The Almighty Dominance novel Chapter 557

Some of the people who had already received gold returned with their relatives. More villagers kept arriving. What started as twenty people had grown into nearly fifty, and the crowd was still swelling.

Alex’s eyes shifted to the side.

The two cultivator women in blue and yellow robes were still there.

They were the real danger.

He prayed silently that these two unwelcome guests would lose interest and leave without investigating him further.

But they were still scanning the surroundings carefully, as if searching for something important.

They paid no attention to Alex because he appeared too busy dealing with the crowd.

And Alex understood.

He had to keep looking busy. Very busy. Until they left.

“All of you, stop!”

A sharp voice cut through the noise.

The crowd turned.

A man in tattered clothes stepped forward, but his eyes were bright and intelligent. He dragged a wooden chair from somewhere and placed it beside Alex.

“Young Master Bai, please sit while you inspect them. This will take time. You should not stand too long. It would be a pity to tire your legs.”

Truthfully, Alex’s body was in terrible condition. He had just survived a light bomb, crashed in a broken VÖXEN, and barely held himself together. The offer of a chair felt like a blessing.

He sat down without hesitation.

Moments later, two women hurried over and placed a table in front of him.

One quickly served him tea.

Another, a pretty young woman, stepped behind him and began gently massaging his back.

Alex let out a slow breath and relaxed into the massage. He had to admit—it felt incredible.

“You,” Alex said, looking at the man who had brought the chair.

“I am Zhuge Liang. Awaiting your orders, Young Master,” the man replied with a respectful bow.

“You may take thirty gold ingots,” Alex announced loudly so everyone could hear.

Zhuge Liang shook his head at once.

“Young Master Bai, you are the purest and most innocent man here. How can I speak of admiration and honor in terms of money? I serve you because I admire you. Please, allow me to serve you without reward.”

Alex studied him and smirked.

This one was clever.

He wasn’t trying to pluck golden eggs. He was trying to catch the goose itself.

“As you wish,” Alex said.

“Thank you, Young Master,” Zhuge Liang replied, straightening up.

He turned to face the villagers and raised his voice.

“From now on, each person will receive only one gold ingot. Form a line. The person at the front may begin praising the truth about our Young Master Bai.”

Murmurs of protest broke out.

“This isn’t fair!”

“I want five gold ingots!”

“Yes! Five!”

Zhuge Liang stepped forward calmly.

“Whether it is fair or not is decided entirely by Young Master Bai.”

He leaned toward Alex and bowed slightly.

“Young Master, for villagers like us, one gold ingot is already life-changing. Giving more will only empty your coffers quickly and benefit fewer people. With one ingot each, you can win the voices of the entire village—and secure the City Lord’s position firmly in your hands.”

Alex looked at him and nodded slowly.

Smart. Very smart.

“Proceed. One gold ingot each.”

“Thank you, Young Master!” Zhuge Liang said loudly, then turned back to the crowd.

“One gold ingot. If you don’t want it, go home now. Don’t block the people who do.”

He gestured toward the wooden box.

“There are only about three hundred ingots here. Those who hesitate will lose their chance.”

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