Get medicine
The seasons in District 12 are opposite to those in District 8, and it is the coldest time of winter there. When Shi Youchen and Ying Yungui arrived at the agreed location at the central airport, they found Brand already waiting there.
He was a rather large, bearded, middle-aged man, and was very polite and courteous. The three of them communicated via simultaneous interpreter. Brand explained that he had suddenly awakened fifteen years ago, becoming a vision-enhancing psychic, and now lived in a small town northeast of District 12.
The man was very talkative, and even someone like Shi Youchen would not feel awkward or uncomfortable communicating with him.
Brand drove the two home and jokingly talked about his family. "Don't you think it's amazing? My wife, mother, and little daughter all have visual impairments, but I've awakened my visual abilities. Is this God's compensation for our family? It's incredible."
The car drove back to town. The townspeople he met along the way greeted Brand warmly, suggesting he was quite popular. Brand confessed, somewhat embarrassedly, "The townspeople here don't know I'm a psychic. I've also asked the department in charge not to leak the news. I'm afraid they'll treat my children differently or even alienate them if they find out."
Ying Yungui just raised his eyebrows at this, but Shi Youchen was well aware of the reason and could understand Brand's concerns.
Brand drove his unassuming little car into a side road, the car swallowed by the woods on both sides. "My family moved here from somewhere else. When I first arrived here, I helped a few families in town escape a fire, so they're quite welcoming to me. This way, they can help take care of the family while I'm away on a mission, which makes me feel more at ease."
He didn't elaborate on how he helped people escape the fire, but one could tell it was closely related to his abilities.
As they were talking, the car drove out of the small woods. In front of them were a few houses that looked a bit old. They were not arranged in a neat manner, and the tallest one had only two floors. It seemed that Brand's home was among them.
The dark blue car pulled into the carport of a corner house. Brand smiled and invited them in. Turning left, they found the living room. After Shi Youchen and Ying Yungui sat down, Brand's wife brought them tea.
"Come and try it, this is the specialty fresh milk tea in our town!" Brand patted his wife's hand, then pulled her to sit next to him, "This is my lover Mary." He introduced.
Mary's eyes were as dark and lifeless as the old photo on the forum.
Shi Youchen noticed a curved, receiver-like device tucked behind her ear. Ying Yungui took a sip of his milk tea and asked, "Ms. Mary's movements just now didn't seem like those of a blind person; she was quite agile."
Hearing this, Brand was not annoyed. He still held his wife's hand and said, "Because she can really see now." He squeezed Mary's hand lightly and looked at her with encouragement in his eyes.
Mary felt her husband's support. She cleared her throat nervously and spoke, "Because of this thing I'm wearing." She tilted her head and pointed behind her ear. "This device can instantly scan and draw a real-time electronic map, then transmit it directly to my brain to activate the image. That's why I can see you two right now."
Brand was very happy that after his long efforts, his wife was able to muster up the courage to communicate directly with strangers with special abilities.
"It's a pity that this device is still in the testing phase, and the subjects cannot wear it for more than two hours a day." In the following conversation, Brand recounted his past experiences.
He admitted that before becoming a naturally awakened psychic, it was already very hard for him to take care of his family who all had disabilities, and he had no spare money to save. After becoming a psychic, he had no habit of spending money, so apart from participating in missions to earn the necessary living expenses, the rest of the money he earned was used to treat his family's illnesses.
This newly developed instrument was just released in recent years. In order to get a place in the test, he had participated in missions frequently in a short period of time, and suffered injuries that were difficult to treat, so he has not been active in missions for a long time.
"Especially this year, I haven't accepted any missions and have been staying at home with them." Brand said, looking at the time, and then reminded Mary that it was time to take down the instrument and upload the data.
After Mary left the living room, the remaining three psychics exchanged glances, and finally Ying Yungui spoke first.
"You know about the declaration of war last year." Ying Yungui's cup was almost empty, so Shi Youchen poured half of his milk tea over to him.
Brand said, "There's no way I don't want to know. The association-wide review has caused such a big stir that even those in isolated places have been notified." He changed the subject, "But I'm indeed old, and my children are in their growth stage and need my attention, so..."
Shi Youchen could clearly see the worry and hesitation in his expression. "I have no desire to become a 'warrior'. I just want to be with my family in peace and security." Brand knew his every word and action was under the Association's surveillance, but he still chose to tell the truth.
Ying Yungui's expression became a little serious, because he never appreciated conservatives like Brand.
The atmosphere cooled. Brand sighed softly, stood up, and walked to a nearby cupboard, pulling out a large medicine box. He placed the box on the table and opened it, revealing batches of medicine that had already been packaged.
"The raw materials for this medicine can be found at the market in District 12. You can buy some here to take back for backup or to develop new medicine." Brand took out a bag, opened it, and placed it in front of the two people. "But I have to remind you again that there is an ingredient in it that is damaging to the nerves. I'm not sure if it's accidental, but my family has used it without any adverse reactions."
Shi Youchen didn't move. Ying Yungui reached out and took the bag of medicine. Inside was a blue-gray mixed powder, but it smelled of grass.
Brand said sincerely, "I haven't updated that post in years. It must have taken a lot of effort for you to find it. I imagine the person who requested the medicine must be very important to you." He sent the list of raw materials to Ying Yungui. "As a partner, I wish him peace and happiness every day."
Before leaving, a little girl staggered into the living room and said to Brand coquettishly, "Dad, I'm hungry and I want to eat some cake." Brand walked over and picked her up: "Okay, Dad will go to the market to buy some in a while. What flavor do you want this time?" The little girl nodded obediently and said, "I want fruit."
Shi Youchen watched the interaction between father and daughter, and finally looked deeply at the little girl's blue eyes, waved at her, turned around, and went out with Ying Yungui to wait by the carport.
Brand sent the two to the town. In order to avoid being too conspicuous, he hired a driver who understood the dialect of District 8 and served as a part-time translator for convenience. Then the three of them parted ways at the town market.
At the small market in the northeast of District 12, Shi Youchen and Ying Yungui only bought three of the raw materials. However, the pharmacy owner told them that there was a pharmacy with the most complete varieties in District 12 at the central market in the north district, which could meet their needs at once.
So they rushed to the old pharmacy in the central market before closing.
"This vine leaf powder is in short supply recently, and it's very likely that it won't be restocked for a long time. If you need it urgently, you can only buy it in District 13." The young man translated the owner's words impatiently. He felt very regretful for taking on this troublesome business.
Ying Yungui had heard everything over the interpreter, and his eyebrows twitched slightly, sensing something strange. So he handed the young man a bag full of local currency and told him to come back in an hour to pick him up. Overjoyed, he took the money and went shopping nearby, no longer showing any sign of regret.
Ying Yungui and Shi Youchen stopped pretending. They exchanged glances and turned on the bracelet translator. Under the astonished gaze of the old store manager, they pulled the person to the back and asked what was going on.
The owner, who had been in the medicinal herbs business for over fifty years, was well aware of the two men's unusual identities. He honestly explained, "Some time ago, a serious fire broke out in the forest that produces the most of this medicinal herb, and the output was at least halved. District 13 then issued a policy suspending the export of medicinal herbs and prioritizing domestic supply. And now, not long after, all the supply from outside has been consumed. Demand is outstripping supply, and we're at our wit's end."
"I heard the reconstruction work there isn't going smoothly. I estimate it will take until the 174th year of the new calendar to resume the export of these medicinal herbs."
After verifying the boss's identity and the authenticity of the key information he provided, the two had to temporarily put their purchasing plans on hold and instead decided to rush back to District 8 with the finished product for Lin Zhouze to test. On the way back, Ying Yungui said he would find someone he knew in District 13 to purchase the herbs on his behalf, so Shi Youchen didn't have to worry too much.
Shi Youchen also gladly accepted it, but he didn't expect that the real thing he needed to worry about was not that, but——
"Number: 8463, Shi Youchen, please come with us." Someone from the supervisory department stopped the two people who had just arrived.
Seeing Ying Yungui about to explode, Shi Youchen reached out to stop him and gently advised, "Take the medicine back first. I'll take care of it here properly, don't worry." Finally, he added, "I'll leave Lin Zhouze to you. I trust you."
Faced with Shi Youchen's resolute attitude, Ying Yungui suppressed his dissatisfaction and went to Mai Er and Shen Buhui first.
Not long after the two separated, Ying Yungui received urgent news from home: "The fugitive in custody has been kidnapped."
Shi Youchen was taken to a place that was both familiar and not entirely familiar to him.
In conference room No. 1, just like Lin Zhouze and An She before, Shi Youchen sat at the lowest level, facing interrogation from above.
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