Chapter 79 Should Be More Aloof

Chapter 79 A Cold Shoulder

Early the next morning.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A knocking sound echoed in Fang Ran and Zhong Wan's room.

Zhong Wan propped himself up from under the covers, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Who is it?"

They had arrived at the District 5 headquarters late last night and had only managed a few hours of sleep. Who would disturb their peace so early?

"Zhong Wan, Fang Ran, it's me!"

The dormitory they were staying in was provided by the District 5 headquarters, laid out much like a hotel double room.

Zhong Wan glanced over at Fang Ran and saw that he, too, was awake.

The two exchanged a look.

Was that Shen Ke's voice?

Zhong Wan got up and opened the door.

Standing outside were not only Shen Ke but also the S-class Sentinel, Chen Yang, who was nearing retirement.

Zhong Wan stood at the door, momentarily stunned. "You two... what brings you here?"

Shen Ke offered him a smile.

"Director Lu and the others have gone to a meeting. Wen Qi is attending a Guide exchange seminar."

"Before they left, they told us to stick together and be careful."

Hearing this, Fang Ran glanced down at the terminal on his wrist. There was indeed a message from a Sentinel, instructing him to follow Chen Yang and not wander off.

Wander off? Did they think he was a child?

"Heh."

Chen Yang, standing behind Shen Ke, chuckled.

"Everyone, I'll be looking out for you during today's activities."

He appeared to be in his fifties, with slightly graying hair, but he exuded a strong vitality. Unlike other Sentinels, he didn’t seem sharp or aggressive; he was a Psychic Sentinel.

"Uncle Chen, aren’t you attending the tactical briefing?" Zhong Wan asked, looking at him.

"No," Chen Yang waved his hand. "Those occasions are best left to the younger generation."

"I didn't come to District 5 this time for a mission anyway."

"By the way," Chen Yang smiled again and continued, "There's plenty of great food in District 5. The headquarters cafeteria is on the 27th floor. Let's go check it out later."

At the mention of food, Zhong Wan instantly brightened, his eyes sparkling as he nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes!"

He turned and grinned at Fang Ran.

"Fang Ran, let's go check it out together."

......

The District 5 staff cafeteria truly amazed Fang Ran.

He had never imagined that in this apocalyptic world, there could be a place with such an abundance of ingredients.

The cafeteria was set up buffet-style.

Zhong Wan pulled him along as they walked past row after row of dishes.

Braised, grilled, steamed, fried—all kinds of dishes, each appealing in color, aroma, and taste, making it a dazzling display.

He had always heard that District 2 was a paradise in the apocalyptic world, but District 5 was just as impressive.

In comparison, the employee benefits in their District 4 paled significantly.

"Fang Ran, look! Lemon chicken! Grilled fish!"

"Wow! There's even a spicy hot pot over there! What kind of magical place is this?"

Zhong Wan excitedly pulled Fang Ran along, walking ahead, while Chen Yang and Shen Ke followed behind them, smiling.

"District 5 is kind of a home base for Hua Yan," Chen Yang said as they walked. "There are many ranches and cultivation bases here, so the crop yields are much more abundant compared to other districts."

Zhong Wan turned back and asked, "Hua Yan? You mean Hua Yan Pharmaceutical?"

"Yes," Chen Yang nodded. "Their R&D center and most of their factories are located in District 5."

"You could say half of District 5's prosperity is thanks to Hua Yan."

"Uncle Chen," Fang Ran also turned and asked, "You seem very familiar with this place?"

"Haha, you caught me," Chen Yang chuckled again. "My family all work here in District 5. I'm planning to apply for a transfer here after I retire."

The group selected their favorite dishes and carried their trays to the dining area.

It wasn’t peak dining hours, but people were still coming into the cafeteria.

Just as Fang Ran set down his tray, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

"Fang Ran! No way! Is that really you?!"

Fang Ran paused and turned around.

A tall Sentinel was looking at him excitedly.

The man was wearing the District 5 Sentinel uniform, standing a head taller than Fang Ran. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with a very masculine appearance, but the dark circles under his eyes were prominent, his face pale, and he exuded an overall air of exhaustion.

"Fang Ran," the Sentinel seemed to grow even more excited, his eyes sparkling. "Did you transfer to District 5 for me?"

Huh?

Who's this guy?

Fang Ran racked his brain but couldn’t recall the Sentinel’s name.

Still, since this person could accurately call out his name, he might have been a friend of his original body.

"This Sentinel..."

He took a subtle step back, brushed the man’s hand off his shoulder, then said flatly.

"You startled me. What do you want?"

"Fang Ran... you..."

Seeing his cold and resistant attitude, the man's expression shifted from confusion to disappointment, the light in his eyes instantly dimming.

"Even you won't acknowledge me now? How can this be..."

His wrist terminal suddenly vibrated.

The Sentinel must have received an important message. He glanced down, shuddered, and only looked up after a moment.

His expression darkened further.

"Fang Ran, I... I'll come find you later to explain. You... you must wait for me to explain." The Sentinel’s eyes were filled with anxiety, his words stumbling.

Without waiting for Fang Ran’s response, he stumbled away, nearly tripping at the restaurant entrance. Bystanders gave him odd looks, but no one reached out to help.

Fang Ran frowned at the man’s retreating back.

"Fang Ran, nice one," Zhong Wan said, patting his shoulder.

"You should be cold to scum like that."

Fang Ran nodded in agreement.

In truth, he had already guessed—this person was most likely the original host’s ex-boyfriend.

Zhao Hengming.

Fang Ran had little impression of this so-called "ex-boyfriend." He had only seen the original host’s photos on the terminal once, but based on the man’s attitude and ambiguous words, he had roughly figured it out.

"He... actually transferred to District 5?"

"You didn't know?" Zhong Wan was surprised but then added, "Well, it’s better that you didn’t. Someone like him isn’t worth your attention."

"After what happened to you... I wanted to settle the score with him, but it turned out he had already transferred here with that guide."

"And he still had the nerve to say he’d explain things to you."

"Don’t worry, if he really dares to come... we’ll just unleash Fu Changzhou on him."

"..."

"Just joking! Haha!"

......

This incident didn’t dampen the group’s appetite, and Chen Yang and Shen Ke were discreet enough not to pry about the man.

Fang Ran wasn’t the original host and had no feelings whatsoever for Zhao Hengming, so he naturally didn’t care.

After a hearty meal, he noticed Zhong Wan had gone to a nearby table and struck up a conversation with some people from District 5.

With his likable appearance and personality, it took only a few minutes for him to fit right in with the group, and laughter soon followed.

Fang Ran and the others waited for him for a while before heading back to the temporary dormitory provided by District 5.

On the way back, Zhong Wan suddenly pulled his sleeve and whispered, "Fang Ran, I got some info for you."

"Huh?"

What had he been investigating just now?

Zhong Wan winked at him and said quietly, "It’s about that scumbag Zhao Hengming..."

"That guy is involved in the recent research institute explosion."