The system suddenly let out a sharp alarm:
【Beep-beep-beep—Host alert! The upgraded space has a ten-day trial period!】
【You must complete three assigned tasks during the Autumn Hunt to permanently unlock it. Otherwise, it will be downgraded automatically!】
Feng Zexuan patted her chest.
“Relax! Piece of cake!”
She glanced at the officials lying scattered all over the ground, a wicked smile curling her lips.
Rubbing her hands together, she said to the system in her mind:
“System, deploy the equipment!”
The moment she spoke—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A chaotic series of sounds rang out in the air.
Thirty brand-new farming tools dropped from the sky—hoes, sickles, and shovels crashing onto the ground.
Then the earth trembled violently.
Red, yellow, blue, and green light bands darted across the barren land, instantly dividing it into eighteen neat square plots.
At the head of each plot stood a golden signboard engraved with each official’s name and rank.
The most outrageous part was the “helpful notes” written on them:
“Lin Zhengyan, First Rank—skilled in poetry and literature: recommended ornamental flowers to cultivate temperament.”
“Chu Heng, Second Rank—expert in abacus and accounts: recommended precision-managed cash crops, good for training.”
“Cheng Ying, Second Rank—skilled in cavalry and combat: recommended grain crops. Just go all out.”
Lin Zhengyan stared at the signs and burst into laughter.
“System, your notes are amazing—especially General Cheng’s ‘just go all out’!”
“That’s right! I’m professional!” the system replied proudly.
“We must combine carrot and stick! Those who perform well get pills; those who don’t get their meals reduced!”
Feng Zexuan’s eyes lit up.
“Perfect! We’ll reward them with ‘Brain Booster,’ ‘Butt Soothing Ointment,’ and ‘Hair Growth Serum’—targeting each of their weaknesses!”
“And we’ll rank them! Elimination at the bottom! Last three lose meat rations!”
The system let out a sinister giggle.
“Brilliant! The prime minister will work for digestion pills, the finance minister for ointment—everyone will be on fire!”
Satisfied, Feng Zexuan nodded.
At that moment, Feng Zekai calmly adjusted his sleeves and stepped forward.
He neatly placed farming tools within easy reach of each official, even positioning the hoes on their dominant right side.
Eighteen officials. Eighteen sets of tools. Perfect order.
Returning to his sister, he said meaningfully:
“Zexuan, these officials are completely useless with their hands and feet. Without supervision, they won’t even be able to break the soil.”
“You’re right,” she replied, grin deepening.
She waved her hand.
The straw piles scattered along the field suddenly moved.
Rustle rustle rustle—
Dried straw rose into the air and twisted into eighteen two-meter-tall scarecrows.
Each wore ragged cloth, held a vine whip, and had a pumpkin head with two glowing green gemstone eyes, staring unblinkingly at the officials.
“Perfect—now we have supervisors,” Feng Zexuan said happily.
“System, embed task requirements, punishment rules, and reward system into their pumpkin heads!”
【Command received. Monitoring system installed.】
“Also, do you want a voice pack? We have ‘Cold-Blooded Killer,’ ‘Angry Brother,’ and ‘Sarcastic Mode.’”
“Cold-Blooded Killer,” she decided. “Let them feel some pressure.”
Five minutes later—
Lin Zhengyan woke up first.
Cold soil and the scent of fresh grass filled his nose.
He sat up slowly, feeling damp earth in his palm.
A polished hoe lay beside him, its blade reflecting his stunned face.
He looked around—an unreal blue sky, clouds like freshly spun cotton.
Distant green mountains, endless barren fields divided into colored squares.
The air felt so clean it was almost cleansing.
“Where… is this place…?”
He murmured in confusion.
Chu Heng also woke up suddenly, reaching for his waist.
His abacus was gone.
Panic spread across his face as he searched his body—everything was missing.
He bit his tongue hard.
Pain!
“Not a dream… this isn’t a dream!”
Cheng Ying jumped up, grabbed a shovel, and assumed a defensive stance.
He locked onto the terrifying scarecrow beside him.
The pumpkin head stared back, unblinking.
He instinctively stepped back half a pace.
One by one, the officials woke up.
The field descended into chaos.
“Where are we?!”
“This must be sorcery!”
A young seventh-rank official panicked and ran toward the distant mountains.
But—
Bang!
He slammed into an invisible wall and was thrown back.
“W-We can’t get out!”
Others tried in different directions. All were rebounded by unseen barriers.
Panic spread like wildfire.
Then—
Rumble—!
A thunderous sound shook the sky.
All heads shot upward.
A cold, emotionless mechanical voice echoed like divine judgment:
“Welcome to the—”
“Labor Reform Trial Field!”
Words appeared in massive golden characters across the sky.
Chu Heng’s forehead was soaked in cold sweat.
Cheng Ying gripped his shovel tightly.
The voice continued:
Rule One: Each person must cultivate ten acres of wasteland and plant assigned crops.
A nearby official dropped his sickle.
“Ten… TEN acres?! I don’t even know how big one acre is!”
Another trembled:
“I’ve only held a brush… never a hoe…”
The voice ignored them.
Rule Two: Completing daily quotas grants rewards—Brain Booster, Butt Soothing Ointment, Hair Growth Serum, Digestive Pills…
Chu Heng’s eyes lit up at the mention of “ointment.”
So did others.
Greed slowly replaced fear.
Rule Three: Those who slack off will be punished by supervisors. Repeat offenders will be sent to solitary labor reform…
The eighteen scarecrows moved in unison.
Click… click… click…
Their pumpkin heads turned.
Green eyes locked precisely onto each official.
Whips cracked in the air.
Even Cheng Ying felt a chill down his spine.
This… was not decoration.
Finally, the voice declared:
“This reform is fully supervised by the Prince of Zhenbei and Chief Minister Feng Zekai.”
Prince of Zhenbei
“Chief supervisors: Liu San and Liu Si!”
Liu San and Liu Si
“Labor reform—officially begins!”
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