Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'-Chapter 679 - 464: Holding the Baton, Mastering the Calculations_5

"Master, if you refuse to leave, then I’ll be on my way."

The Coachman said, "I’m looking forward to your departure. The farther you go, the better. Take that Xiao Qin with you, and never let me see you both again."

The pancake vendor laughed. "If I leave, there won’t be anyone left at North Bridge. They’re all at the train station now. At my command, once they board the train, they’ll be gone, and Loess Bridge will become Old Land. Once Loess Bridge truly becomes Old Land, your status will plummet. With your status gone, you’ll be severely weakened. If we fight to the death then, it’ll be hard to say who will win or lose."

The Coachman let out a cold laugh. "You’re trying to scare me?"

"I’m not trying to scare you. This is what I’ve calculated," the pancake vendor said seriously, eyeing the Coachman. "I’ve been working on this problem for a long time. If your status really does drop, I’m confident that I can defeat you."

The Coachman gritted his teeth. "There are two hundred workers at the mines. By the rules, a hundred-li territory only becomes Old Land if fewer than one hundred people remain within it."

The pancake vendor laughed. "Don’t try to fool me with such things. Newcomers open up New Land, and the old folk stick to Old Land. One hundred native Loess Bridge folk can hold onto this Proper Land, but I’m afraid two hundred outsiders won’t be enough, will they? They have no roots here. I’ve done the math for you carefully: you need to find 3,368 newcomers to hold this territory. Are that many newcomers easy to find? If they were, you would have found them already, right?"

Sweat beaded on the Coachman’s face.

The pancake vendor loosened his apron. "Master, I’ll say it again. You have real skills; you can make a living anywhere. As long as you’re willing to leave this place to me, I have some valuable things to offer you as a sign of respect."

The Coachman spat. "Do you think I’m so easily manipulated?"

...

Li Banfeng visited more than a dozen coal mine bosses, only to find their houses completely empty, not a single person left.

Realizing something was wrong, Li Banfeng hastily went to Miss Qin’s house to fetch Ma Wu. When he arrived at her doorstep, Li Banfeng saw the uncle who sold pancakes.

The uncle clasped his fists. "Seventh Master."

Li Banfeng smiled. "You know me?"

"I wouldn’t dare claim to know you, but I’ve heard of your reputation. In Puluo State, you are a true hero. To us, you are this!" The uncle gave Li Banfeng a thumbs-up.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Stop with the pleasantries. You were prepared for my arrival today. It seems I have a traitor among my men who leaked information."

The uncle shook his head. "Seventh Master, your men are clean; no one has been in contact with me. You can rest assured on that point. The reason I took precautions is that I had calculated you might come these days."

"Calculated?" Li Banfeng scoffed. "You can tell fortunes too?"

"Not fortune-telling, but calculations," the uncle corrected, shaking his head. "I’ve stolen from your coal shipments twice. Based on your usual behavior, Seventh Master, I knew you wouldn’t stand for this. So, taking into account what I’ve heard and calculating carefully, I figured you would have to come to North Bridge within three to five days. And when you came, you’d definitely want blood. That’s why I made preparations and sent the North Bridge folks to the train station. I just didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly, spot me right away, and hand me over to the Coachman, letting Master Wu deal with Miss Qin. After you took care of a few of my ringleaders, you basically caught us all in one go."

Li Banfeng frowned. "You calculated all this?"

The pancake vendor pulled out a stack of papers from under his batter. "The calculation drafts are here. You can take a look. It’s a pity you acted too fast and I calculated too slowly. Today, I almost met my end at your hands."

Li Banfeng nodded. "So, you truly are an Arithmetic Cultivator, and particularly skilled in probabilities. Since we’ve laid all our cards on the table, let’s settle this today."

The uncle shook his head. "Seventh Master, if we settle things this way, both our sides will lose. If you insist on fighting me, I’ll immediately send someone to the station to tell the North Bridge group to board the train. Once they leave, your two hundred-odd outsiders won’t be able to hold Loess Bridge. It’ll turn into Old Land, and neither of us will profit from this business!"

Li Banfeng smiled. "I’m going to the station now to stop them from leaving."

"Seventh Master, the station is the territory of People from other provinces. Do you dare make a move there?"

Li Banfeng calmly said, "Why wouldn’t I dare?"

"Impressive! I’m truly impressed," the uncle nodded. "But I have a better idea. I wonder if Seventh Master would like to hear it?"

"What’s the idea?"

"Business is business, no matter who it’s with. With the Coachman gone, we can pick up where he left off and discuss terms properly. I don’t want Loess Bridge to become Old Land either. I want to reach Above the Clouds, and I’d also like to build up the human energy of this place."

Li Banfeng frowned. "What’s the use of telling me this? I’ve signed a Contract Book with the Coachman; I can only do business with him. He’s the Local Deity here!"

"Seventh Master, your Contract Book might not be valid anymore. The Coachman has already run off; he breached the contract first."

"Run off?" Li Banfeng was skeptical.

With the Coachman’s cultivation level at Above the Clouds, there was no reason for him to flee.

The pancake vendor held up an Iron Token. "This is the Contract Book for the Loess Bridge territory. You should recognize this. If you still don’t believe me, I also have a Paper Contract left by the Coachman. If you still don’t trust that, look at the wheel tracks on the ground. These tracks lead all the way to Nanqiao, and Nanqiao connects to New Land. If my calculations aren’t wrong, the Coachman has already traveled a great distance along the New Land!"

PS: The Coachman is indeed a disciple of Grandpa Train, but his temperament is quite different.