An old man was walking this way, hurrying his steps. "Here they come, all newcomers. I understand. Leave them to me; I'll make sure to bring them to the mine on time tomorrow."

The squad leader nodded. "Old Charles is the head of this street. Follow him, and he will take care of you."

Then, with the 'wild folks looking on with gratitude and reluctance to part,' the squad leader sauntered off. Having recruited these wild folk today, he could receive a hefty "headhunting bonus." Heh heh, he truly wished there were more fools like these, all coming out of the mountains to join the city-state.

After the squad leader and his men left, Old Charles looked at these "newcomers," his eyes holding a complex expression—perhaps sympathy, regret, or even a touch of pity.

In the end, he simply said, "Now that you're here, work hard. Come on, let me help you fix up your houses first."

Old Charles called over a few able-bodied men to help. One of the more lethargic ones started to grumble, "We can barely get enough to eat each day and don't have enough energy for mining. How are we supposed to find the strength to help others for free?"

Gong Shuxu quickly said, "We'll provide meals." He took out a grain token.

Old Charles pushed the grain token back, then turned and glared at that youngster. "Have you forgotten our..." He whispered the last two words very softly, "Vows?"

But everyone present was a Professional, and each one of them heard it loud and clear. They exchanged glances, a feeling dawning on them that they had come to the right place.

"But they aren't true..."

He was cut off mid-sentence by Old Charles's stern interruption: "Shut up!"

Old Charles was growing angry, and those who had wanted to slack off didn't dare say another word, earnestly helping out. By nightfall, they had finally managed to prepare houses for everyone to rest in.

Old Charles looked at the group and smiled kindly. "You must all be hungry. Come on, let's have a meal at my place. Tomorrow, after you've exchanged your grain tokens for rations, you can repay me for this meal."

The group was eager to learn more about this world, so they didn't refuse.

In Old Charles's home, a portrait of "The Great True God" indeed hung on the wall. Chen Gu and Gong Shuxu exchanged a look; they understood.

The food was indeed coarse and unpalatable. However, Old Charles's family ate with great joy. It seemed that this food, which Chen Gu found difficult to swallow, was considered a "delicacy" for entertaining guests on this planet; their usual meals were even worse.

While ravenously eating, Old Charles noticed that the newcomers were eating very little and asked in confusion, "Why aren't you eating?"

Because they really couldn't stomach it.

Chen Gu smiled faintly. "We're full."

Old Charles was taken aback. "You ate so little? That won't do... Never mind, you'll understand tomorrow. You'll need to eat more in the future, or your bodies won't be able to take it..."

Old Charles seemed quite moved, rambling on, yet he didn't dare to speak too plainly due to certain concerns.

Chen Gu deliberately chose a house right next to Old Charles's. After the meal, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Chen Gu lay in bed, slowly regulating his breathing until it became even and prolonged, mimicking a normal sleeping pattern.

Only then did he hear hushed voices from next door: "They're asleep."

"Let's begin."

Following that was the sound of a wooden door opening. The faithful entered Old Charles's house one by one, followed by a low chorus of praises, exaltations, and prayers—a complete ritual.

By this time, Chen Gu was certain that behind this so-called "Great True God" cult, there had to be some organizers with malicious intent.

According to intelligence, this cult had only been formed a few short years ago. Most naturally formed cults, during such a period, would still be exploring and perfecting their doctrines. They would not have even established a clear image of their deity yet.

Yet this cult had a definite image of its deity, a well-structured organization, and specific ceremonial processes.

Clearly, all of this had been established before their proselytizing even began.

The believers next door spent roughly half an hour on their prayer ritual. Afterward, they gathered and quietly discussed some mining matters from the day. During this, someone mentioned Chen Gu and his companions: "Should we try to convert those newcomers?"

"A bunch of fools. Isn't it better to be free and unfettered outside? They just had to come crawling in here to be someone else's beasts of burden, only to die one day without anyone even knowing."

Old Charles said devoutly, "We have the Great True God. He will surely save and liberate us one day!"

Then he added, "As for them, let's observe for a while longer before deciding anything. Everyone, stay out of it. I'll take responsibility for this matter."

"Alright."

Another half hour passed before they finally dispersed.

The next day, Chen Gu and the others were woken early by Old Charles knocking on their door. "Get up quickly! The ox cart is about to leave. You'll get whipped if you're late."

It was still dark, but doors were opening in every household. People streamed out, converging in the narrow alleys and then onto the wider streets where ox carts awaited. Everyone boarded, and with creaks and groans, the carts set off.

When they returned in the evening, they wouldn't receive this treatment. The ox carts would be used for hauling ore, so they would have to walk back on foot.

Even this small convenience had been won only after the miners had protested several times, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people.

Regrettably, they were not assigned to the hoped-for Redstone Pit but instead ended up at another one called the Green Forest Mine.

Old Charles was still warm and kind, telling Chen Gu and the others, "Working here is tough. Don't push yourselves too hard. I'll have everyone help you out at first, but there's not much we can do. Eventually, you'll have to rely on yourselves."

Chen Gu smiled. "Thank you."

But once work started, Old Charles was left dumbfounded. Are these guys monsters? They could effortlessly lift a basket of ore weighing over one hundred pounds with one hand. Even carrying a basket in each hand, they could still stride along as if unburdened!

At one point, an ox cart laden with too much ore got stuck in a mud pit. The old ox panted heavily, straining fruitlessly to pull it free. Urged on by the overseer, a few miners reluctantly went to push. However, Chen Gu, who was passing by carrying two baskets of ore, simply set one basket down. With a single free hand, he casually pulled the ox cart out of the mud pit!

The miners who had been about to push the cart were left speechless. They turned to look at Old Charles, their eyes asking, What's the deal with this guy?

Old Charles could only shrug. How should I know? he thought. Still, it's good they don't need us to worry about them. After all, everyone here is struggling enough as it is.