Chapter 92: The Elder’s Place, The Vanished Mother
Day Thirty-Eight.
6:30 a.m.
The Thunderbolt vehicle sped along the outskirts of Spark Town.
The Night Squad had just finished their morning training session.
Today’s gains were considerable; the three occupants of the vehicle each wore expressions of varying degrees of joy.
Ren Zhong, who was driving, reached into his pocket and tossed a key to the back seat.
“Yu Jin, I probably won’t be living in my old place anymore. From today on, that house is yours.”
Yu Jin was quick to catch the key, shaking his head repeatedly. “No, that can’t be. That’s your property, Mr. Ren.”
Ren Zhong laughed heartily. “You’ve seen how much I’m earning now. Does a little money still matter? Take it—it’s yours.”
“No... I can help clean the house for you, Mr. Ren, but I can’t—”
“Enough nonsense. That house is useless to me now. Your and your mother’s living conditions are too shabby. Even if you’re willing to endure hardship, your mother is getting on in years; her body isn’t as strong as yours. Now that you’ve made some progress, it’s time to let her live a better life, isn’t it?”
Yu Jin was taken aback. “Thank you, Mr. Ren.”
“What’s there to thank me for? You’re now a reserve member of Spark Town’s Fourth Professional Team. If you live so poorly, it makes me look bad. Also, tell your mother to stop that sewing and mending business—it’s exhausting, pays little, and always gets cheated. At thirty-eight, she deserves some peace, right?”
Ren Zhong spoke casually as he drove.
Yu Jin’s lips trembled, but in the end, he obediently accepted the key.
“Thank you, Mr. Ren. I won’t forget.”
“I told you not to thank me. No need to be polite—it’s nothing.”
“Mm.” Yu Jin tightened his grip on the newly acquired Level-One Heavy Sniper rifle. Adjusting his brand-new Level-One Gunsmith Biochemical Combat Suit, he said, “Mr. Ren, I’ve now fully met the criteria for a Level-One Gunsmith. So... I’d like to go hunting on my own during the day. What do you think?”
Ren Zhong thought it over and decided to hold off on bringing Yu Jin into the daytime squad for now.
Though the young man was progressing quickly, his experience was still limited, and there was a considerable gap between his strength and that of the others.
Rushing him in could cause disputes over earnings and, with Wen Lei and Bai Feng tasked with protecting Chen Hanyu in the abandoned mine, sending Yu Jin down there would be more a liability than an asset—potentially endangering him.
“Then watch yourself out there. Don’t take unnecessary risks with strong enemies. And be careful of others—if anyone tries to harm you, remember to mention my name.”
“Understood, sir. I will remember.”
A few minutes later, the towering walls of Spark Town came into clear view as the Thunderbolt vehicle smoothly merged onto the main road.
Usually at this hour, the town’s outskirts were deserted—most people had only just risen from bed.
But today was different. From afar, Ren Zhong spotted a white truck parked along the road outside the town’s northern gate.
Beside the truck stood a tall iron tower, over ten meters high.
Hovering near the tower was a Hunter drone, its mechanical arms busily moving back and forth across the structure.
Ren Zhong frowned, a sudden unease gripping his heart.
He had a deep psychological fear of the Hunters.
As the vehicle drew closer, he read the words painted on the truck’s side: “Mengdu Group, Liaoyuan Branch.”
In front of the truck, more than a dozen elderly people were lined up in an orderly queue.
They stood silently, calm and composed.
Their expressions varied—some seemed relieved and at peace, others hopeful, while some had pale, trembling lips.
The truck’s only entrance was a small door just big enough for one person to pass through; no one knew what was happening inside.
The atmosphere felt strangely serene and tranquil.
Ren Zhong’s fear of the Hunter urged him to accelerate and leave, but curiosity kept him from doing so.
He slowed down slightly and asked Chen Hanyu beside him, “What’s going on here? Has Mengdu Group suddenly taken mercy and is offering free health checks for the elderly?”
Chen Hanyu looked somewhat surprised. “Hmm? Mr. Ren, you don’t know?”
“What’s going on?”
After a brief pause, she casually replied, “No wonder. Since you used to be a city dweller, it’s understandable you’re unaware of town affairs. These elderly people are lining up to commit suicide.”
“What!”
Ren Zhong slammed on the brakes, momentarily forgetting the Hunter hovering just above.
Chen Hanyu repeated calmly, “They’re committing suicide. Is that a problem?”
Suicide.
Those two words thundered through Ren Zhong’s mind like a muffled explosion.
He froze.
Stiffly turning his neck, he averted his gaze and stared fixedly out the window.
Then, in an agonizingly slow, deliberate pace, he asked:
“What... exactly... are... you... saying?”
His jaw clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead.
The scene that moments ago appeared so peaceful now radiated a sinister, eerie horror.
The truck was still the same white vehicle, bearing the Mengdu Group logo and a small red-and-white medical cross emblem.
The same people were there, but all were moving inside; none emerged.
Two conveyor belts ran atop the truck—one delivering round objects to the platform, the other returning the same.
On the platform, the Hunter’s mechanical arms worked busily—like the antennae of a bee—transporting bloodied items back.
One arm grabbed something and flung it into a pit behind.
Ren Zhong saw it all clearly.
Those round objects moving on the conveyor were the elderly people’s severed heads.
The neck cuts were clean, still frosted—indicating they had been refrigerated to prevent blood splatter.
The Hunter was harvesting their brains.
Chen Hanyu’s explanation was unnecessary; Ren Zhong understood fully.
Indeed, the elderly were queuing to die by their own hands.
The Hunter collected their brains in real time.
But Ren Zhong could not comprehend why.
Why?
Isn’t living better?
Are you all mad?
If you can’t go on, stand up and fight!
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