Chapter 28: Mystery Behind Xu Hao’s Background

Xu Hao’s background check has issues?

Li Jue was taken aback.

Surely Liu Shan must have discovered something to say that.

“It’s not that there’s a problem, I just didn’t expect this.”

Liu Shan shook his head.

Xu Hao holds a leadership position, so his background is scrutinized thoroughly. If there were any issues, his approval would never have come through.

“What do you mean?”

“Xu Hao turns out to be the sixth young master of the Xu Group.”

“Xu Group? You mean the Xu Family that was forced to sell all their domestic assets, pay off their debts, and then head to the New Country?”

“Exactly! Xu Group’s patriarch, Xu Hongfei, is an impressive entrepreneur, though his investments have always been focused on the capital market—only a few entertainment companies and hotel chains exist for him in the Long Kingdom.”

“This time, his heavy bet on foreign exchange was completely outplayed by overseas capital. Even though he went to the New Country with his team, his nationality remains the Long Kingdom. It seems he plans to make a comeback there before eventually returning home.”

“Why go to the New Country?”

“For starters, their assets there are hard to liquidate; and secondly, the patriarch has some connections over there.”

“But if Xu Hao is the sixth young master of the Xu Family, why is he struggling in that wilderness survival contest? After all, the Xu Family was targeted just days ago.”

Li Jue still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. The Xu Family must have plenty of ventures in the New Country—it’s unlikely they’d let their child suffer for mere millions.”

“Maybe it’s a question of personality. Xu Hao’s record shows he never leaned on the Xu Family, always keeping a low profile. Had it not been for this mandatory background check, who would have suspected he was a rich kid?”

“Besides, everyone in the Xu Family has left the Long Kingdom except Xu Hao. That tells you something—I even suspect he might not know much about his own family’s affairs.”

“Or perhaps the Xu Family didn’t want this maverick dragging their name into the capital market. In that arena, fortunes can plummet in one night…”

“And let’s face it, the Xu Family doesn’t have many real assets or heavy bank loans. The Long Kingdom wouldn’t dare meddle lightly!”

“I see.”

After a moment of reflection, Li Jue sighed.

“Forget it. As long as Xu Hao is fine, I won’t worry about the background check—it’s his personal affair.”

“Yeah, I never meant to meddle in his family matters; I just wanted to warn you—what if one day this kid decides he no longer needs our research institute?”

Liu Shan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.

From initial concern to hopeful anticipation, he truly didn’t want the research institute to lose such talent.

After all, who knows when the Xu Family might make a comeback in the Long Kingdom.

“That hardly seems likely!”

Li Jue paused in thought.

“Even though our unit offers good salaries and benefits, we can’t compete with the scions of massive conglomerates.”

“Let’s just do our job well. We can keep communicating with him; if Xu Hao faces any difficulties, we’ll lend a hand. As long as he stays with the institute, we’re in the clear.”

“Agreed!”

“By the way, since Xu Hao is now part of our team and holds a leadership role, we should put his photo and title on the talent board at the entrance!”

After a moment’s thought, Li Jue added,

“Alright, is his title in line with the Talent Introduction Plan?”

“Yes—he’s appointed as a Level Three Cultural Researcher in Ancient Architecture. Once his handmade octagonal pavilion is complete and he secures the construction of a Wanchun Pavilion, we’ll consider promoting him.”

“Sounds good!”

Time flew by. As the sun set over the Tengli Desert, Xu Hao’s livestream buzzed with activity—150,000 viewers online and a fanbase reaching 350,000.

Though his follower count might not crown him as a top streamer, the energy in his channel rivals that of million-follower giants.

“Hey, Hao, where are those two wild chickens?”

Numerous onlookers peppered the chat with comments.

This magical and lucky moment was quickly edited into short videos and shared across platforms, attracting attention from people who had never cared about wilderness survival before.

Overseas, similar shows abound. Cheating is common; but it was the first time a vulture had airdropped food to a challenger.

“They’re locked in the log cabin!”

Observing the flood of comments, Xu Hao pushed wooden planks with his plane as he explained.

To be honest, his mishaps were almost as unpredictable as what his viewers encountered on the stream.

Sure enough, as many had speculated—the guts of several jumping rabbits were tossed into the mud, a gamble partly because he really didn’t know what to do with them.

By a twist of fate, he ended up receiving two wild chickens via airdrop.

Coincidentally, he was right by the mud pool at the time; otherwise, he might have ended up with two dead chickens instead of live ones.

Regarding whether his viewers paid attention—Xu Hao confirmed they did, as he was busy pulling up his pants!

“Locked in the log cabin? Can you show us?”

One viewer, hearing his response, hurriedly asked.

Many viewers were city dwellers; they’d heard of wild chickens but had never seen them in person.

“Hold on, everyone. Once I secure this birdcage properly, I’ll show you. Both live animals have recovered their strength—I’m worried they might fly off if I open the door.”

Xu Hao shook his head, dismissing the request.

No doubt about it—he planned to raise these two creatures for the long haul. Live animals are far more valuable than dead ones; their meat can serve as future food reserves, and who knows, they might even lay a few eggs.

Once they start laying, wild chicken eggs will provide a continuous source of high-nutrition food.

And if you’re daring, what if those eggs hatch into little wild chickens? After all, chickens come from eggs and eggs come from chickens. Even surviving a hundred days in the desert—or longer—is achievable.

“So you’re setting up a birdcage!”

Many viewers expressed mixed disappointment and curiosity as they peered at the surroundings of the fenced courtyard.

The small courtyard already featured a log cabin, a well, and a stove. Adding a birdcage would not only enrich the space but also breathe new life into it.

Compared to an ordinary farmhouse courtyard, all that was missing was a watchful big yellow dog.

“Alright, once it’s ready, you’ll get to see them.”

“Okay!”

“By the way, Hao, I heard some fans bet against you and lost two space projectiles earlier. Did they pay up?”

“They did, but ever since they paid up, they haven’t shown up again.”

“I can vouch for that—those two were still arguing until you slammed the wooden door, leaving them no choice but to honor their bet.”

“Hehehe, I heard you’re planning on building an octagonal pavilion. Is that for real?”

“For now, that’s the plan!”

“Anyone else want to bet?”

“No one!”

And so, time ticked by minute after minute.

While Xu Hao chatted intermittently with his viewers, the birdcage was nearly complete.

“Hey Hao, what are you planning for tomorrow? With live animals now, why don’t you start on that octagonal pavilion? Use a rainy day to gather materials and begin assembly when it’s sunny!”

At that moment, an old fan inquired.

He hadn’t realized that Xu Hao was building the birdcage to raise the wild chickens long-term—he just thought Xu Hao intended to temporarily corral them.

“That’s right. With these two creatures, you won’t have to worry about food for the next ten days.”

“Get that octagonal pavilion up sooner so we can see your skills at work.”

Someone started the trend, and soon many others joined in.