VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 932: Exile’s Tribulation

“Take your time searching. I’ll be in the office up top if you need me.”

As Ye Shisan and his companions sifted through the shed’s relics, Lu Zhengwu withdrew quietly, reflecting somberly, If Jiamu were still alive, he’d be near this young man’s age.

Unbeknownst to him, Ye Shisan was thirty-five, his youthful visage masking his years, appearing a mere twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Twenty years ago, Lu Zhengwu’s eight-year-old son, Lu Jiamu, vanished without a trace. Though rebellious by nature, he’d never disappear without word, yet whispers spread of a water ghost snatching him at the reservoir.

Some villagers also gossip pinned it on his name—Jiamu, Jia Wood[1] engenders fire, and when it meets Bing Wu, it must burn. Lu Zhengwu’s name, meaning the blazing noon sun, doomed Jia Wood to perish, didn’t it?

Desperate, Lu Zhengwu poured a fortune into dredging the reservoir, but the waters yielded nothing.

Others claimed a deranged beggar spirited Jiamu away, their tale so vivid it demanded belief.

Forsaking a stable job, Lu Zhengwu plunged into commerce, scouring the entire nation not merely for riches but to find his lost son. Though Jiamu remained elusive, he amassed a vast fortune.

For twenty years, though he amassed wealth beyond lifetimes, Lu Zhengwu’s spirit waned, drained of vigor to seek his son. Funds funneled to detectives consistently yield no results, leaving him disheartened.

After his wife succumbed to grief’s toll, he seemed to awaken, detached from worldly ties.

Returning to Pang Family Town to live out his days, he never foresaw the Pang Clan’s tyranny rekindling the fire of this weathered lion.

When Lu Zhengwu departed Pang Family Town, the Pang name was scarcely a murmur, known only through elders’ tales of Pang Bandit.

Yet, in the two decades of his absence, the Pang Clan emerged like specters, seizing control of the town.

Whispers branded them descendants of Pang Bandit, unproven but persistent, likely echoing the townsfolk’s simmering resentment.

The Pang Clan had three sons. The eldest, Pang Long[2], deputy mayor, was foretold in the womb to wield great power, a seer’s prophecy.

The second, Pang Hu, ran businesses, including the Triple Six Hotel where Ye Shisan stayed; defeated by Lu Zhengwu in a bid, he unleashed thugs to harass the site.

The third, Pang Niu—the eldest embodies the majesty of a dragon, the second exudes the ferocity of a tiger—yet the third, perplexingly, takes the form of a mere ox. Should it not, at the very least, be a leopard or a wolf? This ox... clearly feels a tier below the first two! Rumors swirled that he was the patriarch’s illegitimate son, nearly stripped of the Pang name but for his mother’s cunning.

Tasked with the clan’s dirty work, Pang Niu toiled in the underworld.

When Pang Hu suffered a loss, Pang Niu stepped up, thus Lu Zhengwu's construction site was thrown into chaos, a scene of utter turmoil with no peace to be found.

The Pang Clan’s repeated raids left workers—young, fiery men—battered, teetering on the edge of a brutal brawl, checked only by Lu Zhengwu’s swift intervention.

Yet, this made hiring locals nearly impossible, save for his loyal crew, grinding the project to a halt.

Surrender to such thuggery? Unthinkable. Lu Zhengwu, seasoned by two decades of trials, had faced far worse; yielding would have cost him his empire.

Lost in the gaze of Lu Jiamu’s photograph, Lu Zhengwu started as the door flew open.

“Uncle!”

A woman in her twenties stormed in—long hair cascading, eyes wide and luminous, skin pale, her tall frame striking yet marked by broad bones and a subtly noticeable Adam’s apple.

Beyond these peculiarities, her beauty was captivating. With a resounding thud, she heaved a massive backpack onto Lu Zhengwu’s desk.

Lu Zhengwu’s brows twisted in frustration: “Fang Ling, didn’t I tell you to stay home? What’re you doing here, dressed like… that? Ugh!”

The pretty girl pouted, her lips pursed defiantly: “Uncle, don’t forget our Threefold Covenant—no mention of that!”

“Fine, fine, little ancestor. What’s this now?”

“The Transmission Electron Microscope I have falls short—I need a higher-powered model…”

A TEM, costing millions of yuan.

“What T-E-M? Greek to me. If it’s worth it, buy it. I’ll call finance.”

“Finance won’t do. It’s not here—it’s not available here. I need dollars, or why would I bother you?”

“Dollars? How much?”

“Roughly two million…”

“Two million?! My little ancestor, I’m not a cash cow! You’re always tinkering with weird stuff, just like your mother…”

Fang Ling’s face hardened. “Uncle! this is a loan! And we swore—no mother talk. One more slip, and I’m through!”

Lu Zhengwu, aware of his misstep, sought to change the subject when a sharp knock interrupted.

Fang Ling opened the door. Ye Shisan and Yi Qing stood there. “Uncle Lu, your help paid off—we found it!”

Ye Shisan offered Fang Ling a nod before stepping inside to show Lu Zhengwu the photo, where Ye Dongsheng held a swaddled Ye Shisan, his face a blend of solemnity and tender warmth.

The gratitude from Ye Shisan and Yi Qing stirred unexpected solace in Lu Zhengwu’s heart. “Wonderful! Found it at last. I wronged you both… Wait, I’ll cover a new jeep.”

Yi Qing’s tense expression eased. She’d fretted over the wreck—her fault for barging in had sparked the chaos, no grounds to complain.

Lu Zhengwu rose: “Fang Ling, and you two—Mr. Ye, Miss Yi, right? Follow me to finance up ahead; I’ll have them sort it out.”

Before they could step out, a worker in a hardhat barreled in, crashing headlong into Lu Zhengwu.

At over sixty, even his sturdy frame faltered under the young man’s force, staggering back until Ye Shisan’s swift grasp steadied him, averting a perilous fall.

“Brother Wang, why the rush?!” The beautiful young woman, Fang Ling, grew anxious nearby. She was definitely ready to give that young man a hard time if Lu Zhengwu had been hurt.

The worker, breathless with panic, gasped: “Boss Lu, disaster! Pang Old Bandit has sent people to stir up trouble again!”

Lu Zhengwu’s veins bulged. “Outrageous! They dare stir trouble in broad daylight?!”

“They’re not bluffing—they nabbed our supplier, claiming our materials were theirs. They’re stealing our stock!”

“Those bandits! Show me!”

Lu Zhengwu strode forward, then glanced back at Ye Shisan: “Mr. Ye, wait here—I’ll resolve this and return. Fang Ling, tend to our guests!”

Fang Ling stamped her foot: “Uncle, I’m coming with you!”

Ye Shisan spoke up: “Uncle Lu, I want to see who’s taken over my hometown.”

Yi Qing was sharper. “If he’s going, count me in. I may not be a local officer, but I’ve got plenty of ways to handle these thugs!”

Fang Ling glanced at Yi Qing, then at Ye Shisan, a strange fondness sparking within her. She seized Lu Zhengwu’s arm: “Uncle, stop pushing it away. On top of that, we might not even have to rely on these two for help!”

She hoisted her backpack, winking knowingly at Lu Zhengwu.

Only then did Ye Shisan realize the statuesque beauty beside him was, in fact, a man.

[1] Jia Wood (甲木, Jiamu) is the first heavenly stem "Jia" paired with the wood element in Chinese Taoist Five Elements theory, symbolizing vigorous growth, like a towering tree. In Lu Jiamu’s name, it directly reflects a wood-aligned fate, embodying resilience but prone to destruction when fueling excessive fire. His father, Lu Zhengwu, whose name evokes the fiery noon sun (Bing Wu, a fire-heavy celestial cycle), creates a fatal clash, as wood engenders fire but burns when overwhelmed, per folk naming beliefs.

[2]Long (龍, dragon) symbolizes divine power and nobility in Chinese mythology, often linked to emperors and cosmic forces. Hu (虎, tiger) represents courage and ferocity, revered as the king of beasts. Niu (牛, ox) denotes diligence and resilience, tied to agricultural labor. These names reflect the brothers’ roles: leader, warrior, and steadfast supporter.