Chu Chaoyan stayed at home. She found a cookbook in the library and started learning to cook. Although she was the daughter of a wealthy family before, now it was the apocalypse, and she still had to learn household chores. Coincidentally, Shen Feng came to ask questions every day. After cooking, she could also let Shen Feng taste her dishes.
This was torture for Shen Feng. Mentally, he had to face various historical problems and be questioned by the professor from time to time. After finally finishing classes, he had to taste Chu Chaoyan's cooking, which was then followed by physical torment.
It's not that Chu Chaoyan's cooking was bad, but it was far from delicious.
Chu Chaoyan made braised pork for Shen Feng. When Shen Feng finished his classes, she immediately brought the dish to him and said with a smile, "You must be tired. Hurry up and taste my cooking. If you like me, then eat it all."
Shen Feng felt a headache coming on and said helplessly, "Have you tasted it yourself?"
Chu Chaoyan quickly shook her head and said, "No, I haven't tasted it. Besides, this dish was made especially for you, so of course, you should be the one to taste it."
Shen Feng tasted the braised pork made by Chu Chaoyan and found it difficult to swallow. The seasoning was too heavy; it was not only too salty but also very sweet. It wasn't caramelizing the sugar; it was making a sugar syrup. It seemed like she had combined the method of braised pork with that of candied sweet potatoes.
"Come, come, drink some water," Chu Chaoyan said, seeing Shen Feng's troubled expression, and quickly handed him a glass of water.
Shen Feng drank the water to moisten his throat and then said, "Chaoyan, next time, don't put too much salt. Also, stop caramelizing the sugar; it's too sweet."
Chu Chaoyan listened to Shen Feng's advice and couldn't help but act spoiled. She grabbed Shen Feng's arm and shook it, saying, "I'm just starting to learn. The cookbook just says 'appropriate amount,' so how do I know how much seasoning is appropriate? You'll have to bear with it a bit longer."
Shen Feng smiled awkwardly, thinking, "If I keep eating this, I'll definitely get high blood pressure. The food I've been eating these days is just too sweet."
Professor Chu, sitting in the living room, saw this scene and shook his head helplessly. He knew about the relationship between Shen Feng and his granddaughter, but he couldn't understand it. His granddaughter had always said she wanted to marry an excellent man and didn't think much of Shen Feng. Now, however, she was completely smitten. This change was incredibly exaggerated.
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I won't interfere," Chu Yangtian continued reading his book, pretending not to see the intimate gestures between Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Shen Feng went to open it and found Chang Jianyi standing outside.
"Senior sister, why are you here?" Shen Feng asked quickly.
Chang Jianyi narrowed her eyes and asked, "If you can come here, why can't I? I'm here to see how your studies are going."
Shen Feng quickly replied, "I'm learning very well. The teacher just gave me a book and told me to read it more when I have time."
Chang Jianyi didn't waste any words. After entering the house, she went directly to Professor Chu and said with a smile, "Professor, I'm here mainly to see Chu Chaoyan. I've been lacking a secretary recently, and I think Chu Chaoyan is very suitable. Do you agree?"
Professor Chu said indifferently, "You should ask her yourself about this matter; don't ask me."
Chang Jianyi then looked at Chu Chaoyan and asked, "What do you think? Do you agree? The salary for working as my secretary is quite generous."
Chu Chaoyan glanced at Shen Feng and said guiltily, "Perhaps not. I'm not very good at handling documents, so I can't handle the job."
Chu Chaoyan was a little worried, unsure if this was Chang Jianyi's scheme. If she really worked for Chang Jianyi, she might be made to suffer.
Chang Jianyi suddenly saw the braised pork on the table and became angry. She thought, "Shen Feng, you're living quite a life, coming to the Chu family to study every evening and even spending time alone with Chu Chaoyan. No, I can't let you two stay together for too long."
So, Chang Jianyi smiled and said to Chu Chaoyan, "Aren't I looking out for you? If you become my secretary, you'll be the first to know any important news. Moreover, my office is on the top floor, connected to Shen Feng's office, and you can see the entire scenery of Yuzhou. Won't you consider it?"
Hearing this, Chu Chaoyan's heart stirred. If that were the case, she could see Shen Feng even during work hours and didn't need to meet him secretly. Wasn't that quite good?
"Alright then, I agree," Chu Chaoyan nodded in agreement.
Shen Feng heard their conversation and suddenly felt something was wrong. He seemed to smell a conspiracy.
Shen Feng's premonition was correct. The next day, Chang Jianyi led a group of people to Jiangyang, ostensibly to transport supplies and investigate the situation, but Chang Jianyi's real intention was to keep Chu Chaoyan away from Shen Feng.
Chu Chaoyan immediately realized she had been tricked. She thought she would see Shen Feng often, but now she was being taken to Jiangyang by Chang Jianyi, and she didn't know if she could return anytime soon.
"Damn it, I've been manipulated," Chu Chaoyan couldn't help but curse.
...
Jiangyang, the place where Shen Feng rose to prominence, had a population of about 150,000. Many people were unwilling to go to Yuzhou and just wanted to stay in Jiangyang. The reason was the protection of the city walls. Both zombies and mutated beasts would be blocked outside the walls. As long as they found a job within the city, they would have no worries about food and clothing.
Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi left Jiangyang for Yuzhou one after another. Afterward, Chu Yangtian became the one guarding Yuzhou. Professor Chu was also brought to Yuzhou a while ago. The person who guarded Jiangyang eventually became Li Xiang. He was one of the earliest members to follow Shen Feng, but he was too timid and missed several battles, so he became the one left to guard Jiangyang.
However, even though Li Xiang was far from the center of power, his life was still comfortable because he didn't have to fight on the battlefield and there was no danger to his life. Jiangyang also had abundant resources. Whatever he wanted now, his subordinates had to deliver it quickly, not daring to be negligent.
Li Xiang usually stayed at his 200-square-meter villa at home. He took the time to marry three wives. He didn't even need to open his mouth to eat; his three wives would bring the food to his mouth, and he just needed to enjoy it.
One day during mealtime, Li Xiang quietly left home with two trusted subordinates and headed for the city gate.
Although it was spring, the weather in the south was always hot. Li Xiang stood on the city wall, restless, enduring the scorching sun while pacing back and forth on the parapet.
His two trusted subordinates brought chairs and iced soda, saying, "Boss, you should sit down quickly. Speaking of which, you're not eating dinner but guarding the city wall. Are you waiting for someone?"
Li Xiang waved his hand, telling them to take the chairs away, and said in a low voice, "No need for chairs, I'll stand. After all, I'm an evolved person; my body won't be too bad."
Li Xiang drank the iced soda and continued to wait on the city wall. After an hour and a half, he finally spotted figures in the distance.
A bus arrived outside Jiangyang city, and four women wearing masks and sunglasses got off. Li Xiang immediately knew that the person he was waiting for had arrived.
The four women who got off the bus were dressed simply and didn't attract attention, looking like ordinary women from ordinary families. However, these four women had slender figures, and though their faces were hidden, their气质 couldn't be concealed. Standing by the roadside, they exuded a natural charm, and many people were secretly looking at them.
Beautiful women, after all, are beneficial for both body and mind.
Li Xiang immediately made arrangements: "You, quickly bring them into the city. No need for registration, and do it discreetly."
Li Xiang had learned of Chang Jianyi's arrival in Jiangyang yesterday and was greatly surprised. She was the Deputy City Lord of Yuzhou, second only to the City Lord. He had to be careful.
Li Xiang had originally planned a grand welcome for Chang Jianyi, but he learned from the phone call not to make a fuss. Therefore, Li Xiang cautiously brought his subordinates to the city gate, not daring to spread the news. He didn't understand why Chang Jianyi would come to Jiangyang at this time and be so low-key.
Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan went to Jiangyang, deliberately avoiding any fanfare. Even their travel was by bus, accompanied only by two personal guards, without even carrying firearms. They wore masks and sunglasses and dressed simply, not attracting anyone's attention.
Finally, Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan arrived in Jiangyang and were soon taken by Li Xiang to an inconspicuous small building.
"Deputy City Lord, why are you here?" Li Xiang asked, looking at Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan's appearance, and voiced his confusion.
Chang Jianyi explained, "This is a special mission. You just do as you normally would. As for this mission, you shouldn't be involved."
Li Xiang looked at them with a dejected expression and said, "Deputy City Lord, although I haven't been on the battlefield for a long time, you shouldn't look down on me like this. I can still fight when necessary. Wouldn't it be too much if I didn't ask about it?"
If there were no mission arrangements, Li Xiang wouldn't have any objections. But now, knowing that a secret mission needed to be carried out in Jiangyang and he wasn't allowed to participate, did it mean the City Lord or Deputy City Lord didn't trust his abilities? This was not good.
Chang Jianyi gently shook her head and said, "This is not looking down on you, but this matter needs to be carried out secretly. The fewer people who know, the better. In fact, almost no one in Yuzhou knows we're here. We can't alert the enemy this time."
Although Li Xiang didn't understand what mission Chang Jianyi was talking about, he sensed the importance of the matter and quickly agreed.
"Deputy City Lord, let me assign a few soldiers to protect you. It would be bad if something happened to you," Li Xiang quickly offered.
Chang Jianyi shook her head and refused, "No need. Both Chaoyan and I are ability users, so ordinary people can't hurt us. My bodyguards are also not to be trifled with. If you deploy soldiers, it will be easier to expose us. Those guys must have hidden themselves after hearing about our whereabouts."
Li Xiang had no choice but to obey Chang Jianyi's orders.
Few people knew about Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan's arrival in Jiangyang, and their reason was simple: to find supplies in Jiangyang's warehouses to take to Yuzhou. However, the real purpose was only known to Shen Feng, which was to investigate the gangs in Jiangyang.
The chef had been silenced, but the mastermind had never been found. Lin Yue was certain that there were no other gangs in Yuzhou. If that was the case, the culprit was likely from Jiangyang. The journey between Jiangyang and Yuzhou was only half a day.
However, if troops were dispatched to search for the gangs, these people would surely hide upon receiving the news. This was what alerting the enemy meant.
After much thought, since they couldn't act openly, they had to sneak in quietly without making a sound.
Shen Feng's target was too large, and every move was being watched, so he was not suitable for secret operations. Chang Jianyi decided to go herself and take Chu Chaoyan with her, so she wouldn't pester Shen Feng all day.
Chang Jianyi certainly wouldn't let the mastermind who tried to assassinate her off the hook easily, especially during this period of agricultural cultivation. If someone took the opportunity to cause trouble, it would lead to irreparable losses. Her previous inaction was only for the sake of secret operations.
Chu Chaoyan was also bothered by the assassination case. If Shen Feng were to have any serious accident, wouldn't she become a widow before even getting married?
"If you ask me, let's not investigate secretly. Let's just surround Jiangyang city and then search. I don't believe these people can escape anywhere," Chu Chaoyan said to Chang Jianyi.
In Chu Chaoyan's opinion, wasn't it simple to clean up the gangs in Jiangyang? A city-wide search would reveal any kind of crime.
"No, absolutely not!" Chang Jianyi said solemnly, "The mastermind is definitely not simple. From the time we started investigating until now, we haven't found any clues. This clearly shows it was premeditated. It won't be easy to find them easily."
Chu Chaoyan shook her head helplessly and lamented, "If that's the case, then all sorts of monsters and ghosts have indeed emerged."