Chapter 76 Shanran, it really is you!
"Captain Shanran, hello."
"Director Chandler, what a coincidence."
“Just call me Chandler,” he raised an eyebrow. “And, what a coincidence, I came here specifically to find you.”
Nan Guishang asked, puzzled, "Brother, what brings you here? Why did you specifically come to see us?"
Chandler glanced at him, didn't answer, and instead asked directly, "Have you eaten? Want to grab something to eat together?"
Speaking of hunger, Nan Guishang's stomach growled. "Now that you mention it, I am indeed a little hungry. Brother, you came just in time. Where should we eat?"
Nan Guishang and Chandler had known each other for a long time. Chandler was 28 years old, 5 years older than Nan Guishang. Before the apocalypse, he would occasionally help Nan Guishang clean up his messes. He always regarded Chandler as an older brother.
"I know a good noodle stall nearby, do you want some noodles?"
Seeing that the two nodded, Chandler led them away from there.
The noodle stalls were not far apart, with a simple tarpaulin covering the top, and a stove and cutting board placed underneath, along with a condiment station on the side.
Outside the tarpaulin were some simple stools and small tables.
It wasn't mealtime, and only the three of them were at the noodle stall.
"Sir, you've arrived. Would you like something to eat?"
The owner recognized Chandler as a customer who had eaten noodles at his restaurant and greeted him warmly, "And these two guests, I've never seen them before! Welcome, welcome! What would you like to eat?"
There was a cardboard sign next to it listing the types and prices of noodles.
“I still want the pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles,” Chandler said, looking at the two people beside him and asking about their preferences.
Shan Ran ordered a bowl of cold noodles, while Nan Gui Shang ordered a bowl of noodles with minced meat sauce.
The three of them sat together in a corner. Shanran sat with her back to the road, and even if she took off her mask, you couldn't see her face.
There was no other way; even in the bidding at the weapons shop, her name could be heard. She was really afraid of being recognized and causing trouble, so it was better to be cautious.
Shan Ran sighed silently, thinking that being too red was still not a good thing.
"What's wrong, Captain Shanran? Is something on your mind?" Chandler noticed Shanran's movements and asked.
Shan Ran quickly shook her head.
She could never say those thoughts aloud; she could only keep them to herself.
Seeing that Shan Ran didn't seem inclined to speak, he stopped asking. "Why did you come to the outer city today? Is there something you need?"
"We just came out for a stroll. Shanran's been in the safe zone for so long and hasn't been anywhere, so I thought I'd take her around. We just got to the inner city and ran into some really annoying guys near the weapons shop, some kind of Night Squad. They were even more arrogant than me! Let me tell you..."
Before Nan Gui Shang Hua could finish speaking, Shan Ran interrupted him.
"I never imagined the safety zone would be so big. It must be very hard for Director Lu to manage the safety zone. And Director Chandler, who is Director Lu's right-hand man, must also be working very hard."
Seeing that Nan Guishang was about to let something slip, Shan Ran quickly changed the subject.
The double-edged sword that Shan Ran just won in the auction has been stored in her spatial storage. Now Shan Ran can freely display all her supernatural abilities in front of Nan Guishang, because Nan Guishang is too clever to think twice.
She even felt that even if he knew one day that she had the superpower of immortality, he would only marvel at her amazing abilities and not think of any way to exchange superpowers.
But it's different with Chandler.
With Cheadle's intelligence, if he knew just one more of his superpowers, he would definitely be able to guess that aspect.
When she abruptly interrupted Nan Guishang, Chandel was taken aback for a moment, then smiled slightly and did not ask any further questions.
"It's no trouble at all, Captain Shanran, you don't need to be so polite. Since we're eating out, just relax and treat each other like friends."
"Yes, Shanran, why are you suddenly being so polite?" Nan Guishang mumbled as he ate his noodles. "Don't let my brother's serious demeanor fool you, he's actually a very nice person."
When I was 16, I got into a fight at school. The teacher called my parents, but they were both unavailable, so my brother came to help.
But don't get me wrong, I didn't hit him for no reason. That kid was so arrogant at school because his dad worked for a powerful family in the Second Continent. He bullied others, and I couldn't stand it, so I taught him a lesson.
As it turned out, the kid couldn't take a beating. After a few blows, he was yelling and ran home crying for his mother. His mother was a shrew. When she arrived, she couldn't reason with my brother, so she yelled and started pulling his hair.
My brother was only 21 years old at the time, and he was helpless against this shrew. His smooth blond hair was all messed up. I've always admired my brother, and I couldn't bear to see him suffer like this, so I rushed over without saying a word, and then..."
"Ahem..." Chandler couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted the other person. His good manners usually prevented him from interrupting others, but if he let this idiot continue, who knew what else he might blurt out.
After finishing a noodle, Nan Guishang looked up at Chandler and noticed the awkward expression on the other's face, realizing what was going on.
He gave an awkward smile. "Anyway, I consider Cheadle my own brother. Shanran, if you ever need anything and I'm not around, just ask my brother. My brother is your brother too!"
Yamaran:......
Chandel paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still. He looked up at Shan Ran, his eyes flickering, but he only smiled and didn't say anything.
"By the way, bro, did you come here specifically to find us?"
Chandler explained, “I came here on business. I heard from the inner city guards that you had entered the outer city, so I came to see you. I didn’t expect to see you as soon as I arrived at the relief station in the trading market.”
"By the way, those children in the group just now were rescued a couple of days ago. The person who rescued them was Xiao Meng, whom you brought, Captain Shanran."
"Xin Ye?" Shan Ran asked, somewhat surprised.
Since returning from the mission at the Silver Wolf Base, Shan Ran has rarely seen Meng Xinye.
He changed his previous carefree attitude and started going out to take on missions frequently.
"Yes, Xiao Meng destroyed a 'vegetarian' organization and rescued them."
"Vegetables...people?" Nan Guishang's features contorted in disbelief at what he had just heard. "Brother, is it what I think it means?"
Chandler glanced at the red-haired youth and nodded. "Yes, that's the idea. Most of the supplies have already been divided up. Some people who can't get their hands on them will resort to extreme measures. And as far as I know, there's more than one such organization."
Nan Guishang felt a bit unwell in his stomach and could hardly swallow the noodles in his bowl, so he quickly changed the subject.
The two then chatted for a few more minutes, with Shan Ran listening quietly from the side, occasionally chiming in with a comment.
In front of Cheadle, Nan Guishang's arrogant and unruly demeanor almost completely disappeared, and he became like a simple young man, complaining about how bad the food was yesterday, showing off the spoils he brought back from a trip, and gossiping about someone he didn't like behind his back.
Cheadle, on the other hand, was like a true older brother, tolerant and kind throughout, but occasionally he would scold like an elder.
With elders like Nan Guijianghai and Qian De'er doting on him, it's not surprising that Nan Guishang has such a personality and mind.
Noticing Shan Ran's gaze fixed on him, Nan Guishang felt a little uneasy. "W-what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Cheadle, "Brother, did I get oil on my face?"
Chandler took out a tissue and handed it to him. "Here, wipe yourself off."
Not long after, Chandler received a phone call, said goodbye, and left.
Nan Guishang waved goodbye to Chandler vigorously, only turning his gaze away after the other man had walked quite a distance away.
“My brother’s parents and my mother used to be colleagues. They died in the line of duty, so my mother brought my brother to live with us.”
"Died in the line of duty?"
“Yes,” Nan Guishang nodded, “My brother’s parents worked investigating contraband. They were reported to the authorities, but luckily my brother was playing at my house at the time and escaped unscathed. After that, my mother took him to live with us, and he didn’t speak for over a year…”
I was still young then and didn't know what had happened. I just stayed around my brother every day, trying to make him happy and get him to talk like before. After more than a year, he finally spoke and even smiled at me, which made me so happy.
Those bastards who sell contraband are truly despicable. Those goods all flowed from the Second Continent. My mother reported this to the Mainland officials, wanting a thorough investigation into the source of the contraband and a ban on its sale to our Third Continent.
But the mainland executives are just dogs of the second continent, how could they care about the lives of ordinary people on the third continent? My mother later became the district head, but she could only try to strictly manage District 1, while the other districts remained the same as before.
To be honest, I don't think the end of the world is all bad...
As he spoke, Nan Guishang's voice grew softer and softer. He glanced at Shan Ran and, seeing that her expression remained unchanged, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aren't you surprised to hear me say something like that?"
Shan Ran didn't look at him. A breeze blew by, scattering the stray hairs on her forehead.
She chuckled softly, "Everyone has their own opinion, and it's not surprising that your opinion differs from the mainstream. Besides... you're not the only one who thinks this way."
She's right; many people on the forum have expressed similar views.
Some people struggled to survive before the apocalypse, but gained superpowers afterward and gradually built their own power.
Some people only break down barriers after the apocalypse, learn of the existence of the upper class, and have their outlook on life and values restructured.
"The investigation into my brother's case only found a few scapegoats before the trail went cold. Actually, my mom knew that it wasn't that they couldn't find out, but that someone didn't want her to continue investigating."
If we continued, our whole family would be in danger, so we had to give up. Actually, I feel really sorry for my brother…”
At this point, the usually carefree man's tone became somewhat downcast.
But soon, his emotions became somewhat agitated again. "Actually, those contraband items were simply ordered down from above. If they were completely banned, how would they make money? This is a very lucrative business!"
They built a garbage dump here, sold contraband here, prevented us from having weapons, and built so many stupid churches. They really try every means to suck every drop of blood out of us!
So when the end times came, I knew our opportunity had arrived, but I also knew that saying this was unfair to the innocent people who died…”
Shan Ran raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected that Nan Guishang, who didn't seem very bright, would actually be a person with a strong sense of morality.
"The apocalypse is something we can't change. All we can do is try to survive and help more innocent people without superpowers to survive. Since you know this is an opportunity, seize it and don't put too much burden on yourself."
Your mother is a good leader, and she's working hard to seize opportunities.
Nan Guishang stopped and turned to look at Shan Ran.
His eyes were a little red. He rarely talked about these things with others, always feeling that dissecting his own inner thoughts was something he was ashamed to talk about.
But for some reason, he really wanted to tell Shanran all this, to know how Shanran would react to his thoughts.
He wanted the other person's approval.
He silently watched Shan Ran, and was about to say something when he suddenly felt someone approaching.
The returning merchant looked over warily, only to see a thin, small person walk up to them and whisper furtively, "Hey, gentlemen, would you like some cigarettes or alcohol? I have good stuff here, affordable prices, good quality and inexpensive!"
Although the rent in the trading market is not high, some people still choose to trade privately outside.
Some of them wanted to save money, while others wanted to get something for nothing.
If you get scammed while doing business outside, it's useless to seek help from law enforcement; the risks are too great, yet many people still take the risk.
Shan Ran and Nan Guishang exchanged a glance, not knowing each other's identities, and neither spoke.
The skinny man gave a forced smile, his eyes crinkling with laughter. "Sir, Madam, these are all high-quality goods. Our Brave Team just brought them back yesterday."
He then listed some brands of cigarettes and alcohol that were considered very good before the apocalypse.
The returning merchant from the south was puzzled. "If these things are genuine, why don't you take them to the market to sell?"
The thin man choked for a moment. He stared at the two people in front of him, scrutinizing them carefully, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his narrowed eyes.
The scene froze for a moment. Just as Shan Ran frowned impatiently, the thin man spoke again, "Hey, it's not that we don't want to go, but the tobacco and alcohol market in the outer city has been monopolized."
All tobacco and alcohol wishing to be sold on the market must first be sold to their tobacco and alcohol shops at extremely low prices, and then they will resell them.
"Monopoly? Is that even possible?" Nan Guishang stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Shan Ran wasn't surprised; with a large and diverse group of people, anything could happen.
It's normal that Lu Wenrou and Chandel have so many things to do every day that they can't take care of many things.
"Who is in charge of the outer city?"
“It’s Uncle Shi, he was the former head of District 2,” he whispered into Shan Ran’s ear. “Uncle Shi is a coward, he does things timidly. He originally wanted to quit and leave this mess in District 2 and run away, but my mother persuaded him to stay and help build the safe zone.”
"Oh? According to you, this District Chief Shi must be quite capable, otherwise your mother wouldn't have kept him here."
Nan Guishang shrugged noncommittally, "He used to study architecture and participated in the site selection and planning of the security zone. He is also very meticulous and good at controlling costs, so he would be good at logistics."
"Being thrifty? Or, to put it another way..."
"What?"
There are proper ways to acquire wealth.
"What do you mean?"
Seeing the bewildered look on Nan Guishang's face, Shan Ran shook her head helplessly.
How come District Chief Lu's shrewdness wasn't passed on to his son at all?
The thin man waited patiently by the side, not showing any impatience despite the two whispering for a long time. He simply looked around leisurely, displaying his politeness.
Shan Ran didn't want to say more for the time being, so she turned to look at the thin man.
Where is the goods?
The man's eyes lit up, and he quickly put on a fawning smile, even changing his form of address, "Esteemed guests, this way please, I'll take you there."
Shan Ran took a step to leave, but Nan Guishang grabbed her arm.
"You...you're just going to go with them? Aren't you afraid of some kind of conspiracy or ambush?"
Shan Ran remained silent, but at this moment she was more "clever" than anyone else.
"Do you think the power of the residents in the outer city will cause us harm?"
She made no attempt to conceal her voice, explaining to Nan Guishang while also making sure the thin man could hear her.
That being said, it is still necessary to issue advance warnings.
The skinny man still wore a fawning smile. "Yes, yes, what this esteemed gentleman says is true. We don't have the guts, and even if we did, we wouldn't have the ability. Our team's ranking is average, and we don't have the space to store our special abilities. So, we can only trouble you two to come along."
Nan Guishang was relieved and followed behind, while keeping track of the route.
The thin man led the way, winding his way through a crowded residential area.
He turned back every now and then to greet Shan Ran and the other person, "You two are very important, the road here is not easy to walk on, please be careful."
The houses here are relatively short; they were originally built as two-story buildings, but many were added later.
Some built simple houses right next to each other, while others added an extra floor on top.
The haphazard setup made the place look very crowded, but there were just too many people pouring in, so the authorities could only leave it like this for the time being.
The houses are very close together, with doors facing each other, and the buildings are too close together, resulting in dim lighting inside, especially on the first floor, which is pitch black even in broad daylight.
There were several people standing at the door, watching the three people walk by with different expressions.
"Hey, Little Jiu, you've managed to trick people into buying your stuff again?"
A short man, shirtless and wearing worn-out slippers, chuckled at the skinny man at the front of the line.
The man named Xiaojiu spat and glared at the other man. "Pah, you're talking nonsense. I'm sincerely promoting my product and inviting you to my door. Don't ruin my reputation with your lies."
When he turned to face Shan Ran and the other person, he switched back to a fawning smile, "My lords, he's just being sarcastic and was just joking with me. Please don't take it seriously."
Shanran waved her hand dismissively, signaling Xiaojiu to continue forward.
Before long, Xiao Jiu led the two to a very ordinary front door.
A plaque hung on the slightly drafty wooden door, with a few illegible words engraved on it: "Hero Squad".
Shan Ran and Nan Guishang exchanged a glance.
"Why does it look so unprofessional?"
"It doesn't matter if you're not a professional, we're here to buy cigarettes and alcohol."
"Too....."
"Honorable guests, please come in. My humble abode is simple and unassuming, but your presence is truly an honor!"
"Tsk tsk," a disdainful voice came from the dimly lit room, "Xiao Jiu, what's wrong with you? I told you to go out and do business, not to go out and perform."
Immediately afterwards, a warm yellow light gradually illuminated the room, and Xiao Jiu used her light-based supernatural ability to allow Nan Guishang, who had poor night vision, to see the situation inside.
As soon as Shan Ran entered the room, her pupils automatically adapted to the dimness.
The first floor is about 40 square meters. The living room is very small, with only a table and a sofa. In addition, there are two rooms with closed doors.
The room was damp and stuffy, with a strong smell of sweaty clothes that hadn't dried properly.
Water resources are scarce now, and many people in the outer city don't take a bath for months.
A man and a woman were sitting in the living room.
Hearing the commotion outside, one of the doors opened, and another couple came out.
"Hey, Brother Long, two distinguished guests have arrived, please give me some face."
"A benefactor? What benefactor?"
Xiao Jiu winked at the man on the sofa, "Brother Long, my sixth sense is really accurate, you have to believe me! The moment I saw these two, I had a strong feeling they would be our benefactors! And since they happened to be interested in this batch of cigarettes and alcohol we brought, I brought them along~"
As they were talking, the woman next to Brother Long kept glancing at Shan Ran.
This is a woman with an afro, a lip piercing, and a full arm tattoo on her right hand. If you look closely, you can see that there are also tattoos showing on the back of her neck, so her back must be covered in tattoos.
Her outfit was completely unconventional.
If it weren't for the current water shortage and the inconvenience of washing her face, I believe she would definitely put on a super heavy smoky eye makeup.
Seeing that Shan Ran was staring at her, the woman became a little impatient, but when she heard Xiao Jiu say that this was the important person he had a premonition of, she didn't dare to show it too obviously. So she could only frown, pout, and stare back unhappily.
"Zhan...Wenyuan?"
The woman stared wide-eyed at the nobleman who had called out her name.
She hadn't heard that name in a long time. Zhan Wenyuan sounded too gentle and didn't have the demeanor of a boss, so she forced everyone to call her Boss Zhan.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Zhan Wenyuan stood up, looking at the other person with suspicion. "Tsk, why does that voice sound so familiar?"
Just as the other person took off their mask and sunglasses, Zhan Wenyuan's eyes widened even more, almost popping out of their sockets.
"Yama-Yama-ran? It really is you!"
"Shanran?"
"Shan Ran? Is that Shan Ran? My God, Xiao Jiu, how did you get into her business?"
"I knew it! My sixth sense is incredibly accurate; I knew she was my benefactor!"
The people on the first floor all crowded around, wanting to get a good look at the face of this "distinguished person".
Seeing that she was about to be pushed to the back, she couldn't take it anymore and roared, "Get out of my way, all of you!"
When Boss Zhan got angry, everyone else shuddered and stopped crowding, silently making way for him.
Zhan Wenyuan walked over to Shan Ran, looked her up and down carefully, and then her eyes instantly turned red.
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Author's Note: I'm so sorry, I'm such a pig! This chapter was originally scheduled to be released at 10 AM on the 27th, but I accidentally set it to 10 AM on the 28th after midnight. I didn't even realize it was past midnight!!! I'm crying so much for being absent for a whole day! [crying emojis]
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