All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

As soon as Bai Jiaxuan finished speaking, the crowd in the square fell silent. Then, a cacophony of voices and noise erupted, deafening the entire square.

Bai Jiaxuan didn't stop the discussion. He just glanced around and found that many people still had happy looks in their eyes, including Lu Zhaopeng, who had a smile on his lips.

Lu Zhaopeng seemed to notice that Bai Jiaxuan was looking at him, and quickly stopped smiling. He was indeed very happy.

Last year, he secretly returned to Xi'an and was ordered to contact the comrades who were in the uprising. Over the years, the Bailuyuan area had become famous. The local area was a monolithic entity, neither white nor red, but controlled by a bandit for nearly forty years.

This was his hometown, the place where he was born and raised. So he decided to return to Bailuyuan, partly to hide his identity and partly to find a way to liberate Bailuyuan.

To conquer Bailu Plain, we must start by attacking from within, and the biggest landlord and village bully in Bailu Plain is Bai Jiaxuan.

Bai Jiaxuan has controlled Bailuyuan for nearly forty years and enjoys considerable prestige, making him generally unshakeable. However, Bai Jiaxuan's henchmen, Heiwa and Bai Xiaowu, possess a local armed force, which also poses a threat.

Moreover, there has always been a local rumor that the bandits of Wuzhi Mountain have had close ties with Bai Jiaxuan, so Bai Jiaxuan is an unavoidable figure.

Lu Zhaopeng never expected that Bai Jiaxuan would voluntarily give up the position of clan leader.

This gave Lu Zhaopeng the best opportunity!

After having an idea, Lu Zhaopeng immediately gave a look to the people around him.

The group immediately understood, and one of them shouted loudly.

"We recommend Lu Zhaopeng to be the clan leader!"

As soon as the man shouted, the people around him seemed to sense his telepathy and shouted in unison.

"Yes! We want Lu Zhaopeng to be the clan leader! He's knowledgeable and cultured; we want a modern clan leader!"

"Lu Zhaopeng will be the clan leader! Lu Zhaopeng! Lu Zhaopeng!"

Perhaps it was because Lu Zhaopeng's work in Bailuyuan over the past year had truly resonated with the people that he quickly gained widespread support.

As the shouts from the crowd grew louder, some people who were unaware of the facts also began to shout Lu Zhaopeng's name.

Although some people didn't want Lu Zhaopeng to be the clan leader, they didn't have a good impression of Bai Jiaxuan either, so they joined in the call.

In less than a minute, only Lu Zhaopeng's shouts remained in the entire square!

Bai Jiaxuan remained expressionless, while Heiwa, Bai Xiaowu, and the others who were maintaining order on the side all showed strange expressions. They had not expected that Lu Zhaopeng had unknowingly developed such a powerful force in Bailu Plain.

They were both aware of Lu Zhaopeng's actions over the past year, yet Bai Jiaxuan told them not to interfere and to let things take their course. At that moment, both of them felt a strange sense of panic.

The territory they had painstakingly cultivated for decades was suddenly stolen by someone else, and Lu Zhaopeng mobilized the masses. This feeling of being controlled by the other party left both of them bewildered.

Lu Zilin, standing to the side, had his eyes half-closed in a smile, his mouth wide open, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

He had wanted the position of clan leader his whole life, but he never expected his son to be so popular. Naturally, he was happy!

Bai Jiaxuan remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard the shouts from the square. Only when Lu Zhaopeng's name was the only one left on the square did he slowly open his eyes, raise his hand, and signal everyone to be quiet.

After the noise finally subsided, Bai Jiaxuan spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Since Zhao Peng is so popular, then I will step down and hand over the position to a more capable person. The next clan leader will be Lu Zhao Peng!"

As soon as Bai Jiaxuan finished speaking, cheers erupted throughout the factory, especially among the young people, who almost jumped up and cheered.

Bai Jiaxuan clearly saw Lu Zhaopeng's momentary lapse in concentration as he stood at the very front.

A smile appeared on Bai Jiaxuan's lips. Perhaps Lu Zhaopeng had painstakingly prepared many methods for this position of clan leader, but he never expected that he would get it so easily!

This sense of unreality left Lu Zhaopeng somewhat dazed.

Bai Jiaxuan's next words left Lu Zhaopeng even more bewildered.

After the cheers subsided, Bai Jiaxuan interrupted them again, cleared his throat, and continued, "Next is the second matter. It's like this: my Bai Ling recently wrote to say that she has purchased a lot of fertile land and farmland overseas and urgently needs manpower. She also wants to bring me over to broaden my horizons."

I've been away from my daughter for so many years and I miss her terribly. But the journey is long, and I'm getting old. I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back. So I've decided to take my whole family to live overseas temporarily. If we don't get used to living there, Xiaowu and the others can come back on their own. I'm getting old and I'm planning to retire here!

Also, if anyone in our village wants to go overseas to buy property with me, they can come along this time. Bai Ling also mentioned in her letter that she'll give ten acres of good paddy fields to those who are willing to go. If you're interested, just let me know here. Time waits for no one, so I've decided to head out in the next few days! Okay, that's all! If you're interested, let me know!

Bai Jiaxuan spoke at length in one breath, but the amount of information contained in his words was so great that it left all the villagers in the square dumbfounded.

It wasn't until long after Bai Jiaxuan finished speaking that an old man anxiously stepped forward and called out.

"Jiaxuan, what are you doing? Why are you thinking about going overseas? You're already this age, traveling back and forth like this, are you still healthy?"

Bai Jiaxuan looked at the old man who stepped forward, couldn't help but chuckle, shook his head helplessly, and sighed.

"Old Eight, this man is getting old and wants to go out and see the world. Don't try to persuade him anymore. Look at our generation of old brothers, how many of us are left? You've said it yourself, we're all this age, how many more years do we have to live? While we can still walk, it's good for us to see the world!"

Bai Jiaxuan's words made the old man opposite him shake his head and sigh, but in the end he didn't say anything more.

As for the other young people, let alone trying to persuade them, many of them even looked delighted.

Lu Zhaopeng looked even more bewildered. He had prepared so many people for this clan assembly, but it ended up like this. He really hadn't expected it. What was Bai Jiaxuan thinking? Although he couldn't keep his position as clan leader, there was no need for the whole family to move overseas.

Besides, in this chaotic world, why should this large family go through all this trouble?

Moreover, Bai Luyuan is still under Bai Jiaxuan's control, so why did he surrender without saying a word?

This makes absolutely no sense.

Lu Zhaopeng naturally had no idea what Bai Jiaxuan was thinking.

Even Bai Xiaowu and Heiwa were somewhat bewildered by Bai Jiaxuan's words.

What's going on with this whole family moving overseas?

Bai Jiaxuan just said that if someone was willing to go with him, he would give them ten acres of good paddy fields, but now half a day has passed and no one has come forward.

Bai Jiaxuan was not surprised at all. Ten acres of good paddy fields were tempting, but this era was different from later generations. Unless there were natural disasters or man-made calamities, no one would be willing to leave their hometown to make a living in another place, let alone overseas where the future was uncertain.

Bai Jiaxuan didn't raise the stakes, only mentioning ten acres of paddy fields. This price wasn't enough to make people leave their homes and make a living with him.

If Bai Jiaxuan offered to give away 100 or 500 acres of land, perhaps people would rush to do it, but 10 acres is simply not worth the price.

Bai Jiaxuan wanted this unequal exchange; if he offered too high a price, those who went with him wouldn't be completely devoted.

If someone were to actually go overseas with him for ten acres of land, it would mean that person trusts him completely. Only such a person can serve as a foundation for building a new business together in the future.

Therefore, Bai Jiaxuan was not surprised at all that the square was silent at this moment.

After another full minute of awkward silence, Bai Jiaxuan felt it was about time and was about to get up when he saw a family of four squeeze out from the crowd.

A bald old man walked in front, followed by a couple and a baby in their arms.

Although the old man looked to be over seventy, he still had that roguish air about him.

Seeing the old man step forward, Bai Jiaxuan couldn't help but laugh helplessly. He watched as the old man walked up, bowed, and said with a fawning expression.

"Elder Chief, our family of four would like to follow you overseas to make a living. Is that possible?"

Bai Jiaxuan smiled and shook his head, saying...

"Bai Xing'er, you'd better think this through. Once I leave, I may never come back. Your descendants will all have to live overseas!"

In his youth, Bai Xing'er was a village ruffian, a scoundrel with a penchant for all sorts of vices. He was often beaten by Bai Jiaxuan. Later, he had a son, but because he neglected his duties, his wife was driven to her death by grief. Even though his family was destitute, he remained unchanged in his ways.

Raising a son alone, she's finally made it through the tough times. Her son, Bai Han'er, was illiterate and not very bright; he didn't marry until he was thirty, after all, a woman who had fled famine. Now, they finally have a one-year-old grandson.

If Bai Xing'er hadn't been born in Bailuyuan, his whole family would have starved to death long ago.

Bai Xing'er's family had long since lost their land, and they had basically been just getting by all these years, making them one of the worst off in Bailuyuan.

Bai Jiaxuan never expected that Bai Xing'er would think of going overseas with him.

Bai Xing'er was quite carefree; when Bai Jiaxuan asked him, he still replied with that same playful smile.

"Elder Chief, I, Bai Xing'er, have lived a muddled life, but I'm not blind. Bai Lu Yuan is what it is today because of your fairness. Only with you here can Bai Lu Yuan allow someone like me to live. So, I, Bai Xing'er, am determined to follow you. My whole family will follow you. You'll surely give our family some food, won't you?"

Bai Xing'er's words impressed Bai Jiaxuan. He never expected that after protecting Bailu Plain for more than forty years, the only person who could see things clearly was an old rascal in the village.

However, Bai Xing'er's words made Bai Jiaxuan extremely happy.

Bai Jiaxuan laughed heartily, stood up, walked to Bai Xing'er, patted him on the shoulder and said.

"Alright, I, Bai Jiaxuan, keep my word. From now on, as long as I, Bai Jiaxuan, have food to eat, I won't let your family go hungry. Okay, then I'll take your family with me!"

After saying that, Bai Jiaxuan turned around and left the ancestral hall without looking back.

Lu San followed silently behind. As Bai Jiaxuan's long-term servant, he no longer needed to answer with words; Bai Jiaxuan's decision was his decision.

Heiwa, who knew some of Bai Jiaxuan's secrets, naturally followed Bai Jiaxuan and his whole family away from Bailuyuan.

The clan assembly ended hastily, and of the more than 3,000 people in the village, only Bai Xing'er's family of four was willing to leave with Bai Jiaxuan.

After Bai Jiaxuan had his family tidy up, he didn't sell the old house. Although Bai Jiaxuan had left with his entire family, his eldest son, Bai Xiaowen, who hadn't returned home for thirty years, was still there.

Regardless of what Bai Xiaowen achieves in the future, this old house is now left to him.

Bai Jiaxuan also wrote a letter to Bai Xiaowen. Bai Xiaowen was somewhat surprised to learn that his father wanted to take the whole family away from Bailu Plain, and he wrote a letter to persuade him to leave.

However, Bai Jiaxuan sensed a faint sense of estrangement in the letter, and couldn't help but feel helpless.

Bai Jiaxuan knew everything about Bai Xiaowen's experiences over the years.

Sometimes, he had to admit that some people, it seemed, were destined from birth for their character.

In the original novel, Bai Xiaowen is a treacherous, cunning, ungrateful, and treacherous villain, but in the end, he is the big winner in the grand finale.

Perhaps only people like this can live a successful and prosperous life.

In this life, Bai Jiaxuan raised him with a hands-off approach from a young age, without subjecting him to the oppressive education of the original story. With Bai Jiaxuan's explicit and implicit support, Bai Xiaowen in this life, although facing numerous dangers and life-threatening situations, ultimately overcame them all, not only becoming a university student but also successfully joining the Red Face organization.

His personality seemed to make him a born schemer. Throughout his life of crime, he rose to power several times through scheming, and in the end, his status only increased.

He was able to sever ties with his family for over thirty years for the sake of his career; it's difficult to describe such a person with a specific adjective.

Bai Jiaxuan ultimately did not reply to Bai Xiaowen. Instead, he ordered the shadow members around Bai Xiaowen to enter a state of silence. They could choose to leave Bai Xiaowen and start a new life, or wait for the organization's assistance to go to Southeast Asia.

That year, not only Bai Jiaxuan withdrew, but the entire Shadow Organization, including its thousands of peripheral members and special personnel on the mainland, received an order: they could choose to leave or stay. From then on, the Shadow Organization went into complete silence and might not reopen on the mainland in the future.

In fact, the vast majority of peripheral members chose to stay.

There's no other way; leaving one's hometown is a choice that most people are unwilling to make.

Everyone makes different choices, and their lives change accordingly.

On the night before he left, Bai Jiaxuan came to the ancestral hall alone. He sat quietly in the Bailu Ancestral Hall and told his ancestors about his deeds over the years. Finally, he bowed deeply three times to the ancestral tablets.

Bai Jiaxuan eventually left with his entire family, a large group of dozens of people, and departed from Bailuyuan.

The last fifty bandits remaining on Wuzhi Mountain also gradually faded from view of Bailu Plain after Bai Jiaxuan's departure.

Two months after Bai Jiaxuan left Bailuyuan, a column of soldiers in red uniforms slowly drove into Bailuyuan.

Time flies, and the world changes!