Late Ming Dynasty: Summoning players from Liaodong to support the Ming Dynasty

"I can turn the walls of Guangning into a wonder that will never fall!"

Zhou Keke's burning eyes were fixed on Chu Ze, and the fervor in her words was enough to ignite the entire study.

Chu Ze's fingertips lightly traced across the rough cement block.

hard.

Icy.

It carries a sense of power that transcends this era.

A tremendous joy exploded in his chest, but in just an instant, it was forcibly suppressed by his brain, which was already accustomed to calculation and weighing, with even colder rationality.

A new problem, a problem far larger and more intractable than the lack of weapons and food, emerged before him.

Overall planning.

To apply this technology to the entire defense of Guangning, how many people would be needed to quarry limestone? How many carts and horses would be needed to transport clay? How many craftsmen would be needed to renovate the brick kilns?

Who will schedule the construction period? Who will allocate resources? Who will supervise the quality?

Is it Wang Erniu?

He's a master at leading troops into battle. But if you put him in charge of managing this massive, intricate project, he probably wouldn't even know what the first step should be.

player?

Let them dig holes, let them risk their lives, they're geniuses. But to make them follow tedious deadlines and procedures, that's worse than killing them.

Wonders are not built by one person alone.

He needs a true manager, someone who can translate his ideas into concrete actions, brick by brick.

"I've remembered your contribution."

Chu Ze withdrew his hand, without making any excessive promises to Zhou Keke.

"I will give you the best craftsmen and the highest priority in resource allocation. I have only one request."

He calmly looked at the female player who was covered in dirt but whose eyes shone with an alarming brightness.

"Within seven days, I want to see the defense system of the South Gate barbican completely renewed."

Zhou Keke was stunned for a moment, but then her stubbornness and competitiveness as a tech geek took over.

"No need for seven days." She pushed up glasses that weren't actually on her nose. "Five days will be enough."

After saying that, she picked up the cement, turned around and left in a hurry, as if her inspiration would slip away if she were a second late.

Watching her departing figure, Chu Ze fell into deep thought.

This problem was more difficult than he had imagined.

Late at night.

After a full day of frenzied "grinding" for tasks, most players chose to log off and rest.

The bustling city of Guangning has finally returned to its original, desolate state, a state befitting an isolated city.

Chu Ze put on a black cloak and walked out of the garrison commander's mansion alone.

He needs to patrol the city.

He did it for no other reason than to see with his own eyes what the city he had pulled back from the brink of death looked like now.

On the street, the cold wind swirled dust, blowing across the empty eaves.

The air was still filled with a lingering, strange stench of blood and decay.

But something is different compared to a few days ago.

The atmosphere in the city was no longer that suffocating despair.

On the street corner, several patrolling veterans were dozing against the wall, their weapons tucked into their arms. They weren't sleeping soundly, but at least they were asleep.

In the distance, a few suppressed sobs could be faintly heard, but the heart-wrenching wails were gone.

order.

A fragile yet real order is being rebuilt in this isolated city.

Chu Ze walked lightly through several streets and alleys before finally stopping in front of a makeshift soup kitchen.

This is the largest soup kitchen in the city, responsible for the food rations of most of the soldiers and civilians in the eastern part of the city.

Surprisingly, the expected chaotic scene of crowding and scrambling did not occur in front of the porridge stall.

Dozens of emaciated people were quietly queuing up in a short line divided into several rows.

Each person held a small, roughly carved wooden plaque in their hand.

A woman dressed in a simple blue cloth dress was standing in front of the soup kitchen, directing several women who were helping out.

"Those from Zhangjia Lane, come this way to collect yours."

"Aunt Li, you received your allowance yesterday, come back tomorrow."

"Wang San's child is sick, give him an extra spoonful of porridge."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a convincing logic.

The entire distribution process was orderly and surprisingly efficient.

Chu Ze stopped in his tracks.

He recognized the woman.

Su Qingying.

The woman he had rescued from the Later Jin scout camp a few days earlier.

At this moment, the fear and tears of that day were gone from her face; instead, there was a calmness focused on the task at hand.

She seemed to sense that someone was watching her, and looked up to meet Chu Ze's gaze.

Su Qingying froze for a moment, then a look of panic appeared on her face. She quickly put down the wooden spoon in her hand, walked quickly to Chu Ze, and bowed deeply.

"This humble woman... greets the General."

Her voice trembled slightly, a tremor that was the instinctive awe of the weak in the face of power.

"No need for formalities," Chu Ze said calmly. "I'm just taking a look around."

His gaze passed over Su Qingying and landed on the neat rows of people and the wooden signs categorizing them.

"Is this the method you came up with?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qingying trembled again, seemingly afraid that the general would blame her for acting on her own initiative.

She lowered her head and explained in a low voice.

"General, I just felt that if everyone squeezed in together, it would be slow and easy for accidents to happen. So... I dared to learn from my father's old method of managing the warehouse, and separated the people who came to collect porridge by street and alley, giving them different tokens so that they could come in batches."

"That way, it'll be easy to find out who received it and who didn't. It'll save us a lot of trouble."

Chu Ze listened quietly.

At that moment, his heart began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably.

Managing a warehouse?

Grouped by streets and alleys?

Using wooden signs for recording?

Isn't this the most basic yet most effective project management and data statistics?

Looking at the slender woman before him, trembling slightly with nervousness, a crazy idea uncontrollably sprouted in his mind.

He needs a manager.

A CFO who is shrewd, meticulous, and able to organize a myriad of tasks in an orderly manner.

And this person could very well be standing right in front of him.

Chu Ze didn't reveal anything, but continued to ask seemingly casually.

"What kind of business does your father run?"

"My father used to trade furs and medicinal herbs between Liaoyang and Guangning."

Su Qingying's voice lowered, tinged with sadness.

"Later...the Tartars came, and then..."

Chu Ze didn't let her continue.

He has obtained the information he wanted.

peddler.

A merchant who can travel from place to place with his daughter in chaotic times must be shrewd and familiar with human relationships.

Su Qingying, on the other hand, had clearly learned her father's skills through observation and exposure.

It's like searching high and low without finding it.

He suppressed his excitement and changed the subject, a seemingly unrelated topic that contained a deadly veil.

"Have you ever lived under the Han Banner Army of the Later Jin?"

The moment the words fell.

Chu Ze clearly felt the woman's body tremble violently, a tremor that came from the depths of her soul.

Su Qingying slowly raised her head.

That delicate face, which was already pale, turned as white as a sheet of paper at this moment.

Her lips trembled, and her once calm eyes were instantly overwhelmed by an indescribable, extreme fear.