To avoid being nagged, Ronin ended the call and added Sophia on WeChat.
Soon, he received a list Sophia had organized and sent over. She also asked him to send his bank account number.
After sending it, Ronin looked over the list and contacted the drill suppliers that Sophia had recommended based on her past purchases.
He went back to his room, turned on the computer, and started searching for more suppliers himself.
Ronin didn't know much about drilling machines, so he researched online and then talked with Sophia again about the needs.
Sophia quickly made a decision. She ordered five pneumatic drilling machines and five hydraulic ones. General Yves could use them as needed.
She also told Ronin to buy ten generators and ten barrels of diesel.
As he sat at the computer looking at the screen, Ronin fell into deep thought. That familiar feeling of working full-time came back again.
After feeling a bit complicated about it, Ronin focused and got back to work.
Neither of them had even discussed his pay yet.
Sophia later slapped her forehead and said, "Forget it, I'll talk to him when I get home tonight."
Since she had set a short deadline, asking for everything to be handled within two days, Ronin went out the very next day.
That night, he used a three-wheeled vehicle to bring several big cardboard boxes to Sophia's house.
Sophia had just finished feeding the boiled pig feed when Madam Xi, the village chief's wife, came over again to suggest a marriage match.
Sophia turned her down and walked her to the door just as Ronin arrived.
Madam Xi looked at both of them carefully and asked, "You two aren't dating, right?"
Sophia quickly waved her hands. "No, no."
Madam Xi still looked unsure but eventually left.
Ronin carried the supplies inside for Sophia.
After he finished, he asked, "Are you planning to open a pharmacy or something?"
Sophia paused and said, "I can't really tell you what this is for."
Since she said that, Ronin didn't keep asking.
"Oh, we still haven't talked about your pay," Sophia brought it up.
"How about thirty thousand per month? Would that work for you?"
She added, "But we need to sign a confidentiality agreement. Also, the job might be tiring. I don't plan to hire anyone else."
Ronin looked surprised.
"Thirty thousand?"
He asked carefully, "You're not doing anything illegal, right? I won't do anything illegal."
His smile even became a little stiff.
Sophia laughed and said, "No, nothing illegal. You can relax."
Ronin still felt unsure, but so far, everything Sophia asked him to buy seemed normal.
He just didn't know what kind of business she was running.
So they agreed for now.
After moving all the items, Ronin got ready to leave. "Boss, the ten drilling machines, the generators, and the diesel will arrive tomorrow."
Sophia quickly said, "I forgot to tell you. From now on, have everything delivered directly to the factory in town."
Ronin nodded and agreed.
After he left, Sophia quickly transported the medicine through the portal.
Over the next two days, she focused on sending sacks of food and boxes of water from the warehouse to General Yves.
General Yves gave some administrative work to the old officials of King Chen and some to his own people.
He then went out to calm the citizens and check on their needs.
The distribution of supplies to the people of Chen was still ongoing, and the drilling machine had already entered the city.
During the drilling, the citizens and the soldiers from Zhao worked together.
General Yves had even reassigned an official from the imperial court who was in charge of waterworks to lead the project. That official was initially uncooperative, but when he saw that the equipment brought by the Zhao army could drill wells hundreds of meters deep, he became very interested and quickly joined in.
Everyone in the city was busy trying to survive. The presence of the Zhao army had less impact on their lives than even a bucket of water.
General Yves had given strict orders to the soldiers that no chaos, looting, or violence would be allowed in the city.
At that moment, General Yves was patrolling the city with his guards.
Suddenly, a letter floated down from the air. He reached out and caught it.
After opening it, he saw it was a message saying that Sophia would deliver the medicine in fifteen minutes.
It was unexpected and sudden. At that moment, the streets were crowded with citizens waiting in line to receive food and water.
General Yves ordered the soldiers to find an empty spot away from the crowd.
But before they could return, boxes of medicine began to fall from the sky, one after another.
This scene happened right in front of the people waiting in line. They were shocked and started talking among themselves.
When the Zhao army had first entered the city, there had been rumors that this so-called divine general from Zhao was blessed by the heavens and had come to bring fortune to the people of the Western Continent.
Most people thought it was just propaganda to win the hearts of the people from Chen. But now it seemed to be true.
After a moment of hesitation, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted in excitement and dropped to their knees.
"Welcome, Divine General! Please protect us!"
More and more people followed and began shouting and kneeling.
General Yves looked over and saw that Assistant Hanra had somehow blended into the crowd. She was the one who started the chant.
"Stand up! The drilling machine will soon reach the southern part of the city. That will help solve the water issue for now. Please be patient. The reason we entered Chen is because we know your people are suffering. We will do everything we can to bring your lives back to normal," General Yves said.
After witnessing what had just happened, and hearing his sincere and calm words, the people's hearts were moved.
Just after General Yves finished calming the crowd, bags of grain started falling from the sky.
The citizens immediately broke into loud cheers. Even those who had been hiding in their homes now came out to the streets.
Everyone turned toward General Yves and knelt down again.
He turned to the officers and said, "Send all this grain to the distribution points."
This was additional food aid.
For a moment, the crowd was so touched that someone even shouted "Long live!"
General Yves spoke to the people again, "Everyone, please line up to collect your food and water. We will get through this drought."
He then continued walking with the medicines Sophia had sent, inspecting different areas and handing out food along the way.
Finally, he arrived at the military camp and went directly to the medical tents where the wounded were being treated.
As he walked through, he saw soldiers with bloody head wounds, broken legs and arms, and some with stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.
Compared to the suffering of the city's citizens, this scene was even more heartbreaking.
But General Yves understood that this blood and pain were part of the price that must be paid for unifying the land.
His face became even more serious.
"Doctor Cheng, the medicine you asked for last time is here. Please check if it's what you need," he said as he quickly approached the busy military doctor.
Along the way, injured soldiers, despite their pain, tried to salute him.
He raised his hand to stop them, "You've all worked hard. If there's not enough water or food, speak up. No one will be left to suffer."
Upon hearing this, many of the soldiers were moved to tears.