I build a shelter in the eternal night.

Chapter 30 "Quan'er, you are the future heir of the Chen family."

"Jiangbei City".

This city, famous for its "Jiangbei Market," was bustling with activity even before the floodwaters receded.

The murky stream flowed along the street to its end. Barefoot, the vendors skillfully rolled up their trousers to their knees, wading through ankle-deep puddles as they set up their stalls.

It doesn't take a while.

The shouts and calls of vendors gradually replaced the sound of rain, and the city awoke as the eternal night receded.

In the air, which smelled fresh and earthy, a wisp of steam rose from the food.

The morning market is open.

Even if the rainy season arrives early, it won't affect the opening of the morning market. After all, people still need to eat, and besides, ordinary people can only accept their fate in this situation and can't change anything.

However, a house next to the morning market was unusually quiet, which seemed out of place with the hustle and bustle of the morning market just across the street.

This large mansion located in Jiangbei City is the residence of the "Chen Family of Jiangbei".

One of the three major forces in Jiangbei City.

"."

In the backyard of the Chen family in Jiangbei, in a small courtyard surrounded by several side rooms, a middle-aged man dressed in martial arts clothes stood solemnly in the pouring rain, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together, as if he were seated.

next moment!
His eyes snapped open, a sharp glint in them.

The several level 2 strange stones in his palm shattered instantly, turning into a ghostly green liquid that floated in the air.

"go with!"

The middle-aged man let out a soft shout, and his finger suddenly pierced forward. The dark green liquid seemed to have a life of its own, moving rapidly in the air and gradually creating a "phantom arrow tower" made of pale green liquid.

During the painting process, some of the pale green liquid was constantly dissipating into the air.

"rise!"

A few breaths later, the man clenched his fist again.

The phantom of the arrow tower solidified rapidly in the downpour until it stood upright in the courtyard.

The servant beside the man, who was holding an oil-paper umbrella to shield him from the rain, flattered him with a smile: "Master Liu, your utilization rate of the energy of the strange stones is getting higher and higher. Now, it only takes 5 level 2 strange stones to build an arrow tower."

"Currently, the market price for hiring an architect to build an arrow tower for one's camp is at least 150 Mysterious Stones."

"Their cost is around 100 strange stones."

"The Chen family's former level 4 architect needed 70 strange stones to build a single arrow tower."

"Now, Liu Gongfeng, you only need 50 strange stones to build an arrow tower, and the success rate is as high as 7%!"

"It won't be long before you, Liu Gongfeng, become the undisputed number one architect in Jiangbei!"

"Humph."

The middle-aged man snorted coldly, a hint of arrogance flashing in his eyes. As a Level 5 architect employed by the Chen family, he had his own pride. But after glancing around, he frowned slightly and asked, "Where is the patriarch? Doesn't the patriarch usually do his morning exercises here?"

"This servant is unaware of the situation."

"You may leave now. I'll go check on the head of the family."

The Chen family's residence in Jiangbei, side courtyard, council hall.

The current first heir of the Chen family, the young man who personally exiled Chen Fan to the wilderness, only got up and dressed hurriedly after receiving the notice of an emergency meeting this morning, and rushed to the council hall in the pouring rain.

Enter the council chamber.

The patriarch was seated at the head of the table, flanked by five powerful elders from the Chen family of Jiangbei.

"Father."

After bowing and greeting the boy, he sat down in his seat. He sensed something was off about the atmosphere today. His father looked very unwell, with a mixture of anger, resentment, and disbelief.

Has something happened to your family?
"Quan'er is here, everyone is here. This morning's emergency meeting concerns the future of the Chen family. Everyone, please speak freely and share your thoughts." Quan'er is the boy's nickname; his full name is Chen Quan.

The first heir of the Chen family in Jiangbei.

Is everyone here?

Chen Quan was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously raised his eyelids to look at the empty chair across the table. That was the seat of Liu, the Chen family's retainer. In the past, no matter what the matter was, big or small, Liu would always be invited to attend.

As a result, Liu Gongfeng complained many times, saying that he was just a level 5 architect and did not understand the development of the family. He should not be called to all sorts of messy meetings. He needed to cultivate and did not have that much time.

But surprisingly, Liu Gongfeng wasn't invited today.
What could possibly be keeping from the Chen family's only architect?

He keenly sensed a hint of unease.

He immediately adopted a detached, introspective demeanor and sat down in his seat. He was still relatively inexperienced, and nothing he did concerned him; he simply needed to remain quiet.

however--

His father's words instantly sent a chill down his spine.

"Chen Fan, my son."

"A few days ago, I was assigned to the Chenjia No. 37 station in the wasteland north of the river to serve as the station manager."

"His attendant was a personal servant named Lame Monkey, a servant trained by the family three years ago. He only carried three strange stones with him when he set off."

The words fell.

Chen Quan's expression changed drastically in an instant. He subconsciously stood up, not daring to look his father in the eye, and his voice trembled slightly: "Father, according to the Chen family rules, sending Chen Fan to the wilderness for training is in accordance with ancestral precepts. Everything is proceeding according to procedure."

He was interrupted by a tapping sound on the table before he could finish speaking.

His father hadn't mentioned this matter at all these past few days, and he thought his father was completely unaware of it. He never expected his father to know so much about it, even knowing the name of a servant, though he couldn't quite remember what that servant's name was.

Who would care about the name of a servant?

The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table had a deeply lined face, heavy eye bags, and his lips were tightly pursed as he tapped the table lightly. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of fatigue, but his head was still habitually held high.

His hair has turned completely white.

His face was etched with the marks of time; he was a man whose presence alone exuded an aura of oppression.

Like an old, majestic lion.

"The rainy season has arrived early; today is the third day of the rainy season."

Of all the stations on the wasteland that couldn't be evacuated in time, only two survived: one was Station 16 of the "Hillside Royal Family."

"Another one—"

"That's the 37th stop of the 'Chen Family of Jiangbei'."

"That is, the station where Chen Fan is located."

He tossed a strange map onto the table, leaned back in his chair, half-closed his eyes, and gently rubbed his temples. His voice was hoarse with fatigue as he said, "What do you elders have to say about this?"

"Quan'er".

"You are the future heir of the Chen family. Think about it first. I'd like to hear your thoughts again later."

"This"

"How can this be."

As soon as the patriarch finished speaking, several elders of the Chen family exchanged incredulous glances. They didn't actually know that Chen Fan had been sent to the wasteland, but when they saw Chen Quan's reaction, they roughly understood what was going on.

Very normal.

These things are perfectly normal within the family.

The only abnormal thing is...
How could Chen Fan's station, number 37, possibly survive until the third day of the rainy season?

(End of this chapter)