Chapter 163-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 163 Treasure
Zhu Ning asked Huo Wenxi for a Safe House.
Xu Meng needed treatment. The whole place was full of invalids, and Zhu Ning couldn't stand guard around the clock. Being constantly tracked was far too dangerous.
When Zhu Ning called, Huo Wenxi was apparently in the middle of something. The background was noisy—the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team had just been in a meeting.
Huo Wenxi had a cigarette between her lips while scanning a report. "Sure."
Zhu Ning blinked. "That easy?"
She'd expected some pushback—at the very least a few questions about who it was for and what purpose. Then Huo Wenxi would set conditions, and Zhu Ning would have to complete some mission while walking on eggshells.
She'd even braced herself. Dealing with the Little Oracle never ended well—she'd surely get fleeced.
Instead, Huo Wenxi said simply: "Your reward."
Zhu Ning: "..."
Was this the perk of riding someone's coattails?
This mission hadn't counted as an official Sanitation Center operation. No paycheck. The costs of her Chip slot modification and upload had all come out of her own pocket—she'd essentially worked for free at a loss.
Huo Wenxi was giving Zhu Ning a Safe House with zero qualms. It was entirely deserved.
Though it did feel oddly like... being kept by Huo Wenxi on the side.
Huo Wenxi: "You're allowed one day of rest. Wait for my instructions tomorrow."
Zhu Ning: "..."
She thought of the nine-day countdown. If Bao Ruiming had been telling the truth, they were in a race against time.
The fact that Huo Wenxi was willing to grant Zhu Ning a single day of rest was already merciful.
Huo Wenxi was busy and hung up quickly. The handoff was handled by Zhuang Lin, who sent over an address and even arranged transport.
The location was in the city center—surprisingly close to the Dignified Queen Club, just three streets away.
Zhuang Lin sent over an app containing an automatic lock system that could register iris data.
[Full Shielding Device. Cannot be tracked.]
The Sanitation Center's upper echelon had long studied various ability types and developed countermeasures for each.
Special materials that prevented Ability Users from tracking or locating the occupants—typically reserved for senior personnel residences.
A genuine Safe House.
Huo Wenxi really was loaded. Handing over a place this good without a second thought.
[Enjoy your stay.]
Zhu Ning carried Xu Meng on her back to the car. Lynx moved to take over, but Zhu Ning refused. "You're a patient. You'll tear your wound open again."
Lynx, never one for words, had no idea how to respond to that.
The Safe House had an elevator—sleek and tech-forward. Zhu Ning felt like she'd been transported overnight from the slums to a penthouse.
Big Orange couldn't help herself once inside, touching everything in sight, gasping in wonder.
Three bedrooms, one living room—just right for the three of them.
The living room had a Medical Pod. Zhu Ning carefully laid Xu Meng inside. The Captain was lighter than she'd expected—like a cat, practically skin and bones.
The Medical Pod's controls were somewhat complex. Zhu Ning had only ever watched Dr. Fu operate one. Trying it herself for the first time, she studied the tutorial on the spot, then realized she was a barbarian from another world—completely baffled by the high-tech interface.
"Let me, let me." Big Orange was a mechanical specialist. She abandoned her exploration of the apartment and took over the control panel.
Zhu Ning immediately stepped aside. Big Orange operated the controls while asking curiously, "Caracal, are you secretly Huo Wenxi's illegitimate daughter?"
Big Orange hadn't been at the Sanitation Center during Huo Wenxi's tenure, but she'd heard of the "Little Oracle." And they'd always steered clear of the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team.
Yet here was Zhu Ning, so chummy with the team leader that she was being gifted apartments.
"..." Zhu Ning: "I'll go claim my birthright tomorrow."
As long as Huo Wenxi was willing to take her in, she'd be the Huo family's little sister by morning.
Big Orange suddenly understood why the Captain looked after Zhu Ning so much. Zhu Ning's personality was just too entertaining.
Big Orange finished the setup. In the Medical Pod's glass, she caught Zhu Ning's reflection—exhausted, stifling yawn after yawn. Big Orange said, "You should rest too."
Post-upload, people suffered side effects. Many couldn't distinguish virtual from real—everything looked pixelated, worse than contamination-zone aftereffects.
Zhu Ning had been to the Cloud and hadn't rested since.
The Safe House had everything they needed. She didn't have to do anything more.
Zhu Ning yawned. "I'm heading home."
Big Orange: "You're not staying?"
The Safe House was anti-tracking. She'd assumed Zhu Ning would stay, given that she'd also been targeted for assassination.
Plus, more people meant more protection if something went wrong.
Zhu Ning shook her head. "No. Someone's waiting for me at home."
She'd been gone so long. Lin Xiaofeng and Song Zhizhang must be worried sick. They were both soft-hearted—they probably wouldn't relax until they saw her in person.
Besides, Zhu Ning wanted to deliver the good news herself.
This wasn't the kind of thing you just texted or video-called about. She wanted to tell Lin Xiaofeng face-to-face that Bao Ruiming was dead.
The thought made Zhu Ning smile.
Lynx glanced over at her words but asked nothing.
Zhu Ning didn't notice Lynx's gaze. She continued, "Let me know when the Captain wakes up."
Big Orange agreed immediately: "Absolutely."
Zhu Ning gave Big Orange a few instructions—anything they needed, just tell her. She was about to leave when Lynx finally spoke up: "I'll walk you out."
Zhu Ning was a little surprised. Lynx volunteering to escort her?
Perhaps worried she'd misunderstand, he added: "It's dangerous outside."
It truly was. Unknown enemies lurked in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
"No need. Focus on healing," Zhu Ning scanned Lynx—a strip of bandage peeking from under his T-shirt hem, gauze wrapped around his arms, the smell of blood clinging to him. "Protect the Captain. Call me if anything comes up." She waved. "I'm off."
She said it and left. Lynx watched her go.
Lynx lowered his gaze to his arm—the bandage Zhu Ning had wrapped with her own hands. He could still picture her expression as she'd dressed his wounds.
Lynx looked away, only to find Big Orange sitting cross-legged on the sofa, wearing a sly grin.
Big Orange snickered. "Lynx, you just got rejected."
Lynx: "..."
Big Orange propped her chin on her hand. "You knew her before, didn't you?"
Big Orange knew Lynx well enough to know this wasn't his usual behavior. By all accounts, he and Zhu Ning had only known each other a few days.
Lynx was tidying up the apartment. Safe House or not, it hadn't been occupied in ages—bedding had to be made from scratch.
Lynx: "No."
Big Orange let out a drawn-out, meaningful "oh"—clearly unconvinced. Lynx was acting either like someone who'd known Zhu Ning before, or like someone with a guilty conscience.
Lynx added: "She doesn't know me."
Under Big Orange's gossip-hungry gaze, he elaborated: "I watched her compete."
"Huh?" Big Orange hadn't expected that twist.
Lynx paused mid-motion, blanket in his arms, drifting back to the past. He'd enlisted very young. Cheng Mofei was a full generation older. Xie Jiazu was sixteen years his senior.
Even though the Cheetah Squad had treated him well, there wasn't much room for deep conversation. The age gap saw to that.
Lynx had few peers to hang out with. During that period he often wandered through District 103's underground fighting scene. Sometimes he'd compete in underground boxing matches himself. One day, after a bout, he happened to pass by the Fire Seed Club.
The club's sign was a flickering torch—eye-catching in the cold of District 103, almost magnetically drawing you inside.
Lynx had wandered in purely by chance. The underground shooting circuit featured all kinds of formats beyond stationary target shooting—including a simulation-game mode where competitors navigated obstacle courses. The spectacle was incredible.
The first underground shooting match he ever watched was Zhu Ning's championship victory.
"Tenth Fire Seed Club Grand Finals—Champion, Zhu Ning!" The emcee, dressed like a firebird, shouted her name at the top of his lungs.
The crowd below erupted. Thunderous applause, with fans cheering as if she were their own daughter—or their idol.
Lynx was lost in that crowd. Confetti rained from the ceiling as he watched Zhu Ning take the stage to claim her trophy.
She had the grit of a professional athlete and the wildness to match—young, impossibly proud, as if victory were her birthright.
The world belonged to her. The arena belonged to her. Every honor belonged to her.
Lynx had rarely seen someone so radiant—like a spark, born only to burn.
She was the living embodiment of competitive sport's meaning. The audience could feel it just by watching. That fire—that was what they came to see.
Her very existence could inspire countless people. Lynx was simply one of them.
Zhu Ning was the Fire Seed Club's star player. Whenever Lynx had time, he went to watch her matches.
Later, she appeared less often. Someone said she'd gone to university and didn't have time anymore.
Lynx grew busier with work and eventually forgot about it altogether.
The next time he saw Zhu Ning was outside the Hengsheng Mechanical Park. Xu Meng had her arm around a badly wounded Zhu Ning. Zhu Ning's face was drenched in blood—like a mask forged from crimson—completely unrecognizable, though vaguely familiar.
Zhu Ning extended a blood-soaked hand toward Lynx. "Hi. I'm Caracal."
It wasn't until Xu Meng brought her home and she washed her face that Lynx studied her features closely and felt that nagging sense of recognition.
So he'd watched her compete before.
They'd once shared the same space, yet never exchanged a single word.
Zhu Ning didn't remember him. A champion would never remember one tiny face in the crowd.
...
Dignified Queen Club.
By the time Zhu Ning got home, it was already dark. Eleven o'clock—right when the club opened for business.
The weather had turned cold. Zhu Ning ducked inside, where it was warm and lively—men and women dancing on the floor, people leaning against the bar flirting.
Everyone here was indulging freely. Zhu Ning genuinely liked the Dignified Queen Club. Every face in this place showed desire.
Society was too oppressive. Some people lived numb, shuffling through life like the walking dead. Having desire meant you were still alive.
The club's selling point was exactly this: everyone here shed their troubles and simply enjoyed. The instant Zhu Ning stepped inside, she almost wanted to thank Song Zhizhang for opening this place after retirement.
It was as if a gentle hand brushed the dust from her shoulders. Apocalypse, conspiracies, schemes—all of it was cast aside. Here, she could temporarily set reality down.
Zhu Ning burst through the entrance. A staff member froze briefly, then bowed respectfully. "Welcome home."
A bartender carrying a fruit platter spotted Zhu Ning and nodded with a smile. "Ms. Zhu, welcome home."
Every staff member she passed stepped aside, greeting her in unison with the same words.
They'd long assumed Zhu Ning was the club's lady boss. The welcome wasn't "Welcome in"—it was "Welcome home." Though Zhu Ning herself had never noticed this little detail.
Zhu Ning smiled and returned each greeting. She was in high spirits today.
She hurried through the crowd, descended into the basement, and bumped into a few wealthy women with their male companions.
Down the long corridor she went, past the holographic strip-dancing male avatar who was mid-routine. She even waved at him.
She had good news to deliver. She could barely contain herself.
She hadn't been this happy in a long time—like the first time she'd won a championship as a kid, bursting to show off to Zhu Yao.
Sharing good news with family made the whole world glow. Flowers seemed to bloom along every path you'd ever walked.
Zhu Ning flung open her front door. "Lin Xiaofeng!" she shouted. "Sweetheart!"
Song Zhizhang was sitting in the living room. He shot to his feet when he sensed her arrival.
He looked terrible—probably hadn't slept in two days. Zhu Ning scanned the room and saw no sign of Lin Xiaofeng.
The next second—
Something slammed into Zhu Ning. A pair of arms locked around her waist. The little girl clung to her with all her might, forgetting to control her strength.
Zhu Ning laughed out loud. "Easy, easy! I'm gonna snap in half, you little gremlin."
Lin Xiaofeng thought she'd done something wrong and stiffly let go, flustered and unsure what to do with her hands.
Zhu Ning scooped her right up. Lin Xiaofeng wasn't wearing her hat. Zhu Ning could only hold her by feel.
The invisible Lin Xiaofeng wrapped her arms around Zhu Ning's neck. Before Zhu Ning could say a word, she felt something cool on her neck.
Lin Xiaofeng was crying.
She'd thought she'd never see Zhu Ning again.
Zhu Ning held Lin Xiaofeng close. She could feel the girl's heartbeat. Their chests pressed together, heartbeats intertwined.
Both hearts were racing—like competing drums.
Such a small girl. So adorable. So soft. Lin Xiaofeng didn't have to do a thing—just being held was enough for Zhu Ning to feel the warmth of another living being.
She had a home. And someone was waiting in it.
Zhu Ning announced loudly: "Bao Ruiming is dead!"
Lin Xiaofeng froze. Her nightmare was dead.
This trip to the Consciousness Cloud—Zhu Ning's greatest gain wasn't intelligence. It was keeping a promise to a little girl.
Zhu Ning whispered against her ear: "A promise is a promise. I avenged you."
Lin Xiaofeng's mind went blank, buzzing like static. It felt as though she'd been thrown into water with a stone tied to her ankle—the past dragging her down like a boulder. She wouldn't die immediately, only slowly drown in the freezing depths.
But now Zhu Ning had cut the rope. The stone could no longer hold her.
She'd once found physical freedom at the Oceanarium, breaking free of contamination's grip on her body. But today, she found freedom for her heart.
From this day forward, she could live without reservation. Live fully and freely. Zhu Ning had turned that page for her.
Lin Xiaofeng couldn't process it.
She buried her face in Zhu Ning's neck, nodding over and over.
"You're working for me from now on, got it?" Zhu Ning steadied her breathing, stroking the back of Lin Xiaofeng's head, cheek pressed to cheek. She murmured softly: "Sweetheart."
It had been so long since anyone had called Lin Xiaofeng that. Not the "Babe" from her account name "Babe Xiaofeng"—but the way you'd address a true treasure.
She was Zhu Ning's treasure.
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