Another busy day had passed, leaving everyone exhausted but hopeful.
Just when everyone thought things were going smoothly, an unexpected voice broke the harmony: the elders of Six Saints Town refused to move.
The toughest hurdle was finally behind them.
Their families had lived in Six Saints Town for generations. Now, in their old age, they had no interest in the dazzling world outside—they just wanted to spend their remaining years in peace, and be buried in the family grave when the time came.
Many people had already seen the bustling world outside. No one needed to persuade them—they were convincing their own families to leave Six Saints Town.
The three of them, now that their true identities were exposed, couldn't stay in Liford Village anymore. So they found a place in Six Saints Town and settled down, keeping a low profile.
There were no inns in Six Saints Town.
Because there were never any guests.
"These people are really something..." Ryan King couldn't find the right words. "Isn't the outside world better? The elderly would be cared for, and Yin Enterprises is even giving them a pension—what more do they want?"
Now that he had become the mayor of Six Saints Town, Derek Lee naturally had to take on the town's responsibilities.
Derek Lee worked through the night, rounding up every last Zhang Family member in Six Saints Town. He locked them up in a courtyard, forcing them to give up the money and gold they’d hidden.
Cherry Miller sighed, "If these elders refuse to leave, then our mission will be a failure. Once the tunnel is built, this place won't be suitable for people to live in. They don't know how to use electricity safely—if they touch the high-voltage wires, the consequences could be disastrous."
Derek Lee refused to give up, so he gathered a crowd and had them dig through the Zhang Family's courtyard in the pouring rain all night.
By the second half of the night, the once-pristine Zhang Family house was reduced to nothing but rubble.
The Zhang Family members were locked in a separate courtyard, crying their hearts out, but nobody paid them any attention anymore. Their world had collapsed, and no one cared.
The Zhang Family patriarch was hit hard by the blow and collapsed, unable to move.
The Zhang Family’s third son was ruthless to outsiders, but he still cared about his father. He banged on the door, yelling, "Let us out! My dad’s sick—we need to see a doctor outside! Let us out!"
The guard watching the Zhang Family's third son said, "You want to take your father to see a doctor? Fine—just tell me where the gold is hidden and where you stashed the money. Then I'll let you out."
The third son blurted out, "The gold's already been sold! If you want money, you have to let me out—I put all the cash in a bank outside."
But the guard didn't buy it at all. He snorted, "Let you out? That'd be like letting a tiger loose again! I'm not that dumb. If you won't talk, you can just stay locked up!"
Zachary Zhang regretted everything.
He shouldn't have been so greedy for the leftover money. He should've quit while he was ahead and taken his family to live in the outside world.
Edward Zhang was stunned too.
Just this morning, he was still fighting with Zachary for control over Six Saints Town.
How did they all end up prisoners by nightfall?
Eric Zhang, unable to accept reality, clutched his head and sobbed uncontrollably.
What kind of mess was this, anyway?
He'd worked so hard to pull his uncle down from power, and before he could even take the stage, he was already overthrown?
The second son of the Zhang Family was probably the calmest of them all. He said, "The Zhangs are finished. Big Brother, whatever money you've hidden outside, don't tell them, and definitely don't hand it over. Once we're out of Six Saints Town, we'll need that money to survive."
No one in the courtyard spoke anymore—just a few women quietly sobbing.
The men's world had collapsed, and for the women, it was even worse.
Especially the Zhang Family women, who couldn't carry or lift a thing.
Without the Zhang Family, they were nothing.
And if they left Six Saints Town, how would they survive?
This ordeal lasted all night long.
But there was no result.
At dawn, Derek Lee knocked on the courtyard gate where Cherry Miller and the others were staying.
"You three, I need your advice," Derek Lee said bluntly. "The villagers want answers from the Zhang Family, but they refuse to reveal where the gold and money are hidden. Without that money, we can't calm the townsfolk!"
Cherry Miller smiled and said, "Uncle Lee, it's because they haven't seen the outside world yet—they're still fixated on the Zhangs' little patch of land. I suggest you let everyone go out and take a look around today. When they come back, let's see if they're still clamoring for the Zhangs' scraps. The Zhangs aren't exactly lying—once the gold was refined, it was shipped out immediately, so it's normal you can't find it. As for the money... People from the outside world never keep cash at home to gather dust; we invest it or just stash it in the bank. Banks are places that handle money, by the way. So even if you turn the Zhangs' house upside down, you won't find anything."
"So what do we do now?" Derek Lee said bitterly. "We can't just let them get away with it, can we?"
"Get away with it? Not necessarily," Cherry Miller continued. "Uncle Lee, instead of fighting over the Zhang Family's leftovers, you should focus on organizing the people and moving out of Six Saints Town as soon as possible. Remember, you're paid by the head! That's 250,000 yuan per person! Uncle Lee, you have six people in your family—that's 1.5 million! Plus, you'll get three apartments, each with three bedrooms and two living rooms. And don't say I didn't warn you: good apartments and layouts are limited. Whoever leaves first gets to pick first; if you're late, you'll have to settle for what's left..."
Derek Lee's expression changed.
That's right—how could he have forgotten about that?
"Let me give you a tip, Uncle Lee," Cherry Miller said with a smile. "Tomorrow, take the pickiest villagers out to see the world, and stop by the apartment complex our Yin Enterprises prepared. See if those homes appeal to them. If they're still causing trouble after that, just ignore them."
Derek Lee was enlightened and hurried off.
Yina Yin waited until he left before saying, "Derek Lee really has his priorities mixed up."
"Can't blame him," Ryan King said. "He's been village chief for so many years, always focused on Liford Village. His vision's just that narrow, so he cares about these trivial things and misses the big opportunities. Cherry really woke him up. He shouldn't make any more dumb mistakes. Yina, Cherry, I'm heading out again today."
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"Alright, be careful out there," Cherry Miller said, glancing at the sky with concern. "Keep an eye on the water level. It's been raining for seven or eight days now—if this keeps up, Six Saints Town might flood."
"Flooding isn't the problem. What I'm worried about is..." Yina Yin trailed off, but everyone understood.
Sure enough, after Derek Lee took the pickiest villagers out to see the outside world, none of them wanted to come back!
If they had money, they'd have stayed outside for good!
The outside world was just too dazzling and tempting. But out there, you can't get by without money. If you want to live outside, you need cash.
Just thinking about money made them even more desperate to move out.
At that moment, Mr. Fang arrived in Six Saints Town with his team, ready to start the relocation process.
Anyone willing to move out could go register with Mr. Fang, pack up their things, and get transported to the apartment complex prepared by Yin Enterprises.
All the apartments were fully furnished—just bring your bags and move right in.
Once they settled in, they could collect their money.
They could spend the money however they liked.
Many young people had already started packing, getting ready to leave Six Saints Town.
Several more large boats were added to the Dark River line, responsible for transporting the residents of Six Saints Town back and forth.
Just when everyone thought everything was going smoothly, a discordant voice arose: the elders of Six Saints Town refused to leave.
The elders were surprisingly united in their thinking.
Their families have lived in Six Saints Town for generations. Now, in their old age, they have no interest in the bustling world outside. All they want is to spend their twilight years in this peaceful town, and when the time comes, be buried in the ancestral graves, guarding their forebears.
There were quite a few people who felt this way.
No matter how much the young people in their families tried to persuade them, the elders just wouldn’t budge.
If the elders wouldn’t move, the younger ones couldn’t relocate either.
And so, the relocation effort hit another stalemate.
"These people are really something..." Ryan King was at a loss for words. "Is the outside world really that bad? The Yin Consortium is giving them pensions, making sure they’re cared for. What more do they want?"
"Everyone thinks differently," Cherry Miller replied. "The older folks just get more stubborn with age. There’s nothing we can do except keep trying to convince them. Yina, how’s the progress on the project side?"
"We’ve reached the outskirts of the mountains. Everything’s ready to close up, just waiting for Six Saints Town to finish relocating before construction starts." Yina Yin sighed, "Whether our multi-billion investment pays off depends on this."
Cherry Miller let out a heavy sigh. "If these elders won’t leave, then our mission’s a bust. Once the tunnel goes up, this place won’t be fit for people. They don’t know how to handle electricity—if they touch a high-voltage wire, it could be fatal."
"Exactly," Yina Yin said. "But our power lines have to go through here. Both sides of the project are already finished, there’s no way to change the route now."
Ryan King gritted his teeth. "If we have to, we’ll visit every household and persuade them one by one! We’ve come this far—there’s no way we’re giving up now!"
"That’s right, let’s split up! We’ll go door to door and talk to everyone." Cherry Miller said, "But don’t mention extra compensation. The agreed amount is set. We can offer other things, like more rice, flour, or oil."
"Okay." Yina Yin and Ryan King nodded together.
Just as the three were discussing how to divide up the work, Yuan Thirteen rushed in from outside. "Water levels at sites One, Three, and Five have gone above the warning line!"
Three pairs of eyes instantly snapped to Yuan Thirteen.
Rain was still dripping from Yuan Thirteen’s face, but he didn’t bother to wipe it off as he continued, "I just checked from the mountaintop. There’s a spot on the cliff face that’s started to loosen. If this rain keeps up, there’ll be a landslide, and the first to get hit will be Li Family Village!"
Cherry Miller shot to her feet. "Then we have to hurry and convince everyone to leave Six Saints Town—fast!"
"What if they just won’t go?" Yina Yin asked. "What if we run out of time?"