Chapter 778: Chapter 763
"How is it?" Tang Xiaoquan asked aloud.
"Here, take a look!" Old Zhao handed over the binoculars: "If I’m not mistaken, the guards at the gate are the same ones we encountered last time we went to the factory together. They’re all Liu Fugui’s men."
Just as Old Zhao said, through the binoculars, Tang Xiaoquan could clearly see He Lei’s men smoking and pacing at the factory gate. Not only that, his familiarity with the factory personnel was undoubtedly much higher than Old Zhao’s.
After all, in several dealings with the factory side, he was directly involved as a key person.
So he was very sure to recognize the two guys responsible for vigilance on the top of the office building.
"The factory is still under Liu Fugui’s control!" Tang Xiaoquan’s words were unusually serious. There was no doubt that from their point of view, this factory was indeed not under new ownership as Liu Fugui claimed to the people in the villa.
"As expected, this old fox Liu Fugui has ulterior motives!"
Tang Xiaoquan nodded subconsciously. The thought of Xu Renjie’s description regarding Liu Fugui’s stay at the villa made him even more worried about everyone’s safety.
Analyzing the current situation, Liu Fugui was probably lying, and this guy would never travel such a long distance to the villa just to fool Old Xu and the others for no reason.
But what puzzled Tang Xiaoquan endlessly was, if the former really had bad intentions for the villa, why would he bring along Liu Yunpeng, who was more important to him than his own life?
"Xiao Tang, should we inform Old Xu about the situation here so they can be on guard?" No sooner had Old Zhao spoken than he pulled out the hand-held radio.
"Yeah, that’s a good idea. Also, ask Old Xu if he has taken care of the matter we planned!"
At the villa, Liu Fugui had just finished washing up. Last night, he slept soundly. Despite the day’s many upheavals, the end result was still satisfactory.
The factory was lost, but his son was brought back. The group fell, but he was still alive. As the saying goes, where there’s life, there’s hope. He was confident that with his intelligence and strength, if he could rise from a street thug to a regional gang leader, he could similarly reverse his current desperate situation.
Stepping out of the room, he heard shouting in the snowy ground below. Curiously, he went to the third floor, coincidentally meeting Xu and Lin on patrol.
"Morning, Mr. Liu. How did you rest last night?" Lin Junfu greeted with a smile.
"Haha, I haven’t slept so soundly in a long time, honestly, just like a dead pig." Liu Fugui’s self-deprecating remark immediately elicited laughter from everyone.
"It’s good that you slept well. How’s your leg? Feeling any better?" Old Lin continued with concern.
"Thanks to Dr. Zhang’s care, it feels much better today!" To validate his claim, Liu Fugui even pretended to hobble a few steps with a cane. Indeed, his act of a limp was convincing enough for a layperson not to see through him.
"Ah, by the way, Mr. Liu, is Yunpeng up? If he’s up, I’ll have the kitchen reheat your breakfast together." Old Xu deliberately inquired about Liu Yunpeng’s situation, wanting to see how Liu Fugui would respond.
The latter simply and nonchalantly said, "Yunpeng is still sleeping. He’s always been the type to wake up naturally, not to mention all that he went through yesterday. I think we can skip breakfast for him; let’s all eat together."
There was no flaw. Old Xu couldn’t detect any abnormality from Liu Fugui’s expression. It seemed as though he was unaware of his son slipping out of the room the previous night: "Haha, we had breakfast earlier. Mr. Liu, please go ahead and eat."
"Ah, yes." Liu Fugui rolled up his sleeves, checked the time, and said, "Look at me, it’s already 10 o’clock and I’m still making everyone wait to have breakfast with me. Embarrassing!"
"Haha, alright, Mr. Liu. Old Xu and I are heading down as well. Let’s go together!"
Back in the room, Liu Fugui asked in surprise, "Just now I saw the comrades downstairs training. Do you all usually do that?"
"Sigh!" Old Xu sighed heavily and explained, "It’s a necessity. To deal with Chun Xiu’s group, we all had to become soldiers. A bit of hardship now is better than bleeding in wartime, don’t you think, Mr. Liu?"
"Honestly, very few people earn my admiration, but you, Old Xu, and Old Lin have done it. No, to be precise, everyone in this villa truly opened my eyes. This group may come from different families and groups, yet there’s no self-centeredness. You help each other, which is quite rare in this apocalyptic world. Moreover, you’ve not only restored power but have successfully sustained so many lives. That’s quite an achievement!" Liu Fugui’s sentiments sounded a bit like flattery, but they genuinely came from his heart.
He reminisced about what he once had and controlled. Whether resources or personnel, it was beyond what the villa could compare. But after the brief interaction with the villa’s inhabitants, he discovered their possessions far exceeded his own.
For instance, loyalty, unity, and an unwavering spirit striving for survival.
Liu Fugui’s comments made Old Xu smile. He replied helplessly, "Mr. Liu, you place us too high. Frankly, we’re just trying to get a meal and survive. Honestly, if it weren’t for this damn apocalypse, no one would willingly work so hard, living in such constant fear. But one thing you said is very true, Mr. Liu. Though we all came together for different reasons along the way, I’d be blunt to say we’re all comrades in life and death. So, if anyone has any designs on anyone in our family, we will strike back fiercely."
Old Xu’s words not only expressed his thoughts but also served as a warning to Liu Fugui not to harbor any designs on the villa; otherwise, he would pay dearly for his actions.
"Haha, I, Liu, absolutely believe that. I suppose Chun Xiu and his team should have learned their lesson by now!" Liu Fugui noted the meaning in Old Xu’s words, so he wisely diverted the conversation towards criticizing Chun Gen’s group.
"Who knows! Here’s hoping, but people, their greed often knows no bounds, and so..." Old Lin shook his head, skeptical of Liu Fugui’s assumption.
"Alright, alright, let’s not dwell on such bothersome things," Old Xu made a pause gesture, indicating for everyone to stop discussing Chun Xiu.
In the living room, Lin Junfu immediately signaled Lei Tong to get Liu Fugui’s reheated breakfast from the kitchen, while Old Xu pulled out the hand-held radio Liu Fugui left behind and placed it in front of him, saying, "Mr. Liu, here’s your radio. We were so busy yesterday that I forgot to give it to you. Now it’s back in your hands."
Liu Fugui was initially taken aback, then he replied with an indifferent expression, "Commander Xu, I think you should keep this radio. It’s much more useful with you than with me, at least for now."
"Sigh, Mr. Liu, all our key personnel are equipped with radios. Having an extra one is just wasteful. Compared to us, you really need one to stay in touch with us." (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
