"Come here and let me study your bird's head!"
Just then, a stern voice boomed from the entrance of the workshop. The craftsmen all turned to look, only to find that the foreman, Zhou Zhi, had returned at some unknown time.
Zhou Zhi's eyes, sharp as knives, fixed on the craftsman who had just mocked Liu Ke. He slowly walked towards him.
That craftsman repeatedly offered an ingratiating smile, "Foreman Zhou, you misunderstand. I was just joking with Liu Ke, it was all in good fun~"
*Slap!*
Zhou Zhi had already reached his side and, raising his hand, delivered a resounding slap. "I'm joking with you too. Come on, give me a smile so I can see it!"
The craftsman lowered his head, covering his face, his eyes fixed on his toes, daring not to speak.
Zhou Zhi surveyed all the craftsmen before him, "I don't care what you think! But if anyone's mouth is too sharp, use a steel file to rub it against yourself!"
The Duke always said that if you have an idea, feel free to propose it, and if it's useful, he will strongly support it!
The spirit of innovation is the most important thing. The tools you use every day, the electric lamps for lighting, which one of them isn't born from innovation?
At least Liu Ke dares to think and dare to try. What about you? You don't even dare to think, so what right do you have to mock him?
After scolding the others, he turned back to the craftsman who had just spoken and said coldly, "You like others to study your bird's head, don't you? Fine, pack your things and get out of here! I'll consider whether to keep using you when your wife has finished studying your bird's head and submitted a report!"
Upon hearing this, the craftsman's face instantly turned deathly pale. He fell to his knees with a thud. "Master Zhou, I know I was wrong. Don't kick me out!"
"Please, please, I rely on this meager wage to support my family. Show me mercy and forgive me this once?"
The craftsman crawled on his knees to Zhou Zhi's side, hugging his thigh and begging.
There were indeed craftsmen who were expelled from the workshop, but not a single one of them had a good outcome after being expelled.
Firstly, the workshop's treatment, not only in Liaodong but throughout the entire Great Tang, could be considered extremely generous, incomparable to anywhere else.
Secondly, the workshop was an enterprise of the Duke of An. Who would dare to employ someone expelled by him?
For this reason, even when they went out to start small businesses, people would point at their backs and call them trash swept out by the Duke of An.
Therefore, once they left here, the only path left was to scrape a living from the soil.
Zhou Zhi, however, showed no sympathy. He turned to the guards standing outside the workshop and said, "Throw this scoundrel out!"
The craftsman pleaded repeatedly, but was eventually thrown out of the workshop by the guards. No one pitied him.
Because those who deserve pity are often hateful!
Meanwhile, at the Duke of An's mansion, Zhu Zi, Zhang Tian, Tie Lao Ba, Wu Yong, and Liu Meng, five individuals rarely seen together, had come to visit.
Looking at the men before him, Fang Er was also puzzled. "What's going on? Why have you all come together?"
Zhu Zi waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, nothing much. But it's precisely because nothing much is happening that we've come to see you, Duke."
Zhang Tian chuckled from the side, "Ever since that battle in the Western Regions, we brothers have been so idle we're getting sick. The brats in the barracks are fighting every day. Duke, why don't you take them out for a bit and conquer a country for fun?"
Fang Er was speechless. Was that even something a human would say?
Conquer a country for fun when bored?
They hadn't provoked or provoked anyone, and just went and wiped them out. Was that something a human would do?
"If their energy is too high, take them out for training, ten kilometers cross-country, once a day, and see if they still have the energy to fight!"
"If that doesn't work, you guys can just discuss it and have a military exercise."
Zhu Zi said with a wry smile, "Duke, we have military exercises every month, and we've tried every variation. We're tired of it. You have many ideas, give us a suggestion, won't you?"
[Ding! Random Mission: Host a Sports Meet!]
[Mission Reward: Upon the next store refresh, you can unlock one item of your choice!]
Fang Er: ???
Has the system sister come back to life?
*Zzzzzt~~*
[Little brat, who are you talking to like that?]
What a familiar tone, what a familiar smell~~
Zhu Zi twitched his nose and smelled the burnt scent emanating from Fang Er.
Damn it, Sister Tong's temper is getting worse! This time, she even singed her hair!
Fang Er smoothed his hair, which had been electrocuted to stand on end, and looked at the scorch marks on his palm with a sigh. "Fine, fine! It's just a sports meet, what's the big deal?"
"Sister Tong, are you going to provide any support for hosting the sports meet?" Fang Er asked the system, looking at the meager supply of sports equipment in the warehouse.
[Ding! Limited-time store opened, please host check it yourself!]
Huh?
Fang Er quickly opened the system interface. The store that normally refreshed monthly now quietly displayed new items.
Redeemable Items: 20
Countdown: 9:59
Single Item Redemption Limit: 1000/1000 (does not count towards unlock requirements)
Tsk, tsk, tsk, so thoughtful, so damn thoughtful!
Basketball, football, volleyball, table tennis, barbells, swimsuits, goggles~~~
Wait a minute!
Swimsuits???
And women's swimsuits at that! How eye-watering would it be to see a group of rough men wearing them!
Don't you have pent-up energy? Then don't blame this Duke for being impolite, hehe~
Thinking this, after redeeming all the items a thousand times, Fang Er revealed a lecherous smile and said to Zhu Zi and the others, "You guys go back first and come back tomorrow. This Duke will get you some new toys!"
"What new toys?"
Just then, Li Shimin's voice came from outside the door.
Li Shimin, holding Chang Le by the hand, slowly crossed the threshold. When he saw Zhu Zi and the others, his heart skipped a beat.
"Damn it!"
This kid has called all his division commanders over? What is he trying to do?
He whispered something into Chang Le's ear, and then saw Chang Le, skipping and hopping, come to Fang Er's side.
She tugged at Fang Er's clothes and said in her sweet, soft voice, "Brother-in-law, you called them all here, are you planning to rebe—"
"Chang Le!"
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Li Shimin, his face dark. This girl, can't she phrase things more tactfully?
Then, covering his embarrassment with laughter, he said to Fang Er, "Hahahaha, kid, you called them all here. What fun thing are you planning to build?"
Chang Le was very confused. Didn't Father ask her to ask her brother-in-law if he was planning to rebel?
However, she soon shifted her attention, pouting a little aggrievedly, "Brother-in-law, if there's something fun, why don't you include Chang Le?"
Fang Er quickly waved Zhu Zi and the others away and explained the matter of the sports meet.
Li Shimin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Damn it, you scared me to death!"