Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The three of them entered the backyard. Shen Juanjuan rushed to push open the door of the main house and said eagerly, "Dean, this is my home with my brother."

"Good, good, this home is really good."

Dean Liu entered the house, looked around, and placed the things he was carrying on the table. Shen Juanjuan led him to the sofa, and Chu Ya brought an electric heater over, setting it to high.

"Good, good, really good," Dean Liu said with a smile.

Shen Juanjuan pushed his steel ball car over. "Dean, this is the car my brother made for me."

"Good, this car is really good," Dean Liu praised.

Shen Juanjuan then pointed to a coat hanging behind the door. "That one was also made by my brother for me."

"This coat is also well-made, very nice. You must look good in it."

While Dean Liu and Shen Juanjuan were talking, Chu Ya fetched a clean water cup, filled it with hot water, and handed it to Dean Liu.

The Black Wolf appeared at the door, strolling leisurely under the eaves. But whenever there was any movement inside, its eyes would alertly glance in.

"This is also something my brother made for me; he drew a lot."

Shen Juanjuan took out a notebook and showed it to Dean Liu, who flipped through each page while Shen Juanjuan explained: "This is a leopard... this is a fish."

"Drawn really well."

"Look here, there's another one."

...

After they finished looking through the notebook, Chu Ya asked Shen Juanjuan to play in the next room. It had been raining frequently lately, so he had cleaned up the empty room next door, moved Shen Juanjuan and the Black Wolf's treasure boxes in, and laid down some mats. If Shen Juanjuan couldn't go outside, he could ride his car and play with toys in that room.

"Will you two come play too?"

Chu Ya replied, "Go play, I need to talk to the dean for a bit."

"I want to talk too."

Dean Liu patted Shen Juanjuan's head and handed him the sketchbook. "Your brother and I have something to discuss. Go look at your brother's drawings over there. If we need you, we'll call you."

"Oh, okay."

After watching Shen Juanjuan leave the room, Dean Liu spoke gently, "Young Master Chu, I actually wanted to ask what you meant by the message you had Shen Juanjuan deliver last time?"

"Don't call me Young Master Chu, just call me Chu Ya."

"Alright, Chu Ya. After hearing your words, when Cloud Peak came to select children again, I hid them. But Shen Juanjuan... I didn't expect him to differentiate."

"Yes, he has differentiated into a Guide."

Dean Liu spoke with concern, "This year, all the children selected by Cloud Peak lost contact. After hearing your message from Shen Juanjuan, I suddenly remembered overhearing some workers talking about something at the mine once. At the time, I didn't take it seriously, but now..."

Noticing his sudden agitation and trembling hands, Chu Ya silently took the cup from him and placed it on the table.

"Do you know about the Black Plague?" Dean Liu suddenly asked.

Chu Ya paused. "Yes, I've heard of it, but I don't know the specifics of the condition."

After asking, Dean Liu fell silent, and Chu Ya waited patiently.

"A virus over a hundred years ago almost wiped out humanity. Later, a vaccine called Gengming was invented, which stopped the disaster."

Chu Ya nodded. "I know. That's when Sentinels and Guides first emerged."

Dean Liu nodded. "Although the Gengming vaccine gave humans antibodies and prevented them from becoming zombies, the virus remained in the air and continued to mutate over time. Eventually, the vaccine could no longer fully resist the virus, leading to the plague twenty years ago, known as the Black Plague."

"The Black Plague is similar to the situation a hundred years ago. We all carry the virus, but due to individual differences and the Gengming vaccine, some only carry it without symptoms. However, others can't withstand it; the vaccine fails, and the virus erupts within them."

Chu Ya felt a chill. "I haven't heard of this. Does that mean there were zombies twenty years ago?"

Dean Liu shook his head. "No, not exactly. Everyone receives the Gengming vaccine at birth, which helps to some extent, but they still get the Black Plague. Although they don't become zombies, they suffer terribly and eventually go mad due to the virus attacking their brains."

Chu Ya sensed the key point. "Do you mean the Black Plague still exists today?"

Dean Liu took a deep breath. "Twenty years ago was a major outbreak, but the Black Plague never truly disappeared. In Keke Town, there is a hospital that only accepts Black Plague patients. Whether from the Abyss or Cloud Peak, civilians or officials, anyone with the Black Plague is sent there. Recently, the number of patients has increased so much that the hospital is nearly full."

"So..." Chu Ya felt a sense of unease.

"Cloud Peak periodically screens the Abyss and takes those entering differentiation. Yet, at least three Sentinels and Guides in the mine who entered differentiation were never selected because they always hid when Cloud Peak came."

Dean Liu rubbed his face, his voice trembling. "I overheard them saying that many people in Cloud Peak have contracted the Black Plague but aren't sent to the hospital in Keke Town because they can delay the onset of symptoms."

"How do they delay it? Is it related to Sentinels and Guides entering differentiation?" Chu Ya asked hoarsely.

Dean Liu nodded slightly. "It's said that just before Sentinels and Guides break through, they produce a mental energy. Injecting this energy into Black Plague patients can control their condition."

Chu Ya felt a chill run down his spine. "What happens to those whose mental energy is extracted?"

"What do you think happens?" Dean Liu looked up, his eyes red. "I'm not a Sentinel or Guide, but you are. What do you think happens when their mental energy is completely extracted during breakthrough?"

Chu Ya imagined the possible consequences, his fists clenched tightly.

"Why did you have Shen Juanjuan deliver that message? What do you know?" Dean Liu asked.

Chu Ya took a deep breath and spoke hoarsely, "When I visited the orphanage before, I saw two children taken by Cloud Peak. Later, when I was captured and taken to White Castle, I saw them there too."

"White Castle, White Castle, they were actually imprisoned there..." Dean Liu's face turned pale, his lips losing color.

Both fell silent, and the room became eerily quiet until Shen Juanjuan's voice came from the next room: "Do you want me to keep you company? Do you want me to keep you company?"

Chu Ya, as if awakened from a daze, spoke with some difficulty: "President Liu, if White Castle is really conducting those experiments, does my father know about it? Or... or did he authorize them?"

"No, it can't be President Chu," President Liu replied without hesitation.

"Why not?"

"I have an old friend at the Cloud Peak Research Institute. I never asked him about such matters before, fearing it might involve confidential information. But this time, I did, and he told me everything he knew. He said that President Chu has been researching ways to combat black scab and has made considerable progress. However, due to recent events at Cloud Peak, the research has been put on hold. He also mentioned that a few years ago, someone proposed using the mental energy of sentinels and guides to slow down the disease, but President Chu rejected the idea, even getting very angry about it."

Since the topic had turned to his father, Chu Ya continued: "President Liu, do you know about my parents? I don't believe they are... they, they..."

President Liu understood what he meant and averted his gaze for a moment: "I'm not sure because there has been no public announcement about your parents. No one outside knows their situation."

This was somewhat reassuring for Chu Ya. Although his heart still felt heavy, a weight seemed to lift off his shoulders, making his breathing easier.

President Liu did not continue on this topic and instead turned to Chu Ya with concern: "Your leg..."

"It's fractured, but almost healed. Can you tell me more about the black scab? You said the number of cases is increasing; I want to know more specific symptoms."

President Liu nodded: "Everyone carries the black scab virus within them. If the virus is activated, the most obvious symptom is the appearance of black spots on the body."

Chu Ya's expression suddenly became strange as he looked down at his wrist. A small patch of the birthmark-like black spot peeked out from under his sleeve, looking particularly glaring, causing his fingers to tremble involuntarily.

"The black scab outbreak twenty years ago was caused by a triggering substance in the soil, which activated the virus in many people. Later, the soil was cleaned and treated, completely removing the triggering substance. However, the chemicals used in the process rendered the land unsuitable for growing edible crops."

As President Liu spoke, he glanced at Chu Ya. Sensing his gaze, Chu Ya quickly looked up and subtly pulled his sleeve down to cover his wrist.

After calming himself, Chu Ya asked: "If the triggering substance has been completely removed from the soil, how is the black scab reappearing?"

President Liu sighed softly: "Even if the triggering substance in the soil is gone, could there be another one? Perhaps in the air we breathe or the water we drink?"

"Is there no way to stop it?" Chu Ya asked hoarsely.

"There is a way—develop new treatments." President Liu's tone became more urgent, "The virus has mutated several times, yet the treatment we use is based on century-old research. Since the virus will always exist, we need to develop new treatments and fight it again. The research institute had already made significant progress—"

President Liu stopped abruptly and glanced quickly at Chu Ya.

Chu Ya lowered his eyes calmly: "The research institute had made significant progress, but then my father had an incident."

President Liu seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent, only patting Chu Ya's shoulder: "Everything will be alright. Don't think too much about it for now. Just stay hidden for a while. Once Cloud Peak relaxes its search, I'll help you find other solutions. This time, I brought enough food for several days. Try to reduce Shen Juanjuan's trips back to the institute during this period."

"Thank you, President."

"I should be thanking you for providing crucial information, letting me know the whereabouts of those children."

President Liu's voice wavered slightly as he spoke. He took off his glasses and wiped the fog from them with the hem of his gray robe, his hands trembling slightly.

Chu Ya asked softly: "What do you plan to do?"

President Liu put his glasses back on, and when he looked at Chu Ya, the wrinkles on his forehead showed his fatigue: "I'll do everything I can to protect these children."

"I'll be going now. If anything happens, have Shen Juanjuan come find me. I heard that the search in Keke Town has intensified. You need to be careful too." President Liu picked up his umbrella leaning against the door and walked into the rain, preoccupied.

Chu Ya offered to see him off, but he waved him away: "Stay inside. It's raining heavily. By the way, Shen Juanjuan is entering his differentiation phase. We don't have inhibitors at the institute, so if he gets moody, please bear with him."

Chu Ya paused at the door, watching President Liu walk a few steps before turning back: "Young Master Chu, if I need your help in the future..."

"As long as I can help," Chu Ya replied without hesitation.

President Liu nodded slightly: "Thank you."

The Black Wolf lay under the eaves, lazily glancing at President Liu before lying back down, but its ears perked up.

Chu Ya watched President Liu disappear around the corner, then looked down at the black line on his wrist, lost in thought, until Shen Juanjuan's voice broke his reverie: "Where did President go?"

Chu Ya snapped back: "Oh, he's gone back."

"Ahh! I still have toys I didn't give him."

"Next time, let him play with them." Chu Ya wheeled himself back into the house, "Come eat. I'll heat up some buns."

Shen Juanjuan's attention immediately shifted to the buns, eagerly heading inside: "Okay, let's eat buns, quick, let's eat buns."

Chu Ya wasn't in the mood to eat and soon set aside his bowl and chopsticks to wash their clothes in the bathroom. Shen Juanjuan sat alone at the table, eating contentedly with one hand holding a bun and the other a spoon.

When he noticed a shadow looming over him, he suddenly looked up, the spoon frozen mid-air.

Table, table ghost! No, it's brother's quantum beast.

Shen Juanjuan stared blankly at the Black Wolf, slowly tilting his body to the left, and the wolf followed. He then moved to the right, and the wolf followed again. He slid stiffly off the chair, crouching low.

Then, under the table, he met the gaze of the crouched Black Wolf.

Terrified, Shen Juanjuan froze. The Black Wolf found it amusing to scare him and stood up, slowly circling the table towards Shen Juanjuan.

Shen Juanjuan began circling the table, but the Black Wolf suddenly quickened its pace, causing Shen Juanjuan to panic and run around the table.

"Can you stop? We don't need to get too close, really, we don't need to be close. Go play somewhere else, okay?" Shen Juanjuan tried to sound calm.

The Black Wolf suddenly changed direction, and Shen Juanjuan couldn't pull back in time, ending up face-to-face with the wolf.

Overwhelmed by fear, he screamed and darted towards the bathroom.

"Shen Miaomiao!! It, it, Shen Miaomiao!"

Chu Ya wheeled Shen Juanjuan back to the main room and saw the Black Wolf lying lazily beside the table, licking its paws, looking relaxed as if nothing had happened.

"You've seen it before; don't be afraid," Chu Ya whispered, comforting him.

"I know it's your quantum beast, and I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid..." Shen Juanjuan quickly shrank into Chu Ya's arms. "It's just that, could you please let it go play somewhere else? It's not fun having it in the house."

Chu Ya sighed and looked at the Black Wolf. "Why don't you go out for a while? He won't see you after a bit."

The Black Wolf gave him a cold glance, not only refusing to leave but also leaping onto the nearby sofa, pawing at it as if in defiance before settling down comfortably.

"Then how about you don't stay inside and instead ride the steel ball under the eaves?" Chu Ya suggested to Shen Juanjuan.

Shen Juanjuan was not too pleased and glanced furtively at the black shadow on the sofa. The Black Wolf bared its teeth at him, and its tail casually swept, sending the armless teddy bear flying against the wall and rolling to Shen Juanjuan's feet.

"Look, look at it, it hit the little bear." Shen Juanjuan whispered, tattling to Chu Ya.

"Just ignore it; it's in a bad mood." Chu Ya picked up the teddy bear, dusted off the non-existent dirt, and placed it in Shen Juanjuan's arms. "Go ahead, play under the eaves."

Shen Juanjuan took the teddy bear and walked out the door, looking back every step. The Black Wolf's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and it raised its paw to pat the sofa again.

"Look, look at it, it's being so disobedient, it's hitting the sofa." Shen Juanjuan covered his mouth and continued to complain to Chu Ya.

At night, in a small room where the lights had been extinguished, a child's voice still chattered for a while before gradually fading into silence.

In the dark space formed by tornadoes and meteorites, a silver thread was joyfully flying around, occasionally getting caught in a tornado, spinning wildly until it tangled and then being thrown out.

Shen Juanjuan was once again flung disorientedly, not controlling his direction, flying forward until he collided with an obstacle and stuck to it motionlessly.

Shen Juanjuan didn't need to look to know he had hit the wall again.

This was a strange wall, parts of which resembled frosted glass with misty surfaces and intricate, beautiful silver snowflake patterns. However, more of it was covered in large patches of black, rough and uneven, like moss or mold spreading across a white wall, threatening to engulf all the pretty snowflakes.

Shen Juanjuan had tried many times to wipe away the blackness but couldn't remove it. Now, raising his invisible arm to wipe again, he suddenly noticed a glimmer of gold in one of the wall's creases, faint but clearly visible.

Shen Juanjuan leaned close to the crease and saw a golden thread inside, half enveloped by black aura, weakly clinging to the wall, as if about to break and disappear.

"What are you? This is Shen Miaomiao's place, why are you here?" Shen Juanjuan darted into the crease to examine the golden thread closely.

"Are you a wheat stalk? Did Shen Miaomiao bring you back from the wild?" Shen Juanjuan, unsure what it was, remembered Chu Ya often placing wild wheat stalks in the wheelchair armrests and wondered if this was one of them.

"You seem about to break. Shall I plant you? Let me plant you."

Shen Juanjuan carefully removed the black aura layer by layer, very patiently and gently. After his mental touch, the little golden thread seemed to brighten slightly, gaining a bit more vitality.