Chapter 209: Mutation (Part VII)
Xiao Ji sat opposite Bai Yinnian, gazing out the window with an air of indifference.
“Probably. Who knows.”
Given the current state of affairs, even if one wouldn’t say everyone was living in constant dread, they were certainly all in a state of high alert for their own safety.
Even those suffering from terminal illnesses were shrouded in the panic of a potential mutation at any moment.
Yet, ever since Bai Yinnian had met Xiao Ji, the man had always maintained this unflappable demeanor, appearing completely detached from the world.
It was as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him.
“When did you first discover that those pollutants wouldn’t attack you?” Bai Yinnian asked.
Xiao Ji pondered for a moment. “From the first day I saw them.”
“Before that, did you experience any symptoms you’d never had before?” Bai Yinnian stared at Xiao Ji’s face.
Xiao Ji withdrew his gaze from the window and met Bai Yinnian’s eyes.
“Unexplained pain.”
Bai Yinnian pursed his lips. “I mean no ill will, but your situation is very special. I was wondering… would you be willing to join us?”
Xiao Ji refused. “My apologies. My legs are inconvenient; I doubt I could be of much help to you.”
Bai Yinnian raised a hand to interrupt him. “No. You don’t have a clear understanding of yourself, Xiao Ji. It’s normal for you to be guarded against me, but your abilities are definitely not as simple as you’re letting on.”
Xiao Ji first raised an eyebrow. “I never told you my name.”
But he didn’t dwell on the issue, simply continuing his denial:
“I’m not as useful as you imagine.”
Xiao Ji’s refusal was within Bai Yinnian’s expectations.
To put it bluntly, in a chaotic world like this, someone like Xiao Ji would have been among the most ordinary of people before the apocalypse—or even less than ordinary.
Disabled, impoverished, with even basic survival being a struggle.
But now that Xiao Ji could coexist peacefully with those pollutants, it meant he could stand above countless ordinary people, appearing anywhere he pleased without consequence.
He had no need to scavenge for supplies in fear.
In fact, if he wished, he could move out of this dilapidated little apartment and into a beautiful mansion that had lost its owner.
To be even more realistic: before this, with Xiao Ji’s conditions, even finding a girlfriend would have been a struggle.
But now, as long as Xiao Ji was willing, there would surely be plenty of beautiful girls willing to serve him and his lifestyle just to secure food, water, and protection.
Material incentives would be hard-pressed to tempt Xiao Ji.
Thus, Bai Yinnian’s expression turned cold as he began to consider coercion.
Countless threats flashed through his mind. For instance: If you don’t agree, I can kill you right now.
Or: If you don’t agree, I can kidnap you and use you for live experimentation.
But looking at Xiao Ji’s harmless face, the words reached his lips only to be swallowed back down. He simply said:
“I don’t need you to participate in high-risk missions. You only need to follow me, scout the way, and assist in searching for and rescuing survivors.”
“The military needs you. You should take pride in that.”
The moment the words left his mouth, even Bai Yinnian felt they were incredibly weak.
He discovered that he truly wasn’t skilled at negotiation.
He should have known to leave this kind of matter to the professionals.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished, Xiao Ji suddenly spoke:
“It’s not impossible for me to join you, but I have conditions.”
Bai Yinnian hurriedly said, “Let’s hear them.”
Xiao Ji thought for a moment. “First, I need to live alone. Second, you cannot force me to do anything. Third…”
He paused for a moment. “You cannot assign me to anyone else.”
Bai Yinnian made a split-second decision. “Deal.”
After saying that, he suddenly remembered something and hesitated.
“The living alone part… currently, the shelter’s conditions don’t allow for that. The higher-ups have a policy; we will be gradually taking in ordinary people who haven’t been contaminated yet.”
“If you’re willing, you can stay with me.”
Xiao Ji fell silent.
He appeared to be considering, but in reality, he was just spacing out.
Seeing that he hadn’t spoken for a long time, Bai Yinnian added:
“My place has a decent environment—much better than here. There are spare bedrooms. Unless there’s an emergency, I won’t disturb you.”
It took a long while before Xiao Ji seemed to reluctantly make up his mind.
“When do we leave? I’ll go pack some things.”
Hearing this, Bai Yinnian finished his beer in two gulps and stood up.
“Now.”
As he pushed Xiao Ji toward the elevator, Bai Yinnian remarked:
“Actually, I didn’t expect you to agree so readily.”
Xiao Ji merely responded indifferently, “I didn’t have anything better to do anyway.”
The two walked to the black armored vehicle outside the apartment. Bai Yinnian tapped on the window.
Inside, Lin Xu unlocked the doors. Bai Yinnian opened the rear door, scooped Xiao Ji up from the wheelchair in a horizontal carry, and tucked him into the car.
He then stowed the wheelchair in the trunk and got into the car, telling Lin Xu:
“Back to the base.”
Along the way, Bai Yinnian sat beside Xiao Ji, explaining the rules and benefits for armed personnel.
Xiao Ji let the words go in one ear and out the other, having no interest in things that didn’t concern him.
But Bai Yinnian’s little mouth kept babbling incessantly. Not wanting to interrupt him directly, Xiao Ji thought for a moment, tilted his head, and rested it on Bai Yinnian’s shoulder, pretending to have fallen asleep.
Bai Yinnian instantly fell silent.
At such close proximity, he could clearly smell the faint scent of shampoo from the top of Xiao Ji’s head.
Through the rearview mirror, he could see Xiao Ji’s sleeping face as he leaned against his shoulder.
He looked less indifferent and detached, appearing instead as well-behaved and beautiful as a porcelain doll.
As he drove, Lin Xu asked in a low voice:
“Boss, the military doesn’t accept disabled people. If you bring him back, will the higher-ups agree?”
Bai Yinnian looked up at Lin Xu. “Don’t underestimate him.”
Xiao Ji claimed he wasn’t that useful, but whether it was the clues observed over these few days or Bai Yinnian’s own intuition, everything told him that Xiao Ji was definitely not simple.
But it was impossible for Xiao Ji to be completely transparent with him, and Bai Yinnian felt no need to be aggressive or force answers out of him.
Step one: bring the man into the fold. Once they had spent enough time together and built trust, Xiao Ji would naturally say what needed to be said.
Moreover, Bai Yinnian knew he had his own selfish motives for wanting Xiao Ji.
The so-called “high-level pollutants” currently in the military were all artificially modified, having developed special skills only after being injected with serums.
As for whether they would mutate again in the future or if the drugs would produce other side effects, no one knew.
Only Bai Yinnian himself was a high-tier product of natural mutation.
He could control his form and his reason, and he held absolute control over his own physical condition.
And Xiao Ji was his kind.
Bai Yinnian wanted to keep him.
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