Who cares about running a business or making developments? We should just flatten the world with our adopted father’s squad!
"Drop the beauty routine. Just return to your original state."
"Back to that scruffy look?"
At this point, Liang Cheng piped up, "My lord, there’s actually a way to awaken him. It’s just that..."
"It’s just... it’s unnecessary."
"What’s the method then?"
"Well, I could take a knife and stab you a few times. He might wake up and then..."
Siniang rolled her eyes and commented, "And then he’d smash you flat?"
Liang Cheng didn’t object and nodded. "That’s most likely the outcome."
Zheng Fan’s mouth twitched. "Focus on your tasks," he instructed. "Quit thinking about nonsensical things."
"Understood, My lord."
When it was time for dinner, everyone else put down their work. Zheng Fan, however, filled a plate with food, specifically to take to the room Shatuo Queshi was in. This was something Zheng Fan did every evening.
According to Blind Bei, My lord was trying to maintain his bond with the Zombie.
This was, of course, a rather pragmatic way of looking at it. In reality, Zheng Fan simply felt more comfortable eating dinner with Shatuo Queshi. It felt similar to how, in his previous life, he would order takeout, put on a favorite variety show, and eat while watching—the food always tasted better that way.
Zheng Fan knelt on the floor, the meal placed on a stool. He set a cup of wine before himself and another before Shatuo Queshi. After drinking his own cup, he would pour one for Shatuo Queshi onto the ground, and then he would refill both cups.
From the moment he entered the room until he finished dinner, Zheng Fan didn’t say a word; everything he wanted to say had been said on previous nights.
Having eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, Zheng Fan leaned back slightly, watching Shatuo Queshi, who still stood there motionless with his eyes closed. Thanks to Siniang’s work over the past few days, Shatuo Queshi no longer looked as eerie or terrifying; he looked more human.
"Hey, actually, I make some pretty delicious cola chicken wings. If you wake up sooner, I can make them for you. You probably don’t know what cola is, right? Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure how to make it either, but Blind Bei and the others should be able to figure it out. Don’t feel bad. So what if you’re a Zombie? Look at Liang Cheng—he’s a Zombie too, and doesn’t he bounce around like a normal person every day? Stop standing there like a fool. Open your eyes, let’s chat."
Zheng Fan muttered these words, knowing they were likely useless, but he still felt compelled to say them.
The man smashed a carriage for me, put on an act for me. After dying and becoming a Zombie, he didn’t go home; instead, he came south to find me. He’s truly shown his devotion.
"Hey, do you feel lonely staying alone in this room at night?" Zheng Fan asked.
Shatuo Queshi remained silent.
"Sleeping alone must be lonely, right? I’d like to sleep here with you, but Siniang, being a woman, is afraid of the dark, and I have to keep her company. How about this? I’ll leave my son here. You two can keep each other company and chat tonight, eh?"
With that, Zheng Fan took the stone containing Mo Wan from his breast pocket and placed it on the ground. Then, he turned, closed the door, and left.
As he descended the stairs, a smile touched Zheng Fan’s lips. You little rascal! Let’s see if you dare cause trouble tonight!
In the pitch-dark room, the stone Zheng Fan had placed on the ground suddenly quivered, then rocked. Shatuo Queshi, who had been standing motionless for days, also swayed slightly. The stone rocked again, and Shatuo Queshi swayed again. The stone rocked twice, and Shatuo Queshi swayed twice.
Presently, the stone settled, and Shatuo Queshi became still once more.
Meanwhile, Zheng Fan was halfway back to his room to wash up and rest when a small, agile figure bounded up to him. At first, Zheng Fan thought it was Xue Three, but as it drew closer, he realized it was the "ever-filial" wolf cub.
The wolf cub excitedly thumped his tiny chest. "Me... My... My people... My... My people... come... have come!"
The wolf cub was smart and learned to speak quickly.
Hearing this, Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes, grabbed the cub with one hand, and dashed towards the city tower.
On the city tower, Siniang, Liang Cheng, Blind Bei, Ding Hao, and a large group of others were already waiting. When Zheng Fan arrived, they instinctively made way for him.
Outside, under the inky night sky, a group of dark figures could be seen swaying in the distance. As the procession drew nearer, the torchlight from the tower finally illuminated the newcomers.
They were a group of disheveled wild people, their clothes tattered, but their gazes exceptionally sharp. They didn’t look like a group of humans; rather, they resembled a pack of hungry wolves roaming the desert.
The wolf cub kept excitedly shouting in their "dialect," and the crowd below responded with enthusiastic cheers.
Evidently, these clansmen highly approved of their "ever-filial" young clan leader.
Well, what can you do? This is probably the... corporate culture of the desert, I guess.
At this moment, the group below parted, and an iron-tower-like man strode out. He looked up at the city tower, then with a loud THUD, slammed a fist against his chest and roared, "My lord, have you had dinner yet?"
Then, from behind the large man, another figure emerged from the crowd: a man dressed in a tuxedo. His face was pale, but his hair was impeccably styled, and his clothes were alarmingly new, forming a stark contrast with the wild people around him. He continued to file his nails as he walked, only looking up when he neared the city gate.
He raised his head, glanced upwards, and an elegant, reserved, aristocratic smile touched his lips. Placing his right hand over his chest, he bowed slightly and said, "My lord, your most loyal subordinate has returned."