Chapter 59: What Have You Been Through? This Is a Symbol of Status

The corners of Shu Xin’s mouth twitched. She glanced at Lin Mu in the driver’s seat, whose face was thoughtful, then looked at Jiang Ying.

“Do you feel anything else?”

Jiang Ying looked at Shu Xin, puzzled. “Anything else? The air feels pretty fresh, and the temperature is nice and cool.”

Gu Wanqing sighed. How could this child be so clueless? How had she even survived here until now?

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Discomfort?” Jiang Ying stiffened, glancing out the window at Lin Mu.

Lin Mu’s eyes remained fixed on her.

The two locked eyes for ten seconds. Lin Mu was still watching her. If she didn’t understand what was going on by now, then she really was a fool.

She dashed into the car and slammed the door shut.

Bang!

“Are you trying to break the car? Why use so much force?” Lin Mu said, amused.

“You… you… used me as a test subject.”

“Don’t pin that on me. Shu Xin opened the door, you jumped out on your own. Even if I did use you as a test subject, would you dare refuse?”

Jiang Ying’s face froze. He had a point. She was at a loss for words.

Lin Mu stroked his chin. Judging by Jiang Ying’s condition, there didn’t seem to be any danger outside.

He had thought the next disaster would be poison-related, that something dangerous would appear here.

But it turned out to be a false alarm.

“If there’s no danger outside, go kill that wild boar.”

The group exchanged looks and sighed.

Guess they had to go.

Jiang Ying glanced toward the front of the car. Why not just drive over and stab it to death? But she didn’t dare ask.

The five of them got out, armed themselves, and approached the wild boar.

Sensing danger, the boar lifted its head, staring at the intruders in its territory.

It snorted twice, lowered its head, and aimed its tusks at them.

“This might be tough, it’s a wild boar after all,” Jiang Ying said, gripping her long knife so tightly her knuckles turned white.

She swallowed nervously, her anxiety mounting.

“It’s fine. As long as we coordinate, it won’t be a problem.”

Inside the car, Lin Mu was full of question marks.

He’d only looked down to find a weapon—how had they all gotten out already?

Why use cold weapons when they had firearms? What kind of hobby was this?

He thought for a moment, then grabbed a shotgun and stepped out of the car.

Meanwhile, the battle had already begun in the distance.

Jiang Ying screamed and ran wildly, the wild boar in hot pursuit.

The others stared in surprise—why was the boar only chasing Jiang Ying?

“Help! Do something! Stop watching! I can’t run anymore!” Jiang Ying shouted, running faster than she ever had in gym class.

Far faster.

The others hurried after her.

“She’s too fast! Turn around, turn around!” Shu Xin yelled—they couldn’t keep up at that speed.

Jiang Ying quickly changed direction, leading the boar back toward them.

The chubby boy tied a rope to a tree, the same iron chain that had once bound him.

He looped the rope around the other side. As soon as Jiang Ying ran past, he would pull it taut.

Jiang Ying raced past the rope. The chubby boy jerked it tight.

The wild boar tumbled to the ground.

The others rushed forward and hacked at the boar with their weapons.

Lin Mu was nearly upon them when he heard a commotion behind him. He turned and saw 001 pinning a man underfoot.

He rushed back to the car.

“Master, this man was sneaking over from that direction,” 001 reported.

The man under 001’s foot was still struggling, but each attempt brought a sharp pain to his back.

After a few tries, he gave up.

Lin Mu squatted, studying the balding, middle-aged man before him.

“Uncle, you’re almost fifty. Why are you sneaking around at your age? If you’re hungry, just tell me. I might not give you anything, but at least ask.”

The man froze, then retorted with a sour expression, “I’m only thirty, not forty! Who are you calling uncle?”

So what if he looked a little older, or his hair was thinning? Was that his fault?

Lin Mu looked at the man in shock. “You’re thirty? Who would believe that?”

“What have you been through?” he asked.

The man rolled his eyes. “It’s a mark of my profession—you wouldn’t understand.”

Light dawned on Lin Mu. “You’re in IT, aren’t you?”

The man’s mouth twitched. “Is it that obvious?”

Lin Mu set aside the issue of his profession for now. “Where’s your car? Are you alone, or with a group?”

The man said nothing, turning his head away from Lin Mu.

Lin Mu glanced at the gun in his hand. Was the man blind?

Click.

Feeling the cold metal at his temple, the man immediately forced a smile. “Hey, don’t get worked up. Ask away.”

“Tell me about yourself.”

“My name is Wang Changjun, I’m thirty, I work in IT, my hobby is wom—”

“Stop! I don’t care about your hobbies. Just tell me where your car is, and whether you’re alone or with a group.” Lin Mu pressed the gun barrel to the man’s forehead.

Wang Changjun swallowed hard. “It’s just me, no team. My car is not far, in that grove.”

At that moment, the five returned with the wild boar.

“Huh? You brought the whole boar back?”

“Yes. Maybe because we don’t have a car,” someone replied.

Lin Mu looked at Shu Yi.

Shu Yi shrugged. “You have the core, you haven’t given it to me yet today.”

Lin Mu tossed the core to Shu Yi. Shu Yi placed a hand on the boar and paused, surprised.

“No good. It’s still a whole wild boar.”

Shu Yi released the boar; it was still completely intact.

Unconvinced, Lin Mu stepped forward, stabbed the boar, and tried to store it away. It remained a whole boar.

“Could it be that creatures killed here can’t be dismantled?”

If so, that would be a problem.

Wang Changjun grimaced. “Hey, can you let me go? My back really hurts.”

“001, put a collar on him, then let him go.”

“Yes, Master.”

001 lifted its foot, revealing Wang Changjun’s bloody back, a clear footprint visible to all.

Lin Mu glanced at 001. “Your foot…”

“Master, to prevent escape, I’ve covered my sole in tiny spikes.”

Lin Mu’s eye twitched. That was overkill.

Tiny iron spikes, each only three or four millimeters long, covered 001’s sole.

Now he understood why 001 never wanted to wear shoes—they were his weapons.

Wang Changjun touched the collar, confused, and stood up.

Yet after taking a single step, his whole body trembled and he collapsed to the ground.

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow. Judging by the effect, what Wang Changjun was thinking wasn’t simple at all.