Chapter 184: Exposed—They’re Raising a Zombie

Bian Changxi asked in surprise, “Isn’t this exactly what that Li Bao is doing?”

Li Bao, also known as Brother Bao, used to be a broker—helping people get into the base, handling paperwork, that sort of thing. To put it bluntly, he was a middleman. Out of gratitude for the information Li Bao provided about Bian Changxi, Gu Xu arranged for him to be officially registered in the system, turning this private broker into a formal position. If she remembered correctly, he was now some kind of deputy director for external affairs.

“Li Bao only handles part of it. But since any changes in position have to go through his office for approval, Zhu Yiming brought it up to me,” Gu Xu explained. “I hadn’t really planned on doing anything, but with your idea, I think we could get a piece of this business too.”

It was a full-service operation, and every step required people. Even if they were only one of the partners, it could still provide jobs for a lot of people.

The two of them discussed the matter, listing out all the possible companies they could set up and industries they could get involved in, even considering the spin-off businesses that might be generated. They were like two entrepreneurs excitedly planning a startup. Of course, neither of them were professionals, so these ideas would still need to be fleshed out and implemented by experts.

Gu Xu finally laughed and said, “We’ve got plenty of older scholars and experts here who still haven’t been properly placed. Now they’ll have work to do.”

Thinking of these intellectuals, Bian Changxi felt a bit sad. Except for the young and strong, most of them probably wouldn’t be able to escape Su City. Before long, they’d be facing a dead end with no burial ground. Was this their last chance to shine?

She asked, “This won’t affect your previous plans, will it?”

“No, I don’t need to personally follow up on this, and it’s mostly work for people who can only handle lighter duties. It’s just that Qiu Feng might have to sit at the negotiating table a few more times.”

“In that case, what about the weapons?” Since there was nothing more to add on the previous topic, Bian Changxi let it go and brought up something else.

Gu Xu was reminded, “I almost forgot. Let’s head down to the storeroom.” He stepped out from behind the desk, then seemed to remember something, came back, and took a high-end box from a drawer under the desk, handing it to Bian Changxi.

She opened it, puzzled, and was stunned by the bright green glow that lit up her face. Inside was a whole box of green cores—at least a hundred, heavy in her hands, all fourth-tier, and even a few fifth-tier ones, all of exceptional quality.

She looked at Gu Xu in shock.

Gu Xu looked a bit embarrassed and coughed lightly. “I noticed at the military camp today that you go through crystal cores really fast. I should have thought of this sooner. The cores you use to heal people should be provided by me.”

In fact, these green cores had been collected for her all along—he’d always meant to give them to her, but hadn’t realized she might run short. Not just him—everyone had the impression that Bian Changxi was loaded with resources. Her storage space could hold so much that people forgot she might ever run out.

She glanced at him, then at the box in her arms, and after a long pause, managed to say, “I’ll remember this.” Then she went back to her room. Gu Xu waited, a little puzzled, until she came out again, still holding a box. “Here. This is for you.”

Gu Xu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This time it was a box of red cores, though not as high-quality as the ones he’d given her.

He said seriously, “Actually, it’s only right for you to draw a salary from me. There’s no need for this kind of exchange.” If she insisted on doing this every time, it would go against his intentions.

“Salary?” Bian Changxi seemed to only just realize this. Right, she couldn’t keep working for free and even paying out of pocket.

But… wasn’t this salary a bit too generous? She looked at the red cores, hesitating. “So… is this considered a bribe for my boss?”

Her expression was so amusing that Gu Xu burst out laughing. But before his laughter died away, Qiu Feng’s voice came from downstairs: “Ah Xu, someone’s here to see Miss Bian.”

…

At No. 81 Dianzi Alley, Bian Changxi sat on the bloodstained wooden bed, tying a green bandage made from vine leaves around Bald Qiang’s head. She pulled her hand back, rinsed it in the basin, and summoned water from her space to wash her hands. “For now, his life’s been saved, but the injury’s to his brain. I can’t guarantee there won’t be aftereffects.”

In the room were Chu Hao, Chen Guanqing, and Chai Zhong. This was the place they’d been staying all along. So many days had passed, and they hadn’t moved. Chu Hao and Chen Guanqing had actually found a new place and were planning to move today, but then this happened—Bald Qiang was gravely injured, barely hanging on, and everything got delayed.

They’d gone to the No. 1 Villa District to ask Bian Changxi for help because of this.

Chu Hao finally let out a sigh of relief. “As long as he’s alive, that’s what matters.”

Chen Guanqing, however, frowned. “When will he wake up? The police are still waiting outside, and it looks like they’ll arrest him as long as he’s still breathing.”

Bian Changxi flicked the water from her hands. “What exactly happened?”

Chai Zhong spoke up. “I know the most about it, let me explain.”

It turned out that ever since Bald Qiang arrived at the base, he’d been going out every day looking for someone. Who, exactly, nobody knew—he barely knew anyone himself and couldn’t even say their names or backgrounds. How was he supposed to find anyone?

So he came back empty-handed almost every day.

A few days ago, for some reason, he got into trouble with a gang from the slums and came back injured every day. Everyone was an adult, and Bald Qiang was withdrawn and gloomy. Plus, Chu Hao and Chen Guanqing had been busy house-hunting these past two days, so even the usually warm-hearted Chu Hao hadn’t checked in on Bald Qiang, let alone anyone else.

Who would have thought that after dinner today, just before curfew, Chu Hao got worried and went out to check—only to find Bald Qiang at the door, covered in blood and barely alive.

Before they could even get him settled, a group of police officers showed up, saying Bald Qiang had been involved in a fight and killed two people, and that he had to be taken in for questioning.

After much pleading, and seeing how serious Bald Qiang’s condition was, the police finally agreed to let someone go with Chu Hao to the No. 1 Villa District to get help—meaning Bian Changxi—so they could at least save his life first.

After hearing this, Bian Changxi knew this wasn’t exactly a big deal, but it wasn’t small either. The slums were always chaotic, fights were common, and deaths weren’t unusual. The key was who was involved—if someone important stepped in, it could be brushed off as nothing. If one side was especially powerful and refused to let go, someone would suffer. If both sides were tough, it could turn into a deadly feud.

This time, it was the police, not the law enforcement or military police, which meant it wasn’t too serious—after all, people had died, so the police had to get involved.

Bian Changxi thought about it. She didn’t have much of a relationship with Bald Qiang. If it had been Chu Hao or Chen Guanqing, she’d have had to step in, but with Bald Qiang, she was more detached.

Besides, she thought, for someone as strong as Bald Qiang to come back injured again and again, the other side must be formidable too. And since Bald Qiang was out looking for revenge, there might not be a clear right or wrong.

So, best not to get involved in this mess if she could help it.

She made up her mind and didn’t say anything more, leaving the room. She went to the communal kitchen and dining area, where two bright white lights were extravagantly burning. At the table sat two police officers in black uniforms, with two young men politely trying to smooth things over. George stood by the door, staring blankly outside, looking pale. In the yard, a crowd of onlookers craned their necks.

People in the system were well-informed, and these two officers naturally recognized Bian Changxi. They stood up as soon as they saw her, but she waved them back down, not bothering to put on airs or act humble. Now that Gu Xu was a major general and the Jiangcheng Group was on the rise, as a core member of the decision-making team and the top wood-type ability user, she had no need to be overly polite to these people—otherwise, they’d just look down on her.

Seeing the previously arrogant police officers now acting meek in front of Bian Changxi, everyone present was stunned, and their respect and curiosity for her only grew. Chen Guanqing’s eyes flickered, then quickly calmed. Chai Zhong, on the other hand, kept glancing around, his expression uncertain.

One of the officers said, “Miss Bian, we’re just doing our job. According to the rules, we have to take him in. What do you think…”

“I just checked on him,” Bian Changxi replied. “He really isn’t fit to be moved. Why don’t you wait a bit longer?”

The two officers didn’t push back, and seeing her calm expression, they tentatively said, “Then we’ll go back and ask our superiors?”

Bian Changxi said nothing more. As the officers were about to leave, George suddenly looked up sharply. “I have something to say! Officers, I want to report someone!”

Bian Changxi looked at him in surprise, while Chu Hao and Chen Guanqing’s faces darkened. But George didn’t care—he seemed to have made up his mind, as if he’d found a powerful backer. Grabbing the officers, he pointed at Chu Hao and Chen Guanqing, shouting in still-imperfect Chinese, “Those two! There’s something wrong with them! They’re raising a zombie! They’re perverts!”

Bian Changxi’s calm expression shifted slightly—she was too late to stop him. She quickly glanced at George, then turned to look at Chu Hao and Chen Guanqing. Their expressions told her that the secret really had been exposed.

Chen Guanqing snapped coldly, “Don’t talk nonsense. I told you, you were half-asleep that day, confused…”

“No, no! I wasn’t mistaken! That zombie even smiled at me, like a female ghost!” George’s face twisted in horror at the memory. He grabbed Bian Changxi’s hand, terrified. “Miss Bian, I’m not lying! They really are perverts! They even feed the zombie human flesh! They want to eat all of us!”

Bian Changxi frowned. “I’ve never heard of anyone raising a zombie. Are you sure you didn’t imagine it after being scared by zombies lately? Maybe you just dreamed it and thought it was real?”

As she spoke, she seemed to pat his hand, but secretly a trace of green light seeped into his body. George’s eyes glazed over, and before he could say anything else, he slowly slumped down.

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