Chapter 211 - 127: Shortlisted

Meanwhile.

Lusen City, Qingwu Province.

At 7:30 in the evening, the streets were silent. The sky was draped like a dark curtain, and a frigid wind howled down the road.

After getting out of a car, two figures walked silently along the road.

TAP... TAP... TAP...

After a while, Xu De stopped at the mouth of an alley and looked around.

His gaze soon settled on a shadowy figure collecting trash by the side of the road. The person held a woven fertilizer bag, stretched wide and bulging with empty bottles.

"Ahem!"

Xu De coughed twice deliberately.

The next second,

the small figure at the mouth of the alley grew wary. They glanced left and right, clutched the woven bag tightly, and looked ready to run.

"It’s me."

Xu De took a step forward, standing under a streetlight to reveal himself.

Seeing this,

the homeless person with the woven bag let out a sigh of relief. Their eyes brightened, and they hurried forward.

The next second,

the harsh glare of the streetlight fell upon him, revealing his appearance.

His face was pitch-black, clearly caked in grime. His short, messy hair hung to his neck, so filthy that it obscured the upper half of his face. Only his lips and the tip of his nose were visible. His matted hair was an unsightly mess.

Lin Yue stood to the side, curiously sizing him up.

"Here. Take your time and eat."

Standing under the streetlight, Xu De pushed what he was holding forward, offering it to the other person.

’He had deliberately made a large amount for dinner. There was no way he and Lin Yue could have finished it by themselves; it was enough for four people.’

’There was still enough for one and a half people left, which was more than enough for two children.’

But...

The roughly 1.6-meter-tall figure before him didn’t take it immediately. Instead, they circled Xu De twice, their expression suspicious.

After a moment,

he asked:

"Where did you go?"

’He hadn’t seen the man in days. He’d even gone to check the entrance of Jinmao Law Firm these past couple of days, only to discover Xu De wasn’t going to work anymore. He’d even staked out the entrance to the man’s residential complex, where he lived in apartment 404, but still couldn’t find him.’

"You were worried about me?"

Xu De asked casually, a grin on his face.

"Who was worried about you!?"

The child immediately bristled, his tone anxious, but his words were muffled as he nervously fiddled with the hem of his clothes.

"I just... I just thought, what if you were gone? Then I might... I might miss out on a few meals... Yeah, that’s it!"

"Sigh. How heartbreaking. I’m not even as important as a few meals."

Xu De feigned a sigh.

The boy grew anxious and quickly added, "Well... it’s not just about a few meals..."

"Mhm."

Xu De smiled, deciding to stop teasing the kid. He glanced around.

The January weather was exceptionally cold. The wind felt like a knife cutting into his skin.

Xu De’s gaze fell on the child.

The child was dressed in a gender-neutral way, wearing various clothes they’d scavenged. Several layers were piled on top of each other, and you could even vaguely make out a summer t-shirt.

There was no down jacket or any similar winter clothing.

Just then,

Lin Yue, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Wait for me a moment."

Lin Yue said, then walked off into the distance in her flat shoes.

Under the streetlight,

the two of them watched her retreating figure. After a long moment, the child said with emotion:

"She’s so beautiful..."

"What, is her image seared into your heart now?" Xu De asked, looking the child up and down.

"Why are you looking at me like that!?"

The child’s tone became urgent. "Besides, I don’t even like women."

"Heh, so you’re gay."

Xu De paused. He looked at the child before him, bundled in layer upon layer of clothing that made him look bulky, and silently took a step back.

"Why’d you step back?"

The child asked, confused.

"And what does ’gay’ mean?"

"It doesn’t mean anything," Xu De said.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke up again, reminding the child:

"It’s January, and the Spring Festival is coming up. You two should be careful out here. Try to come out in the afternoon and morning, when there are more people around."

"Be careful not to get hurt. If you do, you won’t even have the money to hire a lawyer."

"And I don’t handle cases for free. My fees are very expensive."

The Spring Festival is in early February.

Generally, most people might think that during a period like the Spring Festival, people tend to be on their best behavior, trying to avoid causing trouble at such a critical time.

But in reality,

while serious violent crimes do drop significantly,

the rate of ’holiday-related offenses’ skyrockets!

Things like gambling, public disturbances, and petty theft.

These types of illegal activities are rampant during the Spring Festival. Nearly every year, the news features a few people who get into trouble after drinking.

"Oh, okay."

The child nodded, not quite understanding why, but willing to listen anyway.

But... He hesitated, then spoke again:

"But... I can’t find anything to collect during the day."

Xu De fell into thought.

After a long pause, he said:

"Then try to stick to times when there are plenty of passersby. Don’t come out alone at night. At the very least, you have to come with Zhang Er."

As soon as he finished speaking,

the boy in front of him—Zhang Da—froze. A look of shocked disbelief spread across his face.

"Huh? You can recognize me!?"

’Zhang Da was stunned. He was dressed like this, and he and Zhang Er were practically cast from the same mold. How could the man possibly tell them apart?’

Xu De didn’t answer.

’The kid really was bundled up so thoroughly a normal person wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Even I found it difficult; dressed like this, my Bone Appearance skill was useless. He had identified them purely based on their physical conditions: Zhang Er was always coughing, while Zhang Da was healthier.’

While Zhang Da was still in shock,

suddenly,

Lin Yue reappeared. She was walking back from a distance, carrying a pile of things in her hands.

"These are relief supplies the Daoist Temple prepared to hand out to people."