Chapter 124: Not Only Does Taoyang Need You, But This Chaotic World Needs You
Dreams?
A faint glimmer of light flickered in Wu Zhen’s eyes, but it vanished almost instantly.
He glanced at the fruit knife and shattered glass on the table, hesitating.
Su Tao caught that fleeting moment of hesitation instantly. Without giving him a chance to think further, she grabbed him. “Come with me.”
Wu Zhen stumbled as she pulled him forward, barely managing to keep up with her pace.
Su Tao led him all the way to the sunroom on the third floor. As she pushed open the door, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the pristine floor-to-ceiling windows, scattering golden light across the lush rows of hydroponic plants. Each tier of the green cultivation racks was bathed in a warm, golden glow.
The scent of fresh fruits and vegetables overwhelmed Wu Zhen.
Su Tao: “Do you see this? Every single plant here has been carefully cultivated under 24-hour supervision. It cost a fortune to set this up. But even so, Taoyang, with only about a hundred residents, can barely sustain itself with this harvest—let alone the countless people outside who can’t even get a meal, who haven’t seen fresh vegetables in ages.”
“Wu Zhen, your ability is a gift to this world in these apocalyptic times. You alone have the power to feed millions. It’s not just Taoyang that needs you—the entire world does.”
“I know losing your wife and son is unbearable for you, but I hope you can push through. Live on, let them continue existing in your heart in a different way. If you leave too, then to be blunt—who will even remember them?”
Wu Zhen stood frozen for a long time. Slowly, his eyes welled up with tears. Then, unable to hold back anymore, he crouched down and sobbed silently into his hands.
Su Tao closed her eyes for a moment, then pulled him up again. “Come with me to another place. Close your eyes.”
In the blink of an eye, Wu Zhen felt the air and temperature around him shift. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing atop a mountain, looking down at rolling green hills.
He stood there stiffly, as if in a dream.
Su Tao said, “This is Panliu Mountain—also part of Taoyang. I originally planned to leave this land for you. It’s about a thousand square meters. You can plant whatever you want here. Think of it as your own balcony, your personal garden. Everything you grow here belongs solely to you.”
“And you won’t have to worry about zombies here. I’ll even prepare a private house for you, so you can stay here whenever you want, whether for a short visit or long-term.”
“But only if you choose to live. If you die, I’ll just turn this place into a garbage dump.”
The despair in Wu Zhen’s eyes vanished. It was as if his lost soul had finally returned to his body. He suddenly became animated.
“This would be a waste! This land was likely a green zone before—it has excellent conditions for planting. It could be turned into an orchard! With my ability, we could produce a huge yield of fruit every year…”
Su Tao smiled. “Exactly. But only if you’re alive to do it. Without you, this land would become nothing but barren wasteland—trampled by zombies, soaked in the blood of the fallen.”
Wu Zhen’s expression shifted through a whirlwind of emotions before settling into one of realization.
“Miss Su… I need some time alone.”
Su Tao knew he had grasped onto something—a purpose, a reason to keep going. Now, he just needed a moment to process it.
“Alright. Stay here at Panliu Mountain for the next few days. No one knows you here, so you can relax. When you’ve made up your mind, come find me.”
Wu Zhen wiped his tear-streaked face with a rough hand.
“Miss Su, this is the second time you’ve saved me. I’ll never be able to repay you.”
Su Tao replied seriously, “Just take care of yourself—that’s repayment enough. Your life belongs to you.”
Choking up, Wu Zhen bowed deeply to her.
Afterward, Su Tao called for Xiao Zhang from the front desk and had her take Wu Zhen to stay in an empty employee apartment.
Just as she was about to return to Taoyang, Ma Dapao spotted her and called out excitedly.
“Boss Su, wait a minute!”
She stopped and waited for him to speak.
Ma Dapao, his face glowing with excitement: “Ah! We haven’t had many guests over the past few days, but the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive! Three of them even said the environment is amazing and asked if we could lower the rent for long-term stays. I wasn’t sure about that, so I came to ask you.”
Su Tao thought for a moment. “Where are they from? Even if they like the environment, staying for an entire month seems excessive.”
Ma Dapao: “They’re from the Shou’an Base. They used to be transporters, trading supplies between different bases. But they just returned from the north and found out Shou’an has fallen—so they don’t dare go back.”
“They’ve got money, and now that they’ve stumbled upon Panliu Mountain, they figure they might as well stay. Plus, they know a lot of groups heading south in search of water. They said if we give them a discount, they’ll help bring more people here.”
“At first, I thought they might be bluffing. But after some digging, I realized they’re the real deal. These guys have been running goods between the north and south for ages. They have plenty of contacts and connections. Boss Su, I think if we offer them a deal, it’d be worth it.”
Su Tao immediately agreed. “I trust you. Give them a 20% discount. Also, I’ll send over some vegetables and meat later—have Chef Qin prepare a couple of small dishes for them.”
Ma Dapao’s eyes lit up. “Boss, you think of everything!”
Su Tao, used to his flattery, ignored it and added, “By the way, I just had Xiao Zhang take a friend of mine to stay in the employee dorm for a while. Please keep an eye on him. If he tries anything stupid, stop him—and if you can’t, notify me immediately.”
Ma Dapao quickly caught on. “Oh, the guy you were talking to earlier? Got it. He looks pretty young… what could be so bad that he’d lose all hope?”
Su Tao shook her head. “He lost his wife and child. Just don’t be too obvious about it. Give him space, but keep an eye out.”
Ma Dapao sighed. “A man of deep emotions. Not like Xiong Tai—remember that guy? The one who tried to give you a gift, but you weren’t around to receive it?”
“His wife bled to death giving birth to their daughter in a rundown shack. He didn’t even blink. Just carried her body outside and dumped it for the zombies to eat. Then, that night, he slept in the same bed where she died—without a care in the world.”
“Then, because his baby girl kept crying and disturbing his sleep, he sold her the next day for a bottle of booze.”
Su Tao’s brows furrowed deeply.
“In times of chaos, the scum of the earth multiply. Stay away from him. Cut all ties.”
Ma Dapao hurriedly waved his hands. “Ever since I joined Panliu—no, Taoyang—I’ve severed all ties with my old circle. I don’t want to bring any trouble here. You can rest assured about that.”
Su Tao nodded, then suddenly asked, “Any movement from the old station?”
Ma Dapao shook his head. “Nothing major. Just that more and more people are heading to Dongyang, which has boosted business at the old station. Their leader, that guy Tan, is probably grinning ear to ear, counting money in bed with his women right now.”
As soon as he said it, he realized how crude it sounded—especially in front of his young boss.
Ah, crap—his boss was only eighteen! He kept forgetting that!
