After the old man’s team cleared the two floors of the supermarket, Zhao Yi led his squad to do a thorough inspection in a more professional manner. Once they confirmed there were no ambushes or traps, the entire team finally entered the supermarket.
All the supplies and equipment from the vehicle were unloaded because “the jungle” might come, so the car had to be parked in the underground garage. To prevent theft, they unloaded everything.
The team members rested on the first floor, with Xiao Zuo and Xiao You guarding the front and rear doors, while Qiu Shi and Xing Bi went up to the second floor.
The shelves on the second floor had been pushed to the side, leaving an open space with clear signs of life. It seemed like people had been cooking and living there.
“I need to contact Li Feng,” Qiu Shi sat down on the ground, leaning against a shelf. “Whether this ‘jungle’ thing is real or not, we need to report it. Teams One and Three aren’t far from us, and they might be affected.”
“Mm,” Xing Bi sat down to his left.
“Sit here,” Qiu Shi pointed to his right. “I want to take a look at that… pattern.”
Xing Bi stood up and moved to sit on his right.
Qiu Shi connected to Li Feng’s private line, and Li Feng’s voice soon came through the earpiece. “Are you there?”
“We’re here,” Qiu Shi said. “Don’t ask anything yet, just listen to me.”
“Alright,” Li Feng responded.
“The ‘jungle’ will be here in an hour at the latest. We don’t know if it’ll affect Shidi and Zhuyuan,” Qiu Shi explained. “Whether you want to notify them is up to you, and it’s not certain the ‘jungle’ will come.”
“Source of the information?” Li Feng asked.
“The old man on the second floor of Dayan,” Qiu Shi replied.
“Hold on for a moment, don’t disconnect,” Li Feng said before going silent, likely to arrange the notification for Teams One and Three.
In less than a minute, Li Feng’s voice came back. “Do you have a safe place to hide?”
“We’re on the second floor of the Xima Supermarket,” Qiu Shi answered.
“If it comes, move to the first floor,” Li Feng said.
“Got it,” Qiu Shi acknowledged. “Is there anyone else around you?”
“No, speak,” Li Feng replied.
“There’s more than just the old man at Xima,” Qiu Shi said. “There are nearly two hundred… immune humans.”
Li Feng fell silent for two seconds before speaking. “That many? Are you sure?”
“Not entirely, but I’ve seen about 30 to 50 of them. Estimating roughly, there could be over a hundred. And,” Qiu Shi lowered his voice, “although they’re supposed to be immune, their blood is full of fungus. When we entered the town and killed a few, their blood was black.”
“I’m a bit shocked,” Li Feng said. “Are they hidden carriers?”
“No,” Qiu Shi said. “If I had to describe it, they’re more like hosts. The ‘jungle’ coming—it’s something they sense.”
“Talk to the old man,” Li Feng suggested.
“We can talk,” Qiu Shi said, “but there’s a condition.”
“Go ahead,” Li Feng said.
“Don’t kill the old man,” Qiu Shi stated. “Don’t restrict him. He’s not an enemy of Yun City.”
“Alright,” Li Feng agreed. “I’m heading to the command center now. If anything happens, contact me like this.”
“Understood,” Qiu Shi acknowledged.
“How’s Xing Bi? Stable?” Li Feng asked as a follow-up.
Qiu Shi glanced at Xing Bi, who answered, “I’m fine, stable.”
“Even personal calls are shared with your partner?” Li Feng sounded a bit exasperated.
“The relationship with a partner is clearly closer than with you,” Qiu Shi joked. “If I don’t share, I’ll just repeat everything later anyway.”
After ending the call with Li Feng, Qiu Shi let out a breath. “Do you think we can really trust Li Feng?”
“If you’ve chosen to trust him, then stick with it,” Xing Bi said. “There’s no one more reliable than him.”
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi looked over at him. “I’m going to talk to the old man later. Can you sense what’s going on with him right now?”
“A lot of people,” Xing Bi replied. “If you keep talking to him alone, it might arouse suspicion.”
“Then let’s wait. We can see if the ‘jungle’ comes first,” Qiu Shi said.
“Mm.” Xing Bi leaned back, resting his head against the shelf.
“Tired?” Qiu Shi looked at the black markings on his neck, noticing they seemed slightly different from before.
“Not yet, nothing too complicated to deal with right now,” Xing Bi replied.
“These marks change, you know that?” Qiu Shi asked.
“I didn’t,” Xing Bi said. “I’ve never seen what they look like.”
“They’re… black streaks, like plants growing out,” Qiu Shi explained.
“What kind of plant?” Xing Bi asked.
“How should I know? To me, plants are divided into three categories: trees, grass, and flowers,” Qiu Shi said.
“No shrubs?” Xing Bi chuckled. “Draw it for me.”
“Alright.” Qiu Shi sat up straight, grabbed Xing Bi by the collar, and pulled it down to reveal his collarbone.
Xing Bi gave him a somewhat surprised look.
“What’s up?” Qiu Shi tapped his collarbone with his finger. “It grows from here.”
“Mm,” Xing Bi responded.
“And then it spreads up,” Qiu Shi traced the black mark with his fingertip, slowly moving upward. “Right here, it splits. One branch goes back…”
Xing Bi stayed silent, watching him.
“When it reaches here, it branches again,” Qiu Shi’s fingertip touched Xing Bi’s skin. He had to admit that the bioroid’s skin was flawless, delicate and smooth, with a slight warmth to it—it felt quite nice. “This line goes all the way to… here.”
Qiu Shi suddenly found it hard to continue. It felt like instead of tracing the mark, he was just touching Xing Bi’s neck… an awkwardness he couldn’t quite describe.
Xing Bi grabbed his hand.
“Hm?” Qiu Shi looked at him.
“What I meant earlier,” Xing Bi looked back at him, “was for you to draw it on the ground.”
“You idiot,” Qiu Shi paused, stunned. “I’ve already drawn it all over your neck, and now you say that?”
Xing Bi chuckled, “It felt nice, so I didn’t say anything.”
“You really know how to enjoy yourself,” Qiu Shi remarked.
“Do you want to enjoy it too? I can scratch your back,” Xing Bi offered. “Or maybe give you a massage?”
“A prestigious Level 1 Hidden Guard who doesn’t mingle with ordinary people knows how to give massages?” Qiu Shi teased.
“That’s hardly a skill,” Xing Bi replied.
“You’re a bit too cocky,” Qiu Shi pointed at his own neck. “I slept in the car earlier, and now my neck feels strained, like my muscles are all twisted. Can you massage it?”
“Sure,” Xing Bi reached out and kneaded the back of Qiu Shi’s neck. “Is this good?”
“Ah, that’s better,” Qiu Shi sighed. “You can press harder.”
“Like this?” Xing Bi pressed twice more.
“Wow, partner,” Qiu Shi said. “You’re better than that dead massage therapist from Dayan.”
“Don’t you have anyone else to compare me to?” Xing Bi asked.
“He’s the only one who’s ever given me a massage,” Qiu Shi replied. “I’ve got no other comparisons. I felt like his strength was enough to break the bones of a bioroid.”
Xing Bi laughed.
“Hey,” Qiu Shi tilted his head, “are there enhanced bioroids for massage?”
“There are, but…” Xing Bi said, “they’re not classified separately.”
“What are they grouped with?” Qiu Shi asked.
Xing Bi didn’t respond.
“I’m asking you,” Qiu Shi turned to look at him.
Xing Bi glanced at him but remained silent.
“Didn’t you just finish your maintenance? What, your hearing lines didn’t get connected properly?” Qiu Shi joked.
“Se-x services,” Xing Bi replied.
“What?” Qiu Shi froze.
“It was originally a standalone category,” Xing Bi said. “But as the world became more chaotic and people more desperate, what they needed became simpler and more straightforward.”
Qiu Shi didn’t say anything. He hadn’t lived through that era, but he understood. In the current world he lived in, the refugees struggling to survive outside the city likely didn’t even have the energy to care about their most basic desires.
Xing Bi’s massage technique was really quite good. Or maybe it was because Qiu Shi was just too tired—he actually fell asleep after a while. He was woken up by Zhao Yi’s voice coming through his earpiece.
“Captain, we need some firewood or something else to make a fire. It’s too cold.”
“I’ll handle it,” Qiu Shi replied.
Xing Bi’s hand moved away, and the warmth from his palm that had been against Qiu Shi’s neck disappeared. Qiu Shi immediately shivered from the cold.
“Do we need to start a fire?” Xing Bi asked.
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi stood up. “Let’s ask them for some, or we’ll go look for it ourselves while the ‘jungle’ hasn’t arrived yet.”
“I’ll come with you,” Xing Bi also stood up. “We can walk around the town. Even if we don’t find the old man, we might run into someone else and get more information.”
“Those people are afraid of you,” Qiu Shi pointed out.
“In today’s world, there are probably only two emotions humans have toward bioroids,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi looked at him.
“Fear and hatred,” Xing Bi clarified.
“Well, I’m not human then,” Qiu Shi said. “I like you.”
“I wasn’t being precise,” Xing Bi smiled.
“To be precise, I’ve been afraid of you before,” Qiu Shi said. “But not often. And that fear wasn’t like how others feel. I was afraid of you…”
“That’s more like concern,” Xing Bi corrected.
“Guess I’m uneducated,” Qiu Shi shrugged.
“You should mention it to Li Feng when you get back. Suggest improving the quality of education in the outer city,” Xing Bi said.
“He’s just a director,” Qiu Shi said as they walked downstairs. “Even if he gets promoted, it’s just to the stupid working group as a deputy leader.”
“He might become the next leader of Yun City,” Xing Bi noted.
“Wow,” Qiu Shi glanced back at him, then clicked his tongue. “If we really had to pick someone from the current batch of people, he’s actually the strongest.”
The team members were all resting downstairs, with Xiao Zuo and Xiao You guarding the front and rear doors.
When Qiu Shi came down, Zhao Yi approached him. “Are you heading out?”
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi glanced around at the people in the room. “Xing Bi and I are going out to look for fuel. You stay here and guard—someone experienced needs to stay.”
Zhao Yi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Be careful. When the wind picks up, it means the ‘jungle’ is coming.”
“I know,” Qiu Shi replied.
“The captain probably knows better than we do,” Lu Yu said. “He’s been outside the city a lot, right?”
“True,” Zhao Yi chuckled.
“Thanks,” Qiu Shi wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck, grabbed his gun, and walked out of the supermarket.
It was already getting dark by then, but the streetlights in town were still on. The people here must have set up a generator, and you could hear the rumbling of it.
“Where are you going?” A voice came out of the darkness as someone stepped forward to block their way.
“None of your business,” Qiu Shi replied.
“The ‘jungle’ is about to arrive. It’s not safe to go out now,” the person said.
“Where can I find firewood, charcoal, or anything else we can burn?” Qiu Shi asked. “If there’s nothing, I’ll head outside the town to find it.”
“There’s some in the warehouse. I’ll take you there,” the person offered.
“The warehouse at the end of the road, right?” Qiu Shi said. “I know the place. I’ll go by myself.”
Before the man could respond, Qiu Shi turned around and left. The person didn’t follow.
Qiu Shi didn’t want to be so rude, but he was feeling a bit annoyed.
Xima Town had always been deserted. Every time he came, the whole place was empty, and he was the only one around. He’d spend a day or two exploring the town, walking through every street and every house. He knew the town well. Every old, broken item in those houses carried a sense of loneliness, and he would imagine what life must have been like for the people who once lived there.
But now, Yun City was planning to station troops here, which was enough to upset him. To make matters worse, some random group had beaten them to the town, making him feel like his territory had been taken over. It made him furious.
The warehouse used to be filled with boxes, all useless—expired food, drinks, and snacks. The packaging looked way more appetizing than anything from Yun City, but unfortunately, everything inside had gone bad.
Now, the place had been emptied. Several armed guards stood at the warehouse entrance, and inside were supplies belonging to these people with black blood—wood, some clothes, and cans that looked different from those in Yun City. In one corner, there were even some fresh vegetables.
Qiu Shi walked over, curious. To be honest, while the inner city had its own vegetable gardens, he had never actually eaten fresh vegetables before.
“Cabbage,” Xing Bi said.
“Is it good?” Qiu Shi plucked off a leaf and popped it into his mouth.
“Not like that,” Xing Bi replied. “It probably doesn’t taste good raw.”
“It’s pretty tasty,” Qiu Shi said as he chewed. “A bit sweet and crunchy.”
“You could take some for your team,” one of the guards offered.
“No thanks,” Qiu Shi turned around, grabbed a cart nearby, and started loading wood onto it. “I’m worried it might be poisoned.”
“You already ate some,” the guard said. “Did it poison you?”
“I’ve got good resistance,” Qiu Shi said.
The guard’s face darkened at that remark.
Qiu Shi didn’t look at him, but he added, “We’ve got our own food. You guys keep these supplies for yourselves. You have a lot of people—two or three hundred, I’d guess. This won’t last you more than a month.”
The guard’s expression softened, and his tone relaxed a bit too. “We’ve only got a little over a hundred people.”
“Well, save what you can. You won’t be able to grow crops in winter.” Qiu Shi finished loading the wood, then dragged the cart out of the warehouse.
A hundred-plus people. That was manageable—better than the nearly two hundred he’d estimated.
“Let me take it,” Xing Bi caught up to him.
“I can handle it,” Qiu Shi said.
“You’re too slow,” Xing Bi pointed out.
That was true. The cart’s wheels were too small, and once loaded with wood, it became hard to move, requiring quite a bit of effort.
“Fine, you take it,” Qiu Shi stepped aside.
Xing Bi took over, pulling the cart forward while Qiu Shi walked alongside. After a few steps, Qiu Shi bent down to inspect the wheels and then pressed down on the wood to make the cart more stable.
Xing Bi turned his head.
“Just keep walking,” Qiu Shi said.
“Hop on,” Xing Bi offered. “I can pull it.”
“What the hell?” Qiu Shi looked at him. “Didn’t you say you don’t have mind-reading abilities?”
“I’ve been around long enough, that’s all,” Xing Bi replied.
“…I’m just worried…” Qiu Shi glanced at the cart.
“It won’t break,” Xing Bi said. “This cart’s pretty sturdy.”
“Damn it,” Qiu Shi gritted his teeth, then jumped onto the cart, sitting on top of the pile of wood. “Sometimes I feel like I’m completely see-through to you.”
“Not really,” Xing Bi said. “Sometimes I can’t guess what you’re thinking. You’re different from anyone else I’ve met.”
Qiu Shi clicked his tongue.
“For example, I can’t figure out why you want to sit up there,” Xing Bi said.
“Hu Xiaoling once told me he always dreamed of his dad pulling him along in a little cart made of wooden boards,” Qiu Shi said. “He remembered that a bunch of kids from his neighborhood had those carts when he was young.”
“Really?” Xing Bi asked.
“Yeah. His dad died when they got to Yun City. He was only five,” Qiu Shi said. “He probably doesn’t remember much. Zhao Lü doesn’t remember anything before he was seven.”
“What about you?” Xing Bi asked.
“I don’t remember,” Qiu Shi thought for a moment. “Or maybe it’s not that I don’t remember. I’ve spent most of my life outside the city, and everything out there is such a blur. It’s hard to distinguish one time from another.”
Xing Bi smiled and jogged a few steps with the cart.
Qiu Shi bounced up and down on the wood, nearly biting his tongue, but he surprisingly found it fun.
“Having fun?” Xing Bi asked.
“Mhm,” Qiu Shi glanced at the sky. There was nothing unusual. “Wanna go again?”
Xing Bi dragged the cart and ran forward for a bit.
“Damn,” Qiu Shi laughed. “This is actually pretty fun.”
“Aren’t you going to thank your dad?” Xing Bi asked.
“Oh, look at you,” Qiu Shi looked at him, “You’re really taking advantage, partner.”
“Even if you called me great-grandfather, I wouldn’t be taking advantage, partner,” Xing Bi replied.
“Well, damn,” Qiu Shi thought for a moment, then lay back on the pile of wood and laughed for a while. “You’re right.”
“You’ve called me that before,” Xing Bi said.
“I have?” Qiu Shi was stunned.
“Mhm.” Xing Bi nodded.
“My brain’s too new to remember all that,” Qiu Shi said. “Don’t try to fool me.”
“I’m not fooling you,” Xing Bi smiled.
“Shit,” Qiu Shi said, “is my mouth that sweet?”
Once there was a fire in the supermarket, the place instantly warmed up. The team heated up some canned food and started eating. The warm air and the smell of the food made everyone feel a lot more peaceful.
Xing Bi handed supplements to Xiao Zuo and Xiao You, then walked over to Qiu Shi. “The old man wants you to come over now. The third floor is clear.”
“Did he…” Qiu Shi lowered his voice, “did he tell Sang Fan?”
“Mhm,” Xing Bi responded.
“Then let’s go, I’ll ask him about this ‘jungle’ too. It still hasn’t shown up,” Qiu Shi glanced outside. It was already dark. “Li Feng’s going to be embarrassed this time. Chief Li’s intel was off.”
“I’ll go with you,” Xing Bi said.
“Let’s go.” Qiu Shi gave Zhao Yi a few instructions, then left the supermarket and headed toward the nearby watchtower.
The guards outside the tower weren’t surprised to see them.
“Go on in,” one of them said. “The boss said you’d be here in ten minutes.”
“That accurate?” Qiu Shi casually remarked.
He knew why the old man had asked Sang Fan to relay the message to Xing Bi. The old man loved to act mysterious, taking every opportunity to play the role of an all-knowing sage.
“He knows everything,” the guard said, his tone full of admiration.
When they got to the third floor and saw Sang Fan, Qiu Shi frowned. “I forgot to bring some supplements.”
“We have some here,” Xing Bi said quietly.
“Right,” Qiu Shi turned to the old man sitting in the wheelchair. “The old prophet takes supplements.”
The old man smiled.
Qiu Shi sat down in front of him. “I’m really worried about you, afraid you might die.”
“I know,” the old man patted his hand. “But there was no way to tell you. These people… they’re fanatics of the new world.”
“Let’s not worry about them for now,” Qiu Shi looked at him. “Who took you? Where did you go afterward? You had your luggage packed—where were you planning to go? Was I the one you brought to Yun City? From where? Why?”
“I didn’t go far,” the old man sighed. “It seems like you already know everything.”
“I’ve been to Donglin; I met Chen Dang and Qiu Yu,” Qiu Shi said. “Do you know them?”
“Qiu Yu is your brother,” the old man frowned. “A little lunatic, probably a big lunatic by now.”
“He’s a dead lunatic,” Qiu Shi said. “Xing Bi killed him.”
“Really dead?” The old man looked at Xing Bi.
“Don’t change the subject; answer my previous questions,” Qiu Shi said.
“The luggage was for you. I thought you liked those old, broken things from the past,” the old man said. “I figured you’d grow up eventually, and someday I’d have to leave. But I didn’t expect to leave that day…”
“Go on,” Qiu Shi urged.
“No one took me,” the old man said. “After you were thrown out of the window, they left me behind.”
“The bioroids didn’t kill you?” Qiu Shi stared at him.
“Level 2,” the old man glanced at Xing Bi.
“Level 2 might recognize his little square brain,” Xing Bi said. “The orders likely didn’t include killing non-humans.”
“Non-human?” Qiu Shi was stunned.
“Once you’re enhanced, you’re kicked out of the human race,” the old man sighed.
“Then why did you run?” Qiu Shi asked.
“I didn’t run!” the old man exclaimed. “Deng Yeye’s people pushed me away.”
“This Deng Yeye…” Qiu Shi frowned. “Then why didn’t you stay with her after that?”
“The people responsible for taking me away were killed,” the old man glanced toward the stairs, “by these new world citizens.”
“What are you, some sort of big deal? Did everyone want to take you?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Because I’m very old,” the old man replied. “I know a lot, and I also carried away the authentic bloodline of the Qiu family.”
Qiu Shi stared at him and took a while to process it. “You didn’t give me a heads-up. What if these people found out who I am… were you trying to set me up?”
The old man clicked his tongue. “I watched you grow up. As long as no one else exposes you, even if you know who you are, you won’t reveal it.”
“What if I was discovered recognizing you just now?” Qiu Shi shouted in a hushed voice.
“Fortune favors the bold,” the old man said. “I bet your reflexes are fast enough.”
“I curse your ancestors,” Qiu Shi retorted.
“Why take Qiu Shi?” Xing Bi spoke up. “That hasn’t been explained yet.”
Qiu Shi gave him a thumbs up.
“Only because you are Qiu…” The old man’s words were interrupted by Qiu Shi.
“Don’t tell me the name. I don’t want to know my parents’ names,” Qiu Shi said.
“I’m old friends with your parents,” the old man said. “I promised them that I would let you grow up safely and live without interference from others or being controlled by anyone.”
Qiu Shi looked at him.
“You are their only pure bloodline,” the old man glanced at the sky outside. “They experimented on you and Qiu Yu, and no matter how they did it, they couldn’t keep the fungus in your body. You are truly completely immune, a source of spiritual strength for many.”
Qiu Shi remained silent.
“Sometimes, that’s how people are,” the old man said. “When they are in despair and can’t even see the hope of pretending, they will believe in miracles.”
“So my parents,” Qiu Shi said after a moment of silence, “were frauds who created gods amidst the chaos.”
“In such an environment, there are all sorts of ways to survive and ways to live better,” the old man said. “It’s impossible to judge right from wrong.”
Qiu Shi didn’t know what to say for a moment. Just as he was about to ask why the “jungle” hadn’t arrived yet, a sudden burst of firelight flared up outside the window at the back of the watchtower.
“What happened?” Qiu Shi stood up.
“The ‘jungle’ has arrived,” the old man said.
The cold wind suddenly picked up, carrying a sharp whistling sound.
Qiu Shi opened the internal communication: “The ‘jungle’ is arriving soon. Everyone stay indoors, don’t go near the windows, and be safe.”
Looking out the window, he could see a bonfire lit in the open space behind the tower, with a large pot set on a rack in the middle. He couldn’t tell what was inside the pot.
People surrounding the fire were continuously circling it, murmuring something unintelligible.
“What’s cooking in that pot?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Fungus,” the old man replied.
“What for?” Qiu Shi was shocked.
“To offer prayers,” the old man said.
