Taking the Profit and Grabbing a Bargain

After several days of planning, Max Zhai and his group had already locked onto their target and gathered their forces. All that was left was to wait for the right moment—to catch their enemies in one fell swoop...

"This time, I have to make my old man see me in a new light. Maybe he'll finally stop calling me stupid every day." Max Zhai rubbed his hands together, itching for a big fight.

Shane Wang, however, felt uneasy. "Everything seems a little too smooth," he said. How could they pull so many people out of the city so easily?

It was so smooth, it made him nervous.

"Maybe Heaven is helping us out," Evan Yu said. He wasn't as reckless as Max Zhai, but with victory in sight, even he couldn't help but show off a little.

To personally capture remnants of the Three Kingdoms—just thinking about it was enough to get him excited...

Back when they were on the ship, hearing how the Crown Prince led men into battle and captured the enemy leader alive, they were both thrilled and jealous. They wished they could take his place, fighting on the battlefield with real swords and spears.

Now the chance was right in front of them. No way were they going to let it slip by.

"Shane's right. We should be careful," Si Xiaocheng said. "Shane, you take your squad and stick close to me. I'll watch your back." He was excited too, but as an archer, he knew he had to stay calm—otherwise...

His hands would get shaky. And if his hands shook, his arrows would stray—and that could mean someone’s life.

Si Xiaocheng even brought out his black bow. Don’t be fooled by its small size—the thing was so heavy that even most adults couldn’t draw it, let alone a kid.

That just showed how strong Si Xiaocheng’s arms really were!

"When the action starts, we should stick together. Otherwise, we might get split up if someone rushes us," Shane Wang agreed.

No matter how this turned out, they had to keep themselves safe—otherwise...

They’d better be ready to face the paddle when they got home!

"Since we’re doing this, stop overthinking. Wait here—I’ll go scout ahead." At this moment, the calmest among them was actually Liam Fuller.

Liam Fuller had already disguised himself, dressing like a village boy—dirty clothes, his fair face smeared with mud.

His long, smooth hair hadn’t been washed in days, now a tangled, greasy mess that smelled awful. If Liam hadn’t come with them, Shane Wang would have thought he was just some local kid—maybe Scruffy or Rocky, which are typical rural nicknames for children in China (like 'Dog Egg' or 'Stone').

The boys all criticized Liam’s getup, telling him to change, but Liam refused: "Looks don’t matter. As long as I’m fine, I don’t care how dirty I get."

So Liam Fuller wandered around the village in this dog-repellent look, drooling and acting the fool. The others covered their eyes, wishing they’d never met him.

"Liam Fuller really is impressive." But watching from the shadows, Little Dumpling was thoroughly satisfied with him.

"Surround them!" Max Zhai, Si Xiaocheng, Liam Fuller, and Evan Yu all wore perfectly fitted armor, looking every bit the part. Their small frames atop tall warhorses looked a bit mismatched, but their presence more than made up for their lack of height.

"Yes. He’s sharp and worldly, but too slippery to be fully trusted. If you want to use him, you’ll need to polish him a bit more. He’s smart enough to know how to choose what benefits him most." Zed, almost monstrously clever after William’s guidance, could see right through Liam at a glance.

If Zed hadn’t met William Wang Jinling and received his training, his personality would have been even sharper, and his actions even bolder.

Now, as Little Dumpling liked to say, Zed was nearly perfect. Sometimes Little Dumpling wondered if keeping someone like Zed hidden in the shadows was a waste of talent...

"It’s only been a single night—where could they have gone? What about the villagers?" Si Xiaocheng and Evan Yu looked uneasy. Just then, the whole village lit up, and they...

Little Dumpling nodded, echoing Zed’s words: "It’s fine. I have time."

He wasn’t in a rush. He was still young, and his mother had already promised to plead with Father to stay emperor for eight more years—until he turned eighteen and could inherit the throne.

Eight years left. By then, Little Dumpling believed he’d be far stronger—at handling government and commanding his subordinates—than he was now.

At eighteen, he was determined to become an outstanding emperor—a child his parents could truly be proud of.

"Keep an eye on them. Let them suffer a little, but make sure nothing happens to them." Little Dumpling checked the situation—things were about ready, and he had preparations to make himself.

"Got it." Zed didn’t say another word. Little Dumpling slipped away quietly, his shadow guards instantly falling in behind him...

Leaving behind this seemingly ordinary village—actually made up entirely of remnants of the Three Kingdoms—Little Dumpling hurried back to his temporary command post. He quietly arranged his forces, ready to close the net...

Yes, Max Zhai and the others had received word that remnants were hiding in the village, but their intel wasn’t complete. In reality...

It wasn’t just a few remnants hiding there—the whole village was the main base of the Three Kingdoms remnants. Shane Wang and the boys charging in were like sheep entering a tiger’s den. No matter how capable they were, on enemy turf, they were bound to suffer.

Still, Little Dumpling thought their guts were even bigger than his had been. A little hardship was exactly what they needed. So even knowing the truth, he didn’t plan to warn them—he just waited in the shadows, ready to...

Pick up a bargain when the time came.

That night, the sky was thick with stars, and all was silent. The little mountain village had none of the daytime bustle; everyone turned off their lights and went to sleep. But just as the villagers were deep in slumber, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly broke the night...

"It’s begun."

Little Dumpling knew: Max Zhai and the boys were making their move.

They’d picked the right moment and made solid plans, but what they didn’t realize was that their earlier actions had already alerted the enemy. No matter when they attacked, they were at a disadvantage—the enemy had been ready for them all along...

"Surround them!" Max Zhai, Si Xiaocheng, Liam Fuller, and Yu Wen all wore perfectly fitted armor, looking every bit the part. Their small frames atop tall warhorses looked a bit mismatched, but their presence more than made up for their lack of height.

Each of the four led a squad, following the routes and tactics set out during the day, heading out to capture the remnants. But...

They came up empty—the villagers had all vanished...

"What happened? Did they escape?" Max Zhai couldn’t accept it. After two or three days of hard work, how could everyone just disappear?

"It’s only been a single night—where could they have gone? What about the villagers?" Si Xiaocheng and Yu Wen looked uneasy. Just then, the whole village lit up, and they...

"This is bad—we’re surrounded."