Chapter 255: Yan Yan
“I have a friend who does business in He Kang. He came back and told me he doesn’t dare go there anymore. He said there’s a psychotic killer on the loose—better to be killed by zombies than by a lunatic.”
“In the following days, He Kang started strict investigations, but they never found anything. Instead, more and more people kept dying. No idea what’s happening there now, but I’m definitely not going. Seems like a lot of people from He Kang are fleeing, too.”
Su Tao listened, feeling a chill run down her spine.
No wonder Meng Qian had mentioned that applications for relocation from He Kang had suddenly increased. It wasn’t just the worsening conditions, the rising frequency of zombie sieges—Bone Wings’ unseen hand was likely pushing things along from the shadows.
Just as she hung up, Su Tao received a call from Pei Dong.
“I’ve already sent people to He Kang and reported the situation. The old commander said Changjing will dispatch a rescue team as soon as possible.”
Su Tao nodded and shared everything she had learned about He Kang’s recent abnormalities.
Pei Dong’s brows furrowed tightly. “Then there’s no doubt—it’s them. Fortunately, you reacted quickly this time.”
Su Tao sighed, feeling a bit helpless. “I never expected Mr. Ji’s distress call to come to me.”
If he had called Changjing instead, the outcome might have been better.
With Changjing’s strength, they might have someone like Zhou Hai or Zhou Yang—someone capable of tearing through space and arriving instantly.
But soon, she understood why.
Less than half an hour later, Lin Fangzhi received another message.
At the top was an address in He Kang, followed by a long paragraph:
“Boss Su! I’m Ji Caizhe. I sincerely apologize for everything before! I was an idiot! I was shameless! I beg you, please save me! My father said that as long as Taoyang is willing to rescue me, he will give you all of He Kang’s twenty years of research results and its entire research team! The address above is where we are! I’m here with the researchers, along with all the equipment and data! Please save us!”
Zhuang Wan curiously asked, “Is this from Ji Boda again? Why didn’t he just call?”
Su Tao showed her the message.
Zhuang Wan was stunned for a moment, not immediately grasping the situation.
“Didn’t Changjing already send a rescue team? We don’t need to go, right?”
Su Tao shook her head and explained,
“Ji Caizhe is a fool—he didn’t understand his father’s real message. Mr. Ji wanted to make sure that after his son was rescued, I would arrange a place for him, preferably letting him live safely in Taoyang for the rest of his life, under my protection.”
“As compensation, he’s willing to hand over He Kang’s entire research legacy to me.”
Zhuang Wan finally understood. “No wonder they turned to us—Changjing wouldn’t care about He Kang’s research team.”
Su Tao gave a bitter smile. “Exactly. He Kang’s research team might be one of the best in the South, but to Changjing, they’re just the tallest among dwarfs. Sure, if they got them for free, they’d take them. But if they had to put in effort? They wouldn’t bother.”
“Ji Boda really planned everything for his son, knowing exactly what I’d be tempted by.”
Su Tao silently thought to herself—she wasn’t happy about picking up Changjing’s leftovers.
When would Taoyang be able to sit at the same table as Changjing instead of just taking their scraps?
There was still a long road ahead.
Zhuang Wan also felt a bit uncomfortable but still firmly supported Su Tao’s decision.
“If you want them, take them. When Ji Caizhe comes, we’ll send him to a distant location so he won’t be in your way. I’ll also keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t bother you.”
Su Tao nodded. “Let’s wait until they’re rescued first. After the Alliance Summit, come with me to He Kang—I want to see what Ji Boda has been working on for the past twenty years. Also, have Liu Panpan come back today. Tell her to meet me in the office—I need to talk to her.”
To her surprise, when Liu Panpan returned in the afternoon, she brought Yangyang with her.
Su Tao’s eyelid twitched, but she didn’t say anything and gestured for her to sit down.
Yangyang clung to Liu Panpan’s neck. Feeling uneasy in the unfamiliar environment, he timidly whispered, “Mommy, I’m scared.”
Liu Panpan gently stroked his back, soothing him. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Yangyang, it’s okay—this is the fairy sister.”
Seeing that there was only Su Tao around, Yangyang did relax a little, but he still clung to Liu Panpan like a baby koala. It took a long time to calm him down.
Finally, Su Tao brought over White Sesame, and only then did Yangyang let go, running off to play with the little cat.
Su Tao turned to Liu Panpan and asked, “Are you planning to adopt Yangyang?”
Liu Panpan’s expression grew complicated. She nodded.
“I was thinking about it. Is that not allowed?”
“It is,” Su Tao replied. “But why do you want to adopt him?”
Liu Panpan hesitated, then murmured, “He reminds me of Yanyan… My Yanyan was just like this—clingy, dependent on me, timid but stubborn.”
Su Tao sighed. “But he isn’t Yanyan. Have you considered… what if Yanyan is still alive? What if he’s been waiting for you all this time?”
Liu Panpan froze, staring blankly. “How could he still be alive?”
Su Tao truly didn’t want to say these things.
But with Bone Wings now in the South, it was highly likely to infiltrate Dongyang soon.
If it saw Liu Panpan taking care of another child, then Dongyang’s fate would be the same as He Kang’s.
Until they were absolutely certain they could capture Bone Wings, provoking it was a terrible idea.
Su Tao looked Liu Panpan straight in the eyes. “If Yanyan is still alive and he sees you with another child, he’ll be heartbroken.”
Liu Panpan clutched her chest in pain, covering her face as she began to sob.
“I miss him so much. Every night when I close my eyes, I hear him calling me—‘Mommy, I hurt… Mommy, I miss you… Mommy, where are you?’ I can’t sleep at all. I stay up all night, and only when the sun rises do I feel like I can finally breathe again.”
“Boss Su… I really, really…”
Her whole body trembled, tears streaming down her face.
Su Tao quickly held onto her, regretting bringing it up.
Liu Panpan pounded her chest, crying,
“I let Yanyan down—I’m a terrible mother. Seeing Yangyang makes me feel like Yanyan was just a dream. That my child never left me, that he never suffered from illness or pain, that he was never abandoned in that dark, lifeless parking garage… I—I’m so selfish. I just want to feel better.”
