Chapter 495: Use It and Toss It

Ying Duo lifted Mei Weisi's Aberrant Species Core from the bar counter, the amber crystal turning once in his palm as he glanced at the light—

Inside, the queen bee that had been "sealed" vanished; he placed the Core back on the bar and pushed it toward Hua Jian Lei.

"Can this thing still be used for deciphering?"

"It should be fine; after all, I only separated Ms. Mei Weisi's soul fragment a moment ago."

As long as it works, good; Ying Duo packed the item away—this round wasn't a loss.

After all, Hua Jian Lei hinted at potentially valuable intelligence, which he was genuinely interested in and willing to gamble on.

"What about Xi Rensheng?"

Come to think of it, Yang Yixie hadn't seen Xi Rensheng for a while.

When Xi Rensheng was idle, he liked to run over and drag him along for fun, but since Xi Rensheng didn't show up, he must have found some "toy" elsewhere.

"He said he went looking for you," Hua Jian Lei frowned at the words, a foreboding feeling suddenly rising, "You didn't see him?"

"No."

So the question is, where is Xi Rensheng employed now?

"By the way, do you have any intelligence on Xie Jingnian?"

Hua Jian Lei's eyebrows twitched; he instinctively reached for a cigarette case in his pocket, but then remembered a lady was present, even though she was only a soul fragment…

In the end, he didn't pull out the case.

"His intel is scarce; should I say it's fitting for someone who runs the Intelligence Department? I have at least some info on the other Dome ministers, except him…"

"I only know that a few years back, the plan to hunt the Divine Oracle went awry; Xie Jingnian's wife died, and since then he's cut off contact with his own daughter."

"Alright, I need to fetch something; let's leave first."

Ying Duo, as always, discarded it after use; Luo Jinyou followed behind, and after they secured the needed intelligence, the two hurried away without looking back.

Mei Weisi gently settled onto Hua Jian Lei's shoulder; her body had already grown paler than before, and the time she could keep her mind clear was running short.

She watched Ying Duo's straight‑away departing silhouette and pursed her lips.

"Use it and toss it, just like Fang Zhiyan's virtue."

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Qi Ran's wrist was shackled; her hand rested on her thigh, a faint dry dark‑red mark still clinging in the nail groove.

Her clothes bore several tears, the most obvious being a gash at the shoulder that ran from the collar down to the sleeve opening, exposing the white lining beneath and a short segment of her clavicle.

She kept her head down, her grass‑green short hair hanging beside her face; without makeup, her features looked even more gaunt, likely from not eating properly lately.

Xie Jingyan sat in the chair opposite her, her gaze fixed on Qi Ran's face, never wavering.

"Did you summon me back then because those Aberrant Species were pressuring you?"

In the Dome, voluntarily bringing Aberrant Species into the city, versus being forced to act under their control, are punishments of completely different levels.

Qi Ran's mouth twitched, a hint of impatience curving it.

"What's the point of saying this now?"

Her voice was hoarse, probably from not drinking water for so long; her lips were chapped.

Xie Jingyan pushed the glass of water across to where Qi Ran could reach; Qi Ran glanced down at it but didn't reach for it.

"Actively introducing Aberrant Species into the city is punishable by death." Xie Jingyan sighed heavily; everything she had done before knowing Qi Ran was meant to make her a bargaining chip for the Aberrant Species, and she had once been angry about it.

But Qi Ran still has a younger brother.

If Qi Ran dies, her brother's frail body would have no way to survive in this world.

Qi Ran's eyelashes twitched; her gaze shifted from the glass to the shackles on her wrist.

She is just an ordinary person, and the shackles, made of simple alloy, can easily seal her destiny.

"I really hate you."

Xie Jingyan looked at her without saying a word.

"You sit high above, your compassion overflowing, always eager to give charity to others."

"You think you're helping me? You just want to reassure yourself, to feel like a good person, and you simply don't want to regret it."

Unlike Xiao Huiyu, who was a member that Xie Jingyan chose herself, Qi Ran's joining them was an accident from the start.

It was simply because, during her first stage appearance, the drummer the organizers had hired didn't show up, and Qi Ran happened to fill that spot; that same day, Xie Jingyan's voice made their stage famous.

Thus, the three of them forming a group seemed only natural.

Deep down, Qi Ran is actually very proud, but life has long since broken most of that pride; under Xie Jingyan's protection, she has managed to piece together a bit of it again.

However, the fact remains that she almost caused Xie Jingyan's death.

"Someone helped me crack your communicator." Xie Jingyan turned her head aside; she knew Qi Ran's temperament and would always provide some assistance covertly.

Qi Ran's dealings with those Aberrant Species nearly doomed her, but because of Qi Ran's odd attitude at the time, Xie Jingyan agreed to have the two from the Field Operations Department accompany her.

Xie Jingyan won't let Qi Ran off that easily; a female star's prime is brief, even more so in this wasteland world.

Even a short period of inactivity could mean that when she reappears, she's already past her prime.

Qi Ran will pay the most precious few years for the decision she made for her.

"You will spend a long time in prison; during that period, I will cover all your brother's medical expenses."

Qi Ran's pupils contracted briefly; she snapped her head up to stare at Xie Jingyan, who did not look at her.

"Everyone has something they cherish; I'm not concerned with your life or death, but you would do anything for your brother, including betraying me, even turning yourself into what you are now."

"I've never thought that sacrificing everything to protect what's important to you is wrong."

Qi Ran's lips trembled; her nails dug into her palm, leaving several deep crescent marks.

"You really are a saint."

"I'm just respecting life."

Xie Jingyan said lightly, constantly emphasizing to remind herself of life's preciousness.

When a thing—or a tool in hand—becomes light and easy, one will unconsciously overlook the risk behind it.

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Playing cards flutter between the boy's fingers, instantly drawing the eyes of many nearby children.

This is the Dome's affiliated hospital; families who are hospitalized here basically all have a bit of mineral.

Moreover, security here is strict; others seeing the situation only think that someone is afraid their own child is bored and has specifically brought a clown from outside to perform acrobatics, to amuse the kids.