Care Guide to Raising a Max Level Leaf in Apocalypse - 60
The black market doctor
Amid the chaos, the meeting quickly dispersed, and no conclusion was reached regarding the matter. With insufficient evidence, a thorough investigation of the Church was impossible.
The six major factions within the base had a delicate balance of power, making it difficult to force any one of them into action. This outcome was expected by Si Yin Yuan. He calmly adjourned the meeting, unaffected by the harsh gaze of the Church’s leader.
The actions taken by both parties today undoubtedly strained their relationship further, and in the coming days, one of them would have to exit the stage.
Ji Jiu, on the other hand, ignored the curious glances of those around them and happily clung to their owner’s arm, asking, “Can we go eat now?” He missed the food stalls in the base.
“Sure.”
The two of them, in their intimate manner, paid no attention to the Church’s leader and his followers, which only served to frustrate them further.
Standing at a street-side food stall, Ji Jiu indulged in mutated chili, all the while eavesdropping on nearby gossip. Business at this stall was booming, with many small stools set up along the road.
A man and a woman spoke in what they thought were hushed voices.
“Have you heard about the Church?”
“What?” The woman asked curiously.
“It’s said that the Church’s lord is a mutant!” The man couldn’t help but raise his voice slightly.
Suddenly, everyone eating nearby turned their attention to the conversation.
Si Yin Yuan smirked. This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for. He had instructed Lí Cháo to spread the news since yesterday. In a post-apocalyptic world where daily entertainment was scarce, gossip had become the most popular pastime. People, even strangers, could engage in conversations on unfamiliar streets.
At any time, humans would not give up on gossip. In this post-apocalyptic world without smartphones, information could spread within a day and spawn various versions. The hottest version had distanced itself from the Hunter’s Guild and indirectly cleaned up the Hunters.
The couple was approached by someone who said, “Let me tell you an inside story. Today, they’ve held a meeting to investigate the Church. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right? Besides, even the leaders of other bases are challenging the Church. This rumor is very likely true.”
The man raised a question, “Is your source reliable?”
The person got agitated. He was an awakened individual with an “animal transformation” ability and swished his tail as he spoke, “Of course, it’s true. My second uncle’s wife’s sister’s boyfriend attended the meeting with Leader Chén today.”
Ji Jiu picked up an unknown piece of mushroom and ate it, his face showing confusion.
But… During the meeting today, Chen Yanli was followed by a woman.
Hmm, humans are indeed complicated.
Upon hearing this, there was an immediate murmur of, “Are they climbing the social ladder with such distant connections?”
Clearly, many people around were silently watching the scene, and while some were skeptical, others believed in the rumors.
They fervently discussed the strange occurrences within the Church.
“Have you noticed the decrease in Church activities lately?”
“I know a believer who said they haven’t conducted a worship ceremony in a long time.”
“It’s definitely suspicious.”
This matter traced back to Ji Jiu. The Church’s inability to operate was a direct result of his theft of an entire warehouse’s contents. However, the onlookers, unaware of the true culprit peacefully eating beside them, started weaving conspiracy theories.
Soon, the news would spread far and wide. Even the children in the daycare center would know that something was amiss with the Church, let alone the believers.
After finishing his last bite, Ji Jiu obediently asked, “Are we going to infiltrate the Church now?”
This was what his owner had told him before they left this morning. While this might seem dangerous to others, it was nothing out of the ordinary for Ji Jiu. Wherever their owner went, he followed.
Si Yin Yuan’s eyes sparkled with interest as he replied, “Before that, we need to find someone.”
He couldn’t trust anyone else with this task, so he decided to handle it himself. He had requested the assistance of an awakened individual the previous day.
Ji Jiu followed him to a very messy and rundown area. This was his first time venturing to the southernmost part of the base, often referred to as the slums.
Most of the residents here were people who couldn’t work due to disabilities or other reasons. Only through work could they earn points, and without points, it was difficult to survive in the base.
In the beginning, the base had held meetings concerning these individuals. Eventually, the former head of the Guild had stepped in, and it was decided that every month these people who couldn’t even afford a meal had to be subsidized.
The initial intent behind establishing the base was to protect humanity.
At that time, the Guild had signed a contract agreeing to provide supplies to the fourth floor of the base after each mission.
Si Yin Yuan continued this agreement after taking over the Guild, not for the base itself but for these survivors who struggled to protect themselves.
Relying solely on the animals raised by the logistics management team and the food they cultivated made it challenging to sustain the entire base’s operation.
Still, the subsidies weren’t enough to ensure everyone was well-fed, and every now and then, people in the base would die of hunger, even those who worked but couldn’t satiate their hunger, let alone those without jobs.
The slums were chaotic, housing all kinds of people, from murderers and arsonists to thieves and prostitutes, you could find them all.
Ji Jiu had just arrived there when a dirty child bumped into him. The child was filthy, their hair nearly covering their eyes.
The child who had bumped into Ji Jiu tried to run away without saying a word of apology.
In a classic scene, Ji Jiu should have stayed in place, pretended to check his pockets, and then shouted “Thief!” But Little Grass was extraordinarily sharp. Before the boy could take more than a couple of steps, his black mist snatched the boy by the collar and flung him back.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly feeble man was also an awakened individual, and he knew he had met his match. The boy immediately started crying loudly, saying, “I’m sorry, sir! I was just too hungry, and I have a sick little sister to take care of! I won’t do it again. Please spare me this once.”
While crying, he returned the stolen points card to Ji Jiu.
Not a single tear rolled down his face. He kept his head down, showing a hint of disdain inside.
Heh, this pampered young man, he must be that cold-looking man’s pet canary. As long as he pleads a bit, he will undoubtedly soften up. Even if it’s not real kindness, he’ll forgive the boy to appear good-hearted in front of the man. The term “kindness” can really make one nauseous.
The anticipated hypocritical forgiveness never came. Ji Jiu took back his points card, furrowing his brow in apparent distress, “You hurt me. You have to compensate me with ten mutant crayfish.”
He had learned this from the television earlier, and it seemed that humans had a more traditional term for such behavior: “fake accident.”
“Mutant crayfish?” The boy hadn’t expected his act to fail. “I have to take care of a sick little sister. How could I have enough points to buy something like that?”
Ji Jiu looked puzzled, “Why should I care? In that case, I’ll just have to bump you back.”
He said this, but the mischievous black mist swirling around him suggested something more than a simple bump. Ji Jiu was someone who held grudges.
The man in the black suit standing beside him watched him indulgently, showing no intention of intervening.
The boy finally started feeling scared. He deeply regretted misjudging the situation. This was no gentle little canary but a tyrant.
Seeing the expression on the boy’s face, which appeared to be sincerely unfeigned, he panicked. He didn’t dare to beg for mercy from the stern-faced Si Yin Yuan, who seemed even more intimidating than Ji Jiu.
“P-please don’t throw me. I’m sure you guys are here to find someone, right? I’ll take you!” The boy hurriedly said, “I don’t know anyone around here. As long as I act as your guide, I guarantee there won’t be any pickpockets approaching.”
If there were always people with no sense approaching, it would indeed be quite annoying. Weighing the pros and cons, Ji Jiu agreed.
He retracted his black mist and returned to his harmless appearance, saying, “Then lead the way.”
Si Yin Yuan spoke up at that moment, “We need to find Old Futou.”
The boy’s face changed immediately, “Old Futou? So you’re here to find him. Why didn’t you say that earlier? Follow me.”
He clearly relaxed.
“Who is Old Futou?” Ji Jiu was curious.
“A strange black market doctor.”
If Si Yin Yuan said he had a strange temperament, then he must be truly eccentric.
Ji Jiu tilted his head, “Is he powerful?”
“Yes, he’s operated on me several times, even performed a major surgery back when the Guild was newly established.”
At that time, Si Yin Yuan had a wildness about him. Regardless of whether it was for himself or others, he was ruthless. He had almost died in the jaws of a mutant creature, and it was he who had saved him using the lowest-quality medical equipment while achieving the highest level of surgical skills.
Ji Jiu became even more curious, “So, why isn’t he in the Guild now?”
“Over time, more people joined the Base. The Base has two heal-type Awakened, one of them is Ruan Shuang, who is being cared for in the Research Institute. The other one joined the Guild, so he voluntarily left the Guild. Only I know that he actually came here to work as a black-market doctor.”
He was indeed quite strange.
Ji Jiu treated this as an interesting story but was more concerned about the dirty water underfoot. He was like a pampered kitty that his master had spoiled, who hated getting his paws dirty and, therefore, walked very carefully with each step.
Some onlookers nearby gazed at their unusual group with mixed thoughts. Someone called out to the boy leading the way, “Hey, Xiao Shu, where are you going?”
The boy didn’t even turn his head and replied, “Looking for someone.”
A rogue-looking person instantly straightened his posture and hurried over, obsequiously saying, “Do you need a guide? I’ll definitely be cheaper than him. All I want is a steamed bun!”
The boy looked at him with pity and muttered, “Idiot.”
This time he was a complete failure. Forget about payment; he’d be lucky if he left unharmed after delivering them to their destination.
Seeing that they paid no attention to him, the man pleaded, “Half a steamed bun! I only want half a steamed bun!”
The boy known as Shu made a face at him and said, “No.”
He had ruined his chances. The man left in frustration.
Ji Jiu found it interesting and asked, “Aren’t you afraid he might come to harm you at night?”
Xiao Shu shook his head confidently, “I’m not afraid.”
People who could survive in the slums had some skill in eking out a living. They had experienced the dirtiest and most chaotic conditions, and anyone who couldn’t adapt here would be bullied.
Rat was already thirteen years old, an awkward age. The specialized childcare centers in the Base didn’t take children that old. They would take care of a child until they reached sixteen, after which they had to leave the childcare center, and they didn’t accept any child over twelve.
The post-apocalyptic world had too many orphans, which led to this unfortunate policy.
Xiao Shu suddenly stopped in his tracks and pointed ahead. It was a dead-end alley, and at the end of it was a door that seemed quite old.
Si Yin Yuan stepped forward and walked into the alley. He knocked on the door with a neither light nor heavy tone.
From inside came a hearty shout, “Who is it?”
A steady response followed, “It’s me.”
… Silence.
Xiao Shu cautiously spoke, “This means he won’t meet you.”
Old Futou didn’t entertain all visitors; his peculiar temperament hadn’t changed.
Those who were rejected couldn’t sway him, whether they threatened or tried to appease him.
He had a very principled eccentricity.
Ji Jiu paid no attention to this. He approached the door, stared at it for a few seconds, and then rapped on it. “Open the door!”
Inside, there was another questioning voice, “Who are you?”
Ji Jiu innocently replied, “I’m Ji Jiu.”
There was a moment of silence from behind the door, and then the old man with the reputed strong principles muttered, “I’ve never heard of you.”
The door opened slowly the next moment.