Chapter 60: Road Completed and the Divine Vehicle Appears

Chu Chen finished speaking and immediately gave him a kick on the backside.

Damn it, acting like you were hard done by when you got the better end of the deal. Did you really think these things were dime-a-dozen trinkets?

Huzi rubbed his rear end in pain, though he didn't dare to fight back. First, this was his own younger brother. Second, the monthly pay was five taels, which had now increased to six taels upon joining the defense squad.

He seemed to already see that plump-waited and full-figured young bride beckoning to him.

"Alright, everyone keep practicing hard. As you all know, with the bandits of Green Bull Mountain around, Mashan Village will never truly be peaceful."

"Sooner or later, they will come back for revenge."

"Therefore, giving you these things is to let you protect the loved ones standing behind you. When the bandits really do come to attack, I expect none of you to turn cowards. Anyone who dares to run backward, don't blame me for turning hostile and refusing to recognize you."

After saying this, Chu Chen swept his wide sleeves out and gestured toward the crowd.

"Don't you worry, the men of Mashan Village are no cowards!"

"That's right, Kid Chu. You just focus on leading everyone to make money, and leave the safety to us."

A group of young men spoke with full swagger and lofty spirit.

Without saying much more, Chu Chen turned around and walked back to the villa.

In the tea room, he brewed a pot of tea for himself while pondering in his heart.

Mashan Village had killed the third master of the Fierce Tiger Gang along with more than a dozen bandits; the news would certainly reach Green Bull Mountain.

He just wondered how many members this so-called Fierce Tiger Gang actually had.

With the year-end approaching, this was precisely the season when bandits descended from the mountains.

Currently, the village had some twenty soldiers from Tang Jiangtao's side, and his own side had over twenty men in the defense squad.

As long as the bandits didn't attack in massive numbers, there was nothing to fear.

At this thought, Chu Chen entered his dimensional space once more and retrieved a Type 95 assault rifle along with five fully loaded magazines.

If things truly came to a point where nothing else could be done and the enemy launched an all-out assault, he would simply have to expose his secret.

He hid the rifle underneath the tea table and decided to put the worries out of his mind.

When the enemy comes, block them with soldiers. With weapons this advanced, if he were still killed by bandits, it could only mean the heavens were claiming him.

Three days later, Chu Chen stepped quietly out of Roy's room and came out onto the balcony.

Breathing in the fresh mountain air of Mashan, his entire body relaxed completely.

Gradually, the village began to bustle with life.

Roosters crowing, dogs barking, and smoke curling lazily from kitchen chimneys—it was a picture of absolute peace and tranquility.

After the family finished breakfast, they saw Feng Wu walking toward their place.

"Kid Chu, the road construction is reaching its final finishing touches today, basically completed. Everyone asked if you would go take a look."

Feng Wu said to Chu Chen with a happy expression.

This speed was truly not slow. He had originally thought it wouldn't be finished until after the New Year.

He hadn't expected there to still be ten days or so left before the New Year festival.

Chu Chen turned back to add a down jacket over his clothes, mounted his motorcycle, and motioned for Feng Wu to hop on.

They then set off in the direction of the newly built road.

It was Feng Wu's first time riding on Chu Chen's motorcycle. As the machine let out a sputtering roar, it shot forward like a flying arrow.

Along the entire journey, Feng Wu found his palms slick with sweat—this damn thing was simply too fast!

At the junction connecting to the Green Bull Town official highway, Chu Chen stopped the motorcycle.

Feng Wu dismounted with a lingering sense of terror.

"Kid Chu, I think I'll walk back later. This contraption is too terrifying."

"Haha, I wouldn't have guessed that Uncle Feng Wu is so skilled with your hands, yet your courage is so small."

Chu Chen laughed as he walked forward.

He saw that several large, flat stones had already been placed along the road.

At this moment, all that remained was to fill them in, and the road would be considered fully repaired.

On this final step, everyone had unanimously agreed that Chu Chen should complete it himself.

Chu Chen did not stand on ceremony. He stepped forward and, together with the others, pushed the stones into the trench.

With the group smoothing everything out, the wide, grand thoroughfare stretching from Mashan Village to Green Bull Town was successfully built.

"Alright everyone, you've all worked hard for so long. At noon today, I'll tell Huzi to prepare some extra dishes for you."

With that, Chu Chen mounted his motorcycle and headed toward Green Bull Town.

The villagers also packed up their tools and headed back toward Mashan Village—extra food at noon? What were they waiting for?

After everyone had left, Chu Chen found a secluded spot and brought his motorcycle into his dimensional space.

In the basement of the shopping mall, Chu Chen looked around and finally chose a Wuling Hongguang minibus.

In this ancient era, a vehicle that could haul cargo and travel swiftly was the most suitable choice.

He went to a nearby gas station and opened the underground fuel storage. Lacking electrical equipment, it took a tremendous amount of effort.

Before he managed to get out more than a dozen barrels of gasoline.

Never mind whether it was 92 or 95 octane, he jammed the fuel nozzle into the van until the tank was completely full.

Presently, on the newly paved road, a minivan loaded to the brim with fuel was speeding along smoothly.

The journey that originally required more than an hour by ox-cart was covered by the minivan in just a few minutes, arriving right in front of the villa.

At that moment, the villagers who were cooking and chatting in front of the villa saw a massive, roaring monster charging straight toward them.

For a moment, some grabbed wooden benches, some picked up hoes, and one even held a rice ladle and an iron wok.

They all stood up in unison, battle-ready and prepared to strike at any moment.

He saw the monster brake steadily to a halt about ten feet away from them.

Chu Chen opened the door and hopped out of the vehicle.

"What are you all doing?"

"Uh, Kid Chu, this beast of yours seems even fiercer than your iron horse. We all thought some monster had invaded Mashan Village."

An elderly villager lowered his rice ladle and said with a terrified expression.

"Ha, this is an iron horse too, just a big iron horse. Don't crowd around it, everyone. Come give me a hand."

Chu Chen opened the back doors, and a dozen young men quickly carried all the barrels of gasoline into the villa's storage room.

At that moment, Li Qinglian and the others also walked out of the house.

"Husband, what is this contraption?"

"Haha, Qinglian, Roy, you came at the right time. Big Brother is going to take you for a spin."

With that, Chu Chen opened the car door and bundled both Li Qinglian and Roy into the vehicle.

While the two women were still wondering what "taking a spin" meant, Chu Chen started the engine and sped away in the direction of Green Bull Town.

Inside the car, Roy sat in the back row, marveling at the sofa-like seats, touching this and that with an expression of absolute wonder.

Meanwhile, Li Qinglian, sitting in the front passenger seat, looked at Chu Chen with a nervous expression.

"Husband, drive slower. It's too fast, Qinglian can't handle it."

"Haha, look at how timid you are. My driving skills are top-notch, don't worry."

Saying this, Chu Chen pressed down on the accelerator again, and the vehicle bolted forward like a dart.

This initially gave Li Qinglian a fright, but gradually, both women grew accustomed to it.

Li Qinglian also began touching this and that, looking around with bright-eyed curiosity.

"The boss is truly an immortal descending to the mortal realm! This iron horse is wonderful, much faster than a carriage and far more comfortable too."

Roy exclaimed excitedly from the back seat.

"This isn't called an iron horse, it's called a car. It's just like a horse-drawn carriage or mule cart, except the internal structure is different."

Chu Chen introduced it to the two of them without hiding anything. In truth, even if he explained it, they wouldn't understand anyway.

"Alright, let's head back for lunch. When I have some free time, I'll teach you both how to drive."

"Husband, are you saying that we can also drive this... car?"

Li Qinglian asked with an excited expression.