The next day, Lei Laohu's side sent someone with the keys to the new residence.
The place was good: a two-story detached villa with a yard on the edge of District A. It had a small garden, and although the flowers and plants inside had withered, it was quiet and the walls were thick, making it seem much safer than before.
As soon as Su Wan entered, she paused for a moment, then unceremoniously picked the largest, sunniest room on the second floor. She was prone to sleepiness these days and inexplicably sensitive to cold, so a room with good sunlight was the most comfortable.
She directed Li Kui to move her various scattered "belongings" in, mainly soft blankets, a few changes of clothes, and various snacks she had collected.
"Tsk, this Lei Laohu really knows how to behave," Xiao Han wandered downstairs, touching the smooth handrail and kicking the thick wall. "Lu Da Shao is indeed a popular figure now; his treatment is certainly different."
Li Kui chuckled, deftly helping Su Wan make the bed, not forgetting to flatter her: "That's right, Brother Lu is now Lei Laohu's number one man! Miss Su, do you think this bed is soft enough? Should I add another mattress? I've noticed you seem a bit thinner lately; you should rest more."
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat at his comment about her being "thinner," but she showed no emotion and waved her hand: "Alright, alright, stop bustling about, I'll do it myself. Hurry and see what's in the kitchen; I'm hungry." She felt lazy all over now and just wanted to lie down.
Li Kui scurried downstairs, and soon the sound of pots and pans, along with his excited shouts, could be heard: "Oh my god! This kitchen is bigger than our old place! The pots are brand new! Miss Su, we can have a feast tonight!"
Lu Shiyan ignored them and went straight to the second floor, quickly inspecting the entire villa, from the windows to the vents, to ensure there were no listening devices or security risks.
"Li Xinhu, perimeter alert. Xiao Han, check the reinforcement of the courtyard walls and doors and windows."
Xiao Han's complaining voice came from downstairs: "No way, my arm isn't fully recovered yet, and you're already making me work?"
"Then you can let Li Kui do it."
"Forget it, forget it, I'll do it myself."
The house quickly gained some warmth. Su Wan lay on the new bed, smelling the sun-baked quilt, temporarily putting her worries aside, and drifted off to sleep.
The good days lasted less than two days. On the evening of the third day, A Mo returned with a heavy expression, bringing bad news—Mo Lei's mother... had passed away.
The atmosphere in the small villa instantly became heavy. Xiao Han remained silent for a long time after hearing the news, only heavily pounding the table.
Su Wan also felt quite uneasy; that child was so young.
The next morning, Xiao Han took Xiao Lei to the back mountain of the base. Lu Shiyan didn't go, and neither did Su Wan; she was not well now and didn't want to go to such an inauspicious place.
She just had A Mo bring some clean cloth and some food and water, and she also took out a few pieces of candy from her space, giving them to the red-eyed Xiao Lei.
"Auntie will miss you," she gently stroked the child's hair.
Xiao Lei nodded, clutching the candies tightly, and followed Xiao Han out the door.
The spot on the back mountain was specially chosen by Xiao Han; it was sheltered from the wind, sunny, and relatively secluded. There was no coffin, only the brought cloth was used to carefully wrap the woman's emaciated body. A deep pit was dug, and a temporary wooden plaque was found and erected. Xiao Han used his dagger to crookedly carve the woman's name onto it.
Xiao Lei hadn't cried; he just bit his lip tightly, his small figure appearing especially frail in the cold wind, his fists clenched tightly. Xiao Han squatted beside him, his large hand on his shoulder, unable to say any comforting words, just silently accompanying him and helping him fill the earth.
It wasn't until the last handful of earth covered the grave that Xiao Lei burst into a heart-wrenching sob.
Xiao Han pulled him into a tight embrace, letting the child's tears and snot get all over him. His own eyes were a bit red, and he heavily patted the child's back, his voice hoarse: "Cry, it'll be better once you cry it out... Xiao Lei, don't be afraid, from now on... Big Brother Xiao is here."
By the time they returned, it was already dusk. Xiao Lei's eyes were badly swollen, and he kept his head down the whole way, not speaking, completely deflated.
Su Wan looked at the child's distraught appearance, her heart heavy. She squatted down and gently pulled the cold, pale-faced Xiao Lei into her embrace, softly saying: "Xiao Lei, don't be afraid. Your mom just went to a very far place, and she'll be watching over you from heaven."
Xiao Lei trembled in her arms, his suppressed sobs gradually turning into heart-wrenching cries.
Su Wan gently patted his back, her nose stinging.
She thought of her own helplessness when she first transmigrated, and then of the child in her belly, and complex emotions surged in her heart.
Lu Shiyan stood in the shadows of the staircase not far away. His gaze lingered for a moment on Su Wan's furrowed brow and the sadness in her eyes, his expression slightly darkening. This woman was too soft-hearted, which was not good for her or the child.
Over the next month, the atmosphere within the base became unusually strange. On the streets, Lei Laohu's patrol teams nearly doubled, and inspections were much stricter than before. Even the District A trading point became quiet and oppressive, with occasional transactions quickly concluded.
Underneath, various versions of rumors spread rapidly: some said Scorpion was cornered and desperate, others said Lei Laohu was going to completely unify the base, and most were about that man—Lu Shiyan.
"Have you heard? Scorpion's other hidden outpost in the west of the city was taken down again the night before last!"
"Was it that Lu Shiyan again? Goodness, is this man made of iron? Those desperadoes under Scorpion are like paper in front of him."
"Exactly, it's said that not a single living person was left at the scene; blood flowed everywhere, tsk tsk."
Lei Laohu's power indeed grew significantly within this month. Not only did he annex many of Scorpion's outlying territories, but other smaller factions that had been observing also proactively showed goodwill, sending many "tributes."
Lu Shiyan's name, accompanied by repeated bloody and efficient actions, quickly spread among the base's high-ranking officials, becoming a nightmare for many who woke up at night.
With his decisive methods and extraordinary strength, he successively handled several tricky problems for Lei Laohu. One of the most talked-about instances was when Scorpion secretly contacted a small leader in District B, attempting to incite a defection within one of Lei Laohu's material transport teams.
As soon as the news leaked, Lu Shiyan took Xiao Han and infiltrated the opponent's stronghold.
Overnight, all dozen or so people involved in the conspiracy vanished.
The next morning, the small leader's head, placed in an exquisite box along with a note reading "The Price of Betrayal," was sent to Scorpion's contact point.
The neat and delicate handwriting, combined with the bloody content, created a chilling contrast.
Scorpion's subordinates who received the "gift" instantly went weak in the knees.
Each operation was clean and swift, with ruthless methods that sent chills down the spines of even seasoned veterans.
Scorpion's remaining forces were gradually eroded, and their operating space became smaller and smaller.
Amidst this tense, pre-storm atmosphere, Su Wan's belly also grew day by day, and even loose clothes began to feel a bit tight.
This evening, as she was leaning on the windowsill, lost in thought, the little one in her belly suddenly kicked, making her gasp in pain.
"This little thing has quite a lot of strength," she said, touching her belly, a complex expression on her face.
Lu Shiyan had appeared behind her at some point, his voice low: "Uncomfortable?"
His gaze fell on her swollen abdomen, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Suddenly, urgent footsteps were heard outside the door.
Li Xinhu pushed the door open, his face pale.
"Boss! Something big has happened!"
