Siheyuan: Domineering life

Under Yang Chengwu's manipulation, the bookcase slowly moved to one side, revealing a metal door.

“Godfather, please look, this is the entrance to the underground shelter.” Yang Chengwu stood to the side with a smile.

Seeing a heavy metal door in front of him, Yang Jun was overjoyed.

After all, this was a post-apocalyptic shelter that he had built with enormous resources and manpower, embodying all his hard work and high hopes over the years.

Upon seeing the metal door, Yang Jun was delighted, but his long-standing habit prevented him from showing his joy. He asked calmly.

"Can I enter the shelter directly through this door?"

“Yes, Godfather.” Yang Chengwu replied with a smile, “There are two entrances to the shelter. One is through the main gate, and the other is the entrance to your study.”

After pausing slightly, he continued, "But don't worry, Godfather, not many people know about this entrance. I dismissed all the people who built it back then, so you can stay here without worry."

Yang Jun nodded upon hearing this.

"Xiao Wu, you're doing a great job, you're becoming more and more mature."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chengwu scratched his head sheepishly and laughed, "Godfather, I'm over forty years old. If I'm still immature, won't you scold me to death?"

Yang Jun was momentarily dazed upon hearing this. He glanced at his godson, who looked even older than himself, and sighed inwardly, "Time really flies."

"Yes, I can't believe you're already in your forties. Time really flies. You young people are making me feel old."

Yang Chengwu chuckled and said, "Godfather, you still think I'm too old?"

“You have looked the same since I met you thirty years ago, and you still look the same now, even younger than before.”

"Godfather, tell me, did you take some kind of magic pill?"

Xiao Wu looked at Yang Jun jokingly.

Actually, he had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but he had never been able to bring himself to ask it. Over the years, Yang Jun had always had this youthful face, without a trace of aging. He really wanted to know the answer.

Yang Jun shook his head slightly and said, "Little Wu, it's not that your godfather doesn't want to tell you, it's just that... I don't even know the answer myself."

"You may think that immortality is a good thing, but for me it is a curse, a curse that will follow me for the rest of my life and that I cannot escape."

"A curse?" Yang Chengwu laughed. "If this counts as a curse, then I'm willing to be cursed."

Yang Jun rolled his eyes at him and sneered, "Do you think your godfather is being hypocritical after getting a good deal? Let me tell you, when you really become immortal, you'll find all sorts of problems and conflicts coming one after another."

"For example... how do you feel when the people around you grow old and die?"

"What would your reaction be if your children and grandchildren looked more like your elders than you did?"

"When you..."

Listening to Yang Jun list the troubles that immortality would bring, Yang Chengwu seemed to understand something and suddenly realized Yang Jun's troubles. He imagined what kind of consequences and hidden dangers would come if he had the same appearance for decades or even hundreds of years.

First of all, the despair and grief of losing his loved ones one by one was unbearable. The blow and sense of loss were even more unbearable. He thought of his godmother and several aunts, their aged faces and faltering steps, which contrasted sharply with Yang Jun, who was in his early twenties and full of energy. Such a scene was not something that ordinary people could bear.

No wonder my godfather was preparing to retire and live in seclusion here when he was only in his early sixties; it turns out that this face was the cause of all this trouble.

He now fully understands Yang Jun's predicament.

"Godfather, I understand."

Yang Chengwu looked at the young elder in front of him and suddenly smiled.

"From now on, you and your godmother can settle down here with peace of mind. Leave everything else to me."

Yang Jun didn't speak, but nodded with a smile.

Then, looking at the heavy metal door, he said, "I want to go in and take a look."

"Now? You just got home, would you like to rest for the night, and I'll accompany you on the tour tomorrow?" Yang Chengwu.

"I'm not tired," said Yang Jun.

"Okay, then I'll go with you to take a look around and get familiar with it first."

Then, under Yang Chengwu's operation, the heavy metal door slowly opened, revealing the dark opening inside.

Yang Chengwu touched the wall by the door, and as soon as the button clicked, the lights inside immediately turned on.

This is a passageway that can only accommodate two people side by side. The passageway is not very narrow, but it is not very spacious either. It is obviously prepared for emergency escape. The real entrance is still the passageway built halfway up the mountain.

There was no feeling of suffocation or strange smell in the passage, and a cool breeze could be felt as you walked through it.

Yang Jun looked up and saw that there were air vents every ten meters or so above the passage, which explained why it didn't feel stuffy at all.

After walking about thirty meters along the passage, I reached the end, and then there was a staircase leading down, which seemed to go on forever.

Yang Jun and Xiao Wu walked down the steps, and after about a thousand steps, Yang Jun became a little impatient.

"Little five..."

"Godfather, please let me explain."

Xiao Wu seemed to have figured out what Yang Jun wanted to ask, and started answering before Yang Jun could even ask.

Are you wondering why there aren't elevators installed on such a long road?

"Hehe, Godfather, you need to know that you are building a doomsday shelter, not a place for leisure and retirement. If something unexpected happens, the elevator is very easy to malfunction. If people are really trapped in the elevator, then this shelter has lost its purpose in being built."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun glared at him.

"You talk too much. Do you think I don't understand such a simple principle?"

"I wanted to ask, how much longer until the end?"

Yang Chengwu chuckled and said, "Godfather, there are still five hundred steps to go. You'll have to be patient."

"Think about it, this shelter is built more than two thousand meters underground, with a vertical distance of at least..."

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense. Do you think I don't understand these things?" Yang Jun rolled his eyes at him and said, "Hurry up and lead the way."

Yang Jun had only visited the shelter twice, each time for inspection. Naturally, he wasn't as familiar with the place as Xiao Wu, since Xiao Wu was the real participant in the shelter's development.

"Hehe, godfather, please."

Xiao Wu seemed to sense Yang Jun's awkwardness. As a leader and elder, Yang Jun's lack of understanding made him lose face in front of the younger generation, so he had to find some excuses.

The father and son then continued down the stairs.

It took him more than half an hour to climb the 1,500 steps to reach the bottom. Luckily, it was going downstairs, but even that left his legs sore. If it had been going upstairs, he would have been exhausted.

Yang Jun felt anxious at the thought of having to climb 1,500 steps to get back. He stood there hesitantly, wondering whether to continue or turn back now.

Yang Chengwu seemed to have read Yang Jun's mind, so he remained silent, standing there with a smile. "If you keep looking at me like that, believe me, I'll slap you?"

His little scheme could not possibly escape Yang Jun's notice.

"Hehe, godfather, please."

Xiao Wu bent over and led the way with one hand, smiling broadly.

After descending the stairs to the bottom, there is a smooth and straight passage, but it still seems to stretch on forever.

Yang Jun also knew that the shelter was very large, covering several surrounding mountains, so it was understandable that it was a bit far away.

After walking for about ten minutes, we finally reached the end of the passage.

At the end of the passage, another heavy metal door blocked the way.

“Godfather, the shelter is behind this door,” Yang Chengwu said, introducing the shelter before opening the door.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun stepped forward and knocked on the heavy metal door a few times with his fist.

"Is this door sturdy? Can it withstand a shockwave?"

"Don't worry, Godfather, this door is very sturdy," Yang Chengwu explained. "Don't underestimate this small door; the metal wall connected to the mountain is five or six meters thick."

"This place is two thousand meters underground, and the surface is made of hard granite. There is no shock wave here. Besides, even if there were a shock wave, this door would be fine."

Yang Jun nodded upon hearing this.

"That's good."

Then, with a wave of his hand, he signaled for him to open the door.

Upon seeing this, Yang Chengwu quickly went to open the door.

After a series of mechanical sounds, a metal door three meters thick slowly opened.

The moment Yang Jun saw the thickness of the metal door, he felt an instant sense of security. With that thickness, it could withstand any shockwave, not just two thousand meters underground, but even on the surface.

Then, the father and son went inside.

Under Yang Chengwu's control, the metal door closed again.

This is a space of about 20 square meters. Yang Jun learned from Xiao Wu that this is not the real shelter. This is just an isolation room. The real shelter is behind the big door at the back.

There was a cabinet in the isolation room. Yang Chengwu walked up to it, opened the cabinet, took out a white mask, and handed it to Yang Jun.

"Godfather, please take this with you."

Yang Jun glanced at the mask, took it, and put it on his face.

His identity is special, and he cannot show his face in public yet, so he must wear a mask.

This is a huge project. Although it is not yet in use, it requires professional personnel for daily maintenance. In order to avoid being recognized, it is necessary to wear a mask.

Xiao Wu didn't wear a mask because everyone here knew he was the real boss of this shelter, and people would naturally respect him when they saw his face.

After seeing Yang Jun put on his mask, Yang Chengwu opened the last metal door.

With a mechanical sound, the heavy metal door slowly opened, revealing a vast space behind it.

This is a space platform that can accommodate two thousand people at the same time. From the outside, this is the first platform you see when entering the shelter.

The interior was brightly lit, as bright as day, and everything was clearly visible.

There were many people busy inside; some were cleaning, some were operating forklifts, and some...

The people inside seemed to be busy with their own work and did not react to Yang Jun and his companion's arrival.

The shelter was built two years ago. After two years of training, they have long since adapted to their jobs. They only need to do their job well and are indifferent to anything else.

Perhaps this is part of the discipline...

"Godfather, get in the car." Yang Chengwu pointed to a sightseeing lane on the side.

Yang Jun glanced back, then silently got into the car.

Here, he tried to remain silent to avoid being recognized.

Yang Chengwu personally drove, while Yang Jun sat in the passenger seat.

Xiao Wu drove while explaining the situation here.

"Most of these people are graduates of Xiaoxiao University. They came here directly after graduation, and these college students are responsible for the daily maintenance and upkeep..."

Listening to Xiao Wu's introduction, Yang Jun also fell into deep thought.

When the shelter was being built, he also had Xiaoxiao and Yang Laosi build a matching university, mainly to train teachers and doctors, so that the shelter could use them in the future.

Now, the university has been operating for ten years. Every year, it selects outstanding students with strong moral character to work here, offering them high salaries. In addition, it provides them with housing in Taiping Town and brings their families over, allowing them to work and live here without any worries.

Now, the shelter has been open for more than two years, and the people here have become professional. The maintenance and upkeep of the shelter has become part of their lives and work. In addition, the salary is considerable, so most of them are able to work here with peace of mind.

The lobby was huge; it took us ages just to get there by car. Xiao Wu explained as he drove.

"This is the lobby, mainly for receiving guests..."

"The shelter has ten floors in total. The first floor is mainly a public area, which serves as a place to receive people and goods. The second to fifth floors are living areas, the sixth floor is the equipment area, and the seventh to ninth floors are material storage areas."

"The tenth floor..."

Yang Chengwu turned to look at Yang Jun and smiled, "The tenth floor is your exclusive area, Godfather. It's the deepest part of the ground and the safest place."

Yang Jun smiled upon hearing this.

"What's the safest? Once the top is destroyed, I'll be buried the deepest at the bottom."

In that instant, Yang Jun's mind conjured up the image of the shelter being destroyed. He imagined it becoming his grave, buried deep underground, with no chance of escape. That would truly be his grave.

“Godfather, why do you think like that? We built the shelter so that we could survive one day.” Yang Chengwu sneered, “Besides, even if the upper floors are completely destroyed, it won’t affect life underground. Take the tenth floor where you are, for example. There are at least tens of thousands of square meters of living space there. Even if you never come out in this lifetime, you can live there without any problem.”

Yang Jun sighed and said, "I know all that you're saying, but if a person can't live with dignity, then there's no meaning to living."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chengwu smiled and shook his head.

“Godfather, you built the shelter because you wanted to live, but now that it's built, you're worried about living without dignity. I really don't know…”

"Shut up and drive your car properly," Yang Jun glared at him.

"Fine, since you're my father, I'll shut up." - Yang Chengwu. (End of Chapter)