Chapter 92 Patience and Deterrence (6)
Shu Ningmiao followed his movements and saw a three-wheeled motorcycle that almost blended into the background.
This motorcycle is really dilapidated. The patched-up metal sheets look rather comical, and even the signs of refurbishment show that it has been handled two, three, or four times. It looks like it could fall apart at any moment.
Alan casually tried to shove her forward, but she dodged him. Shu Ningmiao's expression, hidden beneath the brim of her hat, revealed a coldness: "No need, just tell me, I can walk by myself."
The boy flipped over and straddled the handlebars, propping his chin up with his hand, and looked her up and down with a direct gaze: "Isn't it better to have someone take you? If you walk like this, it'll be dark by the time you get there... It's not safe here at night."
In a place like this, it's not safe even during the day, so Shu Ningmiao walked past him without a care in the world.
Seeing that she didn't answer, he suddenly realized and snapped his fingers: "Don't worry, I would never harm you. Do you know what the most important principle of our Self-Defense Forces is?"
Hearing someone ask her a question, Shu Ningmiao subconsciously tilted her head: "Protect."
The boy paused for a moment before raising his hand: "How did you know?"
Although she wasn't particularly familiar with Sun Hung Kai Properties, she could still find this kind of publicly available information.
"Protection" is the most important principle of the Shinchi Self-Defense Forces and the guiding principle for all its operations.
This small, spontaneously formed civilian team was created entirely for the purpose of protecting and helping others.
Therefore, even though the boy's behavior seemed so out of place in this place, no one around him cast strange glances at him.
"Hurry up and get on." Allen glanced at her sideways, leaning lazily on the frame of the car, and said, "New Land has no shortage of dead people. Don't think your life is more valuable than my reputation."
Shu Ningmiao pulled down her hat, turned her back to him, and sat down in the corner, the car making a creaking sound as it started.
Alan whistled softly, then heard the girl behind him suddenly ask, "Why did you help me?"
"No reason." Allen looked puzzled, but still answered her honestly, "I just enjoy helping others."
Shu Ningmiao turned her head to look at him: "Don't you have to work?"
“This is my job.” Alan held the handlebars with one hand and gestured with the other: “The Self-Defense Forces pay me 200 cin a month.”
He spread his fingers wide apart, as if to say, "A lot, 200 cin."
But this salary is not enough to make a living in the new place.
Shu Ningmiao observed his movements and figure, realizing that even manual labor would earn him more than this: "What kind of preferential treatment do you get for doing this?"
The pay wasn't much, and the work was thankless; logically, this was the only thing Shu Ningmiao could think of.
“No,” Allen said frankly. “But people will appreciate it when I do it, and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment. Life is like this, so I have to find something to make myself happy.”
"..." Shu Ningmiao was speechless.
He grunted and started joking: "No dad, no mom, no kids, I can still support myself no matter what. I can sleep on the street, but I'm afraid I'll wake up to find my clothes burned off. How embarrassing."
The three-wheeled motorcycle sped past, extinguishing the smoldering fires floating on the garbage scattered along the road.
Shu Ningmiao observed the increasingly narrow alleyways along the way through the gap between the brim of her hat and the collar of her clothes.
What sets this place apart from Pinescu is the incredibly compact and cramped architecture, with houses seemingly struggling to emerge from cracks in the ground.
"That's where we live."
As the boy drove, he introduced the place to her, talking non-stop: "The one with the red roof, go through it and there's a shed underneath, see? Inside the shed is a small playground."
Shu Ningmiao had only glanced up casually, but she didn't expect that it would take her a while to find the playground he mentioned.
Pinhea's farm was far superior to this "playground"; in her eyes, it was just another small place covered with hay.
"Why is there so much grass?" This is what puzzled Shu Ningmiao. If it were just a playground, the uneven concrete ground would be more practical than grass.
These grasses are easily crushed, yet they are well preserved, clearly indicating that someone is taking care of them.
“It’s for cushioning.” Allen’s answer surprised her. “There’s a layer of gravel underneath to prevent muscle strain during training.”
On the playground he mentioned, there were seven or eight children sparring with each other. Shu Ningmiao glanced at them briefly and spoke before the boy drove away from the area: "Do these children need training?"
She later took some combat courses in Cornunos, and it was clear that the children weren't just fooling around; their stances were quite professional and they were obviously there for real combat.
"To get ahead of others, that's what it means."
Allen snapped his fingers: "The rich people of Pinnech often come here to choose children to adopt. They call this place 'gambling grounds'—once chosen, they become the godson of those wealthy families in Pinnech."
Shu Ningmiao, who had been uninterested until now, finally reacted and looked back in the direction she had been looking before: "Are there many people like this?"
Shu Changyan also came to the Shu family in this way, but he never mentioned his past to her.
...Is he from Xindi? Does he still remember his past? This question popped into Shu Ningmiao's mind at an inopportune moment, but she quickly dismissed it. There was no point in her exploring things that Shu Changyan himself didn't want to bring up.
“It’s quite difficult. Where would you find so many rich people to come to a place like this? But you’ve come to the right person. I know a child who was taken away, and he’s probably doing very well in Pigne now.”
Alan paused for a moment, as if recalling something: "I trained with him in that place when I was a kid. My parents were still alive then. He was really good. No one in our area could beat him... He was the most talented person I've ever seen."
He was talking for a while, then suddenly fell silent, before finally speaking again with a grin.
“A few months later, he did indeed leave New World.” Alan seemed to have noticed Shu Ningmiao’s particular interest in this question, and said in a half-joking tone, “I even sent him a letter before, but I was naive back then and filled in the address as ‘rich people in Pinne’s’, so it’s probably back in the trash heap.”
Shu Ningmiao looked up at the narrow patch of gray sky peeking through the top of the building, responding to his words while calculating the distance in her mind.
This road is indeed very long; even at this speed, more than ten minutes have already passed.
She finally got a real sense of the new land's boundaries. The journey had been incredibly boring, which explained why the boy kept trying to strike up a conversation with her: "Have you ever thought about leaving the new land?"
“I was born here, where else can I go? Only the people who moved in later are always thinking about leaving. Pine and the New World, aren’t they all the same? I know the people at the gate very well, and I don’t want to go anywhere else to be looked down upon.”
Allen chatted with her for a while, thinking they had become much more familiar with each other, and asked her questions with less caution than before: "Are you going to the Church of Praise to see that Holy Son?"
"I just wanted to pray." Shu Ningmiao suddenly recalled Wei Shengqianheng from her mind, and hearing his confident tone, she frowned slightly: "Why do you say that?"
“I’d pick up at least a dozen girls like you every month.”
Allen held up one finger and chuckled, "Especially in July, there are so many people at church. It's a good look, everyone wants to see it. That person looks like a porcelain doll, he's not even on the same level as me."
No wonder this person drives so skillfully on this route.
"no."
Shu Ningmiao said with great seriousness, "I am a devout believer."
"Oh, oh." Allen chuckled. "My apologies."
With the church district just ahead, Shu Ningmiao could already see the spires of the church buildings, with several church personnel in white standing around them.
Thinking they were going to check her identity, Shu Ning gently helped herself up, only to see the young man sway and the car drive straight in.
"No need to check identity?" Shu Ningmiao frowned.
"Huh—?" The car was going too fast, and the boy didn't hear clearly. He opened his mouth wide and turned around: "Didn't I say I know the way? I'm just giving someone a ride, it's fine."
The church staff members at the entrance didn't even turn around to look at them.
Shu Ningmiao put her hand back on the edge of the motorcycle and looked away.
The church area is a million times cleaner and tidier than the outside. Although the environment cannot compare with that of the capital, it still gives people a sense of relief.
At least every breath of air you take in appears to be free of any grease or volatile particles from waste.
“I’ll take you to the main church of the Yangsong Church. It’s the biggest place in the whole church district.” Alan seemed oblivious to her actions and continued to chatter on and on: “We used to come here to play when we were kids. It’s the only place in the whole New Town with an air conditioner. It’s big and cool.”
"Are you a believer?" The girl raised an eyebrow slightly. She didn't know what the new land looked like, but in the capital, many churches prohibited non-believers from enjoying church benefits. Some churches that were more particular would even send those who tried to take advantage of the benefits to the police station for a few days.
“No.” Allen stroked his chin. “But shouldn’t God be responsible for forgiving us all?… We’ve arrived.”
He wasn't that arrogant yet. He parked his car in a secluded spot under the shade of trees around the church, surrounded by lush plants and flowers, where few people frequented. The boy was clearly a habitual offender who frequented the area.
Shu Ningmiao, holding onto the brim of her hat, jumped out of the car and whispered a thank you.
The young man, seemingly unfazed, crossed his arms and leaned against the bicycle frame. After watching her steady herself, he suddenly said, "You're not from Xindi, are you?"
Shu Ningmiao turned around, her eyes still cold through the gap between her hat brim and mask, as if she was too lazy to argue with him.
“Don’t blame me, you’re so blatant, it’s too obvious.” Allen spread his hands: “What did you do to escape to the New World? Every year, many people drift from Pine to the New World, but you don’t look like a down-on-your-luck person. A girl all alone, it’s really intriguing… Who are you after? The Church, or Prometheus?”
"Of course, you don't have to tell me. I'm just curious."
The boy paused for a moment, his sixth sense alerting him, and shrugged, saying, "No one will pry into your name or your past; that's one of the advantages of the New Land."
"I just want to remind you—don't try to cause any trouble here."
He leaned against the car, still with that cheerful look in his eyes, but the smile wasn't as deep as it seemed; it was more of a warning than a reminder.
Shu Ningmiao had her hands in her pockets, but then she paid attention to him: "Then why don't you ask me why I didn't hide anything?"
She could have remained silent the whole way instead of feigning ignorance and asking questions that revealed how little she knew about the new place.
Allen's expression froze.
"Because I know you won't have a chance to tell anyone else."
"What?" Allen wasn't afraid, but his smile faded slightly. "You don't actually intend to lay a hand on me, do you?"
The boy placed his hand on his waist; the stiff uniform outlined a shape that didn't belong to the human body, and judging from its shape and size, it was probably a gun.
Firearms are enough to deter most unawakened ordinary people.
In response to his drawing of the gun, Shu Ningmiao merely raised her hand slightly, and Pandora pressed down on the muzzle, quickly locking all the parts, leaving no chance for the barrel to explode.
He had thought she was quite a distance away, but in the blink of an eye she was standing right in front of him. The girl's eyes were shaped like sweet apricots, but her pupils were a deep, dark red, making it impossible to discern her emotions.
So in that instant, all he noticed was the sudden chill that ran down his spine: "You're a superhuman..."
The boy's voice stopped abruptly, and Shu Ningmiao removed her hand from the back of his neck.
Dealing with an ordinary person without superpowers shouldn't be difficult, especially since she had already figured out how to do it.
Without pausing, Shu Ningmiao grabbed his collar and dragged the unconscious boy into the denser meadow.
The crowded grass and plants parted and then quickly closed up again, covering the two of them.
The uncompromising green coverage of the Church of Yangsong is unique in Pinhège, with gardens and meadows surrounding the church. Shu Ningmiao casually mentioned the name of the Church of Yangsong because she thought it would be a good place to escape.
She wasn't sure if anyone else was aware of her, but a second disguise was necessary.
For no other reason than that she absolutely could not be associated with Prometheus.
Although she stole vital national resources, is being hunted by terrorists who threaten the world, and has already died once, she still firmly believes that she can return to a peaceful life.
Therefore, she had absolutely no desire to be associated with terrorist organizations.
Shu Ningmiao put on his uniform jacket, gave him her own jacket, straddled the three-wheeled motorcycle, and fiddled with the watch face one by one with her fingertips.
She is usually driven around by a driver, which doesn't mean she hasn't learned to drive. This was the first time she had ever seen a three-wheeled motorcycle, but she quickly learned how to drive it.
She also pulled an ID card from Allen's body. The tattered card was wrapped in a yellowed plastic sleeve and had Allen's name, terminal number, and address written on it.
There are no ID cards in Shinchi, so this should be a unique identification document for Self-Defense Force members, which might be enough to pass inspection. Shu Ningmiao put the thing in her pocket and pulled her hat brim down even lower.
The church area is quite large, and it's impossible for her to visit them all one by one within the limited time.
She had already mentally ruled them out on the way there.
Churches are generally open during the day, and believers can move around and come and go freely, with virtually no private spaces.
Achini was not hiding alone; he was likely with Su Ni, Erici, or even several other missing students.
Shu Ningmiao also knew that Achini was an extremely flamboyant person who never concealed his outrageous behavior. The fact that they hadn't caused any disturbances for so long meant that the place they were in must be secluded and inconspicuous, with no outsiders coming and going.
The churches in the new land are built and replaced very quickly. Churches of all sizes and names are constantly being built here, and some small, peripheral churches are always abandoned. She plans to start by screening these abandoned churches.
As for the boy she knocked unconscious, she didn't hold back; he'll probably take another three or four hours to wake up. Now that she has a vehicle, that's enough time for her to search the area.
She started her motorcycle, released the brakes, and slowly glided out of the meadow, then collided head-on with another person with a strange expression.
More than just strange.
Shu Ningmiao's brow twitched as she looked at the previously quiet flowerbed, where a figure had appeared, crouching low.
A pale robe wrapped around his body. He stood in the flower bushes, his long black hair loosely braided and half-draped over his chest.
He lowered his head, his slender fingers, encased in black gloves, held a watering can, and bent slightly to toss water droplets onto the flowers and plants.
After a long while, he finally raised his head, brushed a water droplet off one of the petals, looked up at her, and seemed to be smiling.
How did Wei Sheng Qian Heng end up here?
The sudden appearance of someone at this time is no less terrifying than a demon jumping out of the screen at the end of a horror movie. Even though Shu Ningmiao tried her best to remain calm, she still felt her scalp tingle.
Those familiar, seemingly unreflectable black pupils stared intently at her, their smile deepening to an unfathomable depth.
But Shu Ningmiao knew that he must have seen the whole thing.
Shu Ningmiao could hear footsteps from twenty meters away very clearly.
But even though it was only a few steps away, someone was watching her from behind, and she was completely unaware.
When she first met this man, she couldn't sense his presence, but now she felt a chill run down her spine.
Shu Ningmiao stared at him for several seconds, and he spoke as if nothing had happened, saying something trivial: "These are calla lilies."
He flicked the petals with his fingertips, causing them to sway gently.
Large, creamy-white petals swirled and clustered around him, so vibrant and almost frightening. If he hadn't said anything, Shu Ningmiao wouldn't have noticed what the flowers planted here looked like.
The color, like that of Wei Shengqianheng himself, was pale and captivating.
He put down the watering can, casually snapped off a flower stem, and handed the calla lily to her: "Here, this is for you."
He made no mention of what had just happened, but he had clearly recognized who she was.
Without asking her why she was there.
They didn't even ask her why she did such a thing.
Wei Shengqianheng seemed oblivious to everything else, but his very presence here was strange enough.
—She couldn't let Wei Shengqianheng go out and spread rumors.
At this point, any assurances or threats would be useless; she had absolutely no trust in this person.
Whether it was the police or the authorities—at this time, the people of Pines knew she was in the new land, which was very disadvantageous for her.
However, she couldn't treat Wei Shengqianheng as casually as she had treated the boy from before.
Not to mention that they are aware of it, the Church is more troublesome than Prometheus.
In a flash, she made her decision.
"Get on the bus, or—"
Shu Ningmiao did not accept the flowers from him. Instead, she pressed her fingertips against her neck, leaving a thin, long mark, which was laced with a threat: "You choose for yourself."
Wei Shengqianheng withdrew his hand, the wind blowing his thin robes and his long hair rising gently. His brows relaxed and his eyes opened: "Is this a choice?"
He placed the watering can aside and carefully arranged the tools, as if he had just happened to appear in the flowerbed and had been invited by her in a half-forced manner.
Shu Ningmiao waited for him to come over with a solemn expression. Suddenly, she heard something wrong behind her. Just as she was about to turn around, she saw a porcelain white arm reach out from behind her. After hesitating for a moment, it loosely wrapped around her.
"...Get off." Although the motorcycle had a two-seater driver's seat, Shu Ningmiao still couldn't understand the Holy Son's actions: "Aren't there seats in the back?"
Wei Shengqian leaned down slightly, tilted his head on her shoulder, and looked in the direction she indicated at the back of the tricycle, his smile unchanged: "There are no seats there."
Unexpectedly, he was quite precious. Shu Ningmiao took a deep breath, not wanting to continue arguing with him about this: "Whatever, sit down."
Shu Ningmiao's thoughts were straightforward: she didn't want to cause trouble for herself, but she also didn't want to leave this potential problem here.
So there's only one choice left.
Take him with her. Wei Shengqianheng has lived here for a long time and knows the terrain well; he might be useful to her.
If Achini accidentally killed Weisheng Qianheng, the blame would still fall on Prometheus, and she would have nothing to do with it.
And it's quite reasonable.
Because this person was also one of Cornunos's gifted students.
Neither disappearance nor death seems out of place in Pigne's current situation.
With ulterior motives in mind, she was bound to feel guilty. She quickly drove out of the area of the Yangsong Church. Wei Sheng Qianheng was completely unaware of her plans and calmly observed the rapidly changing environment behind her.
The sunlight bathed him in a soft golden glow, making him appear very serene.
"Where do you plan to take me?" Wei Shengqianheng's voice was incredibly gentle, without a trace of doubt. Dressed in a white robe specially made for the church, he looked like an innocent princess sitting behind her.
The sound of the engine starting almost drowned out her perfunctory answer.
Shu Ningmiao lowered her sunglasses, layer upon layer of elaborate disguise filtering out her voice, making it sound somewhat distorted: "Save the world, Holy Son."
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