Hopes

Chapter 10: Hopes

Zhao Hai turned around to face the sun, his mood calmed down. Yes, this was the first sunrise he witnessed in a different realm. The grand landscape made him feel completely at ease and filled with heroic sentiments, so he couldn't help but speak these words.

When Zhao Hai turned around, he noticed Green and the others standing under the city wall. The 100 slaves were also standing there. Upon closer inspection, these slaves had been carefully selected, comprising both men and women who were strong, healthy, and clean. They wore clean clothes and had combed hair and washed faces. The male slaves had a mark on their foreheads, the emblem of the Wild Dragon and the Buda Family Badge, symbolizing their affiliation with the Buda Family and their inherited Battle Qi.

Green looked at Zhao Hai and saw them. He immediately bowed to Zhao Hai and said loudly, "Young Master, the brilliance of the Buda Family will surely shine across the land. Please give us your guidance." As he spoke, all the slaves behind him knelt down and knocked their heads to the ground, none of them daring to raise their heads to look at Zhao Hai.

At first, Zhao Hai, who was just an ordinary scholar, didn't know how to respond to this scene. He felt helpless and didn't know what to say at once.

After some time, as his mood gradually calmed down, he saw that Green and the others were still bowing, so he quickly said, "Grandpa Green, please rise, everyone else too. We have come to such a place where there is nothing, no land to cultivate, no mountains with ores. We can only take shelter in this abandoned castle. But all of you possess the innate characteristics of being a Buda. Regardless of what you want, your bodies bear the branding of the Buda Family. You are Buda Family members. As long as the Buda Family exists, you have a reason to exist. If the Buda Family disappears, you will also disappear. This is unchangeable. Yes, we have nothing now, but with our own hands, we can create everything in this world. Each of us has a pair of hands. We will not starve to death. We will make our lives happy. Most of you are slaves, and you may think that happiness has nothing to do with your lives because you are slaves. But no matter how happy you are, as long as you're slaves, you won't have true freedom. Today, what I want to say is that as long as you work diligently, as long as you can provide for the Buda Family, I will exempt your slave status and make you commoners. Your children will not be slaves, and they can join the Buda Family army and become honorable soldiers. If they excel, they may become Knights or Nobles. I expect you to achieve that. I will do my best for you, as long as you work hard. I, Adam Buda, pledge on my Clan's honor that I will fulfill this commitment!"

A slight unrest arose among the slaves. It was well known that slaves were not allowed to question or resist when their masters admonished them. Even if they had thoughts, they had to suppress them. But Zhao Hai's words were different. On the continent, no Noble would ever turn a slave into a commoner. Once a slave, always a slave. This was unchangeable.

If Zhao Hai had just made empty promises, the slaves wouldn't have believed him. But Zhao Hai made an oath on the honor of the Buda Family. It was important to note that on the Ark Continent, Nobles rarely made pledges. And even when they did, they rarely made them on the honor of their own clan. Such pledges were highly regarded, and if made, they would surely be fulfilled. In other words, everything Zhao Hai said was real!

What was the greatest desire of a slave? To one day become a commoner, to regain their freedom, to spare their descendants the pain of slavery. Many slaves had conducted rebellions for this reason. They revolted, fought, but were quickly suppressed by the Nobles because they were just slaves. They had no weapons, no armor, no Battle Qi. In such a situation, it was impossible for them to defeat the Noble armies equipped with military gear.

Now Zhao Hai was telling them that they didn't need to rebel. As long as they worked hard and provided for the Buda Family, they could obtain commoner status. This was truly like a dream come true for these slaves.

Slaves were forced to work diligently. If they didn't work hard, they would be punished, or even executed. Even if they weren't executed, they would still face the harshest punishments. Therefore, no one dared to be lazy. Now someone was telling them that as long as they worked hard, they would receive what they desired most. This was an enormous shock to them.

Green and the others were also shocked. They had never expected Zhao Hai to say such words. To be honest, Green didn't agree with what Zhao Hai said because the slaves needed to work well and, moreover, no Noble on the continent would turn a slave into a commoner. There were too many complications involved.

But now that Zhao Hai had spoken those words, Green couldn't refute him. He could only discuss the situation with Zhao Hai later when they returned to the fort.

Zhao Hai observed the reactions of the slaves and was very satisfied. He knew that what he had just said had made an impact. From his knowledge of Adam's memories, he knew the position of these slaves. And because he knew, he wanted to tempt them with what they desired most.

Human creativity is boundless. If you give them hope, they can unleash unimaginable potential. And now was the time for Zhao Hai to make them unleash that potential. That's why he would do this.

Zhao Hai was pleased with their responses, so he continued, "You can find various solutions as long as they benefit the Buda Family or improve our lives. If you create something useful, you can bring it to Green Manager. As long as I approve of what you've done, I will record your merit. Once your merit reaches a certain level, you can become commoners. Even if you don't possess any skills, as long as you work hard and show progress, you can earn merit. Once your merit accumulates to a certain degree, you can become commoners and become the future generation of our Buda Family in the Black Soil territory."

These slaves became even more excited. They now regarded Zhao Hai as a god because only a benevolent god could grant them their deepest desires. Their bodies emitted an imposing aura that even Green, an 8th level Warrior, felt his heart skip a beat.

Green turned to look at these slaves and noticed that something seemed different about them. When he had first seen them, they seemed lifeless, like stones. But now, they appeared lively, full of vigor and motivation.

Green was shaken. He suddenly understood Zhao Hai's approach. If the Buda Family wanted to develop, relying solely on 100 lifeless slaves wouldn't be enough. However, with 100 slaves who were full of motivation, it was an entirely different story. Green didn't know what tasks these 100 slaves could handle, but he was certain that they could handle anything. A sense of determination and resolution filled Green's heart. He believed that this was the opportunity for the Buda Family's revival.

Zhao Hai also noticed the changes in the slaves and smiled faintly. He knew that his words had struck a chord. He then said, "You may start working now. Organize these goods first, and tomorrow I will give you new tasks." The slaves immediately responded, picking up the goods and moving them with more strength and enthusiasm than before.

Zhao Hai nodded in satisfaction and led Green, Merine, and the others back to the fort. As Green looked at Zhao Hai's back, he realized that Zhao Hai had truly changed. He wasn't just the mischievous young master Adam anymore. He was now the true patriarch of the Buda Family.

Soon, they arrived at a restaurant in the fort and sat down. Zhao Hai then took out the half-eaten radish and placed it on the table, asking Green, "Grandpa Green, what do you think this is?"

Green didn't say anything immediately, causing Zhao Hai to find it strange. He looked at Green's expression and understood why. It was because of the way he had taken out the radish.

On this continent, there was indeed Space Magic, but it was very difficult to learn and required strict conditions. Therefore, not many people studied it. Although there were Space equipment that could be used to store items, they needed energy to open them. Whether it was through Magic or Battle Qi, as long as there was energy, they could be opened. However, even if Green possessed such equipment, he couldn't open it because he didn't possess the Water of Nothingness.

Zhao Hai smiled slightly and said, "Grandpa Green, what do you think this is?"

Green snapped out of his daze, stood up excitedly, and said, "Young Master, did you just... did you just..."