I am a necromancer, and I absolutely love America.

Chapter 160 I've never even kissed anyone in my life (7K chapter, please vote and subscribe)

Hart Island is completely different from when Richard last visited.

On the edge of what was once a desolate landfill, three white prefabricated research modules now stand, their exterior walls covered with heat insulation panels and their door frames fitted with electronic locks.

The cabins are connected by covered walkways, and a two-meter-high wire mesh fence surrounds the perimeter, with barbed spiral blades at the top.

Cameras were installed at all four corners of the fence, powered by a solar panel array on the roof.

A metal sign hangs at the entrance to the fence: "Hart Island Corpse Disease Research Site, NYSDOH Permit No. 47".

Workers wouldn't go near this place; the sign that read "Corpse Disease" was enough to keep most people away.

Richard pushed open the gate and went inside, entering the main cabin.

The temperature inside the cabin was a few degrees higher than outside, and there was a slight smell of disinfectant in the air.

A row of metal shelves stood in the corner, with several sealed transparent containers on them containing human tissue samples. Each container was labeled with "Sample Number: XXX".

It looks impressive, but it's actually completely useless; it's just for show.

A skeleton stood upright on the table, its spine supported by a metal rod, resembling a skeletal model commonly used in medical teaching.

Actually, this thing is real.

With enough money, you can buy anything on Earth in New York, including human skeletons.

Richard had no idea where the seller got such a perfect skeleton.

Richard pressed down on the skull.

30 units of fresh flesh and blood with an abundance of 20 poured into the skull.

The skull came to life.

The skull's jawbone suddenly moved slightly, opening and closing.

It has no eyes, no vocal cords, and no tongue. It wants to make a sound but can't make anything out; it can only open its mouth.

"Do not move!"

The skull remained still.

Now it looks like a standard teaching skull model, and no medical student would give it a second glance if they passed by.

No one would have guessed that the head of this thing could move.

Richard estimated: "A single skull consumes 30 units. If the entire skeleton were to be strengthened, including muscles, nerves, and skin, it would require at least a thousand units, or even 2000 units."

Debbie's observation period wasn't over yet, so Richard couldn't enhance himself for the time being. He also had to use up the 20% abundance of [Fresh Flesh and Blood], so Richard was stuck here.

"Stay here and guard it." Richard patted the skeleton, which stood quietly like a real educational specimen.

Richard left the outpost, locked the door, returned to the Wave Chaser, and started the engine.

The morning mist had dissipated, and the sea surface shimmered with a grayish-blue light.

He turned the boat around and headed towards the dock.

After arriving at the shore, Richard parked his car in the dock parking lot, switched to the Porsche, and headed to the blood donation center in Manhattan.

When Richard pushed open the door, Chloe was chatting at the front desk. She smiled when she saw Richard come in and struck up a conversation, saying, "You're late today."

"There's a bit of traffic on the way." Richard nodded, changed into his work clothes, and walked into the blood collection area.

Chloe watched Richard's retreating figure with a hint of disappointment.

As Richard passed by Han Qing's office, he habitually glanced inside.

The door wasn't closed properly, and through the crack, you could see Han Qing hunched over the table, writing furiously. The coffee cup next to him was empty, and his hair slipped down from behind his ears and hung down beside his face, without him raising his hand to gather it up.

There was a stack of documents next to it, marked with different colored pens.

She's probably rushing to finish her thesis again; Christina's thesis deadlines never wait for anyone.

Han Qing is very serious when she is working.

Richard did not disturb her and went straight into the blood collection area.

There weren't many blood donors today, and Richard processed them quickly.

Richard would steal all the blood from each donor, then follow the procedure by applying a band-aid and saying, "Okay, press for five minutes."

No one noticed anything unusual. The metal blood box was completely sealed, and Richard would take it away with him, so no one could see how much blood was inside.

When we reached about the thirtieth blood donor, a young girl walked in.

She was very young, looking no more than twenty years old. She was wearing a light green sweatshirt, her hair was tied up in a high bun, revealing her clean forehead, and she had a very generous smile.

"Hi! Hello!" The girl sat down on the blood collection chair, rolled up her sleeve, and stretched out one arm. "It's my first time here, I'm a little nervous."

Richard glanced at her, nodded, and began searching for a vein.

After applying the tourniquet, disinfecting with iodine, inserting the needle, and ensuring smooth blood return.

Then, something came into Richard's view.

Ivan the Virus!

Richard remained unmoved.

The three-dimensional images of flesh and blood reconstructed within her body unfolded.

Between those normal blood vessels, muscles, and bones, there are tiny granular structures, like grayish-white fine sand, scattered in the blood and subcutaneous tissue.

It is indeed the Ivan virus.

Richard recognized the characteristics of the virus.

He had seen it on Leah, and in Ivan Lee's body report.

This is the third time I've seen him.

The density of Ivanovirus in the girl's body was not high, far from reaching the level required to cause illness, and she appeared completely normal.

Richard glanced at her again, but continued drawing blood without pausing.

The girl tilted her head: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"No." Richard pulled out the needle and pressed a cotton ball onto the puncture site: "Keep it on for five minutes."

"Okay." The girl stood up, pressing her arm, and said politely, "Thank you."

The girl left.

Richard watched her figure disappear through the doorway.

A girl who looks healthy and cheerful also carries the Ivan virus.

She didn't seem like the kind of person who goes to underground parties and has casual sex. Her arms were clean, with no needle marks, so she didn't seem to be sharing syringes with others. She looked like an ordinary female college student.

She, however, contracted the Ivan virus.

The Ivan virus has begun to spread.

Perhaps it came from her boyfriend, or perhaps it came from some channel she had no idea about.

Public hospitals have not reported any cases of Ivan's virus so far, and Richard is completely baffled by the situation.

Either someone is suppressing the news, or the infection and incidence rates of this virus are lower than he imagined.

I just don't know why.

Richard kept this in mind and continued working.

Once you get used to the process of collecting blood, it becomes quite boring.

Richard leaned back in his chair, mechanically repeating the actions of disinfecting, inserting, and removing needles.

The homeless man at the entrance came again. He could see him through the glass door of the blood donation point, squatting under the street lamp across the street, still smoking, in the same posture as yesterday.

Richard pretended to take a break and went out for a stroll.

He found two people watching him.

There was a person across the street, and a car parked at the alley entrance with dark tinted windows and a person sitting inside.

The membrane blocked Richard's vision, but it couldn't block his visual perception.

Two people, which means they might be making a move tonight.

Richard walked toward Han Qing's office.

He knocked on the door and went inside.

Han Qing was watching videos.

The voice came through the phone; Richard recognized that voice all too well—Alex.

"Do you know what's happened in America right now? It's to the point where women get crushed to death by gym equipment and men can't even lift a finger—" Alex's voice echoed in the office, his speech rapid and carrying his characteristic tone of three parts teasing and seven parts seriousness.

Richard chuckled. "You listen to this broadcaster too?"

Even Han Qing has started watching Alex's videos, making him increasingly dangerous.

Han Qing hesitated for a moment: "What he said was quite exaggerated, but it also seemed to make some sense. Those things—are they real or fake?"

"You're a good girl, just focus on your studies," Richard said. "We ordinary students focus on doing experiments and writing papers; these things are none of our business."

Han Qing pursed his lips: "I am indeed an ordinary person. How are you ordinary? You're only in middle school, yet Christina has already chosen you as her academic successor."

Richard didn't reply: "That stalker at the door is here again. Let me take you to the bus stop."

Han Qing's fingers stopped on the keyboard.

She was silent for a few seconds, then took off her glasses, rubbed her eyes, looked up at him, and hesitated for a long time before carefully saying, "Richard, you rich kids have plenty of pretty girls to chase after. Can you stop bothering me? I'm already exhausted from being alone in America. I'm not right for you, and I don't like playing around. Don't waste your time on me."

She spoke very carefully, but pronounced each word clearly.

She was afraid of offending him, but also afraid that if she didn't make things clear, he would continue to get closer to her.

Richard was speechless: "I was just reminding you, don't worry, I don't like skinny girls."

"Hey, hey, hey! That's going too far!" Han Qing's face flushed red. "How am I some kind of country bumpkin?"

"Alright then," Richard waved his hand. "Be careful."

He turned and left.

The door closed behind him.

Han Qing sat in the chair, looked down at herself carefully for a long time, then picked up her phone, turned on the front camera and pointed it at herself, muttering to herself, "I'm not small—isn't this normal? Has this guy been eating too well all the time?"

Chloe felt a pang of jealousy when she saw Richard come out of the office.

She was no less attractive than Han Qing, and perhaps even better looking.

Moreover, he is white and Richard is Asian, so he should prefer white girls.

But Richard never took the initiative to contact her, and he rarely even accepted her advances.

Chloe couldn't understand it.

The only reasonable explanation she could think of was that Richard and Han Qing were both from Dongda University, and he was more used to being with his own people.

If I were also a student at the University of Tokyo, I might be the one being pursued right now.

Chloe glanced at Han Qing with envy. Han Qing was hunched over the table, continuing to write her thesis, her hair disheveled and her face bare, completely unaware that she was being stared at.

Han Qing is still too young. She has no idea what money means in society. With a rich second-generation pursuing her, what else is there to think about? Just agree!

Even if you work hard your whole life, will you be able to earn enough pocket money for someone else?

No!

Chloe began to work on her makeup.

Race cannot be changed, but makeup can.

This morning she put on a rather elaborate makeup look, choosing a bright coral lip color, but Richard didn't even glance at her when he came in.

Perhaps she should change her style, tie her hair down a bit, and not wear such bright lipstick, opting for a more "Oriental" look.

There's also the eating habit; people at Dongda University use chopsticks.

Chloe thought about it and decided to try using chopsticks next time she ordered takeout.

Richard walked out of the blood collection point.

He stretched his shoulders at the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the street without making a sound.

The man under the streetlight is still there, and the car at the alley entrance diagonally opposite is still there, still full of malice.

Richard walked to the parking lot and got into his car.

He didn't start the engine; he just leaned back in the driver's seat and waited.

A fly flew out of his pocket, silently slipped through the crack in the car window, landed on the clothes of the stalker across the street, and then crawled under the hem of the clothes.

It was completely dark.

Han Qing finally finished writing the last paragraph. She rubbed her sore wrists, closed her laptop, and stood up to stretch her stiff shoulders.

She looked out through the glass door; the area under the streetlights was empty and deserted.

It was pitch black.

Han Qing looked around and saw that the homeless man who had been standing at the door was no longer there.

Hmph! He was just trying to scare me! Han Qing breathed a sigh of relief, slung her bag over her shoulder, locked the door, and strode towards the street corner.

The streets were dark.

As she turned into the alley where the streetlights were broken, a hand reached out from the side and covered her mouth.

He was very strong; his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her backward.

Oh oh oh!

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she couldn't utter a sound.

At that moment, the phone slipped and fell to the ground, screen facing down with a crisp sound.

Click!

Broken!

"My holy sword!" Han Qing cried out in his heart.

It will cost $150 to repair the screen!

My 150!

Immediately afterwards, her glasses were ripped off and fell to the ground, and she heard the sound of the lenses shattering.

The world became blurry in her eyes due to her severe myopia.

Everything in front of me turned into a blurry patch of color. The light from the streetlights was a diffused orange-yellow, and the person's outline was black. I couldn't see anything clearly.

He has a strong body odor; he's probably Black.

"Waaaaah!"

When she was shoved into the back seat, her knee hit the door frame, causing her to groan in pain, but her mouth was covered, so she couldn't speak.

The kidnapper easily pinned her to the seat, tied her hands behind her back, taped her mouth shut, and then kicked her into the crevice between the legs of the back seat.

Waaah!

Han Qing's vision was completely blurred; all she could hear was the hum of the engine accelerating.

She curled up in the darkness, knowing nothing but that the car was moving forward. She was in complete darkness, her hands were tied, her mouth was gagged, and she could do nothing.

The car started.

Han Qing huddled on the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

Tears welled up from her blurred vision; she couldn't see anything clearly and had no idea where she was being taken.

She had only one thought in her mind: I should have listened to Richard!

Richard watched the entire process of Han Qing being dragged into the car without intervening.

The fact that the assailants only robbed her and did not harm her on the spot indicates that their goal was not to kill her.

He needed to know where they were taking her and who was behind them.

He needs to wipe them all out.

Richard walked over to Han Qing's phone, picked it up and put it in his pocket, then picked up her glasses before returning to his car.

Since he has the fly puppet, he's not afraid of losing track of it.

He drove up slowly, keeping a distance of two blocks at all times.

"Don't make a sound! Don't move!"

A man's shout came from the blurry distance ahead, carrying the smell of cheap tobacco and foul sweat.

"Waaaaah~" Han Qing trembled like a leaf, her eyes squinting so she couldn't see clearly. She didn't know where she had been dragged into. Her hands were now tied behind her back to the chair, the nylon cable ties digging into her wrists, causing waves of pain.

Her vision blurred, everything was reduced to outlines and patches of color. The edge of the table was a dark strip, the man's figure was a swaying dark mass, and the light from the window was a diffused orange-yellow patch.

Now she can't see anything clearly.

It looks like someone is going through her bag.

The sound of a plastic bag being torn open, the sound of paper sheets being shaken open.

Waaaaah!!

My thesis!

Don't touch my paper!

scoff!

The tape on his mouth was finally torn off.

A man asked gruffly, "How many people does this blood donation center draw blood from in a day? Where does all the money go?"

Han Qing's mind went blank, her lips trembled, her voice was dry and hoarse, and she sobbed, "I—I don't know, I'm not in charge—I'm just a part-timer—"

She is not stupid.

boom!

Something was slammed onto the table.

Han Qing shuddered.

The man's voice grew even more impatient: "I'm asking you how many people you can hire in a day?"

"Three or four hundred—" Han Qing's voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's hum: "Sometimes more, sometimes less—I don't accept cash, it's all bank transfer—the money isn't in the shop—I'm not the boss, I'm poor, please let me go!"

The man snorted and his footsteps faded into the distance.

Han Qing heard several people whispering in the corner. She couldn't make out the exact words, but she could tell that there were three or four people, all of them young.

She could only make out a few blurry outlines.

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the door closed behind them.

The room quieted down.

Han Qing sat in the chair, tears welling up again.

She was so scared when she faced the kidnappers that she froze and didn't even dare to cry.

Now that those people were gone, she felt fear surging up from every cell in her body, overwhelming her like a tidal wave.

She lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto her thighs, soaking her trousers.

"I should have listened to Richard—" she sobbed to herself, her voice very soft, all in Chinese: "When he said there were people watching me at the door, I didn't believe him—when he said he would take me home, I said he was annoying—"

She sniffed, her nose turning red: "I've never even been in a relationship—what a waste! I should have agreed to Richard's offer back then—at least it would be better than this—"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and her tears flowed even more fiercely. She was utterly distressed: "When he was chasing me, I hid—and now look what happened, I've been caught and brought here—I've never even kissed anyone on the lips in my entire life, I don't want to die, I've been so wronged—Waaaaah!"

She sobbed intermittently, her voice broken and fragmented, her face covered in snot and tears. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she could only rub her cheek with her shoulder, leaving a glistening wet stain.

In the shadows twenty meters away.

Richard was laughing so hard he almost burst out laughing. He was standing in the corner of an abandoned building and could hear Han Qing's mutterings and crying clearly.

It was all in Chinese, with a sobbing voice, trembling yet clear.

When he heard the sentence, "You can agree to Richard's request too," the corner of his mouth twitched.

No, what does it have to do with me?

Do you want an old cow to eat young grass?

Richard listened for a few more sentences, and when he heard "they've never even kissed," his lips twitched again.

Richard remained motionless, simply standing there quietly.

The bandits didn't harm Han Qing; they just tied her up, left her in the room, and went to discuss something with her.

These guys' goal was clearly not to kill.

Richard was eager to find out what was behind them.

Five young voices were talking in the next room. The door wasn't closed properly, and the voices came through intermittently. It sounded like four men and one woman.

"This place will be our territory from now on!"

Turns out they were just a bunch of ignorant and arrogant kids!

Richard was speechless.

They were driven out of their own territory by the good and bad zone policy and wandered to the edge of the bad zone. Seeing that the blood collection point was doing good business, they wanted to seize the territory.

That's pure idiocy.

Several people were talking and laughing, and a strange, sweet smell wafted out of the room, mixed with the smell of smoke. Richard knew immediately that it was some kind of drug.

Richard didn't go in; instead, he stood quietly in the shadows, slowly channeling his magic.

Desire-driven manipulation!

An outbreak has occurred!

Richard first amplified one of the men's desires to a near-limit level, turning it into an uncontrollable impulse.

Those young people were already in a state of over-excitement, and when they were pushed by their desires, they were like dry wood meeting a spark, instantly igniting.

Richard heard a sharp laugh coming from the next room, followed by a girl's wanton laughter.

Then came the sounds of tables and chairs colliding, bottles breaking, and lighters lighting up and going out.

The whole process took less than a minute. The group was in complete chaos, with laughter and shouts mixed together. They completely forgot that Han Qing was still tied up in the next room.

Richard then moved, his steps very light, gently pushing open the slightly ajar door.

The room was filled with smoke, and the group had no idea that someone had entered.

Richard ignored them and walked straight to the innermost door of the room.

Han Qing was still crying.

She was tied to a chair, her shoulders twitching: "I should have agreed to Richard's offer—at least Richard is Chinese, a black man wouldn't, wouldn't kill me, would he?—Waaah!"

She muttered to herself, her voice growing softer and softer, tinged with tears.

Suddenly, someone touched her hand.

She shuddered in fright, her whole body tensing: "Who!"

"Don't move. It's me." A familiar voice came from behind, very low.

Han Qing was stunned.

She suddenly looked up and could only see Richard's blurry face right beside her.

"Richard?" Han Qing cried out, her voice trembling with relief, "How...how are you here?"

"Don't move, I'll untie the rope for you." Richard used a knife to cut the nylon cable tie, and with a gentle squeeze, it snapped.

He could have torn it with his hands, but to avoid Han Qing noticing anything unusual, he used a knife to cut it.

Han Qing's mind went blank.

Before she could even react, Richard casually slapped the glasses onto her face.

The lenses were broken, and the frame was crooked, but it could still be placed on the bridge of my nose, albeit with difficulty.

She quickly put them on, and through the two lenses that were cracked like a spider web, she was finally able to see the person in front of her clearly.

It was indeed Richard, cutting the straps around his ankle with a knife.

Han Qing's face turned from deathly pale to bright red in that instant.

She remembered what she had just said, and every single word of it was in Chinese!

"I should have listened to Richard."

"You can agree to it."

"They've never even kissed."

He heard every single word!

"You—when did you get here?" Han Qing's voice trembled violently, carrying a last glimmer of hope amidst despair: "Did you hear—anything unusual?"

Richard stood up, dusting his hands off. "I was right behind you when you said 'Richard will do too.'"

Han Qing felt as if his head had exploded.

She blushed from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears, looking like a boiled shrimp, wishing she could squeeze herself into the crack of the chair.

"Can you pretend you didn't hear me?" she said, her face contorted with grief.

Richard curled his lip: "I feel like what you're saying is a bit strange. 'If all else fails, just marry a rich man.' Do you think rich men are easy to find?"

Han Qing opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"Besides, even if you could, I couldn't," Richard said seriously. "I don't like skinny girls, I've said that before."

Han Qing completely broke down, and tears welled up again, this time crying even harder than before.

"You're still laughing at me at a time like this! I'm in this state and you're still laughing at me! Waaaaah!"

She pouted and burst into tears, crying, "I really thought I was going to die! And you're laughing at me!"

She cried uncontrollably, unable to tell whether the tears were from surviving a disaster or from being angered by Richard.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that she calmed down a bit.

Richard held back his laughter for a long time.

"Here you go." He then handed Han Qing's phone back.

The screen was cracked in one corner, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading from the bottom right corner to the entire screen, but it could still light up.

Han Qing was extremely distressed.

I pressed the power button, and the screen lit up.

Han Qing stared at the shattered screen, her heart aching with pain.

Replacing the screen will cost at least $150.

New glasses also cost $100.

The airfare was already a bit tight, and this has made it completely impossible.

Richard led her outside, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

It rang once, and the other end answered.

Brian's voice came through the receiver, brief and crisp: "Richard."

This name indicates that someone is nearby.

Richard gave an address: "There's a gang here. Take them out."

Brian didn't ask a single question: "Okay, location received."

Richard paused for a moment: "What's the situation around here? How come the security is so bad?"

Brian paused, as if choosing his words carefully: "The place you mentioned is right on the edge of the Good District. After the police force tripled, the gangs in the Good District couldn't stay put, so they moved to the border. The blood collection point was on the border, which caused trouble. I'll have Isabella adjust the deployment and expand that area as well. It should be fixed in three days at most."

"Okay." Richard hung up the phone.

Han Qing looked up and saw Richard put his phone back in his pocket: "Who—who were you calling?"

"A policeman friend," Richard said casually.

You know the police? Han Qing found it hard to believe.

Why do you know so many people when I don't know anyone?

Less than three minutes later, the sound of sirens came from afar, rapidly approaching.

"So fast?" Han Qing was even more surprised.

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