Yan Ning’s home was not large.
Several panels that looked as though they had been dismantled from abandoned buildings had been laid across the gap between two shipping containers. More panels had been propped upright to serve as walls, and a doorway had been cut into one side.
That was enough to call it a home.
“Mr. Qi, please be careful not to hit your head.”
Yan Ning carefully set the egg aside, then picked up the stone slab blocking the entrance and moved it away.
The doorway was only slightly taller than Yan Ning. Since Qi Heng stood more than ten centimeters taller than him, he would inevitably hit his head if he tried to walk through normally.
The polite smile on Qi Heng’s lips stiffened slightly as he looked at the entrance.
“I understand,” he said with an inward sigh.
It was not as though he had never endured hardship. However, even during the poorest period of his former life, he had never lived in a shack like this.
Despite thinking that, Qi Heng did not look down on Yan Ning’s home.
Before Yan Ning took him in, he had been a homeless man without even a shack to shelter in. What right did someone in his position have to disdain Yan Ning?
“Mr. Qi, the house might be a little small…” Yan Ning said as he picked up the Zerg egg again.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
Qi Heng waved a hand. Having somewhere to stay was already more than enough.
Seeing that he truly did not mind, Yan Ning relaxed slightly. A smile appeared on his face as he led Qi Heng inside.
Qi Heng was, after all, an adult who had already been thoroughly beaten down by modern society. Yan Ning’s little concerns were transparent to him.
He was not nearly as demanding as Yan Ning seemed to imagine. He could also tell that Yan Ning’s living conditions were poor.
Even within the slums, some homes were better than others. Yan Ning’s was only marginally better than sleeping outdoors.
Qi Heng remembered to duck as he followed Yan Ning inside. Once he entered, he looked around and estimated the height of the interior.
The ceiling was a little over two meters high. Although the room was still cramped, at least he would not have to spend all his time with his head lowered.
That realization allowed him to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
There was not much space, but the interior had been kept reasonably clean.
Across from the entrance stood several objects resembling pots, bowls, and cooking vessels. Most were made from wood or stone. On the ground to either side lay piles of plants resembling straw, which Qi Heng assumed were beds.
Yan Ning placed the Zerg egg in a nest made from dried stalks. Then he pointed toward the bedding on the opposite side and said somewhat awkwardly:
“Mr. Qi, my older brother used to sleep there. You can use it tonight.”
As though afraid Qi Heng might object, he hurriedly added:
“Please don’t worry. I clean it every day.”
“Thank you.”
Qi Heng looked at the bedding Yan Ning indicated and nodded.
Ever since entering District 49, he had been evaluating the Zerg’s present standard of living.
After discovering that their living conditions had nearly regressed to those of a primitive society, he lowered his assessment even further. A faint sense of pessimism also arose within him.
How was someone accustomed to the conveniences of modern society supposed to adapt to such a backward world?
Qi Heng refused to think too deeply about it. The more he considered the matter, the more miserable he felt.
“There’s no need to thank me. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
Yan Ning looked gently at the Zerg egg.
“Without you, I would already have lost him.”
Qi Heng remained silent for a moment before promising:
“I’ll do everything I can to cure your egg.”
He disliked owing people favors. Since this was fundamentally a transaction, it would be better to keep their obligations clearly defined.
In truth, Qi Heng already had an idea of how to treat the egg.
It was fortunate that he still remembered the particular Zerg subspecies to which the egg belonged.
“I believe you.”
Yan Ning smiled at him, then asked with concern:
“By the way, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”
Without waiting for Qi Heng to answer, Yan Ning walked over to the makeshift stove. From a concealed corner, he took out several root vegetables.
Qi Heng could not immediately tell whether they were potatoes or sweet potatoes. Their surfaces were still covered in cracked, dried mud.
He had not consumed a single drop of water since the previous night. The system’s energy had been sustaining his body’s basic needs, but he was naturally still hungry.
After hesitating for several seconds, he ultimately chose not to refuse.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. I only need to wash them outside and boil them.”
Yan Ning placed the roots into a wooden basin. Before leaving, he asked cautiously:
“While I’m gone, could I trouble you to watch the egg for me? I’ll be back very soon.”
“Of course.”
After receiving Qi Heng’s answer, Yan Ning left without concern.
Qi Heng remained where he was and rubbed his forehead.
Besides being innocent, was Yan Ning also one of those sweet, hopelessly naive types?
How else could he feel comfortable leaving someone he had only just met alone inside his home?
But was Yan Ning truly that foolish and naive?
No.
Yan Ning respected him because he believed Qi Heng was an Egg Nurturer. Saving the egg had earned Yan Ning’s gratitude, while the friendly attitude Qi Heng had consistently displayed had lowered his defenses.
Together, those things formed the foundation of Yan Ning’s trust.
Qi Heng had deliberately calculated some of it.
The only thing he had failed to anticipate was how effective it would be.
Yan Ning trusted him so completely that Qi Heng found it somewhat uncomfortable. He could not shake the guilty sensation that he was deceiving a child.
Wait.
Thinking about it carefully, that was not entirely wrong.
Yan Ning had such a youthful face that, had he not already produced an egg, Qi Heng might have suspected he was underage.
Taking advantage of Yan Ning’s absence, Qi Heng walked over to the Zerg egg and scanned it with the system.
He then compared the results against the information in the system database.
Once he confirmed the match, he knew what needed to be done.
…
Yan Ning carried the wooden basin through several winding paths before eventually reaching a river that was not particularly wide.
He had only just crouched at his usual spot when he heard someone call his name.
“Yan Ning.”
“Oh, it’s you, Yun Tian.”
Yan Ning rapidly washed the cassava roots as he smiled at the brown-haired youth before him.
“Who else would it be?”
Yun Tian sat beside him with a helpless expression. After hesitating, he finally voiced the questions troubling him.
“I saw you walking with a Zerg I didn’t recognize earlier. Who was he? And didn’t you say you were going to dispose of the egg? Why did I see you carrying it back?”
By the end, Yun Tian sounded worried.
“You saw us…”
Yan Ning immediately understood whom Yun Tian meant, but he did not know how to explain. He fell silent.
Yun Tian did not notice the change in his expression.
“I wasn’t the only one who saw you. The Zerg walking beside you was so tall that it would have been difficult for anyone not to notice him.”
“I’ve never seen him before. He probably doesn’t live nearby, does he?”
Yan Ning gave a quiet sound of agreement.
There was no way to conceal the fact that Qi Heng did not live nearby.
The surrounding area was only so large, and most of its residents at least recognized one another by sight. The appearance of an unfamiliar Zerg naturally attracted attention.
“Then why did he come back with you?” Yun Tian asked curiously.
Yan Ning did not know how to answer.
After hesitating, he said:
“I… I need to hurry home and cook. I’ll tell you next time.”
“All right.”
Yun Tian could tell that Yan Ning did not want to discuss it, so he patted him on the shoulder and turned his attention to another matter.
“I know you couldn’t bear to dispose of the egg, but keeping it beside you isn’t good either. The longer you look at it, the more painful it will become.”
Yan Ning wanted to tell Yun Tian that the egg was still alive, but he did not know how to explain.
In the end, he could only reply stiffly:
“I know.”
He had not yet asked whether Qi Heng was willing to let other Zerg know his identity. For now, Yan Ning could only conceal the truth from Yun Tian, even though doing so made him feel guilty.
Yan Ning picked up the basin. Just before leaving, he suddenly remembered something.
“Yun Tian, is your female father at home?”
“He is.”
“Do you need something from him?”
“Yes. Just a small favor.”
After leaving the riverbank, Yan Ning went to Yun Tian’s home.
It was not far from his own, but it was considerably more spacious and even had a small courtyard where numerous pieces of clothing had been hung out to dry.
Yan Ning went inside and greeted Yun Tian’s female father.
When he emerged again, he was carrying a small handled basket filled with clothing. He cradled the wooden basin in one arm and carried the basket in the other as he returned home.
Five minutes later, Yan Ning called from outside:
“Mr. Qi, I’m back.”
He set down what he was carrying, then approached Qi Heng and placed the basket of clothing before him.
“These are for you.”
Qi Heng had noticed the objects in Yan Ning’s hands the moment he entered, but he had not expected the clothes to be intended for him.
When Qi Heng did not immediately respond, Yan Ning spoke hesitantly:
“Well… I noticed that your clothes were rather worn. Do you not like the ones I brought?”
Qi Heng rose from the stool.
“No, that isn’t it.”
It had merely taken him by surprise.
He had intended to solve the problem of clothing later. He had not expected Yan Ning to take care of it first.
Faced with Yan Ning’s kindness, Qi Heng felt strangely uncomfortable.
He picked up the clothes and pretended to hold them against himself to judge their size. Avoiding Yan Ning’s gaze, he cleared his throat.
“Stop calling me ‘Mr. Qi,’ and don’t address me so formally. If other Zerg hear you speaking to me that way, it may cause unnecessary trouble.”
When Qi Heng noticed Yan Ning’s expression change, he explained:
“For now, I don’t want other Zerg to know my identity.”
“If you’re uncomfortable calling me directly by my name… I’m a little older than you. You can call me ‘Brother Qi’ instead.”
Yan Ning looked somewhat confused by most of what Qi Heng had said, but that did not prevent him from understanding the final suggestion.
“Then I’ll call you Brother Qi.”
He gave Qi Heng a broad smile.
“Mm.”
Qi Heng responded calmly, then turned away.
He was privately grateful that his hair had grown longer. Otherwise, it might not have concealed the warmth spreading across his ears.
Compared with Qi Heng, who had approached him with ulterior motives, Yan Ning’s kindness was direct and easy to understand.
Unfortunately, people like that were precisely the kind Qi Heng was least capable of handling.
The change in how Yan Ning addressed him dispersed the final trace of distance between them.
At least, that was how Yan Ning saw it.
“Brother Qi, try them on first. If they don’t fit, I can take them back and exchange them.”
Yan Ning’s voice was much lighter now, without its earlier restraint.
“I’ll wait outside.”
Before he even finished speaking, he had already run out.
Qi Heng did not waste time. He changed into the clothes immediately.
Once dressed, he rubbed the fabric between his fingers, and an intrigued smile curved his lips.
Things were becoming more interesting by the moment.
This impoverished slum was clearly disconnected from assembly-line production and industrialization, yet it somehow possessed clothing that looked thoroughly modern.
The fabric was not of good quality, but the clothes were unquestionably new. The set included everything he needed, from inner layers to outer garments.
Ever since entering District 49, Qi Heng had sensed something strange about the Zerg’s living environment.
Their standard of living resembled that of ancient people, yet their clothing and numerous minor details retained unmistakable traces of modern civilization.
Perhaps he should consider letting A0 out of timeout.
It was not that Qi Heng could not gather information by himself, but doing so would waste far too much time.
As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely no need for that.
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