Chapter 35: Third Brother: I don’t know if Yao’er can support himself (worried)
Every time the collection team from the Evolution Research Institute stayed in the Underground City, they would set up camp in Green Tree Street.
This area was much cleaner and tidier compared to the entrance area, and most of the people walking around had normal physiques.
A wide row of lush green trees lined the center of the street.
Yu Yan was curious how trees could grow so well in a place with no natural light or plant growth lamps. Upon touching the leaves, he realized they were actually a row of lifelike artificial trees.
The person in charge of the Green Tree Street base looked worried due to the collection team’s disappearance. When he saw another senior researcher arriving, his welcoming demeanor became noticeably more subdued.
Yu Yan took a closer look at the man’s thick black hair and thought about the fake trees outside, then made a mental note.
“Sorry to intrude. I’ll be staying here for a few days while waiting for the investigation news. I’d appreciate your help,” Yu Yan said with a smile as he shook hands with the middle-aged manager.
The manager felt something extra in his hand. Such skilled bribery techniques indicated a fellow professional. Instantly, his worried expression turned into a warm smile as he enthusiastically shook Yu Yan’s hand up and down:
“It’s no trouble at all! Welcome, Researcher Kang, to guide us in our work. The journey must have been tough! I’ll arrange the best room for you right away. While we can’t compare to the city, please let us know if you have any requests, and we’ll do our best to accommodate!”
After Yu Yan followed him upstairs and settled into his room, he suddenly asked, “Which room is Researcher Lu’s? I’d like to visit.”
The manager hesitated, “Well, that…”
Yu Yan reassured him, “Don’t worry. Researcher Lu and I are friends. He won’t mind.”
Thinking about the benefits he had just received, the manager’s hesitation lasted less than three seconds: “Alright then, it’s the room right next door.”
Yu Yan entered Lu Qiufeng’s room, which looked similar to his own. He went around, checking everything in the room, and quickly came out.
The manager stood outside, locking the door once Yu Yan had exited.
“Ah, I wonder what Lu Qiufeng and the collection team encountered. I hope it’s just a signal issue and not something serious,” the manager muttered.
Hearing the manager’s worries, Yu Yan asked, “Did Lu Qiufeng go with the collection team?”
“Yes, they left together. They set off that morning, planning to go to the North Wasteland, probably around Districts 13 and 14.”
Although the team lost contact the day before, Lu Qiufeng had still sent him a message that night.
Yu Yan pondered for a moment and asked, “Did Lu Qiufeng go out and explore the area while staying here?”
“Of course, he must have gone out. But Lu Qiufeng wasn’t as friendly as you. He didn’t really interact with us, so we didn’t dare to ask too many questions,” the manager said with a forced smile, subtly shifting the blame. “I don’t know exactly where Lu Qiufeng went, but nothing unusual happened while he was here!”
“Don’t worry, I was just asking,” Yu Yan said, patting the manager’s shoulder and changing the subject. “Since I’ll be staying here for a few days while they search for people, it’s bound to get boring. Are there any interesting places around here?”
Captain Xin Luo and his team left the Underground City that night to search the wasteland, leaving Yu Yan and two bodyguards behind.
Since there was no real day or night difference in the Underground City, Yu Yan decided to head out and explore.
He looked like a young man who knew how to enjoy himself and was quite generous. The manager skillfully listed a bunch of safe entertainment spots nearby, and when introducing two of them, he even flashed a knowing, ambiguous smile.
Yu Yan found the smile familiar, reminiscent of Li Shang, a colleague from the research institute who frequently visited entertainment venues.
Yu Yan asked, “Is your surname Li?”
The manager replied, somewhat puzzled, “Yes, my surname is Li.”
Yu Yan thought it was highly likely that the two were related.
Leaving Green Tree Street, Yu Yan wandered aimlessly with his two bodyguards. The places recommended by the manager were the first to be crossed off his list.
After all, a manager who skillfully accepted bribes and changed his attitude due to them wasn’t trustworthy. The attitude of “let the naive, rich city folks experience a safe scam area” was apparent.
Yu Yan walked through one street after another, his gaze lingering on the colorful neon signs around him.
These neon signs flickered, adding a unique flavor to the rundown buildings.
Above him were balconies and small structures illegally built, with various pipes crisscrossing like exposed veins, some used as makeshift pathways.
Yu Yan also noticed that abandoned pipes between buildings had been opened up to serve as makeshift shelters. Colorful clothes were hung on a rope between two buildings, fluttering like flamboyant flags.
Maintaining a composed demeanor, Yu Yan walked through this chaotic street with his two bodyguards, responding to the curious, wary, or even hostile gazes from the local residents with a smile.
In addition to these messy streets, there were also more glamorous ones.
Yu Yan was drawn to a bright, eye-catching sign three streets away.
The sign displayed the prominent words “Rain Street.” The shops on either side of the street were brightly lit, several degrees brighter than the surrounding streets.
There were two entertainment venues on this street, recommended by the manager, Old Li.
As Yu Yan walked by, he saw one of the entertainment venues with some handsome men and beautiful women standing inside. In the center, one person had two large, pure white wings behind them.
He stopped for a moment until the person adjusted one of their wings and moved their shoulder, before continuing on his way.
It was quite extravagant; Yu Yan had initially thought that there might be high-level mutated beings working there.
At the end of this street was a department store. After walking through so many streets, this was the only store selling goods that Yu Yan had come across.
He thought for a moment and decided to step inside.
The store was small, with a long counter blocking the entrance, and a two-meter-tall shopkeeper was dozing off behind the counter.
Behind him, in the glass display cases, were various goods for sale, including food and everyday items.
It was clear that many items that were common in the city were considered luxury goods here.
“Are these the only items for sale?” Yu Yan asked.
The shopkeeper, having just woken up, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and assessed Yu Yan before replying, “Of course, there are more than just these ordinary items. Whatever the customer wants, as long as they can pay the price, we can provide it.”
“Do you have concentrated blood plasma?” Yu Yan inquired.
The shopkeeper looked surprised but quickly answered, “Yes, we do, but we don’t accept city currency. We only accept gold or energy stones.”
Here, “city” referred to the human residential area within the barrier wall.
Yu Yan asked to see the product and inquired about the price.
The blood plasma taken from the storage room was indeed very fresh, resembling laboratory-grade products. The price was high… Yu Yan wondered if the small bird bat could afford it.
After leaving the surprisingly well-stocked department store, Yu Yan decided to try out the unique transportation of the underground city.
Climbing onto a crowded suspended track vehicle, Yu Yan mimicked the others by stepping on the protruding metal plates outside the vehicle, holding onto the handrails, and hanging outside.
The unpleasant wind of the underground city whipped his coat’s hem.
The two bodyguards beside him adopted fierce expressions, and Yu Yan’s distinctly different demeanor caused others to automatically keep their distance, while sneaking glances at him, puzzled by why someone like him would be taking a crowded track vehicle.
When Yu Yan arrived at another street, he jumped off the vehicle and walked closer.
This street was dimly lit, with low buildings, and there were no illegally constructed floors overhead, resembling a very ordinary street.
This kind of ordinary was unique in the context of the underground city, especially within the barrier walls.
Yu Yan walked toward a bar in the middle of the street. The bar was named Rose Bar, with a garish red rose design on the sign, exuding a certain worldly atmosphere.
If he hadn’t seen the card for Rose Bar in Lu Qiufeng’s room, Yu Yan wouldn’t have thought of entering.
However, upon entering, he found it wasn’t as noisy or explicit as he had imagined. It didn’t even resemble a typical bar.
In various adventure novels, bars were often depicted as mysterious places where information flowed freely. Yu Yan admitted that he was influenced by such media and had decided to check it out himself.
After looking around, Yu Yan felt he might have come to the wrong place.
Inside, a dozen or so people were scattered at different tables eating fried rice, each ignoring the others.
A large-bearded man behind the counter was intently watching a brand-new projector.
The projector seemed out of place in the otherwise worn-down environment.
It was showing an adventure film based on the outer district, the same one Yu Yan had shown to 012 earlier.
The sizzle of fried rice could be heard from behind a curtain at the back.
Smelling the aroma of fried rice, Yu Yan stood there for a while watching the movie. After the thrilling parkour scenes ended, he took a seat at the bar and tapped the counter with his finger.
The large-bearded man glanced over amidst his busy schedule and asked, “Eating or drinking?”
“What drinks do you have here?” Yu Yan inquired.
“Over there, take your pick,” the large-bearded man gestured toward the alcohol cabinet.
The cabinet was filled with canned alcohol and some non-alcoholic beverages, resembling a shop’s drink counter.
Yu Yan asked out of curiosity, “No mixed drinks?”
The large-bearded man replied, “The bartender quit a few months ago, and we haven’t found a suitable replacement, so now we only offer ready-made drinks.”
Yu Yan asked, “…Alright, then what do you recommend?”
Without hesitation, the large-bearded man placed a bottle of amber-colored liquor in front of him.
Yu Yan picked it up and asked, “Mead? Is this a specialty here?”
The large-bearded man replied, “No, this is the most expensive one.”
Yu Yan laughed heartily and paid for the drink with a small piece of gold. He toyed with the beautifully colored honey wine in his hand and asked with a smile, “Can I gather information here?”
The large-bearded man finally looked him in the eye, saying, “We don’t sell information here, but we can introduce you to bodyguards. Those two behind you look intimidating, but in the underground city, they might not be able to protect you if something happens.”
The two bodyguards behind Yu Yan, who had been silently maintaining their cool demeanor, couldn’t help but respond. Da Tou scowled, while Xiao Fei indignantly said, “We are professionals!”
The large-bearded man laughed, seemingly ignoring them, and continued to recommend, “Even if you have two, hiring another bodyguard wouldn’t hurt. Our bodyguards here not only protect you but also handle assassination and smuggling jobs—one can replace two or three.”
“For city guests, would you like to learn more? We are known for our honest brokerage. Our top-ranked tasker’s completion and reviews are both at 100%! Unfortunately, he just took a job, but our second-best is also quite good—older and more experienced…”
Yu Yan realized this was a hiring place.
Noting the irritation of his bodyguards behind him, Yu Yan interrupted the large-bearded man’s pitch with a smile, “No need for additional bodyguards, but I’m looking to hire a guide who knows the underground city and the nearby wasteland well. Do you have anyone like that?”
The large-bearded man replied, “Of course! Retired assassins here often become seasoned guides! Let me know what type you need!”
Yu Yan eventually chose a guide named Li, who was in his early forties and reputed to be steady and responsible.
After finalizing the arrangement, Yu Yan asked, “Have any city people like me come here recently to hire someone or to drink?”
He added, “A young man who likes to fake smiles, speaks in an unpleasant tone, and is generally annoying.”
The large-bearded man raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “Not to brag, but our Rose Bar is famous around here. Many city people come by, and I can’t remember every detail.”
*
In the department store on Rain Street, the burly clerk, drowsy and half-asleep, immediately perked up when he heard the door open. Upon seeing the visitor, he straightened up with renewed energy.
“Big Brother, you’re here!” he said, rubbing his hands together and standing up.
The newcomer moved silently, almost making no sound as he walked. He wore a mask that covered his face, revealing only a pair of silvery-gray eyes. A cloak draped over his shoulders concealed the folded wings on his back.
He said, “Ten portions of concentrated blood plasma.”
His voice was as cold and detached as his eyes.
“Got it! Just so happens that we have ten portions today. I’ll pack them up for you right away!” The clerk eagerly began to bag the items, chatting amiably, “Big Brother, you need so much this time—must be for an assignment, right?”
The person at the counter did not respond. The clerk continued to talk cheerfully, “Not long ago, a city person came by asking for concentrated blood plasma too. Luckily, he didn’t buy any, or else we wouldn’t have enough for you!”
Unmoved by the clerk’s chatter, the man placed a gold coin on the counter, took the bags of blood plasma, and turned to leave.
The burly clerk leaned over the counter, calling out, “Safe travels, Big Brother!”
