Being forced to grow like a pig? But I'm immune to the consequences!

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Wu Sheng recognized the two figures and called out to them.

The visitors were Zhao Shugen and his young grandson Zhao Mingyuan.

"Ah Sheng..." Hearing the call, Uncle Zhao looked up and saw Wu Sheng. As if grasping at a lifeline, he quickly led his grandson over.

"Uncle Zhao, what brings you here? Is there something you need?" Wu Sheng asked. Uncle Zhao had no relatives or friends in this area, so there must be a reason for his special trip.

"Ah Sheng, I..." Uncle Zhao's lips moved a few times, but the words were stuck in his throat as if something was blocking them. He just sighed deeply, his brows furrowed with unyielding sorrow and exhaustion.

Seeing this, Wu said gently, "Uncle Zhao, this is not the place to talk. Come home with me first, sit down and we can talk slowly."

After nodding to Arif, Wu Sheng led the old man and the young man toward his home.

Since Wu Sheng gained the right to enter the inner city, Arif led people to help him renovate and expand his family's originally low and dilapidated shack. Although it is still simple, it is now much more spacious and sturdy.

At home, Wu Yu was busy at the stove, preparing a simple meal. When she saw Uncle Zhao and his grandson arrive, she was a little surprised, but she quickly put down what she was doing and greeted them warmly.

"Uncle Zhao, if you have any difficulties, please tell me." Wu Sheng invited Uncle Zhao to sit down, handed him a bowl of water, and got straight to the point.

"Ah Sheng... this is what happened." Uncle Zhao held the water bowl, his knuckles slightly white, and recounted in detail the forced fundraising in the settlement because the children of the Xu and Yan families were allowed to enter the inner city, as well as Liu Xuezheng's coercion and threats.

"I...I really can't come up with that money..." Zhao Bo's voice choked with sobs at the end, his weathered face filled with the despair of having nowhere to turn.

Without hesitation, Mr. Wu said, "Uncle Zhao, it's only four hundred yuan. I'll lend you this money to tide you over for now."

Uncle Zhao slowly shook his head, a resolute glint in his cloudy eyes: "Asheng, I'm not here to borrow money. To be honest, I never intended to go back after bringing Xiaoqi with me this time."

He glanced around the warm but not wealthy room, then looked down at his bewildered grandson nestled beside him, his voice hoarse and heavy: "I've spent my whole life over there, and I've seen through some things long ago. My grandson and I have no roots or connections. I'm old, and Xiao Qi is still young... If we stay any longer, we'll be devoured sooner or later, leaving not even a bone fragment."

He had originally planned to risk his old age by taking on dangerous missions, hoping to accumulate enough contribution points to support his grandson. However, Liu Xuezheng's actions, coupled with Wu Sheng's family's past misfortunes, completely chilled his heart—could those contribution points really end up in Xiao Qi's hands?

"I want to bring Xiao Qi and join your group." Uncle Zhao raised his head, his eyes fixed on Wu Sheng, with a desperate plea. "Sheng, I hope... you can protect my grandson and me. Of course, I won't ask for your help for nothing."

As he spoke, he carefully pulled out a small bag wrapped in layers of tattered gray cloth from the innermost part of his body. His thin, withered fingers trembled slightly as he unwrapped the cloth layer by layer, revealing its contents.

"Ah Sheng, you know, your Uncle Yuan also went into the inner city back then, and later... he was seriously injured during a mission outside the city and died from his injuries." Uncle Zhao's voice was very low, as if afraid of disturbing something. "This thing is what he brought back from that trip. He didn't hand it over to his superiors, but told me privately that he felt this thing... was a bit special, not like an ordinary object. I'm an old man, not a martial artist, so I don't understand what it is, and I dare not take it out casually."

The cloth bag was fully unfolded, revealing an oval-shaped object about the size of a palm. Its texture was peculiar, resembling bone yet not quite, but it had a cool, jade-like feel to the touch. Its surface was covered with naturally formed, intricate, and mysterious patterns, clearly not man-made, subtly exuding an indescribable aura of antiquity and mystery.

Uncle Zhao gently pushed the object toward Wu Sheng: "I don't know if this will be of any use to you. If... if it really has any value, I hope it can give my grandson and me the right to settle down here, and give you some protection."

Having lived to such an old age, he had long understood one truth: without strength, it's all the same no matter where you run. True peace requires paying a price, exchanging it for a tangible promise from the strong. And Wu Sheng was, in his eyes, someone worthy of his trust.

Wu Sheng picked up the strange bone jade, which felt slightly heavy in his hand. He examined it carefully, running his fingertips over the natural patterns. He could faintly feel a strange rhythm that was extremely faint and hard to detect, but he had no idea what its purpose was.

After a moment's hesitation, he gently placed the bone jade on the table, looked at Uncle Zhao, and said in a calm and firm tone, "Uncle Zhao, please stay here without worry. You can stay with me for now. In a couple of days, I will ask Chief Arif to help build another shed next door. As long as I, Wu Sheng, am still in this settlement, no one will be able to bully you and your grandson."

Wu Sheng immediately summoned Arif and explained Zhao Bo and his grandson's desire to move to this place. Arif had no objection and readily produced a register for registration. After all, taxes in the settlement were paid per capita, so the number of people didn't matter. Besides, when the inner city recruited auxiliary personnel later, there would be two more slots available for drawing lots—especially for the elderly, who were sometimes more useful.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The day to travel to the inner city has arrived.

At the dock, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the river water shimmered with a grayish light. Wu Yu, Mo Han, Arif, and the newly settled Uncle Zhao and his grandson all came to see Wu Sheng off.

A motorboat, painted dark gray and with a closed cabin, was slowly approaching from upstream, belching black smoke. Looking over the hull, the outline of the inner city, much more orderly and towering than the outer city, was clearly visible in the thin mist.

They weren't the only ones at the dock. Young people from other settlements who had qualified to go to the inner city were also arriving, surrounded by their families. Tu Nan stood alone to one side, calm; Zhang Lin was whispering something to his elders; Yan Liang was surrounded by many people, including his family and Liu Xuezheng, who had come specifically for this occasion. Liu Xuezheng was now patting Yan Liang's shoulder with a broad smile, his voice not loud but loud enough for those nearby to hear: "...Once you're inside, do a good job! Bring honor to our settlement! If you need anything, send a message back!"

Just then, Liu Xuezheng spotted Uncle Zhao, who had come to see Wu Sheng off, and his shrill voice rang out:

"Hey! Uncle Zhao! I was wondering why your house was empty when I went there yesterday. So you've come here instead!" Liu Xuezheng had somehow left Yan Liang behind and strolled over, staring at Uncle Zhao with a fake smile on his face, but his eyes were cold. "You moved out without even saying goodbye. That's not very kind of you, Uncle Zhao."