Chapter Eighty-Four: Deceit and Schemes, Yet an Innocent Heart

For the past half month, Sun Miao had truly suffered.

First he ran an eighty percent discount promotion to drum up business, exhausting himself for two days.

Then, after finally scraping together a bit of savings, he immediately launched a project.

That project was a bottomless pit; in less than a week, the little nest egg he had rebuilt was emptied once more.

Blowing the budget and the like was routine for anyone in research.

With limited experimental conditions, once Sun Miao’s cancer cell unlimited proliferation project was started, it could not be casually stopped. If it were, cell iteration would spiral out of control and the gene sequence would become a total mess, wasting all the effort that had come before.

Thus Brother Sun became a harried laborer, conscripted into action.

By day he saw clients at a discount; by night he toiled over the project. Apart from eight hours of sleep, he had no real rest, making him the second most overworked man in Starfire Town after Ren Zhong.

What was worse, Sun Miao still had to endure irregular visits from Ren Zhong, who would come with his underlings to seek medical advice and ask questions. Since Ren Zhong held leverage over him, he had no choice but to receive them warmly, which was maddening beyond words.

Life was so brutally satisfying it was almost cruel, even harsher than when he had been a senior researcher at Mengdu Group.

If not for his stubborn will and the fact that he kept himself stuffed full of all kinds of medical nutrition supplements, he likely would not have held out.

Today, at long last, the project had seen a sliver of progress. Sun Miao felt a little more at ease and decided to come to Delicious Fresh Restaurant for a decent meal, to reward himself for risking his life in the cause of human longevity.

He was so exhausted that his already thin cheeks had taken on a faintly hollow, sharp-boned look.

He wore a white lab coat, disheveled and unkempt, with wild hair spilling loose, and with his light, drifting steps, he looked every inch a wandering specter.

“Brother Sun! Hey! What luck!”

From far away, as if wafting in from the horizon, came a venomous voice.

Sun Miao instantly perked up and stood straight.

His legs were no longer weak, his drowsiness vanished, strength returned to his feet, and light lit his eyes.

Why was he running into that familiar curse again?

Who the hell said you could call me brother? Since when were we that close?

Reward myself, my ass! Isn’t life just for suffering?

The wind is blowing hard; retreat at once!

He spun around sharply, as though about to hurl himself toward the entrance of Delicious Fresh.

“Brother Sun, don’t go! I need to talk to you! I’m paying you back!”

Under the somewhat startled gazes of the others, Ren Zhong broke free of Pan Fenglian’s entanglement, stood up, and shouted again.

“Huh!” Sun Miao turned back, his eyes almost overflowing with tears of emotion. “What? You’re actually paying me back?”

His lips trembled.

He was utterly thrown off. Something had to be wrong.

Had this bastard really changed? Was he actually paying the money back? Impossible!

This must be an illusion.

I’m too tired.

Fake. All of it is fake.

“You’re serious?”

“Brothers through thick and thin. When have I ever lied to you, Brother Sun?”

When Ren Zhong truly took on the 111.11 transfer fee himself and wired a thousand points back, Sun Miao had no choice but to believe it.

He checked the account repeatedly before daring to accept reality.

In his heart he swore, damn it all, so tomorrow I don’t have to work overtime seeing patients?

He even began to question life itself.

When he had first extended that interest-free loan to Ren Zhong, he had only regarded it as a self-soothing excuse.

The amount had been too large, and the other man had leverage over him besides, so he had not even bothered asking for an IOU.

Money lent out was like water splashed on the ground—how could it ever be recovered?

And yet the truth was plain: Ren Zhong not only truly repaid it, he had not even made Sun Miao shoulder the transfer fee.

Sun Miao felt that something was off, but he could not tell where the trick lay. Gradually, he grew wary and said cautiously, “Ren Zhong, what else do you want? If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

That was exactly what Ren Zhong had been waiting for. “Brother Sun, I really do need to discuss that matter with you later.”

“That matter?”

“Yes, that matter. About what time will you be free tonight? These past two days, you’ve been pretty busy, haven’t you?”

Sun Miao’s eyelid twitched violently.

That matter my ass. I’ve got no damn matter with you!

Busy? Busy your damn head!

With so many people around, why bring up the sore spot you know I’d rather avoid? What are you plotting, exactly?

Sun Miao said calmly, “Seven o’clock. I’m just here to pack up a takeaway meal now. I’ll head back right away.”

Ren Zhong nodded. “All right. I’ll come find you at seven. Actually, Brother Sun, if you’re taking food home, you might as well just order delivery.”

Sun Miao cursed inwardly: Delivery costs extra! I only changed my mind because I ran into your unlucky self. Have some self-awareness!

“I’m not sick. Can’t I just take a walk and stretch my legs?”

“Of course! Certainly! Take care, Brother Sun! Wait—”

“What now? Just what the hell do you want?”

“Brother Sun, take care of your health. You look far too weak. You’re a professional doctor; you know better than I do.”

Ren Zhong patted Sun Miao’s shoulder and said sincerely.

Sun Miao was struck by the sudden warmth of it all, feeling both vaguely uneasy and strangely touched.

At least the brat still had some conscience.

“None of your business. I’m leaving first. See you at seven.”

“Sure thing!”

Just what in the world did this bastard want to discuss with me?

Sun Miao turned back toward the counter at Delicious Fresh with a belly full of suspicion and concern.

He was truly worried that Ren Zhong would renege on his promise and cling to him using that leverage forever.

Especially now that Ren Zhong had already switched to a second-tier armored exoskeleton—his growth was alarmingly fast, making him harder and harder to kill. The only option was to placate him.

After receiving his food, Sun Miao did not even bother greeting Ren Zhong again and simply slipped out through the back door.

He really feared talking to that bastard in public; it felt like walking a tightrope.

Meanwhile, after seeing Sun Miao off, Ren Zhong returned to Lin Wang’s table. Having just bled Brother Sun dry of face, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

“Ren Zhong, you borrowed money from Dr. Sun Miao before?”

Lin Wang asked, a little surprised.

Ren Zhong nodded. “Yes. It was all thanks to Brother Sun that I could establish myself so easily in town.”

“How much did you borrow?”

“Five thousand points. I just paid him back a thousand. I’ll return the rest slowly.”

Lin Wang drew in a breath.

Five thousand points!

What kind of life-and-death friendship was this?

So that was it.

Lin Wang had investigated this already: when Ren Zhong had first arrived in town, the only thing on him had been a temporary wristwatch he’d gotten from a Hunter. In just a little over half a month, his gear had been replaced again and again. For an ordinary wilderness-born man, his wealth was unreasonably large.

Case solved.

As they chatted, Pan Fenglian once more leaned over at a signal from Lin Wang.

Ren Zhong already had a steadying pill in his heart now, so he no longer worried about her turning the meal into a done deal. His handling of the situation gradually became easy and composed.

While chatting idly with Lin Wang, he began taking the initiative in return.

There was a reason he could not tell outsiders: it was better for him to take the offensive himself than to let Pan Fenglian publicly drag him straight to home plate.

You may have no shame, but I do.

Watching Ren Zhong become increasingly at ease, Lin Wang’s smile deepened. He continued, “Ren Zhong, you and Dr. Sun have known each other for many years, haven’t you?”

“Not really. I just happened to hit it off with him the first time I went to his clinic.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

“Before you came to Starfire Town, where were you working?”

“That was my former employer’s confidential information. I wouldn’t dare reveal it. Please don’t make things difficult for me, Captain Lin.”

Lin Wang nodded. “Fair enough. That was rude of me. By the way, Ren Zhong, what do you think of our town mayor, Ma Dafu? You seem quite familiar with him too, don’t you?”

Ren Zhong gave a slight shake of the head and said loudly, “Mayor Ma has a good reputation among the wilderness folk. He and I also share some common ground when it comes to tea culture, but if I may speak frankly, I think he is a little too soft-hearted. Ah…”

His voice was deliberately loud, so loud that even the customers at other tables in Delicious Fresh could hear him clearly.

Lin Wang’s smile widened further. He patted Ren Zhong on the shoulder and reminded him, “Lower your voice. It wouldn’t be good if people heard you speaking ill of the mayor behind his back. We’re wilderness folk after all—how can we gossip about a fourth-class citizen behind his back?”

Ren Zhong quickly amended himself. “Right, right. Mayor Ma is indeed a good man. When I handled my registration, he didn’t make things hard for me just because I was a temporary wilderness resident. And when he called me in the day before yesterday to ask about the demon infant, he showed real concern for the wilderness folk. Such a good person is rare.”

Lin Wang nodded as well. “Yes, Mayor Ma really is a good person. Ren Zhong, you’ve got brains and talent. I can also tell you and I are the same sort of people. We hit it off at first sight.”

Ren Zhong gave a slight look of pleasure. “Haha, Captain Lin flatters me.”

“Don’t be modest. If you follow me, sooner or later I’ll take you out to see the world beyond. One day, even the county town will not be beyond reach.”

Ren Zhong’s expression brightened a little. “Then thank you, Captain Lin.”

“No need to thank me. We’re just helping each other survive. I’ll wait until you reach level three; then you can join my squad early.”

“Then it’s settled?”

“Of course.”

...

Because Ren Zhong had a prior engagement with Sun Miao, the entertainment Lin Wang had arranged naturally came to nothing.

While answering and chatting, Ren Zhong set down his cup and quickly shoveled through his meal. At ten minutes before seven, he left Delicious Fresh.

As he departed, Lin Wang even had Pan Fenglian see him out and pressed a packet of the finest tea sold at Starfire Town Supply Cooperative into his hands.

One jin was worth fifty points, pricier than a first-tier exoskeleton leg armor.

Once Ren Zhong had gone, the smile that had been fixed on Lin Wang’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by a coldness that spoke of calculation and wisdom.

He picked up a bite of food and said flatly, holding up one finger, “First, this man did not tell the whole truth. He has quite a background. He and Sun Miao are certainly old acquaintances, otherwise Sun Miao would never have lent him five thousand points. He likely comes from Mengdu Group, or with a very small chance, he may be a guest from Mengdu Group, come to Starfire Town to live it up. Second, it’s also possible that he truly had his citizen status revoked and is now seeking a new way to make a living.”

“He has already made contact with Qiu Qingmeng. After all, he was once a citizen, so getting special treatment is normal. I just didn’t expect Qiu Qingmeng to be so disappointing. Third, and most importantly, although Ma Xiaoling let him sit in the back seat, making it look like they were very close, that is not the truth.”

“At first, he seemed somewhat unfamiliar with Pan Fenglian, but later he became more comfortable. From the way he handled her, he’s clearly no amateur when it comes to women. That means he and Ma Dafu are probably only superficial acquaintances; what he’s after is Ma Xiaoling’s body. This guy has a rather reckless taste for women. In any case, he has value to win over.”

On the other side, Ren Zhong rode his motorcycle straight to the supply cooperative, then turned and headed directly for the arms mall.

Along the way, he had already made a new decision.

Today he had paid a great price, but it was worth it. His performance had been flawless; Lin Wang, that overconfident fool, would certainly take the bait.

Then tomorrow he would be able to bring out the Thunderbolt Vehicle, further increasing his daytime hunting efficiency.

Using the space of one meal to drag the executioner’s blade a little farther from the heads of everyone in Zheng Tian’s squad made the air itself seem fresher to breathe.

Only…

Ren Zhong rubbed his hands in disgust, then casually tossed the packet of tea into a roadside drain.

He liked tea, but that did not mean he drank just any tea.

A gift from a mortal enemy was a sugar-coated bullet. It could not be touched; it would shake his resolve to kill.

...

After hearing Ren Zhong’s request, Qiu Qingmeng’s eyes widened like headlights.

She thought she had misheard him.

“Are you insane? Cranking the power ceiling to the amplifier’s limit of six hundred kilowatts, and you want custom upgrades for the circuit system, transmission system, medium engine, neural core link system, short- and medium-range weapons system, and targeting and detection system... all eight major systems, and you want the exterior kept exactly the same as before?”

Ren Zhong scratched his head. “Uh, doesn’t the mall have enough materials? Can’t it be done?”

Qiu Qingmeng’s face darkened. “It’s not that there aren’t enough materials. Do you even know how much this custom version costs? Converted over, it’s basically the same as a full set of tier-three exoskeleton gear! That alone is at least fifteen thousand points! And now you want a comprehensive upgrade of the Arc Light Cleaver too. According to your requirements—boosting shock-cutting performance, reducing weight, increasing strength—that’s another fifteen hundred points! Where are you going to get that kind of money? I do have some authority, but I still can’t... wait...”

A flicker of struggle seemed to pass across Qiu Qingmeng’s face. Then she clenched her teeth hard. “Forget it. I’ll lend you twelve thousand. The rest, you figure out yourself.”

Ren Zhong continued scratching his head. “I don’t need to borrow your money for now. I’ll trouble you when I actually need it. Honestly, I... well, I can cover it myself.”

Qiu Qingmeng: “Huh?”

Now that Ren Zhong’s stock market phase had come to an end and the threat from the professional team had been temporarily lifted, he no longer needed to keep one eye constantly on the market.

Only one thing remained before him: to build upon his ample capital and, at the fastest possible speed, increase his strength madly.

As long as he could grow stronger, he would not hesitate even if he spent all thirty thousand points.

Much less now, when he would be spending only a little more than half.

Once it was confirmed that he really did have money, Qiu Qingmeng, though still puzzled, did not ask where it came from.

Having made her decision, she got to work at once.

Tonight’s workload was enormous, and Qiu Qingmeng needed a helper. Ren Zhong was happy enough to learn by watching; he followed her instructions up and down, running errands, while feverishly memorizing the process by which she transformed the equipment.

Before they knew it, the two of them had worked until eleven at night before everything was finally finished.

Qiu Qingmeng was utterly exhausted.

She had only taken a day off yesterday, and she still had to go to work in the morning.

So she said, “It’s not worth going back to the villa now. I’m afraid I won’t make it to the mall in time tomorrow morning. We might as well sleep here tonight. I’ll go bring over two folding beds.”

Ren Zhong also had no intention of heading out hunting tonight, and returning to the sleep pod would not have been appropriate, so he did not object.

Five minutes later, Qiu Qingmeng, her face smeared with black engine oil and still wearing only a camisole, said to Ren Zhong, “You should sleep early too. I’m going to bed first.”

Ren Zhong answered, “All right.”

Then she activated the sleeping function and drifted into deep slumber.

But Ren Zhong sat up from the folding bed again and stood beside Qiu Qingmeng’s cot, gazing at her.

There was a sweet smile on her face, yet her brows were faintly furrowed.

As some master of imagined continuations once said, in this era, if someone was willing to let another person spend the night at their side, that bond had to be as ironclad as it could possibly be.

Though the two of them had met and come to know one another through various motives too shameful for outsiders to hear, Qiu Qingmeng now seemed to have opened her heart to him completely, without holding anything back.

Ren Zhong could feel her sincerity.

He let out a soft sigh, then went over to the chair nearby, picked up her white trench coat, spread it open, and gently covered her with it, pressing the collar lightly down over her shoulders.

Much later, Ren Zhong’s left fingers brushed the face of the level-four wristwatch on his right wrist, and he too naturally drifted into sleep.

Just as he had fallen asleep, as his consciousness sank but had not yet awakened within the realm of slumber, it seemed he suddenly remembered something.

Huh?

Did I forget something?

Never mind. If even I would forget it, then it must not be important.

In the underground laboratory of the Tender Life Clinic, Brother Sun was roaring in fury.

What the hell does that brat want from me?

Why isn’t he here yet?

It’s already eleven damn o’clock!

Wait.

Could it be that I got stood up?

Damn it.