Compared to Yun City, Donglin Town looked more like a village.
There were lookout huts atop trees, low houses, torches stuck in tree trunks, and roads paved with gravel.
Although Yun City didn’t have the high-rises that Qiu Shi had seen in ancient pictures, it appeared much grander, built against a mountain with numerous mine tunnels and caves.
Moreover, Yun City had a much more abundant supply of electricity and living materials.
In contrast, Donglin Town looked from the outside like a huge gathering place for refugees.
But at the same time, they had weapons that didn’t match their primitive appearance.
Just those few vehicles and the counterattack equipment during the ambush could at least match the city defense department. Most of the city defense department’s vehicles didn’t even have shielding devices.
It was already nighttime, but many residents of Donglin Town were still awake. As they followed Mayor Luo further in, they occasionally saw townsfolk moving about. There were men and women of all ages, but like Yun City, there were almost no children, and even teenagers were rare.
Some people greeted Mayor Luo, “Mayor Luo, you’re back.”
“I’m back,” Mayor Luo said. “It’s going to rain tonight, remember to take in the clothes you hung out to dry.”
Qiu Shi was somewhat shocked.
Actually, forget about walking among the residents like Mayor Luo. Mr. Long had never left the company compound, let alone strolled around the city talking to residents. The outer city was even more out of the question. Even Mr. Li Feng had never gotten out of his car when in the outer city, always driving through quickly. Slowing down might even get the car pelted with stones.
Qiu Shi glanced at Xing Bi and whispered, “Is it really so harmonious here?”
“They harmoniously kidnapped Hu Xiaoling,” Xing Bi whispered back.
“Do you sense anything off?” Qiu Shi continued to whisper, getting very close to Xing Bi to avoid being overheard.
Xing Bi scratched his neck.
“Get lost,” Qiu Shi cursed.
“There are bioroids here,” Xing Bi whispered into his ear.
The breath on his neck was indeed a bit ticklish. Qiu Shi scratched his neck.
But Xing Bi’s words made his heart sink.
Although the day Deng Yeye appeared outside the city, the person with her was a bioroid, if there were problems in Donglin, it must be related to bioroids. But hearing Xing Bi confirm the presence of bioroids here was still entirely different.
“Symbionts?” Qiu Shi mouthed the words.
“Both,” Xing Bi said.
“Damn it,” Qiu Shi cursed. Symbionts were what he feared most.
The existence of symbionts meant Xing Bi’s instability.
After walking a while, Qiu Shi realized he had underestimated Donglin Town. Where they had gotten off the car was the outskirts of the town. After walking for a long time, they encountered a wall, very high, made of large tree trunks placed horizontally and arranged upwards.
It must have been there for a long time; these tree trunks were already covered with various ferns. When passing the wall, Qiu Shi reached out to touch it, feeling that the wood beneath the ferns had been treated and was very strong, likely fire-resistant.
“This area is more important to us,” Mayor Luo introduced. “The production of living materials is done inside. The area is large, and not all of it is enclosed.”
Mayor Luo’s words seemed rather careless, giving an impression of a lack of defense, with two key points in one sentence.
“Quite frank.” Qiu Shi glanced at him.
“We mean no harm,” Mayor Luo smiled, “inviting you here in this manner was out of necessity, Donglin Town is friendly and peaceful.”
“Is it?” Qiu Shi glanced around, noticing the dozen or so ‘friendly and peaceful’ people always following them, “It’s indeed quite rare these days.”
“You’ll see after a few days,” Mayor Luo said, “I’ve heard you don’t live in Yun City, maybe you don’t feel the…”
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Qiu Shi interrupted.
“Tomorrow?” Mayor Luo looked at him in shock.
Qiu Shi remained silent, staring back at him.
“A guest arriving today and leaving tomorrow doesn’t give us enough time to properly host,” Mayor Luo stopped beside a giant ancient tree, “it’s not the Donglin way of hospitality.”
“We’re not guests,” Qiu Shi, irritated by Mayor Luo’s speaking style, snapped, “no need to host.”
“Please rest first.” Mayor Luo gestured towards the ancient tree.
Following his gesture, Qiu Shi saw a spiral staircase winding up the trunk to a wooden house at the top.
“What is this?” He was stunned, “We live up there?”
“The jungle is too damp,” Mayor Luo explained, “it’s drier and the view is better up high… please.”
Qiu Shi didn’t want to go up, but the people surrounding them began to close in. Xing Bi stepped forward, shielding him.
The atmosphere instantly shifted from harmonious to tense.
Having not seen Hu Xiaoling yet and unclear about these people’s intentions, Qiu Shi decided to follow their arrangements for now.
He glanced at Xing Bi. Despite the symbiont being a threat to Xing Bi, for some reason, he always felt Xing Bi possessed much greater power than he imagined, so as long as Xing Bi was there, he had backup.
“This is your room,” Mayor Luo said, “his room is…”
“What did you say?” The fire that Qiu Shi had just suppressed flared up again as he glared at him.
“The house is small,” Mayor Luo still smiled kindly, “it can’t accommodate two people. The larger houses are all occupied by townsfolk, we ask for your understanding.”
“Understand my ass…” Qiu Shi started to say, but Xing Bi’s hand on his shoulder gently squeezed.
He swallowed back the rest of his words.
“It’s okay,” Xing Bi said softly, “I don’t need to come down from the tree.”
Qiu Shi glanced up at the tree canopy, understanding Xing Bi’s meaning.
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Qiu Shi was most concerned not about his own safety, but about these people playing tricks on Xing Bi if they were separated.
“I know,” Xing Bi said.
As Qiu Shi climbed the tree stairs, Xing Bi remained standing, watching.
Mayor Luo gestured several times for him to go to the adjacent treehouse, but he didn’t move or look at Mayor Luo.
At the top, Qiu Shi looked down. It was very high, jumping down would certainly be fatal.
He opened the door to the treehouse and looked inside, then gestured to Xing Bi below, indicating it was safe. Xing Bi then turned and walked away with Mayor Luo.
Only after they were out of sight did Qiu Shi return inside, pacing restlessly.
Though he couldn’t see anyone around, he could feel eyes on him, watching.
From the nearby tree canopies, the houses below, and farther away.
Donglin Town was not friendly, even if everyone they met on the way was smiling.
At least Mayor Luo’s promise was kept.
About half an hour later, Qiu Shi heard heavy footsteps running up the stairs.
He leapt up from the small bed and rushed to open the door. As he looked down, he heard Hu Xiaoling’s voice: “Brother Shi! Is that you?”
“Yes,” Qiu Shi replied.
“Really you,” Hu Xiaoling, crying, ran up while shouting, “Why did you come? You said to take care of yourself first!”
“Cut the crap,” Qiu Shi said.
Hu Xiaoling ran up, stared at him for a moment, then rushed over and hugged him: “Brother Shi!”
Qiu Shi hugged him back, patting his back a few times: “Are you hurt?”
“No, is everyone else okay?” Hu Xiaoling shook his head and glanced down.
“Everyone’s fine, let’s talk inside.” Qiu Shi pushed Hu Xiaoling inside and glanced down again. There was no one.
“No one’s following,” Hu Xiaoling said, “I can move freely here, just can’t get out…”
“Can’t get out?” Qiu Shi closed the door and looked at him.
“bioroids,” Hu Xiaoling whispered, “there are many here, living in those houses and outside, all of them.”
Qiu Shi didn’t speak.
“I never thought I’d encounter so many bioroids in my life,” Hu Xiaoling said, “they look just like us… just better looking.”
“Did they trouble you?” Qiu Shi pulled Hu Xiaoling, turning him around to check.
“No,” Hu Xiaoling said, “since I got here, no one’s bothered me. Brother Shi, their target isn’t me.”
Qiu Shi looked at him.
“They wanted you to come,” Hu Xiaoling whispered, “asked if I knew about your background.”
“Do you?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Exactly, do I? Where would I know from?” Hu Xiaoling said, “When I arrived in Yun City, you and Zhao Lü were already there.”
“What else did they ask you?” Qiu Shi asked.
“They asked about Yun City’s situation,” Hu Xiaoling said, “I told them I lived there for over ten years but never entered the inner city, rarely went to the outer city. If they want to know about outside the city, I can tell them. For inside the city, they should grab Li Feng…”
Qiu Shi chuckled.
“I’m fine,” Hu Xiaoling said, “You really shouldn’t have come, this place is no longer Donglin Town, it’s all…”
He lowered his voice, “Almost killed off.”
Qiu Shi didn’t say anything, just sighed softly.
“Did you come alone?” Hu Xiaoling asked.
“No,” Qiu Shi glanced in the direction Xing Bi had gone, “My partner came with me.”
“How is it?” Mayor Luo stood at the office window, looking at the distant treehouse.
Chen Dang, standing next to him, was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, “It’s not possible.”
“Is it because of the distance?” Mayor Luo asked.
“No,” Chen Dang said, “He’s on guard, others must have tried before.”
“Go talk to him,” Mayor Luo said, “If we don’t deal with him, it’ll be hard to keep Qiu Shi here.”
“How can we deal with him,” Chen Dang said, “He’s Xing Bi.”
Mayor Luo looked back at the few people behind him, “Does anyone have any ideas?”
“Let’s give it a try,” someone suggested, “Xing Bi’s memory has been locked, maybe he’s not as strong as he used to be.”
“How strong?” Mayor Luo asked. For him, the last war was like a distant legend.
“Because of them, humanity stopped creating third-generation bioroids,” Chen Dang said, “and started equipping Scouts with Kite Flyers.”
“Them?” Mayor Luo looked at him.
“Xing Bi and Lin Sheng,” Chen Dang said, “They’re both in Yun City.”
Mayor Luo didn’t speak, staring in the direction of the treehouse for a long time, “He was on humanity’s side back then, wasn’t he? That’s advantageous for us.”
“Just more inclined towards humanity,” Chen Dang said.
“Can we just shut him down?” someone behind asked.
Chen Dang didn’t reply immediately. After a moment, he sighed, “Have someone talk to Qiu Shi first, I’ll go see Xing Bi.”
“So the terrain is like this, those tree trunk walls, climbing up isn’t hard… but I can’t climb up,” Hu Xiaoling stabbed at the wooden wall panel with a knife, leaving dot-like marks all over it, making it look messy. This was their undertaker’s map, incomprehensible to outsiders, “Everywhere else, all bioroids, you can’t get close without being detected.”
Hu Xiaoling hadn’t idled these past few days, exploring the whole town. These people seemed to allow him to roam freely, as if to prove they were peaceful and friendly.
“No one stops you?” Qiu Shi stood up.
“No,” Hu Xiaoling nodded.
“Let’s go, take a walk outside.” Qiu Shi walked over and opened the door.
Outside stood the mayor and an old lady.
Qiu Shi was stunned. It was rare to see children, and equally rare to see old people.
This old lady looked older than the missing old man, with deep wrinkles and cloudy eyes, making Qiu Shi uncertain if she could still see.
“Going out, child?” the old lady asked.
She can see.
Qiu Shi paused, “Yes.”
“He’s Qiu Shi,” Mayor Luo said.
“Oh,” the old lady leaned closer, staring at his face, “All grown up…”
“Yes, it’s been over twenty years,” Mayor Luo said.
“Still quite alike,” the old lady reached out to touch Qiu Shi’s face.
Qiu Shi leaned back, avoiding her hand.
“Hey!” Hu Xiaoling raised his arm to block her, “Why are you getting handsy!”
“Is there something you need?” Qiu Shi patted Hu Xiaoling and looked at Mayor Luo.
Hu Xiaoling stepped aside.
“Chat?” Mayor Luo suggested.
“Sure.” Qiu Shi retreated into the room and sat down on a chair.
The old lady’s eyes stayed fixed on Qiu Shi’s face even after entering, making him uncomfortable.
“Talk about business first, then look,” he said, “Or you can talk while looking, just don’t stare.”
“That temperament is alike too,” the old lady smiled, “All the boys in the Qiu family are like this.”
The Qiu family?
“I named you, child,” the old lady said, “Shi Bu Wo Yu, Qiu Shi, you have a younger brother named Qiu Yu.”
The level of education in the outer city was indeed poor, as Xing Bi had said.
Qiu Shi didn’t speak, leaning back in his chair, watching the old lady.
He didn’t know what Shi Bu Wo Yu meant.
After a while, he shifted, putting his leg on the bed beside him, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, “Keep making things up.”
“I’m your great-grandmother,” the old lady said.
“That’s ridiculous,” Qiu Shi frowned with the cigarette in his mouth, almost choking.
“What’s a great-grandmother?” Hu Xiaoling asked.
“Your father’s grandmother,” the old lady explained.
Hu Xiaoling also frowned. For people like them, who might not even have parents, terms like grandfather were foreign, let alone great-grandmother…
“You might as well say you’re my great-grandmother,” Hu Xiaoling said, “At least I know who my dad is. But you’re just making things up about Brother Shi.”
“You’re immune to infection, right?” the old lady looked at Qiu Shi.
Qiu Shi raised an eyebrow, looking at her.
Hu Xiaoling turned his face in shock.
Qiu Shi took a puff of his cigarette, slowly looking up at the old lady, “You have a lot of spies in Yun City, don’t you?”
“You were born in Suishui City,” the old lady said, “Established after the infection began, home to many healthy humans who escaped the infection zones, and immune humans.”
Mayor Luo pulled a paper map from his pocket and spread it on the table in front of Qiu Shi.
Qiu Shi took one glance and noticed it was almost identical to the one in the old man’s suitcase, except the old man’s map had no place names.
The old man’s map had a circle marked with the character “Qiu,” and on this map, that spot was labeled “Suishui.”
“This uniform is so uncomfortable,” Zhao Lü tugged at his guarantee bureau uniform.
“It’s mainly because it doesn’t fit. This set is my own and it’s quite comfortable.” Xiao Lei was quite happy; he could finally wear his uniform again.
“Let’s get to work, and be quick. We don’t have much time.” Li Feng got off the vehicle, looking at the large number of refugees stranded at the checkpoint; there were more than he had imagined.
“What do we do?” Zhao Lü jumped down from the vehicle.
“Find the ones with no issues, pick out forty,” Li Feng released his small pet to follow and record, “point out the problematic ones in the video later.”
“Got it.” Zhao Lü nodded.
“Don’t let anyone see who you think is problematic.” Li Feng instructed.
“Understood, don’t worry.” Zhao Lü said, and as he walked with Li Feng, he asked, “Has Brother Shi reached Donglin?”
“He has,” Li Feng replied.
“And then?” Zhao Lü asked, “Is it safe? What’s the situation there? Did he meet Xiaoling?”
“Go and pick people for me first,” Li Feng stopped and looked at him, “I’ll tell you after you’re done.”
“Damn.” Zhao Lü glared at him and walked over.
“What about me?” Xiao Lei asked.
“You…” Li Feng turned to look at him, and after a few seconds, he said, “You pick in your mind too, see if your picks match Zhao Lü’s.”
“Is this a test?” Xiao Lei asked.
“…Yes.” Li Feng pulled his jacket tighter but didn’t walk over, just stood there watching Zhao Lü.
“Aren’t you going over?” Xiao Lei took a few steps forward and asked, looking back.
“Too dirty.” Li Feng said.
Xiao Lei glanced at his pajamas and nodded, “Oh.”
Zhao Lü swaggered through the City Defense Bureau people and began picking.
Li Feng, arms crossed, watched the people over there. To be honest, he couldn’t tell one from another; they all had dirty faces, gray clothes, and expressions that were either numb or pleading.
He didn’t understand why these people insisted on coming to Yun City, a place they knew nothing about except in their imagination, naively believing it was their happiest sanctuary.
There was no room for these people here. Their fate was sealed the moment they decided to come to Yun City.
But in this chaotic world, most people’s endings were already written.
Even someone like Qiu Shi, who stubbornly refused to enter the city and didn’t even want to stay long in the outer city, would inevitably be drawn into despair in the end.
“Director Li, do you feel sorry for me?”
Probably not.
The Security Bureau’s phone rang. Li Feng put on his headset and watched as the people Zhao Lü had picked began boarding the vehicle.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“The first and second batch lists have been cleared,” the secretary’s voice came through, “mainly concentrated in the sub-city area, and a few in the livestock farm transport area. The list and numbers have been sent to you.”
“Got it,” Li Feng said, “Don’t go home tonight, there might be more work.”
“I’ll stay in the office.” the secretary replied.
The sub-city area referred to the inner city’s sewage area, a place Li Feng had never been to and never wanted to go. But it was the most hidden, and any problems there were least likely to be discovered.
“Transfer the call directly to the sub-city area supervisor.” Li Feng said.
A few seconds later, a rough male voice answered, “Sub-city area!”
“This is Li Feng from the Security Bureau.” Li Feng said.
“Director Li,” the man toned down his voice, “I’m the sub-city area supervisor. Are you asking about Zhang Sihai?”
“…Zhang Sihai is with you?” Li Feng was taken aback.
“Escorted by the City Defense Bureau,” the man said, “The kid, you know, it’s rough here, but here is really too rough…”
“Get him out,” Li Feng said, “I’ll come to see him later.”
“Should I inform Director Zhang?” the man asked.
“Whose bread do you eat?” Li Feng asked.
“The Security Bureau,” the man said, “I’ll get him out right away.”
Qiu Shi felt like his brain was about to boil over.
The old lady, though nearly as old as Xing Bi, seemed quite robust, more spirited than many refugees he knew in their forties or fifties. She spoke unhurriedly, with Mayor Luo occasionally adding a few words.
It was the usual stuff: you’re not alone, you have a younger brother, your parents were cleared out by bioroids, but your great-grandmother is still alive, you were rescued and taken away from the bioroids’ pursuit, you’re all immune humans, you’re the ones this world has selected to adapt to the new world…
Hu Xiaoling had gone silent, sitting beside with his mouth in an O shape the whole time.
Qiu Shi had no real sense of kinship; though he cursed his ancestors every day, he felt nothing when his actual ancestors were in front of him. He wasn’t interested in his background either; he just felt confused.
“Where’s Xing Bi?” he interrupted the old lady, looking at Mayor Luo.
“He’s resting next door.” Mayor Luo said.
“He doesn’t need rest,” Qiu Shi stood up, “I want to see him.”
“He’s resting,” Mayor Luo repeated.
“You’re full of crap,” Qiu Shi walked to the window and shouted towards that side, “Xing Bi!”
Hu Xiaoling didn’t know what was going on but followed suit and shouted, “Xing Bi! Xing Bi! Xing Bi!”
There was no response from Xing Bi.
With his hearing, if he couldn’t hear this level of shouting, it meant he was in trouble.
“What are you doing to him?” Qiu Shi turned to Mayor Luo.
“We won’t do anything; we coexist peacefully with the bioroids,” Mayor Luo said, “He’s just meeting with his kind now.”
Qiu Shi slightly turned his body.
That gesture, just do it directly, no need to raise your hand.
Okay.
“Meet your ancestors.” Qiu Shi clenched his fist and pressed down.
______
Author’s Note:
Oh ho, Xing Bi got taken down by his partner again. ⊙▽⊙
