Chapter 213: The Missing Scavengers
At first, Xu Zhi didn’t pay much attention to this whole “absent from work” issue — it sounded like something that had nothing to do with her. But when Qi Yanxin came home from the factory the next day with a deeply troubled face, and her expression only grew worse over the following days — even faintly tinged with fear — Xu Zhi began to realize something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” Xu Zhi asked, lifting a cup of water in her right hand.
Though the doctor who’d treated her had been an unlicensed underground medic, the medicine had worked. After several days of taking it religiously, she still couldn’t get out of bed, but at least her hands no longer shook like they might snap in half just from holding a towel or a cup. Another ten days or half a month, and she should be able to walk again.
Her physical injuries were healing — slowly — but her extraordinary abilities still showed no sign of recovery. Whenever she tried to absorb the supernatural energy floating in the air, pain would slash through her meridians as if cut by blades, and whatever energy she managed to draw in would vanish instantly — as if a black hole inside her were devouring every trace of it.
The little aberration seed within her also showed no reaction. Xu Zhi had considered feeding it some of her blood to see if that would help, but after what had happened at the clinic, she didn’t dare casually slice her own hand open again.
Besides — her knife was missing. Qi Yanxin probably hadn’t found it. If it were nearby, Xu Zhi should have sensed it — they shared a faint psychic link. So had it ended up elsewhere? Or had some other scavenger picked it up?
If she still had the knife, the blade’s ability combined with her own Bloodthirst would let her unleash a powerful strike, even in her weakened state.
Of course… that was assuming she could actually get out of bed, instead of being stuck as a “wheelchair warrior.”
Qi Yanxin seemed distracted. It took her a moment to realize Xu Zhi had spoken. “Oh… it’s nothing. It’s just… lately, a lot of my coworkers have suddenly stopped showing up for work. Everyone’s a bit worried.”
Xu Zhi studied her face — it wasn’t just worry. The factory must be in chaos by now. But a bunch of people suddenly skipping work like that… it sounded like something serious had happened.
“Did the factory say anything about it?” Xu Zhi asked, mildly curious.
Qi Yanxin shook her head. “There are plenty of people who want factory jobs. If someone doesn’t show up, the spot just gets filled. The factory doesn’t care.”
Right. That explained the troubled look on her face — when coworkers start disappearing one after another, who wouldn’t be scared?
“You shouldn’t go out at night anymore,” Xu Zhi said. She knew Qi Yanxin often went scavenging after dark to earn a bit extra. But right now, when things were clearly off, her safety mattered more than money.
“But if I don’t go,” Qi Yanxin hesitated, “the factory wages alone aren’t enough…”
They were barely enough for her to live on — and now, with Xu Zhi’s medical expenses, it wasn’t even close.
“If something happens to you out there, what am I supposed to do?” Xu Zhi said flatly, the words feeling strange even to herself. She hadn’t expected she’d ever say something like that.
Realistically, if Qi Yanxin did disappear, Xu Zhi could still go back to the underground clinic and strike a deal with Dr. Zhuang — maybe even offer herself for more experiments in exchange for continued treatment. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it was no longer a matter of life and death like before.
Still… the woman before her had saved her life, and her care these past days wasn’t fake. Xu Zhi couldn’t bring herself to just ignore that. And besides, with the doctor’s instability, Qi Yanxin’s little apartment was at least a relatively safe, stable place to stay.
“…Alright,” Qi Yanxin finally agreed — unsurprisingly.
“But the money—”
“I’ll figure something out once I’m better,” Xu Zhi interrupted.
She didn’t mean anything else by it — she simply didn’t want to keep freeloading off an ordinary worker. The woman had saved her; returning the favor later felt only fair.
Qi Yanxin chuckled and shook her head. “You? You’re just a kid — what could you possibly do?” Her tone was teasing, but her eyes softened. Empty words though they were, Xu Zhi’s promise still made her feel warm — like, maybe, the girl had started to see her as family. Compared to the cold, distant girl she’d first taken in, this was progress.
In the days that followed, Qi Yanxin stopped going out at night. She walked to work with her neighbors whenever she could. But even without leaving home, Xu Zhi could tell — from the things Ye Ran muttered and from the tightness in Qi Yanxin’s face — that things outside were getting worse.
The tension in the slums was suffocating. When scavengers passed each other in the narrow streets, their gazes flicked uneasily — everyone thinking the same thing: Will he be the next to disappear?
Yes. It was no longer just “workers skipping shifts.” More and more scavengers were simply vanishing — overnight, without a trace. No bodies, no clues.
There wasn’t much media here. For entertainment, people relied on taverns, gambling, fighting pits, video games, or a beat-up old radio. Most of the time, the broadcasts were factory ads or hiring notices.
Lately, though, there’d been a lot more recruitment ads. Too many.
But anyone with half a brain knew the truth — the number of jobs hadn’t increased. It was the workers that had disappeared.
A week passed quickly. It was time for Xu Zhi’s follow-up check.
That day, Qi Yanxin took leave from work. Factory jobs offered no holidays, and full attendance accounted for a big chunk of pay — but she didn’t care about that anymore.
When they arrived at the clinic, another patient was already there.
He seemed familiar with Dr. Zhuang — the two were chatting casually. When Qi Yanxin wheeled Xu Zhi inside, the man glanced over, then turned back to the doctor and said quietly, “Things aren’t peaceful lately. You should be careful too.”
Dr. Zhuang shrugged indifferently, “You mean the missing workers? I don’t go anywhere. I just stay in my clinic all day — what can they do to me?”
“No,” the man said, shaking his head. “It’s something bigger. You know my connections — I’ve heard there’s going to be a military unit sent to the Plains District. They’re searching for something. And apparently… the order came from above.”
Dr. Zhuang whistled. “From the upper levels? You’re kidding. They haven’t issued a direct order down here in years. What the hell are they searching for?”
Under the brim of her cap, Xu Zhi lowered her head slightly — her expression showing just the right touch of curiosity.
The man shook his head again, “No idea. But whatever it is… it’s something big.”
