The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland

An air purifier costs several thousand Star Coins; she could never bring herself to buy one.

Shen Lu didn’t quite know what to say. She wouldn’t have minded giving an air purifier to Granny Jin, but she knew the old woman would never accept it.

Shen Lu took out the meal she had prepared, but Granny Jin refused to take it.

"Shen Lu, I’m touched that you came to see me. Please, take the food back." Granny Jin’s expression was stern as she turned and took some Star Coins from her nightstand. "And for the meals you had Wang Daguo deliver before... I don’t know what would be a fair price, so just take this."

"Granny Jin, I didn’t bring you food to get your money." Shen Lu shook her head. "I just want to do something for you."

Since arriving in this Otherworld, Granny Jin was the first person who had shown her any warmth.

Shen Lu would always remember this kindness.

"You’ve already done more than enough for an old woman like me..." Granny Jin’s eyes grew a little red, and her voice choked with emotion.

If not for a lingering attachment in her heart, she would have long since followed her late husband.

But life as a widow was lonely and solitary. Shen Lu’s arrival had brought a splash of vibrant color to her gray existence. Aside from her son, from whom she hadn’t heard a word, she now had someone else to care about.

Her monotonous life now had some flavor. Though Granny Jin never said so, she truly cherished it.

"Granny Jin, our meeting was a kind of fate. When I was first cast out into the Seventeenth District, I had nowhere to live. If it weren’t for you, I never would have made it through that time safely."

"But you paid your own rent."

"But your kindness isn’t something money can buy." Shen Lu patted the back of her hand. "I’m earning good money now, so these meals don’t cost much. Please, just eat and don’t worry about it. If you still feel you owe me something, then just focus on getting better. And when you have some free time, come visit me at the shop."

Granny Jin’s lips moved a few times, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to keep refusing.

One who walks in darkness can’t help but be drawn to the sight of a warm fire.

Shen Lu waited for Granny Jin to finish her meal, then once again brought up the idea of her staying at the shop for a while.

This time, Granny Jin didn’t reject it outright, only saying she needed to think about it.

"You can move back here after you’ve recovered." Shen Lu explained patiently, "The weather is bad right now, and this house isn’t good for your recovery. Granny Jin, I’ll come see you again tomorrow. You can give me your answer then."

"Okay, I’ll give it some serious thought tonight."

Shen Lu packed up the lunchbox. Granny Jin walked her to the door, reminding her to be careful on the way home.

"Got it."

Shen Lu opened her umbrella and stepped unsteadily into the rain.

The water on the ground was murky, obscuring the pavement. Shen Lu didn’t dare walk too fast, carefully wading through.

Just as she was leaving the entrance to the Seventeenth District, she was knocked down by someone who crashed into her from the side.

"Ah!"

The umbrella fell into the water. Shen Lu flailed her arms, trying to grab onto something to keep her balance.

A pair of strong arms grabbed her raincoat, stopping her just before she plunged into the filthy water.

"You—!" The accusation died on Shen Lu’s lips as she got a clear look at the person’s face. "Brother Wang?"

"Boss Shen?!" Hearing the familiar voice, Wang Daguo recognized her too. A chagrined look crossed his face. "My apologies. I was in such a rush, I didn’t see you."

"It’s okay, I’m fine."

Wang Daguo picked up the umbrella and gave it a good shake before handing it back to Shen Lu.

"Boss Shen, it’s getting dark. You should hurry home."

"Okay." Shen Lu tightened her grip on the umbrella’s handle. "What are you doing out here?"

At her words, Wang Daguo’s brow furrowed even more deeply. He stared at Shen Lu, seemingly conflicted, before finally coming to a decision.

"Boss Shen, could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Could you have Ye Fan and Lin Zhou help me find someone?"

"Find someone? Who?"

Wang Daguo wiped the rain from his face. "Fang Peng. He’s my neighbor. He... he ran away. His family and I are looking for him."

’Ran away?’ That word had an ugly ring to it. "What’s going on?"

’She didn’t mind helping her employee, but she wasn’t about to get mixed up in a crime without knowing the facts.’

Wang Daguo pursed his lips and briefly told Shen Lu about the Fang family’s situation.

"...He was tied up with a steel cable, but somehow it snapped today. He jumped right out the window and disappeared."

Shen Lu grew thoughtful. "This Fang Peng... has he been drinking expired nutrient liquid?"

"I asked Fang Ming. He said his dad had."

Shen Lu made a decision on the spot. "Okay, I’ll have Ye Fan and Lin Zhou help you look. But I have one condition I’ll tell you up front: once he’s caught, bring him to my shop first."

"Boss Shen, you’re not planning to send him to a research institute, are you?" Wang Daguo was suddenly filled with regret. ’I shouldn’t have told her about the Fang family.’

"I won’t. You have my word. I will not send Fang Peng to a research institute." Shen Lu sent a message as she spoke, and before long, Ye Fan and Lin Zhou arrived.

Since things had come to this, Wang Daguo had no choice but to describe Fang Peng’s appearance to Ye Fan and Lin Zhou.

Wang Daguo and Shen Lu formed one team. Ye Fan and Lin Zhou each chose a different direction, splitting the four of them into three search parties.

Shen Lu had been attacked by a mutant beast before, and so had Wang Daguo. After a quick conference, they decided to focus their search on the alleyways.

’Those mutant beasts seem to love hiding in alleys. Maybe the narrow space makes them feel secure?’

"This Fang Peng you mentioned, what’s his condition now? Has he completely turned into a mutant beast, or is it the early stages?"

"Probably the early stages. I made sure to tell Fang Ming to have his family stop giving Fang Peng any more nutrient liquid."

"Does that mean you agree with my theory now?"

Wang Daguo fell silent for a moment, his voice trembling slightly. "If all of that expired nutrient liquid is tainted... the Imperial City is going to be plunged into chaos."

There was no telling how much expired nutrient liquid the pharmaceutical companies had dumped in the Lower City District’s junkyards, nor what percentage of it was tainted.

This expired nutrient liquid was practically hard currency in the Lower City District, circulating widely. And precisely because it was already expired, most people consumed it quickly, afraid its nutritional value would decline even further over time.

Over ninety percent of the people in the Lower City District had consumed expired nutrient liquid. If that was what caused people to turn into mutant beasts...

Wang Daguo didn’t dare to think any further.

"For now, things are still under control. The death toll in the Lower City District has been rising, but there haven’t been any riots yet. You don’t need to be overly concerned for the moment."

Shen Lu comforted him in a low voice while mentally searching for any relevant plot points.

’Damn it. Not a single useful piece of information.’

The original author had mostly covered the heroine’s backstory through flashbacks, with just a sentence or two here and there. But about the expired nutrient liquid? Not a single word had ever been mentioned.

But that could also mean that the expired nutrient liquid never caused that big of a stir.