Chapter Seven: The Same Moonlight

"Boss, I need my car repaired."

Zheng Nanfang approached the oil drum by the bonfire, his eyes scanning the odd assortment of people as he tried to discern which one was the owner of the repair shop.

A burly man with braided sideburns stood up and pointed to the battered heavy-duty pickup truck parked by the roadside. "Is that your vehicle?"

"Yes." Zheng Nanfang felt a pang of guilt towards Hu Bi, picked up his backpack, and asked, "I don’t have the local currency here. Can I use something else as collateral?"

The bearded man laughed heartily, came over and clapped Zheng Nanfang on the shoulder, his voice boisterous, "No problem. If it weren’t for you, tonight would’ve been so dull. I’ll fix it for you for free. Come pick it up the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you." Zheng Nanfang nodded, pointing to the truck bed. "Do you have any synthetic oil compound here? There’s a corpse in the vehicle, plus the three people from earlier. Could you make some synthetic oil for me?"

"Got it, got it." The bearded man took the keys, adding, "Do you still want the bones?"

"Uh… No, you can have them."

...

It was well past midnight before Zheng Nanfang, after a day of rushing about, finally caught his breath.

The owner of the bus hostel vacated the room belonging to the mummy trio for Zheng Nanfang, without asking for anything in return.

Calling it a room was generous; the entire hostel consisted of dozens of abandoned buses joined together. The seats had all been removed, replaced by basic beds, tables, and chairs.

Some pricier rooms offered pressurized toilets and octopus chairs, reserved for those with ample wealth.

The bus room was spacious, but there was only one bed.

The owner’s gesture was simple goodwill—after all, the mummy trio had paid for their stay. But if Zheng Nanfang wanted to book another room for the trio of nurses, he’d have to pay the same amount.

The awkward part was that Zheng Nanfang didn’t have a single piece of universal currency on him.

The four of them stood in the sparse room, exchanging uneasy glances, none daring to speak.

It wasn’t that Zheng Nanfang felt embarrassed about sharing a room with the girls. He simply wanted a good night’s sleep after his journey, but one bed couldn’t fit four people. He didn’t want to sleep on the floor, nor could he claim the bed for himself.

More importantly, he still didn’t trust the three feisty girls. Sharing a room with them meant he couldn’t sleep soundly.

The red-haired girl, lively and perceptive, seemed to pick up on his worries and offered, "You rest. We’ll sleep in the vehicle?"

After the bloody bonfire spectacle earlier, the nurses’ attitude toward Zheng Nanfang had changed dramatically.

Better to ally with the strong than oppose them. The trio of nurses understood the law of the jungle, making their allegiance clear immediately.

"You don’t need to worry about us. From now on, we three are yours. We’ll follow the rules of the Lower District. Rest assured, we won’t be a burden."

She shot a glance at her companions, and each pulled a blade wrapped in oilcloth from their bras and handed it to Zheng Nanfang—a gesture of sincerity.

"I don’t really know your customs. As I said, if you wish to leave… return to that clinic, I won’t stop you."

"We know, but we have the right to choose," the red-haired girl replied, tossing her lab coat to the floor, her long hair falling in waves, her charm undeniable. "Sister Hong is great, but she doesn’t really need us."

Zheng Nanfang wanted to say, "I don’t need you either," but faced with three beautiful women, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

For a moment, he even wished Shaman were there.

Drawing a deep breath, Zheng Nanfang decided to follow his instincts. "Draw the curtains, lock the door," he said, rummaging through his backpack for a transparent bottle and shaking out a few black pills.

The red-haired girl slipped off her clothes and drew near, her pale arms wrapping around his neck, her breath fragrant, laughter soft. "You must be exhausted today. Rest well." With that, she snatched the pill bottle from his hand and tossed it aside.

"It’s not what you think…" Zheng Nanfang stammered, trying to explain, "I have to take them, or it’ll affect—mmph."

Before he could finish, her lips sealed his.

She wasn’t interested in his reasons, her eyes smoldering, voice seductive. "Take me."

"Wait, wait…" Zheng Nanfang scooted back on the bed, trying to make room for the other two nurses, hastily repeating, "Medicine, medicine…"

But the nurses had no intention of letting him speak.

The short-haired, doll-faced girl and the one with almond-shaped eyes exchanged a shy glance, then closed in.

Dim moonlight, intoxicating fragrance, the gentle chirping of birds, and the storm of passion.

Zheng Nanfang’s last shred of reason vanished.

In that moment, his mind wandered to the vast sky above the Gobi, the towering launch tower piercing the clouds, the golden hair once fluttering across his body, those mysterious deep blue eyes…

"Caroline…"

He murmured softly, utterly lost.

&&&&&

Meanwhile…

Northern Upper District, Asian Quarter, a martial arts studio.

"If you’re not one hundred percent confident you’ll knock your opponent down, don’t raise your leg."

The dignified studio owner, Jin Ling, paced along the edge of the training hall, her cold gaze sweeping over the perspiring trainees, her eyes sometimes icy, sometimes briefly hazy.

"Ten minutes’ free activity," Jin Ling tossed her head, her expression unusually complex.

"Sister Ling, are you alright?" The male coach beside her looked concerned. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I’m fine. Keep an eye on things."

Her face remained impassive. She waved him off and strode toward the restroom.

"What the hell is going on?" Jin Ling muttered, forcing herself to suppress the surging sensation, hurried to the sink, turned the tap, and splashed icy water onto her face.

Yet the cold water did nothing to quell the rising heat; it only fueled the blaze.

"Damn kid, doesn’t he know to take his meds!"

A flush crept across Jin Ling’s cheeks. Her breath grew more ragged. Finally, she sighed in resignation and locked herself in a stall.

...

Southern Wasteland, a secure zone, a laboratory.

"Professor Meng, are you alright?" Lab assistant Xiao Liu handed Meng Chang a cup and felt his forehead. "Are you sick?"

"No, no," Meng Chang removed his glasses, set them aside, took a deep breath. "You all go on. I just need a rest."

Xiao Liu looked worried. "You’re burning up, professor. Are you running a fever? I have medicine in my dorm, I’ll go fetch it."

...

"No need, no need." Meng Chang wiped the sweat from his brow, sat up straight, tugged at his hazmat suit, trying to conceal the awkwardness in his lap, embarrassment clear. "I really am fine."

"Don’t push yourself, professor. The schedule’s been so tight lately, you’re clearly exhausted." Xiao Liu stubbornly pulled Meng Chang up. "Let us handle the final steps. Go rest in your dorm."

Meng Chang rolled his eyes, struggling to suppress the waves of pleasure his brain sent him, gritted his teeth and asked, "Xiao Liu, do you have a boyfriend?"

The assistant paused, blushing. She shook her head. "I like men I can admire. The students here are too immature."

Meng Chang made up his mind, laughed, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Help me to my room."

...

The Island Ring, a mansion.

Little Loli rubbed her sleepy eyes, climbed out of bed, and tiptoed to her parents’ bedroom. She gently knocked on the door.

Inside, muffled sounds echoed.

She waited, but no one answered. She stood on tiptoe, turned the handle, and pushed the door ajar.

...River Crab Law is great...

Little Loli puffed her cheeks in annoyance and walked in. "Daddy, don’t hit Mommy."

The couple on the bed were startled. The man scrambled off, pulled up the blanket to cover them, flustered and embarrassed. "Loli, what are you doing? Why aren’t you asleep at this hour!"

"I can’t sleep, I feel weird." Loli pouted, scampered over, climbed onto the bed, and nestled between her parents.

Both parents coughed awkwardly, getting dressed under the covers, their faces showing abrupt disappointment and helplessness.

"What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" The graceful mother smoothed her hair, pulled Loli into her arms, and glared at her husband, whose hand was still misbehaving.

"I don’t know, just feels strange, I can’t sleep," Loli burrowed deeper into her mother’s embrace.

"Don’t be afraid, Mommy will hold you." The woman’s gaze softened, glanced at her husband’s helpless face, and couldn’t help but laugh. "Turn off the light, Old Dai. We’ll continue tomorrow."

"As you wish, my little Loli and little-little Loli."

...

Southern Lower District, Deep Blue Clinic, a hospital room.

Hu Bi had changed into patient clothes, apparently showered. His hands and feet were strapped to the bed with leather belts, a gag in his mouth, drool running down his chin, his face contorted with terror and despair as he stared at Hong Xiangcai approaching his bedside.

Hong Xiangcai held a syringe filled with unknown liquid.

"Morita, this is your last chance." Hong Xiangcai pulled down her mask, her beautiful eyes gleaming with madness, a smile playing on her lips. "I’ve never performed a gender reassignment surgery before, I’m a little nervous."

"Mmm mmm mmm mmm…" Hu Bi struggled fiercely, his mouth urgently babbling.

Hong Xiangcai raised her eyebrows, removed the gag, and said, "Take me to the Hive, or become my sister. Make your choice. Last chance."

"The Hive! The Hive! I’ll take you, damn it!" Hu Bi, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, gasped desperately. "But you have to bring that guy back—he knows about the Island Ring!"