Chapter 78 Uncontrollable
Meng Liang's health was indeed failing; after exchanging information for over an hour, he began to experience severe discomfort. Seeing this, the healing-type ability users nearby quickly stepped forward to treat him.
After receiving oxygen, Meng Liang said apologetically, "President Jiang, it was a pleasure talking with you. It's just that my body is really not up to par. Please take your time to look around our Peace Base first..." As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Xing, "Please take good care of President Jiang and the others."
Zhou Xing quickly stood up: "Don't worry, boss!"
Jiang Rong shook hands with Meng Liang again and said sincerely, "Mr. Meng, please rest well. I will visit you again when you have fully recovered."
As they emerged from Meng Liang's office, the members of the superpowered team exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief. Having faced a psychic for the first time, they had all remained vigilant.
Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief without even noticing. He had thought that Meng Liang would use his superpower to spy on or control him, but throughout the entire process, the power within Meng Liang's body remained completely still.
Was he thinking too badly of Meng Liang? Or was Meng Liang's body no longer able to support him controlling others? After all, in Jiang Rong's memory, Meng Liang would die in two months.
Zhou Xing suggested, "President Jiang, there are several scenic spots in our Peace Base. Shall I take everyone there for a look?"
Leilei chuckled, "Uncle Zhou, I don't want to look at the scenery. I want to eat something delicious. Does Peace Base have any good food?"
Everyone laughed as soon as she finished speaking. Wang Chunlan raised her hand and patted Leilei on the head: "How can this child be so disrespectful? Captain Zhou, I've spoiled Leilei. Please don't be shy."
Zhou Xing chuckled and scratched his head: "What's there to be shy about! Actually, I also hate looking at scenery. What's so great about scenery? Eating is much better! I'll take everyone to eat first. We have a really nice restaurant here, let's go~"
*
Seeing Jiang Rong and the others get into the car at the building entrance, Meng Liang's smile gradually faded. His withered, thin fingers gripped the wheelchair tightly, his knuckles turning white. "What a pity..."
Unfortunately, his fame has attracted too much attention, and too many people already know that he is a psychic. Jiang Rong and the others learned of this in advance, and they all became wary of him. His ability is control; as long as the other party is determined and uses their ability to protect themselves, he cannot control them.
Liu Heng bent down and handed a water glass to Meng Liang, who turned and took it. Two pairs of silver pupils were reflected on the transparent glass. Meng Liang said, word by word, "Send someone to keep an eye on them and infiltrate them when the opportunity arises."
Liu Heng answered slowly, "Yes..."
*
Zhou Xing led everyone to a place called Hanzhong Street, which was a famous snack street before the major crisis. Now it has become the busiest long street in the entire base. Not only do people with superpowers like to come here to spend money, but even ordinary people with abilities will come here for a stroll.
One of the exits of the basement Jiang Rong lived in in his previous life was near Hanzhong Street, but he had never been to Hanzhong Street. It was a paradise for people with superpowers, and for him at the time, it was another world.
Zhou Xing led everyone into the most luxurious hotel on Hanzhong Street. As soon as they entered, he said to the hostess, "Have your boss bring out all the restaurant's signature dishes."
Everyone looked up at the magnificent hall and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that's really impressive!" The owner of this hotel must be quite something to maintain the service and quality of a five-star hotel.
However, how many of the superpowered individuals and ordinary people who can establish themselves in the Peace Base are truly simple?
After everyone was seated, the dishes served by the hotel were an eye-opener. They included everything from birds in the sky and fish in the water to creatures that crawl on land; there was nothing the hotel couldn't offer.
Take this steamed yellow croaker in front of us, for example. The croaker meat is tender and fresh, clearly not frozen. The waitress in the private room said sweetly, "This is freshly caught yellow croaker from the East China Sea. Please enjoy your meal."
The East China Sea is five or six hundred miles away from the Peace Base. Before the major crisis, it was already difficult to get a single yellow croaker, let alone now. The fact that the people at the Peace Base were able to obtain fresh yellow croaker demonstrates just how powerful they are.
Wang Ting poked a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he sighed, "Delicious." But he still preferred the taste of the grub meatball soup at the Spark Base.
The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests, and even when everyone was too full to eat anymore, one delicious dish after another was still placed on the table. Leilei looked at the food with reluctance, then pleaded with Zhou Xing, "Uncle Zhou, can I take all this leftovers home?"
Zhou Xing was already drunk, and he slurred, "What...what do you mean by 'make a meal'? If Lei Lei likes it...if she does, have them make another table!"
Leilei quickly said, "No need, no need, this is fine." As she spoke, she asked the waiter for a dozen takeout boxes, and together with her mother carefully packed the dishes into the insulated boxes.
Zhou Xing, still a little dizzy, joked, "Our Leilei is thrifty and good at managing the household..."
Leilei felt sorry for them: "These dishes haven't been touched yet. I want to take them back for Xiaohao and Xiaoheng to eat." Although Xiaohao and the others won't go hungry at the base, they must have never seen so many good things before.
Jiang Rong felt a pang of sadness. He had lived in peacetime for over twenty years, and he had seen and eaten everything on the table. But his baby was still young, and had seen far too few good things in his life.
Jiang Rong stood up and shook her head. "Everyone, keep chatting. I'm going to the restroom."
The waitress led Jiang Rong towards the restroom. Jiang Rong's cheeks were flushed. "I know, you can go back now."
After the waiter turned away, Jiang Rong didn't head towards the restroom. Instead, he turned and walked towards the hotel's back door. The alleyway directly opposite the hotel's back door was called Guozi Alley, a place where poor people gathered to exchange goods and share information.
In her past life, Jiang Rong often brought Xiao Heng here. Guozi Lane and Hanzhong Street were only a hundred meters apart, but they were like two different worlds. As soon as she stepped out of the hotel's back door, a stench hit her, overpowering the hotel's incense fragrance, and Jiang Rong's previously drowsy mind cleared up.
The busiest time in Guozixiang is in the evening, from 5 pm to 7 pm. Ordinary people who have worked all day receive their points for the day, and only then can they come here to look for anything they need. The place is filled with the sounds of bargaining, children crying, and pungent smells.
It was midday, and there weren't many people in Guozi Lane. However, Jiang Rong had only taken a few steps when someone grabbed her legs. Looking down, she saw a child about the same age as Xiao Heng, his dirty little face pleadingly looking at her. "Brother, please, give me something to eat..."
There are many children in Guozixiang who came to the base with their relatives but were not properly cared for. The children have limited physical strength, and their only options for food, besides petty theft, are begging. Guozixiang has a large flow of people, and therefore many children beg there. If they're lucky, they might get a bite or two of food; if they're unlucky, they'll be left with several bruises on their bodies.
The child wore a tattered T-shirt, his small body trembling slightly, his dark eyes filled with fear and timidity. He was afraid of being kicked or beaten, and even more afraid of going hungry if he couldn't get anything.
Seeing this child, Jiang Rong couldn't help but think of Xiao Heng from her previous life. In her previous life, when Jiang Rong was working, Xiao Heng would either huddle in his small dormitory or, like this child, come to Guozi Lane to beg.
One day, after he got home from work, Xiao Heng took half a milk candy out of the tattered bag on his chest and handed it to him. He happily told Jiang Rong that he could work now and would be able to ease his father's burden.
Jiang Rong had no idea how many people his baby had clung to, how many times he had been kicked, to get that half a piece of candy. After that incident, he would rather go hungry than let his child come to Guozixiang.
Xiao Heng is a good boy, he is very obedient, but how can a child's nature be contained? Xiao Heng will still come to Guozi Lane to play with his friends, and he will also follow the children and chase after the adults for food.
Xiao Heng was very obedient; he never did anything sneaky. Until one day, he was accused of being a thief and beaten half to death. Jiang Rong could no longer endure such a life, and he resolutely left the base with his son on his back…
The child was still pitifully pleading with Jiang Rong: "Brother, please give me something to eat?"
Jiang Rong searched all his pockets but couldn't find anything for the child to eat. He said to the child, "Let me go first, I'll go buy you something to eat."
Upon hearing this, the child released Jiang Rong's leg, and followed closely behind with every step Jiang Rong took.
Jiang Rong was very familiar with Guozi Lane. After walking a few steps, he found the general store where he often bought things in his previous life. He didn't have the Peace Base points card on him, so he could only exchange items he carried with him.
Jiang Rong took off her watch and pushed it to the shopkeeper: "Exchange it for a bag of milk candy. Leave the watch with me for now, I'll come back for it in a bit."
The shopkeeper didn't even lift his eyelids. He grabbed his watch and glanced at it: "It's not an expensive watch. You want to exchange it for a bag of milk candy? That's all. Take it or leave it." As he spoke, he casually grabbed a handful of candy from a bag and threw it on the table.
Seeing Jiang Rong exchange her milk candy, the child's eyes lit up. He stretched out his dirty little hand to Jiang Rong and said, "Thank you, thank you, brother!"
Jiang Rong had just placed a piece of candy in his hand when twenty or thirty children rushed out from the side. They surrounded Jiang Rong, pleading, "Brother, give me something to eat! Give me a bite!"
With so many children, Jiang Rong only had one handful of candy. Even though he divided the candy into two or three pieces, some children still wouldn't get any. After confirming that Jiang Rong didn't have any candy, the children who hadn't gotten any chased after the children who did.
The first child to receive a piece of candy clutched it tightly as they ran down the street. Jiang Rong stood there, the sun blindingly bright. In a daze, he saw Xiao Heng from his past life. How much effort had Xiao Heng put in to protect half a piece of candy? How much willpower had he used to resist eating it?
Walking south along Guozi Lane, the buildings ahead were in ruins, so we went underground. After walking a few hundred meters, a subway entrance appeared.
Going down from the subway exit leads to the underground city of the Peace Base, and a ten-minute walk will take you to the basement where Jiang Rong lived in his previous life. He had walked this route countless times; he could tell the way even with his eyes closed.
Upon entering the subway station, the light dimmed, the air became polluted, and the surrounding walls were covered with obscene graffiti. Dozens of heavily made-up women stood at the entrance, dressed in thin clothing, exposing their assets to the fullest extent.
Seeing Jiang Rong come down, several women waved to him: "Hey handsome young man, come on over! We'll give you a discount!" "Fifteen points, guaranteed to satisfy you!" "Wow~ this young man has quite a temper~"
Jiang Rong pushed away the hands that were clinging to him and walked forward expressionlessly.
He hadn't walked two steps when a familiar voice called out to him: "Jiang...Rong? Is that Jiang Rong, Engineer Jiang?"
Following the sound, Jiang Rong saw a heavily made-up woman standing in the dim light. The makeup was so heavy that Jiang Rong didn't recognize her at first. The woman adjusted her clothes, somewhat excited and embarrassed: "Jiang Engineer, it's me, Jiang Jie!"
Jiang Rong was stunned. Jiang Jie? What was Jiang Jie doing here?
In her past life, Jiang Jie quickly climbed the social ladder by befriending a superhuman after joining the base. Until Jiang Rong left the Peace Base, she lived a comfortable life. How did she end up as a streetwalker?
Unbeknownst to Jiang Rong, Jiang Jie's life was far from easy without his protection. The journey from City C to the Peace Base was fraught with hardship. By the time she arrived, she had transformed from a beautiful, vibrant woman into an ordinary woman weathered by life's trials.
Without her looks and without any skills to make a living, Jiang Jie could only stand here, becoming merchandise to be picked over.
Upon seeing Jiang Rong again, Jiang Jie burst into tears: "Engineer Jiang, Engineer Jiang, please save me, please save me..."
Jiang Rong sighed. When he was first reborn, he did indeed hate Jiang Jie. But now, seeing her in such a miserable state, he felt an indescribable sense of loss.
Just as Jiang Jie was about to say something, her friend reminded her, "Stop crying, a big client is here!"
Jiang Jie quickly wiped away her tears, took out her cosmetics to touch up her makeup, and then headed towards the subway entrance with her friends. Jiang Rong turned her head and saw four or five superhumans walking towards the subway entrance. A moment later, Jiang Jie and her friends were embraced by one of them, her smile alluring, a far cry from her tearful state just moments before.
Jiang Rong: ...
Jiang Rong turned and continued forward. After walking through a deep and narrow passage, the fifth underground city of the Peace Base came into view. There were no magnificent decorations here, only basements that seemed to stretch endlessly. Every basement was crammed with people, and you could smell and hear all sorts of noises.
Following his memory, Jiang Rong arrived at his dormitory from his previous life. Only a dim energy-saving light shone inside, and through the faint glow, he saw the bed he and Xiao Heng had once slept on. This bed, less than a meter wide, was where he and Xiao Heng had slept for over two years.
They were like rats in a sewer, never seeing the light of day. The underground city of the Peace Base was a steel cage where they exhausted their energy...
Upon seeing Jiang Rong, the people in the dormitory asked in confusion, "Who are you looking for?"
Jiang Rong didn't speak. He glanced around the dormitory and then turned around. As soon as he turned around, he found Guan Shao standing not far behind him.
Jiang Rong opened his mouth, his mind a jumble of emotions, "Guan Shao." When did Guan Shao get behind him? He hadn't even noticed.
Guan Shao responded and walked over. "Yes, I'm here."
Jiang Rong tried to smile, but her smile looked worse than a grimace. Guan Shao frowned slightly and touched Jiang Rong's forehead: "If you don't want to smile, then don't. Don't force yourself."
On the way back, Jiang Rong was unusually silent. Guan Shao walked beside him, shielding him from the malicious prying eyes. After a long while, Jiang Rong finally recovered, "My sudden departure from the restaurant must have attracted the attention of the people at the Peace Base."
He was being controlled by his memories from his past life, and somehow ended up in the underground city instead of the restaurant. If Meng Liang had been paying attention, he would have definitely noticed his abnormality; this was no longer something that could be easily explained away by simply saying he was lost.
Guan Shao wasn't worried about this issue: "We came to the Peace Base for exchange. Only by personally visiting the underground city can we have a deeper impression of the Peace Base. President Meng should understand."
Jiang Rong nodded. He hadn't done anything to violate the rules of the Peace Base, and even if Meng Liang noticed his unusual behavior, he probably wouldn't do anything to him. After a pause, he said, "Guan Shao, we must build our base well, into a base where every child can have candy..."
Guan Shao took out Jiang Rong's watch from his pocket and put it on his wrist: "The Spark Base will become the best base, where everyone can eat their fill, dress warmly, and live a good life."
Author's Note:
Jiang Rong and his son in their past life:
Baby: Daddy, I got some milk candy today! Here, have some!
Jiang Rong: The baby eats by himself.
Little one: Let's eat together! Daddy, the milk candy is so sweet! I wish we could always have candy to eat.
Jiang Rong turned her head away and silently wiped away her tears.
Jiang Rong and his son in this lifetime:
Little one: Daddy, my tooth hurts.
Jiang Rong: Did you get cavities from eating too much sugar? Come here, let Dad take a look.
The baby opened his mouth so his father could see the unfinished candy.
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