American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

"I...I..." Bilbo, with his innocent and kind nature, originally wanted a happy ending for everyone, but now it seems he has messed everything up.

Faced with the dwarves' accusations, he was caught in the middle and didn't know how to explain himself.

"Alright, Bilbo. Calm down. I wasn't going to do anything to the dwarves anyway." After calming the agitated hobbits down, Mike looked at the dwarves and said, "For Gandalf's sake, I can give you two choices."

"First, you can share in the treasure of Lonely Mountain, so that you, the Dulin Dwarves, may have the wealth to rebuild your nation..."

Even if the treasure of Lonely Mountain were measured in hundreds of millions, it would take a very long time to count. Even if only one-thousandth or one-ten-thousandth of it were taken, it would be enough for the Dulin Dwarfs to live a life of abundance from then on.

That was the initial goal of the dwarf adventure team.

“I think we should agree to his offer, Thorin. With the money, we can rebuild the kingdom beneath the mountain…”

Among the crowd, the steady and composed white-bearded Balin couldn't help but speak up to persuade Thorin.

The other dwarves were also tempted and looked at Thorin, waiting for him to make a decision.

After all, being able to openly and legitimately reclaim a portion of the Lonely Mountain treasure is already a significant improvement over the previous situation.

Thorin seemed to have other ideas, shaking his head and waiting for Mike to continue.

“Another option is that I will return the Arkenstone to you, but you must promise me that you will go to Moria to live afterward…” Mike put the Arkenstone down from the throne again, weighing it in his hand as he offered the dwarves their second option.

In Moria, dwarves with talents in mining and forging can naturally become self-reliant.

It can also benefit all humans in Middle-earth who need weapons and equipment.

It can be said that he made a contribution to the fight against the dark forces among the various races of Middle-earth.

Therefore, the second option, aside from the fact that the journey with the dwarves will be a bit more difficult, can be considered a win-win situation.

"Isn't there a third option? Give me the [Arken Gem] to establish a kingdom beneath the mountain, and the Durin dwarves will become your most sincere allies..." Thorin, torn between wanting it and wanting it, hesitated for a while before offering the title of King beneath the mountain.

Unfortunately, the title of King of the Mountain, or rather, the title of Dwarf, is worthless to Mike.

"With Lonely Mountain under my control, I have no shortage of allies..." Mike rejected Thorin's request without hesitation, and then continued, "It's alright, you have plenty of time to consider. Once you've decided which path to choose, you can come to me anytime."

At the same time, Mike signaled to Sophia and the others to untie the dwarves and see them off.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Thorin was still unable to decide whether to take the Arkenstone to Moria or take the gold coins to rebuild his kingdom at the foot of Lonely Mountain.

Therefore, the Dulin dwarves have always roamed around Lonely Mountain.

Meanwhile, Mike, who possessed a huge fortune in Lonely Mountain, was not only "generous" to the dwarves.

Over three days, he shared the vast wealth of Lonely Mountain with Sophia's team of rangers, Bard's Lake Guard, Legolas's elven squad, and the lone ranger Aragorn.

After acquiring the wealth, the ranger team did not leave; they were subsequently recruited by Mike and became the Lonely Mountain Patrol.

As for Bard, who received the most wealth, he subsequently relocated the residents of Lake Town to the more habitable Valley region, seemingly preparing to rebuild the Valley Kingdom.

The valley region is located between Lonely Mountain and Long Lake, with large tracts of fertile land suitable for cultivation, making it ideal for the development of a human kingdom.

Bard, who relocated the residents of Lake-town to this location, signed a unilateral alliance treaty with Mike in gratitude for his generosity.

Finally, there were the Elf Prince and Aragorn, who, in perfect unison, politely declined the Lonely Mountain treasure that Mike was offering them.

The Elf Prince refused, explaining that the Elf race had no need for gold coins. Therefore, he wanted to exchange his wealth for his mother's heirloom – the white gemstone necklace.

As for the White Gem Necklace, it was originally an item given to the dwarves by Thranduil, the Sindar Elf King, to help forge his deceased wife. However, due to the greed of the dwarves, it was kept by Thorin's grandfather, Thor, and stored in the dwarven warehouse.

After Mike found the necklace in the Lonely Mountain warehouse, he returned it to the Elf Prince.

As for Aragorn, he's currently in a situation where he's single and has no family to worry about, so he doesn't have much need for wealth.

Therefore, he was the only one who completely rejected the wealth of Lonely Mountain.

“I’m planning to send David and Sam back to the Northern Highlands and bring more people to Lonely Mountain…” Deep within the Lonely Mountain palace, the half-elf Sophia, having once again gained a deeper understanding with Mike, seemed to have taken on the role of the mistress of Lonely Mountain.

Although Gushan is not short of money now, it lacks a lot of defense capabilities.

A day earlier, Sezer, the new king of Rohan, sent a messenger to Lonely Mountain, partly to congratulate Mike on his successful dragon slaying and capture of Lonely Mountain, and partly to warn Mike that the Orc army of Mordor was heading towards Lonely Mountain.

Since the Rohan Empire has regrouped, it seems that only the Lonely Mountain is a good point of attack along the entire northern defense line.

Yes, although Sauron the Dark Lord has been banished to the Void, he will one day return. Therefore, the dark creatures of Mordor have not given up their plans to invade Middle-earth.

Even Azog, the orc leader known as the Pale Beast, became even more ambitious than before in order to prove himself before the Demon Lord returned.

Mike did not deliberately hide this information from Sophia and the others, so Sophia was also very worried about the current situation on Lonely Mountain.

"Whatever you want, bring more people to Lonely Mountain if you like. But just make it clear that with me here, I can handle any number of orcs," Mike said nonchalantly.

Now, his titles of "Ogre Slayer," "Healer," and "Dragon Slayer" have spread throughout Middle-earth, and he receives a vast amount of faith power every day.

Mythic level. More than half of the tenth rank has already been completed.

Having become three times stronger than before, the orcs' attempt to use sheer numbers against Lonely Mountain was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

“You’re just talking big. No matter how strong you are, there will always be times when you’re careless and tired. It’s never a bad thing to hire more people to share the burden with you…” Sophia was still a little worried.

Even ants can kill an elephant if they are numerous. Mordor now has at least hundreds of thousands of orcs gathered in its army. It would be terrifying to think that they would actually attack Lonely Mountain.

"You underestimate me~" Mike looked at Sophia's expression and knew what she was worried about.

Her initial intention was good, but it can only be said that she knew nothing about power.

Just as Mike was preparing to draw his gun and fight again, to teach the half-elf a lesson, a huge commotion suddenly came from outside the Lonely Mountain Palace.

"Don't let anything really happen, go out and check!" Sophia, who was already too exhausted to continue the attack, quickly took the opportunity to push Mike out.

"What's going on outside? Why is there such a commotion?" Mike, dressed neatly, arrived at the main hall and happened to run into Bilbo.

“It’s the Elvenking who has arrived, bringing a lot of supplies. Aragorn and the others went out to greet him…” Bilbo explained.

When the dwarves left, Bilbo didn't go with them; instead, he stayed in Lonely Mountain to help with errands.

They were roughly similar to communications soldiers.

As for Aragorn, he is now the temporary captain of the Lonely Mountain patrol.

When Mike walked out of the Lonely Mountain Hall, he was greeted by truckloads of supplies, mostly fruits and food.

Thranduil, the Sindar Elf King, was talking to his son.

He had already received his deceased wife's belongings, the white gemstone necklace.

Further to the side, Aragorn was leading a patrol of rangers, maintaining order.

As for the object of their maintenance, it was the dwarves of Durin led by Thorin.

These dwarves, who harbored deep prejudices against the elves, seemed to thrive on chaos.

“Mr. Mike, thank you so much for your generosity in returning my late wife’s belongings to me…” The Elven King Thranduil, deeply moved, even bowed slightly to express his respect.

Seeing the object evoked memories of the person; that white gemstone necklace held great significance for Thranduil.

"You're too kind. That was originally yours," Mike greeted the other person with a smile.

To be honest, Thranduil is indeed a man of principle.

I heard that after Mike returned the white gemstone necklace, he brought a lot of supplies, enough for tens of thousands of people to get through this winter.

The Valley Kingdom, which Bard is rebuilding, is currently lacking food and clothing, so we can transfer some of our resources to it later.

"hypocritical……"

Just as Mike and the Elf King were exchanging pleasantries, Thorin's discontented voice came from the side.

"Aren't the dwarves of Durin, who only repay kindness with enmity, hypocritical?" Perhaps because he had finally retrieved his deceased wife's belongings, the Elven King Thranduil lost control of his emotions and finally erupted in the face of Thorin's accusations.

He looked at the dwarf, removed his mask to reveal a face scorched by flames, and said, "Do you think I didn't fight the dragon Smaug back then? I stopped it when it entered Lonely Mountain..."

Clearly, Thranduil, the Elvenking, always knew why Thorin hated him.

But when Smaug invaded Lonely Mountain, he had already done his best to stop him, before Thorin asked him for help.

Therefore, while it can be said that Thranduil, the Elvenking, lacked ability, it cannot be said that he was heartless.

Having been misunderstood by Thorin for so many years, he finally chose to tell the truth today.

“That, that was Smaug who did it…” Thorin looked at the Elvenking’s burned face and already knew the answer in his heart.

Furthermore, the reason why the dragon Smaug came to Lonely Mountain was entirely because he was attracted by the treasure that the dwarves were mining.

Thranduil, the Elvenking, even after having the white gems taken by Thor, helped the dwarves repel the first wave of dragon invasions, demonstrating his utmost benevolence and righteousness.

Having understood everything, Thorin felt remorse towards the Elvenking before him. However, his proud nature still prevented him from bowing his head to Thranduil.

So they could only silently lead the dwarves away from Thranduil's sight.

"Are you alright, Father?" The Elf Prince Legolas was unaware of the grudges from back then, and this was the first time he had seen his father's true "face".

This left the Elf Prince somewhat at a loss.

"I'm fine, it's all over." Thranduil smiled with relief, then covered the burns on his face again, regaining his elegant demeanor. "By the way, I must thank you again, Mr. Dragon Slayer. You killed the dragon Smaug, which can be considered revenge for me."

Having vented his frustrations, the Elf King seemed to be in a good mood and even had the inclination to joke with Mike.

Then, the Elf King brought Mike the latest news that the orcs were preparing to attack Lonely Mountain.

He also stated that he would lead the elven warriors to guard the border of the Black Forest, and that he would bring the elves to support the Lonely Mountain should the orc army attack it.

……

Chapter 614 Lonely Mountain Fortress

Another month passed, during which Mike, who possessed endless treasures, hired a large number of people from what is now the Kingdom of Vale to build walls around Lonely Mountain.

This provided the residents of the River Valley Kingdom with another means of making a living.

Similarly, Mike intended to build Lonely Mountain into a fortress that could stop the orcs from invading Middle-earth.

After all, Mike can't stay on Lonely Mountain forever; once things improve, he'll definitely have to go back to his original world.

Meanwhile, David and Sam, who had traveled to the Northern Highlands, also brought back thousands of Northern Rangers to Lonely Mountain.

These people were then incorporated into the Lonely Mountain Patrol and placed under the unified management of Aragorn.

With a city and an army, Gushan is developing in a positive direction.

Having recovered his strength in the Golden Forest, Gandalf arrived at the Lonely Mountain to find it thriving and prosperous.

“Gandalf, you promised to help the dwarves reclaim Lonely Mountain. Now that Lonely Mountain has been taken by outsiders, you must stand up for us…” Thorin, who had been unable to make a choice until now, seemed to have grasped at a straw when he saw the Grey Wizard arrive, and immediately began to complain.

Seeing Lonely Mountain getting better and better in Mike's hands, this descendant of the Durin dwarves was green with envy.

In his mind, all of this should have belonged to him.

“I happen to have something to discuss with Mike, and I’ll also take this opportunity to tell you about your situation.” Gandalf gestured for Thorin to calm down before following the patrol into the Great Hall of the Lonely Mountain.

According to the original plan, the Grey Wizard should have come to Lonely Mountain long ago.

After hearing that Mike had defeated the dragon in Lonely Mountain, he took a short break and spent some more time recuperating in the Golden Forest.

The reason for this visit was that they had received word that the orc leader Azog had organized an army of tens of thousands of orcs to attack Lonely Mountain.

Gandalf's purpose in coming here was to support Mike and help him defend Lonely Mountain Fortress.

“Long time no see, Gandalf. You look much better than before.” In the Great Hall of the Lonely Mountain, Mike greeted the grey-robed wizard with a smile.

"It's all thanks to you. Your name, the Dragon Slayer, has spread throughout Middle-earth." Gandalf walked over to Mike with a relaxed expression and sat down opposite him. He then picked up the fruit that the elves had brought him and tasted it.

It's clear that although the situation of the orcs is not optimistic, the Grey Wizard is relatively at ease with Mike in charge of Lonely Mountain.

"By the way, what are you planning to do with the Durin dwarves? I just saw Thorin outside, and he seemed a bit off." After finishing his fruit, Gandalf brought up the matter of the dwarves.

Because of jealousy, Thorin is now like a powder keg, radiating negativity.

Moreover, his attitude, as if everyone owed him millions, successfully made the dwarves the most unpopular people on Lonely Mountain.

“What, didn’t Thorin tell you? I gave them two choices…” Mike then told the grey-robed wizard about the two development paths he had set for the Durin dwarves, and finally said, “But judging from Thorin’s current appearance, he seems to want even more.”

The dwarves hadn't really helped much in the recapture of Lonely Mountain. Getting the Arkenstone back or enough money to rebuild the kingdom below was already considered a great act of kindness from Mike.

Judging from the current situation, Mike's generosity seems to have fueled Thorin's greed.

After hearing Mike's description, Gandalf also felt that the Durin dwarves were a bit ungrateful.

Just as he was pondering how to balance the conflict between Mike and the Durin dwarves, Bilbo excitedly entered the hall. "Gandalf, it's been a long time! How have you been?"

The hobbit could sense that the grey wizard had always been kind to him.

Therefore, they also regarded the other party as an elder.