Chapter 94
At Yongzhou, a group of researchers who had been dragged out of bed for overtime let out gasps of admiration at the test results.
“Miraculous! This is simply too miraculous! Although I’d heard before that purification Qi could be isolated individually, seeing it with my own eyes is still mind-blowing!”
“With this, whenever those Guardians on the front lines get polluted in the future, they can immediately use this Qi to purify themselves, drastically reducing the risk of alienation.”
Someone else asked, “How are the other Purifiers doing?”
“Not very well. This might be something only an evolved Purifier can accomplish,” the researcher replied, a trace of regret in his tone.
He was promptly smacked on the head by his mentor.
“What kind of tone is that? Being able to have these fruits is already a miracle, don’t be greedy! For thirty years, those who couldn’t get in contact with Purifiers had to endure pollution through sheer grit. Ordinary people didn’t even stand a chance at being cured.”
He gazed almost reverently at the white Qi essence carefully partitioned into individual boxes, its fruit-like form displayed through the detector.
“Leave the rest to us. Let’s make the medicine!”
For thirty years, the Guardian Center knew how to do almost everything, which naturally included pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Many highly effective painkillers and healing medicines were only gradually released to the general public after being developed by Yongzhou.
But manufacturing a truly effective pollution medicine like they were doing today was a first.
Even though it didn’t require much technical complexity.
The medicine was already right there; they merely needed to “package” it.
Virtually all the researchers had excited expressions, yet their hands remained steady under the instruments, delicately separating the fruits thread by thread.
“But why do we still need to package it for ordinary polluted people?”
A young researcher looked at the Qi essence displayed on the monitor. “The current situation is so dangerous; I thought all of it would be supplied to the Guardians.”
After all, the Guardians were the main combat force. If not for them holding the front lines, Xia Country would have fallen long ago.
“You’re thinking too simply.”
The gray-haired researcher fondly watched the simulated shape of the Qi on the screen, shaking his head with a sigh.
“Humanity needs hope, and ordinary people need it most of all.”
Weren’t the Guardians standing on the front lines precisely to protect the ordinary people behind them?
Particularly now, as the situation grew increasingly grim, with pollution potentially appearing anywhere and the growing number of anomalies pushing the public’s psychological endurance to its absolute limit.
Danger and hardship could be overcome.
When anomalies appeared, people knew that as long as they contacted the Guardians, they would be safe—at least someone would come to rescue them.
But what if they were polluted?
There was no way out, no antidote; they could only wait for death in agony. That was true despair.
That was why the moment Doctor Zhen Shiluo showed his face, he immediately trended on the hot search, with a crowd of people willing to give up their entire fortunes just to receive his treatment.
Even those who claimed “he must be a scammer” would instinctively pay attention upon seeing the news headlines.
Because deep down, everyone hoped it was true.
Between life and death, people would naturally choose to believe in life.
“However, to think that manufacturing medicine for ordinary people was actually proposed by that Purifier.”
The elder researcher marveled, “I heard he’s still very young. To have such foresight at his age, this child’s future will be extraordinary.”
—”Achoo!”
Luo Shizhen, sitting in the vehicle, let out a massive sneeze.
He immediately reached out to feel his forehead. Finding that it wasn’t hot, he relaxed.
They were about to execute a new mission; it would be troublesome if he fell ill now.
Chu Xiao handed over some cold medicine. “Did you catch a chill from the wind last night? Take some medicine.”
“Thank you,” Luo Shizhen replied politely. He quickly swallowed the pill and patted his chest to help it go down.
“What’s wrong? Did you choke?”
Noticing this, Xiao Shan immediately reached out to rub his back and ease his breathing.
Luo Shizhen shook his head, smiling bashfully at him.
He hadn’t choked; it was a habit he’d had since childhood. When he was little, he ate too fast and would swallow everything whole, including medicine. His grandmother, terrified he would choke, would always rub his back whenever he took medicine.
Even when Luo Shizhen entered his senior year of high school and was already a young man, his grandmother still did it.
Later, after his grandmother passed away, whenever Luo Shizhen took medicine, he would instinctively mimic her actions and rub his own back, even if he didn’t feel choked at all.
But doing this made him feel good, as if his grandmother were still with him.
His Big Brother’s hand was stronger than his grandmother’s, and his palm was much broader. He wasn’t his grandmother, but he was another person who treated him exceptionally well.
He leaned affectionately against Xiao Shan. “Big Brother, you’re so good to me.”
“What nonsense are you talking? You’re my lackey, so of course I have to be good to you,” Xiao Shan said, pulling out a candy and stuffing it into Luo Shizhen’s mouth.
“Replenish your sugar levels. I almost forgot that we’d pre-ordered some medicine to be sent out. To think you still remembered and even rushed to Yongzhou overnight to deliver the fruits for manufacturing. That was just a link we put up to make our con artist identities look authentic during the mission. As long as we don’t ship them out, the money will be refunded to them. Why were you in such a rush?”
Luo Shizhen rolled the candy in his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor spreading across his tongue. “This is different from a mission.”
“Back then we were pretending to be scammers, but we aren’t actual scammers. Since we promised people, we have to fulfill it.”
Xiao Shan: “And what if you couldn’t isolate the fruits?”
Luo Shizhen didn’t lose his footing, adhering strictly to his own set of logic.
“If I had no way to manufacture the medicine, then a refund would definitely be required, because that wouldn’t be me breaking my promise intentionally; it would just be me being unable to do it.”
But he knew he could do it, so he absolutely had to honor the agreement.
In his entire life growing up, he had never broken a single promise.
Xiao Shan looked helplessly at his little brother, ruffling his hair until it was a total mess.
“Sometimes I really wonder if you dropped down from the heavens. You’re so honest it’s like you don’t belong in the modern world.”
“Shizhen, are you going to sprout wings and ascend to immortality one day?”
Luo Shizhen didn’t catch that it was a joke. He only replied seriously, “I won’t leave. I want to be with you guys.”
Xiao Shan was deeply moved.
He wrapped an arm tightly around his little brother, his emotions welling up so much that his hands clumsily rubbed Luo Shizhen’s back.
“So good, so good!”
Chu Xiao endured it for thirty seconds. The teammate bond they had cultivated over the past few months only had a thirty-second tolerance threshold.
After thirty seconds, he spoke up immediately: “Alright, that’s enough. Let go of him, don’t strangle Shizhen.”
Xiao Shan shot him a disdainful look and slowly released his grip.
Luo Shizhen wriggled out of his Big Brother’s embrace, his heart filled with immense satisfaction from that broad, warm hug.
His body, exhausted from traveling, didn’t even feel that tired anymore.
He turned around and, mimicking his Big Brother’s actions, embraced Rong Nian, who had been uncharacteristically silent.
Xiao Shan: “…”
Chu Xiao: “…”
Though their expressions were highly complicated, since Rong Nian was clearly struck hard by his friend’s death, they didn’t say anything.
Rong Nian froze in Luo Shizhen’s embrace.
His first instinct was to struggle.
But Luo Shizhen’s strength was simply too immense; he couldn’t break free at all.
After a few futile attempts, Rong Nian gradually stopped moving. “I really shouldn’t be this sad.”
Luo Shizhen held him, awkwardly and gently patting his back just like his grandmother used to comfort him when he was little.
“If it hurts, then let it hurt. When my grandmother died, I was very sad, too.”
“We can go visit Lin Chao’s grave together. You can burn a lot of paper money for him so he can buy whatever he wants. You can also burn the things he likes. Once we kill that anomaly, we’ll burn the anomaly for him, too, so he knows he’s been avenged.”
Rong Nian, who had barely managed to keep his emotions under control, suddenly lost it after being embraced.
He buried his face in Luo Shizhen’s chest, his voice muffled. “I don’t have any friends anymore.”
Even toward Luo Shizhen, his positioning of himself had always been that of a pet.
Only Lin Chao had truly treated him as a friend.
Luo Shizhen held him even more firmly. “You do. Aren’t I your friend?”
Rong Nian’s body trembled slightly. He lifted his head to look at Luo Shizhen. “Do you really view me as a friend?”
Luo Shizhen was actually more bewildered than he was.
He had never imagined that Rong Nian didn’t think they were friends.
They ate and lived together, fought and healed together, and had even watched a horror movie and been chased by a red-clothed female ghost together!
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“And Chu Xiao, Big Brother, Lu Qiujin, Cheng Yunshao, Wen Hu… aren’t we all friends?”
Rong Nian looked toward the others in disbelief.
Xiao Shan crossed his arms, his fierce features twisting into a frown that made him look even more menacing, though his voice remained gruff.
“We’ve been fighting side-by-side for so long. What kind of relationship did you think we had? If we weren’t friends, would I ever trust you with my back?”
Chu Xiao played with an ice ball in his hand. “Our coordination is excellent.”
Cheng Yunshao and Lu Qiujin also offered their tacit agreement.
Only Wen Hu, who was also an Atavism Awakener, boasted proudly, “I can definitely be your friend—as long as you beg me.”
Cheng Yunshao smacked his forehead, pulling him back forcefully by the collar. “Sometimes you really don’t have to speak.”
Rong Nian suddenly buried his head back into Luo Shizhen’s chest.
Subsequently, round little pearls went pitter-patter onto the floor below.
“I didn’t expect… even though I curse you guys for being stupid in my head, spy on your negative thoughts, speak ill of you behind your backs, and deliberately lead you into filthier zones during battles just so you’ll get covered in foul stench and then mock you for it… you’re still willing to treat me as a friend.”
Everyone: “…”
Luo Shizhen looked entirely blank.
Then he heard Rong Nian add, “Shizhen, don’t worry, I never did that to you.”
Luo Shizhen scratched his head. “Oh, okay, good.”
Rong Nian nuzzled against his chest again.
“But Shizhen, your chest is so full and warm. Can we sleep together tonight? I’ll let out my tail for you to touch.”
Luo Shizhen nodded. “Sure, I—”
His mouth was gently covered.
Luo Shizhen turned his head and saw Chu Xiao.
Chu Xiao smiled at him. “Shizhen, can you step aside for a moment? I want to have a chat with Rong Nian.”
Xiao Shan cracked his neck, clenching his fists. “I want to chat, too.”
Lu Qiujin had already appeared behind Rong Nian, while Wen Hu approached with a cold sneer.
Luo Shizhen: “Huh? Okay. Wait, why are you guys fighting again?! Cheng Yunshao, ah, you’re recording again.”
The vehicle sped along the road. An anomaly was shot dead by a Guardian using a bow and arrow, collapsing onto the asphalt.
The Guardian retracted his bow, looking at the departing vehicle. Noticing that the rear of the car was rocking violently, he opened his walkie-talkie on high alert, switching channels:
“Vehicle ending in 3333, are there any abnormalities inside the car?”
Leaning back in his seat, eating an apple while using his spiritual power to drive the car, Sui An glanced at the rearview mirror.
“Big Brother, gentler, please! Rong Nian is still mourning.”
“I see he’s already completely recovered! You brat! What absolute nonsense did you just spout?! Let out your tail?! Don’t think I don’t know under what circumstances you mermen let out your tails when sleeping!”
“I’m speaking the truth!! Shizhen, you promised! We’re sleeping together tonight! Remember—mmph, mmph!”
“Shizhen, he’ll be quiet now. Go rest in the front; we’ll be done shortly.”
Luo Shizhen ran thump-thump-thump to the front of the car, sitting in the passenger seat and looking back worriedly.
Sui An handed him an apple. As it was passed over, his spiritual power threads wrapped around it, rapidly peeling it into a perfectly flawless skinless apple before landing in Luo Shizhen’s hand.
The walkie-talkie chimed again, double-checking to ensure no information was missed.
Sui An ruffled Luo Shizhen’s hair and replied, “This is Squad 1, vehicle ending in 3333.”
The man glanced back, pulling down the partition barrier to shut out the racket from the rear.
“The students are bonding.”
“The vehicle is operating normally.”
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