Chapter Fifty-Two: War Loans with Exorbitant Interest Rates

Because of the outbreak of war, the common people either hid or fled, and all the shops along the streets were shuttered, lending the city a desolate air.

Fortunately, the local gentry, bound together by kinship and lineage, had not deserted their ancestral lands. To them, this place was their very foundation—leaving would be tantamount to betraying their forebears.

Luo Rongguang, who had managed affairs here for twenty-four years, was well-versed in the intricate web of clan power. He quickly guided Lin Lei to a prominent local family bearing the surname Lin. It was said that their ancestors had once produced a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Cabinet.

The current patriarch of the Lin family, Lin Shiyin, had, until two years prior, served as the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. Yet, due to his involvement in the reforms of 1898, he had been forced into retirement and returned to his hometown. Unless a miracle occurred, none of his kin would ever again be permitted to set foot in officialdom.

Troubled by the uncertain future of his family, Lin Shiyin did not hesitate when he heard of Lin Lei’s purpose for visiting. He immediately assented.

The Lin clan might have lost their influence at court, but they still had an immortal in their midst—a living immortal!

The ceremony to acknowledge Lin Lei as a member of the family proceeded smoothly. He was recognized as Lin Shiyin’s long-lost seventh great-uncle, and the entire family respectfully addressed him as “Elder Lin the Seventh.”

As soon as the registration ritual was completed, Lin Lei deactivated the tactical helmet’s disguise, instantly “rejuvenating” and revealing his true form. This display left Luo Rongguang and the Lin family utterly astounded.

“The situation at the front is urgent. Commander Luo and I must take our leave. Once the foreign siege is lifted, we shall return to visit the Lin household,” Lin Lei announced, before once again taking Luo Rongguang by the arm and flying off.

Originally, Lin Lei had no intention of further entangling himself with the Lin clan after the ceremony. However, the system informed him that if he were expelled from the clan or if the direct line of the Lin family perished, he would automatically lose his Han Chinese identity in this timeline.

Thus, Lin Lei had to find a way to stabilize and even protect the Lin family—perhaps this was the law of karma that cultivators so often encountered.

From planning to completing the registration, a little over forty minutes had passed. By now, the battle at the Dagu Forts had reached its climax.

As Lin Lei had prepared for the ceremony, Luo Rongguang had already described the situation at the front.

The battle had erupted the previous night, June 16, at eleven o’clock. The Allied forces, full of ferocity, launched simultaneous assaults on the southern and northern batteries of Dagu.

Under the cover of naval gunfire, the Allied marines advanced in small boats, splitting into three columns—left, center, and right—heading straight for the main northern battery, where Luo Rongguang was commanding.

Luo personally went to the main battery and directed his men to target the enemy ships’ searchlights. The fight raged for half an hour. Under his command, the main battery sank the Russian flagship, the “Gilyak”—the largest warship in the Allied fleet.

Meanwhile, Deputy General Han Zhaoqi, commanding the southern “Hai” battery, succeeded in sinking another enemy vessel.

Commander Feng Desheng, overseeing the left wing of the northern batteries, inflicted heavy damage on a third enemy warship.

During the height of the night battle, Luo Rongguang transferred a hundred soldiers from the Iron Anchor Bridge camp to reinforce Wannian Bridge. They hauled artillery onto the city walls and launched a crossfire on the enemy ships in the Hai River, sinking one and damaging another.

In total, the night’s engagement saw three enemy warships sunk and two more damaged. With these setbacks, the Allied offensive faltered.

At six o’clock this morning, the Allies shifted tactics, abandoning their all-out assault in favor of concentrating their ships against the northern batteries, bombarding the left wing with renewed ferocity.

Lin Lei had landed near this left battery. Now, with daylight fully upon them, the Allied naval guns held the upper hand; its fall was only a matter of time.

“If the foreigners mean to storm the northern shore, then I shall defend the northern shore!” Though Lin Lei had returned to his original appearance and voice, his tone remained as dignified and ancient as ever.

“How should I coordinate with you?” Luo Rongguang’s respect deepened—he’d assumed that Lin Lei, having become mortal, could no longer fly, yet the latter still carried him through the air with ease. Truly, an immortal was never ordinary, even in the guise of a mortal.

“Withdraw your soldiers—leave only the followers of the Qian Sect of the Boxers,” Lin Lei instructed.

In truth, it mattered little whether anyone stayed. Lin Lei had no expectation that these men could offer much help; he simply hoped they wouldn’t impede him.

He retained the Qian Sect followers because he styled himself as the True Man of Qianyuan and felt obliged to treat them with special consideration.

Besides, if properly utilized, these indoctrinated followers could become his greatest asset for earning contribution points in the future.

According to the system, Lin Lei could remain in this world for up to one year free of charge—though after three days, he could depart at any time.

Yet, no matter how long he stayed here, in the real world only a second would have passed.

Given this, why not make full use of his time here to develop a loyal force and earn more contribution points?

Luo Rongguang carried out his instructions without hesitation. With his troops concentrated elsewhere, if Lin Lei could hold the two northern batteries, Luo was confident he could defend the three batteries at the center and on the south shore.

After returning Luo Rongguang to the main battery and leaving some final instructions, Lin Lei immediately set off for the left battery.

Moments earlier, a violent explosion had erupted near the left battery’s ammunition depot. From above, Lin Lei saw that the Allies had already begun landing troops. Any further delay would mean the loss of the battery, and reclaiming it would cost even more contribution points.

“System, can I apply for a war loan now? What’s the limit? What are the terms?” Lin Lei hurried toward his destination, preparing to exchange his loan for weaponry.

“You meet the conditions for a war loan. The host’s credit rating is C+, with fixed assets as collateral. The maximum loan available is 800 contribution points, with an interest rate of forty percent—this is considered a medium-risk loan,” the system replied.

“Forty percent! You filthy extortionist! How does killing a few ordinary men count as a medium-risk loan?” Lin Lei roared in frustration.

Had the system grown even more shameless during these few days without spending points?

“Without this war loan, you would never be able to hold the left battery. The risk rating is entirely appropriate,” the system replied, making its opportunism clear.

It all came down to supply and demand. Lin Lei now had only twenty-two contribution points left—nowhere near enough to be invulnerable to bullets and bayonets. A volley of rifle fire could still kill him.

Since he needed the system’s help, he had little choice but to accept its outrageous terms.

“I won’t take a loan—I’ll sell the black iron ore instead!” Lin Lei refused to yield.

“You’re well aware of the value of black iron ore in the cultivation world. Are you sure you want to sell?” the system asked.

It was not concerned; Lin Lei, who had read the “Encyclopedia of Cultivators,” knew full well the worth of black iron ore. In the hands of the right buyer, it could fetch several times, even dozens of times, the profit.

Squandering such a precious resource for a mere few hundred contribution points would be sheer folly.

“Fine! You win! I’ll take a loan of five hundred contribution points!” Lin Lei deliberated, then finally ground out the words through clenched teeth.

Five hundred points would suffice for this battle, and any more would only tempt him to overspend.