Chapter 264: Hidden Line

Chapter 264: Hidden Line

West Hill Base was more than fifty kilometers from Cloud Manor. In the icy and snowy conditions, it wasn't feasible to make such long journeys repeatedly. If they wanted to sustain a long-term assault on Zhang Yi, they needed a nearby base of operations, and Xu Family Town was the obvious choice. It had free labor, and the villagers' stored supplies were readily available for their use.

However, just as West Hill Base planned to exploit the town, Zhang Yi had similar ideas. Instead of bringing Fatty Xu to the shelter, Zhang Yi decided to let him stay and act as his undercover agent to gather information on the enemy's intentions.

Initially, Fatty Xu was reluctant. "Boss, I'm not cut out for undercover work. Those soldiers are scary as hell. Just seeing them freaks me out."

Zhang Yi was speechless at Fatty Xu's reaction. Despite his powerful combat abilities, which made slaughtering ordinary soldiers laughably easy, Fatty Xu was just too timid.

"Don't worry. I don't need you to confront them directly. All I need is for you to quietly gather intelligence."

Fatty Xu's timid nature made him vulnerable in direct confrontations, and Zhang Yi didn't want to get him killed. Zhang Yi had grown fond of this chubby guy, who was at least adorably naïve.

"Complete this task, and I won't skimp on your reward," Zhang Yi promised.

Hearing he wouldn't have to fight, Fatty Xu relaxed significantly. "That's a relief! As long as I don't have to fight, I'm on board."

As Zhang Yi spoke on the phone, he walked into a game collection room on the second floor—one of the many left behind by Wang Siming. The 80-square-meter room was filled with rare figurines, many of which were limited to less than ten sets worldwide, some even out of production. Zhang Yi picked up a golden Saint Seiya figurine and snapped a picture, sending it to Fatty Xu.

"If we can resolve this situation, I'll give you the complete set of Golden Zodiac figurines made of pure gold!"

Fatty Xu's eyes nearly popped out when he saw the picture Zhang Yi sent.

"This... This is the Golden Zodiac figurine set from 2035! Made of pure gold, with only five sets released globally."

"Boss, I'll make sure this job is done perfectly!" Fatty Xu's chubby face beamed with excitement. In the past, just one of these could fetch over three million yuan, let alone the whole set. It was beyond his wildest dreams!

For a die-hard otaku like Fatty Xu, happiness was that simple.

Zhang Yi hung up the phone, feeling slightly disappointed that he couldn't convince Fatty Xu to come to the shelter. With Fatty Xu's abilities, dealing with West Hill Base would have been much easier. However, Fatty Xu had his family, and Zhang Yi didn't want to force him, fearing that coercion might backfire. Zhang Yi did not want anyone with divided loyalties in his shelter.

"No worries. Leaving you there might be the better option," Zhang Yi thought. "But if you think you can coexist peacefully with those West Hill Base soldiers, you're in for a rude awakening."

Zhang Yi shook his head, lamenting the naivety of the people in Xu Family Town. They were treating West Hill Base as if it were a legitimate government organization. Zhang Yi understood, though; not everyone had access to the kind of high-level information he did. The ordinary people of China were used to being governed.

...

On the other side, after finishing his conversation with Zhang Yi, Fatty Xu knew he couldn't just sit back any longer. Following Zhang Yi's instructions and providing sufficient intelligence was the only way to ensure he and the villagers wouldn't face retribution later.

After much thought, Fatty Xu decided to talk to Xu Dongtang. He put on his knitted hat and stepped outside. Just as he was about to head toward Xu Dongtang's house, he spotted a familiar figure running toward him from a distance.

"Xu Lili!" Fatty Xu's heart skipped a beat, and his face lit up with joy. She was the first young woman in five years to greet him on her own. From that moment, she had captured his heart completely.

"Brother Chunlei!" Xu Lili cheerfully ran up to him, catching her breath before flashing a bright smile.

"Lili, what are you doing out here? It's freezing. Shouldn't you stay warm at home?" Fatty Xu asked with concern.

Xu Lili glanced toward Xu Dongtang's house and said, "Grandpa said every household should contribute food for the soldiers. My parents took some cured meat over, and I came by to bring you something."

She pulled a pair of cotton gloves from her pocket and handed them to Fatty Xu.

"I made these myself!" Xu Lili said shyly.

Fatty Xu was touched. The gloves were rather ugly and clearly handmade, but the thought of this girl doing something so thoughtful for him filled his heart with warmth. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"She really does love me!" Fatty Xu thought happily.

"Thank you, Lili! You're so good to me," he said with a silly grin.

Xu Lili smiled sweetly. "As long as you like them! Try them on."

Fatty Xu put on the gloves. Though they were a bit tight, they made his heart feel warm.

"Brother Chunlei, do you think these soldiers coming to our village is a good thing or a bad thing?" Xu Lili asked, her brow suddenly furrowing.

Fatty Xu's heart skipped a beat. "Lili, why are you asking that?"

Xu Lili sighed. "These days, life is hard for everyone. But before the soldiers came, we could at least rely on our stored food and weren't starving."

"But now that they're here, we have to feed all of them. A meal or two is fine, but I'm afraid they'll..."

Xu Lili trailed off, glancing around cautiously. The villagers feared the soldiers would stay for good—and worse, that they would start seizing food by force. After all, the soldiers had guns.



Seeing Xu Lili's worried expression, Fatty Xu's protective instincts flared. He looked at her, his eyes firm. "Lili, don't worry! No matter what happens, I will protect you!"

Xu Lili beamed. "Thank you, Brother Chunlei! I knew you were a good man. And you'll protect my parents, too, right?"

"Of course! I won't let anyone hurt you or your parents," Fatty Xu promised, thinking to himself: Your parents will be mine too one day, so of course, I'll protect them.

Author's Note