Ice Apocalypse (Season 2)

Chapter 249: The Foolish One

On his way back, Xu Pangzi pondered deeply over Zhang Yi's words, his heart growing heavier with each thought. If that day really came, what would he do? Zhang Yi was his only confidant now, the only one willing to listen to his ramblings. (Little did he know that Zhang Yi often chatted with him using artificial intelligence.) Zhang Yi treated him well, and Xu Pangzi didn't want to betray him. However, the villagers of Xu Village hated Zhang Yi with a passion.
"If another organization's people showed up, the villagers would probably be thrilled to see them get rid of Zhang Yi!" Xu Pangzi scratched his head in distress. This was too troublesome! Even as a chosen one, he had no idea how to solve this problem.Upon returning to the village, Xu Pangzi sought out his friend, Xu Ping, with whom he had a fairly good relationship."Xu Ping, has there been any outsiders visiting our village recently?"Xu Ping laughed at his question. "Chunlei, you should get out more! How could you not know about such a big event?"Xu Pangzi was startled. "What big event?"Xu Ping replied, "Two high-ranking officials came to our village yesterday. They're supposed to be very important, from the military. We don't know much about them, but Sixth Grandpa was very welcoming, making everyone bring out their best to entertain them. You should've seen how attentive Sixth Grandpa was to them."Xu Pangzi's eyes widened, and a chill ran down his spine. These must be the people from the hostile organization Zhang Yi had mentioned, here to gather information."What did Sixth Grandpa say to them?"Xu Ping shrugged. "How would I know? I'm not important enough to be part of their conversations. But Sixth Grandpa has been in a good mood, even bragging about being appointed as the town's mayor."Xu Pangzi felt panic rising within him. Zhang Yi's words echoed in his ears: "If someday, their food supply runs low, Xu Family Town will be a huge granary for them to take from—under the guise of requisitioning. When that time comes, what can you do?""No, I need to talk to Sixth Grandpa immediately!"Ignoring Xu Ping's calls, Xu Pangzi ran towards Xu Dongtang's house. At that moment, Xu Dongtang was in high spirits. He had just called the village heads from other villages in Xu Family Town to announce that he had been appointed as the mayor by the higher-ups. Although it was just a verbal promise from Xie Huanhuan, Xu Dongtang took it seriously. The other villages, wary of Xu Village's power and especially Xu Pangzi's abilities, didn't dare to object. Xu Village was already the de facto leader of Xu Family Town, so acknowledging Xu Dongtang as the mayor was no big deal. Hence, everyone started calling Xu Dongtang "Mayor."Elated by this recognition, Xu Dongtang felt proud, thinking he had brought honor to his ancestors and would leave a significant mark in the family history. At this moment, Xu Pangzi rushed in."Sixth Grandpa, did you meet with some outsiders? What did you tell them?" Xu Pangzi's face was filled with anxiety, fearing Xu Dongtang might have divulged sensitive information. Zhang Yi had warned him that if the villagers helped outsiders against him, he would show no mercy. The recent death of over a hundred people was a clear example.Seeing Xu Pangzi's disrespect, Xu Dongtang's face darkened immediately. "Xu Chunlei, is this how you speak to your elders? Show some respect!"Intimidated by his elder, Xu Pangzi apologized, "Sixth Grandpa, I'm just very anxious. Please, tell me. This matter is really important."Xu Dongtang gave him a deep, disdainful look. He had always looked down on this useless grandson, speaking to him only because of his abilities."Yes, it's true. Two leaders from the higher-ups visited Xu Village to inspect our work and praised our current state. They even appointed me as the mayor of Xu Family Town!"Xu Pangzi wasn't concerned about this. He asked, "Sixth Grandpa, did you tell them about our grain reserves?"Reminded by Zhang Yi, Xu Pangzi realized that their grain reserves were a crucial secret not to be disclosed lightly. Xu Dongtang, however, laughed. "Why would we hide that? Our grain reserves are an achievement, something to be proud of!"Xu Pangzi's heart sank. Zhang Yi's prediction was coming true. Gritting his teeth, he continued, "Did you mention Zhang Yi?"At the mention of Zhang Yi's name, Xu Dongtang's expression turned cold. "That demon killed 128 people from our village. He deserves to die a thousand times over! We can't deal with him, but others can. I've reported everything about him to the leaders, and they assured me they would deal with him severely!"Xu Pangzi's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. "It's over, completely over," he said, his face pale. He knew Zhang Yi wouldn't tolerate any betrayal. Xu Dongtang's actions would undoubtedly bring Zhang Yi's wrath upon the village.Seeing Xu Pangzi's cowardice, Xu Dongtang sneered. "What are you afraid of? Zhang Yi is nothing compared to the organization's regular army. Just wait and see, once the army arrives, they'll wipe him out instantly! Our village's 128 deaths will be avenged!"Xu Pangzi's face was ashen. He knew his words were futile. Xu Dongtang's arrogance could doom the entire village. He didn't understand Zhang Yi's true strength or the significance of an extraordinary individual to ordinary people. The village existed now not because of Zhang Yi's mercy, but because Xu Pangzi was still useful to him and the villagers posed no threat to him, making them easy to eliminate if necessary. If Zhang Yi decided to kill them, none would survive."Stop babbling nonsense. Go home, get some sleep, and forget this conversation!" Xu Dongtang glared coldly at Xu Pangzi. "You're just a trump card for Xu Village. Follow my orders, and don't think for yourself!"