Chapter 39 Paradise
◎ "Welcome to the City of Happiness"◎
As Gu Nian expected, although the relevant departments had made preparations, society still entered a brief period of chaos after the pollution outbreak was announced.
This is an inevitable transition period, but it won't last too long.
During this time, Gu's parents took temporary leave, and Gu Bai's school also issued a notice of suspension of classes. After explaining the situation to Director Chen, Gu Nian did not return to the nursing home and remained at home.
Taking advantage of this period of free time, she began to investigate Lin Rongbin's affairs.
The reason why Lin Rongbin bought Fang Tong's heart was because his little daughter had a congenital heart disease and was at the stage where she had to have a heart transplant to survive.
Unlike the high-profile Xie family, Lin Rongbin is a very low-key person. There's very little information about him or his family online, and he rarely attends events. Gu Nian has only seen him mentioned in news reports about a few charity dinners. His most recent appearance was at a groundbreaking ceremony for a real estate development, which was almost a year ago.
It is not easy to see him.
Just as Gu Nian was thinking about how to meet Lin Rongbin, someone from the Xie family came to her door. They gave Gu Nian an invitation to a banquet, and the invitation was sent in Xie Han's name.
After everyone left, Gu Nian called Xie Han, but no one answered.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Nian sent another message to Ke Lele, asking if he had received the Xie family's invitation. Soon, Ke Lele called back.
Ke Lele's voice was a little weak: "What invitation? I didn't receive it."
Gu Nian asked again, "After you, me, and Xie Han separated in the community last time, did anyone from the Xie family come to visit you?"
Ke Lele quickly replied: "No."
Hearing this answer, Gu Nian had a rough idea in her mind. This invitation was probably not from Xie Han, but from the Xie family. She had already rejected them once before, and they didn't bother her again. Now they came again, most likely because they heard that she had become an A-level therapist.
Ke Lele asked with a look of despair, "Boss Gu, when will you come back? Zhong Xingchi's singing is so terrible. I'd rather go to your place and get stabbed."
Gu Nian: “…” When did purification become a knife attack in her place?
There was a commotion on the other end of the line, and Zhong Xingchi's dissatisfied voice came over. He snatched the phone and shouted at Gu Nian, "Don't listen to Ke Lele. She's really never experienced hard times, and yet she still dares to look down on me! Everything is fine at the sanatorium, don't worry."
Gu Nian smiled and was about to hang up when Zhong Xingchi's voice came again, "I just heard that you were going to a banquet. Is it the one at the Xie family?"
Gu Nian replied: "Yes." She wanted to go and meet Lin Rongbin.
Zhong Xingchi's voice became more serious. "Then be careful when you go there. Those people who live there are all rich and powerful, and they employ many people with special abilities as bodyguards." Then he added, "But don't worry too much. Those people value their lives very much. At least you don't have to worry about a pollution outbreak."
There was a hint of sarcasm in Zhong Xingchi's last sentence.
Gu Nian sensed something was wrong and was also a little confused. Wasn't it said that pollution outbreaks could occur anywhere? Why wasn't the Xie family's banquet venue a cause for concern? She asked directly.
Zhong Xingchi asked cryptically, "Do you know what they call the place they live?" Without waiting for Gu Nian's reply, he continued his own questioning, "It's called Paradise."
"That 'paradise' was built shortly after the pollution outbreak. To live there, wealth and status were the bare minimum requirements. Beyond that, one had to have living parents, a harmonious marriage, and children. Furthermore, one had to have a good social reputation. In short, only the 'happiest' people lived there, so naturally, there wouldn't be any pollution cores."
Zhong Xingchi finally said self-deprecatingly, "People like me can't even get through the door."
Gu Nian raised his eyebrows. How could it be like this?
After hanging up the phone, Gu Nian looked up the news about the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building she'd seen earlier and realized it was very close to the location where the banquet was being held, likely within the so-called paradise. This meant that Lin Rongbin might have also contributed to the construction of the paradise.
To be more precise, the park may have been jointly built by a group of people after they learned about the pollution outbreak.
The admission requirements for the park are very strict. Although Lin Rongbin is one of the investors, his youngest daughter has a congenital heart disease and should not meet the admission requirements. But since he is on the invitation list for the Xie family banquet, it means that he has most likely successfully been admitted.
In this case, it is worth discussing whether Lin Rongbin bought the heart for his daughter or bought it because he was anxious to move into the "paradise" and took the risk.
Gu Nian was very interested in the place called paradise, and sent a message to Zhong Xingchi to inquire about it. Not long after, Qi Kai sent him some information.
The information Qi Kai sent was very comprehensive, bearing the Special Affairs Bureau's logo. It was likely the result of a special investigation by the bureau. However, it was understandable, considering the large number of people with special abilities gathered in that area, and it was indeed necessary to understand their movements.
After reading it, Gu Nian found that it might really be the safest place at the moment.
The park is located on the outskirts of City S, quite a distance from the city. Its facilities are comparable to a small city, complete with schools, hospitals, and various other basic amenities and recreational facilities. It's a small but complete place.
Furthermore, there are no low-level workers in the park; all low-end tasks requiring manual labor are performed by intelligent systems and robots. Any factors that could lead to pollution outbreaks are kept out, making it almost completely safe.
Three days later, the chaos was initially under control, and it was time for the banquet.
Gu Nian took a taxi to the suburbs of S City.
In the distance, a high wall appeared ahead. Before the car reached it, it was stopped. After strict inspection, Gu Nian was allowed to enter.
The Xie family members were already waiting at the entrance and took Gu Nian directly into the car.
The vehicles used driverless technology, and Gu Nian observed the surroundings along the way. Compared to humans, there were more robots outside. Furthermore, the streets were crisscrossed with cameras, so any unidentified person entering would be quickly discovered.
When passing by the hospital, Gu Nian paused. The hospital in Paradise invited the best doctors in the world. If Lin Rongbin lived here, would his daughter be there too?
The car soon arrived at the venue of the banquet.
As soon as he entered, Gu Nian's gaze stopped on a person. In the front right, Lin Rongbin was chatting with someone. His face was flushed and he seemed to be doing well.
Before the other party noticed, Gu Nian quickly retracted her gaze and turned to ask the person who brought her here: "The one who invited me here was your young master. Where is he now?"
Xie Han hadn't replied until she arrived, which was a bit unusual. After all, they had escaped from the contaminated area together, so Gu Nian still asked.
Before the man could answer, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Looking for my brother? I guess this is Healer Gu?"
Gu Nian turned around and saw that the person who came was a young man in his twenties. Before coming, Gu Nian had already learned about the Xie family and recognized that this person was Xie Han's half-brother Xie Wenzhe, the heir to the Xie Group.
According to rumors, Xie Han does not have a good relationship with his brother.
Gu Nian nodded and said, "Yes, I'm here to see Xie Han." In name, that was indeed the case.
Xie Wen Ze, however, did not seem to hate his father's illegitimate son as the rumors said. Instead, he smiled and said, "My brother, I'm afraid he won't be here for a while."
Gu Nian frowned: "Why?"
The banquet is about to begin, why hasn't Xie Han, the main character, shown up yet?
Xie Wenzhe shook the wine glass in his hand and suddenly smiled with a hint of malice. "Because he's a high-level paraplegic, he's not qualified to live here. After a brief appearance at the banquet, he'll be sent away soon."
Gu Nian's expression darkened.
The admission criteria of the park are such that although there has been no reports of people with special abilities becoming pollution cores, these people will not allow it even if there is a slight possibility.
Xie Wenzhe smiled and said, "Therapist Gu is making friends with that cripple, why don't you consider making friends with me? No matter what conditions you put forward, I can agree to them on behalf of the Xie Group."
Gu Nian was about to answer when he suddenly turned around and looked behind him.
Xie Han was pushed in by someone, and the person pushing him was the current owner of the Xie Group.
Xie Zhengguo glared at his eldest son, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, he turned to Gu Nian with a sincere expression and said, "It would be our honor if Therapist Gu were willing to join the Xie Group."
Gu Nian glanced at Xie Han, and Xie Han lowered his eyes.
Gu Nian immediately understood the Xie family's intention in hosting this banquet. They weren't really celebrating Xie Han's ability, but rather celebrating the Xie family having a superpower. There was a fundamental difference between the two. Xie Han was just a gimmick for the Xie family to gain control of the conversation.
She smiled and said, "I'll seriously consider it."
Xie Zhengguo nodded with satisfaction.
Until the banquet started, Xie Han didn't even look at Gu Nian.
Gu Nian frowned. Xie Han would be sent away soon, and she had to stay to find an opportunity to get close to Lin Rongbin. She probably could only wait until they left the park to find him and ask what was going on.
While the speech was being given in front, Gu Nian took some snacks from the tray in the robot's hand, looked around, and sat down not far from Lin Rongbin.
Not long after he sat down, he heard a burst of teasing coming from the side. Gu Nian turned his head and saw a young Taoist priest with red lips and white teeth surrounded by people, his face flushed with the teasing.
The young Taoist priest said anxiously, "I'm telling the truth. I cast divinations three times before coming here, and each time it showed that this is a very dangerous place. You must leave immediately!"
One person said with a smile, "Since the hexagram indicates a very bad place, why did you come?"
Everyone laughed, obviously not believing what the little Taoist said. If this place was a dangerous place, then there would be no safe place in the world.
The young Taoist priest was not good at arguing, and he stammered, "I, I came to save people."
Hearing this, everyone laughed again.
Gu Nian put down the dessert in his hand and walked over, pulling the little Taoist priest out from the crowd. He asked seriously, "When you said the hexagram sign is 'very bad', does it mean that there will be a pollution core here?"
Seeing that someone was finally listening to him, the young Taoist priest nodded quickly, then shook his head, "Yes and no. I think there is a very high possibility of a contaminated core, but my ability is limited. I only know that a place of great danger means it is very dangerous, but I don't know what the specific danger is."
Gu Nian: “…”
So are you simply engaging in feudal superstition?
But Paradise wouldn't let ordinary people in. Since this little Taoist priest was allowed in, he must be a person with special abilities. Gu Nian asked, "What are your special abilities?"
The young Taoist priest said honestly, "My master said, 'If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't exist.'"
Gu Nian immediately responded: "Then I don't believe it."
The young Taoist priest shook his head seriously: "You have to believe it, I have to believe it."
Gu Nian: "Just say you don't believe it."
The young Taoist tilted his head: "But that's what the hexagram shows."
Gu Nian: “…”
She was about to speak, but the next moment she suddenly stood up.
At the same time, a mechanical voice sounded in everyone's ears:
"Welcome to the City of Happiness. Please check your initial happiness value and begin your journey of happiness. Kindly note that if your happiness value falls below zero, you will be wiped out."
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-12-31 22:42:46 and 2023-01-02 00:43:37~
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Chuanchuan Zong and Jiuzhu Lingyu 20 bottles; Yan 10 bottles; Xiaoxiaobai, Danyi, Mengtuanzi 5 bottles; Yanyan 3 bottles; Nini and Black Rabbit 2 bottles; A cute yellow fat er, 37098447 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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