Chapter 21 – Heart-to-Heart

Chapter 21 – Heart-to-Heart

Within ten minutes of encountering Zhao Chuan, Cheng Yang and his team had rescued over twenty people. However, they dared not linger in the ruins of Huimin Town any longer and immediately turned back towards Luofeng Village.

“Where are you going? Aren’t you going to save more people?” A middle-aged man in his forties, one of the rescued, hurried to Cheng Yang when he noticed their change in direction.

Cheng Yang glanced at the slightly overweight man in a suit – clearly someone of status before the apocalypse – and replied indifferently, “We can only save so many at once. Any more and we won’t be able to protect everyone.”

The man insisted, “No, you must save my son first! I can pay you – 100,000? A million…”

Cheng Yang’s expression turned cold. “If you want to live, shut your mouth. Otherwise, I won’t mind leaving you here.”

Before the man could retort, another person stepped forward, covering his mouth. “My brother speaks nonsense. Please don’t mind him. You saved our lives, and we’ll follow your arrangements.”

Cheng Yang studied the two men. “Your name?”

“Hu Yang. This is my younger brother Hu Jun. We’re natives of Huimin Town.”

“Hu Yang, remember what you said today,” Cheng Yang warned before turning away. In this apocalyptic world, without strength, schemes were useless.

The group quickly returned to Luofeng Village, encountering and dispatching several monsters along the way. Back in the village, Cheng Yang didn’t immediately arrange for the newcomers to change professions. Instead, he instructed Yu Kai and others to prepare some demon beast meat for roasting. After two missed meals, feeding everyone was the top priority.

Cheng Yang then led Liu Hao and others back to Huimin Town. With the path recently cleared, they encountered few monsters and soon arrived at their destination. Their primary mission remained rescuing people, but they also scavenged valuable supplies, including several bags of rice – a precious commodity in this new world where only those with specific secondary professions could grow crops.

By nightfall, Luofeng Village’s population had swelled to nearly 200 people, bringing them closer to the requirements for upgrading the settlement. However, Cheng Yang wasn’t content to wait. He knew that rescuing people early was crucial, as increasing the population would become much harder later.

As darkness fell, Cheng Yang called Yu Kai, Liu Hao, and Niu Bing into his room. With over 200 people now in the village, certain arrangements needed to be made.

“Yang, why did you call us here?” Niu Bing asked immediately upon entering.

Cheng Yang, already accustomed to Niu Bing’s straightforwardness, replied, “Don’t you have any questions you want to ask me privately?”

Niu Bing shrugged. “What’s there to ask? Surviving is what matters now. My only worry is my parents – I don’t know how they’re doing.”

His words stirred homesickness in the others. Their families were in distant provinces, unreachable even if they could make it to Xiangcheng City.

“Yang, do you think we’ll ever see our parents again?” Liu Hao asked.

Cheng Yang smiled wryly. “I don’t know everything. Before the apocalypse, I somehow gained fragmented knowledge, including information about Luofeng Village. That’s why I gathered you here. As for the city center, I knew there would be profession statues there, which is why I told you to advise your families to stay near it.”

Cheng Yang kept his greatest secret – his rebirth – to himself, using this half-truth to explain his foreknowledge.

Liu Hao nodded after a moment of silence. “Yang, I won’t say thank you. The world has changed completely. From now on, I’m following you. I believe that if my parents are still alive, I’ll see them again someday.”

Niu Bing added, “After what we went through yesterday, we’re brothers bound by life and death. Yang, my life is in your hands now. Don’t let me down.”

Yu Kai looked at the other two and laughed. “Since they’ve said their piece, I can’t be left out. I won’t ask how you knew these things or why the world has changed. All I know is that you pulled me through when it mattered, saving me from the disaster that befell Huimin Town. In this global catastrophe, we can’t rely on outside help. We can only depend on ourselves – and each other. Yang, you’re the most qualified to lead our group. As long as you don’t think we’re holding you back, your decisions will be ours, and our fates will be tied together.”

Cheng Yang felt deeply moved by their trust. He knew he couldn’t let them down. His past life’s experiences had already proven these three were trustworthy.

“Since you trust me so much, I won’t be modest,” Cheng Yang said. “When I decided to take over Luofeng Village, I already chose our path. All I can promise is that you won’t regret today’s decision.”

Yu Kai asked, “What’s our next move?”

“Our top priority is boosting the settlement’s strength,” Cheng Yang explained. “We need to upgrade Luofeng Village to level 2 as soon as possible. Only then can we retake Xiangcheng City. After rescuing Li Wanshan’s relatives, we can focus on developing our territory. Once we’re strong enough, we’ll find your families.”

Yu Kai frowned. “Have you considered that the people staying here now only do so because they have no choice? If we open a path to Xiangcheng City, will they remain loyal? Even if they return to Luofeng Village, what if ambitious individuals stir up trouble? The four of us alone might not be able to control them.”

Cheng Yang nodded. “I’ve thought about that, which is why I called this meeting. I plan to divide our people into five teams. Each of us will lead one, with Li Wanshan leading the fifth. While I’m not entirely sure about Li Wanshan’s reliability, he’s undoubtedly a talented individual.”

Niu Bing looked confused. “How does that help with Yu Kai’s concern?”

Before Cheng Yang could respond, Yu Kai glared at Niu Bing. “You never think things through! Yang’s plan lets us manage our teams and identify who’s trustworthy. In simple terms, we’ll cultivate loyal followers. If trouble arises, we’ll be able to handle it.”

Niu Bing sighed. “You guys and your schemes. Just tell me what to do.”

Liu Hao added, “Yang, your plan addresses internal issues, but what if people join Xiangcheng City? Wouldn’t all our efforts be wasted?”

Cheng Yang replied confidently, “Don’t worry about that. Compared to Xiangcheng City, our settlement is a paradise. Anyone with sense will know which to choose. More importantly, once someone changes professions at our territory’s statue, they can’t advance elsewhere unless they complete their apprenticeship. If they leave Luofeng Village or are expelled, they’ll lose all their abilities.”

After a moment’s thought, Cheng Yang added, “I plan to explain this to everyone before we open the path to Xiangcheng City. I believe they’ll make the right choice.”

PS: Thanks for yesterday’s support. I’ll try to upload the extra chapter late tonight. Want more bonus chapters tomorrow? Keep collecting! We only gained 40 today…