"Mr. Jiang, I..."
Zhu Mingxu was in an extremely embarrassing state. He wanted to explain, but for a moment, he really didn't know how to start.
As the top person in charge of the special department of the Emergency Management Office, although he has some status and power, he is still not enough in front of the real top bosses in the federation.
No matter whether he is willing or not, he has to accept the tasks assigned by his superiors and carry them out strictly and meticulously.
Originally, he was going to hand over the task at hand directly to Zeng Lin, but that guy had been in the Emergency Affairs Management Office for a few years and was no longer the hot-blooded young man who was easily fooled.
Feeling that this matter might bring bad luck to Jiang Yao, this guy would rather resign than accept the task.
Zhu Mingxu really has no good solution to this problem.
After all, Zeng Lin is different from other subordinates in the department. He is not short of money, martial arts skills, and training resources. If he is really pushed too far and forced to resign, the one who will suffer the loss in the end will be Zhu Mingxu himself.
With no other choice, he had to go in person and bring Xiaorui and Xiaoshan to meet Jiang Yao.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Mingxu gritted his teeth and finally spoke again: "Okay, Mr. Jiang, I won't mention Xiaoshan and Xiaorui anymore."
"Death Valley is a forbidden place. Any creature that enters it will never return. The higher-ups have always been very curious about this."
"You are the only one who can successfully survive after entering it."
"I've been in there for four or five years. Can you tell me what it's like in there?"
……
While speaking, Zhu Mingxu would occasionally check Jiang Yao's facial expression and reaction out of the corner of his eye.
Judging from his posture, it seemed that he was worried that his words would make Jiang Yao unhappy again, so he kicked him straight at him again.
But fortunately, he was lucky.
After hearing what he said, Jiang Yao still had a sullen face, but he did not have any intention of taking action. Instead, he stood up and sat back on the sofa.
"What four or five years? I only stayed in Death Valley for four or five days."
"The speed of time in there is completely different from that outside. If you stay in there for one day, it would feel like a year has passed outside."
"If you ask me what Death Valley is like, I can only say that it is full of monsters. They are immune to physical attacks and are basically all spirits."
"Compared to the monsters inside, the Mantis Men are just the bottom of the pile."
"The me in front of you has sealed away more than 99% of my strength. Do you know why? I'm telling you, it's because this world simply can't contain my true power!"
"In Death Valley, I completely lifted the seal and recovered all my strength. However, even though I was so powerful, I only explored less than a hundred miles of the area before I was blasted into a ghostly state by the thunder."
"After I ran out in such a mess, I spent six or seven days outside recuperating before I could barely recover."
"I am still like this, so I advise you, who are so weak, not to have any thoughts that you shouldn't have. No one should rashly step into it, otherwise the consequences will be so terrible that you won't be able to bear it."
……
Speaking of this, even Jiang Yao seemed to have some lingering fear, and he let out a long sigh.
He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a few deep puffs.
Then, his eyes fell on Zhu Mingxu, who was obviously shocked a few steps away. He spoke again and said, "Those mantis people outside are already under your control."
"With the help of the corpses they left behind, what exactly have you researched over the past few years? I don't want to ask more, and I'm too lazy to care."
"I can only say that mysterious things are inherently unscientific and cannot be fully analyzed by modern technology."
"As for the two guys you brought here, although they are still barely conscious, their minds are obviously slowly becoming distorted."
"If we really use this to form super soldiers, it's possible that the Mantis Mantis can be resurrected from them. It's also possible that those forgotten ghosts in Death Valley can gain a basis for belief and appear in the world again."
"Of course, this is just my guess. No one can be sure whether it is true or not."
"I have already said it. Whether you listen or not is your business."
"Anyway, my mother has passed away. There is not much left in the real world that is worth my nostalgia. Even if some people's selfishness causes the lives of the people here to be destroyed, what does it have to do with me?"
……
Jiang Yao shrugged with a nonchalant look on his face.
This time when he came back, he felt extremely bored staying in the real world where he couldn't practice at all. He could only pass his time by living a corrupt and extravagant life.
The thought of returning to the foreign land appeared in his mind more than once or twice.
However, considering that his mother is still alive, he gave up those thoughts and stayed here honestly.
But now, Yuan Xiuhua is gone, and continuing to stay here, as he himself said, is just a waste of time.
"Mr. Jiang, are you going back to that world?" Zhu Mingxu, who was speechless and immersed in astonishment, was stunned when he suddenly heard these words. He opened his mouth tentatively and asked.
"Yeah!" Jiang Yao nodded and added, "I know that those big guys up there have always disliked me."
"After all, I hold great power, but I am not under their control and cannot be used by them. My staying in the Federation is a complete destabilizing factor for them."
"From their perspective, it's normal for them to be afraid of me and hate me. I understand their thinking and I can accept it."
"So, under normal circumstances, I will give them some face and cooperate a little."
"After I left, they could sleep well and breathe a sigh of relief."
"Of course, I am just leaving, not bidding farewell to this world completely. Maybe one day, I will come back again. Who knows."
At this point, Jiang Yao laughed.
Things like people leaving and being forgotten are common in the Federation.
His strength has already exceeded the limits of what the real world can bear. After sealing his own strength, he was able to successfully return here. He must have found a loophole.
Since the world will exists, there is no reason not to fix this loophole after it is discovered.
Jiang Yao had no idea whether he could come back again after returning to the foreign land.
In addition, his mother Yuan Xiuhua was no longer around, so after leaving this time, he really had no plans to come back again.
However, it is enough for him to know this matter in his heart, there is no need to tell Zhu Mingxu.
Man is evil by nature. Who can be sure that after knowing that he will not come back, those people above will not destroy their bridges after crossing the river and attack Zeng Lin and Bingzai Dagouxiong?
At this moment, Jiang Yao said this just to leave an insurance for those who were related to him to prevent them from being liquidated.
"Mr. Jiang, as long as you are a human being, you will have selfish desires."
"When you first arrived in Hong Kong a few years ago, you must have known what the Federation was like and what it is like now. I don't need to explain it in detail. I'm sure you have a good idea of it."
"Whether you admit it or not, those in power have done a lot of practical things over the years."
……
With his head lowered, Zhu Mingxu pondered for a long time. He sighed and spoke.
His words did not directly respond to Jiang Yao. As a member of the vested interests, even if he knew that what Jiang Yao said was true, he would definitely not agree with him.
Based on facts, he also gave some words of advice to the big guys above.
Since he had already decided to leave, Jiang Yao was too lazy to argue with this guy. He just looked disdainful and pointed at the door of the room.
Zhu Mingxu naturally understood what he meant.
After taking a deep breath, he nodded: "Okay, Mr. Jiang, I'll leave now."
"I will tell the higher-ups the possible hidden dangers you just mentioned about Xiaorui and Xiaoshan, as well as the things happening in Death Valley."
"I am a low-ranking person and cannot interfere with their final decision on this matter."
"I wish you, Mr. Jiang, prosperity in martial arts and immortality!"
……
Zhu Mingxu, who had already climbed up from the ground, bowed respectfully to Jiang Yao. After saying these words, he turned and walked towards the door not far away.
After being kicked several times by Jiang Yao, although the other party deliberately held back and his life was not in danger, he was still staggering and unsteady with every step. Just walking normally seemed to be very strenuous for him.
Watching him walk out of the room and disappear from his sight, Jiang Yao leaned on the sofa, frowned slightly, and fell into deep thought.
*
*
The next day, around nine in the morning.
In the suburbs of the county town, surrounding most of Chengbei Village, it is located on the small inland river that leads directly to Yuanjiang River.
Surrounded by several old men, Jiang Yao walked and stopped along the way, reminiscing from time to time: "Yanxi Primary School, just across the river, has been abandoned for many years now!"
"I remember when I was in primary school, every summer, I was too lazy to take a detour to go to school, so every noon, I would swim across the river with my bare bottom and clothes held up."
"Unconsciously, several decades have passed, but that scene seems to have happened just yesterday!"
……
Pointing at the small river in front of him, Jiang Yao said with emotion with a complicated expression.
The little old guys around him were all his elementary school classmates when he was young.
In terms of age, each of them is already in their fifties. Jiang Yao is still young, but most of them are grandfathers and are already old.
Last night, the delivery man who delivered food to him at Jinhua Hotel happened to be one of his classmates.
After being recognized by Jiang Yao, at his suggestion, the guy took a day off and called a few old classmates over to get together.
Most of his elementary school classmates came from Chengbei Village and several nearby villages. Among them, only a few went to high school, and none were admitted to university. Most of them stayed in their hometown to develop.
"Yeah, Brother Yao!"
"In the summer back then, we men would play in the water naked at noon. The water was so clear at that time that the villagers would fetch water from the creek to drink."
"But now, standing by the river, there is a foul odor, and the fish and shrimp in the river are basically dead."
……
Following closely, the classmate named Tian Zhong, with a smile on his face, echoed.
This guy is the delivery man from last night.
When he was in school, he and Jiang Yao had had a few fights, but after so many years, those little childhood conflicts had long since disappeared.
After recognizing Jiang Yao, he was extremely enthusiastic. He didn't even bother to order takeout, but instead ordered a few bottles of wine and some barbecue, and chatted with Jiang Yao in the hotel room for more than an hour.
"There's a lot of sewage being discharged from the industrial park upstream of the river, and no one's doing anything about it. When we burned gentian in our fields, not only did the village office arrange a bunch of people to patrol, they even sent out drones, and they fined anyone who caught them."
"Those bastards only know how to bully us powerless common people."
"Brother Yao, you are awesome. I heard that you were doing very well in Hong Kong a few years ago. It's a pity that I didn't have a chance to get together with you."
"It's rare that you still remember us classmates. Let Lao Tian contact us. We must accompany you well today!"
……
A guy named Sun Ke, with a dry laugh, also spoke up.
As they were talking, an electric motorcycle came from a distance and stopped near them.
The car hadn't even come to a complete stop when the two women in the car started yelling, "Where's Jiang Yao? Where is he?"
"I've heard that guy has become very successful in Hong Kong. Over the years, he hasn't even contacted us, his old classmates."
"Today, I'm going to eat the rich and bankrupt this guy."
……
The two women were named Wang Fen and Yao Fang.
Compared with those men, the two of them have maintained themselves well. Although they look middle-aged, their charm is still there.
After getting out of the car, the two men walked over with smiles on their faces.
Scanning the crowd, their eyes passed over those old men and landed directly on Jiang Yao: "Damn, Jiang Yao, did you take a magic pill?"
"I haven't seen you for more than 30 years. How come you still look like a young man? Compared to back then, you haven't changed at all."
"How do you maintain it? Come on, tell me."
"If you are satisfied, I will pay for all the expenses today!"
The one who was speaking at this moment was the woman named Wang Fen.
When she was in primary school, she and Jiang Yao were desk mates for a long time.
In terms of age, she was a month or two older than Jiang Yao. At that time, she was very aggressive and often beat Jiang Yao just because he was unwilling to help her with his homework.
A few years ago, she married a contractor. Now, she is a wealthy woman in the county.
"Sister Fen, I haven't done any maintenance. It's just my natural beauty, okay!" Jiang Yao responded with a shrug and a laugh.
"Sister Fen, you are a very busy person, why didn't you play mahjong today?"
"It's rare for Jiang Yao to come back and get together with us old classmates. I rushed over as soon as I heard the news. I have already booked two tables at the Royal Garden Restaurant. Although it's still early now, we can still play a few games after we rush over."
"This is a great arrangement. Sister Fen is so generous!"
"No fun without hemp, as expected, Sister Fen is Sister Fen!"
……
Wang Fen has a good relationship with people. As a wealthy woman, most of the people around her are good people.
Jiang Yao, who was originally planning to walk around the village, was urged by her to walk along the riverside road with others towards the main road in the village. (End of this chapter)
Zhu Mingxu was in an extremely embarrassing state. He wanted to explain, but for a moment, he really didn't know how to start.
As the top person in charge of the special department of the Emergency Management Office, although he has some status and power, he is still not enough in front of the real top bosses in the federation.
No matter whether he is willing or not, he has to accept the tasks assigned by his superiors and carry them out strictly and meticulously.
Originally, he was going to hand over the task at hand directly to Zeng Lin, but that guy had been in the Emergency Affairs Management Office for a few years and was no longer the hot-blooded young man who was easily fooled.
Feeling that this matter might bring bad luck to Jiang Yao, this guy would rather resign than accept the task.
Zhu Mingxu really has no good solution to this problem.
After all, Zeng Lin is different from other subordinates in the department. He is not short of money, martial arts skills, and training resources. If he is really pushed too far and forced to resign, the one who will suffer the loss in the end will be Zhu Mingxu himself.
With no other choice, he had to go in person and bring Xiaorui and Xiaoshan to meet Jiang Yao.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Mingxu gritted his teeth and finally spoke again: "Okay, Mr. Jiang, I won't mention Xiaoshan and Xiaorui anymore."
"Death Valley is a forbidden place. Any creature that enters it will never return. The higher-ups have always been very curious about this."
"You are the only one who can successfully survive after entering it."
"I've been in there for four or five years. Can you tell me what it's like in there?"
……
While speaking, Zhu Mingxu would occasionally check Jiang Yao's facial expression and reaction out of the corner of his eye.
Judging from his posture, it seemed that he was worried that his words would make Jiang Yao unhappy again, so he kicked him straight at him again.
But fortunately, he was lucky.
After hearing what he said, Jiang Yao still had a sullen face, but he did not have any intention of taking action. Instead, he stood up and sat back on the sofa.
"What four or five years? I only stayed in Death Valley for four or five days."
"The speed of time in there is completely different from that outside. If you stay in there for one day, it would feel like a year has passed outside."
"If you ask me what Death Valley is like, I can only say that it is full of monsters. They are immune to physical attacks and are basically all spirits."
"Compared to the monsters inside, the Mantis Men are just the bottom of the pile."
"The me in front of you has sealed away more than 99% of my strength. Do you know why? I'm telling you, it's because this world simply can't contain my true power!"
"In Death Valley, I completely lifted the seal and recovered all my strength. However, even though I was so powerful, I only explored less than a hundred miles of the area before I was blasted into a ghostly state by the thunder."
"After I ran out in such a mess, I spent six or seven days outside recuperating before I could barely recover."
"I am still like this, so I advise you, who are so weak, not to have any thoughts that you shouldn't have. No one should rashly step into it, otherwise the consequences will be so terrible that you won't be able to bear it."
……
Speaking of this, even Jiang Yao seemed to have some lingering fear, and he let out a long sigh.
He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a few deep puffs.
Then, his eyes fell on Zhu Mingxu, who was obviously shocked a few steps away. He spoke again and said, "Those mantis people outside are already under your control."
"With the help of the corpses they left behind, what exactly have you researched over the past few years? I don't want to ask more, and I'm too lazy to care."
"I can only say that mysterious things are inherently unscientific and cannot be fully analyzed by modern technology."
"As for the two guys you brought here, although they are still barely conscious, their minds are obviously slowly becoming distorted."
"If we really use this to form super soldiers, it's possible that the Mantis Mantis can be resurrected from them. It's also possible that those forgotten ghosts in Death Valley can gain a basis for belief and appear in the world again."
"Of course, this is just my guess. No one can be sure whether it is true or not."
"I have already said it. Whether you listen or not is your business."
"Anyway, my mother has passed away. There is not much left in the real world that is worth my nostalgia. Even if some people's selfishness causes the lives of the people here to be destroyed, what does it have to do with me?"
……
Jiang Yao shrugged with a nonchalant look on his face.
This time when he came back, he felt extremely bored staying in the real world where he couldn't practice at all. He could only pass his time by living a corrupt and extravagant life.
The thought of returning to the foreign land appeared in his mind more than once or twice.
However, considering that his mother is still alive, he gave up those thoughts and stayed here honestly.
But now, Yuan Xiuhua is gone, and continuing to stay here, as he himself said, is just a waste of time.
"Mr. Jiang, are you going back to that world?" Zhu Mingxu, who was speechless and immersed in astonishment, was stunned when he suddenly heard these words. He opened his mouth tentatively and asked.
"Yeah!" Jiang Yao nodded and added, "I know that those big guys up there have always disliked me."
"After all, I hold great power, but I am not under their control and cannot be used by them. My staying in the Federation is a complete destabilizing factor for them."
"From their perspective, it's normal for them to be afraid of me and hate me. I understand their thinking and I can accept it."
"So, under normal circumstances, I will give them some face and cooperate a little."
"After I left, they could sleep well and breathe a sigh of relief."
"Of course, I am just leaving, not bidding farewell to this world completely. Maybe one day, I will come back again. Who knows."
At this point, Jiang Yao laughed.
Things like people leaving and being forgotten are common in the Federation.
His strength has already exceeded the limits of what the real world can bear. After sealing his own strength, he was able to successfully return here. He must have found a loophole.
Since the world will exists, there is no reason not to fix this loophole after it is discovered.
Jiang Yao had no idea whether he could come back again after returning to the foreign land.
In addition, his mother Yuan Xiuhua was no longer around, so after leaving this time, he really had no plans to come back again.
However, it is enough for him to know this matter in his heart, there is no need to tell Zhu Mingxu.
Man is evil by nature. Who can be sure that after knowing that he will not come back, those people above will not destroy their bridges after crossing the river and attack Zeng Lin and Bingzai Dagouxiong?
At this moment, Jiang Yao said this just to leave an insurance for those who were related to him to prevent them from being liquidated.
"Mr. Jiang, as long as you are a human being, you will have selfish desires."
"When you first arrived in Hong Kong a few years ago, you must have known what the Federation was like and what it is like now. I don't need to explain it in detail. I'm sure you have a good idea of it."
"Whether you admit it or not, those in power have done a lot of practical things over the years."
……
With his head lowered, Zhu Mingxu pondered for a long time. He sighed and spoke.
His words did not directly respond to Jiang Yao. As a member of the vested interests, even if he knew that what Jiang Yao said was true, he would definitely not agree with him.
Based on facts, he also gave some words of advice to the big guys above.
Since he had already decided to leave, Jiang Yao was too lazy to argue with this guy. He just looked disdainful and pointed at the door of the room.
Zhu Mingxu naturally understood what he meant.
After taking a deep breath, he nodded: "Okay, Mr. Jiang, I'll leave now."
"I will tell the higher-ups the possible hidden dangers you just mentioned about Xiaorui and Xiaoshan, as well as the things happening in Death Valley."
"I am a low-ranking person and cannot interfere with their final decision on this matter."
"I wish you, Mr. Jiang, prosperity in martial arts and immortality!"
……
Zhu Mingxu, who had already climbed up from the ground, bowed respectfully to Jiang Yao. After saying these words, he turned and walked towards the door not far away.
After being kicked several times by Jiang Yao, although the other party deliberately held back and his life was not in danger, he was still staggering and unsteady with every step. Just walking normally seemed to be very strenuous for him.
Watching him walk out of the room and disappear from his sight, Jiang Yao leaned on the sofa, frowned slightly, and fell into deep thought.
*
*
The next day, around nine in the morning.
In the suburbs of the county town, surrounding most of Chengbei Village, it is located on the small inland river that leads directly to Yuanjiang River.
Surrounded by several old men, Jiang Yao walked and stopped along the way, reminiscing from time to time: "Yanxi Primary School, just across the river, has been abandoned for many years now!"
"I remember when I was in primary school, every summer, I was too lazy to take a detour to go to school, so every noon, I would swim across the river with my bare bottom and clothes held up."
"Unconsciously, several decades have passed, but that scene seems to have happened just yesterday!"
……
Pointing at the small river in front of him, Jiang Yao said with emotion with a complicated expression.
The little old guys around him were all his elementary school classmates when he was young.
In terms of age, each of them is already in their fifties. Jiang Yao is still young, but most of them are grandfathers and are already old.
Last night, the delivery man who delivered food to him at Jinhua Hotel happened to be one of his classmates.
After being recognized by Jiang Yao, at his suggestion, the guy took a day off and called a few old classmates over to get together.
Most of his elementary school classmates came from Chengbei Village and several nearby villages. Among them, only a few went to high school, and none were admitted to university. Most of them stayed in their hometown to develop.
"Yeah, Brother Yao!"
"In the summer back then, we men would play in the water naked at noon. The water was so clear at that time that the villagers would fetch water from the creek to drink."
"But now, standing by the river, there is a foul odor, and the fish and shrimp in the river are basically dead."
……
Following closely, the classmate named Tian Zhong, with a smile on his face, echoed.
This guy is the delivery man from last night.
When he was in school, he and Jiang Yao had had a few fights, but after so many years, those little childhood conflicts had long since disappeared.
After recognizing Jiang Yao, he was extremely enthusiastic. He didn't even bother to order takeout, but instead ordered a few bottles of wine and some barbecue, and chatted with Jiang Yao in the hotel room for more than an hour.
"There's a lot of sewage being discharged from the industrial park upstream of the river, and no one's doing anything about it. When we burned gentian in our fields, not only did the village office arrange a bunch of people to patrol, they even sent out drones, and they fined anyone who caught them."
"Those bastards only know how to bully us powerless common people."
"Brother Yao, you are awesome. I heard that you were doing very well in Hong Kong a few years ago. It's a pity that I didn't have a chance to get together with you."
"It's rare that you still remember us classmates. Let Lao Tian contact us. We must accompany you well today!"
……
A guy named Sun Ke, with a dry laugh, also spoke up.
As they were talking, an electric motorcycle came from a distance and stopped near them.
The car hadn't even come to a complete stop when the two women in the car started yelling, "Where's Jiang Yao? Where is he?"
"I've heard that guy has become very successful in Hong Kong. Over the years, he hasn't even contacted us, his old classmates."
"Today, I'm going to eat the rich and bankrupt this guy."
……
The two women were named Wang Fen and Yao Fang.
Compared with those men, the two of them have maintained themselves well. Although they look middle-aged, their charm is still there.
After getting out of the car, the two men walked over with smiles on their faces.
Scanning the crowd, their eyes passed over those old men and landed directly on Jiang Yao: "Damn, Jiang Yao, did you take a magic pill?"
"I haven't seen you for more than 30 years. How come you still look like a young man? Compared to back then, you haven't changed at all."
"How do you maintain it? Come on, tell me."
"If you are satisfied, I will pay for all the expenses today!"
The one who was speaking at this moment was the woman named Wang Fen.
When she was in primary school, she and Jiang Yao were desk mates for a long time.
In terms of age, she was a month or two older than Jiang Yao. At that time, she was very aggressive and often beat Jiang Yao just because he was unwilling to help her with his homework.
A few years ago, she married a contractor. Now, she is a wealthy woman in the county.
"Sister Fen, I haven't done any maintenance. It's just my natural beauty, okay!" Jiang Yao responded with a shrug and a laugh.
"Sister Fen, you are a very busy person, why didn't you play mahjong today?"
"It's rare for Jiang Yao to come back and get together with us old classmates. I rushed over as soon as I heard the news. I have already booked two tables at the Royal Garden Restaurant. Although it's still early now, we can still play a few games after we rush over."
"This is a great arrangement. Sister Fen is so generous!"
"No fun without hemp, as expected, Sister Fen is Sister Fen!"
……
Wang Fen has a good relationship with people. As a wealthy woman, most of the people around her are good people.
Jiang Yao, who was originally planning to walk around the village, was urged by her to walk along the riverside road with others towards the main road in the village. (End of this chapter)
