123 Chapter 123
Chapter 123
After receiving the instructions, the secretary took the document without saying much and went out to make arrangements. Mayor Xiao, who was left behind, looked at the pen in his hand that had not yet been put down and fell into deep thought again.
The chaos outside has begun to emerge, and the Flower-Growing Country is now on the brink of danger.
If this world continues to mutate, and those mutated plants and animals are completely out of control, and even the government can no longer support the people, then those ambitious people will not be as petty as they are now.
It is foreseeable that the country will be divided in the future and eventually each country will act on its own.
This is not only something that the leadership at the top does not want to see, the people also do not want to see.
In troubled times, ordinary people without shelter can easily die in different ways for various reasons.
By then, how many people will be left in this world who can live a normal life?
Just as Mayor Xiao was lost in thought, the communication bracelet on his wrist suddenly rang.
The sound drew Mayor Xiao's attention back to his wrist. After seeing who was calling, his gaze froze.
"Grandpa, is there something you need to tell me?"
I know that unless there is something major happening, the elders will not contact the younger generations easily. Usually, the younger generations contact the elders themselves to ask about their health and to find out some news from them.
To be able to contact him suddenly at this time, something big must have happened, so big that the elders didn't wait for him to contact them and came to talk to him directly.
"Well, there's news coming back from abroad."
The old man opposite had no objection to the young man's straightforwardness, and he directly spoke out the message he wanted to convey.
"There was some news circulating online that someone there was conducting experiments on people with special abilities. We thought since there had been no news for so long, their research hadn't made any progress, so we just kept a record of it and had a few people follow up. But just this morning, someone came back with news that their research had yielded some results."
Grandpa Xiao said this with a serious tone.
"Is there any danger in their research?"
Upon hearing this, Mayor Xiao couldn't help but ask.
"The people they forcibly create will lose control and attack indiscriminately after losing their minds. Their attack power is extremely strong."
"As for the current situation, the reason our intelligence department found this news is because an experimenter lost control and blew up half of an entire research institute. The commotion was too loud, and countless researchers were killed or injured. They were unable to deal with it in time, so the news leaked out."
After Grandpa Xiao finished speaking, even though he had already told this news to many younger generations today, he still couldn't help but look grim when he said this.
There was a reason why he looked so unhappy, because the experimenter who caused such a big commotion was, if he were alive, a test subject. He was originally from the Flowering Country. He was abroad before the accident. Due to various personal reasons, he was unable to return to China in time. Later, he disappeared inexplicably and there was no news of him since then.
Speaking of which, that person was one of the first people with special abilities to appear after the revival of spiritual energy in this world.
The first batch of people with special abilities will have stronger talents and strengths, so it is normal for them to become semi-successful test subjects for those people after becoming test subjects.
"Grandpa is worried that if the research over there is successful, these experimental products will become weapons, not only against mutated plants and animals outside, but also against hostile countries like us?"
After hearing this, Mayor Xiao understood what his grandfather meant.
"Well, after the mutation occurred, although our country organized an evacuation, some people still haven't returned. I'm worried that some of those people with special abilities were taken away as test subjects. Those who succeeded in the experiment will return to our country through special channels..."
Grandpa Xiao didn't say anything else, but Mayor Xiao understood.
"We can only take it one step at a time. Under the current circumstances, our country has few options, and spreading the virus abroad could easily cause panic."
Mayor Xiao also knew at this time that his grandfather's call was to make him be on guard. Since the higher-ups were not going to spread the news, they must have their own considerations.
"That's good to know. Keep a close eye on the people below you so they don't get in."
Seeing that the younger generation was sensible and knew to be on guard, Grandpa Xiao didn't say anything more. He said goodbye and hung up the phone.
The phone call was hung up, but there was one more thing to do.
Although it is unclear what stage human experiments have reached in other countries, we must always be on guard and not wait until the opportunity arises before we start taking precautions.
Thinking about this, Mayor Xiao made a note of the matter and prepared to briefly discuss it with the heads of the three villages during the video conference.
At present, it is still difficult for people to sneak into the three villages on the mountain without making any noise. The easiest way is to get in the town residents who have just moved to the mountain from the town and have a mixed population.
Fortunately, he knew the news early enough, so he still had a chance to sort it out and asked his subordinates to re-check the personnel.
With the secretary's notification and the fact that it was raining heavily outside, the leaders of the three villages all had time, so the video conference started quickly.
At this meeting, Mayor Xiao explained in detail what happened outside to the leaders of the three villages, and also presented the preliminary drafted regulations, which would be revised if the feedback was not as ideal.
"It's very easy to defend the mountain from outsiders. We can just follow our old ways. I just don't know if the people in town and the villages next door and upstream can do the same."
Mayor Xiao did not tell Village Chief Wu and the others about what was happening abroad. He only told them about the chaos outside and asked the villagers to be on guard against outsiders. The reason was that they were afraid that someone would come in and cause chaos and seize territory.
Speaking of grabbing territory, Village Chief Wu, who was originally a little sleepy after listening to all those rules and regulations, is no longer sleepy.
At the beginning of the founding of the Flower Country, the ancestors of Daxi Village worked very hard to secure a better place to settle down.
At that time, a good place to stay was a peaceful place, free from the disturbances of the outside world.
Although they chose to build the village on this mountain, as the country developed later, the village could not keep up with the pace of development outside and was gradually forgotten by the times.
But when troubled times were about to break out, the location where Daxi Village was located successfully became a prime territory, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be a bit difficult for ordinary people to come up and grab it.
Hearing what Village Chief Wu said, Village Chief Dai, who was hanging next to him, couldn't help but glanced at him, speechless.
"We still have some sense of propriety. If we're not careful, not only our own lives will be affected, but others will also be implicated. Don't worry, I will take good care of the people in Shangyou Village."
After Village Chief Dai finished speaking, the leaders of the villages outside the village also hurriedly promised to manage their subordinates well.
Rather than saying that the people from the villages outside the village are the villagers of this manager, it would be more accurate to say that they are subordinates. The people living in the villages outside the village were previously transferred by the town to farm in the mountains, and they are considered to be official personnel in the town in name only.
Now most of the people in the town have moved to the mountains. Normally, people who move to the mountains from the town are considered to be members of the out-village village and will later be taken over by the town’s leadership team.
However, Mayor Xiao saw that the heads of the villages outside the village were very responsible in managing those people and no mistakes were made, so he allowed them to continue their current way of working.
"Okay, since you're already prepared, then, Village Chief Wu, you will prepare the old Daxi Village charter and give one copy to Shangyou Village and me. We will then revise the appropriate management charter based on it."
Seeing that the leaders of the two neighboring villages had no objection to continuing to use the set of regulations previously used by Daxi Village, and Mayor Xiao had no intention of insisting on resetting them, he went along with it and agreed directly.
After all, the charter of Daxi Village has been used for so many years, and even though it has been criticized by people in surrounding villages or towns for being xenophobic, there has never been any mistake in village affairs.
As long as there have been no major mistakes, it can be implemented and used now, and that is enough.
After confirming everything, Mayor Xiao didn't have any more instructions, so he ended the meeting directly.
The meeting ended here, and Village Chief Wu sighed as he saw the video conference was interrupted.
"I never thought that in my short life, I would encounter all kinds of things."
Grandma Shitou was sitting in the main room, chatting with Grandpa while fiddling with the medicinal herbs she was preparing to prepare. Seeing him like this, she couldn't help but ask about the situation.
"What's wrong with you? What's going on up there that requires you to run?"
"It doesn't say much. You can ask Boss Wu and the others. They go online frequently, so they should be able to see some information online. In the end, it's just that..."
Village Chief Wu glanced at the sky outside as he spoke. The rain was not heavy at this time. Although he would still get wet if he went out at this time, it would not be as heavy as the previous rainstorm where he could not even see the road clearly.
"I'm going to Rufeng's house to see what he's planning to do and discuss it."
As Village Chief Wu said this, he was about to walk out. Grandma Shitou didn't have time to stop him before she saw him rushing into the rain.
But when the village chief was halfway there, he looked at Tang Rufeng who was walking towards his home and was speechless.
"If I had known you were coming to my house, I wouldn't have gone out. Why did you bring Luo Luo out today? In this weather, this little dog will make a mess of his paws if he goes out."
The village chief saw two figures coming towards him, and a puppy next to the two figures that was about to do a split after taking two steps. He smiled and walked forward to take the Luo Luo that Tang Rufeng was holding in his hand.
Hearing this, Tang Rufeng's face, which was mostly hidden under his raincoat, broke into a smile. "It's my fault. After watching the video, I thought the village chief might come to see me, so I thought I'd go find him first. Who would have thought I'd have to walk such a long way?"
Tang Rufeng said this and took a look. Even though he was wearing a dog raincoat, his fur was still wet.
"As for Luo Luo, it's because it insists on following me when I go out. It won't stop me, even in the rain. I have no choice but to bring it with me."
As Tang Rufeng was speaking, a little gray mouse poked its head out from his collar, looked in the direction of the village chief and squeaked as a greeting.
Looking at the little mouse, the village chief was already very calm.
"Gray Bean is following us too. We'll go to the village chief's house to eat some fruit. I don't know where Shitou and the others got some recently, so there's still quite a lot left at home."
Compared to when he first felt his teeth ache when he saw Huidou, the village chief has now gotten better.
You have to exercise it. There are too many mutant animals in the village now. You never know when a mischievous one will pop out from nowhere and cause trouble.
Right now, because of the rain, most of the mutant animals in the village have huddled together and are not running outside. Otherwise, you would still be able to see mutant animals running around with food in their mouths every few steps in the village.
"I'm following too."
Captain Qing, who had been floating beside Tang Rufeng, chuckled.
The rain had no effect on him. The most it affected was the lack of light, which made his figure standing in the rain look a little blurry.
It has no effect on other things.
"Come on, come on, there's no shortage of food for you at home."
Hearing this, the village chief turned around, glanced at Captain Qing, and then quickly turned his head back.
The faces hidden under the raincoats were all smiling.
Normally, the children at home would not joke with him like this, so when Tang Rufeng was around, he would be in a good mood just to joke with them.
Other people’s children are always good, but my own children always look so naughty.
"Okay, let's stop talking nonsense outside and go. The rain outside is getting colder and colder."
As he spoke, the village chief led the slipping Luo Luo in front and headed towards his home.
Tang Rufeng and Captain Qingzhi followed behind Village Chief Wu, and they couldn't help laughing when they saw him grab the rope of Luoluo every two steps to pick up the slipping and unsteady Luoluo and let him walk again.
The village office of Daxi Village was temporarily lent to the residents of the town who came up the mountain from the foot of the mountain. Some important documents in it were moved to the village chief's house and Tang Rufeng's house on the same day.
During this time, both of them worked from home.
"Godmother, when will this rain stop?"
As they walked, the village chief stopped, looked in the direction of Ying Huai, and asked in a low voice.
There are many strangers in the village who are now working in the mountains. Many people only know that the people in Daxi Village are xenophobic, but they are not clear about the specific situation.
You can judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart. To prevent those people from doing bad things, the villagers of Daxi Village rarely go under the locust tree at the entrance of the village these days.
If you want to ask something, just mutter to yourself like the village chief is doing now.
At first, when they grumbled, they were just complaining to themselves, not expecting their godmother to hear them from such a distance and with their voices so low.
Who would have thought that just after they finished speaking, the godmother's answer appeared in their minds.
This was a disguised way of telling the villagers that Ying Huai was now in complete control of Daxi Village, and he knew something about what was happening on the ground.
With such a powerful ability, others would probably be wary of it.
After all, everyone has secrets. If it were someone else, they would probably wonder if their godmother was prying into their privacy.
But the people in Daxi Village are a bit strange. In the past, when Ying Huai could not protect such a large area, the villagers of Daxi Village would gather around Ying Huai and talk to him whenever they encountered something.
Now they don’t even have to go to the village entrance to talk to their godmother. They don’t feel anything wrong at all. It’s like there’s an extra person in their family. They like to ask their godmother for her opinion on everything.
If Ying Huai hadn't paid much attention to the villagers' idle chatter most of the time, he would probably be so busy that he would have broken himself into pieces.
Just like now, Ying Huai has heard the village chief's question many times. Not only the village chief is muttering, but everyone in the village who can look up and see the sky is muttering.
Ying Huai would have ignored this question before, but today, Ying Huai had some free time, and after hearing this muttering, he chose to answer it out loud.
"The current rain won't stop anytime soon. The entire world's topography is changing. Those inexplicable lands that appeared before are just the beginning. More will appear later. Not only will there be lands that didn't exist before, but even those that sank into the sea many years ago will reappear in this world."
Simply put, it's good enough that it's just raining now.
Normally, with so many new things in the world, another earthquake is extremely likely to happen.
However, it seems that Xiao Tiandao has controlled the situation and did not maximize the harm.
Otherwise, with such a large-scale natural disaster, not only humans will not be able to survive in this world, but even the mutated plants and animals that are much stronger than humans will not be able to survive.
I'm afraid that in Xiao Tiandao's eyes, there is also some entanglement.
In the eyes of the previous Heavenly Dao, humans were always at the core of Heavenly Dao's destiny. However, the human race, the gods, and even the cultivators whom He valued all eventually abandoned Heavenly Dao and left this world, allowing the previous Heavenly Dao to fall. In the end, He even used the body of the previous Heavenly Dao to imprison the newly born little Heavenly Dao.
Until now, Xiao Tiandao has not been able to break free.
Little Tiandao was reluctant to destroy the world where the shadow of the previous Tiandao remained, so he refreshed the world so that the new world belonged entirely to him.
He is also prejudiced against human beings, who were originally under the rule of Heaven but were abandoned by the gods and ascetics.
This has caused Xiao Tiandao to be conflicted since he first broke free from the cage. Sometimes he does things that benefit humans, but at the same time he always places humans at the lower end of the current world that is refreshing.
The result of Xiao Tiandao's entanglement was that after the last earthquake, after feeling the grief of the world, he stopped his move to turn the world upside down.
The newly born Little Heavenly Dao is at the moment when it feels the most compassion for the world.
As He grows up a little more, perhaps He will become even more ruthless.
Heaven is ruthless, and this is not just a simple statement.
The little Tiandao now just needs to grow.
After answering Village Chief Wu's words, Ying Huai kept thinking about his own things. After Village Chief Wu read the message that appeared in his mind and understood it, he wanted to ask again, but found that his godmother was silent again.
Seeing that the godmother didn't answer, Village Chief Wu didn't dwell on it.
They have gotten used to it during this time. Ying Huai's current condition is not the same as when he tried to contact Tiandao before. No matter how they called him, he didn't respond.
Ying Huai didn't respond now because he simply didn't want to respond, or rather, his answer was not something that humans could understand at the moment, so it was better for him to just remain silent.
Village Chief Wu had lived in Daxi Village for such a long time after all. When he was young, he had not yet completely overcome the old superstitions, so he knew a little about many things. That was why he never worried too much about things that his godmother did not want to answer.
"What is the village chief saying to my godmother?"
Tang Rufeng followed behind Village Chief Wu. Seeing that they were almost at Village Chief Wu's house, the village chief, who had been chatting and laughing with them before, remained silent for a long time.
Without thinking too much, you know who the village chief is talking to. His attention is not on the road, nor on Tang Rufeng and Qingzhi who are following behind him.
"Oh, nothing."
The village chief came back to his senses after being reminded by Tang Rufeng. He looked ahead and saw that they were almost home. He hurriedly walked in front of him, pulling Luo Luo with him.
"Let's go inside first, I'll talk to you later."
Since his godmother could tell him, she wouldn't mind telling Tang Rufeng either. It was just that Tang Rufeng hadn't asked before. Village Chief Wu didn't feel any burden when he said this.
"OK!"
Tang Rufeng and Captain Qingzhi looked at each other. Although they didn't understand what the village chief and godmother were talking about, they didn't worry too much. After all, they would know.
"Wait, Rufeng, first get the bylaws that Mayor Xiao and his team want. Once they're done, take a photo and send it directly to Mayor Xiao."
As soon as they entered the door, before Grandma Shitou and Tang Rufeng could say hello, Village Chief Wu and his wife Tang Rufeng were already running into the house, looking very busy.
Seeing them like this, Grandma Shitou didn't want to go up to them and waste their time, so she simply sat down and did her own thing.
The news given by my godmother is not very urgent for the time being. In my godmother's opinion, even if I knew, it would be useless to be anxious and it would only add to my troubles.
Therefore, the village chief did not tell Tang Rufeng and the others what his godmother had told him immediately after entering the door.
After Tang Rufeng and his team finished their work, Village Chief Wu told them what had happened.
"We understand, Village Chief. Are you going to tell the higher-ups about this news?"
After listening, Tang Rufeng and Captain Qingzhi were silent for a while before asking Village Chief Wu what he thought.
"Let's not talk about it for now. The rain hasn't stopped yet. Even if we tell the higher-ups now, they won't be able to make more thorough preparations under these circumstances."
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Wu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before finally saying so.
"Many people above us don't know the situation here. Even if Mayor Xiao has told his family a little bit, they don't know the details."
As he spoke, the village chief looked towards the village entrance.
Just like the Taoist who went up the mountain before, even though he knew more, he was not clear about the specific situation and current condition of his godmother.
Even if the other party got something from the godmother, that skill is still being used by the people with special abilities in the Flower-Growing Family Special Ability Center, which does not mean that person knows the specific strength of the godmother.
"I understand. Don't worry. We won't tell anyone about this until the rain stops. Let's just treat this as our last moment of peace."
With that, Tang Rufeng took Captain Qing out.
"Are you going back now? Aren't you going to stay and have something to eat before you leave? You've been busy for so long."
Grandma Shitou was cooking in the kitchen with her daughters-in-law. When she heard someone going out, she quickly stuck her head out to see.
When he saw that it was Tang Rufeng getting ready to go out, he shouted.
"No, Grandma Shitou. My family is waiting for me to come home for dinner. Besides, Luo Luo and Hui Dou ate a lot of your food while we were busy."
Hearing Grandma Shitou's voice, Tang Rufeng turned around and smiled in the direction of Grandma Shitou. Luo Luo, who was following beside him, also wagged his tail in the direction of Grandma Shitou, as if to say hello and goodbye.
"I'm leaving now. Let's stay for dinner next time we come."
As he spoke, Tang Rufeng put on the raincoat draped over his wrist, and after putting it on, he plunged into the rain.
Luo Luo, who was following beside him, was also put in a raincoat by Captain Qing. Seeing his master's actions, he also followed along wagging his tail, looking very happy.
"Okay, next time then."
Since she had already said that and the person had already left, what else could Grandma Shitou do? She could only agree.
Watching the people walk away, Grandma Shitou put down the work in her hands and walked towards the room that was temporarily vacated for Village Chief Wu to store documents as a study.
"What are you talking about? There's something wrong with the look on Rufeng's face when he left."
Grandma Shitou does have this kind of vision.
"Well, there is something, but I can't tell you now. It's useless to know. Let's wait for a while."
The village chief nodded and did not deny Grandma Shitou's guess.
"Okay, talk about it when you want to."
Grandma Shitou looked at her old man again, and only gave up after making sure that he really didn't want to talk about it.
"Go, tell the children to come out and get ready for dinner."
With a call, the children who were playing in the backyard came out.
When she saw their appearance clearly, Grandma Shitou felt like her blood was about to rush.
"Did you tell me that it's raining outside recently and we can't go out?"
Looking at the children who were covered in rain and mud, Grandma Shitou didn't know what to say.
"This is what it looks like after the two little girls cleaned it for you, right?"
Looking at the children covered in dirt, Grandma Shitou asked this question with great certainty.
"Grandma, we just want to go out and take a look. It's not dangerous. Godmother is still here."
Shitou smiled awkwardly and waved towards the village entrance after saying this, as if asking his godmother to testify for him.
[They walked around the village.]
Ying Huai did not disappoint the children and briefly told them about their itinerary for the day.
"All right."
After hearing what the godmother said, Grandma Shitou made sure that these children had not done anything dangerous, and then she let these naughty kids go.
"Okay, don't stay outside, go home and eat."
It was okay now, and the children were at home. Grandma Shitou didn't dwell on the dirt on them and just let it go.
Anyway, no matter how dirty her body is, she doesn't have to clean it up. It passed her test, but it's hard to say whether it can pass this test in front of these children's parents.
Zuzu sat under the eaves and watched. Because Ying Huai was here these two days, her pain had been alleviated for the most part. Now she no longer had to stay in her room and could rest quietly.
"Just tease them here. When you get beaten later, every one of them will come to you and say you agreed."
As he spoke, the smile on Zuzu's face deepened a little, and the wrinkles on his face became more distinct.
"Well, after dinner I'll go back to my room to rest. You can't find me anywhere."
Grandma Shitou heard what Zuzu said. She didn't care how her son took care of the children at home, as long as they didn't make too much noise. She was afraid that the children would be hurt or their health would be affected, so she didn't care about anything else.
"You really are."
Seeing her like this, Zuzu smiled and shook his head, not continuing the topic.
"I learned this from you. When I was taking care of my own children, you didn't care about anything either. I think the older ones are doing pretty well."
As Grandma Shitou spoke, she put her hand on Zuzu's arm, helped him up from the recliner, and walked towards the dining table in the main hall.
The temporary turmoil in the village chief's house has temporarily passed, but other places in the village have not been completely peaceful because of this turmoil.
Shitou and the others had sneaked out before because they knew that many people from the town below the mountain had come up the mountain. They were curious before, but because they were worried about what their elders would say, they couldn't go even if they wanted to follow Tang Rufeng and the others down the mountain to help those people go up the mountain.
But now everyone has gone up the mountain, and most of the places on the mountain are still frequently visited by these children, and there is no place they have not been to.
You also want to go and see, and I also want to follow. But in just half a day, Shitou and the others just went out and met up with other children in the village. All of them were having fun outside.
Not only do they play around, they also go to the village office to play with the children who have just arrived in the mountain and are not used to the environment.
The people who remain in the village office of Daxi Village are basically children from the town at the foot of the mountain, and the elders who take care of the children.
The village office was originally quite large, but after so many people moved in, it seemed a bit crowded. In such an environment, the children being looked after didn't even have a place to relax and play for a while.
At this moment, the appearance of Shitou and other children gave those children a destination where they wanted to play.
The parents who were looking after those children knew that Shitou and the other children were from Daxi Village, so they were not worried that those children would get lost and just let those children go play with Shitou and the other children.
According to the adults, these children have lived in the mountains for so long that they must know the dangerous places on the mountain, where they can play and where they cannot go. Children like Shitou always know much more than these adults who have just come up the mountain.
Otherwise, if Shitou and the others didn't know, to put it bluntly, Shitou and the others wouldn't be able to stand in front of them and say they wanted to take their children out to play.
In fact, their idea is not wrong.
But that was only after the great changes in heaven and earth. Before the great changes, children like Shi Tou really had no sense of propriety when playing.
Even after the mutation, they didn't seem to have restrained themselves much. At most, Shi Tou and the others had abilities that allowed them to offset danger when it occurred.
The same thing happened this time when I took the kids out to play.
In such weather, it is very easy for children to get sick if they go out normally. Shitou and the others are stronger because of their awakened abilities and the strengthening of their physical abilities.
But those children who had just come up the mountain were different. Most of them were ordinary children without awakening abilities and could not keep up with Shitou and the others.
But because he wanted to play with Shitou and the others, he got wet. Before he had played outside for long, he caught a cold and had a fever. He was held in his parents' arms and given an IV drip.
The town doctor who followed them up the mountain was speechless after hearing what the children said.
Two groups of children with different physical strengths cannot avoid unnecessary dangers just because the other group of children is familiar with the surrounding environment.
Like the group of children who are suffering from colds and fevers right now.
Shitou and the others just went back covered in dirt from playing, but these kids went back covered in dirt and with fever in their heads.
The remaining small number of people who are not sick are either those who have awakened their abilities and have strong physical fitness, or those who have strong physical fitness. After being tested by the machines sent by the research institute above, there is a high possibility that they will have abilities.
【Author’s words】
I was planning to code more before uploading, but I fell asleep last night. My streak of updates... has been interrupted again after just a few days...
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