After hearing what Jiang Zhou said clearly, Lu Heng collapsed completely.

He held back a string of curse words in his heart, but in the end, he was horrified.

Because he suddenly realized that Jiang Zhou could interact with him calmly, give him advice, and be polite to him — this person’s thoughts were too terrifying.

Had he been restraining himself just to set up a trap for him?

His thoughts were hazy, and even as he watched Jiang Zhou leave, the man looked like an evil entity. Perhaps he just wanted to use this incident to numb himself and prevent himself from being overwhelmed by another layer of fear.

That was what he thought, but Zhuo Bang wouldn’t give him that chance.

The servants and officials of the post house were no longer there. Zhuo Bang tied up Lu Heng himself and took him to the prison. He locked the door himself and stared at him for a while through the prison door before saying, “I won’t kill you.”

Lu Heng flinched and suddenly calmed down. Zhuo Bang really wouldn’t kill him. This was his own son’s body; how could he let it go?

This was his lifeline.

Just as he was pondering this, Zhuo Bang spoke again, “Just because I won’t kill you doesn’t mean I will let you go. This cell is the innermost and darkest cell in the entire prison. You can spend the rest of your life here.”

No one would talk to him, no one would pay attention to him, just darkness, dampness, and perhaps some small animals that thrived in prisons.

Lu Heng trembled. He had always been a carefree person. In modern times, he enjoyed playing with dogs and horses. He lived a luxurious life because of his wealth. Even in ancient times, without electronic communication devices, he still managed to find ways to entertain himself and make his life joyful.

Now, he was being told there would be no freedom, no sunshine, no human contact…

He knew he would go insane.

He cried out, “Dad! Dad, don’t do this to me! I am Zhuo Yan; how could you do this to me!”

Zhuo Bang remained unmoved. “You are not Zhuo Yan.”

“I am! I am Zhuo Yan, Dad, look at me, I am Zhuo Yan, look at my face, I am Zhuo Yan!”

Zhuo Bang said nothing, turned around, and left, leaving him crying in the prison.

.

As Zhou Bang walked back home, he thought about it and invited a priest to his home. He bathed, burned incense every day, and prayed devoutly. The opportunity would come back, as long as Lu Heng left Zhuo Yan’s body or if his will weakened enough. Jiang Zhou concluded based on the abnormalities described by himself, Zhuo Yan might come back.

Because Lu Heng initially appeared in Jiang Zhou’s body when Jiang Zhou was injured and his body and soul were at their weakest, Lu Heng was able to take advantage of the situation. However, later on, when Wen Yan discovered that Jiang Zhou was not himself, Lu Heng’s soul began to weaken and bottomed out, giving Jiang Zhou a chance to come back. It was only after Jiang Zhou returned that Lu Heng switched into Zhuo Yan’s body — there was a time lag in between.

This indicated that if Lu Heng’s soul weakened, Zhuo Yan might come back. Now, all Zhuo Bang had to do was wait and let Lu Heng weakened as soon as possible.

On the third day, a government officer came to tell Zhuo Bang. Lu Heng, who was locked in the innermost cell, woke up and asked someone to deliver a message, claiming that he had forgotten everything and didn’t know why he was in prison.

Zhuo Bang simply thought, it was Lu Heng who felt uncomfortable being locked up and wanted to come out, so he pretended that Zhuo Yan had returned. However, Zhuo Bang ignored him and ordered the government officials not to listen to him, just to ignore him.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Bang was busy discussing the tourist town with Jiang Zhou.

When he found Jiang Zhou, the man was assisting Wen Yuanxing’s cement factory. The factory was now very mature, with its own production and sales system, including a booking process. They had supplied cement to many families in the town, and many wealthy families had already replaced their homes with cement ones.

Wen Yuanxing had calculated that by the beginning of next year, all the houses in the entire town could be converted to cement.

Jiang Zhou presented this data to Zhuo Bang, who, after discussing it, had preliminary expectations for the tourist town he had mentioned.

Jiang Zhou provided a detailed analysis: “Sir, consider this: our area is located in the southern part of the country, with a favorable climate — neither too dry nor too wet. Moreover, a small river runs through it, eventually merging into the sea to the east. The scenery on both sides of the river is stunning.”

This was true. Before Zhuo Bang took office, he also diligently studied the terrain, mountains, and rivers of this area. He was fortunate that the water and soil in this area were favorable. If it were located in the southwest, his body might not have been able to withstand it.

However, …

“With Luoyang in the east and Qin Palace in the west, it may be difficult for this small city to develop tourism.”

Jiang Zhou shook his head. “Big things have big benefits, grandeur and magnificence, but small things can also be exquisite. Besides, our town has its own unique characteristics. At least, other towns don’t have our strengths.”

Zhuo Bang then recalled that all the characteristics of the town seemed to be related to the young man in front of him. Whether it was the variety of food in hot pot restaurants or the subsequent bustling food street, Jiang Zhou had left his mark on it all.

“Most of the delicacies outside are still at the stage of cooking white meat. Our delicacies are mainly made from ingredients produced by local farmers, and the cost is not very high. This means that the prices will not be too outrageous. As long as we keep the prices stable and reasonable, with so many delicious options available at affordable prices, there will definitely be people willing to come here,” Jiang Zhou calculated carefully. “The more people coming here, the more our food can be adjusted and developed according to their tastes.”

Zhuo Bang nodded. “I’m not very knowledgeable about these matters. It depends on how you arrange it.”

After some thought, he added, “If this plan comes to fruition, I will get you donation and provide a position within the system for your convenience.”

Jiang Zhou replied casually, “Having an official position or not doesn’t matter to me. I just want to live a more comfortable life in this town.”

The people in their town were simple and kind-hearted, with most neighbors willing to help each other. Even if there were a few dishonest individuals, the majority were good-natured.

When Lu Heng first infiltrated their community, even if his behavior was questionable, most people around him would advise him against it rather than adding insult to injury.

Later, when Wen Yan left the Jiang family and returned to the Wen family, no one made any irresponsible remarks. Instead, they rallied around him in support. When Li Wan was sarcastic towards Wen Yan, the villagers stood up for him.

When Jiang Zhou opened his first restaurant, many locals came to assist him. They also showed up to support him on the first day, boosting his popularity.

Jiang Zhou observed these friendships with gratitude, storing them in his heart and naturally wanting to reciprocate.

.

Although Zhuo Bang didn’t fully comprehend Jiang Zhou’s thoughts, he acknowledged them and said, “As long as you are willing.”

Wen Yuanxing brewed them a pot of tea and listened to their discussion.

“By next year, the tourist town will be completed. What we propose is to expedite the construction process,” Jiang Zhou and Wen Yuanxing exchanged glances. “If we have to wait for funding approval from higher authorities, it will be time-consuming. Including the approval process, it could take less than half a year. Therefore, we propose to provide cement through investment.”

Zhuo Bang became intrigued. “What do you mean by this?”

Jiang Zhou explained, “Our cement plant is currently underutilized. We plan to expand production and temporarily halt cement sales to external parties, prioritizing construction within the town. We won’t charge any money, but the value of this investment must be considered part of the cost investment. In return, once the tourist town is established, our cement factory will receive dividends from all the economic benefits generated.”

He feared that Zhuo Bang might not grasp the concept fully, so he elaborated: “For instance, if we provide one hundred kilograms of cement, valued at ten taels of silver. We offer this portion of cement for building without charge. Once tourism generates revenue in the future, all economic benefits, akin to tax collection — from which, sir, our cement factory will receive a commission. The proportion depends on how much investment you allocate, and what share of this investment our ten taels of silver represent.”

Zhuo Bang queried, “But didn’t you mention it takes less than half a year for the process? Isn’t your cement plant the most profitable this year? You are willing to do this?”

Jiang Zhou shook his head, “This is an initial investment. You can’t raise a child without letting go, nor can you catch a wolf without trapping it. Without early-stage investment, there won’t be results later.”

Zhuo Bang sighed, “Perhaps I’m a scholar who can’t comprehend the minds of businessmen. I always feel you’re cut from the same cloth like them…”

Jiang Zhou chuckled, “Do I resemble a gambler?”

“Yes, much like a gambler,” Zhuo Bang responded. Surrendering income for half a year in exchange for future gains seemed ludicrous.

“Life is essentially a gamble,” Jiang Zhou remarked softly. “Win, and you’re set for life. Lose, and it’s merely a restart.”

Moreover, he might not lose. His gamble wasn’t haphazard, but calculated and predictable. He had meticulously evaluated the feasibility of this approach; confident he wouldn’t lose everything.

That was why he had proceeded.

He had a faith.

Just as when dealing with Lu Heng, he had taken a chance, wagering that Lu Heng was dim-witted, truthful, and greedy.

And he had won.

Hence, when it came to cement, losing was inconceivable.