Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 553 - 470: Stealing Chickens Makes Me Happy (Thanks to Alliance Leader Enterprise Penguin)_1

Accompanied by driving snow, a figure hurried down from the mountain, pushed open the door, and a bone-chilling gust of wind swept in.

The man, bundled in a heavy, long down jacket, hopped several times in front of the heater. He shivered for a moment before finally letting out a breath of relief. Only when he saw someone reading a newspaper in the gatehouse did he pause. "Brother Hu, you're already here?"

"I'm used to getting up early." The man reading the newspaper poured him a cup of hot tea.

Lu Yan, still shivering, took the teacup and asked, "What's the date today?"

"November twenty-ninth," the man reading the newspaper said.

"It's already this cold in November?"

Lu Yan sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

"You're new here?" The newspaper reader smiled.

"Yeah, I was just assigned here in the fall."

"You'll get used to it," he said. "Daishan Mountain is no vacation spot. It's deadly hot in the summer, freezing cold in the winter, overrun with bugs in the spring, and come fall, there's endless work."

"Honestly, before I came, I thought Daishan Mountain had spring-like weather all year round."

"Hahaha, that's just to fool the newcomers. Some people know this is a plantation of the Dongxia Genealogy and imagine beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. In reality, it's not like that at all. Well, it used to be, but not anymore."

"Why?" Lu Yan asked, looking up at the bleak sky outside the window as if he could see the very framework established by the Creator. "Can't this be adjusted?"

"Yes, it was deliberately adjusted to be this way," Hu Jing said, putting away his newspaper. "The Old Lady likes it."

At the mention of the Old Lady, Lu Yan had nothing more to say.

After all, she was of a senior generation, held a high position, and was more ruthless than anyone. Even Xuan Niao wouldn't dare to confront her directly. In her presence, everyone was a junior.

"Let me give you some advice." Hu Jing, who was responsible for Lu Yan, the newcomer, smiled. "The Old Lady is a bit extreme. Instead of creating an artificial facade of perpetual spring, she prefers to reveal the harsh nature of the Four Seasons. Only weeds can grow in the former environment. True quality materials never mind a little less gentle spring breeze and rain. Understand?"

"I get it," Lu Yan nodded.

"Even if you don't, pretend you do. If you don't understand, just remember it; you'll figure it out eventually." Hu Jing glanced at Lu Yan's still bewildered expression and picked up his newspaper again. "Rest for a bit. There's more work waiting. I didn't call you down from the shed just to sit around drinking tea."

"What's the task?" Lu Yan asked. Noticing the thick snow outside, his face instantly turned a shade paler. "It's not shoveling snow again, like the other day, is it?"

"Reception," Hu Jing said. "Normally, you wouldn't be needed. But since you seem free, you might as well come with me and see how things are done. If you spent less time flirting online, Old Wang wouldn't have you shoveling snow every other day."

"'Unbelievable…'" Lu Yan's face turned an even deeper shade of green, though it was unclear if he was internally cursing Old Wang or complaining about his master. He kept his mouth shut. Weren't all newcomers put through the wringer, handling menial tasks anyway?

One day, when new recruits arrive, he'd get to pull the same stunts on them!

Besides weeding and tending to flowers in the mountains every day, this was about the only amusement left.

It wasn't the task itself that bothered him, but rather the visitor his master had mentioned.

"The third one this month?" Lu Yan clicked his tongue. "Why so many visitors recently?"

"An unscheduled addition."

"Can't the higher-ups show some consideration for those of us working overtime down here?" Lu Yan complained bitterly, slumping onto the sofa, completely drained of energy.

Having worked here for three or four months, he knew very well what kind of people came to Yu Dai Shan.

Apart from maintenance staff like himself, everyone else who came was here to fleece the place, eyeing the precious materials abundant on the mountain.

They'd grab whatever they could, and if they couldn't use it all up, they'd haul it away.

Even if they couldn't get their hands on the high-grade items from the Abyss plantation, they would still heavily exploit the basic materials Lu Yan and his colleagues managed. After all, the potent terrestrial energy of Yu Dai Shan made the Disaster plants from the Abyss flourish like leeks, growing back as soon as they were cut.

The rapaciousness of the two visitors earlier this month had already thoroughly annoyed Lu Yan.

Regarding his complaints, Hu Jing merely offered a reminder.

"Later, be respectful. Handle it professionally; don't give them any attitude."

"Huh?"

"The visitors are from the Astronomical Society," his master said. "Guests personally invited by the Old Lady with her approval."

The first part didn't faze Lu Yan much, but the second left him stunned.

The Old Lady had lived in seclusion for years. Lu Yan had only seen her once during his entire time on Yu Dai Shan, and even now, the memory of her sharp, scrutinizing gaze made his legs feel weak.

A guest personally invited by the Old Lady… The thought alone was enough to make him uneasy.

Sometimes, these important figures could be more troublesome than those pesky Little Brags. At least with the latter, as long as you handled them properly, there usually weren't any problems, and their good or bad behavior had little to do with oneself.

But with these high-and-mighty dignitaries, pleasing them might not yield much benefit, but offending them could make one's future days quite difficult.

"According to Young Master Chu, if that person didn't want to work at the Astronomical Society and chose to join the Dongxia Genealogy, he would immediately become a student personally mentored by the Old Lady…"

Hu Jing was about to say more, but suddenly, two headlights pierced through the falling snow outside the gatehouse.

A car broke through the snowstorm, arriving without warning.