Chapter 247: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (53)

There weren’t many zombies in the village. After an hour of careful searching, they confirmed there was no danger. Shen Xiuyan then had people go door to door, waking everyone up.

Before long, every household had opened their doors.

At that moment, the villagers looked at Shen Xiuyan as if he were their savior.

The Old Village Chief walked unsteadily up to Shen Xiuyan, his voice trembling as he thanked him for everything he had done for the village.

The Village Chief was the most authoritative figure in the village—for now, at least, no one dared to question his words.

After learning about the situation outside, his brows furrowed tightly.

He was worried about the future.

He glanced at Shen Xiuyan, then at the few burly men with supernatural abilities standing beside him.

Cautiously, he asked, “Where are you planning to go next?”

If they left, the village would be completely doomed.

Even if a single zombie got in, he knew no one in the village would dare to go out. And even if someone did and managed to survive by sheer luck, what then?

What if ten zombies came? A hundred? Or if outsiders discovered their advantageous terrain and came to seize it?

They were just ordinary people. How could they possibly defend themselves?

The Old Village Chief was elderly and had seen much in his life, so his perspective was long-term.

In chaotic times, it’s the hearts of people that unravel first. He couldn’t afford to gamble.

At this point, he could only place his hopes on someone he knew and trusted.

Shen Xiuyan pretended to ponder for a moment. He didn’t plan to lay all his cards on the table just yet.

If he offered to stay, and others came to him for help, it wouldn’t be the same.

With a smile, Shen Xiuyan said, “We’re planning to find a place to set up a base for long-term living.”

The Old Village Chief sighed. So they didn’t plan to stay in the village after all. It seemed they had only come to pick up the Shen family.

He pleaded, “What do you think of our village? You know the place and the people well. Why don’t you stay here?”

Shen Xiuyan hesitated. “Well…”

The Village Chief immediately cut in firmly, “If there’s any difficulty, just say it.”

As long as he hadn’t been outright rejected, there was still a chance.

Shen Xiuyan furrowed his brows slightly. “We’re building a base. We’ll be taking in outsiders in the future, and resources will have to be redistributed. The villagers are used to living freely. Will they be willing to follow orders?”

The Old Village Chief had thought it would be something serious—turns out, it was just this?

Compared to dying, what was following orders? Wasn’t it just like going back to the days of communal living?

They’d all lived through that era and didn’t find it difficult at all.

The Old Village Chief patted his chest and promised, “The villagers will definitely do as you say. If you leave, we won’t even survive. Once they see the difference, they’ll realize these conditions are nothing.”

Shen Xiuyan said considerately, “No need to rush your answer. Ask the villagers first.”

“Alright, just wait here. I’ll gather everyone and hold a meeting.” The Old Village Chief was a man of action. As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand to summon people.

Brother Lei stood to the side, watching Shen Xiuyan with admiration.

Brilliant. Truly brilliant.

A university graduate from a top school really did have a sharp mind. With just a few words, he had placed himself at the top of the hierarchy.

Shen Xiuyan gave him a subtle glance, signaling him to rein in his expression. That grin was way too obvious—someone might notice something’s off.

Brother Lei picked up on the cue immediately. He straightened his face and stared ahead with a solemn, inscrutable look.

The Village Chief’s mobilization meeting was swift. Once he finished speaking, not a single person objected.

As long as they could live in peace, they were willing to listen to anything Shen Xiuyan said.

This life-saving treasure of a man absolutely could not be allowed to leave.

After hearing the Village Chief’s report, Shen Xiuyan was quite satisfied. It seemed the villagers were all smart—no need for him to waste too much effort.

“Since everyone is so eager for us to stay, then we’ll stay,” Shen Xiuyan said, then immediately gave the Village Chief some instructions. “We still have a lot of people outside the village. Since we’re staying, I’ll trouble you to go around and sort out all the vacant houses. Given the current situation, people will need to share homes.”

“Alright, no problem.” The Village Chief cautiously asked, “Do the people outside also have those supernatural abilities you mentioned?”

Shen Xiuyan replied calmly, “Some do, but not all.”

The Village Chief: “!!!”

His grin stretched all the way to the back of his ears. Who cared whether it was all or just some? As long as there were people with supernatural abilities, that was enough.

He had to hurry up and organize the empty houses. He was sure the villagers would be fighting tooth and nail to have those people stay with them.

Having someone like that in your home was like a personal security system.

Seeing that everything was settled, Shen Xiuyan immediately headed home to prepare the car and start bringing in the people still waiting outside.

When Father Shen saw he was about to leave, he quickly handed over a food container he had already packed.

“Xiuyan, take this with you. Give it to your in-laws and Mingyue to fill their stomachs. Out there in the wilderness, they probably can’t cook anything.”

Shen Xiuyan didn’t refuse Father Shen’s kindness and accepted it with a smile.

“Thanks, Dad. We’ll go pick them up now.”

*

Su Mingyue sat in the car, bored out of her mind, waiting for Shen Xiuyan and the others to return.

Father Su checked the time and asked, “Are you two hungry? Want to have some crackers to tide you over?”

“I’m hungry…” Su Mingyue nodded, then shook her head. “But Xiuyan’s not back yet. I can’t eat.”

Mother Su nodded in agreement. “Me too. I’m so nervous.”

It was their first time meeting the in-laws. Who knew how it would go? At a time like this, who could eat?

“Then let’s wait a bit longer,” Father Su said, regretfully putting down the crackers.

Sure enough, at this moment, no one had the appetite to eat.

Suddenly, the three of them heard the sound of a car approaching from a distance. They looked up and saw an off-road vehicle speeding toward them.

“They’re back!” Su Mingyue exclaimed, jumping out of the car in delight.

At that moment, Shen Xiuyan’s vehicle came to a stop in front of her. He stepped out, holding a thermal food container.

Seeing Su Mingyue running toward him, the first thing Shen Xiuyan did was hand over the container. “Hungry? My parents just made this. Hurry and eat with your mom and dad.”

Su Mingyue blinked nervously. “D-Do they… do they know about me now?”

Shen Xiuyan: “?”

Su Mingyue spoke in a small voice, “I mean… do they know you’re married? What did they say? Will they dislike me because we didn’t tell them in advance…”

At that moment, Su Mingyue’s heart was filled with anxiety.

— Translator’s Notes —

• communal living: Refers to the period in China’s history when people lived and worked collectively in communes, particularly during the 1950s-1970s.