heads of the various families, even if unwilling, had no choice but to submit.

They had no choice but to kneel down while repeatedly chanting in their hearts, "We are kneeling to the saintess, not this tyrant."

But Chen Qi, whose face remained as still as water, paid no attention to what these family heads were thinking.

His only focus now is on the plans for the most intense development period that Sherag will face next!
"Everyone, get up."

Chen Qi took his seat on his throne, with Enya and Yela standing beside him like two guardians.

However, Chen Huijie and Fiona, who were Chen Qi's assistants and did not perform the kneeling ceremony, both noticed it.

On the face of Enya, the younger sister and saint, there seemed to be a mixture of unease and pity.
But before anyone could react, Chen Qi snapped his fingers without warning.

The next second, just as everyone was wondering, an inner door of the Manju Academy slowly opened.

Accompanied by a series of hurried footsteps, familiar figures appeared one after another.

"Tatiana!"

Upon seeing his beloved wife again, Actos, after a moment of disorientation, almost burst into tears as he rushed forward and opened his arms wide.

"Actorus!"

Holding her infant daughter in her arms, the young and beautiful Tatiana immediately burst into her husband's embrace with a beaming smile upon seeing him.

Upon feeling the warmth of his beloved wife, even the usually tough Aktos was moved to tears.

"Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming?"

“It really is you, Tatiana… You’re alive! I never thought I’d have the chance to hug you again…”

After confirming that everything was real, Actos, with tears in his eyes, nervously looked at his beloved wife and asked anxiously:
"Tatiana? You haven't suffered these past few days, have you?"

"And Rosalyn, how is our daughter?"

"Don't worry, Actos, your daughter and I are both fine."

Tatiana gently shook her head. In the past two weeks, she had completely overcome her initial anxiety and was more open-minded than those who were free outside.

"Aside from being a bit boring, being able to only read books all day and not being able to go anywhere, it's not too bad."

"Rosalyn is being taken very well. Look, she's so chubby and healthy!"

Looking at his daughter in his wife's arms, Actos, who had been living in fear for half a month, finally felt a moment of relief.

"It's good that you're alright...it's good that you're alright..."

Meanwhile, Ratatos, watching the two running towards him, also had a moment of disorientation in his eyes.

"Shulus? Yucatan?"

"elder sister!"

Latatos only came to her senses when her younger sister threw herself into her arms.

Feeling as if everything before her was unreal, two streams of tears uncontrollably slid down her cheeks. She stroked her younger sister's hair, sobbing softly:
"Shulus... I'm sorry, sister, I've made you suffer..."

"It's alright, sister, that tyrant didn't do anything to us."

In contrast to her sister, who was always shrewd and cautious, Hugh Rose, who had been pampered since childhood, was much more outspoken.

Judging from her unbridled behavior, this was clearly not the first time she had addressed Chen Qi in this way.

"Yucatan and I are just cooped up in the house all day, and we don't have much to do except read books and daydream."

"...It wasn't entirely just spacing out."

However, compared to the radiant Hewloth, her husband Yucatan actually lost weight during his imprisonment.

As for the reason, it was of course due to his wife's boredom and his previous fear of impending death.

Driven by this fear, people often have thoughts like "doing all the things I didn't finish before I die."

Therefore, in the past two weeks, this couple, still somewhat shy and reserved, explored every imaginable way to play with each other. Furthermore, a major event occurred that forced Yucatan to report to Latatos.

"Master, there is something I am very sorry about."

Yucatan looked slightly embarrassed, but still mustered his courage and whispered in Latatos's ear:

“During this time, Hurlus and I couldn’t control ourselves… Hurlus has already…”

"—Are you serious?!"

However, upon hearing this bombshell news, Latatos trembled involuntarily, and her excited voice even pierced through everyone's eardrums.

Facing the instinctive glances from others, Hugh Rose blushed and angrily shouted at her sister:
"Sister! Don't shout it out! Now everyone knows!"

"What's so embarrassing about this?"

However, after suppressing her emotions for so long, Ratatos was so excited upon learning that her sister was pregnant that she forgot all pretense and beamed with joy, saying:
“Good, our Brantao family has a descendant, this is truly something to celebrate.”

"I'll go back and have my clansmen prepare a banquet. Today is a joyous day for our family, and we can't be careless about it."

"elder sister!"

Similar heartwarming scenes were playing out repeatedly in this hall. Having been separated from their loved ones for so long, everyone present was overwhelmed with emotion.

Even Fiona and Chen Huijie, who were outsiders, seemed to be affected by this warm atmosphere, and a few tears of emotion welled up in their eyes.

For a moment, even the gazes the two women cast at Chen Qi softened.

Clearly, what they were seeing made them believe that their friend was still kind at heart.

He may have done this out of necessity to consolidate his rule.

But once no one in this land can challenge his rule, he will revert to the gentle and benevolent Qi they know.

...But now, consumed by anxiety, Chen Qi is forced to disappoint his two friends once again.

"Alright, time's up."

"Guards, send all our hostages back!"

Chen Qi, who had been wearing a faint smile, almost broke the atmosphere with just one short sentence.

The next second, before anyone else could react, a group of fully armed mountain snow demons separated the people who had just been enjoying their time together again.

"What are you going to do?!"

Seeing his beloved wife, who had finally returned, forcibly taken from his arms by the Snow Demon, Actos was almost instinctively enraged.

But soon, the cold and ruthless mountain snow demon's halberd, pressed against Tatiana's neck, forced the burly man to timidly retract his raised fist.

"--very good."

Seeing Aktus stop, Chen Qi's smile widened, and he said faintly:

"It seems that the brief respite has not yet made you all forget your status as lambs to the slaughter."

"Consider this reunion my reward to you all for following my will and dedicating yourselves wholeheartedly to Sherag over the past two weeks."

"And let you know that I keep my promise. As long as you do not do anything to offend me again, your loved ones will be safe and sound."

"Not only that, if you behave well, I might take pity on you and let your families go back."

Was Chen Qi as kind-hearted as he claimed? Of course not.

The silent Enshiodis knew that the reason his brother had gone to such lengths was to prevent these family heads from forgetting their own relatives!
Human relationships need to be maintained through interaction.

If the separation lasts too long, even the deepest feelings will be diluted, and even memories will become blurred.

His elder brother arranged for these family heads to reunite with their relatives after half a month, so that their longing and affection would not diminish with time!
My brother's control over human nature... is truly terrifying.

"Now that everyone has been reunited with their loved ones, let's get down to business."

As he spoke, Chen Qi's expression became more solemn. Under his intimidating aura, the family heads who dared not speak out had no choice but to bow their heads.

After everyone quieted down, Chen Qi spoke in a cold, emotionless tone:

"...During this time, I have been thinking about the future direction of Sherag."

"Although Shelag is protected by Jelagand and spared from natural disasters, it is a weak country with poor people and a small territory."

"With industry alone, Kjerag can barely protect itself in the cracks between major powers."

"Therefore, after much thought, I believe there is only one way left to overcome the poverty of Shelag."

As he spoke, Chen Qi opened his eyes, his sharp gaze, like a cold glint, sending chills down the spines of the family heads.

"The main industries are mining and tourism, attracting foreign tourists. The money from foreign tourists fills the pockets of the people of Shelag."

"To accomplish this, we need to fully open up Shelag to the outside world and let the people of this land know about Shelag."

"Your Majesty, I think this matter still needs to be discussed."

At that moment, Prime Minister Ensiodes stepped forward, facing the expectant gazes of all the family heads.

After all, for these conservative patriarchs, turning their hometown of Jeragund into a tourist destination was simply incomprehensible.

But the patriarchs dared not speak out against their anger; their only support was Ensiodes, who stood by their side.

"Your Majesty's desire to change the impoverished state of Shelag is understandable."

"However, the infrastructure in Shelag is still too poor to support a large influx of tourists."

"I urge Your Majesty to temporarily rescind your order and grant Sherag another ten years."

"I believe that under His Majesty's wise rule, in ten years, Shelag will surely become a tourist destination."

"--ten years?"

However, upon hearing Ensiodis's words, a cold smile appeared on Chen Qi's lips.

In an instant, the entire hall was enveloped by the icy aura emanating from Chen Qi.

Everyone present could sense the faint killing intent emanating from this tyrannical king.

This time, not only the heads of the families were shocked, but even Enshiodis was taken aback.

After all, Ensiodes did not oppose the national policy set by his brother; he was merely fulfilling his duty as prime minister and offering a good suggestion that was neither too urgent nor too slow.

Even according to Enciodes's estimate, ten years is already considered quite a long time.

But to his surprise, his brother would show such... anxious side in the face of such a good suggestion.

"Prime Minister, we don't have ten years, not even five."

"If your plan is followed, Shelag will not be able to survive the upcoming world war at all, and the people of Shelag will face war and be powerless to do anything about it."

As he spoke, under everyone's bewildered gaze, Chen Qi simply uttered a time that stunned them all.

"Three years. I will only give you three years."

"Transform Sherag into a nation that integrates industry, energy, trade, religion, and tourism, a nation that can remain neutral on the continent of Terra!"

"I want you, and all the people of Shelag, to participate in the construction of Shelag."

"We have completed the development path that took foreign countries thirty years in just three years!"

Boom!

Chen Qi's bold and audacious words, as deafening as thunder, were severely impacting the understanding and perception of everyone present.

When everyone realized what Chen Qi's remarks meant, they couldn't help but gasp.

This tyrant is going to make everyone in Sherag fight for him, draining their blood dry!

(End of this chapter)