The refugees were stunned, and after a long silence, someone retorted, "If we can survive, who wants to die!?"
"Very well, none of you want to die!" Du Chen rode his horse back and forth in front of the refugees, shouting at the top of his voice, "Since you want to survive, show me what it takes to survive! What is this now? Lifeless! I think instead of waiting for a flood, you might as well just kill yourselves!"
Most of the refugees' eyes filled with anger, but they dared not act out due to the soldiers maintaining order.
"Do you think you're pitiful?" Du Chen pointed his horse whip towards the refugee camp. "Let me tell you something! No one will pity you! This is your own doing!"
Finally, a brave refugee couldn't hold back and angrily shouted, "You're talking nonsense! The flood is a natural disaster, what does it have to do with us?"
"Yes, the flood is a natural disaster, it has nothing to do with you. But what about man-made disasters!? Look at yourselves!"
Du Chen pointed his whip at a strong man closest to him. "How strong are you?"
"I can lift a hundred-pound stone pillar with one hand!"
"Good, then let me ask you, how long would it take you to build a crude wooden house using your strength?"
"Three days!"
Du Chen laughed, "Three days, ha! But the flood has already lasted for two months. Have you built a single wooden house!?"
Without waiting for an answer, he shouted again, "Why don't you use your own hands to rebuild your homes!? Look at your bodies, you are strong enough, and there is enough wood in the mountains to the east. Why do you still want to wait here like dead dogs!?"
He then pointed at an elderly person and softened his tone, "Old man, you may not have the strength, but you can take care of children and sew clothes and cook, right? Why don't you help this strong man with the trivial things and ask him to help you build a house? If the two of you cooperate, you can both have a new home in just six days!"
A spark of life appeared in the old man's eyes, and he nodded slowly.
Du Chen continued, "Everyone, I may have been harsh with my words, but I just want to tell you a truth. Natural disasters are inevitable, but they are not scary! As long as you work together, you can survive. Only by surviving can you have a future, and everything else!"
"There are a hundred thousand people here, excluding the elderly, weak, women, and children, there are at least thirty thousand strong men! Thirty thousand strong men can build a village in a day and a small town in a month! As long as the remaining elderly, weak, women, and children give them enough support! Those who don't want to die, stand up! You can survive, you have the ability to survive, and if you work hard, you can even live better!"
The strong man who was just scolded suddenly looked up, staring at Du Chen and said, "You're right, but rebuilding homes also requires money!"
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Du Chen smiled slightly and signaled for Steve to bring the charity fund's lotus flag. He planted the flag in the ground and pointed at it, saying, "Do you see this symbol? It represents an organization - the Lotus Charity Fund! I am its owner, and this time, my charity fund will give everyone ten thousand gold coins!"
The refugees erupted in cheers, their voices shaking the heavens. Before long, the distant, unknown refugees also blindly joined in the celebration.
"Quiet, please!" Du Chen shouted loudly. "Ten thousand gold coins may be an unimaginable sum for you, but please forgive me, I have no ulterior motive. I just want to point out that perhaps you have never seen even ten gold coins in your lifetime, so hearing ten thousand gold coins makes you excited. But have you done the math? There are a hundred thousand people here, and each person can only receive a few silver coins, just enough for one month's living expenses!"
The cheers of the refugees instantly fell silent.
Du Chen jumped off his horse and walked into the midst of the refugees. He picked up a child who was picking up bread crumbs, wiped his dirty face, and said, "I don't want to talk nonsense anymore. My Lotus Charity Fund has made a promise to you. Within one month, no one will starve to death, and strong individuals will also receive tools! However, within this month, you must build a simple town for me and start living a normal life again!"
"Brother, are you telling the truth?" asked the child in his arms.
"Brother tells you one thing, natural disasters cannot be avoided, but people can save themselves!"
Du Chen put down the child and walked briskly to the front of the convoy, saying, "The gold coins are here, but you won't receive cash. They will be converted into bread and tools and distributed to you. Now, I need you to elect fifty trustworthy people to form a self-help organization for the refugees to oversee the use of this money!"
During the break in the refugee elections, Du Chen returned to Steve's side. Before saying anything, he sighed, "Refugees, they sound and look different!"
If half an hour ago, Du Chen's purpose in assisting the disaster was merely to make a name for himself, now he couldn't even distinguish why he was doing it. Especially when he held the child just now, he seemed to see his past life in the desperate look in the child's eyes, the orphan who begged on the streets and stole to survive.
Steve also sighed and said, "Yes, from childhood till now, I always thought that the common people in St. John's South City were the most pitiful, but today... sigh, little brother, you have done well."
Not long after, the refugees elected fifty respected elderly people, and the oldest among them came forward to Du Chen. He had a kind and benevolent look, around seventy or eighty years old, and instantly reminded Du Chen of the old Foye who stayed at home.
"Young master, we are grateful for your rescue. I praise you..." His eyes wandered, hesitatingly saying many empty words of praise.
Du Chen could see his dilemma and smiled, "Hehe, old man, just speak your mind. I am a descendant of the Siglu clan and willing to help you solve any difficulties!"
"Hey!" The old man chuckled, "Young master, we are all people who have never seen the world. Please don't take offense, but a few of us old folks discussed it and we feel more reassured holding onto the money!"
Typical peasant ideology! Du Chen was about to mock, but suddenly understood that these refugees were scared by corrupt officials!
"Alright, each person will receive one silver coin first. Be frugal and it should be enough to support you for seven to eight days, but you must also speed up the rebuilding process!"
"Young master, you are a good person!"
As he spoke, the old man was about to kneel down, but Du Chen hurriedly stopped him. What a joke, letting a seventy or eighty-year-old man kneel down to him, wasn't that asking for trouble?
As the relief funds were distributed one by one, Du Chen watched the refugees smile from ear to ear. It was because his butt was starting to itch, and not just a normal itch! Don't forget, the lotus flower on Du Chen's butt was in the shape of the Bagua, and now, all three flowers on the Sanlian Gan hexagram were about to bloom.
The "Lotus Treasure Mirror" had a total of eight layers and thirty-six levels. Now, he was about to complete the first layer of cultivation!
Then, Du Chen happily started looking around for a toilet to check on the lotus flower at any time.
But when his gaze swept near the refugee camp, he suddenly became furious.
Do these bastards have no humanity left!?