RITAAB 57

Chapter 57 [o(￣︶￣)o]

Qin Jiuzhen shifted his gaze, wanting to bypass him and quickly leave, but he was stopped by Duan Qiufeng.

“What are you doing?!”

Duan Qiufeng was startled, “I… I’m in the military camp, what can I do?”

Qin Jiuzhen thought about it and breathed a sigh of relief, “You’re right, then do you have anything else?”

Duan Qiufeng replied, “Oh… nothing, I just happened to pass by, didn’t expect to run into you here. Are you bringing food back for the two elderly?”

Qin Jiuzhen realized he wasn’t asking about their previous conversation and felt much more relaxed. It seemed that Duan Qiufeng didn’t suspect anything. Since that’s the case, they could chat a little.

“Yes, I’m bringing food back. I’m in a hurry. If you don’t have anything urgent, can we talk another time?”

He seemed genuinely in a hurry, and Duan Qiufeng didn’t stop him anymore, “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean anything else. I just came to say hello. You go ahead and do your thing. We can talk later.”

It seemed like there was no way to get any information from Qin Jiuzhen today. Moreover, judging by his rushed appearance, it was evident that what he said earlier was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, merely out of curiosity.

Maybe he didn’t even realize what he said himself. After pondering for a while, Duan Qiufeng felt that staying here wouldn’t yield any results, so he prepared to leave.

Just as he turned around, he saw Qi Jinglan standing not far away. “You’re here?”

Qi Jinglan smiled at him, “Yes, what happened earlier?”

Duan Qiufeng replied, “Nothing, let’s talk when we get back. I’ll tell you then.”

Qi Jinglan nodded, “Alright, let’s go.”

Back in the tent, Duan Qiufeng and Qi Jinglan lay on the bed. He held her in his arms, and they spoke softly with their heads close together, so only when they were very close could they hear each other clearly.

Qi Jinglan asked, “Are you telling the truth?”

She was a bit excited. If what Duan Qiufeng said was true, then she also had the possibility of becoming a beastman. If that’s the case, then they must find a way to repair their relationship with Qi Yu!

However, how could they repair the completely shattered relationship with Qi Yu? If something like this happened to her, she wouldn’t just sit still like Qi Yu. Once she had the power, she would immediately retaliate.

So in her eyes, Qi Yu’s actions were weak. Of course, after learning that Qi Yu became a variant beastman, she also felt fortunate for his weakness, as it allowed her to survive.

Duan Qiufeng asked, “Do you think Qi Yu has any weaknesses? Maybe we can use them to our advantage.”

Qi Jinglan shook her head, “I’m not sure about that, but I know he’s emotionally weak. We can use time to transform his negative impression of us.”

Duan Qiufeng felt that deceiving emotions, secretly colluding with his sister, and then wanting to starve and thirst him to death, such negative impressions might not be easily changed.

Qi Jinglan said, “I know it won’t be easy, but if it were easy, it wouldn’t be a troublesome matter. By the way, are you sure the person who told you this is unaware?”

Duan Qiufeng replied, “Who knows? Maybe they know, maybe they don’t. But regardless of their intentions, for us, it’s definitely worth a try. Otherwise, we won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Qi Jinglan said, “You’re right, if we don’t give it a try, we definitely won’t be able to sleep at night.”

At this point, Qi Jinglan suddenly smiled, “Speaking of which, that person is Qin Jiuzhen, right? His older brother, Qin Jiulin, is in the same team of beastmen as Qi Yu. Qi Yu was actually saved by them in the villa area.”

Duan Qiufeng asked, “Hey Jinglan, you mean they knew Qi Yu would become a beastman when they saw him like that, so they brought him back to take care of him?”

Qi Jinglan replied, “It’s very possible, but we also failed to notice that Qi Yu’s appearance was somewhat similar to Wang-ge and Lin-ge at the beginning…”

Duan Qiufeng rubbed his head, “There’s nothing we can do about that. Let’s rest for now. Qi Yu is not in the military camp right now, and Qin Jiulin, the brother of Qin Jiuzhen, is also not here. We have to wait no matter what we do.”

Qi Jinglan rested her head on Duan Qiufeng’s chest, her eyes flickering slightly. For her, cooperating with Duan Qiufeng was the best option, but to regain Qi Yu’s trust and…

Dealing with a beastman is really difficult, right? So for her, she needed to handle things from both sides. It was also possible to conceal it from Duan Qiufeng.

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan were investigating near the square. As for the soldiers, they were not allowed to come over yet. After they searched and confirmed that there was no trouble, they would let the soldiers come and take over the square and the surrounding streets, as well as the two neighborhoods.

Qi Yu circled in the sky, but even after several rounds, he didn’t find anything unusual, so he didn’t make any noise. Qin Jiulin transformed into a giant tiger and moved around the area, while Liu Zhongyuan transformed into a giant snake and slowly slithered around. They also didn’t find anything.

Qin Jiulin went indoors to search, Qi Yu searched from the sky, and Liu Zhongyuan searched on the ground.

After searching for nearly two days, they confirmed that there was probably no danger.

When they returned to the residential street, the team leader immediately approached them, “Three of you, I don’t know about the half-beastmen in that square and the surrounding area…”

Qin Jiulin said, “We’ve been searching for two days, and there doesn’t seem to be any problem. Tomorrow, you can bring your team to take over, and we’ll accompany you.”

The team leader nodded, “Alright, no problem. I’ll make the arrangements now.”

Having three people accompany them would be the safest option.

So the next day, except for those left behind to guard and patrol the residential area, everyone else followed the team leader and headed towards the square.

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan were in the front and back, while Qi Yu flew in the sky.

As the soldiers approached the area, they immediately noticed the scattered bodies and limbs of the half-beastmen, as well as the bloody remains and splatters on the ground, walls, and windows of the surrounding buildings.

To make matters worse, they saw layers upon layers of bodies in the corners of the square and certain roads. If they were to confront them, they had no idea how long it would take or how many comrades they would have to sacrifice.

Qin Jiulin spoke, “Your task now is to clean up this area. It will be too slow if you rely solely on yourselves. Contact Captain Gao and ask him to send reinforcements.”

The squad leader responded, “That’s for sure. Today, we’ll set up some simple roadblocks around the area and discuss the specific cleanup operation for tomorrow.”

Qin Jiulin agreed, “No problem. You go ahead and do that. We’ll stay here. Give us a shout if anything happens.”

The squad leader expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Mr. Qin!”

They split into several small teams, each working in different directions to set up simple roadblocks. Qin Jiulin stayed in the square with Liu Zhongyuan, while Qi Yu remained in the sky, observing the soldiers’ movements and signaling to Liu Zhongyuan and Qin Jiulin in case of any unexpected incidents.

As a result, the three of them cleaned the area so thoroughly that there was no trace of danger. When Gao Siyang learned that the mission here was completed, he was particularly pleased and even brought two deputy squad leaders and a group of soldiers to settle down here. The soldiers left in the military camp were all assigned to protect the families.

Qin Jiulin didn’t say anything as he looked at Gao Siyang. When facing him, Liu Zhongyuan was the main person in charge of communication, as he was the squad leader.

Liu Zhongyuan remarked, “Captain Gao came quickly. Did we complete the mission at a fast pace?”

Gao Siyang stood by the window, observing the people outside cleaning up the bodies of the half-beastmen. Two days had passed, and the soldiers were swift in their actions, with only a few large remains left to be cleared.

Gao Siyang replied, “You guys are really impressive. The speed at which you completed the mission is remarkable. I hadn’t expected it, but it’s good. Starting today, I can also live in a house and sleep in a bed.”

Liu Zhongyuan blinked and said in a somewhat playful tone, “Ah, previously we were living in tents… indeed not very comfortable. When it’s your turn, you can bring the remaining soldiers from the military camp here as well.”

Gao Siyang nodded, “This time, we also took over two neighborhoods, didn’t we? Once we clean up the streets around those two neighborhoods and ensure their safety, we’ll bring the rest of the people over. All the families will be housed in one neighborhood, while the other areas will serve as temporary military activity and residential zones. What do you think?”

Liu Zhongyuan shrugged, “We have no problem with that. As long as we’re comfortable living here, just don’t mistreat us in the future.”

Gao Siyang clearly showed more favoritism towards their squad. After all, who doesn’t like strong and obedient individuals?

“That’s absolutely no problem. When the time comes, just tell me what kind of house and rewards you want. As long as you don’t cause trouble, I can definitely fulfill your requests.”

Liu Zhongyuan smiled, squinting his eyes. “Then we’ll wait.”

With so many people suddenly leaving the military camp, those who were left behind definitely noticed. The people who came with the half-beastmen to receive protection from the military felt insecure.

With fewer soldiers here, it meant that if there was danger, fewer people would be protected. In that case, anyone could become the one who dies…

The families here were causing a commotion, as they heard that the people who left the military camp went to live in the clean and safe areas near the outskirts of the city. After all, there were more people there, making it more comfortable.

But they were still left here, continuously being approached by people looking for their half-beastman family members. They also wanted to live there together, but the answer they received was that they could go after some time.

They didn’t believe it, thinking it was just an excuse from the military to delay or abandon them here.

They didn’t know, but the beastmen who brought them here knew. Now, they also went to the square, where their daily task was to clean the dirty streets, collect the bodies of the half-beastmen, clean all the houses, gather usable supplies, and dispose of useless garbage. They worked tirelessly every day, facing questions from their own family and friends, asking if they had abandoned them to enjoy a comfortable life.

Gao Siyang felt this was unacceptable. Liu Zhongyuan provided a good suggestion, “Since some people are so eager to come, let them come here to help with the work. After all, you previously mentioned that there were too few people working, which caused the cleaning work to take longer, right?”

Gao Siyang became interested when he heard this. “You have a good point. Let’s do it as you suggested.”

When the soldiers on the military camp heard this news, they immediately gathered all the families living there and informed them.

“If you want to live in the reclaimed neighborhood, you can, but if you go ahead, you must clean the streets and houses with the people there. Work every day! If you understand, come to me to sign up. We can take you there today. Hurry up, time is running out.”

Upon hearing this news, Qin Shanzhou and the others were the most excited. Finally, the two elderly people could move around freely. However, they couldn’t work, that was certain. So, the only ones who ended up going were Qin Shanzhou and his wife, as well as Qin Jiuzhen.

Of course, Duan Qiufeng and Qi Jinglan also went. Apart from them, half of the families here signed up. Most of the people who were left behind were unable to work.

Especially the two elderly people with Qin Shanzhou. Qin Shanzhou and Yao Meimei had no way to comfort them. After signing up, they hurriedly returned to their tents to pack their belongings and urged Qin Jiuzhen to do the same.

“That white-eyed wolf must be there. We’ll find him then! After raising him for so long, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for something in return, right?”

Qin Shanzhou: “Don’t go now. Wait until the entire city is taken over, and he will definitely receive a lot of rewards. We can ask for a house then.”

Even if they were dumb, they knew that Qin Jiulin probably didn’t have anything now. What could they get by going to ask for something? Maybe just a little bit of food?

They didn’t lack food now. The military provided food, so going to find Qin Jiulin would be a disadvantage!

Yao Meimei: “You’re right. Let’s wait a little longer. He will definitely get a lot of things then. We don’t need much, just give us half.”

The two elderly people were pulling Qin Jiuzhen to the side and asking, “My dear grandson, are you really going?”

Qin Jiuzhen: “Grandma, don’t worry. I’ll go work there and come back to get you when the time comes. Many people have left here, but the number of remaining soldiers hasn’t changed. They will definitely protect you better!”

The two elderly people knew that they couldn’t change Qin Jiuzhen’s mind. After all, they had already signed up. Not going might cause problems. “Well, then go. Be careful. They say that the place hasn’t been completely cleaned yet, that’s why they didn’t let us go live there together. Those people think the military is deceiving us.”

“Yes, we need to trust what the military people say. I have a feeling that this time, things won’t be so simple when you go there.”

Qin Jiuzhen didn’t think too much about it. Could it be that the military would really let ordinary people like them fight against the half-beastmen or those atavistic animals? That’s impossible to imagine!

Qin Jiuzhen: “Grandma, I’m leaving now. I’ll come back to get you soon. Don’t worry. Oh, and now that we’re gone, you two need to take care of yourselves. There are fewer people here, and the cooking place has moved closer. It won’t take even five minutes to walk there.”

“But when you walk, be steady and slow. Don’t rush. If you fall, I won’t be there, and there won’t be many people to take care of you.”

“Alright, alright, you’re more nagging than the two of us. Go on, be careful over there. We don’t know if it’s really safe or not.”

That’s how Qin Jiuzhen and one-third of the families left the military camp and headed towards the area that had just been taken over by the military. When they reached the clean and tidy streets with obstacles and soldiers patrolling, they were all excited.

“I told you it would definitely be cleaner and safer here. Some people didn’t believe it, but now that we’re here, you can see it, right? I was right, wasn’t I?!”

“It’s really clean and not dangerous at all. It feels very safe. The only thing is, I’m not sure where we should clean. This place is so clean that we probably don’t need to clean it, right?”

As a result, they were led through those clean streets and continued to go deeper. Soon, they saw bloodstains all over the ground and walls, as well as limbs and arms that hadn’t been cleaned up yet.

 

If you want to eat, you must work. Those who expect to gain without effort deeply regret their choices.

Qin Jiuzhen: “Dad, why don’t the two of us clean up? Mom…”

Yao Meimei: “Sure, you two clean up. After all, you’re grown men. Do you expect me, a woman, to help?”

Qin Shanzhou immediately approached and grabbed her hair. “What did you say? Say it again!”

Yao Meimei screamed, “Ah… What are you doing? Let go! Are you trying to kill me? Help, help!”

Qin Jiuzhen quickly intervened, “Dad! Let go, what if other people come over because of this? They won’t listen to reason…”

Upon hearing these words, Qin Shanzhou threw Yao Meimei to the ground. “Hmph! You think you’re still young? Do you think I’ll always give in to you? If you don’t want to, then fine, I’ll find someone new!”

Yao Meimei stood up, disregarding her appearance, and pointed at him, shouting, “You? Have you even looked at yourself now? You have nothing. Why should a woman who looks better than me be with you? You think too highly of yourself!”

Qin Jiuzhen watched them argue dumbfoundedly, not understanding why they were fighting. “Mom, Dad, please stop fighting and let’s clean this place up quickly. If we don’t finish in time, we won’t have any food!”

Qin Shanzhou and Yao Meimei stopped arguing at Qin Jiuzhen’s plea, but now they couldn’t stand each other. After a cold snort, they turned and walked away, avoiding any contact with each other and tending to their own tasks.

Qin Jiuzhen stood in the middle, looking at the corpse from earlier, feeling a trace of annoyance. What a hassle!