The post-apocalyptic sunset seemed to be fast-forwarded, arriving on Earth much earlier than expected. Ye Ning stood atop the warehouse's watchtower, watching the snow-covered city gradually lose its rosy glow.
"Jingchen, do you think the extreme cold will continue indefinitely?" Ye Ning suddenly felt a little melancholy.
A pair of hands with distinct knuckles gently encircled her waist. "Silly girl, what are you thinking about again! No matter how long it lasts, I'll stay with you."
"Mmm!" Ye Ning felt a warmth in her heart.
"Miss, Young Master Jingchen, dinner is ready!" Gao Feng knocked on the door.
"Ye Ning, let's go! Let's go downstairs for dinner!"
Last time, Ye Ning and Xiao Jingchen left in a hurry, and Sister Li didn't have time to show off her cooking skills. This time, she'll seize the opportunity and of course, she'll demonstrate her culinary talents.
When Ye Ning and Xiao Jingchen arrived at Gao Feng's living room, the table was already full of food.
The large bowl of braised beef was bright in color, tempting in appearance, and had a wonderful aroma.
This flavorful braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens features tender, steamed pork belly sandwiched with fried taro.
The soup features a bright and clear winter melon and pork rib broth, as well as brightly colored braised prawns.
Sister Li was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, while Gao Feng was helping her out. The two looked just like a loving couple.
"Uncle Gao, Sister Li!"
"Miss Ye, Mr. Xiao, you've arrived!" Upon seeing Ye Ning, Sister Li quickly took off her apron and came out of the kitchen.
"Sister Li, there are already so many dishes, please stop working on it."
"There are two more vegetables, I'll stir-fry them right away!" Sister Li said hurriedly.
Because Uncle Yun and the others weren't there, there were only nine people eating in total.
Besides Ye Ning, Xiao Jingchen, and Sister Li, there are also four guards who stayed here.
One of them was named Zhao Xuan, another was Zheng Wei, and the other two were cousins named Xiao Zheng and Xiao Jiang.
"Brother Zhao, it seems like it was after the extreme cold when you came here. So where did you come from? The United States?" Ye Ning asked curiously.
They came from the Xiao family, and Ye Ning thought they should know quite a bit about the Xiao family.
"No! Flights to Country M had already been suspended by then. We flew from Country H to Country F by helicopter, and then traveled from Country F to Country M."
"Country H? You actually came from Country H?" Ye Ning was shocked. She hadn't asked in detail before, and she didn't expect that Zhao Xuan and his group actually came from Country H.
"Do you know what the situation is like in H country right now?" Ye Ning asked.
"I don't know what the situation is like in country H right now, but I'm sure it's rife with internal strife."
"Actually, before this extreme cold arrived, our Xiao family had already received some information and then dispatched one of our branches to explore the wasteland." Zhao Xuan smiled wryly.
It was called pioneering, but it was really no different from being exiled to the frontier. But what could they do when they were the direct descendants of the former heir? If they weren't suppressed, who would be?
"But they didn't expect that the development of the extreme cold would exceed their imagination. The United States became a barren land with thousands of miles of ice. As a result, the base in the United States became the focus of the Xiao family. A large number of their direct descendants came to the area, which made the position of us pioneers particularly awkward."
"Our pioneering branch has also split into two factions. One faction believes that the management of the base should be handed over directly to the direct descendants of the Xiao family, while the other faction believes that the current direct descendants of the Xiao family are not on the right track and that we should support the true direct descendants of the Xiao family to take over." Zhao Xuan said, secretly glancing at Xiao Jingchen.
Xiao Jingchen's handsome face appeared to be in shifting light and shadow under the lamplight, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
"Old Zheng and I didn't want to get involved in the trouble there, so we simply left H country."
Although Zhao Xuan only mentioned it briefly, Ye Ning could still sense the fierce infighting within the Xiao family.
It seems that Xiao Jingchen's uncle does not completely control the Xiao family, and there are still quite a few people who are not convinced by him. Otherwise, he would not have spared no effort to suppress the old subordinates left by his brother, and the current internal strife in the Xiao family would not have occurred.
"Besides the Xiao family's influence, what other forces are there in H country?"
"Besides the Xiao family, many deeply rooted century-old families also received the news, as did the forces sent by various countries, as well as the colonial and local forces that H country already had."
"In short, there are many forces, and they are all trying their best to encroach on each other's territory. Therefore, each force is trying to transport the relatively useful residents from their own territory to H country in order to gain the upper hand in the war that may break out at any time."
So their leaving H country might actually be a good thing.
"How is our Federation doing in H country right now?" Ye Ning continued to ask.
"It's not good. We received the news too late and missed the opportunity. The situation is not optimistic now, but fortunately we have a strong foundation, so the future development is still uncertain."
"Oh, I see!" Ye Ning suddenly realized.
Ye Ning originally thought that Li Churan was quite resourceful in leaving City A, but it turns out she was just going to be cannon fodder!
Hahahaha, that's hilarious!
"Actually, leaving H country isn't so bad, since I don't have any relatives there anyway." Zhao Xuan's relatives had already died because they were involved in the internal strife of the Xiao family.
"Brother Zhao, don't be sad. This place will be your home from now on!" Ye Ning poured Zhao Xuan a glass of baijiu.
Zhao Xuan downed his drink in one gulp, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said, "Good wine! Miss Ye is absolutely right, this is our home too!"
Once they started talking, Sister Li and the others poured out their own sad stories, and the group didn't disperse until 10 p.m.
Ye Ning and Xiao Jingchen also returned to their room.
Perhaps because of the many things about the Xiao family that had been discussed tonight, Xiao Jingchen tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He looked at Ye Ning, who was already fast asleep, kissed her forehead, and whispered gently in her ear.
Goodnight, Ye Ning!
Meanwhile, in country H, thousands of miles away...
Li Churan sat in a cramped cubicle, as if trapped in a crowded cage. He answered the phone while printing documents, as if racing against time. His small desk, barely half a meter wide, was piled high with folders, like a small mountain.
And next to him were hundreds of other cubicles.
The once domineering CEO has suddenly become a miserable working man.
After finally finishing processing the documents, Li Churan slumped into her office chair, loosened her tie, rubbed her stiff neck, and leaned back to rest with her eyes closed.
But he hadn't even rested for a minute when the frantic phone call rang again.
He suddenly opened his eyes and answered the phone.
If there's anything about him that hasn't changed, it's his eagle-like, sharp eyes, the hidden edge and ambition within them—that has never wavered.
Even when he was down on his luck, he never settled for mediocrity.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
