Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

It's approaching noon.

After discussion among the leaders of Zhuxian Village.

The minority obeys the majority.

The decision to hold a negotiation was made personally by Chief Yuan He.

Listen to what terms they can offer for appeasement.

That noon, Zuo Tang, in his capacity as an envoy of Zhuxian Village, visited the 190-mile mine again.

Zhou Qingfeng was giving everyone a detailed operational assignment based on the strategy when he heard a report from a guard, so he asked Jin Wei to bring Zuo Tang in.

"Zuo Tang of Zhuxian Village greets Commander Qiu." Zuo Tang clasped his hands in a salute.

Zhou Qingfeng nodded: "Enough with the small talk, just tell me, is Zhuxian Village willing to accept the offer of amnesty?"

Zuo Tang said, "The chieftain said that our Zhuxian Village is willing to accept the offer of amnesty, but we need to hear your conditions. The negotiations will take place at Luofeng Slope in one hour. We will not wait for you after that time. You are only allowed to bring two followers."

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "Okay, I understand."

"Commander Qiu, the message has been delivered. Zuo Tang takes his leave." Zuo Tang clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed, turned, and strode away.

The reason the chief leader set the negotiation time so urgently was to not give General Qiu any time to prepare. If General Qiu was sincere, he would definitely keep the appointment on time.

Meanwhile, the thousand-strong army of Zhuxian Village had been divided into ten hundred-man legions, guarding various high points and roads around Luofeng Slope, ensuring that any disturbance could be detected in time.

Zhou Qingfeng glanced around and said, "Old Ye, Old Xiao, Jin Wei, you guys proceed according to the plan."

"Yes." Ye Tingxiu, Xiao Hongyun, and Jin Wei clasped their hands in response and then strode away.

At this critical moment, others would probably be anxious and restless, wishing they could do everything themselves.

However, Zhou Qingfeng remained calm and composed. After arranging the matters, he brewed tea and took out "Miscellaneous Records of Unofficial Histories and Secrets" from his storage bag to read.

His father often taught him that if he wanted to take over the family business, he had to be a good leader, and that it was the subordinates' job to charge into battle.

As a leader, you can be ignorant of many things, but you must be able to grasp the overall situation, recognize and appoint people wisely, and not do everything yourself. Otherwise, no matter how much energy you have, you will be exhausted to death.

The more Zhou Qingfeng experienced, the more he realized how truly capable his father was. So, after formulating the battle plan and placing the right people in the right positions, he stopped interfering with his subordinates' work.

With Zhou Qingfeng's command.

The hundred-man army quickly assembled into a line, all with their hands on their swords, waiting silently like a group of dead men.

Even the head steward was pulled up by Ye Tingxiu: "Stand still, what are you shaking for!"

Xiao Hongyun patted Steward Lian's face: "Wake up, do you know what you're doing?"

The steward suddenly came to his senses and stammered, "I know, I know. This humble servant went to negotiate with the bandits on behalf of Commander Qiu, and we must persuade them to surrender, but, but..."

Xiao Hongyun knew that Steward Lian was scared, worried that he would be killed by bandits on this trip, so he had to cheer him up. Otherwise, in this dispirited and listless state, what could he be expected to do?

So Xiao Hongyun grabbed Chief Steward Lian by the collar and walked up to the hundred-man legion: "Look carefully, Chief Steward Lian, the hundred-man legion behind me will be there to cover you. These are all battle-hardened warriors who can take on ten men at once!"

"If the bandits dare to harm you, my army can wipe them out in an instant. You must pull yourself together and stand tall. You represent the Sword Tower and General Qiu. You cannot lose face."

"This is a great opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. Commander Qiu said that as long as you succeed in the negotiations, he will recommend you for merit when you return to the city. This will be your chance to bring glory to your family and your ancestors."

As the chief steward looked at the battle-hardened warriors in front of him, his spirits gradually returned. Yes, what was he afraid of? They were just bandits; how could they possibly stand up to the army of the Sword Tower?

This is indeed a rare opportunity, and we should seize it.

I'm sure I'll be transferred back to the city and won't have to suffer in this mine anymore.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He couldn't help but raise his head and say, "Deputy Officer Xiao, rest assured, I will not let Commander Qiu down. This negotiation will surely win over those bandits and make them abandon their evil ways."

Xiao Hongyun loosened the collar of Steward Lian, straightened his clothes, and patted his arms hard: "Good, that's the spirit I'm looking for. Someone, help Steward Lian change into his official uniform!"

The steward quickly became somewhat uneasy again: "What if the negotiations break down and the bandits want to kill me as a sacrifice to their flag?"

Xiao Hongyun pulled out a command arrow: "One arrow piercing the clouds, and a thousand armies will come to meet you."

"If the negotiations break down, even the chief steward can issue the order."

"My army will be there to meet you in an instant."

"Your guards will buy you time to retreat, enough to hold out until we arrive."

The head steward grasped the command token as if it were a lifeline: "Good, good, I can rest assured now."

Then Xiao Hongyun named the right deputy chief steward, ten guards, and forty mine protection team members to accompany him.

These people are beyond saving anyway, because they have joined forces to deceive their superiors and subordinates. They knew that Zhuxian Village was growing stronger, but they were afraid of their own future and did not report it. Now the bandits are powerful and difficult to deal with.

When I return to the city to report on my work, I will definitely report the facts.

What awaits them are either death or a fate worse than death.

Since that's the case, why not reuse it as bait and squeeze out all the remaining value?

Once they're at the negotiating table, they've accomplished their mission.

Whether the negotiations are successful or not is irrelevant.

This is Zhou Qingfeng's idea.

Xiao Hongyun glanced indifferently at Steward Lian, who was changing into his uniform.

On this journey, even the steward and his party are doomed; there is almost no hope of survival.

This is their fate as dead pieces on this chessboard.

As the player in the game, Zhou Qingfeng never intended to personally take on the risks.

Even the steward and his group were kept in the dark. They knew nothing about the true situation of the thieves and assumed that Zhou Qingfeng had become their accomplice after receiving the money.

They never imagined that Zhou Qingfeng had already sentenced them to death, and that even on their deathbeds, they would be squeezed dry of all their value.

Manager Lian set off, full of hope, with his men, in a carriage heading towards Luofeng Slope.

Meanwhile, Jin Wei, Xiao Hongyun, and Ye Tingxiu led a hundred-man army on a well-prepared expedition, taking a detour from the direction of the deserted village to Luofengpo.

Inside the mine, Zhou Qingfeng was now without any bodyguards by his side.

With only two hundred or so miners, the defenses were weaker than ever before.

If demons were to attack now, or bandits were to take advantage of the situation, things could get very bad.

To prevent this from happening.

Zhou Qingfeng decisively consulted a fortune teller for himself.

[Bad luck, stay in the mine, ominous]

[Auspicious divination: Hiding alone in a mine, good fortune.]

Zhou Qingfeng stared at the divination slip, his pupils contracting sharply, his heart filled with both surprise and joy.

Surprisingly, even staying in the mine could be dangerous.

The good news is that hiding in the mine is actually an auspicious sign.

In other words, there must be a great opportunity waiting for him in the mine.

Zhou Qingfeng pretended nothing was wrong and called over a miner, saying, "Tell everyone that there's no work today, take a break."

The miners were overjoyed to hear that they were going to have another holiday: "Okay, okay, Mr. Qiu, I'll tell them right away."

Soon, the miners who had been working in the mines were all evacuated.

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng walked towards his mine shed, pushed open the door, closed it behind him, and then quietly climbed out the window and disappeared into the dark mine shaft when no one was watching.