I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

"Why are you still following me?" The dragon girl walked towards Alexander's cabin, a dull ache in her mind.

“Because you’re a fool,” Alina replied. “Li Lin is gone, and I have to watch over you.”

Talulah didn't say anything, but simply placed her hand on the wall of the cabin.

"Alina, do you know what my Originium Arts are?"

The fawn shook its head.

"Don't be afraid," the dragon girl said softly. "Don't be afraid... I won't kill him, but I don't want him to live so easily."

Amidst the pure white snow and wind, crimson flames suddenly rose.

In the frigid northern plains of Ursus, with no shelter from the wind and snow, such a wretched existence was more agonizing than death.

Talulah turned around, and Alina followed her as they walked further and further away, leaving their village behind.

“Abraham Leigh, wait for me, you won’t die like this… you will definitely stay with me—”

She knew that the man wasn't an insect that would die so easily. This land might be full of suffering, but the dragon girl had full confidence in the man she had only spent a short time with.

Talulah believed that Li Lin would live.

So, to let him know that she has not let him down, she will raise the banner.

The dragon girl raised her head and looked into the distance, where the firelight was blazing.

“Let’s go to the place where the fire is burning the most intensely, and bring about change to this decaying land.”

But before that, those people must be punished.

Chapter Seven: Corrupt Official Li Lin

After arriving in Chernobog overnight, the old butler had no intention of resting and took Li Lin directly to the mine.

The person handing over the document to Li Lin didn't seem to bother to double-check anything before handing him the letter of appointment.

Baron Ivan had already taken care of all the arrangements, so the carefree Li Lin was transformed into the Originium Mine District Supervisor of the Mobile City-State of Chernobog.

After finishing his other business, the old butler bid farewell to Li Lin.

He had no idea that when he returned, he would never see the Baron's country villa again, but instead, the first flames of the Reunification Movement would ignite on this land.

If the old steward had returned quickly enough, he could have been burned as firewood along with the baron he served.

But what does this have to do with Li Lin?

Li Lin, who had gone from being an unemployed vagrant to a suspected nobleman, was planning to go to the mine that very night to get some Originium.

The attendants had seen many corrupt officials who embezzled money in this position... but they had never seen a corrupt official like Li Lin, who had only been in office for half an hour and was already planning to make his first fortune.

Fortunately, Li Lin's explanation successfully fooled them: "Greed? Can being a supervisor be called greed?"

"I'm doing this for the future development of the Chernobog mining area, and I'm persistently conducting on-site investigations and research. As the official in charge of the people of Ursus, do you think I'm the kind of person who only knows how to sit in my office and peek under the maids' skirts?"

The servants looked at each other in bewilderment.

“I am,” Li Lin nodded honestly, “but that doesn’t conflict with my love for the people as if they were my own children.”

The servants were terrified.

This was the first time they had ever seen such a domineering and blatantly corrupt official.

Completely unaware that he was starting to have an episode, Li Lin immediately flew into a rage: "My office is in the mine. Is the focus right now on my personal gains and losses?!"

The servants thought to themselves, "You are..."

But they didn't dare say it.

Li Lin glanced at them sideways: "I know what you're trying to say."

The servants felt exhausted. They had served so many superiors in the past, but this one was the most unpredictable, with a mind as broad as a mental patient's.

Li Lin snorted coldly: "Aren't you going to lead the way?"

Filled with bitterness, the servants could only put on their coats and lead Li Lin toward the mining area.

"Sir, things haven't been peaceful at the mine lately. There are always some troublemakers, although they've all been suppressed. It's still best not to go."

Some people, unaware of Li Lin's true nature, stubbornly tried to persuade him.

Li Lin's indifferent dark eyes swept over the attendants beside him.

"who are you?"

“Sir, I was the deputy assigned by the previous supervisor.” The old servant said neither servilely nor arrogantly.

"it is good!"

Li Lin slapped his thigh and pointed at the old servant, "From today onwards, you're no longer my deputy. Go work in the mine."

The old servant's face changed drastically: "Sir! You...you!"

"My mine doesn't tolerate idlers, nor does it need your self-righteous, unwelcome advice." Li Lin's eyes were indifferent as he swept over the trembling servants. "You only need to know that I am your superior."

After speaking, Li Lin turned to look at the young servant whose thigh he had just slapped: "What's your name?"

Sensing his sudden change of fortune, the young servant, suppressing his excitement, calmly replied, "Andreyevich."

“Yes, Andrei.” Li Lin promptly changed his name. “From today onwards, you are the new deputy. Remember, do not act rashly without my orders.”

“Now execute my first order: send him to the mine. I don’t want to see him again.”

Andreyevich nodded calmly, then stepped out from behind Li Lin, knocked the struggling old servant unconscious, and dragged him into the darkness.

A moment later, a muffled sound came from afar.

About five minutes later, Andreyevich returned and bowed deeply to Li Lin: "Sir."

"Okay, now let's go to the mine."

For Li Lin's plan to be implemented, he had to become an "infected person," and the Ursus Empire's oppressive policies towards the infected were well-known.

Li Lin didn't intend to keep it a secret for long, but a self-righteous servant would undoubtedly expose him sooner.

In fact, if the old attendant hadn't said he was the previous deputy, Li Lin wouldn't have chosen to take action against him.

Everyone continued to move forward.

The snow fell silently, and after a not-so-long but arduous journey, the lights finally reappeared, illuminating the outline of the mine in Li Lin's eyes.

This is just one of the mining sub-regions in Chernobog, but its size is astonishing.

The scattered lights spread along the contours of the land, like wildfires rising in the night, or sparks flying when flint is struck.

Li Lin seemed to have realized something, opened his mouth and closed his eyes, but after a long while he still couldn't recite any decent poems.

Having learned from the old servant's example, the rest of them consciously stood by, their faces downcast and silent.

Li Lin cleared his throat sullenly and walked forward.

The next moment, the mine's loudspeakers blared. Under the shrill and piercing sound, apart from the miners underground, everyone else on the surface staggered toward Li Lin, looking just like zombies who hadn't eaten their fill.

A few minutes later, all the miners on the ground had arrived.

Most of them had exposed black crystals on their bodies, while a few were completely covered. Their eyes were dull, like dead ashes, without any luster.

Needless to say, these people are actually infected.

More than 90% of the miners in Ursus are infected—why not use them to make the most of their remaining resources while also perfectly concentrating this group of unstable patients?

Li Lin narrowed his eyes.

After a moment's thought, he looked up and said, "You've become complacent."

Slackness...

There was some commotion among the miners, but the servants quickly suppressed it after glancing at them.

Li Lin stared at the miners standing on the other side of the safety cordon, his tone filled with regret: "Do you know why you've become lax?"

The miners' eyes gradually changed.

Several young people seemed to have a light in their eyes, but unfortunately it wasn't hope, but hatred.

Li Lin's words did awaken their humanity, but negative emotions dominated.

Just as the commotion was about to escalate, Li Lin took out a check from his pocket.

That was a gift from Baron Ivan.

The checks specially made by the Ursus Imperial Bank fluoresced faintly under the light.

A glance at Ding Zhen.

"Take out half of the money inside," Li Lin announced in front of everyone. "Now pay these miners their wages, and then, based on performance, the top performer in the next quarter will receive the remaining half."

He handed the check to Andrei, and Andrei's expression changed drastically after seeing the amount.

"Your mercy, sir!"

He left in a hurry, and half an hour later, the lights on both sides of the originally dark road lit up one after another. On the road, Andreyevich and his group were carrying several boxes and came to Li Lin.

Li Lin kicked open the box lid.

He stood in the cold wind, snow falling on his collar, like a statue of steel.