Three Kingdoms: Zhang Fei was sent flying by a single spear thrust, leaving Liu Bei stunned.

Wei Zi collapsed to the ground, reeking of blood. Looking at Cao Cao's "concerned" face, he felt more terrified than if he'd seen a living ghost. He wanted to cry, but he didn't even have the strength. He'd lived his entire life ruling Chenliu, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? But what good was humiliation? Looking at the lump of bronze on the ground, and then at the ruthless figure beside him wriggling his wrists, seemingly still unsatisfied, Wei Zi knew that if he didn't bleed enough today, his Wei family might be wiped out of Chenliu.

"General Cao... I... I'll go... I'll order someone to inventory the treasury right away..." Wei Zi's voice trembled like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.

"Oh, Master Wei, there's no need to be in such a hurry." Cao Cao chuckled as he helped him up, his attitude as warm as that of an old friend who hadn't seen him for years. "We have plenty of time; we can wait patiently. Ziqian, you must be tired too? Why don't you go and rest in Master Wei's living room?"

Zhang Ziqian yawned and lazily replied, "Sure, I'm a little thirsty. Old man, do you have any good tea? If not, plain water will do."

Wei Zi dared not utter a single word of dissent, and scrambled ahead to lead the way, repeatedly shouting, "Yes! Yes! Top-quality Maojian tea! Quickly! Quickly serve this...this general tea!"

Cao Cao and Zhang Ziqian swaggered into the main hall of the Wei family, looking more like they were there to inspect the work than to "borrow" money. Cao Hong, accompanied by a few guards, smirked as he "assisted" the Wei family's steward in counting the money and grain. No one in the entire Wei household dared to show the slightest disrespect.

Cao Cao sat in the main seat, holding the fragrant tea that the servants of the Wei family had served him with trepidation, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He recalled his youth, when he had been so spirited and ambitious in order to reform the atmosphere in Luoyang, even to the point of beating up powerful and influential figures. Yet, this had also offended countless people and caused him to encounter setbacks at every turn. He also remembered the Suanzao Alliance, where he had given away all his wealth and rallied supporters with a single call to arms, only to see them scatter like monkeys after the defeat.

He had always believed that achieving great things required reputation, benevolence, and strategy. But today, Zhang Ziqian taught him a lesson in the simplest and most brutal way.

Faced with absolute power, all schemes, tricks, and social niceties seem so pale and powerless.

What is the way of the king? What is the way of the tyrant?

Perhaps, when your fist is big enough, your words become law.

"Boss, what are you thinking about?" Zhang Ziqian's voice interrupted Cao Cao's thoughts. He didn't touch the cup of tea, but instead took out a water pouch from his pocket and took a big gulp.

"It's nothing," Cao Cao said, looking at Zhang Ziqian. "I was just thinking that if today's events get out, it might damage my reputation."

"Reputation?" Zhang Ziqian curled his lip, looking unconvinced. "Can that stuff fill your stomach? Can it be exchanged for roast chicken? What we lack most right now is money! Food! With these, we can build up our ranks and ensure our brothers are well-fed. Well-fed brothers have the strength to fight. And if we win, what kind of reputation can't we have?"

He paused, then added, "Besides, we're 'borrowing,' not robbing. We've signed an IOU; it's all very proper. If they're unhappy, it's because they lack awareness and don't understand the importance of supporting key national projects. I'm helping them raise their awareness; I'm doing a good deed."

Cao Cao was speechless when he heard this absurd logic. He realized that he was about to be assimilated by Zhang Ziqian's logic.

"What you said...makes sense." Cao Cao picked up his teacup, concealing the smile on his lips.

An hour later, Cao Hongxing rushed in.

"My lord! Everything has been counted! Fifty thousand shi of grain and thirty million coins, not a single coin less! The head of the Wei family said that, to support your great cause, he will also donate five hundred bolts of fine cloth and one thousand jin of refined iron!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao looked towards the door. There he saw Wei Zi, supported by his family, walking over with a deathly pale face, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Mengde...Lord Mengde, this is just a small token of my respect. I only hope...I only hope that Lord Mengde can soon sweep away the treacherous officials and restore peace to the world."

"Master Wei is a man of great wisdom and righteousness; I, Mengde, admire him!" Cao Cao stood up, walked over, patted Wei Zi heavily on the shoulder, and then solemnly placed the "IOU" in his hand. "Master, rest assured, this is proof that I will repay you tenfold when we achieve our goal!"

Weiz held the paper, feeling it was heavier than a thousand-pound boulder. Tenfold repayment? He just hoped this god would leave quickly, lest he twist the two pillars of his family into a pretzel.

After leaving the Wei family, Cao Cao and his party headed straight for the next house.

The list was drafted by Cao Ren overnight. It included well-known wealthy households in Chenliu City, and those who had been stingy or hypocritical during the last alliance meeting.

The second family was the Huang family, whose head was a fat man with a bloated belly. When Cao Cao arrived at his door with Zhang Ziqian, he was still in the backyard listening to music with his concubine.

After the gatekeeper announced the arrival, the head of the Huang family slowly walked out, his attitude even more arrogant than Weiz's.

"Oh, isn't this General Cao? What brings you to my humble abode? I heard you suffered a defeat in Xingyang. Ah, victory and defeat are common in war, you don't need to take it too seriously." He said sarcastically, completely disregarding Cao Cao.

Cao Cao remained expressionless, only turning his head to Zhang Ziqian and saying, "Ziqian, he doesn't seem very welcoming to us."

Zhang Ziqian was looking around when he heard this and nodded: "Hmm, I see. His threshold is a bit high, should I help him lower it?"

As he spoke, he lifted his foot, seemingly preparing to strike the solid stone threshold.

Before the Huang family head could react, one of his stewards was a quick-witted man. This man happened to be passing by the Wei family's residence that morning and had witnessed the massive collapse of the gate and the countless coins and grains that were subsequently transported out.

Upon seeing this scene, the steward was terrified. He scrambled over and grabbed his master's leg, crying out, "Master! Master, please reconsider! The Wei family... the Wei family's gate is gone!"

"What does it matter to me if the Wei family's gate is gone?" The Huang family head kicked the steward away, wanting to say a few more harsh words.

But as soon as he spoke, he saw that the servants around him, including his most trusted guards, were looking at him with the eyes of someone looking at a dead man. His heart skipped a beat, and he realized that something seemed wrong.

"What exactly happened to the Wei family?" he asked in a trembling voice.