Chapter 42: Gu Mingchi of the Eastern District
“Boss, the people are here. They’re a bunch of cowards.”
The man at the head of the long table took off his silver-rimmed glasses. His fingers, holding a cigarette, were slender and well-defined. He tapped off the ash, then extinguished the cigarette in the glass ashtray in front of him. His voice was calm as he said:
“Bring them in.”
The first to enter was Mei Xingxian. His legs trembled as he walked in, looking as skittish as a frightened chick.
He couldn’t figure out how he had offended this big shot from the Eastern District.
All he did was argue with his nagging wife at home about going to Taoyang. He had no idea how she found out about it, but she made such a fuss that his head felt like it would explode. He decided to go out for some fresh air, but as soon as he stepped outside, someone threw a sack over him and dragged him away.
When he came to, he found himself in the underground garage of Quanhe Ditch in the Eastern District.
He was terrified. This was the territory of Master Chi, the “Ancestor Chi.”
Everyone in Dongyang knew that Master Chi’s ability was eerie and that once he used it, almost no one could escape. He had gathered a group of talented and extraordinary people under him, holding firm control over the Eastern District—a place even the city defense forces dared not interfere with.
Before Mei Xingxian could fully process what was happening, more people were brought in to be locked up with him. One was an old woman with a disfigured face, and the other was a young fire-type ability user.
The three of them were utterly confused and terrified, waiting for about two hours before they were finally summoned to meet the “ancestor.”
The man at the head of the long table actually smiled when they entered. He stood up and made a welcoming gesture, looking extraordinarily polite.
But to the three of them, this smile and politeness were terrifying. Their legs shook, and they didn’t dare move.
A lackey next to them kicked the trio:
“When Master Chi tells you to sit, you better sit down. What, do you expect him to pull out the chairs for you?”
Mei Xingxian immediately understood—this man was the boss of the Eastern District. He quickly softened his stance, practically groveling:
“Master Chi, hello! Is there something you need us to do? Just say the word, and I’ll go through fire and water to get it done for you!”
The other two followed his lead, saying flattering words to curry favor.
Gu Mingchi’s smile lacked any warmth. He sat down and opened the file in his hands. The first page was a photo of Mei Xingxian.
He parted his lips, his tone casual yet unsettling:
“Mei Xingxian, 26 years old, living in the shelter building. Your wife is Tan Fangchun. Two days ago, you had a conflict with Su Tao, Guan Zining, and Zhuang Wan of Peach Sun at Dongyang Hospital. Later, you were taken away at gunpoint by Guan Zining. Is that correct?”
Mei Xingxian was bewildered, a chill running down his spine. How could such a big shot know so much about a small fry like him? What did he intend to do?
Feeling utterly terrified, Mei Xingxian still nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Gu Mingchi maintained his cold, detached smile as he turned to the next page of the file. He looked at the disfigured old woman and said:
“Wen Peizhen, 59 years old. Your daughter married a makeshift gun dealer in the Shou’an Base, earned some money, and got you a single room in Taoyang. Later, due to a conflict with Taoyang, you were disfigured and expelled. Correct?”
Wen Peizhen’s face was still wrapped in bandages. Her voice trembled as she responded, “Y-yes, that’s right. Where is this place? W-what do you want with me? Ah!”
A lackey kicked her in the waist. “If Master Chi isn’t asking you, shut your damn mouth!”
Gu Mingchi seemed oblivious to the exchange, flipping to the last page:
“Jiang Ze, 19 years old, a fire-type ability user. You once shared a double room in Taoyang but were later expelled and beaten by Taoyang residents. Is that right?”
Jiang Ze, still resentful about the past, gritted his teeth. “Yes! They ganged up on me! Beat me senseless! I had to recover for half a month!”
Gu Mingchi finally displayed a genuine smile. “Very good. There’s no need to be nervous. I’ve brought you here for a simple reason—if you have any grievances or grudges against Taoyang, just say it. I, Gu Mingchi, will seek justice for you.”
The three exchanged hesitant glances.
Jiang Ze was the first to speak up: “Master Chi, you are a fair and righteous person. I’ve been holding this in for so long, and today I just can’t keep it in any longer.”
Gu Mingchi signaled to his men, who quickly set up a camera in secret.
Jiang Ze spoke with righteous indignation, painting Taoyang as a living hell, as if it were populated by a band of ruthless bandits.
Although Wen Peizhen didn’t fully grasp the situation, she didn’t hold back her own tale of woe, crying and accusing Taoyang of how they disfigured her and threw her out.
Mei Xingxian, a bit more shrewd, sensed that Master Chi was no benevolent hero. He suspected this “justice” was just a façade, with the real aim being to tarnish Taoyang’s reputation.
He couldn’t decipher the exact grudge between Master Chi and Taoyang, but he was all too happy to see it unfold.
He exaggerated his story, claiming Taoyang had deceived his father and refused to honor the promise of additional living spaces. He even fabricated a tale of his father being imprisoned in Taoyang.
For a moment, the room was filled with animosity toward Taoyang. The resentment seemed to swirl with Gu Mingchi’s cigarette smoke, his faint smile visible through the haze, amber eyes gleaming beneath his silver-rimmed glasses.
*
With the completion of the office building, Su Tao was so pleased that she ended up sleeping on the sofa in the lobby that very night.
When she woke up, her communicator was buzzing. She answered to hear Zhuang Wan’s excited voice:
“Tao, where are you? I just saw a little building in front of our apartment—it’s an office building, right? I saw desks and computers through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor! Oh my gosh!”
Su Tao chuckled, “Yes, it’s our new office. Go pack up your files, and bring Xiao Pan along to help move Old Mei over here too.”
“Got it! You’re amazing! Old Mei is going to love this. His tools and blueprints have been piling up on the coffee table—now he’ll finally have a proper place for them!”
Before long, Zhuang Wan and the others arrived at the office building.
Su Tao greeted them and registered Old Mei and Zhuang Wan’s fingerprints for easy access in and out.
The two were thrilled to see the spacious reception area.
Zhuang Wan, especially, walked around excitedly. “When new tenants arrive, I can hold orientation sessions here. It’s so spacious and professional—just perfect!”
She then went up the spiral staircase to the second floor, sat at her desk, and her eyes sparkled.
“My dad used to tell me that before the apocalypse, people worked in offices with their own desks and computers. Our setup is just like that. The windows are so big, and you can even see the cafeteria from here.”
Old Mei wheeled himself over to the bookshelf, lost in nostalgia:
“Yes, before the apocalypse, Jianyi and I taught at the university. Our office was quite similar to this. Behind it, there was a lounge area displaying students’ model projects. During afternoon tea, I’d sit in the exhibition hall downstairs, chatting with students over tea…”
Su Tao thought for a moment. “Then why don’t we create a lounge area too? We can document Taoyang’s progress and display the photos as framed artwork. We could even set up a message board, allowing people to share their suggestions for Taoyang or their experiences living here.”
Old Mei laughed heartily. “Great idea! We could add some seating and maybe a bookshelf. I’d love to write a book about Taoyang’s development. And we could print our rental agreements as booklets and keep copies here.”
“We even have tenants who work in journalism—they could help enrich our bookshelf, building Taoyang’s own cultural identity.”
Both Su Tao and Zhuang Wan loved the idea. They realized they weren’t just building material conditions but also a spiritual and cultural foundation.
Taoyang was slowly but steadily emerging from the mire of the apocalypse, forging its own path forward.
