Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Xie Linyuan concluded that this Xue Hongyi was a hot-blooded, naïve youth, always spouting shameless, juvenile fantasies about heroes and miracles. No wonder he was so easily fooled by Wu Yin’s few words.

Soon a doctor entered the ward and conducted a simple check-up on Wu Yin. A patient waking from a near two-month coma was indeed newsworthy, and many nurses passing by the door would peek inside, express surprise, get momentarily distracted by Wu Yin's beauty, and then continue with their duties.

"There's no major issue now. You can proceed with the discharge procedures immediately as the medical bills are already settled. I suggest renting a wheelchair for the patient, free if returned within seven days. Also, in the coming days, focus on nutrition, consume light and warm food... if possible, include some eggs and meat in the patient's diet."

The doctor's additional advice was due to Xue Hongyi's presence; having the Marshal's grandson visit multiple times, getting some eggs wouldn't be an issue.

Yang Mo volunteered to follow the nurse to rent a wheelchair, seizing the chance to quickly leave the suffocating atmosphere. As a life assistant, Xie Linyuan diligently searched through the bedside table and wardrobe in the ward for any personal items left behind, sparing not a single thread of "Wang Sui."

In the spacious ward, the only idle ones left were Wu Yin and Xue Hongyi. The former, being a patient, had an excuse for idleness, but the latter's leisure was somewhat annoying. Without any intention to leave, Xue Hongyi grabbed a chair to sit backward, resting his chin on the chair back, eyes filled with curiosity towards the handsome, frail man before him.

Seeing him being served another cup of warm water by Xie Linyuan, he suddenly asked, "By the way, do you guys have a place to stay? Where did the housing department assign you?"

A place to stay? Wu Yin had never considered this question, spending most of his time outside the safety zone, where any building was his for the taking. The few times he entered the safe zone, he did so in someone else's body, accommodations included.

Hearing Xue Hongyi's question, Wu Yin looked helplessly at Xie Linyuan, who responded with a gentle smile, pulling out a crumpled handwritten note from his clothes, "Our temporary housing is in Building 26, Unit 27-02, in Zone C's east outer ring."

"Zone C? That's quite remote. Why were you placed there? Did you mention the names of the Black Knight and Princess when you arrived?" Xue Hongyi scratched his neck, "And on the 27th floor, no less. How are you supposed to get up there with your current condition?"

In fact, it was because of the Black Knight's reputation and the Princess's special request that they were able to stay in Zone C at all. Normally, newcomers are placed in Zones E or even F.

The temporary housing is only valid for 3 days, during which they must find work to earn enough survival points to extend their stay or relocate, otherwise, they'll have to move to the outermost Zone G and sleep on the streets.

"Can't walk, so do you have a solution? Help us find a lower-floor residence." Wu Yin shamelessly made his request, "It would be even better if it could be in a higher zone."

Xue Hongyi paused, not offended by the brazen request but rather embarrassedly touched his nose, apologizing, "Uh, sorry, I... really can’t help. I'm just living off my grandfather, spending almost as much as I earn on missions... But I can get you some milk and eggs! I'll have my deputy deliver them to your room later."

Xie Linyuan thought to himself how amiable Xue Hongyi was, wondering why Wu Yin couldn't learn from this Marshal's grandson and improve his unpleasant demeanor.

……

Of course, the final climb to the 27th floor was made by Xie Linyuan carrying Wu Yin on his back, with Yang Mo following behind with the wheelchair and free supplies. Upon arrival, Xie Linyuan showed no signs of strain, in contrast to Yang Mo, who was nearly ready to use the wheelchair himself.

The accommodation was a standard three-bedroom apartment with a study, two bedrooms, a dining table at the entrance, and a living room with a large TV screen, drawers filled with game consoles and controllers - all rendered useless by the apocalypse's widespread power outages, gathering dust and ignored.

Traces of the previous occupants were everywhere in the apartment: pillows and blankets piled on the beds, shoes and socks drying on the balcony, food packaging in the trash can, and a full bucket of water in the bathroom, likely brought up 27 floors with considerable effort for a private and comfortable bath.

Now, the apartment had been assigned by the housing department to new residents of the camp, its former owners never to return.

Xie Linyuan opened all the windows for ventilation, removed the yellowed and faded bedcovers for washing, drying, and disinfecting. Wu Yin, still in his hospital gown, lounged on the balcony basking in the sun, complaining about the disinfectant smell that had permeated his clothes during the two-month hospital stay, urging Xie Linyuan to find him a new set of clothes quickly.

"Do you think I'm a wishing well? Toss in a coin, make a wish, and I'll spit out a set of clothes for you?"

"...Useless fellow."

"Keep talking nonsense, and I'll hang the bedsheet over your head."

"You dare?"

During this time, Yang Mo took the initiative to wash the mop and diligently mopped the floor, occasionally peeking at the two people sitting and standing on the balcony. He was dying of curiosity about their relationship; it seemed like a couple but lacked the intensity of passion, yet to say they weren't, Yang Mo couldn't believe it at all. He had never seen Jie Lin Yuan talk this much before; he was itching to know what happened during the amnesia.

However, this man called "Wu Yin" by Jie Lin Yuan seemed to have a bad temper, indifferent and unresponsive to everyone, so Yang Mo didn't dare to approach rashly.

Just after mopping the living room, Yang Mo suddenly heard a knock on the door. He stood up, looked towards the balcony inquiringly, and heard Jie Lin Yuan say while wringing out the bedsheets, "Open the door. It should be Qin Yue and Hu Hongbo, friends who came to the Nan Camp with us."

Yang Mo didn't remember the two people mentioned by Lin Yuan, but it sounded like they had a great relationship? Were they comrades who shared hardships and went through thick and thin together?

Ashamed from all the touching scenarios he imagined, Yang Mo asked, "Uh, do they know about my intermittent amnesia and mild schizophrenia?"

What a clever boy, remembering such complex medical terms so clearly, even speaking them without stumbling. Jie Lin Yuan, taking in the shoes and socks that were drying on the balcony into the living room, said, "They don't know yet. You can decide whether you want to tell them."

Yang Mo was so touched by these words, feeling an unparalleled respect and understanding from Jie Lin Yuan.

Wu Yin saw his suddenly reddened eyes and frowned in confusion, "What's the matter, why are you about to cry?"

Jie Lin Yuan smiled, rolling up his sleeves, "Human emotional needs are very complex, how would a little parasite like you understand?"

"I'm human, not a parasite."

"Little parasite person."

"...Little robot."

Jie Lin Yuan paused for a moment, deliberately twisting the topic to something Wu Yin was least adept at, "I'm certainly not small."

He emphasized the word "small" deliberately, then provocatively raised an eyebrow.

As expected, Wu Yin showed a puzzled expression. He caught Jie Lin Yuan's insinuation but didn't understand what he was hinting at exactly.

"What's not small? What are you talking about?" Wu Yin asked irritably. But the damned white-haired, red-eyed man's smile deepened, clearly determined not to tell him. Wu Yin, persistent in his quest for knowledge, urged, "Tell me now!"

Xie Linyuan regained his composure, smugly turning back to continue wringing out the bedsheets.

Wu Yin, frustrated, kicked the wheelchair, "You just wait."

As these two elementary schoolers inflicted verbal wounds on each other, Yang Mo, after a fierce internal struggle, concluded, "I'll not tell them about my condition for now, to give them time to accept it."

Saying this, he wiped his face with one hand, perked up, and carrying the mop, walked to the entrance, opening the door to reveal a friendly smile to the man and woman outside, "You're back."

Qin Yue and Old Hu, still panting from climbing the stairs at the doorway, suddenly froze, their expressions turning to shock and fear, instinctively stepping back, their bodies rigid, eyes filled with astonishment and dread.

Yang Mo: "..."

Qin Yue, Old Hu: "..."

"Uh—" Yang Mo tried to lift his right hand for a wave, but before he could raise it, the man and woman outside took another step back, almost retreating down the stairs.

"...Am I that terrifying with amnesia?" Yang Mo doubted his existence, turning back to continue mopping the dining area.

It took a minute for Qin Yue and Old Hu to mentally prepare themselves, tiptoeing to peek their heads through the door—

Then they saw the usually cold and rebellious Mr. Yang Mo diligently mopping the floor.

Qin Yue, Old Hu: "..." Oh my God! This is unbelievable!

The two rushed over, wrested the mop from Yang Mo's hands, and pushed him down onto the sofa, "Please sit, sir. Let us handle this!"

Qin Yue couldn't snatch the mop from Old Hu and, not wanting to stand idly by, hurried to the bathroom to find a cloth, wiping the table vigorously and fiercely.

Wu Yin turned his wheelchair, seeing Yang Mo sitting on the sofa in existential doubt. He cleared his throat emotionlessly and ordered, "Yang Mo, boil some water. Pour me a cup when it's ready."

Instantly, the bustling figures of Qin Yue and Old Hu froze, just then noticing another man on the balcony besides Jie Linyuan, seated in a wheelchair. Backlit, his face was unclear, but his voice was pleasant and rich, albeit the content somewhat alarming.

He actually dared to order the sir around?!

Just as Qin Yue was about to intervene, offering to do it himself, he heard Yang Mo obediently agree, promptly getting up to find a coal stove to boil water.

He thought it through thoroughly; setting aside that "Wu Yin" was already a patient and deserved extra care, moreover, being able to stay in such a clean room was all thanks to Jie Ge. So, listening to Mr. Wu was tantamount to repaying Jie Ge's kindness.

With this in mind, Yang Mo worked energetically, even offering Qin Yue and Old Hu a drink with a smile, "Would you like some water? I can pour you a cup too."

Qin Yue, Old Hu: "..."

After nearly ten minutes of heart-pounding and wild thoughts, the group finally sat around the round dining table, with Jie Linyuan introducing Wu Yin's new identity to the others, "This is our friend from the Nan Survivor Camp, Yang Mo and I. You can call him Fifteen."

Fifteen was the name left by "Wang Sui" for "his friend," indicating Wu Yin's naming artistry was indeed abstract.

Yang Mo couldn't remember such a friend, probably someone his other personality had befriended, while the other two hurriedly nodded in politeness, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fifteen."

Wu Yin, like a well-fed tiger, leaned lazily against the chair back, raising his eyes to sweep over the faces of the others, then lightly hummed in response.

His reaction could be deemed arrogant and rude, yet Qin Yue didn't feel offended at all, merely staring dumbly at his face. When Wu Yin's gaze swept over her, she quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks and earlobes flushing with embarrassment.

Jie Linyuan noted Qin Yue's reaction, chuckling inwardly, thinking this was the benefit of Wu Yin's exceptional appearance. If it were Yang Mo, Qin Yue would probably be rolling his eyes to the back of his head.

At that moment, the door was knocked on, and Xue Hongyi's deputy appeared outside, bringing eggs, milk, and a message from the Princess Border Collie Doctor—

The Black Knight’s physical examination revealed many chronic ailments from drug abuse and excessive experiments, including three two-centimeter steel needles embedded in his lungs, kidneys, and liver. The medical team was in an emergency meeting to discuss surgery plans, with the Princess fully involved.

She would come to visit with her three children to express gratitude immediately after the surgery tomorrow, hoping for Mr. Yang Mo’s understanding.

Yang Mo: "..." He sneakily glanced at Jie Linyuan, who gave a slight nod, and immediately responded, "Oh, oh, okay."

The message was normal, but the emphasis on bringing the children... That had a deeper meaning. Jie Linyuan glanced meaningfully at Wu Yin, who leaned in to hear Jie Linyuan ask, “Does the Princess know you’re eyeing her son?”

“She knows. She was willing for me to take her youngest son away. It was her superior who discovered my intentions and sternly refused,” Wu Yin leaned in close, his hand on Jie Linyuan's shoulder, whispering, “The Princess said a two-headed mutant dog in the camp would just end up like its father, used as an experimental subject and trained as a weapon. Her youngest son is physically weak but spirited and playful, much like her when she was a dog. She hoped at least her youngest could go outside to explore and see the world for her.”

Jie Linyuan instantly understood; this was the real reason behind the Princess’s sterilization, not wanting her children to be confined to a lab for life. She was all too aware of the value of her and the Black Knight’s offspring, and the fate they would inevitably face from birth. Like her oldest son and second daughter, more ordinary dogs were manageable, but a two-headed dog like her third son would never escape strict surveillance, exploited for every bit of research value.

At most, the research methods in the southern camp were milder than those at the Wolf Smoke Shelter.

She was a renowned canine doctor in the base, and more importantly, a mother.

Between the interests of most people in the camp and familial affection, she couldn't betray her maternal instincts and chose to be selfish.

This time, Jie Linyuan was silent for a long time, as if seeing the shadow of the child he once was in Wu Yin's words, the left eyeball removed on the surgery table, the excruciating pain of mechanical and human body rejection, and the covered corpses of companions who failed surgeries.

Suddenly, he smiled and looked up at the others around the table. "Well, here's the thing, I and Shiwu have decided to stay in the South Camp from today onwards and not leave. What about you? What are your plans?"

"Great, great, great, I want to stay too," Old Hu was the first to agree. "I've long wanted to enter a safe zone, to live without constant fear and have a shelter from the elements. It's the life I've dreamed of."

Qin Yue's face was still flushed, and hearing this, she nodded as well, "I would like to stay too."

Yang Mo naturally said the same.

"Alright, if that's the case," Jie Linyuan placed his hands together on the table, "starting tomorrow, everyone will go out to look for work. Our current living expenses for rent is 2.5 survival points per week, payable in arrears. On average, each person needs to pay 0.5 survival points. I expect everyone to hand over their survival points to me on time in three days."

Qin Yue, Yang Mo, Old Hu: "..."

Wu Yin, pointing to himself with a backward hand: "Do I need to as well?"

Jie Linyuan's smile deepened: "You too, otherwise climb up from the first floor by yourself."