Earth's rotation and revolution have always been in progress; for billions of years, it has been this way without exception. Thus, some people say that the Earth continues to turn with or without you. This is true; the Earth never stops spinning because of any single person.
As the Earth revolved, the Northern Hemisphere entered winter, and high-latitude regions were covered in snow. Especially within the Arctic Circle, it was already the period of polar night. The Siberian winds blew south, plunging the entire Eurasian continent into a harsh winter. The only exception was India, shielded from the cold currents by the Himalayas. This was the South Asian subcontinent, with a perpetually hot and humid climate.
In North America, the region was also gripped by a severe winter, with temperatures even more chilling than in Eurasia. Because the American continent's topography runs north-south, cold air masses could descend unimpeded. Compounding this, the zombie outbreak had completely disrupted social order. Power plants lacked workers, and cities had no electricity. To stay warm, people could only burn firewood.
The Southern Hemisphere was not faring any better. Countries in the Southern Hemisphere were inherently poorer, with most powerful nations located in the Northern Hemisphere. If even the Northern Hemisphere struggled to restore order, the situation in the Southern Hemisphere was dire. South America's rainforests and Africa's savannas were teeming with animals, leading to the highest number of mutated beasts. Under the rampage of various mutated creatures, many countries had fallen.
In these economically backward regions, settlements were formed. The weak could only rely on the strong for survival; otherwise, unprotected in the wilderness, humans were incredibly vulnerable.
In South America, people discovered giant pythons and numerous venomous spiders. A single python could swallow cattle and sheep in one gulp, while venomous spiders reproduced rapidly. Forests were covered in webs. A bite from these spiders would cause excruciating pain, leading to death with a purplish-blue discoloration of the body within half a year.
Oceania was overrun by countless venomous insects. This region was close to the tropics, so creatures like snakes and insects had very active metabolisms. They wouldn't dare venture out without a bit of venom. Consequently, the world's venomous insects mutated, giving all sorts of venomous creatures in Oceania an opportunity to thrive. Whether scorpions, venomous snakes, octopuses, or jellyfish, all became incredibly toxic. Even a touch could instantly poison an evolved human to death.
The African savanna was much simpler. Animals here didn't rely on venom; almost all creatures focused their efforts on physical strength and endurance. Wild bulls grew as tall as elephants, hunting dogs resembled lions, and cheetahs were so fast their movements were a blur. Africa's most powerful animal, the lion, had a body like a hippopotamus with interlocking teeth, showing signs of atavism. If its teeth continued to grow, it would become a saber-toothed tiger.
The people of the Southern Hemisphere suffered greatly. With firearms, they could defend cities to some extent. However, in remote areas, whether towns or villages, humans had no means of survival other than hiding. In contrast, people on many islands found survival easier. Without a large number of mutated beasts appearing, as long as they solved the zombie problem, surviving on islands was incredibly convenient.
In the Northern Hemisphere, humans were still formidable. Armed with firearms, they engaged the zombies in combat. If firearms couldn't kill the zombies, they used missiles. If missiles failed, they switched to fuel-air explosives or poison gas. In short, in the developed regions of the Northern Hemisphere, human combat effectiveness was immense.
In Europe, all countries united. Everyone, from adults to children, was involved in combat. Children as young as ten were sent to the battlefield. This desperate exertion of strength proved successful; the zombies were pushed back under the human offensive. Even in winter, Europeans continued to hunt zombies and mutated beasts, demonstrating remarkable martial spirit.
In North America, the approach to dealing with zombies was equally fierce. If not for the temporary inability to use nuclear weapons, a certain major country there would have already deployed them for mass extermination of zombies.
In Asia, smaller countries focused on self-preservation, while larger nations were all engaged in combat. For a time, the sounds of gunfire echoed across the entire continent as countless zombies were eliminated. For humanity, the threat of zombies was not significant. Within three years, or at most ten, zombies would likely disappear without a trace.
Shen Feng did not doubt humanity's combat capabilities. After all, humanity's greatest strength was its intellect. As long as human technological levels remained, zombies would not pose a significant threat, and they would surely be eradicated in a few years.
However, the plague within Yanjing City persisted for a considerable time. With the Lunar New Year approaching, the headquarters finally relaxed its restrictions on communication. Ordinary people were granted half an hour daily to make phone calls. They could only do so at officially established "phone booths." In theory, phone booths had been rendered obsolete by the times, but under the communication restrictions, it was impossible to make casual calls outside of these booths.
Soldiers received special treatment: one landline was allocated for every hundred men, and they took turns making calls, with no strict adherence to call duration.
Shen Feng considered his options and decided to call Chang Jianyi in Yuzhou first. It wasn't that he forgot his mother after finding a wife; his family was in Rongcheng, and their safety was not a concern. Chang Jianyi, however, had to strive independently and was constantly burdened with work. Shen Feng felt it necessary to check on his senior.
"Shen Feng, how are things on your end? How much longer until you can come back?" Chang Jianyi asked excitedly upon hearing Shen Feng's voice, eagerly inquiring about his progress.
Ever since Shen Feng left Yuzhou with five thousand men, Chang Jianyi had been worried. Even when trying to call, she couldn't reach him. Now, three months later, finally being able to contact him significantly improved her mood.
Shen Feng quickly replied, "I don't know when the war will end. I'll be spending the New Year in Yanjing. A decisive battle might happen in the spring, but the current situation is unpredictable, so I'm not sure when it will conclude."
Shen Feng was telling the truth. The zombies would likely emerge from underground when the temperature rose in spring, and only then could Yanjing resume full-scale combat. Furthermore, the plague still needed to be managed, and only after it was resolved could they fight with unhindered efforts.
Chang Jianyi sighed helplessly and said, "Shen Feng, you must be careful out there. Don't be reckless in battle; always think carefully before making decisions. Especially don't volunteer for dangerous tasks. If you push yourself too hard, something might go wrong!"
Shen Feng quickly reassured her, "I absolutely won't do anything dangerous. Don't worry. Also, recruit more talented people in Yuzhou and patiently wait for my return."
Chang Jianyi promptly replied, "You don't need to worry about that. I will find enough talented individuals. Also, I'm preparing a place for us to live. Do you prefer a Chinese-style residence or a Western-style one?"
Shen Feng was taken aback by this question and quickly asked, "Is there a difference? Isn't it simple to just have a place to live? Do we need to consider the style?"
Chang Jianyi quickly explained, "It's different. You are now the City Lord of Yuzhou, and I am the City Lord's wife. If we don't have a prominent residence, how can we reflect our status? Moreover, a better residence can also showcase our temperament. Living in ordinary accommodations all the time would make us seem insignificant."
Shen Feng pondered this, realizing the logic. He then began to think, "Chinese style or Western style, this is indeed a difficult choice."
Chang Jianyi elaborated, "If you prefer Chinese style, I'll have a palace built on the mountaintop, entirely with wooden structures and glazed tiles for the roof. Whether you want a garden or a pavilion, I'll have them all constructed. Since there are many idle people in the city recently, we can recruit them for the work. If you prefer Western style, I'll build a castle, entirely with brick and stone structures, complete with towers and fountains."
Hearing his senior's descriptions, Shen Feng felt conflicted. He murmured to himself, "It's truly difficult to decide. I like palaces, and I like castles too. I want both. It would be wonderful if they could be combined."
Upon hearing Shen Feng's words, Chang Jianyi immediately made a decision, "Alright, then I'll have them build a Sino-Western fusion style. The front will be a Chinese palace, built in the style of the Forbidden City, and the back half will be a castle, modeled after the Palace of Versailles! We'll also build gardens, moving the rockeries from the park into the gardens and creating a pool with multiple water features. In short, we'll build whatever style is best."
As Shen Feng listened, he felt something was amiss. He lowered his voice and asked, "Senior, aren't you afraid of making people envious with such extravagance?"
Chang Jianyi was unconcerned by Shen Feng's reaction over the phone and said with a smile, "Let them be envious. What are you afraid of? When you return, you can give each of your capable subordinates a building. Wouldn't these people still support you? As long as you leave a little more for others when distributing the spoils, how could your subordinates turn against you?"
Shen Feng realized he couldn't persuade Chang Jianyi and could only shrug his shoulders, holding the phone. "Alright then, you decide. Be careful and protect yourself in Yuzhou. I've left you an ability-enhancing potion. At a critical moment, you can develop a subordinate with abilities."
Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi chatted for half an hour, finally exchanging recent updates. Meanwhile, many soldiers had been waiting for a long time but dared not rush Shen Feng, as he was the City Lord.
After hanging up, Shen Feng felt embarrassed to make another call. He decided to save his turn for tomorrow and said to the soldiers behind him, "You all line up and make your calls. Pay attention to the time; don't hog the toilet!"
With that, Shen Feng walked away潇洒.
The soldiers secretly gave Shen Feng a thumbs-down, their meaning clear. How could he talk about hogging the toilet when his own call exceeded half an hour? He had the nerve to mock others for hogging the toilet, like a crow on a coal pile, seeing others' blackness but not its own.
Shen Feng ate his New Year's Eve dinner in the hospital. The "New Year's Eve dinner" consisted of dumplings with pork and cabbage filling. Northerners loved dumplings, especially during the New Year. Unfortunately, Shen Feng was from the south and couldn't appreciate this custom. Instead of feasting on rich dishes on New Year's Eve, they ate dumplings every day. Even delicacies couldn't be eaten daily, could they?
Chu Chaoyan leaned against the hospital bed, with two pillows supporting her waist. Without picking up her chopsticks, she opened her mouth and said to Shen Feng, "Quick, feed me!"
This was Chu Chaoyan being affectionate. Taking advantage of the moment for some private time with Shen Feng, with no one else present, she naturally wanted to engage in some intimate actions.
Shen Feng was unfazed. He picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and popped it into his own mouth, his eyes fixed on Chu Chaoyan's lips.
Seeing Shen Feng's action, Chu Chaoyan was stunned and quickly said, "I asked you to feed me, what are you doing?"
Shen Feng chewed and said earnestly, "Don't rush, don't rush. I'm chewing it up. Haste makes waste, so wait a moment. I promise I'll chew it up for you!"
"Go to hell! I asked you to feed me dumplings, can you not be so disgusting?" Chu Chaoyan's earlobes immediately turned red. She hadn't expected Shen Feng to be so unrestrained. This scoundrel actually wanted to feed her liquid food, completely intending to take advantage of the situation.
Shen Feng chuckled, swallowed the dumpling in his mouth, and said with a smile, "I was just teasing you. Look at you, you have no sense of humor!"
Then, Shen Feng picked up a dumpling and brought it to Chu Chaoyan's mouth. Chu Chaoyan accepted it without hesitation and, as she ate, turned on the television to watch. They wouldn't be able to watch the Spring Festival Gala now, which was considered a blessing – no need to watch people on stage awkwardly praising things. The television was broadcasting a modern romance drama, which, as expected, was full of absurdities. Chu Chaoyan, however, enjoyed this kind of show.