Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Since the day Hui Lan declared his willingness to "send medicine thousands of miles without regret" and "a kind of love called letting go," he started a life of sighs and depression for the next three days.

Not only did he sit on the lawn every day, looking up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, occasionally letting out melancholic sighs that were stomach-churning to hear, but he also behaved like an adolescent boy sneaking below Grape's dormitory to watch from afar. During meal times, he would thoughtfully ask others: I wonder how Grape is doing now, is she tired? Hungry?

During this period, Wu Yin had already accepted Hui Lan's lovelorn persona, naturally asking: Since you miss Grape so much, why not go see her directly?

Hui Lan huffed, indicating he had his pride; Grape didn't like him, so why should he keep throwing himself at her, delivering medicine and food, and even taking care of her man.

After hearing this, Wu Yin thought Hui Lan wasn't entirely a martyr, not expecting anything in return, but then he heard Hui Lan's long sigh again: I wonder if Grape had a good sleep...

"..." Wu Yin concluded that Hui Lan was probably too well-fed and should be put to work.

Upon hearing his brother's troubles, Geng Wu thought for a moment and quickly came up with a mischievous idea.

He approached Hui Lan with an air of mystery, touched by his story, he dubbed him "the most affectionate man in the zoo," asking him not to refuse the title, and then had Wu Zhe cheerfully call Hui Lan "Brother Affection" and "Love Seed Brother" all day.

This move was highly effective, making the so-called Brother Affection realize how foolish his actions were, and he was too embarrassed to continue in the same vein.

After half a minute, Wu Yin nodded slowly, "Okay."

Jie Linyuan didn't quite get it: "When were you ever not decadent? From the moment I met you, you've always been like this."

"...," Wu Yin pondered his words, setting aside the game console, "My point is, my life now doesn't feel like it's the apocalypse at all. There's food and drink, even fruit, no encounters with mutants, no scheming, and there's even time for romance..."

The last comment made Jie Linyuan's lips curl in pleasure, "Isn't that good?"

"I feel a bit guilty," Wu Yin said, pulling a book from under the pillow and flipping it open quickly, "Look, it says here: 'Your peaceful days are possible because someone else is carrying the burden for you.'"

Jie Linyuan bent over to look at the book cover: "Top 100 Internet Catchphrases, Guaranteed Enlightenment."

"Then... how about you replace Jia Chen and Geng Wu at the pawnshop tomorrow? Conveniently, you all share the same face, unnoticed by gods or ghosts. Or maybe volunteer to be drained by mutants?"

“……”

Jie Linyuan laughed, "Enough, don't overthink it. Who knows how long this calm will last? Given the overall situation, peace anywhere is temporary. An accident might happen tomorrow, so enjoy the present."

Just as Wu Yin was about to agree and then lie back on the sofa to continue indulging in the blissful life of a luxurious parasite, several calls came from the mansion's outer wall: "Xiao Hu!"

With these sounds, five figures with murky black eyes climbed over the wall from outside. Clearly, the gate was open, but perhaps the mutants preferred to showcase their extraordinary, opting to avoid the door. Z1068, Lu Ba, came out from behind the door with a dark expression, seemingly puzzled by the mutants' quirks.

"...," Wu Yin began to regret not enjoying life sooner. The unexpected didn't even wait for tomorrow; it arrived just as Jie Linyuan finished speaking.

As soon as the Rainbow Five entered the hall, they surrounded Wu Yin, each looking exhausted. Approaching Wu Yin felt like a drained mobile phone being plugged into a charger, visibly relieved.

Lu Ba walked straight to Jie Linyuan, who handed him a glass of cool boiled water. Lu Ba drank it in one gulp, then sighed, explaining they had taken on a mission to clear out a mutant.

Mutants usually wouldn't mobilize their entire force for just one mutant, but this particular one was exceptionally intelligent. It always roamed the outskirts of the zoo, never entering, and knew to hit and run, consuming a human and then moving on, elusive as a ghost, causing widespread panic by preying on numerous humans.

Thus, to put an end to the trouble as soon as possible, the four major forces of the zoo joined forces to hire mutants to come forward and tackle this significant issue.

Seeing the generous reward, the mutants' leader, the qipao-wearing lady Bai Jie, immediately agreed. She thought it was just another mutant creature, and even if it were smarter than usual, it couldn't possibly stand a chance against their unnamed mutants.

However, she didn't take this lightly and repeatedly reminded the others to be cautious before the mission, especially Lu Ba, the only ordinary person among them who wasn't an immune, stressing the importance of prioritizing his safety in case of danger.

What Bai Jie hadn't expected at all was that the mutant creature didn't confront them directly.

Somehow detecting the arrival of the mutants, it simply avoided them and carried out its activities elsewhere in the vast zoo. The mutants chased after it, but as soon as night fell, it was nowhere to be seen. For three days, the mutants, who considered themselves at the top of the post-apocalyptic food chain, were outwitted by a single mutant creature, with no decrease in the death rate.

Jie Lin Yuan thoughtfully fetched several clean cups, poured warm water for everyone, even including a three-tailed fox that had been timidly hiding behind Lu Ba.

"This is too clever," Hui Lan, who was also listening, said, "Are you sure you're describing a mutant creature? It sounds more like a special forces soldier skilled in counter-tracking, and an enhanced one at that... Could it be an evolved mutant creature? That is... a second-order evolved zombie? And as time goes on, there might emerge third-order, fourth-order... up to tenth-order zombies!"

"Don't scare yourself with such alarming talk," Jie Lin Yuan interrupted, "Since this mutant creature only dares to skirt around the mutants, it proves its strength isn't great. Its difference from other mutant creatures is like that between a dog and a Border Collie. Killing it is just a matter of time."

The prince, inadvertently brought into the conversation, lifted his head, and the mentioned Border Collie barked unhappily, feeling its intelligence was insulted.

"Xiao Hu, could we possibly borrow your mutated dog?" Bai Jie politely asked, which was one of the reasons she came here with the other mutants, "We want to use its sense of smell to track down that mutant creature. We brought a little fox today, but it doesn't understand our commands well and is too timid. We don't have time to train it, and if we delay further, more people will die."

"I have no problem with that," Wu Yin lazily sprawled on the sofa, "but you'll have to ask for its consent."

Ah Cheng, an evident dog lover, immediately approached the prince upon hearing this, "Your Highness, would you like to help us defeat the nasty little monster?"

Wu Yin called out without turning his head, "Its intelligence is around 100, so don't talk to it in that childish tone; it will get angry."

Ah Cheng: "..."

Meanwhile, Lu Ba placed his hand on Jie Lin Yuan's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, "1932, help us out. If we delay, the mutants' prestige within the zoo will greatly suffer, leading to many unfavorable outcomes. Thus, we must deal with that mutant creature by tomorrow."

Considering the support Lu Ba had provided both openly and covertly in the past, along with their shared experiences, Jie Linyuan was bound to agree to his request.

Upon hearing that Jie Linyuan and His Highness were going out the next day, leaving him and the passionate Grey Blue alone in the villa, Wu Yin immediately insisted on joining them.

At his words, the mutants unanimously exclaimed, "What are you going for? It's dangerous!"

"My scent attracts more than just you," Wu Yin said meaningfully. "Instead of tracking it with His Highness, why not bring me along and have it come to us?"

Again, the mutants unanimously protested, "Isn't that even more dangerous?!"

Disregarding the group that treated him like a delicate rose, Wu Yin turned his gaze towards Jie Linyuan.

Jie Linyuan frowned and hesitated before saying, "Honestly, I'd rather you didn't go. The incident at the supermarket left a deep psychological scar on me. But I also know that once you've made up your mind, no one can change it, and..."

He believed Wu Yin's determination to join stemmed from a desire to help these mutants, who had shown him the utmost goodwill, regardless of their reasons for caring about him.

Annoyed, Jie Linyuan thought to himself how someone who had done a hundred bad things, with such a terrible temperament, could move him so deeply with just one good deed.

"Am I being manipulated?" Jie Linyuan thought inappropriately, then immediately felt a surge of competitive spirit: No, manipulation is my forte; I should be the one manipulating him!

"Let's go together," he concluded. "I'll make sure you're safe."

But if he failed to protect him... he could again enjoy the thrill of a solo performance for two, which seemed quite nice when he thought about it. Either way, he wouldn't lose.

Wu Yin, unaware of the whirlwind of thoughts that had passed through Jie Linyuan's mind in just a few seconds, was very satisfied with the final decision and nodded, "It's settled then, see you in the morning."

When they arrived, the mutants had planned to recharge at Wu Xiaohu's place after exhausting days, but they left feeling even more tired and anxious than when they had arrived, as if their daughter had told them she was going to a nightclub to drink with strangers in the middle of the night, turning their hair white with worry.

Only Lu Ba watched Wu Yin expressionlessly, bowing seriously to him and Jie Linyuan before leaving, "Thank you."

Seeing his meticulous demeanor, Wu Yin suddenly had a thought, waved at Ah Cheng who had already reached the door, and then, as people drew near, he whispered, "Have you thought of a name for Lu Ba?"

Ah Cheng: "..."

Ah Cheng, with doubled anxiety, pleaded, "Please let me have a good night's sleep!"