The crowd erupted into another round of murmurs.
That's right, that's right. My family also has someone who wants to work for the Zhang Family, but once they leave, they're gone for years. It makes us uneasy. If we could just see the working conditions, we'd feel a lot better.
You're absolutely right. If a few family members could get jobs, life would be so much easier. But not being able to see them is really tough.
Even if they can't come home often, seeing them once in a while would be enough. Just knowing the workplace isn't dangerous would put our minds at ease. It doesn't take long to meet—maybe not all at once, but one by one would be fine too.
Zachary Zhang, the third son of the Zhang Family, grew increasingly frustrated and shouted, "Folks, listen to me! The worksite is pretty far from here, so even if we call them over, they can't make it back today. How about this—I'll bring them back in batches another day so you can see for yourselves and feel at ease. How does that sound?"
Before anyone could answer, Cherry Miller started causing trouble again, this time imitating an old lady's voice.
At that moment, Cherry Miller was genuinely grateful that Hans had forced her into intensive training at the base.
If she hadn't learned all those random skills, she wouldn't have been able to mimic so many voices today!
She could practically be a voice actor!
Cherry Miller pinched her throat and said, "Zachary Zhang is right, but with several thousand people gone, if we only see one person a day, when will it be my family's turn? I'm just an old lady, I don't have many days left. I'm afraid I won't be able to close my eyes in peace when I die! How about this—third young master, let my child come home to see me today, just for a bit? I have nothing else to do, so I'll wait right here until I see them. I promise I won't cause any trouble for you!"
Zachary Zhang thought to himself, Aren't you already causing trouble?
You're the worst troublemaker of all!
With Cherry Miller stirring up chaos, all those parents who usually go with the flow were left clueless.
Cherry Miller knew she couldn't let Zachary Zhang get away with brushing this off.
If everyone went home today, Zachary Zhang would have time to call back the living workers first, just so their families could catch a glimpse from afar.
And as for the families whose loved ones have already died?
Ha! They'll be waiting forever—might as well line up until the end of time!
He'd drag it out as long as he could, day by day.
That was exactly Zachary Zhang's plan, but before he could even say it, Cherry Miller had already messed things up.
Sweat broke out on Zachary Zhang's forehead.
The Zhang Family may rule Six Saints Town, but at the end of the day, they're just local bullies. When it comes to skill, ability, and vision, they're nowhere near Cherry Miller.
Just a few words from Cherry Miller were enough to throw his whole plan into chaos, and he couldn't do a thing about it!
That's the difference between them!
If Cherry Miller were in his shoes, she'd never let someone corner her with just a few words.
"Third young master, are you stalling because something happened to my kid? Is all that money you gave us just hush money?" Cherry Miller, worried the crowd might waver, decided to stir the pot even more.
Sure enough, Cherry Miller's words set off an explosion in the crowd.
What? Could our kids really be dead? The Zhang Family wouldn't do something like that, would they?
My child left fifteen years ago and I haven't heard a word since. Now that you put it like that, I'm really worried! No, I have to see my child today, no matter what! Even if I don't earn this money, I need to see them!
That's right, today we have to see them! Third young master, we trusted you with our children. You can't let us down!
Forget the money, I just want to take my child home! If you lose your life, money means nothing! Cherry Miller kept pretending to be a parent, stirring up even more trouble.
Cherry Miller's words woke up a lot of parents.
People started chiming in: "That's right, forget the money—life is what matters!"
The crowd grew louder and louder.
Sweat poured down Zachary Zhang's forehead.
He'd never faced anything like this before and was completely flustered.
At that moment, Edward Zhang and Eric Zhang were watching the chaos unfold from the courtyard.
The more trouble Zachary Zhang was in, the happier they got, completely forgetting that if he was exposed, the Zhang Family's reputation would be ruined.
"Everyone, quiet down! Quiet!" Zachary Zhang called out in defeat, but the crowd's anger had already been ignited by Cherry Miller, and no one could hear him anymore.
All anyone wanted was to see their loved ones as soon as possible; nothing else mattered.
Seeing her goal accomplished, Cherry Miller quietly slipped away, her deeds hidden from sight.
With the crowd in an uproar, no amount of smooth talk from Zachary Zhang could calm them down.
In the end, he had no choice but to agree to bring a group of workers over to meet their families.
Right then, Zachary Zhang was praying in his heart that none of the dead workers would be in this first batch.
As long as the families in this batch still had living relatives, the rest would be easier to handle.
But fate didn't listen to Zachary Zhang's prayers.
Two families had actually lost their children in the mines.
They watched as everyone else reunited with their kids, but theirs never showed up. Unable to take it anymore, they confronted Zachary Zhang for answers.
Zachary Zhang racked his brains to calm them down, saying he'd sent their children out on errands and they'd be back in a few days. He promised to let them meet once they returned.
He also gave each family a big red envelope to soothe them. After hours of chaos, he finally managed to send everyone home by nightfall.
The Zhang Family thought the matter was settled, but this was only the beginning.
No one knows exactly when it started, but a rumor quickly spread through the village.
Some people swore they'd seen it with their own eyes, describing every detail—they said the Zhang Family's mine had collapsed, killing many, and that the bodies were still buried deep under the mountain.
Families with loved ones working at the mine immediately panicked.
A few brave souls actually climbed the mountain at night to see for themselves.
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When those people came back, they brought shocking news: the mine really had collapsed!
More and more people couldn't hold back—they went to the mine themselves to see if it was true.
The truth about the gold mine collapse couldn't be hidden any longer.
All of Six Saints Town was thrown into chaos.
More and more people rushed to the Zhang Family, demanding to see their loved ones—alive or dead!
The Zhang Family finally realized what was happening.
But it was already too late.
The whole town was furious!
In Liford Village, when Li Dayu heard the news, he was completely stunned.
He was just getting ready to head out for work today.
But before he could leave the village, his mother chased after him, sobbing and dragging him back home.
"What? The mine collapsed? Lots of people died?" Li Dayu was stunned. "How is that possible?"
"Why not? I heard several families have already gone to the Zhang Family, and they've been waiting for days but haven't seen their loved ones!" Li Dayu's mother cried, "Son, you can't go! If you do, you'll never come back!"
Li Dayu just stood there, speechless for a long time.
After hearing the news, Leo King and Yina Yin quietly started spreading rumors: "Word is, the people crushed in the collapse didn't even leave any remains behind."
So what do these people believe?
They believe that honoring the dead is the most important thing.
If someone dies, that's one thing, but you need a son to perform the funeral rites and a whole body to bury.
No remains—just like having your bones ground to dust—means the soul can't rest in peace.
So those families became even more desperate.
Many people started shouting that they were going to dig up the bodies at the mine!
With Cherry Miller and her two allies stirring things up, the once peaceful Six Saints Town was suddenly plunged into panic and unrest.
This time, even Edward Zhang and Eric Zhang, who'd been watching from the sidelines, got caught up in the chaos.
When the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold.
That day, the Zhang Family's elderly patriarch, who hadn't managed things in ages, called everyone back for a family meeting.
The Zhang Family's elderly patriarch paced anxiously around the room, constantly asking if all his sons and grandsons had arrived.
By evening, the Zhang Family's direct bloodline had finally gathered.
"Now is not the time for infighting," the patriarch declared, setting the tone. "If we can't solve this, the Zhang Family is finished in Six Saints Town."
Cherry Miller, eavesdropping from the rooftop, thought, It's not just Six Saints Town—they won't have a place anywhere in the world!
"Everyone knows what really happened with the Shrine Ceremony back then," the patriarch continued, looking at his descendants. "It was both our opportunity and our fate! I've stayed out of things for years, let you all do as you pleased, but this has gone too far! I heard those families want to dig up bodies at the mine? Ridiculous! If that happens, the passage will be exposed!"
Cherry Miller, hiding on the roof, perked up.
Finally, it's happening!
"Dad, it's all Third Brother's fault for being greedy and reckless. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't have died," Edward Zhang couldn't help but throw his brother under the bus.
"Yeah, Grandpa, if Uncle hadn't gotten so many people killed at once, none of this would have happened!" Eric Zhang chimed in, siding with his father.
Zachary Zhang snorted but said nothing.
"This isn't the time for that," the patriarch said, slapping the table. "Right now, the priority is to calm the villagers who've lost family! And we absolutely can't let them find out about the passage to the outside world! For over three hundred years, we've used the gods as a cover and lied to them. If they ever learn it was all a scam from the start, the Zhang Family is truly finished! Do you understand me?"
Cherry Miller's eyes sparkled. She crawled down to the eaves and, pinching her throat, mimicked the voice of a young man: "But Grandpa, we've always controlled that passage. How could outsiders ever find it?"
The patriarch, sitting at the head, didn't suspect a thing and replied, "The passage is right under the gold mine. It's hard to find, but if someone looks carefully, it's possible! If they discover it, there's no way we can keep it hidden anymore."