Chapter 122: Gathering—Believe It or Not, It’s Up to You

*From “Restarting the Farm at the End of the World”*

With a click, the waiter pushed open the doors, and a group of men and women dressed in dark green military uniforms or deep-colored suits filed in, chatting and laughing. It was as if a strong shot of liquor had been poured into a pool—the entire atmosphere in the hall instantly became lively.

People immediately went up to greet them. Those who were acquainted exchanged pleasantries, while those less familiar simply tagged along, laughing and smiling. Yet, at the same time, everyone was secretly searching for the new member.

It didn’t take much effort before they spotted a particularly striking figure among these management elites.

He stood out—not just because he was the only one in a simple black shirt and trousers, while everyone else wore suits, but also because he was taller, more strikingly handsome, and carried himself with an air of effortless elegance. His every movement was composed and graceful, his demeanor dignified and poised. Though he wore a slight smile and was clearly quite young, his sharply defined brows, rising and falling with his expressions, exuded a presence that was impossible to ignore.

“No wonder he’s from the capital,” someone with an official post muttered sourly.

“I heard his abilities are really strong—is this what a true powerhouse looks like?” The ability users couldn’t help but compare themselves to him.

“Captain Gu, I heard you advanced to Tier 3 after the Mid-Autumn Festival. That’s incredible—you’re the first in our base to do so!”

A burly man strode over with a booming laugh, drawing everyone’s attention.

Everyone immediately recognized him as Su Tiande, who’d had past conflicts with Gu Xu. The Su family had been a prominent clan in Su City for a century, their lineage tracing back to the late Qing dynasty. Over the years, they’d produced countless politicians and military men. Though none had reached the very top, their sheer numbers and connections made them a force to be reckoned with.

The main branch had long since moved to the capital, but even the side branches remaining in Su City could do as they pleased.

The feud between the Su family and Gu Xu went back to before the apocalypse, involving people higher up on both sides. Plus, the Su family was related to Qu Shangjin. When Gu Xu arrived with his people from Jiang City, he immediately claimed a piece of land the Su family had long coveted for their own development, making them even more resentful.

When Gu Xu was desperately searching for someone, the Su family seized every opportunity to accuse him of abusing his power. Su Tiande himself was rumored to have used some rather insulting language. Three weeks ago, the Su family had been certain they’d receive an invitation to the routine meeting, but were still left out in the cold. Meanwhile, Gu Xu had received his invitation directly, bypassing both Qu Shangjin and Hu Aiquan.

No one knew how he’d pulled it off.

Gu Xu looked at Su Tiande, his eyes shifting slightly. He reached out and shook Su Tiande’s hand firmly. “Brother Tiande, it’s been a while. I see you’ve advanced as well? But newly gained abilities can be unstable. It’s best to take some time to adjust, especially if you forced the breakthrough by absorbing too many crystal cores—it’s more harmful than helpful to your body.”

Su Tiande’s face stiffened. He really hadn’t been ready, but given the occasion—and his pride in always being ahead in ability—he couldn’t back down. Lately, though, everyone only talked about Gu Xu; who remembered him, the earth-element prodigy? Worse, after falling into Gu Xu’s trap and losing face in front of the commander, his military post had been suspended indefinitely, and his family’s right to attend these meetings revoked. The elders at home sighed constantly, their eyes full of blame, even if they said nothing. In desperation, he’d taken his subordinates’ advice and recklessly absorbed crystal cores, finally breaking through just two hours ago and rushing here.

Now, Tier 3 ability users were extremely rare in the base. Each one was a key target for recruitment and observation. Only by seizing this opportunity to change the leadership’s opinion could he regain his former glory. As long as he was careful from now on, what did he have to fear from Gu Xu, this rootless outsider parachuted in?

But who would have thought Gu Xu would immediately see through his method of advancement? Su Tiande was shocked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw others looking on—some surprised, some with thinly veiled disdain. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said, “Captain Gu, what’s that supposed to mean? Who doesn’t absorb crystal cores? Who hasn’t advanced this way? By your logic, every newly advanced person should just stay in bed for days?”

At the same time, he gripped Gu Xu’s hand tighter, earth-element energy pressing down like a mountain.

When it came to raw strength, only the strength-type ability users could rival the earth element.

Gu Xu’s expression didn’t change. He wore a faint, ambiguous smile, but his hand was as steady as steel, unmoved by the crushing force. A thin red thread slipped from his palm, deftly bypassing Su Tiande’s defenses and piercing straight into his heart.

“Ugh!” Su Tiande jerked back as if electrocuted, clutching his chest and stumbling two steps away, staring at Gu Xu in terror. He could feel that if he’d let go a moment later, Gu Xu would have incinerated his heart without hesitation. The burning sensation was like molten steel pouring through him, heat rising all the way to his throat—he felt as if he’d been roasted alive.

This man, with his icy smile, actually dared to make a move in front of so many people?!

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this Su Tiande from the Su family? Why do you look so pale?”

A middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked over. This was Wang Hai, the second or third most powerful figure in the base’s administrative system. On informal occasions like this, the real boss wouldn’t show up—Wang Hai was the highest-ranking person present.

Gu Xu clasped his hands behind his back. Blood was slowly seeping through his sleeve from his slender, clean fingers. His attendant immediately, and discreetly, handed him a black handkerchief, touching his hand briefly as a faint green light passed through. Gu Xu took the handkerchief, his expression calm. “It’s nothing, Secretary Wang. Brother Tiande’s probably just feeling a bit unwell.”

“Unwell? Should we get someone to take a look? Really, if you’re not feeling well, why come at all? You know how tight medical resources are these days. If you collapse here, I might not even be able to find a doctor for you,” Wang Hai scolded, though his tone was more affectionate than reproachful. He signaled for someone to escort Su Tiande out, then glanced meaningfully at Gu Xu’s hand behind his back and asked, “How are you finding your first meeting? There’s a lot of talk about these gatherings, but really, it’s just everyone sitting together to report on the week’s events and raise any issues. No pressure, right?”

Gu Xu’s demeanor softened in response to Wang Hai, and he smiled. “It’s fine. I just came prepared to listen.”

“Wasn’t everyone like that at first? I was completely lost my first time! From now on, I’ll have someone send you a summary of all the major events the day before each meeting.”

“Thank you, Secretary Wang.” Gu Xu flexed his fingers, discreetly evaporating the blood from his hand under cover of the handkerchief, forcibly dispersing the bruising.

He wiped his hand clean and handed the handkerchief back to his attendant.

The attendant looked up, his handsome face full of concern. “Captain Gu, are you alright?”

He’d been handpicked by Deputy Captain Qiu Feng to accompany Gu Xu to the meeting. If Qiu Feng hadn’t lacked wood-element abilities, he would have come himself, which showed this was no ordinary meeting or gathering. It seemed Su Tiande was just the first fool sent to test the waters—who knew how many more tricks these well-dressed, deep-scheming people had up their sleeves?

But this was Gu Xu’s first time formally attending such a high-level event—the first real step to integrating into the base’s leadership. If he didn’t earn their respect, it wouldn’t count as a success.

He thought of the message he’d just received, unsure whether to report it. Before he could decide, another group approached. Gu Xu greeted them as if nothing had happened.

“I heard another of your comrades has awakened as an ability user, Captain Gu. Your team is getting bigger and bigger.”

Gu Xu smiled. “Just lucky, I guess.”

“Indeed, very lucky,” another man said with a half-smile. “But I heard you’ve been searching for someone lately. Any luck?”

Gu Xu’s smile faded. He turned away, gazing at the crystal-clear brandy in his glass. Others quickly stopped the man from provoking further, and he changed the subject: “In this apocalypse, it’s not about how many people you have or how strong you are. No matter how powerful you are, if you die, you’re nothing. Only those who truly contribute to humanity, who have real achievements, matter in the end. Ordinary people will only support those who can actually protect them, don’t you think?”

“Have you heard? Lately, a bunch of hills have been overrun with some strange bamboo. The roots are thick and long, spreading far and wide. They seem to absorb people’s abilities and flesh, leaving nothing but dried corpses. Just this afternoon, a team of survivors went hunting and found a whole hillside of corpses hanging from the bamboo. They ran back terrified.”

“Really? Why wasn’t this mentioned in the meeting?”

“The news just came in—no one knows the details yet. No point discussing it until we know more.”

The man lifted his square jaw, looking a bit cocky as he challenged Gu Xu: “I hear there’s an Arrowdai Tunnel where the bamboo is especially fierce. Captain Gu, how about it? Do you have the guts to check it out? Whether you go alone or take your team, shall we make it a competition?”

Gu Xu shook his head. “Clearing the surrounding areas is the base’s responsibility. I can’t overstep my bounds.”

“Tch!” The man scoffed and was about to leave when someone rushed in, whispered something in his ear, and his expression changed. The crowd caught snatches of words like “tunnel collapse” and “no one made it out.”

As the man hurried away, Gu Xu’s expression grew serious, while his attendant seemed increasingly uneasy.

“What is it?” Gu Xu asked.

“Well…” The attendant bit his lip and whispered in Gu Xu’s ear, “Someone just asked me to pass on a message. He said the person you’ve been looking for might have appeared.”

Gu Xu’s breath caught. He stared sharply at him. “Who said that?”

The attendant, unable to meet his gaze, quickly replied, “A man who called himself Leopard. He also said the location is Arrowdai Tunnel. He’s not sure, though—whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Thank you to Rain Palace Gonglu for the Heshibi!

I never expected to receive a Heshibi—thank you so much, Rain Palace Gonglu! You’ve really boosted my confidence. I’m planning to add more chapters as thanks, but not right now—these days I’m really stretched thin. Two chapters a day is driving me crazy! So, I’ll owe you for now, okay?

PS: The power and internet were out at home today, so I’m only able to upload now. The second chapter is still being written and will be even later… Also, I admit it, I promised a meet-and-greet, but I keep putting it off. But I really did revise this chapter over and over—it’s not just thrown together, I swear!"