"Knock, knock."
Chen Fan adjusted his expression, then reached out and knocked on the door a few times.
"Who’s there?"
A woman’s voice sounded from inside the house, a bit wary.
Chen Fan nodded secretly to himself. A bit of wariness is always good. Although Anshan City seemed calm at the moment, it was a mix of all kinds of people, and there might be some with ill intentions.
When the beast tide erupts in the near future, those people are likely to start stirring up trouble.
"Mom, it’s me."
He spoke softly.
"Xiaofan?"
A voice filled with surprise and joy echoed from inside the house.
"Is it Big Brother? Has Big Brother come back?"
At the same time, another voice full of delight sounded.
"It’s me, Mom."
Chen Fan responded.
Soon, a rapid succession of footsteps approached from afar, and with a click, the door opened, revealing two figures.
"Brother!"
Chen Chen exclaimed, then threw himself into Chen Fan’s arms.
"You’re all grown up now, still acting like this."
Chen Fan said with a laugh, gently patting his back.
"Xiaofan, you’re back."
Yin Fang’s eyes sparkled with tears.
She had been worrying about Chen Fan’s safety since the afternoon.
She only held back from contacting him because her husband said Chen Fan was very busy and had a lot to do.
"Yes," Chen Fan could see her inner turmoil and glanced outside before speaking softly, "Let’s talk inside."
"Sure, sure."
Yin Fang nodded repeatedly, stepping inside before turning around to ask, "Have you eaten? If not, I’ll cook something for you. It won’t take long."
"I’ve eaten, Mom."
Warmth flowed through Chen Fan.
Home is indeed a safe haven, a harbor from the storm.
"Have you eaten?" Disappointment briefly flashed across Yin Fang’s face before she said, "Then you must be thirsty. I’ll get you a cup of water."
"Okay."
Chen Fan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
A smile immediately appeared on Yin Fang’s face.
"Brother."
Chen Chen spoke up, "You came back a bit late. Just now, Dad and Uncle Zhang were here with many others, discussing the beast tide."
"Were they?"
Chen Fan pretended not to know, "So, why didn’t I see anyone? Where did Dad go?"
"They all left. Dad and Uncle Zhang probably went out to talk, but they’ll be back soon. Brother, you won’t leave tonight, right?" Chen Chen asked with hopeful eyes.
Although their days were much better than before.
At least they didn’t go to bed hungry every night, nor did they wake up in the middle of the night starving, only being able to drink some water to fend off hunger.
But he still missed the days at the Chen Family Stronghold, when the two brothers shared a bed, talking about everything and anything.
"No, I won’t leave tonight."
Chen Fan smiled.
"That’s great!"
Chen Chen’s eyes turned into slits from his wide grin, "Brother, I’ve got some questions about the fist technique to ask you."
"Sure, you can ask me whatever you want later." Chen Fan patted his head.
"Brother, can you stop patting my head all the time? It won’t grow taller." Chen Chen removed Chen Fan’s hand, protesting.
At this moment, Yin Fang walked over with two cups of plain water.
"Both are warm, you can drink them right away."
She gently placed the two cups on the table with a smile.
Chen Fan picked up a cup, took a few sips, and then put it down slowly before speaking, "Mom, besides coming to see you this time, I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead," Yin Fang nodded.
"It’s about the beast tide. I’ve mentioned it to you before, and now the city has issued a notice. It’s almost certain to happen, but you don’t need to worry too much."
He said, "I’ll do my best to ensure Anshan City isn’t breached. But if that day comes, I’ll take you away to a safe place."
Hearing this, the two people in the room looked at each other, their expressions relaxing a little.
"That’s what you said, but Xiaofan, you still have to be very careful."
Yin Fang glanced toward the door and said, "Also, if you can, try to take care of your dad and the others. I heard them say they’re joining the city guard army tomorrow morning to help defend the walls against the fierce beasts. Honestly, I don’t want him to go, but everyone else is going, so your dad can’t just not go..."
"Hmm, don’t worry, Mom, there won’t be any danger."
Chen Fan said seriously.
"Yes, Mom believes you."
Yin Fang nodded repeatedly.
...
Late at night, a crescent moon hung high.
Jiangnan City was still brightly lit, bustling with activity. The bars, restaurants, and KTVs were packed with people. The streets were filled with traffic, showing no signs of tension.
Even small cities had many people who heard the news, let alone Jiangnan City.
Many people already knew about the impending beast tide and were aware that this time it would be much larger than before.
But since they were in a big city, they felt relatively at ease. Even if the beast tide reached the city walls, the city’s guard forces were so strong that they didn’t need to worry excessively.
Thinking of the people in small cities and the ordeal they were about to face, many felt a sense of schadenfreude.
Martial Arts Association Headquarters.
Basement level one.
"Tap, tap."
Footsteps echoed loudly in the quiet corridor.
The owner of the footsteps was a burly man with a resolute face and sharp, gleaming eyes.
This man was none other than Shi Tao, the President of the Jiangnan Sub-district Martial Arts Association.