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Chapter 232. Xia Qizhen visits Shen Ye.

At this moment, at Dawn Base, in the Hive.

The outside world has been turned upside down, but life continues at the very bottom of this steel beehive.

Shen Ye carried two large bags of fruits and vegetables, his black shirt cuffs damp with morning dew, as he crossed the rusty turnstile with the elderly men and women who were snapping up discounted vegetables.

The air was thick with the stench of rotting vegetables and cheap perfume. From the third-floor window came the sounds of bowls and plates being smashed, and a woman's hysterical cries and curses pierced the morning mist.
"You useless piece of trash! You can't even afford rat meat!"

The neon lights of the brothel were on even during the day. Suddenly, a woman in a lace nightgown grabbed the iron bars and leaned half her body out of the window.
"Sir~"

Her fingers, painted with purple nail polish, traced across her collarbone:

"A night of passion, and I'll give you a 20% discount!"

Several young male prostitutes behind her chuckled seductively, their eyes adorned with gold powder.

Shen Ye quickened his pace, the plastic bag rustling. As he turned the corner, he saw Grandpa Wang sitting in front of the rusty apartment building entrance, just like always.

"Xiaoye is back."

The old man, his back hunched, like a withered old tree, called out slowly.

His disabled left leg was curled up unnaturally, and his right hand nervously rubbed his faded blue trousers.

The door to the innermost apartment on the first floor was ajar, and you could vaguely see the iron-framed bed with a yellowed sheet inside.

Early last week, Aunt Wang breathed her last on that very bed. The medical department's ambulance would cost 5000 gold coins, a sum that the elderly couple, along with their gifted son, couldn't afford. They could only watch her die.

Since then, the old man has been traumatized and no longer stays in the house. He often sits at the entrance of the building, staring blankly into the distance.

"My dad is just waiting to die."

His son, with red eyes, told Shen Ye yesterday that his fingernails had dug crescent-shaped bloody marks into his palms. The power of a gifted individual can move mountains and fill seas, but it cannot save a body eroded by time.

A breeze swept through the room, and Grandpa Wang's empty trouser legs swayed gently, like a flag flying at half-mast.

"I'm back, sir."

Shen Ye pulled out a few boxes of medicine from under a pile of chives in a plastic bag and handed them to the old man.

"This is for you, old man. Take your medicine on time. It doesn't cost much, so Xiaoze won't feel burdened."

The old man simply stroked the medicine box, tears welling in his cloudy eyes.

After saying goodbye to the old man, Shen Ye carried the deflated plastic bag and climbed the dilapidated stairs.

The rust-colored sunlight slanted in through the stairwell window, leaving mottled cracks on the steps.

As he reached the corner, he suddenly stopped.

A strange man was standing at his doorstep, like an abrupt pillar stuck in the old stairwell.

The man pushed up his thick glasses, revealing dark circles under his eyes that looked like he'd been punched twice. He also had a black ballpoint pen clipped to the collar of his plaid shirt.

"Hello, Lord Black King, my name is Xia Qizhen."

His voice was hoarse and weak, as if he had just stayed up all night.

Shen Ye subconsciously clenched the plastic bag. He didn't recognize the person in front of him, but he knew his name.

"Are you from the mental hospital?"

"No, I am an elder of the Dream Weaving Pavilion."

The man quickly denied it.

He slowly walked down the steps, took the bag of vegetables from Shen Ye's hand, and smiled, gesturing for Shen Ye to open the door.
"How about I come in and have a seat, Your Excellency Black King?"

The man in front of me still had the look of someone with kidney deficiency, but he was unusually outgoing.

Shen Ye stared at him for two seconds, then turned the key in the lock with a "clatter".

The moment the door opened, a draft rushed in, and the window directly opposite the door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

Shen Ye strode over, closed the window frame, and glanced out the window out of the corner of his eye.

The sky was clear and the sunlight was blinding; the shadows of the buildings were so faint they were almost invisible. — His "Night" was weak.

Shen Ye turned around and silently drew the two heavy blackout curtains.

The fabric snapped shut, extinguishing the last ray of light and plunging the room into darkness.

"Om..."

Shen Ye felt the power awakening in his veins, like ink dripping into clear water, spreading silently.

His talent, "Darkness," finally shone brightly.

"Is Lord Black King so wary of me?"

As if he had figured out why Shen Ye was doing this, the man in the plaid shirt stood at the door and said helplessly.

Shen Ye didn't answer, but instead took an old-fashioned table lamp from the drawer. The switch clicked, and a dim, yellowish light spread across the dining table, like a wisp of embers about to go out.

He gestured with his chin toward the chair next to the dining table, indicating that the other person should sit down.

Xia Qizhen shrugged, sauntered in carrying two bags of vegetables, and the plastic bags rustled on the table.

Shen Ye didn't rush to reply, but turned around and carried the groceries into the kitchen.

A sliver of cold white light peeked out through the gap between the refrigerator door and the door, but was quickly absorbed by the thawing fresh meat on the cutting board.

"I just noticed."

Xia Qizhen suddenly spoke, his gaze behind his glasses scrutinizing Shen Ye's busy figure.

"Has Lord Black King's eyes fully recovered?"

He paused and added:
"I've also learned so many life skills."

The sunlight outside the window was completely blocked by the blackout curtains, making the light from the desk lamp appear even dimmer.

Xia Qizhen's smile floated in the shadows:

"It seems you are enjoying your ordinary days."

The ice water on the cutting board was dripping down the grain, forming small puddles on the countertop.

Shen Ye paused for a moment, quickly washed his hands, and then sat down at the dining table.

He placed his hands on the table, the light from the desk lamp just illuminating the edge of Xia Qizhen's glasses. The man's eyes, hidden in shadow behind the lenses, resembled two bottomless wells.

"I don't remember being familiar with Elder Xia. Why have you suddenly come to visit me?"

Shen Ye asked calmly.

The frail man before him smiled calmly and said:

"Although we are not acquainted, I have long admired you. When I saw your disguise on the War Alliance's personnel list, I recognized you at a glance and made a special trip to pay you a visit."

Shen Ye knew about the recent invasion of the War Alliance by the Dream Pavilion's super artificial intelligence.

However, being at the bottom of society and worn down by the mundane realities of daily life, he viewed these things as distant and unseen. When he suddenly heard the person in front of him say this, he was slightly taken aback.

"...Now that you have visited, you may leave."

Shen Ye said stiffly.

Xia Qizhen understood the implication in his words that he wanted her to leave, but pretended not to understand and continued:

"Speaking of which, Lord Black King, you've been out of the asylum for half a year and are now safely here... Do you really think Lord Blind Master can't find you?"

Shen Ye didn't speak; he simply watched Xia Qizhen silently as she explained to herself:
"The reason the asylum didn't make a big fuss about your escape before was because the asylum was busy with the research and development of the Genius Drug and dealing with the impact of the global pollution outbreak on the headquarters, Black Pupil Pharmaceuticals."

"But now that the Genius Potion has been successfully administered, Black Eye Pharmaceuticals' headquarters are based in Haidu, and we're in a time of chaos and war, the forces of light are desperately in need of war fighters... Do you think they'll look for you again?"

Xia Qizhen stared intently at Shen Ye, whose face showed an indifferent expression:
"Just tell me your purpose directly. There's no need to give me this long explanation; I don't understand it."

"..."

Xia Qizhen smiled calmly. The urge to suppress his stupidity, which had been transferred from his primary personality, made him feel uncomfortable, but he still managed to endure it.