Chapter 95 The Spiral World (33)

Chapter 95: The Spiral World (Part Thirty-Three)

The vast starry expanse grew even brighter after being washed by the rain. The night sky was resplendent, pitch-black. The screams gradually receded, and the world was enveloped in silence. People gazed through their windows at the bright, clear moon. On this night filled with joy and sorrow, pain was swallowed by silence. The world had become mute, ingesting all bitterness and hardship.

Li Hao hugged his knees, cold sweat pouring down, his arms trembling uncontrollably. He gritted his teeth tightly, involuntary tears rolling from the corners of his eyes.

Chen Hong had just gotten her daughter to sleep. She mixed the last of the oatmeal with water and said with relief, "Thank goodness you came back in time and didn't get caught in the rain. You must be hungry. This is the last of the oatmeal. You eat it first. Hopefully they'll hand out supplies as usual tomorrow."

Li Hao didn't dare answer, afraid that opening his mouth would reveal something was wrong.

"I think you should stop being a volunteer. There are so many strong young people. You'd just be getting in the way. The world is so chaotic now. It's not worth risking your life for a couple of extra pieces of bread." Chen Hong handed the thin oatmeal to Li Hao, a faint smile appearing on her pale face. "You're the only man in our family. Your little sister and I have small appetites. We can get by if we eat less."

Li Hao shook his head, sweat plastering his hair to his temples. He shakily raised his hand, pulling at the wound on his shoulder, immediately sucking in a sharp breath from the pain. Beads of sweat streamed down his face.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you sweating so much?"

"It's hot." Li Hao placed the bowl in front of him, hunched over it in an awkward position to eat the oatmeal, trying his best not to move his shoulder.

Blood seeped through his thin shirt, quickly soaking his shoulder. Chen Hong, slow as she was to notice things, saw it. She grabbed his arm. Li Hao let out a cry of pain, then immediately clenched his teeth, not making another sound.

Chen Hong took off his shirt and only then discovered a large burn on his shoulder. Pus and blood had glued the skin and flesh to his undershirt. The weather was hot, the water was cut off, so they couldn't clean the wound. There was no burn ointment or iodine at home either, so the wound was left to fester.

"How did this happen?" Chen Hong asked, frantic with worry. "Didn't you say you didn't get caught in the rain?"

"It's nothing!" Li Hao said gruffly. "Don't worry about it."

He got up and bolted into his room.

Li Hao lay face down on the bed, catching a whiff of something sour and foul. The bedding, once soft and fragrant, now felt like it had been picked from a garbage dump—dirty and smelly. He himself reeked too.

Li Hao seethed with anger and frustration. He always wanted to do something, but was always powerless. He didn't even dare cry properly—that was a sign of incompetence.

Li Hao sniffled, hearing footsteps behind him. He whirled around and saw Lin Yanqing standing by the window.

"Were you crying?" Lin Yanqing shook the rain off his clothes. He had heard Li Hao's sobs from afar and had taken a shortcut, slipping in through the window into the room.

Li Hao scrambled up quickly, wiping his tears haphazardly. "I wasn't crying! I never cry!"

"Why not? You can cry if you want to."

"I'm a man. I can't cry." Li Hao stared hard, trying to look mature and steady.

"Of course you can." Lin Yanqing frowned. "Men can cry too. My idol said so."

"What are you even here for?"

"A batch of medicine was delivered downstairs. We're short-handed. Where do your little friends live? Call them over to help."

Li Hao gripped his left arm, hesitantly lowering his head. He felt ashamed. He thought of Li Changyuan, and that feeling of shame deepened. He scratched his arm awkwardly, his voice barely a whisper. "Maybe... maybe let's skip it this time."

Lin Yanqing studied his expression. After a moment, he took out a box of medicine from his pocket. "First, take care of your wound. After you've rested, you can come downstairs to find me."

Li Hao clutched the box of medicine tightly, deforming the cardboard. Lin Yanqing vanished in an instant. Li Hao stood alone in the dark room. It was almost dawn, but Li Changyuan's face wouldn't leave his mind. A chill ran down his spine.

He kept trying to convince himself: he had done enough, he had tried hard enough. He was injured, in so much pain he couldn't lift his arm. Lin Yanqing was different from him. He was a Psychic, with superpowers, living in a big villa. It was only right that he contributed more.

Li Hao told himself again: although Lin Yanqing had helped him, it was just a trivial favor, nothing major.

He raised his hand to wipe his tears. The sharp pain in his shoulder reminded him again—he was seriously injured. He had never suffered so much in all his life.

Tears streamed down Li Hao's face, instantly covering it. He heard a clattering sound from the living room. His heart sank, and he rushed out the door.

Chen Hong was wrapping plastic wrap around her arms and legs, layer after layer, tightly covering the exposed skin. Her body was weak and her movements clumsy; she accidentally kicked over a chair.

Seeing Li Hao return to the living room, Chen Hong bared her teeth in a smile at him. "Isn't Mom clever? You stay home and look after your sister. I'll go out to find a doctor. Maybe I'll run into a volunteer. Soon you won't be in pain anymore."

Chen Hong put on her jacket, zipped it up to the top, and put on a pair of gloves. She took a deep breath, as if encouraging herself, and murmured, "It'll be fine. It will definitely be fine."

Li Hao's tears flowed again. He wiped them away quickly. "Don't bother. I have medicine now."

Chen Hong's eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you get medicine?"

"That older brother from last time." Li Hao gritted his teeth. "I'll go downstairs to thank him. Mom, you stay with little sis."

He picked up the umbrella behind the door. Before leaving, he went to the window to check the rain. Suddenly, he froze, stunned by the spectacle before him.

The empty square was now covered in dense foliage. Covered walkways had grown between the buildings. An overwhelming expanse of green surrounded the residential complex, simultaneously blocking the malice falling from the sky.

Li Hao had never found plants so beautiful—so vibrant, so full of life and hope.

He forgot the pain, dashed downstairs, and ran through the green corridors. A breeze brushed his face, drying his tears. Panting, he rushed towards Lin Yanqing and shouted with all his might, "Big brother, I'm sorry!"

Lin Yanqing turned gracefully, tilting his head in puzzlement. "Why are you apologizing?"

Li Hao scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

"If you're rested, go help. You know the neighborhood well. Call a few people over. We're in a hurry to get to the next place," Lin Yanqing said.

Li Hao nodded eagerly, thumping his chest. "Leave it to me!"

*

"Madam, the situation in Nanyao City is urgent. Should we recall the young master first?"

Chen Ya, lost in thought, heard the report from her subordinate Cao Guangsheng. Her chaotic thoughts gradually gathered. She picked up a red rose and began trimming its stem unhurriedly.

"I heard Jiang Songnian and Chen Xing got into a fight this morning." Chen Ya slightly raised her chin, her lowered gaze still fixed on the flower stem. The scissors snipped, cutting the stem. The potted plant was lush, filled with various flowers. For a moment, Chen Ya didn't know where to start.

Cao Guangsheng let out a derisive laugh, tinged with annoyance. "Jiang Songnian dared to fire a gun during a confidential meeting. Someone so impulsive, why didn't he just kill Chen Xing? He actually let him leave."

"Impulsive?" Chen Ya seemed to have heard an amusing joke. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile as she chuckled softly. "Don't underestimate Jiang Songnian. He knows exactly what he's doing. What good would killing Chen Xing do him?"

"That's true. Even if he wanted to kill him, it would be done in secret. I'm just worried Jiang Songnian is spread too thin now," Cao Guangsheng said.

"Si Nian is being childish, insisting on going to Nanyao City to join the excitement. Talking about stealing a plane—that was entirely Jiang Feng's idea. He even specially assigned people to him and personally sent him to Nanyao City. Do you think he's just indulging a child?" Chen Ya's expression darkened slightly. "Chen Xing went to Nanyao City, and right after, Jiang Feng sent Si Nian to his older brother's side. It was precisely so Chen Xing would have to think twice before acting. Si Nian is a bargaining chip the old man values. He must not be harmed under any circumstances."

Cao Guangsheng said, shocked, "Jiang Feng is using the young master as a shield! I'll send someone to bring him back immediately!"

"No need. A bit of acid rain, what danger is that? My child, Chen Ya's son, is not so useless." Chen Ya plucked a white rose and tossed it into the trash can. "An unlucky color."

She inserted the vibrant red rose into the flower pot, admiring the bold and beautiful combination. She said contentedly, "A sparrow occupying a magpie's nest won't last forever. Roses are, of course, most beautiful when they're red."

*

At noon, the rain lessened. A light, pattering drizzle slid down the car windows. Jiang Hui sat in the car, still bundled up tightly, even wearing He Yunchuan's glasses. He pricked up his ears, listening to the sounds outside the car, afraid the rain might penetrate the roof and fall on his head.

"Looks like the rain is about to stop," He Yunchuan turned back from the passenger seat. "Brother Jiang, aren't you hot? Maybe take off the scarf."

Jiang Hui shook his head vigorously. If Chen Xing hadn't left early, he would have endured until the rain stopped no matter what. However, he had no real connection with the Jiang family. Once Chen Xing left, he had to leave too, lest he get in someone's way and catch a bullet for no reason.

As he was leaving, he remembered there was still some powdered milk at home, so he brought He Yunchuan along for the ride. It also meant having one more person to protect him.

Jiang Hui lived in a residential complex next to the municipal government building, a place Jiang Lingxiao had found for him. But as far as he knew, all of Aimeile's people lived at the factory. He had visited once. Jiang Lingxiao personally gave him a tour, very enthusiastically calling him Aimeile's representative. Any negotiations with Chen Xing were handed over to Jiang Hui.

But in reality, the real inner workings were never something Jiang Lingxiao allowed Jiang Hui to touch.

Jiang Hui wasn't some naive greenhorn who had never seen the world. He understood clearly that as Jiang Lingxiao's nephew, he lent him authority in business dealings, but he was also a pawn, one that could be sacrificed at any critical moment.

Take Chen Xing. Although he was the Chen family heir, Jiang Lingxiao didn't seem to take him seriously, always having Jiang Hui entertain him. And Chen Xing was no easy character either, constantly threatening to start trouble.

Jiang Hui understood the ways of the world, but to be honest, this circle was different from the one he was used to, and the times had changed too. He couldn't quite figure it out, so he felt uneasy all day long, and he'd thinned out considerably.

Being able to meet up with He Yunchuan again put Jiang Hui's mind at ease. He Yunchuan was his strategist, a world apart from the rough Psychics outside the door.

After entering the residential complex, He Yunchuan followed Jiang Hui to the top floor. This place used to be a high-end neighborhood as well, but now few people lived here. Jiang Hui occupied an entire floor.

"Wow, Brother Jiang, your place is even more spacious than before," He Yunchuan said, fiddling with a crystal ornament. Spotting the stacked cardboard boxes in the corner, he exclaimed, "For a moment there, I felt like things were just like the old days, with everything you could want right here."

Jiang Hui gave a tired smile, telling He Yunchuan to make himself at home while he went to change. He showered and washed his hair with purified water, and finally breathed a sigh of relief after putting on clean clothes.

Listening to the sound of running water, He Yunchuan felt a pang. While Jiang Hui was showering and changing, he rummaged through a few cardboard boxes. Seeing the half-box of water purification tablets, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. The way things are now, water purification tablets probably weren't much use anymore.

Not long after, Jiang Hui emerged from the room with a towel around his neck. He shook the water from his hair and said casually, "Take whatever you need. They drop off supplies every so often, so there's plenty."

Jiang Hui rubbed his face with the towel while turning on the anti-eavesdropping jammer to prevent any sharp-eared Psychics nearby from overhearing their conversation.

He Yunchuan blinked. "Your uncle, Jiang Lingxiao, doesn't live here as well, does he?"

"No, he doesn't. He's a ghost, could be anywhere," Jiang Hui said, pursing his lips. He took a few cans from a drawer, placed them all on the coffee table, and brought over two bottles of beer. He felt more relaxed back in his own place; having a little drink was fine.

"Don't stand on ceremony, eat and drink whatever you like," Jiang Hui said, patting He Yunchuan's shoulder like an elder. "Been through a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Who hasn't?" He Yunchuan replied with a bitter smile, helping to open two cans and pushing them toward Jiang Hui.

Jiang Hui raised his glass to clink with He Yunchuan's and sighed. "If you didn't have a child, I'd definitely try to recruit you. The two of us together could really make waves again."

"What are you saying, Brother Jiang? I owe you one. If you ever need anything, I'll be there right away!"

"But I have to remind you, even if you're following Jiang Songnian, you still need to be careful. Hearing last night that Chen Xing was planning to poison someone really spooked me."

He Yunchuan took a sip of his beer, looking puzzled. "Aren't the Jiang and Chen families related by marriage? How did things get to this point?"

"What marriage alliance..." Jiang Hui muttered to himself. He and Jiang Lingxiao were blood relatives, after all. He shook his head and said, "I heard people say that these past few days in Bei'an City, they've been fighting over Energy Stones. That guy called Lao Mai came from Bei'an City not long ago with ten planes. Half were supplies, and the other half..." Jiang Hui made a gun-firing gesture.

He Yunchuan's expression darkened. The beer tasted both bitter and astringent.

"Chen Xing definitely has a backup plan. I've dealt with him before; he's good at playing the fool. Anyone can see his motive for coming here this time. He's bound to make a show of force. The poisoning is just a front; the real move is what comes after." Jiang Hui downed half his glass. "The waters here run deep."

He Yunchuan grew increasingly anxious. He forced a smile and said, "Anyway, being able to get a ticket to the base is what really matters. Do you have any leads, Brother Jiang?"

Jiang Hui hemmed and hawed. "Let's figure out the immediate situation first. Hey, didn't you need milk powder? It's in the cabinet. Go get it yourself. When the rain stops later, I'll have the driver take you back."

He Yunchuan opened the cabinet and pulled out two unopened bags of senior calcium-fortified milk powder. Tucking them under his arm, he was about to close the cabinet door when he inadvertently caught sight of a large family photo. Jiang Hui and his wife stood at the very edge. Jiang Hui looked much younger then, probably a photo from about twenty years ago. In front, on a redwood armchair, sat an elderly couple. Behind them stood three people: a middle-aged couple and a young man.

"Brother Jiang, are these in the middle your parents?" He Yunchuan had met them a few times. When the old man passed away, he had even helped with the arrangements. The ones in front were probably Jiang Hui's grandparents, who had passed away much earlier.

Jiang Hui nodded, took a sip of his beer, and said, "The one next to my dad is my uncle, Jiang Lingxiao."

"That's Jiang Lingxiao?" He Yunchuan was stunned. No matter how you looked at it, the young man in the photo appeared to be nearly thirty. Yet, according to Jiang Songnian's description, the current Jiang Lingxiao looked to be only in his early thirties, maybe even younger.

He Yunchuan asked in surprise, "How old was he back then?"

Jiang Hui thought for a long time, scratching his head. "I don't really remember... when this photo was taken... Anyway, he's five years older than me. My grandparents had him late in life, so they doted on him."

He Yunchuan's pupils contracted sharply. If he remembered correctly, Jiang Hui was fifty-five this year. By that calculation, Jiang Lingxiao should be sixty years old.

A chill ran down his spine. A sudden wave of fear assaulted his mind.

What exactly was Aimeile researching...