Don't Pick Up Wild People on the Roadside (Twenty-One)
"That's bullshit!"
"This is not what we agreed on! What a huge hole! Woohoo! Jiang Jiang is an idiot! Who told you to catch the bullet with your hands? Woohoo!"
The sound of the cartoon collapsing pierced the eardrums of everyone present, especially Jiang Yuan who was receiving treatment nearby.
Going deaf.
"Is there a possibility that someone shot me in the hand?"
"You knew he was going to shoot, yet you caught it with your hands! And you even blocked it. Do you know that humans are very vulnerable to infection? Idiot!"
Two symmetrical fountains flow continuously on the candy box screen.
Very good, I turned a deaf ear and was completely immersed in my own sorrow, totally ignoring the horrified, unbelievable and stunned expressions of the younger brothers standing around me.
So how do you stop?
"It's okay, Mr. Jiang. Just wait until the leader runs out of power." said the slender black robot that was treating the wound on Jiang Yuanshi's hand.
"Is that so?" You really have no dignity, Tangtang.
"However, your behavior of not dodging despite knowing the opponent would attack was truly beyond our expectations. You did not mention this in the plan we discussed yesterday."
"There's no other way. You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. Wouldn't this be more realistic? A scavenger from the old, weak, and disabled area can't be as agile as a professional killer. Besides, if there's no bloodshed, we won't be able to provide any visual enjoyment to the audience in the upper city. Those who don't like the movie won't let us go so easily."
Jiang Yuanshi spoke calmly, and the slender robot carefully examined the opponent's wound again.
The bullet penetrated the palm of his left hand, leaving a round hole and causing severe nerve disconnection. The two gangs searched their home for a long time before finding some effective hemostatic agents. However, even if the bleeding was stopped, the pain could not be stopped. Disinfectant was gently wiped at the wound, but apart from the occasional trembling of his fingers and sweat oozing from his forehead, the victim's expression did not change much, as if it was a common occurrence.
Strange human beings.
The slender robot couldn't help but recall what happened last night.
The leader who was always on the move finally returned to his territory, gathered a group of old men, and then proudly announced—
"I! I found a human servant!"
Everyone was an old acquaintance. Except for important occasions, there was no distinction of authority or hierarchy among them on weekdays. They all yawned and applauded their little leader.
Pa pa pa.
"There's also good news. I have a name! It's Jiang Tang, Jiang for river, Tang for candy!"
Bang bang bang!
"What a great name! Boss Jiang Tang!"
"Hehehe, the human I picked up got it for me!"
Bang bang bang!
The applause and cheering meeting finally came to an end, and everyone began to tell Jiang Tang about the wrong things in the gang and the sudden changes in the garbage dump.
The latter can still rely on brute force, but for the former, many people in the danger zone have recently experienced contact problems of varying degrees. This problem, which seems to be a common problem in the downtown area, can be said to be a fatal hidden danger for those living in the danger zone.
The reason why the danger zone is called a danger zone is not because of the ferocity and fighting of the gangs, but because of the environment of the danger zone itself. Every night, unknown dirty and corrosive gases appear in the air and permeate the entire danger zone. Therefore, most of the places where they live have to be patched with new materials or even rebuilt every few months.
People rarely go out at night, but in order to survive, they will go out in the corrosive air to find supplies. In this situation, a minor poor contact situation can easily turn into a complete interruption. Although people or machines exposed to the air will not die after a night, they will be almost corroded, and in severe cases, even be killed.
"Didn't you find out the reason?"
"We checked, but found nothing. It's as if nothing happened."
"Yeah, even Lao Ha, an advanced medical robot, couldn't find it. We discussed it for a long time when you were away, and we all thought that the chip was tampered with. After all, it all belongs to the company, so if they really want to control it, they can do it."
"But all of this presupposes they know our correct serial numbers. We've changed our chips countless times over the years. It can only be that someone within the gang is colluding with the higher-ups. We recently investigated and found eight individuals who are particularly suspicious, but we simply can't think of a good way to stop them. It's a good thing you're back, Xiaotang, so we wanted to ask if you have any solutions."
Jiang Tang's screen began to spin in circles for at least three minutes, seemingly at a loss for what to do. Perhaps because she was lost in thought, she unconsciously said, "As for the chip, the human I picked up has been learning it recently, and it seems to be doing quite well."
Everyone sighed, "Xiaotang, there are so many people who can make chips, and even if they can, they are only half-baked."
Jiang Tang put her hands on her hips and said, "Who said that? He's clearly a big shot! He's not making chips, he's trying to modify them!"
"You showed him your chip? Do you know this is very dangerous? Didn't you agree not to tell anyone else except us? It would be terrible if someone in Uptown found out!"
Jiang Tang shrank back. "I didn't show it to him! He doesn't even know about it! He wanted to create a chip that wasn't controlled by the company, so that the people on their side wouldn't be in danger of being controlled!"
The gang member frowned. "Anyone can say nice things, and he's not the only one in the Lower City with such ambitions, but has anyone appeared in all these years? They're either dead or have given up! Xiaotang, I know you met a human you really like, but that doesn't mean this human won't be a danger to you."
Jiang Tang muttered softly, "I think he can do it... and I didn't ask him to help."
Jiang Tang's protective behavior might be seen as a good thing in the eyes of Jiang Yuanshi's people, but for everyone in the danger zone, their leader seemed to be confused and lost. They were not worried about what that human would do to them, nor did they care about Jiang Tang's betrayal. They were only worried about Jiang Tang herself. If a child with a new chip was exposed, how much abuse would he suffer.
"Xiaotang, are you sure that person didn't see your chip?"
"Definitely not!" Jiang Tang said with certainty.
"Your lid has never been opened, has it?"
"...Hmm." He hesitated.
Several old gang members sighed. Jiang Tang sensed something was wrong and said, "You can't do anything to him! He didn't do anything!"
"We can't do that even if we wanted to, right? You know we can't get to the other end of the alley."
Jiang Tang's screen flickered, and as if she had made some important decision, she said, "...at worst, I won't look for him anymore!"
Everyone was silent, no one knew what it meant, but their expressions said it all.
Jiang Tang's cartoon voice was filled with disappointment: "I know. I'll tell him tomorrow that I have something to do and won't be back, otherwise he'll come looking for me."
"That's a good thing, it saves us from looking for it."
"You guys! You're going too far! He's just an ordinary human being, why are you bullying him? I told you I won't go looking for him anymore!"
Jiang Tang's thinking is always as innocent as a child. I don't know how old this robot is in human terms, but it looks just a little old.
They couldn't bear to do that to the child, but he had the ability to be a leader. However, this was considered a compromise by the leader, and finally they nodded and agreed.
"Well, I hope you can do that, otherwise if that human shows up in the danger zone we'll still capture him."
"Oh...I mean what I said."
"Since you've said so, you still have to lead the way for me tomorrow. You won't go back on your word, will you?"
"Of course not! I—?" Jiang Tang answered subconsciously. She stood up and turned to look at the source of the sound. She saw a tall young man holding a square head and walking out of the dark alley. The gang members immediately became alert. Jiang Yuanshi ignored their gazes and just smiled at Jiang Tang, saying, "Don't regret it."
Jiang Tang was stunned. After a long pause, he suddenly jumped up three feet high: "Why are you here? No, how long have you been listening? No, why are you out here now instead of sleeping? %@#￥&￥"
It seems to be disordered.
Jiang Yuanshi answered honestly: "I followed you here and listened to everything from beginning to end."
"You idiot!"
Several members of the gang remained silent. One of them, the slender one, spoke up, "It seems you are the human the leader mentioned. From what you said, it seems you are not worried about your own safety."
Jiang Yuanshi smiled formally: "After all, no one noticed me, right? If I hadn't shown up, you wouldn't have seemed to sense my presence."
The rest of the gang: "...What did you do?"
Jiang Yuanshi tapped the robot's head in his hand and said, "Nothing much, just a little trick."
Is that the key to the robot head?
Just as everyone was about to make a move, Jiang Yuanshi spoke again, as if foreknowing something: "I suggest you don't try to take what's in my hand. If you leave me, I will explode instantly. Of course, if I lose my vital signs, the result will be the same. I think everyone just wants to survive. There's no need to hurt each other, right?"
The atmosphere reached a freezing point, and finally Slender Strip broke the silence and asked, "What is your purpose?"
"Oh, I just can't stand you bullying kids, and using your numbers to bully the few. Oh, and you're also taking advantage of your seniority and using moral blackmail." Jiang Yuanshi answered casually and straightforwardly.
This made Jiang Tang furious and he yelled "I'm not a kid anymore!", and the gang members' necks turned red as they yelled "Who bullied him? And who are you calling old, you little white face!"
"Whatever you say, I just came out to see my Jiang Tang, who's not sleeping. Since she heard about what you're doing, she probably can't avoid it, and it would be difficult for Jiang Tang to avoid it." Jiang Yuanshi still had a smile on his face, but even though it was a smile, no emotion could be seen. He said, "Let's make a deal. If it succeeds, Jiang Tang will be free. If it fails, I'll be at your mercy."
"Tsk, what can a human with skinny arms and legs like you do? I think you're still an Omega."
"I can help you find the traitor, and it won't cost you any manpower." Before the gang members could taunt him, Jiang Yuanshi continued, "By the way, although I'm not good at chip modification, I'm quite good at detecting chip anomalies and simple prosthetic modifications. I can also escape by separating my head from my body."
"Head and body separated? Do you know what you're talking about? Once a robot is separated, it becomes useless! You'll say anything to save your life."
"Oh, really? Z01, come show us your skills—oh no, say something."
Jiang Yuanshi patted the head in his hand, and the screen on the robot head flickered to life. He said, "Hello, robot Z01 is here to serve you."
Jiang Tang:?
Everyone in the gang: ???!
Unbelievable, the eyes on the other side bulged out, and one of the robot's eyes rolled to Jiang Yuanshi's feet. Jiang Yuanshi silently took out a handkerchief and picked up the eyeball. The eyeball was empty and lifeless. He said puzzledly, "Strange, so the robot's eyes don't work independently? The last time I saw you fighting, an eyeball rolled over and seemed to glance at me. It can't be my illusion, after all, that eye was flashing with a strange light."
The robot missing an eye said, "What did you say? Moving eyes? From our gang?"
"I don't know if it was done by you robots or humans, but it's an artificial eye. Oh, I'm not mistaken, it seems to be red. Is there any problem?" Jiang Yuanshi said curiously.
Compared to his ease, the other side fell silent again. After looking at each other for a moment, the slender leader said, "Given your concern for the leader, we will accept your deal. After the deal is done, you will be protected by the gang and have unimpeded access to dangerous areas."
"That's fine. Let's find a place to discuss it first. I need to go back to sleep after we're done."
“…”
No one holds out hope, but everyone is still hoping for a lucky break. What if?
The young man with narrow eyes, who disguised himself as unreliable, finally gave them a plan that shocked them, and they finally decided on it because it was indeed the fastest and most labor-saving, and even took into account the upper and lower urban areas.
The plan of trapping oneself was a great success and no one was injured except the young man himself.
crazy.
Calm madness.
More intimidating than the frenzy of big moves.
He takes advantage of everyone, including himself.
"Um... doctor? Aren't we done yet? I feel like my hand is going to spark." Jiang Yuanshi's words brought Xichangtiao back to his senses. While recalling, Xichangtiao unconsciously wiped the young man's wound over and over again with disinfectant. Although the young man still smiled politely, he looked miserable.
"I'm sorry, I'll bandage it for you right away."
"Not dead." Jiang Yuanshi kept smiling.
It hurts so much, my life is so miserable.
To ease the pain, Jiang Yuanshi chose to chat and distract himself: "By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet."
"You're welcome. My name is Hariri, just call me Little Ha."
"Okay, Dr. Xiaoha."
An overly polite child.
After Dr. Xiao Ha finished bandaging the young man's hand, Jiang Yuanshi didn't have time to look at it because Candy Box got there first and said, "Let me see, let me see!"
Candy Box's face was about to fall into someone's palm, and Dr. Xiao Ha picked it up and said: "You are so rude."
Jiang Tang was held in the air and snorted, "He hasn't said anything about me yet! Why are you saying anything about me? Right, Jiang Jiang."
Jiang Yuanshi: "Really? You are the leader, so you have the final say."
"What do you mean? Why are you so sarcastic?"
"It's nothing, Master Chief."
"I told you I have a name! Jiang Tang Jiang Tang! You gave it to me! Have you forgotten?"
Jiang Yuanshi smiled but said nothing. He stared at the candy box for a long time before his body suddenly stiffened in mid-air. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "...Hey, you're not really going to take it back, are you? No way?"
Jiang Yuanshi didn't say anything.
"Hey! No, you've already gotten up! It's mine! Who else do you want to give it to?!"
The candy box instantly turned into a man fluttering in the air. Suddenly, he saw a guy with an oval head and two thin legs emerging from Jiang Yuanshi's chest pocket. He became even angrier: "Great, you actually have a new lover! If you don't say anything, are you going to give him my name? I won't allow us to fight one-on-one!"
The candy box struggled like a live fish and jumped to the ground, declaring war on the oval-headed man: "Let's fight one-on-one!"
The oval head obediently got down to the ground. The originally small candy box looked extremely tall against the backdrop of the oval head. The candy box was very proud and was sure to win.
Oh!
The candy box fell to the ground!
Five to zero.
A crushing defeat.
The oval-headed man retracted his slender arms and hands into his body and looked at Jiang Yuanshi silently.
It would be fine if it was really a robot, but... Z01, you are so naive.
Jiang Yuanshi clapped silently as he watched and touched his oval head.
Seeing this, the candy box couldn't stand it anymore and fell to the ground and started throwing a tantrum.
"My name, my name! You are not allowed to touch him! You are not allowed to touch him! Obviously square things are better than round ones, his head isn't even round! Obviously I am better! Why don't you say anything? Why don't you say anything? Come on, say it! Say I am better! Wuuuuuuuuu."
The candy box was lying on the ground crying.
Jiang Yuanshi: “…” It would be nice if I had a camera.
Thinking about this, he looked at the oval head and had a good idea.
"Z01, please help me."
Z01 was puzzled and just said, "Okay."
Then, Z01, who was picked up, received the host's whisper and turned on the photo mode.
He took pictures of the candy box in confusion.
Z01: What’s so good about photographing a box?
Today is also a day when I don’t understand Jiang Yuanshi.
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