"This... this..." The bald man hesitated. The Imperial Capital was already a treacherous place, one you didn’t want to stir trouble in. But now, with this woman holding sothing over them, he couldn’t just attack her. Even if he did, he might not even win. Is this it? Am I going to die here today? Of course, he could risk attacking. But the consequences? He couldn’t bear them. What if... what if things go wrong?
At that mont, Jing Shu dangled the skinny Little Tuanzi in her hand. "Forget it. Looking at the dical ethics of your Yunzhou Pharmaceutical Association, I can tell you don’t value human lives. Since that’s the case, I’ll take this person. As for how you’ll explain this later, that’s up to you."
With that, Jing Shu walked away, swinging the stiff Little Tuanzi in her hand.
"What do we do, Boss? She just took the person like that!"
The bald man was furious. He shouted, "Ma’am! Please, ma’am! At least give us a na so we have sothing to report." That would make it easier to fabricate a story, he thought. He didn’t actually care if the person lived or died.
"You’re not worthy," Jing Shu retorted, turning her head and flexing her fist. The ssage was clear: Ask again, and I’ll really beat you up.
Jing Shu, carrying the rigid Little Tuanzi, vanished completely into the darkness. The group she left behind remained frozen in place for a long while before soone finally asked, "Boss, just... like that?"
The bald man viciously kicked the speaker. "What else can we do? You go! Go on, try chasing her, damn it!" One kick wasn’t enough to vent his anger, so he delivered several more. Satisfied, he wiped the blood from his face, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, and turned. "Let’s go. Back. Since it’s co to this, report it as a death!"
Jing Shu had no idea what repercussions would follow with the Yunzhou Pharmaceutical Association. In the heat of the mont, she had grabbed this Little Tuanzi—no, this possibly devolved child—and brought her back. Her only thought had been that the child wouldn’t fare well in the hands of the Yunzhou Pharmaceutical Association, so she had intervened.
Jing Shu was accustod to life and death. She had collected corpses and witnessed countless tragedies; her heart had long grown numb. The only thing she couldn’t ignore, however, was a child.
What should I do with you? How should I handle you? Oh, right, what’s your na? Jing Shu gently shook the bundle that was Little Tuanzi, who had now quieted down and curled up. She was surprised to find the child had fallen asleep. She no longer looked as ferocious as when she had been baring her teeth. The quiet Little Tuanzi, though covered head to toe in mud, looked exceptionally pitiable.
"Let’s call you Wanzi."
Hmm... I’ll take you back to Wu City first, Jing Shu decided. She would bring the child back and then figure things out. A thought suddenly struck her: perhaps this child could help verify so of her suspicions.
"Perhaps you could try being with Hao Yunlai. You’ve both consud the red energy source; maybe you’ll find so common ground," Jing Shu murmured to herself.
Perhaps an old saying held true: only by defeating sothing could you make it submit.
Therefore, Wanzi obediently stayed by Jing Shu’s side. However, if anyone else dared to approach, Wanzi would bare her teeth and show strong signs of aggression. Well, I brought this trouble on myself, so I have to deal with it, Jing Shu thought. She decided Wanzi needed a bath. After a wash in a basin and a change into a clean, warm, padded cotton jacket, Wanzi looked much fresher.
Wanzi still couldn’t speak. Her intelligence was comparable to that of a five-year-old child, and her behavior was sowhat ape-like, but not entirely—it was altogether strange. Wanzi possessed considerable strength, far surpassing that of an adult, coupled with quick reflexes and a lean build, which had allowed her to escape the grasp of over a dozen big n.
Her appetite, however, was like a cat’s; she ate even less than Fat Chicken. More importantly, she was a picky eater, consuming almost nothing.
Jing Shu offered her homade egg burgers several tis, but Wanzi refused them. Instead, she would fight with Fat Chicken over raw eggs. Could this be so primal instinct from devolution? But cooked at... surely anything, throughout history, would eat cooked at? Did ancient apes not eat cooked food? Did they only eat bananas? Where would I even find bananas now? I have so in my storage space, but I can’t just take them out.
Even if Wanzi wasn’t particularly intelligent, Jing Shu couldn’t risk exposing her space.
Jing Shu tried several other foods, but unfortunately, Wanzi rejected them all. Truthfully, only at Jing Shu’s place would one find such a rich variety of ingredients to choose from.
Unexpectedly, Wanzi eventually ate ham sausages! She ate them with relish, SMACK SMACK, like a little kitten. After just two, she was full. Jing Shu felt a pang of regret; these were snacks that were practically collector’s items in the apocalypse. She only reluctantly sliced so to add to instant noodles or hotpot. Every one eaten ant one less available.
Oh well, so be it.
Jing Shu didn’t overly concern herself with Wanzi’s matters. What surprised her was that the reclusive Wanzi, who was hostile towards humans, got along remarkably well with Fat Chicken. Perhaps, in Wanzi’s eyes, they were kindred spirits.
"CLUCK CLUCK!" Fat Chicken, like a mother hen protecting her chick, sheltered Wanzi behind it. Fat Chicken’s large, plump body was actually taller than Wanzi, who walked on all fours. Fat Chicken always made Wanzi follow closely behind it, giving off a strong "If there’s danger, I’m going in first!" vibe.
And so, Jing Shu entrusted Wanzi to Fat Chicken’s care.
Letting a chicken take care of a human child was an unbelievable thought, yet, incredibly, it was actually happening!
Jing Shu delegated almost all follow-up tasks to Danai and busied herself once again. Issues like the competition’s rewards, the price Bodhi fetched, and the pharmaceutical plants to be established in the Imperial Capital—she pushed all these matters aside for later, when she’d have ti to deal with them.
The competition had concluded too smoothly. Wu City was scheduled to leave the Imperial Capital in three days, leaving Jing Shu only that much ti to complete her planned tasks.
First, as per her agreent with Jun Bao, Jing Shu and Song Bin went to Jun Bao’s biological research laboratory to sign the contract.
It had to be said, the place truly shocked Jing Shu. In her imagination, a research laboratory, if not upscale, should at least resemble Qian Duoduo’s private lab—hi-tech and fully equipped, right?
Jing Shu’s shock stemd from the fact that this biological research lab was situated in a renovated, abandoned cave outside the Imperial Capital. Crucially, this was no ordinary cave.
In front of the cave, a reeking thane pool blocked the path. God knew why there was a thane pool before a cave entrance.
"This way, Miss Jing. Please be careful, the path here is treacherous," Song Bin said, his expression a mixture of a smile and a grimace. My God, what kind of impossible tasks does Young Master Jun assign ? This path isn’t just difficult; it’s practically impassable! I dread coming to this Death Base the most! I absolutely hate crossing this thane pool, which is basically a cesspit!
The people here are all mad!
But he had no choice but to co. He could only face life with a smile. Alright, Song Bin, you can do this! Power through!
Yanbian used a special transport to cross the foul-slling thane pool. The cave emitted a faint glow. Jing Shu, fully equipped, stood at a vantage point inside the cave, frowning as she looked down. What the hell is this? Is this really a research lab?
Song Bin, now on the verge of both laughter and tears, began to explain.
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