Chapter 048 Hidden Master

　　Chu Mufan only dared keep that thought locked away in his heart. After all, Hu Gao was the lord of this entire camp—someone he could not afford to offend lightly! Besides, he had long dreamed of joining a scavenging team. Now that the chance had fallen into his lap, he had no reason to turn it down. He pretended to ponder for a moment before speaking slowly. “Very well!”

　　“Haha, excellent! I knew you were a straightforward lad. Coincidentally, the Second Scavenging Squad is short-handed. I’ll assign you there. Captain Gou Li is...”

　　“What? The Second Squad? Why can’t I join the First Squad?” Chu Mufan cut him off mid-sentence.

　　“Hehe, the First Squad is already at full capacity. Shoving another recruit in would be a waste of resources, and the other squad leaders would accuse me of playing favorites...” Hu Gao glanced over at Gou Li and smiled amicably.

　　Gou Li’s sharp single eye bore straight into Chu Mufan’s soul, sending a chill crawling down his spine!

　　“Alright then.” Chu Mufan conceded. He held no standing whatsoever in this camp. Hu Gao had extended him an olive branch, and he had no choice but to take it. If he pushed the lord too far, there was no telling what retaliation he might face. When you live under another’s roof, you have to bow your head—and right now, he was weaker than the average survivor to boot.

　　“What will my training entail?” Chu Mufan asked eagerly. He had long craved to grow stronger, yet had no proper training grounds or qualified mentor to guide him...

　　“As for your training... Captain Gou will map out your training regimen. For the duration of your drills, you’ll stay within the Lord’s compound. There’s an empty villa here that’s already been cleaned up for you. I’ll assign staff to look after your daily needs—you can move straight in!” As Hu Gao spoke, he stepped beside Chu Mufan and slung his thick, heavy arm over the young man’s shoulders. His bulky weight forced Chu Mufan to hunch forward.

　　Hu Gao twisted around, dragging Chu Mufan in a half-turn to face Gou Li behind them, and grinned. “Captain Gou, I’m entrusting Xiao Chu to you. See that you take good care of him...”

　　“Rest assured, my Lord. I certainly will.” Gou Li cracked an eerie smile.

　　He stepped up to Chu Mufan, his smile cold and sharp. “Be at my residence at eight tomorrow morning. I’ll lay out your training schedule then!”

　　“Understood.” Chu Mufan nodded, thoroughly unnerved by the one-eyed man’s ferocious stare...

　　Satisfied with his reply, Gou Li turned back to Hu Gao. “My Lord, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go prepare tomorrow’s training materials.”

　　“Go on then, off you go. I’ll see to all of Xiao Chu’s food and lodging arrangements,” Hu Gao replied quickly. With that, Gou Li took his leave.

　　“Xiao Chu, focus wholeheartedly on your training these next few days. Don’t worry about meals or shelter—I’ll handle everything!” Hu Gao said, patting Chu Mufan firmly on the shoulder.

　　Noticing Chu Mufan’s lingering reluctance, Hu Gao pulled a silver card from his pocket. Emblazoned across its center in gilded lettering were three large characters: VIP Pass. He handed it over and spoke.

　　“Take this VIP card. With it, you may roam freely anywhere within the Lord’s compound. You’ll be assigned personal attendants and priority food rations. How do you like it? This is the highest honor I offer my guests, and something ordinary survivors could never dream of receiving.”

　　With Hu Gao laying out such generous terms, Chu Mufan knew better than to decline. He nodded tactfully and accepted the card, tacitly agreeing to the arrangement.

　　Hu Gao called out loudly, “Liu Mang, come here at once!” A man dressed like a household steward hurried over, bowing deeply. “My Lord, what are your orders?”

　　“Escort Xiao Chu to the empty villa on the eastern side. See that he is well looked after—grant every reasonable request he makes, and do not slight him in any way! Do you understand?” Hu Gao instructed the middle-aged steward Liu Mang in a stern voice. He then turned back to Chu Mufan with a smile, “Xiao Chu, this is the camp’s head steward. He will oversee all your meals and lodging for the next few days. Do not hesitate to voice any needs you have; just make yourself at home.”

　　“Thank you, my Lord!”

　　After bidding Hu Gao farewell, Chu Mufan followed Steward Liu out of the main villa...

　　Once the pair had vanished from sight, a tall, gorgeous woman stepped to Hu Gao’s side. “Darling, why lavish such favors on that scrawny, useless boy?” This was Qian Xiaomei, Hu Gao’s newly-wed beautiful wife.

　　“Ugh, no matter how I look at him, he’s feeble and powerless. I cannot fathom why both Star and Gou Li take such a keen interest in him!

　　Star has rendered countless vital services to this camp and never once asked me for a single favor—yet out of the blue, he urged me to shelter and care for this youth. How could I refuse?

　　On top of that, Gou Li has badgered me nonstop these past days, begging to assign the boy to his squad. Ugh! They’re both invaluable to me, and I’m caught between them. I truly cannot see what charm this frail lad holds to make two squad captains fight over him!

　　If Gou Li hadn’t gifted such a stunning beauty as yourself to me, I never would have gone against Star’s wishes. I dread how I’ll explain myself once Star returns…” Hu Gao poured out his tangled troubles to Qian Xiaomei without reserve, a rare look of distress settling over his heavy features...

　　Seeing his troubled expression, Qian Xiaomei pulled the bulky Hu Gao into her arms, gazing straight into his eyes. “You are the Lord of this entire compound—why cower before mere captains under your command? Besides, every survivor resents you wasting resources feeding a good-for-nothing. You can plainly tell Star the truth. The boy is only joining Gou Li’s squad to train and temper himself, and you know how shrewd and capable Gou Li is; he will keep the boy out of harm’s way. Set your mind at ease...”

　　Hu Gao stared blankly into her bewitching eyes and mumbled dazedly, “Yes… you’re right… nothing will happen to him...” His gaze turned vacant, as though hypnotized by her words.

　　……

　　Steward Liu Mang arranged Chu Mufan’s villa in a quiet eastern corner of the Lord’s compound. A huge plot right at the heart of the compound was fenced off exclusively for Hu Gao’s mansion.

　　Flanking his private grounds stood two enormous warehouses holding the camp’s entire stockpile of grain, firearms, medical supplies and machinery. Heavy armed sentries guarded both the warehouses and Hu Gao’s villa around the clock...

　　Beyond this central zone lay separate villas for each squad captain and other key figures of the camp. A narrow path led from the gate of every residence to the main central road. Aside from Hu Gao’s grand mansion, every other building was clad in uniform red brickwork.

　　Chu Mufan glanced at his own two-story red-brick villa. Though the exterior bricks looked a little weathered, the place was way nicer than his tiny quarters back in the combat zone.

　　He stepped inside and gasped in amazement! The villa came fully furnished with every amenity imaginable.