Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Village Chief, this rain doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon. The village is at the foot of the mountain—are you sure there's no problem? There are no protective nets on the mountain slopes here. It seems we need to discuss the follow-up development project in detail."

Lu Huainan followed the Village Chief, trudging through the mud with uneven footing. The accumulated water on the path had increased significantly, and the dirt road had turned into a muddy mess. The lush woods that had seemed vibrant during the day now resembled devilish claws, casting eerie, sprawling shadows.

The Village Chief replied tersely, "Don’t worry. It’s just that there’s more rain this year. It rained a few months ago too, and nothing happened in the village. Besides, the village is under the protection of the gods—how could anything go wrong? I’ve lived here most of my life, so you can rest assured."

Superstition—this was pure superstition. Lu Huainan recalled the elder he had met that afternoon. The villagers here all seemed a bit mystical. If this continued, the tourism development project might run into all sorts of unforeseen complications.

The Village Chief’s house was at the foot of the mountain. Lu Huainan noticed the nearby stream had turned noticeably muddier—a tell-tale sign of potential mudslides. Something was wrong; the weather was definitely unusual.

"Please come in, President Lu."

Lu Huainan glanced at the stream, paused for a moment, and then smiled. "I’m coming."

He sat on the sofa, watching the rain outside, which seemed heavier than before.

The Village Chief walked over with a teacup. "President Lu, I’ve reviewed the cooperation agreement. As you know, our village has always worshipped the Water God. The well in the village is proof of that, so the layout and arrangement over there cannot be changed."

Lu Huainan held the teacup, tracing its rim with his fingertip, and let out a long sigh. "Village Chief, I must remind you—this rain doesn’t seem right. Just now, I saw the stream turning muddy. Shouldn’t we notify the villagers...?"

The Village Chief’s eyes clearly showed something strange. He downed his tea in one gulp. "President Lu, don’t worry. This land is under the Water God’s protection. Nothing water-related will happen here."

Seeing the Village Chief’s almost unyielding stubbornness, Lu Huainan shook his head helplessly. He couldn’t just ignore the situation entirely.

"Village Chief, you should still notify the villagers. Hundreds of lives are at stake."

Seeing Lu Huainan’s insistence, the Village Chief picked up his phone, swiped it casually a few times, and waved it at him. "I’ve notified them. Whether they evacuate or not is not my responsibility."

A sense of unease rose in Lu Huainan’s heart. He had heard that the chief of Baitou Village was a good leader who served the people. Why was he acting like this now? Could it be that the power of the gods truly mattered more? He pursed his lips. Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, casting light into the room. The shadows of the two men loomed grotesquely on the wall, making Lu Huainan’s heart race.

"Village Chief, I’ve brought the contract."

Lu Huainan placed the prepared contract on the coffee table. An inexplicable unease filled him, and he felt a strong urge to leave this place immediately. But the thought of Shen Muyun made him dismiss the idea.

The Village Chief glanced at the contract and smiled. "Well, I’ve seen the electronic version. There are a few details we still need to discuss. As for the profit distribution, we propose a 60-40 split. After all, this is our ancestral land."

Lu Huainan took out a pen and added the Village Chief’s request to a blank page of the contract. "Village Chief, I must say, I’m a businessman. Businessmen have their principles. Profit-sharing is something that can’t be decided in a short time, so let’s set this aside for now."

The Village Chief nodded. "That can be postponed. However, the road behind the village needs repairs. President Lu, the Lu Corporation must have plans for this, right? After all, there’s only one road into the village. If tourist traffic increases, it’ll..."

"Village Chief, this suggestion is already in the contract. The Lu Corporation has reached an agreement with the municipal government. We believe the road needs proper repairs, and the dirt paths here will be renovated as well. This isn’t just development by the Lu Corporation—it’s a mutually beneficial project."

The Village Chief seemed satisfied with Lu Huainan’s response. The stern expression on his face finally softened into a smile. However, the rain outside grew heavier, and from time to time, flashlight beams occasionally shone through the windows.

Lu Huainan noticed shadows outside the window—perhaps villagers with a strong sense of caution had already begun evacuating after receiving the notification. Relieved, he patted his chest and let out a long breath.

He checked his watch. It was 11 o’clock. The wind outside had grown stronger, rattling the window frames.

"Village Chief, if there’s nothing else, I should head back. The representative from the Shen Group has a fever, and I need to take care of him."

The Village Chief gave Lu Huainan a meaningful look and stood up to see him out.

As soon as the door opened, a strong gust of wind made both men stagger. Jiangcheng was a coastal city, and winds of this intensity were comparable to those before a typhoon. Recalling Shen Muyun’s words, Lu Huainan wondered if some higher power was warning them that this place was unsafe.

"Village Chief, you should also prepare for evacuation. This is the foot of the mountain—it’s not safe."

The Village Chief dismissed the idea. Having lived in the village for so many years, he had never seen rain flood the village.

He nodded, then closed the door.

Lu Huainan rushed into the night with his umbrella. The rain was too heavy—the umbrella couldn’t withstand it and was torn in half.

Lu Huainan tossed the broken umbrella onto a pile of dirt and looked at his clothes, now completely drenched.

To get from the Village Chief’s house to the inn, he had to cross a river. The bridge was shaky, and the water had already risen. Lu Huainan hurried across, relieved to make it to the other side.

A little further ahead was the well. It had seemed suspicious during the day, and now it felt even more unsettling. "Boom!" Another clap of thunder echoed.

Lu Huainan knew he had to hurry back. He remembered there was a small path nearby. If this continued, the entire village would be in danger. The Village Chief had notified the villagers, but Shen Muyun was asleep—would anyone inform him? The thought made Lu Huainan quicken his pace. But he failed to notice the loose rocks along the path, some already crumbling and falling.

Shen Muyun was jolted awake by the thunder. He reached out to feel the empty space beside him, then checked the time—nearly midnight. It wasn’t right—why hadn’t Lu Huainan returned by now?

Groggily, he picked up the cup on the bedside table. It was empty.

He checked his phone—it had shut down at some point.

He quickly found a charger. The moment the phone turned on, messages from Lu Huainan flooded in one after another.

"Brother Yun, are you awake? I’m at the Village Chief’s house. The situation here doesn’t seem good. I’ll be back soon."

"Brother Yun, I’ve left already. Don’t worry. I should be there in about ten minutes."

Shen Muyun’s heart sank. The messages were sent at 11:30. It was already midnight. Ten minutes—why wasn’t he back yet?

The sound of rain outside mixed with what seemed like static from a broadcast.

"All villagers, evacuate immediately! Evacuate immediately!"

Shen Muyun realized the noise wasn’t an electric current—it was the village's public address system. So, Lu Huainan had spoken to the Village Chief, but where was he now?

Shen Muyun grew increasingly anxious, his headache worsening.

"System, come out!"

The system swayed as it appeared before Shen Muyun. "Huh... It’s so late, Host Master. What’s the matter?"

"You still have time to sleep? Is the village in danger? And where is Lu Huainan? Can you locate him?"

The system glanced outside the window and immediately woke up completely. "Host Master, run! Something’s wrong—this rain is too heavy!"

"System, tell me where Lu Huainan is."

The system froze. "Host Master, according to the main timeline from the Space-Time Management Bureau, he should be with you right now. How could..."

The system quickly checked the script’s progress. This wasn’t right—this was a dual-male lead storyline. One of them couldn’t be in danger.

"Ahhh... Host Master, Host Master! Lu Huainan, he’s on the bridge over there, just..."

Hearing the system’s panicked voice, Shen Muyun felt even more distressed. No, Lu Huainan couldn’t be in danger. He had saved him so many times. This time, Shen Muyun had to save Lu Huainan.

He grabbed the clothes nearby and opened the door, only to find water already up to his knees. How could it have rained so heavily all of a sudden? Was there something wrong with this book?

The system fluttered its wings and quickly followed Shen Muyun. "Host Master, don’t worry. Lu Huainan is the male lead—how could anything happen to him? Rest assured. It’ll be fine."

"System, could this world collapse?"

The system hovered in the air. "Huh? Host Master, it doesn’t appear so at the moment. Your trajectory has never deviated from the main mission. Don’t worry. And Lu Huainan will definitely be fine."

Shen Muyun waded through the water, already feeling unwell—his head was heavy, his body felt icy cold, and he seemed to be running a fever again.

Along the way, he occasionally spotted villagers rushing by, carrying belongings in their hands.

Had they received the evacuation notice? Were they all fleeing? The scene felt eerily similar to those in post-apocalyptic games.

Shen Muyun stepped into a muddy puddle, stumbled with a pained "Tch..."

He struggled to pull his foot free from the mud, but as soon as he took another step, a sharp pain shot through his ankle. Of all times—to sprain his ankle at such a critical moment.

"Host Master, please slow down! You can’t go any further. Warning, warning—there’s a landslide ahead on the road."

"Shut up, you damn system! Lu Huainan is still on that road ahead. If you’ve got nothing useful to say, just disappear."

Shen Muyun pressed forward, limping while supporting himself against a tree as he peered down the pitch-black road ahead. "Lu Huainan, just wait for me... Hold on, I’m coming. You won’t be in danger, you won’t..."