Wu Shen set out for Taiyuan, Shanxi, to assume his new post. Conveniently, his route would take him straight past Gao Family Village.
Before the Heavenly Lord descended upon the world, traveling from Shaanxi to Shanxi usually meant taking the Tongguan Pass, crossing the Yellow River at Fenglingdu Ferry, then passing through Puzhou and Pingyang Prefecture before finally reaching Taiyuan.
But after the Heavenly Lord arrived, everything changed.
Now, one could simply board a train at Xi'an East Station, and with a thunderous chug-chug, arrive directly in Hejin County, Shanxi. This was the very same route used by Gao Family Village's logistics teams when transporting supplies to Datong Prefecture.
Wu Shen packed up his belongings, brought along a sizable entourage of household guards and servants, and arrived early at Xi'an East Station to wait for the train.
The train wouldn't arrive for another two incense-sticks' time, but Wu Shen preferred caution. Missing the train was not an option.
Even for high-ranking officials, the train waited for no one.
Just a few days earlier, an official had arrived late, flown into a rage at the station, and tried to use his official authority to force the train doors open.
What happened next…
The Heavenly Lord erupted in fury.
A giant hand descended from the heavens, grabbed the official, and tossed him straight into "The Hamster's Great Adventure." Then, as if that weren't enough, the Heavenly Lord summoned the entire city's population to the walls to watch.
The official flailed and screamed inside the contraption, tortured into utter misery, his disgrace broadcast publicly for all to see.
Humiliated beyond measure.
His political enemies—those who lived by the rule of "once a dog falls into the water, beat it harder"—immediately sensed blood.
Impeachment memorials flooded in.
Some officials were meticulous, digging up dirt with surgical precision to ensure every accusation landed squarely and stuck.
Others had no such scruples.
Some accused him of being fond of male beauty. Others claimed he forcibly took elderly women as concubines.
Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, felt his scalp prickle as he read. He couldn't even bring himself to finish some of the reports, his mood plunging straight into the abyss.
Before long, the official was stripped of his position.
From that day on, no one dared to make a scene in public facilities just because of their status.
While waiting, Wu Shen flipped through a book titled Management Studies.
He frowned.
Many of the so-called "terms of the immortal realm" were baffling. He couldn't fully grasp them, but he stubbornly pushed on, half-guessing, half-inferencing.
After all, it was a Heavenly Book.
Mortals weren't meant to understand everything within it.
But even understanding a tiny fragment was enough to change a man's fate.
He was still immersed in thought when someone suddenly sat down beside him.
Wu Shen's heart skipped.
"Hmm? Someone sat next to me… and my guards didn't react?"
He turned his head—
It was Zhu Cunji, the Qin Prince's heir.
Wu Shen set the book down.
"Your Highness, you're not supposed to leave Xi'an. What are you doing at the train station?"
Zhu Cunji replied casually,
"I came specially to see you, Governor Wu Shen of Shanxi."
He deliberately emphasized Governor of Shanxi, his tone dripping with provocation, practically begging for a punch.
Wu Shen shot back,
"What? Does my appointment offend Your Highness? Wouldn't you be happier with me gone? You won't have to see my face anymore."
Zhu Cunji laughed.
"Of course I'm delighted!"
Then—abruptly—his expression changed. The mockery vanished, replaced by seriousness.
"Master Wu, you watched the news that day, didn't you?" he said.
"When Gao Family Village's militia went to reinforce Datong, their logistics teams were still in Shaanxi—riding trains, singing songs, delivering supplies swiftly and smoothly. But the moment they entered Shanxi, they had to switch to boats and horse carts. Slow, inefficient, and vulnerable to bandit attacks. Doesn't that bother you?"
Wu Shen paused, then nodded.
"Indeed. That is a real problem. I'll be dealing with that same irritating sequence myself when I take office—train, then boat, then carriage."
Zhu Cunji snorted.
"As you know, this Prince has been building the Xi'an–Yan'an Railway. You civil officials may sneer at me, but what I'm doing concerns the nation's survival. If the Mongols in the Hetao region invade northern Shaanxi again, my railway can roar into action—troops and supplies pouring into Yan'an without pause."
He leaned closer.
"Once you're Governor of Shanxi, shouldn't you follow my example? At the very least, build a railway leading to a border garrison."
Without warning, Wu Shen clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness," he said solemnly, "Wu Shen has been truly enlightened."
"WHOA!"
Zhu Cunji jumped backward several steps.
"Don't bow! You civil officials never even look at me properly, and now suddenly you pull this? That's terrifying!"
Zhu Cunji had spent his life as a spoiled noble—doing plenty of bad deeds, never a good one. He had never once experienced sincere gratitude.
Wu Shen's bow completely overwhelmed him.
Flustered, Zhu Cunji waved his hands and fled, muttering as he walked away,
"This isn't fun at all! I hate you! Don't ever come back to Xi'an—just seeing you annoys me!"
"Choo—choo!"
The mighty train thundered into the station.
Wu Shen glanced at Zhu Cunji's retreating figure, then gathered his household guards and boarded.
Not long after, the train carried him to Gao Family Village.
This was a major stop. The train would halt here for thirty minutes.
Wu Shen disembarked and walked toward Thirty-Two Middle School.
As he reached Shi Kefa's classroom, the bell rang for a ten-minute break. Shi Kefa stepped out, a mathematics textbook covered in dense annotations clutched in his hands—and nearly collided with Wu Shen.
"Brother Wu!" Shi Kefa exclaimed.
"I heard you've been promoted to Governor of Shanxi! That's wonderful news!"
Wu Shen smiled faintly.
"I'm heading there now to assume office. This may be my last chance to see you. Once we're separated by distance, meeting again won't be easy."
They had served together in Shaanxi for many years. Facing parting, both felt the sting of reluctance.
Wu Shen asked,
"Brother Shi, how are your studies progressing? Might I one day see you come to Shanxi to assist me?"
Shi Kefa's eyes lit up.
"I've already entered the second year of middle school. I plan to finish middle school here, then study some high school material. After that, I should finally be able to do something truly practical."
He grew animated.
"The Heavenly Book truly deserves its name! It explains the workings of the world with astonishing clarity. I now know why the sky is blue, how clouds form, why basin climates are warmer… I've learned about force and electricity…"
He continued excitedly,
"It even describes Westerners and their great ocean-going ships that travel thousands of miles! Seven continents, four oceans—the world is vast beyond imagining. Great Ming is not the center of the world; it is merely one part of a sphere."
His voice trembled with awe.
"All those things in Gao Family Village that once baffled me—I can finally understand them now."
Wu Shen was genuinely delighted.
"Then congratulations, Brother Shi. I look forward to the day you emerge to serve."