Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 819: Chapter 804: Reunion

Old Xu opened the car door, and a gust of cold wind swept in, causing him to shiver due to the significant temperature difference between inside and outside the car.

"Oh! Thank heavens, you’ve finally returned safely!" Old Lin couldn’t suppress his excitement and gave Old Xu a solid embrace.

Affected by the emotional scene of Old Zhao and the others kneeling, it wasn’t until Liu Fugui mentioned the reconciliation suggestion that he thought of calling Old Lin. One can imagine how anxious the latter was until he received news of the former’s safety.

With everyone watching, Old Xu couldn’t naturally reveal the truth, so he could only express his apologies through a forceful hug. At the same time, he had to put on a convincing act and said, "Ah, don’t mention it. I ran into Little Tang, Huang Yong, and the others along the way, which delayed things. Hehe, you’ve had a hard time!"

To make an act convincing, it can’t be a solo performance. As soon as he finished hugging Old Xu, Old Lin immediately plastered on a smile, reached out to Liu Fugui and said, "Mr. Huang, it’s a pleasure, it’s a pleasure. I’ve heard Old Xu and the others talk about you here, and now seeing you in person, you’re indeed quite the impressive character, haha!"

"Damn, since when did Old Lin become so fake and pretentious? It’s truly disgusting!"

"Shut your mouth. Saying less won’t make people think you’re mute." Tang Xiaoquan unapologetically glared at Wang Qiang. It’s a crucial moment now; he doesn’t want a good scene to be ruined by the latter’s foolish behavior.

"Tch!" Wang Qiang grumbled in dissatisfaction under his breath, then promptly shifted his gaze elsewhere.

"Ah, Huang Yong, let me introduce you. This is Old Lin, one of the villa managers." Liu Fugui stepped forward at the appropriate time.

"Hello, Old Lin. Saying I’m impressive might be an exaggeration, haha!" Huang Yong, being quite the seasoned character, mastered small talk and banter effortlessly.

"Haha, Mr. Huang is being modest." Moving past Huang Yong, Old Lin turned his focus to Yao Ruyi. Based on the physique and facial features seen through the monitor, he promptly pointed at him and turned to Liu Fugui for confirmation, "This should be Little Yao, right?"

"Old Liu surely has a good memory. Yes, this is Yao Ruyi, Little Yao." Liu Fugui smiled and nodded, giving a positive response.

Ever since entering the villa, Yao Ruyi had been hiding behind Liu and Huang. He was, after all, the main reason for the prior misunderstanding, so he kept a low profile, hoping not to draw attention.

But now being recognized and called out by Old Lin, he felt immensely awkward.

The originally lively courtyard suddenly turned quiet, with everyone’s gaze focused on Yao Ruyi. The group whispered amongst themselves.

Yao Ruyi didn’t have to guess what everyone was discussing. Unlike Huang Yong and Liu Fugui, he didn’t possess the calm and composed manner of a leader. He just felt his face burning on both sides: "Hello, Old Lin, I... I’m Yao Ruyi, regarding the last... last time..."

"That’s all just misunderstandings, no need to dwell on them. We’re all friends now; we’re all on the same side. Let’s not bring up the past, and let’s move past any unpleasant matters."

"Old Lin is absolutely right. What matters now is looking forward. I believe if we all pull together, we’ll surely be able to tackle this tough problem of Spring Xiu." Old Xu deliberately raised his volume, his stance reminiscent of being back in the army, barking orders with authority and confidence.

He wanted to convey the principle that both sides benefit from cooperation, while conflict harms both sides.

"Captain, Old Lin, there’s a container truck heading towards the villa, should be Little Wen and the others returning." Lei Tong shouted from the top floor balcony, holding up binoculars.

"Oh? How convenient." Yet to be safe, Old Lin immediately called everyone inside, while Xu Renjie took out a hand-held radio to confirm with Wang Zhongyu.

The living room was filled with laughing, cursing, and shouting, making it quite lively.

It’s no wonder, as these brothers hadn’t seen each other for over a week, leading to all sorts of small talk and bragging.

In contrast to their warmth, the group led by Liu Fugui felt out of place; the villa crowd didn’t want to interact with them at all. Although Old Xu tried hard to dispel the misunderstanding between the two sides, some deep-rooted issues couldn’t be changed by a few words.

Had it not been for Old Lin occasionally chatting with them out of necessity, Liu Fugui’s group might have been completely ignored by the villa crowd.

However, Liu Fugui himself seemed unbothered by the awkward situation. In his view, what he gained now was far greater than he initially expected.

Just days ago, his lonely self only hoped to find a safe place for his son to stay.

But now, not only was his initial goal fulfilled, he accidentally found a reliable subordinate in Huang Yong, which is incredibly valuable for him.

Luo Baocun’s treatment was much better than Liu Fugui’s group. Perhaps due to his grassroots background and the strong recommendation from Wang Zhongyu and Wen Quanxin, he quickly integrated into the villa family.

"Hehe, everybody, quiet down!" Old Xu once again acted as the patriarch, signaling for everyone to calm down: "Today is a big day for our little family. Come on, let’s raise our glasses to welcome the new friends joining us."

After the toast, a session of introductions followed, though to avoid awkwardness, Old Xu handled it personally. He didn’t want the situation where, during self-introductions by the likes of Huang Yong, the audience might boo.

If any of them, in a moment of rashness, decided to turn against us on the spot, all my efforts today would be wasted.

The meal was thoroughly enjoyed, particularly by the villa group, unlike Liu Fugui’s group who felt otherwise. Especially for Huang Yong, whose pride was battered by being ignored by people he deemed as riff-raff.

He genuinely admired his boss for being able to maintain composure in such a humiliating environment. Such resilience was something beyond his reach.

After lunch, Liu Fugui used tiredness as an excuse to leave with his group. They didn’t stay to chat further with the villa crowd, and Old Xu also hoped they wouldn’t stay around, realizing it would just add to their discomfort.

He didn’t bother to keep them and arranged for Lei Tong and Hua Biao to accompany them upstairs, taking care of the lodging arrangements. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to cast votes or monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users should visit m.qidian.com for reading.)