novelraw Chapter 336 - 328: Alexander
Chapter 336 - 328: Alexander
Receiving confirmation, Han Xifeng spoke more casually, "Mr. Cheng, you might not know, ever since Ah Li led the team on a mission with you, the entire squad’s spirit has changed. The weary, apathetic hearts have been refreshed with a spring of new life, no longer resigned to numbness and compromise. They fought several times with the other side, otherwise, with me stepping down from the Family Head position, we’d only get one or two tenths of the resources."
"You’ve become the object of admiration for the brothers, and they’ve long been eager to join."
This is great; those dozens of people have much higher combat power than her Patrol Team. If they could all be integrated into it, the combat power would level up instantly. Just the thought of it brings joy.
"Hurry back and get ready, be sure to come back before dark; the Underground City welcomes you."
Listening to Cheng Xiaoxiao’s words, Han Xifeng’s heart was a mix of emotions, with a feeling known as bitterness fermenting wildly, "Alright!"
When Qi Fei returns, he can follow Han Xifeng to learn. Having recruited so many people, it’s not enough for the second brother to manage alone, so a training department must be established.
With so many things to do before, it wasn’t divided clearly enough, and this was her oversight. Regardless of whether they’re talented or not, everyone needs to be trained and qualified to take up roles, to be part of the team. Otherwise, events like today’s unrest can’t be avoided, it was her mistake from being too busy.
Looks like a corporate management system should be in place, with more departmental details, for convenient coordination and arrangement. In her previous life, she never reached the position of company general manager, but now she’s facing challenges, Alexander indeed!
The team keeps growing larger, although there’s plenty of tangible work, managerial talent is rare, particularly those with high knowledge; the high-combat power Martial Artists. Frankly, her current team is like the nascent Rebel Army of old, having nothing but passion, they lack everything else.
Lacking talent means starting cultivation now, but it clearly doesn’t align with the world’s current nature. So amidst this disaster, she could open her paths wider, absorbing more ambitious individuals, framing them for her use.
That’s a good idea.
On his journey, Qi Fei led people in a hurry, saving a lot of time by taking shortcuts. However, the mountain paths were rugged, and the trails were secluded and desolate. A moment of inattention could lead to stumbling down a slope or stepping into a pit, resulting in injuries.
Along the way, they encountered several villages and heard that people could head to Daxing Mountain to work as long-term laborers for the winter’s survival. The destitute villagers, having no other recourse, unhesitatingly joined the team.
Since it started snowing, the impoverished villagers could only huddle on their cold home beds to keep warm. The charcoal had long run out, the stockpiled wood was nearly gone, and there was little grain left. Life was becoming untenable, yet they had no means to change it, only sighing and silently praying for the snow to stop quickly.
Sadly, their pleas went unheard; the snow grew heavier each day, until the mountains were sealed in snow. There was no way to go out and find food, relying only on the remaining grain to survive, was no different from waiting quietly for death.
Encountering Qi Fei’s group was a cause for tears of joy, kneeling to the heavens. They believed they had met benefactors through divine intervention. The villagers with relatively intact wealth were reluctant to leave their tile-roofed houses, hoping to return to them to continue living after the snow disaster. They signed labor contracts, while those truly at their wits’ end signed contracts of indenture.
Thus, as they traveled, the team’s numbers gradually increased, rising from nearly two thousand to nearly ten thousand, which completely surprised them.
That day, the team camped in a mountain col, on the verge of entering the Daxing Mountain area. The sky suddenly cleared, and the temperature rose slightly, strangely.
Qi Fei’s heart couldn’t help but lift, recalling the classic sayings of the boss: Every irrationality paves the way for an unexpected answer, so don’t speculate, just make the worst assumptions and prepare for the harshest challenges. There’s no such thing as a coincidence; coincidences are the beginning of conspiracies.
A stroke of brilliance hit him; could it be the brief calm before a cold surge?
The crowd within the team was still chattering and discussing, many with expressions of joy.
The sky brightened, and the snow stopped. Could this century-level continuous snowfall finally be ending...
As they silently prayed for the ice and snow to melt quickly, to plant crops the following year, they received orders to hasten their progress and were utterly perplexed.
No one provided answers or explanations.
They could only hurriedly pack up and quicken their pace to keep up with the team.
"Dad, those people are so harsh, can’t we rest a bit longer? The chilblains on my feet have worn through, and it hurts so much."
Fifth Master Feng complained, showing a look of pain. He really couldn’t walk any longer. The previous exile to Luoyang City caused him plenty of suffering, but at least the weather wasn’t this cold then. Now it was cold, hungry, and painful, feeling close to death.
At that moment, a crisp child’s voice rang out, "Uncle Five, you’re so shameless, full-grown and whining like a child."
It was a boy of six or seven, the son of the eldest son, Feng Yuzhen.
He was wrapped so tightly that only his bright eyes were visible.
Feng Yuyang glared at his annoying nephew, "If you have the ability, don’t let your dad carry you."
"Such a big person, comparing with a kid like me, how thick is your skin?"
"Hey, you little brat, see if I won’t sort you out today."
Feng Yuyang said, moving to strike, while Xiao Yu’er immediately let go of his mother’s hand and ran to his grandfather’s side.
"Grandpa, grandpa, Uncle Five wants to hit me. He’s using his strength against the weak and called me a brat. If I’m a brat, what about him? He’s dragging you into it too, grandpa. Grandpa, shouldn’t he be punished?"
Seeing the little brat run off to his father and saying bad things, Feng Yuyang gritted his teeth in anger and pulled back his leg, not daring to approach.
"Old Five, I see you have the energy to lecture people; your legs seem nimble. The sisters-in-law have been carrying bundles all day; you should take over."
"What? Take a bundle? I can’t, I can’t walk anymore. Big brother, please spare me!" He said, shrinking into the crowd, disappearing from sight.
The old man had no mood to deal with this incompetent son. He felt today’s weather was a bit strange, perhaps the leader knew something, prompting them to speed up the march.
This matter feels odd.
From dawn until dusk, they had only eaten two buns and drank a little water, with half an hour of rest time.
The crowd was exhausted, and after receiving the order to rest on the spot, they all collapsed to the ground, not wanting to lift a finger.
But they couldn’t resist the threat of the vine whip, barely getting up to stretch their arms and legs. They completed a full set of movements before they were allowed to rest, a rule that had followed them along the way.
Indeed, this rule was carried on to this group by Qi Fei.
You should know how much suffering they endured while fleeing before. No matter how hard or tired, some simple exercises had to be done before resting was allowed.
He didn’t want a large number of people getting sick before safely leading them into Daxing Mountain. So far, only a dozen couldn’t endure the journey and fell ill. The rest, apart from overloaded feet, were still in good spirits.