Chapter Ten: The Beginning

“You must be curious as to why this is,” Chu Xiao said, instantly seeing through Zhang Fengli’s confusion.

“Xishan Province is the last pure land of the Nine Provinces,” Chu Xiao said, his words brief, his gaze deep, and a bitter smile touched his lips.

Zhang Fengli trembled from head to toe.

The last pure land of the Nine Provinces?

The burden he carried, the gravity of it, was self-evident.

“Understood! I will exert my utmost effort to assist the chief in defending the Nine Provinces.”

Zhang Fengli had never expected that, in his lifetime, he would have the chance to do something so meaningful.

His life would not have been in vain.

Chu Xiao nodded slightly. “Good. Assemble the troops at once, and if possible, recruit more men for enlistment.”

“Let everyone in Xishan Province become part of this silent battle.”

“We must be fully prepared to face the Lord of the Underworld.”

When disaster looms, who can escape? No one.

“Yes, sir!” Zhang Fengli withdrew hurriedly to begin mobilizing manpower.

Qin Lihua stood to the side, dazed by the unfolding scene. Even now, it felt like a dream—half real, half illusion.

The days of peace and ease had vanished forever.

What awaited was an even harsher struggle.

“Mother, thank you.” The weight behind these words was something only Chu Xiao truly understood.

Qin Lihua nodded firmly. “Son, don’t worry!”

“From now on, I will do everything I can to help you.”

Chu Xiao nodded deeply, and his taut nerves finally relaxed a little.

The moment he relaxed, he plunged into endless darkness.

He was exhausted.

When Chu Xiao awoke again, a day and a night had passed.

“What time is it?” He groped for his phone, checking the time.

Thankfully, he wasn’t too late.

The screen flashed with countless missed calls, all from unfamiliar numbers.

His instincts told him that the caller was no ordinary person.

As Chu Xiao thought this over, he pressed the call-back button.

The dial tone sounded three times before the call was swiftly answered.

An old yet authoritative voice came through the line.

“Chu Xiao, have you rested well?” Although the Number One Chief’s words were phrased as a question, they bore the weight of a command.

“Yes. I’m sorry.” Chu Xiao realized how wasteful it was to have slept a whole day and night at such a critical moment.

“Now that you’ve rested, return to Mingzhu City. We are convening a meeting.”

“Understood!”

After the call ended, Chu Xiao wasted not a moment and rushed to the airport, telling no one.

Meanwhile, Qin Lihua was also busy on the phone, coordinating the allocation of supplies.

Two hours later, Chu Xiao arrived at the conference room.

He pushed the door open abruptly.

The once bustling conference room fell silent in an instant.

Though the moment was awkward, it hardly mattered.

The Number One Chief nodded to Chu Xiao and then, to everyone’s surprise, personally introduced him. “This is Chu Xiao, the chief executive in charge of the National Production Movement!”

With that, he rose and quietly sat to the side, watching.

That simple gesture alone made everyone in the room realize just how seriously the chief regarded this matter.

Not only had he introduced Chu Xiao himself, but he was also there to lend his support.

Chu Renfang, Song Huiming, Qi Tianli, Wang Tao, and Li Lichen showed little reaction upon seeing Chu Xiao; after all, they’d already met him before.

But the rest of those present stared in shock.

They had wondered who this Chu Xiao was, but to their surprise, he was just a young man—handsome, with fair and delicate features—not at all what one would expect of someone in such a position.

Could he truly shoulder such a heavy responsibility?

Many found it hard to believe. Chu Xiao swept his gaze around the room, taking in every nuance of their expressions.

In many eyes, there was no sense of imminent crisis—some even held skepticism. Perhaps they refrained from voicing it only because of the chief’s orders.

Yet the war humanity faced would be unprecedented.

Before the battle, Chu Xiao felt that every aspect of preparation must be flawless.

Especially the hearts and minds of the people.

He paused.

“I know that even now, many of you may still harbor doubts, even contempt, for me,” he said. “You doubt the Lord of the Underworld incident is as I’ve described, and think I lack the experience to lead you all…”

As Chu Xiao spoke, his eyes swept over the room. His gaze, as if seeing through everything, struck straight into their hearts, leaving everyone stunned.

They had expected Chu Xiao would use the chief’s authority to suppress dissent. After all, newly appointed leaders often assert themselves, especially one so young.

But, unexpectedly, Chu Xiao changed tack.

“Even so, I understand. It’s only human nature.” He smiled. If that weren’t the case, the chief would not be sitting at his side, lending him support—afraid Chu Xiao would fail to win everyone’s trust.

At that moment, as the chief listened to Chu Xiao's words, he realized his worries had been unnecessary. Chu Xiao was already in control.

Chu Xiao smiled calmly. “Whether or not you’ve heard about my previous predictions coming true, I only want to ask one thing: If the Lord of the Underworld incident is not as I say, what fate awaits me?”

“Will I rise to glory?” Chu Xiao asked, still smiling.

No one spoke; clearly, nothing good would await him.

Everyone knew this in their hearts.

“Today, sitting here, I only wish to share my thoughts on the inviolability of military orders.”

“In short, as a leader—if I err, I will die!”

“But if I find anyone in this campaign who is not absolutely dedicated, who pays lip service while acting otherwise—military orders are absolute! Punishment will be by martial law!”

The declaration of inviolable military orders!

The promise of martial law!

Everyone felt a jolt through their bodies.

They now looked at Chu Xiao with newfound respect. Indeed, he was the commander, and they were his officers and soldiers. Whether the Lord of the Underworld incident was true or not was secondary—for them, dereliction of duty might mean never living to see the truth revealed.

After this, Chu Xiao began issuing orders. What impressed everyone was that he seemed to understand Xishan perfectly; without consulting anyone, he devised plan after plan for the construction of fortresses and more.

Defense, development—nothing was overlooked.

By the time the meeting ended, it was already afternoon. Only then did Chu Xiao realize that, at some point, the chief had quietly slipped away.

Meanwhile, in America, Louis was monitoring the Lord of the Underworld’s every move, recording each activity.

But just now, Louis realized something was wrong.

In the span of a few minutes, the Lord of the Underworld seemed to have gained its own consciousness, no longer under his control.

What to do? What to do?

He was not alone in the control room; his assistant had noticed the problem as well.

No—he could not let anyone else find out!

Otherwise, all his efforts would be destroyed in an instant.

A flash of murderous intent appeared in Louis’s eyes. He picked up a knife and hid it behind his back.

“Did you notice anything just now?” Louis asked, expressionless.

The assistant, sensing something was amiss, quickly shook his head. “No! Really, nothing!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s good, then,” Louis replied, smiling as he slowly approached.

The assistant had no inkling of the danger.

“Yes, Mr. Louis, don’t worry. I won’t say a word,” the assistant hastily promised.

But a searing pain in his neck silenced him forever.

Blood spurted forth, painting a river across the lab floor.

With a bloodthirsty smile, Louis whispered, “Only the dead keep secrets.”

The assistant stared at Louis in disbelief, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.