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Chapter 84

As their departure approached, Lian Ru Ning still hadn’t asked Hao Jian whether she knew about Hao Kan, but she had been closely observing her. 

 

Hao Jian showed no outward signs of emotional change, but Lian Ru Ning became increasingly convinced that she must have realized the person in the photo was Hao Kan. 

 

How could Lian Ru Ning tell? Because Hao Jian's "normalcy" felt completely unnatural under her constant scrutiny. In the past, whenever she stared at her like this, Hao Jian would either lean in for a kiss or tease her. 

 

Before reaching the military academy pier, Hao Jian retrieved her gun and machete. She also successfully applied for a firearm permit, meaning she wouldn’t need to disarm herself when entering the shelter next time. 

 

Meanwhile, Wei Renmin showed up at the pier punctually, steering a luxury motorboat. 

 

To be precise, it wasn’t Wei Renmin at the helm but rather a fair-skinned man who bore a six- or seven-tenths resemblance to him. Wei Renmin, however, lounged at the back of the boat wearing sunglasses, looking as if he were on vacation. 

 

Though Lian Ru Ning didn’t know much about motorboats, even she could tell this double-decked luxury boat must have cost at least several million. If they hadn’t scavenged or stolen it, then their family must be immensely wealthy. 

 

But if they were so rich, why would they work as private detectives? 

 

Lian Ru Ning couldn’t fathom the mindset of the wealthy. As she and Hao Jian boarded the boat, the fair-skinned man, who resembled Wei Renmin, greeted them warmly: "Hello, good afternoon, ladies. I’m Wei Guojia." 

 

"Hello," Lian Ru Ning replied. "You must be their eldest brother, right?" 

 

Wei Guojia smiled. "That’s right. With names like ours, it’s easy to guess who’s the eldest." 

 

"Aren’t you triplets? Where’s the third brother?" 

 

"When we take jobs like this, the youngest doesn’t join us. He’s more introverted," Wei Guojia explained. 

 

Unlike the reserved Wei Renmin, Wei Guojia was far more sociable. However, as he spoke, Hao Jian noticed an invisible earpiece in his ear. 

 

Hao Jian quickly understood how the three brothers worked together. The absent youngest brother was likely a tech genius, similar to Shi Gongdui. Perhaps he was even the most capable of the three, which was why they kept him safe, operating remotely from a secure location. 

 

Given their diverse skill set and cooperation with official agencies, their capabilities must be extensive. They might be able to use radio communication like the authorities or even decrypt official signal jamming to restore communications. 

 

If they could do that, did “Wujio” also have similar talents working for them? 

 

Hao Jian’s thoughts wandered, but they were repeatedly interrupted by the system's alerts, warnings about zombies within a 100-meter radius. 

 

Looking around, she noted the boat was more than 300 meters from either shore, so the alerts couldn’t be about zombies on land. The only possibility was zombies lurking beneath the river, as the water depth wouldn’t exceed 100 meters. 

 

Hao Jian calculated the alert location’s distance from University City, just over a kilometer away. If this group of zombies kept moving, they’d soon reach the nearby islands. 

 

She also thought of Haixin Island, which was closer to the shores. Could the riverbed in that area already be teeming with danger? 

 

"System, turn off these alerts," Hao Jian said. 

 

"But disabling the alerts will prevent the host from receiving further notifications." 

 

"I’ll turn them back on when I need them." 

 

She was heading for the city center, where hordes of zombies were undoubtedly gathering. Instead of being distracted by the constant noise in her mind, she preferred to rely on her own senses to detect danger. 

 

Once Hao Jian turned off the monitoring function, her mind finally quieted. She let out a small, silent sigh of relief and glanced at Lian Ru Ning, who was chatting with Wei Guojia. 

 

Lian Ru Ning seemed curious about why the three Wei brothers had formed such a team. She asked, “Besides helping people find others, do you take on other kinds of jobs? If finding someone is already so expensive, wouldn’t other jobs cost even more?” 

 

Wei Guojia chuckled. “We have to spend money buying fuel and supplies from the authorities, and sometimes we need to grease the wheels for our operations. When you add it all up, we don’t actually make much profit. Plus, we often have to risk our lives going into areas swarming with zombies. We’re trading our lives for it, so of course, we charge more.” 

 

“You’ve got good business instincts, and you’re brave enough to risk your lives to do this work. That’s impressive,” Lian Ru Ning said with admiration. “But what made you decide to get into this line of work in the first place?” 

 

Wei Guojia blinked and said, “Why? It’s all because of our second brother. He wasn’t willing to settle down after leaving the military and wanted something to do. After the zombie virus spread, we realized transportation and communication were a mess, and we encountered a lot of people needing help. The second brother always wants to play the good guy, so we just went along with him.” 

 

Lian Ru Ning glanced at Wei Renmin, who turned his head to look at them and gave a small nod. 

 

“...” 

 

“We’re here,” Wei Renmin said. 

 

Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning looked ahead and saw the iconic structures of Haixin Island, along with the scenic views of the riverbanks. 

 

However, the plaza near Haixin Island had become a playground for zombies. Countless undead wandered across the area, separated from Haixin Island by only 70 or 80 meters of water. If the zombies piled in and surged into the river, they could form a makeshift bridge. 

 

The three bridges connecting Haixin Island had all been destroyed, but the guards had still spent a significant amount of resources on military equipment to prevent the zombies from crossing the river. 

 

The authorities had considered relocating the refugees to another site, but the necessary infrastructure hadn’t been established yet. They also wanted to ensure that the refugees were compliant and easy to manage. These were tasks assigned to An Minghui. 

 

In reality, Haixin Island wasn’t very large, about one-seventh the size of the university city’s island. But because it was near the densely populated city center, the number of refugees there far exceeded those on the university island. 

 

As Hao Jian and the others approached, they initially thought the refugees were completely isolated from the rest of the world. 

 

On the southern edge of Haixin Island was a dock where Wei Guojia parked the motorboat. A group of guards came over to inspect. 

 

“It’s you guys again. What brings you here today? And who are these girlfriends you’ve brought along?” 

 

The guard seemed familiar with the Wei brothers. 

 

“We took on another family-reunion case today. We heard the person is here, so we came to check it out. These two clients didn’t feel confident about us, so they came along,” Wei Guojia said with a smile. 

 

The guard glanced at Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning. “We already have too many people here. No more can be accepted. Make sure they don’t wander around. If they run off, it’ll be a pain to track them down.” 

 

Hao Jian handed over her credentials. The guard glanced at them, his demeanor turning more serious as he left to scan them. When he returned, his expression was slightly begrudging. 

 

“Everything checks out. You can go in.” 

 

“Do you have the refugees' information registered here?” Hao Jian asked. 

 

“Yes, we do. Who are you looking for?” 

 

Lian Ru Ning provided her mother’s and brother’s identification details. The person on the other side opened an old version of Excel and ran a search. Within three seconds, the matching records popped up. 

 

“Gao Ruosu, female, 42 years old, associate professor at Southern City University, currently in Tent 23, Starlight Avenue Section. Lian Ruoji, male, 18 years old, student, currently in Tent 15, Ocean Ark Section.” 

 

Living in tents in this weather must be unbearable! 

 

The thought of the oppressive heat and the risk of heatstroke made Lian Ru Ning anxious. Wei Renmin accompanied her to search for her family, while Hao Jian stayed behind with Wei Guojia. 

 

“How many refugees are here?” Hao Jian asked. 

 

“Over forty thousand,” Wei Guojia replied. 

 

The number was significantly higher than that of Jiangxin Island in Jiang City. However, compared to the city center’s population, it was likely only about one percent. 

 

Even so, the guards were stretched to their limits trying to maintain order and provide tents, mats, fans, and food for over forty thousand people. 

 

The work was grueling. Despite setting designated areas for toilets, many people still relieved themselves wherever they wanted, forcing the guards to clean up to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases. 

 

The heat caused numerous cases of heatstroke, but the medical staff and doctors were insufficient. Often, they had to send boats to transport patients to the island near University City. That island, also a refuge, received supplies more efficiently as it was closer to the administrative center. 

 

Many refugees noticed the better conditions on that island and requested relocation, unwilling to stay in the tents on Haixin Island. Some even demanded to be moved to University City, which had more dormitories. 

 

For those who caused disturbances, the authorities issued strict orders: dangerous individuals inciting unrest among the public would not be tolerated. However, instead of resorting to extreme measures, they exiled them to the neighboring Ersha Island. 

 

Ersha Island wasn’t officially a refuge, as it had residential areas occupied by wealthy individuals. 

 

For reasons unknown, the virus outbreak there was relatively mild but still persisted. It wasn’t until authorities discovered that the virus could be transmitted through sexual contact that the spread was finally brought under control. 

 

The guards later destroyed the bridges connecting Ersha Island to the mainland. Without external threats, the island became relatively safer. 

 

However, when the guards requested that villa owners on the island accommodate refugees, the residents refused outright. 

 

With no choice, the authorities pulled back all guards from Ersha Island and redirected their forces to protect the refugees on Haixin Island. 

 

That didn’t mean Ersha Island was free of zombies. Without help from the guards, residents had to fend for themselves. The survival of those “exiled” there was no longer the guards' concern. 

 

The stringent measures pacified the people on Haixin Island. Even in the sweltering heat, complaints dwindled. 

 

Hao Jian fulfilled her duties by documenting security incidents on Haixin Island. While most cases seemed to be petty grievances about the harsh environment, she diligently analyzed them to discern whether the organization “Wujio” might have been involved. 

 

Meanwhile, Lian Ru Ning quickly found her mother, Gao Ruosu. 

 

At the sight of her suddenly appearing daughter, Gao Ruosu froze for a moment, thinking she was hallucinating from the heat. 

 

But when Lian Ru Ning hugged her, her eyes red with joy, Gao Ruosu realized that this was indeed her daughter. 

 

"Ru Ning, is that you? Why have you come back?" Gao Ruosu's eyes welled up with tears. 

 

"Mom, it's me. I've come back to find you," Lian Ru Ning said, noticing something off about her mother's condition. "Mom, why do you look so pale?" 

 

Inside the tent, there were ten women sharing the space, with only two oscillating fans blowing hot air around. Everyone wore light clothing, but even so, sweat drenched their outfits. 

 

Gao Ruosu waved her hand weakly. "I'm fine. A sip of water will do." 

 

Lian Ru Ning quickly handed her the water she had. Gao Ruosu drank a couple of sips, but Lian Ru Ning remained worried. "Mom, Dad found someone to help you and Ruoji. Let's leave." 

 

Gao Ruosu frowned. "I told your dad not to get involved with that privileged-class nonsense!" 

 

"Mom, Dad didn't abuse his power. He hired a private investigator to help find and fetch you." 

 

Only then did Gao Ruosu let out a sigh of relief. 

 

Hearing this, one of the women in the tent curiously asked, "Private investigator? Where are you going to live?" 

 

"We..." Lian Ru Ning hesitated. "We're going home." 

 

With that, Lian Ru Ning began helping her mother pack up. Once they were done, she supported Gao Ruosu as they stepped out of the tent. She placed a sunshade over her mother's head, even though the sun was setting, the sunlight still felt like it was scorching their skin. 

 

As they walked away from the tent, voices trailed behind them. "Going home, huh? Must be some official taking them away to live in comfort. Privilege, that's all it is!" 

 

Neither Gao Ruosu nor Lian Ru Ning responded. They quietly made their way to the dock. 

 

Hao Jian had finished asking the questions she needed and put away her notebook before stepping forward to help Lian Ru Ning carry their belongings. 

 

"Hello, Auntie, I’m Runing’s friend. My name is Hao Jian." 

 

"Hello... hello," Gao Ruosu mumbled, clearly disoriented and too weak to speak much. 

 

"Auntie might have mild heatstroke. Let’s get on the boat first. I’ll find some Huoxiang Zhengqi Water for her," Hao Jian suggested. 

 

Wei Guojia, noticing the situation, quickly said, "There’s Huoxiang Zhengqi Water and glucose solution on the boat. I’ll get them for you." 

 

"Thank you," Lian Ru Ning replied. 

 

Wei Guojia smiled. "Since we’ve been paid, we have to do the job right. At Brothers' Guardians, we take pride in our reputation." 

 

Soon, Wei Renmin arrived, dragging along a boy who was struggling and shouting, "Let me go! I need to find my mom!" The boy looked wary and resistant. 

 

But the moment he saw Lian Ru Ning, all his suspicion melted away. He ran straight to her. "Sister!" 

 

"Ruoji!" 

From her tone alone, Lian Ruoji could tell which sister she was looking at. "Sister Ning, did you find Mom?" 

 

"Yes, Mom is resting on the boat. How did you get so tan? I almost didn’t recognize you!" Lian Runing exclaimed, staring at the now much darker-skinned boy who was her younger brother. They had only been apart for the summer! 

 

"It’s a long story. Let’s get out of here first," Lian Ruoji replied. 

 

"Finish the paperwork, and you’ll be free to leave," one of the guards said. 

 

Lian Ruoji went to handle the paperwork but froze when he noticed Hao Jian standing nearby. 

 

Hao Jian glanced at him, and he quickly averted his eyes, rushing away in a fluster.