Chapter 123 Snake Deal
Sizzle, chirp!
Small black fur balls leaped into the air, occasionally devouring a piece of garbage or a hand bone, floating from one side of the ruins to the other, deftly avoiding plant-shaped predators.
This small, low-energy anomaly wouldn't normally be so active, but since a major battle had just occurred at the church's stronghold, the new life bursting out of the rift had naturally joined in on this feast.
If nothing unexpected happens, their population will grow rapidly within 1-2 months, aggregating and alienating into special individuals, "expelling" the human wanderers near the base to farther places, and then when the next cycle comes, they will be cleaned up by the students sent by the church and turned into valuable materials.
Kasha, Kashasha.
A larger beast, at least the size of an ocelot, was squatting on the trash can, foraging with its three paws. It stuffed its squid-like mouthparts into the trash can and stirred it around.
"Meow?!"
There was a crisp "pop" sound, and the metal frame on the "trash can" suddenly expanded, swallowing the whole leopard cat.
The lid was closed tightly, and the trash can vibrated for more than ten seconds, then returned to silence.
A few wanderers appeared not far away. They pulled their scarves, holding steel forks and simple crossbows made of abnormal bones, ready to wait until the lid of the trash can was eaten so much that it could no longer be completely closed before taking action.
The captain at the front suddenly threw away his binoculars and rushed out excitedly: "Quick! Someone's coming!"
No, we absolutely cannot give it to anyone else. We've been keeping an eye on this anomaly with decent energy for quite some time now. We have to take action even if there's danger!
The vagrants threw out the net bag with all their strength and covered the trash can with their hands and feet. The heaviest person pressed on the lid, and his limbs turned into twisted steel bars under the influence of superpowers to tightly bind the "mouth" of the trash can.
They moved very quickly, carrying the trash can and disappearing into the shadows before anyone arrived.
…
"Hehe~Hehehe~"
Chen Xiao'er hummed a simple ballad and walked forward holding her senior's arm.
The bright sunshine shone on her face, and she shook her head to look at both sides of the street. Perhaps due to the school's previous cleaning operation, many shanty towns on both sides had been demolished, revealing a large area of white floor tiles.
She leaned on her senior's arm and whispered, "Zero, tell me, did the school give you any compensation for the demolition?"
Zero assessed her meaning and replied, "Yes, all the residents who suffered losses have received a certain amount of compensation. When the new buildings are built here, they can move back."
"Yes, all the surviving wanderers have received some supplies as compensation. Once the battlefield is thoroughly cleaned up, they can move back."
Sounds good? According to this theory, even if the school refuses to give away the housing plots for free, it will at least give priority to selling houses to the residents who move back.
Even though there may be many vague areas in the middle, it is much better than the original guess.
Ding-ling-dong-long.
There was a clanging sound coming from the dark alley, as if a stray cat or a homeless person was beating on a trash can.
When Chen Xiao'er passed by, she took a look inside and saw several ragged vagrants stirring around in the trash can with wooden sticks.
Puff~ The trash can fell to the ground under the heavy load, spilling out a large pool of garbage.
Alas!
Chen Xiao'er quickly stepped back.
Fortunately, the vagrants did not come to cause trouble, nor did they leave the garbage behind and run away. Instead, they carefully rummaged through the garbage and used their cloth bags to pack the sorted garbage bit by bit.
It seems that the living environment in the slums is still not very good. There are so many scavengers around the United City.
Chen Xiao'er forced herself to look away and pay attention to the bright and clean shop on the other side.
The shops and high-end residential areas are separated by only a wall, and there are many tall deciduous trees planted in the middle of the wall. The residents of the shantytowns and scavengers are afraid of the security guards and generally do not approach there.
There are many storefronts on the streets near high-end residential areas.
The decoration of the store is generally low-key and warm. The owner will open a small air window on the side of the store and hang a carefully designed sign in the window.
Seeing these familiar shops, Chen Xiao'er's mood became light-hearted again.
She pointed to a milk tea shop and said, "The last time I came out to visit Sister Lan, Lin Lang and I bought chocolate pudding milk tea here. It tasted super..."
Bang!
Before she could finish her words, the window of the milk tea shop suddenly closed.
A few seconds later a hand stretched out from the gap and hung a sign on the window frame.
【Closed today】
"What a coincidence..." Chen Xiao'er had no choice but to continue walking forward. After a few steps, she pointed to a bakery and introduced it to Ling: "This is the one. The pineapple buns here are also..."
With a bang, the bakery window slammed shut.
This time the boss didn't hang up a sign. A fat figure slid away from behind without even taking off his apron.
"?" Chen Xiao'er hissed in confusion. "Maybe someone's checking the hygiene today... How about we go buy some souvenirs first?"
It would have been better if she didn't say anything. As soon as she finished speaking, the uncle who was setting up a stall on the roadside rolled up his stall, got on his electric scooter and ran away.
Chen Xiao'er took the senior student's hand and ran a few steps, catching up with an older woman who was packing her things. She quickly stretched out her right hand and pressed it on the stall: "Wait a minute, I want to buy this!"
She didn't even see what was being sold on the stall when she spoke. Only after pressing the button did she have time to look down: they were all small decorations. I could buy a flowery bunny or a blue cat and pair up with my senior.
"Woo!" The eldest sister seemed startled. She glanced at Ling in shock, then grabbed a handful of small souvenirs and stuffed them into Chen Xiao'er's hands, pleading softly as she stuffed them: "My aunt, take whatever you want, and please let me go!"
Chen Xiao'er dazedly accepted the pile of bunnies and kittens. "What do you mean by letting them go?"
The moment she asked the question, the big sister who was selling things had already rolled up her bedding and ran away, not even daring to pick up the things that had fallen on the ground.
Chen Xiao'er laughed angrily: No, what happened today? Did you think I was an urban management officer who came to inspect?
She placed the marble-sized rabbit and cat into Ling's hands and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, their reactions were weird today. Maybe there's some misunderstanding."
Zero took her hand and picked up the little animals one by one from his palm.
She looked at the monsters running for their lives, and the corners of her lips rose slightly: "They are afraid of me."
“Why?!”
Chen Xiao'er's face was filled with questions: Ling was just a student union member, not a XXX. Could it be that the Taoli University student union was running rampant on the commercial street, smoking and drinking all day?
Zero explained calmly, "I'm a member of the student union, and I often have to carry out tasks like street inspections and arrests and detentions. I've cleaned up street vendors and collected fines before, so they probably remember me."
"I'm part of the Apostle group. In emergencies, the Apostles can absorb anomalies and transform them into energy. I've participated in many raids against anomalies, and they recognized me."
Gurgle.
Chen Xiao'er looked at Ling in amazement: Senior sister, you have such a strong heart.
No wonder the student union members always go in and out of the campus in groups. Today, President Linghe asked to go out with me and even signed in. It turns out that the relationship between everyone and the surrounding residents and vendors is so tense.
A gust of wind blew by, and only two or three kittens were left on the street.
As soon as Chen Xiao'er took out her phone to look up the map, she saw a quaint cafe not far away.
The cafe is located on an artificial hillside, with its walls nestled right in the middle of the slope. A fence surrounds the cafe, creating a gentle open-air seating area with a platform.
Who is Uncle Xu She?
Chen Xiao'er squinted her eyes and looked carefully. Her sight quickly passed over the bodyguard wearing sunglasses and black clothes, and locked onto the brother sitting under the parasol.
This Chen family member was still wearing the dark blue gown that actors in ancient costumes often rent, and holding an elegant antique folding fan in his hand.
He was a wonderful man, too. He promised a feast, and he did, filling the table at the entrance of the cafe with delicacies from land and sea. The lobster's claws were bigger than a child's head, and loaches were still scurrying around in the tofu.
Awesome! For the sake of delicious food, I'll definitely listen to your suggestions~
Chen Xiao'er let go of her senior's hand and walked over to her with a confident gesture. "Excuse me, are you Uncle Xu~Chen?"
…
Da da da.
The crisp sound of footsteps approached from afar. Xu She looked up, his head aching from the moon-white figure. In a trance, he seemed to see the "Fifth Sister" walk out of the scroll again, smiling and splitting the chaotic sky and earth.
Fortunately, the illusion disappeared quickly, and Chen Xiao'er's figure slowly emerged in the field of vision.
She was indeed as confident as the rumors said. Not only did she possess an extraordinary temperament that ordinary people could hardly match, but more importantly, she had a fearless attitude and there was not a single piece of protective equipment on her body.
Xu She was about to say something polite like "How heroic!" but when he glanced back, he almost jumped off his stool. "Apostle? I called you over so we could discuss this privately, and you dragged everyone from the church over here to listen in?!"
It seems that Chen Xiao'er's relationship with the church is "better" than I thought. It's better not to take the risk of inciting rebellion. There is not enough time.
He cleared his throat and said, "The name is just a code name. From now on, just call me Xu Snake. Eat whatever you want. It won't be a problem if I talk to you."
Good man, Uncle Xu She, you are such a good man.
Chen Xiao'er sat down happily. She put on gloves, snapped the crab claws, and used small tongs to easily pull out the tender crab meat inside.
I don’t know if it was an illusion, but Xu She’s expression was fine, but the bodyguards behind him all trembled, as if this action was very barbaric.
Chen Xiao'er pretended not to notice. She scraped the crab meat out and put it in a small bowl. Holding the bowl, she turned to the senior student beside her and said, "Here, this is super delicious."
Ling leaned sideways to sit on Xiao'er's right, his posture elegant but also slightly leaning forward, as if he could immediately stand up by supporting himself on the table if he encountered any danger.
Chen Xiao'er put down the crab claws and started peeling the shrimp. She pinched the upper and lower parts of the shrimp head with her fingers and pulled gently, and with a pop, a whole piece of shrimp meat came out.
Just as she was pulling out the snakes one by one, Xu She slapped his fan and said bluntly, "I'm telling you the truth. Your uncle Chen wants to kill your mother and your sister. If you're willing to give me a portion of my inheritance, I'll help you deal with him!"
"To make a long story short, Snake Eyes wants to intervene in the Devouring Serpent's ritual to gain power. The Saint and the Son of God are the key sacrifices to break the impasse. If the Church is willing to share some of its remaining power with me, I will follow you!"
"...Anyway, the evidence is all here. I just want the money, nothing else. So, am I sincere enough? I even gave you the most important information."
"...The information you need is all here. I only want a portion of the power, nothing else. You all know how important the Power Ritual is. This is my sincerity."
He raised his right hand, and the heavy sealed box banged against the table.
Xu She stared at Chen Xiao'er without blinking.
Of course, these words were lies. The premise of the agreement was not valid from the beginning. As a "part" of the Devouring Snake, he could betray other "snakes" but would never betray himself.
But all lies are woven from the truth, and every word is true.
Apostles are just emotionless killing tools. The church sends apostles only to express an attitude. The one who can make the final decision is still the leader.
Sure enough, after a brief moment of shock, Chen Xiao'er immediately turned her head and asked in a trembling voice, "Ling, did you hear what he said? The Chen family wants to kill Mom and Xiaotong! What should we do? We have evidence... Can we call the police?!"
It sounds like a code word within the church.
Xu She secretly took note of what she was saying, counting even the stumbling blocks and pausing for a few seconds so he could take it back and try to decipher it. Snake Eyes and the Saint were nearing completion of their nesting rituals, perhaps even refining the "river" outside Changhe City. Their exploitable vulnerabilities were certainly fewer than those of a large organization like the Church.
A blue light flashed in Ling's eyes, and he immediately responded, "Xiao'er, don't panic. Let's collect this evidence first and hand it over to the teachers for further evaluation when we get back. Besides—the school is very interested in the Chen family's property."
【And——the church is determined to gain power.】
Chen Xiao'er sorted out her thoughts in the chaos, and she keenly noticed one thing: whether it was Xu She or Ling, when they talked about this matter, the focus was not on the safety of her mother and sister.
Xu She said "I want the inheritance". Does he mean that he wants to wait for the Chen family to take action and then come out to clean up the mess so that he can get all the property in one go?
Although Ling mentioned that the teacher would help with the evaluation, his words and actions clearly indicated that "the school wants to get a share of the Chen family's property."
If it’s just about property…of course human life is more important!
She quietly took Ling's right hand under the table, her fingers couldn't help but tighten: "I don't want anything to happen to Mom and Xiaotong. You can discuss the money with Mom and hire someone to protect her first, okay?"
Zero's eyes flickered, and she could sense a strong sense of unease from her clenched palms.
A slight emotion flashed by.
This matter involved power, and Ling had a premonition about the church's decision. So she turned to Xu She and asked calmly, "When are they going to take action?"
Xu She pressed down his fan and said confidently, "The information they've spread is for six months. Chen Yunshu said she can hold out for another six months. But, well, I have a unique channel here...three months at most. I suggest we start a month ahead of time."
One month, time is tight.
Missions related to power are equally important. Preventing the Devouring Serpent from gaining power is crucial, as is allowing the Lord's Glory to gain power. The Church will not miss either opportunity.
Ling felt the pressure from her fingertips. She lifted the sealed box with her left hand, held Xiao'er's hand with her right, and stood up. "I've received your proposal. Once the evidence is confirmed, a specialist will contact you to discuss it in detail."
Xu She bowed casually. "Okay, then I'll wait here first. It should be fine within two days."
"Just feel free. Someone will find you."
[No. 0: No. 1, is anyone free right now? I'll leave the sealed box to you.]
Ling looked at Xiao'e beside him: people are more relaxed when they are curled up. Every time he saw her fragile look, he wanted to pick her up gently with both hands.
But the current situation is not suitable for hugging. Is there any other way to comfort her besides hugging?
Before Xiao'er went out, she said she wanted to go shopping, but she had already gone shopping and the effect didn't seem to be very good.
No. 1: I'm free.
A deep blue light flowed in his eyes, and Ling had an idea: Wait a minute, Xiao'er's purpose of going out this time is not only to trade with Xu She, but also -
She turned around and solemnly instructed the Devouring Snake followers, "Please pack up all the food on the table. Xiao'er hasn't finished eating yet."
"Please pack up all the abnormal fragments. Xiao'ai hasn't finished eating yet."
"Hey, can you pack it up? Thank you~" Chen Xiao'er's eyes moved slightly, and she looked over a little embarrassedly.
The coffee shop clerk flashed out from the backstage.
The waiters in black and white uniforms shuttled between the tables like nimble swifts, packing all the luxurious dishes accurately and placing them in different transparent boxes. Some of the snacks were even carefully padded with wrapping paper.
Ten minutes later, Xu She breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the apostle and Chen Xiao'er leave: Things went quite smoothly.
He waved his fan happily: It is really good to choose a good partner.
The church is strong but places bets on many things. It has many plans but it is difficult to fully commit to any of them and is easily misled by various intelligence.
As for Chen Xiao'er...haha, she is just an ordinary girl who has mastered rare abilities, and she is easy to fool.
"Let's go." Xu She leisurely put away his fan and took several steps forward before realizing his subordinates hadn't followed him. His eyebrows furrowed, and he turned back coldly and said, "Do you need me to tell you a second time?"
Click, click, click.
The waiters in silver-white masks twisted their bodies, their heights already exceeding 1.9 meters suddenly increasing to over 3 meters. Their lips split to the back of their heads, and they bit the believers one by one between their teeth!
The shop shook violently, and the tables and chairs dissolved into black fat tumors.
Xu She turned his head without hesitation. He crushed the pendant on the fan and a gust of wind rolled up from the depths of his sleeves.
"hehe."
The bartender behind the bar jumped out. Among all the masked men, she was the only one who still maintained a human form of about 1.9 meters.
The pale masked woman passed through the standing anomalies like a stream of light, picked up the bottle and smashed it hard on Xu She's forehead. The doll's skull rolled to the ground, mixing with the grease.
Lan took off his mask, lazily tossed aside the broken bottle, and licked his lower lip. "Guest, you haven't paid yet, why are you leaving?"
…
Crackling, crackling.
In a dark room sealed off on all sides, a scarred man slowly stood up, clutching a substitute doll that was broken into two pieces.
He looked at the mirror in silence for a long time, and finally burst into laughter.
"Good, very good! You are truly worthy of being her adopted daughter... Chen Xiao'er."
Young enough, cunning enough, and - unethical!
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