Chapter 66: Chapter Sixty-Six
Luoxia City was a bustling and busy metropolis.
Even with anomalies running rampant now, it still maintained its original rhythm.
There were morning rush hours and evening rush hours. At midnight, lights dotted the towering buildings.
The difference was that people would also encounter “sudden events” from time to time.
For instance, while driving, during the congested morning rush hour, a green-faced, fanged minor anomaly would suddenly emerge from a car. Brandishing its claws, it would randomly pick a few lucky vehicles and drag out the humans inside to devour them.
Then, with a bang, it would be taken out by a Guardian on duty nearby.
Or, for example, during some office hours, a secretary would suddenly run out screaming, shouting: “The boss has been polluted!”
As a result, everyone would have to run away quickly while also asking HR: if the boss mutates, can last month’s salary still be paid on time?
Or, on some normal street, it would suddenly be pulled into an anomaly field. People could only hunker down or try to resist, holding out until a Guardian came to the rescue. After reclaiming their lives, they would hurriedly call their relatives and friends to say they were okay.
The adaptability of humans was always strong. At first, everyone lived in fear, wishing they didn’t have to leave the house.
But gradually, they became accustomed to this state of living where anomaly events popped up from time to time.
All kinds of shops selling self-defense items were sold out. In the matchmaking market, the most popular profession was no longer a civil servant, but a Guardian.
Some families that insisted on traditional burial had also become firm supporters of cremation. After all, if they didn’t cremate, a relative might be buried underground during the day and open their fangs at the person from the bedside the next day.
Under the overt and covert coordination of the government, Xia State returned to a relatively stable social state.
Everyone was hoping they would awaken and become a member of the Guardians. Setting aside how high the salary and benefits of a Guardian were, just being able to get a safety slot and send one’s relatives to the rear for protection was already enough to make others green with envy.
Everyone still cared about houses, cars, and money, but before all that, the most important thing was: we lived through another day today.
The communication between relatives, which had originally been fading, became frequent because of this sudden crisis.
Even parents who were not good at expressing themselves insisted on making a phone call to their children every day—not for the sake of chatting, but just to ensure that their relatives hadn’t encountered an anomaly event.
On this day, Zhang Cai received a call from her mother at school.
As usual, Mother Zhang asked if anything had happened at No. 3 High School and if any anomalies had entered the school.
Zhang Cai was also very worried about her parents. “Don’t worry, Mom. The school has Guardians on duty. We students are the safest of all. It’s you and Dad you should worry about. When you’re at work, keep your wits about you. If anything’s not right, run quickly; don’t stay to watch the show.”
Mother Zhang expressed her agreement. “Who would dare watch a show now? Do you remember your Uncle Zhang? Your dad’s former superior. On his way to work, he saw people arguing and went over to watch the show.
As a result, as they argued, one of them mutated into an anomaly and directly ate the person he was arguing with. Your Uncle Zhang’s legs went so weak from fear. If the Guardians hadn’t gone there quickly, he probably would have suffered, too.”
Zhang Cai was surprised. “Why would he suddenly mutate into an anomaly?”
Mother Zhang: “Perhaps that person accidentally caught a bit of pollution, and it wasn’t discovered when it was fresh. When they argued, they got agitated, and they couldn’t suppress it, could they?”
The officials had long issued reports that mutation could also be caused by a loss of emotional control. Some people might suddenly mutate in a state of excessive agitation.
Speaking of which, it was quite ironic. After the official report was issued, the social atmosphere improved more than just a little.
Everyone became polite and courteous when they went out. Everyone expressed friendliness as much as possible, for fear that a word might not be pleasant and provoke the other person into an anomaly.
“Who knows when that pollution will be caught? I heard that some people pass through security in the morning with a green light, only to suddenly mutate in the afternoon.”
Compared to encountering an anomaly, ordinary people were now more worried about being mysteriously polluted and then mutating into an anomaly themselves.
After all, if they encountered an anomaly, as long as it wasn’t in some remote and uninhabited place, the Guardians would quickly come to the rescue. If they ran for their lives, ran fast enough, or weren’t too unlucky, they could save their lives.
But if they were polluted and mutated into an anomaly, there was truly no chance of rescue at all.
“If only you could awaken, too. As long as you awaken, there will be energy users to treat the pollution, and your dad and I would be at ease.”
According to the official statement, there was no limit to the age of an Awakener. There were newborn babies with abilities, and elderly people who suddenly awakened.
But currently, it seemed that the group most likely to awaken was between 15 and 20 years old.
Mother Zhang and Father Zhang had always hoped that Zhang Cai would awaken.
Especially since Zhang Cai was different from others—she had once been bitten by a zombie but had held on and hadn’t mutated. Thus, the Zhang parents felt a bit more hope, believing their daughter might very well have the potential to awaken.
“By the way.” Mother Zhang suddenly said with a hint of happiness, “Today I watched TV. There was a very powerful expert—a ninth-generation heir to acupuncture. He said he could treat pollution.”
“This is a good thing. Although nothing is wrong with our family now, if there really is a way to treat pollution, we can be at ease in the future.”
When Zhang Cai heard “ninth-generation heir to acupuncture,” she already felt that something wasn’t quite right.
“Really? How does he treat pollution? Acupuncture? Does he run a TCM clinic?”
Mother Zhang: “No, he sells medicine. An ancestral secret prescription from his family.”
Zhang Cai: “? An ancestral secret prescription that can treat pollution?”
How many years had it even been since anomaly pollution appeared?
“No, he sells medicine for coughs and asthma, but he said he can also treat pollution. The man is also a doctorate of medicine. The host said they finally managed to invite him after much effort. Your grandma told me about it. Doesn’t she have a cough? She bought the medicine and wanted to try.”
“However, the delivery time is a bit late. They said the medicine requires many processes and is entirely handmade. It’s estimated that it will take three months before it can be shipped.”
Two big words popped into Zhang Cai’s mind: Scam!
“Mom, tell Grandma not to buy it. This sounds too much like a scam.”
Father Zhang’s voice came from the phone:
“How does it sound like a scam? The man has an immortal air to him; you’ll know once you see him. He is the vice president of the Xia State Medical Association. How could such a powerful person lie to us?”
Mother Zhang, however, said: “We can’t talk your grandma out of it. After your school break starts this week, come to Luoxia City with us to see her. If you think it’s a scam then, tell her yourself.”
Zhang Cai thought about it and agreed. The older her grandma got, the less she listened to advice, but because she adored her, Grandma would listen to what she said.
After hanging up the phone, she went to search for this “interview video” her parents mentioned.
Couldn’t pollution only be treated by energy users?
She planned to watch the video and then send it to Luo Shizhen.
Zhang Cai knew that Luo Shizhen had awakened and was studying at an Awakener school. After all, back then, when she was bitten by a zombie, Luo Shizhen had saved her.
Zhang Cai thought that since Luo Shizhen was studying at an Awakener school, he surely knew more about this than she did. Perhaps he could judge if this was a scam.
The moment the video started, a white-haired man with a face full of wrinkles, yet a ruddy complexion, appeared wearing a Tai Chi suit.
Though she had never seen his facial features before, as Zhang Cai watched, she somehow felt his eyes were very familiar.
But she couldn’t remember when she had seen this old man.
In the video, that white-haired old man had already brandished his hand with great confidence.
With a surge of steadfast conviction, he spoke with a powerful voice:
“After deep consideration, I have made a decision that goes against my ancestors!”
“I will donate the century-old ancestral secret prescription for free!”
Zhang Cai: …The more she watched, the more it looked like a scam.
She’d better send the video to Luo Shizhen and ask him.
By the way, Luo Shizhen seemed to be in Luoxia City. This time, she would see if she could arrange a meeting. He had saved her last time, and she hadn’t thanked the classmate who had acted so righteously in person yet.
Luoxia City.
The “medical professor” with an immortal air, Luo Shizhen, was currently in the rented villa, seriously memorizing the lines he was to say for another commercial tomorrow.
His phone buzzed.
Luo Shizhen picked it up casually. His eyes lit up, and he stood up in delight, saying excitedly to Chu Xiao:
“Zhang Cai! Zhang Cai asked to meet me!!”
He hadn’t expected that after coming to Luoxia City, a classmate would actually ask to meet him.
And, strictly speaking, this was the first time a girl had asked to meet him!
Luo Shizhen looked down at the Tai Chi suit on his body, thinking about what Grandma had said—when meeting a girl, one must dress cleanly; the better-looking, the better.
He couldn’t sit still. He joyfully grabbed Chu Xiao’s arm, his bright black eyes full of anticipation:
“Chu Xiao! You love dressing up. Can you help me pick out a few outfits to meet Zhang Cai? Something that looks good!”
Luo Shizhen had great faith in Chu Xiao’s taste; after all, Chu Xiao was so vain that he had to change into new clothes every day even in the dorms.
Chu Xiao’s breath hitched.
Luo Shizhen continued to look at him expectantly.
Chu Xiao paused for several seconds before slowly saying: “I’ll come in a bit.”
Sure enough, Luo Shizhen didn’t notice anything wrong and happily agreed:
“Then I’ll go to my room first and take out the clothes! Or we can buy some new clothes, too!”
Ever since he was confirmed as having a mutant ability, his monthly salary had jumped straight to forty thousand.
Even someone as thrifty as Luo Shizhen felt he could spend a little money now.
But in the eyes of others, the person who usually hesitated even over buying ten yuan worth of snacks had become generous for this suddenly appearing Zhang Cai, even willing to buy new clothes.
Rong Nian, who was soaking in the fish tank; Xiao Shan and Wen Hu, who were practicing against each other; and Cheng Yunshao, who was answering customer inquiries online—all looked over.
Luo Shizhen hummed a song and went into his room with a light step.
The emotions on his body were visibly happy.
Lu Qiujin, who was looking at information on a pharmaceutical factory, could no longer watch. He keenly sensed that something was wrong from Chu Xiao’s slightly shifting expression.
Lu Qiujin’s eyes darkened, and he slowly asked Chu Xiao:
“Zhang Cai… isn’t a man?”
Luo Shizhen had never been like this in front of them.
Chu Xiao took a deep breath and closed his eyes:
“No.”
“She was Shizhen’s former classmate.”
“She’s very beautiful, and her grades are excellent.”
The first part was okay, but when he heard that Zhang Cai’s grades were excellent…
Lu Qiujin: “…”
An unprecedented sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
Translator’s Note:
Cultural & Context Notes:
- “A decision that goes against my ancestors” (違背祖宗的決定 – Wéibèi zǔzōng de juédìng): This is a very famous meme in China. In reality, there were several actors who appeared on TV playing various “traditional medicine experts.” They all used the exact same script: “After deep consideration, I have made a decision that goes against my ancestors—I will donate the century-old ancestral secret prescription for free!” It became a symbol of poorly scripted medical scams. The fact that Shizhen is using this exact line means he’s a very diligent student of the “scammer craft!” (hahahahah~)
- Immortal Air (仙風道骨 – Xiānfēng-dàogǔ): A term used to describe someone who looks like a Taoist immortal—refined, serene, and seemingly beyond mortal concerns. It’s often used to describe elderly people who look very healthy and wise.
- Rabbit mourning for the fox (兔死狐悲 – Tùsǐ-húbēi): A Chinese idiom meaning to feel sympathy for someone of one’s own kind who has met with misfortune. Lin Ke feels this way because he too is an Awakener with no combat power.
- “Decision vs. Grades”: Chu Xiao mentioning that Zhang Cai has “excellent grades” is the ultimate attack on the other male leads. In Shizhen’s world, academic success is a high form of virtue, and since he struggles with it, he naturally admires those who are smart!
- Watchman (守望人): Just a reminder, Sui An is Shizhen’s official protector. He’s literally watching from the trees!
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