Starting with the flesh-based stimulant

There was a long silence in the office.

Once all the cypress scent had dissipated, Dai Liangxuan stood up and said:

"I'm leaving soon. I might be going to some other cities. I'll look for you again if I find anything."

Zhou He nodded, stood up, and walked out the door without saying goodbye to Dai Liangxuan.

He went downstairs in silence, the midday sun below making him feel icy cold.

He suddenly wanted a cigarette.

In his past life, Zhou He always advised others to quit smoking and drinking, to exercise more, and to have a good daily routine in order to have a good and normal mental state.

But now, he desperately wants to have some kind of bad habit that can make him feel a little more relaxed.

Whether it's smoking or drinking.

Unfortunately, Young Master Zhou doesn't smoke either.

"Senior... are you done with your work?"

A clear, melodious female voice sounded from behind.

It was the same tall woman with short hair from before.

A tall, handsome man and his two henchmen followed closely behind the woman.

Zhou calmed himself down and pressed down on the brim of his fisherman's hat.

Slowly managing a smile:

"You want me to carry your meat again?"

The woman hesitated, wanting to nod and then shake her head. After a long while, she said:

"My experiment requires a piece of wild meat, but recently, meat traders haven't been able to get in."

Zhou He nodded and asked the same question again:

What is your research project?

The taller man stepped forward, somewhat nervously saying:

"Why ask so many questions? Just tell me if you're going to memorize it or not."

"Jiang Qi, don't speak!" The woman glared at Jiang Qi, then turned to look at Zhou He.

"It's not convenient to talk here, shall we go outside?"

Zhou He remained noncommittal, smiling as he followed the woman, and soon they were out of the gates of Jincheng University.

Outside the school gate, Ga Gouwa was squatting idly across the road, holding a twig in his hand and scratching it on the ground.

"What are you writing?"

Zhou He walked up to him, bent down to look, and could barely make out what seemed to be a few characters, but couldn't make out what they said.

"Sir, you've come out? Who are they?"

Ga Gouwa looked at Zhou and the four people behind him with some wariness.

Zhou He's introduction:

"They are my juniors, this one is called Jiang Qi..." He only realized at this point that this was the only name he knew.

Zhou He frowned.

Lately, I've been feeling like my brain is shrouded in fog, making it impossible to think normally.

I haven't become stupid, it's just that there are many things I can't think of or understand.

"My name is Yao Yao, and these two are Chen Hai and Meng Qiyu."

The short-haired woman seemed to notice Zhou He's predicament and spoke up, then added:

"Shall we find a place to sit down?"

Zhou He looked at Ga Gouwa, then down at his own tattered clothes, and said:

Let's find a quieter place and get something to eat.

Jiang Qi led Zhou and the others to a street food stall. It was past lunchtime and there weren't many people there.

Jiang Qi asked the stall owner for a rag and diligently wiped the table. After Zhou He sat down, he looked at Yao Yao.

"Senior, in principle, those of us who do research... especially those who do research on meat, generally don't go out and work."

Yao Yao seemed somewhat confused about this.

Zhou He felt somewhat helpless.

He understood that Yao Yao could tell from his tattered clothes that he must have been a sex worker.

But there's nothing I can do about it.

He never intended to become a sex worker.

The moment I opened my eyes, the old hunchback was carrying me into the dilapidated temple like a piece of meat. The knife was stuck in the ground, gleaming brightly.

Back then, he had no idea about how to navigate the world. He was just trying to recite it silently, but somehow it started coming out aloud.

It's as if my body instinctively tried to escape?

But he didn't succeed, and he ended up being a "carrying meat" person.

Oh right, not just a meat carrier, but also a wandering soul in the Qiu Shen business.

I don't even know what Qiu Shen's name is when he goes out.

"A disciple who burns incense?" Zhou He remembered that Grandpa Zhang Gong had said something like that before.

Shaking his head to bring his thoughts back, Zhou He didn't continue Yao Yao's sentence, but instead asked directly:

"Why haven't any sex workers been able to get in lately?"

Yao Yao glanced at Zhou He, about to answer, but Jiang Qi beat her to it:

"Because Grandpa Jincheng doesn't allow us to eat meat anymore, what are the meat merchants still doing in Jincheng?"

He seemed to really enjoy showing off in front of Yao Yao.

Zhou He recalled that there seemed to be boys like that in his class when he was in college.

Naïve, earnest, and foolish.

Yao Yao picked up where Jiang Qi left off:

"Because Grandpa Jincheng is no longer allowed to eat meat, our school also prohibits meat vendors from entering the campus."

Zhou He thought about it and finally understood why Yao Yao had taken the liberty of asking him to help carry the meat the first time they met.

After all, research cannot be done without materials.

Now, the material suppliers are all gone.

It seems that the other party's research is very important.

It's so important that we'd risk it to find someone to carry it for us.

"You're asking me to carry your meat? Aren't you afraid of getting caught by Grandpa Jincheng?"

Before Yao Yao could speak, Jiang Qi interjected:

"Grandpa Jincheng is catching meat-eaters, what does that have to do with us researchers?"

Zhou He narrowed his eyes slightly, just then the boss brought out the snacks he had just ordered.

Zhou He handed the plate to Ga Gouwa, letting him eat first, while he looked at Yao Yao:

"Well, I'm a little curious then. What kind of research makes you so determined to find meat even at a time like this?"

Yao Yao pursed her lips, looked up as if to say something, but seeing Jiang Qi about to speak again, she quickly stepped on his foot.

"This...can I not say?"

Zhou He shook his head:

"You know the current situation. I wouldn't dare take the risk with your unclear explanation."

He has now put himself into the role of an old meat carrier.

What they said and did were things that a meat lover should do.

"Senior, my research focuses on the relationship between the characteristics of meat and the exchange rate for currency."

Zhou He was taken aback; he hadn't expected it to be such a serious and practical research topic.

That seems reasonable.

It seems that this really should be studied.

Zhou He chuckled softly and said:

"What kind of meat do you need?"

"Regular domestic meat is fine... but it would be best if there were a few different kinds."

"What do you mean by 'different'?"

"Age, height, gender, etc."

Zhou He adjusted his fisherman's hat, thought for a moment, and said:

"Helping you carry the meat is no problem, but while leaving the city is easy, getting back in might not be so convenient, right?"

He remembered that there were two sentries on duty at the city gate.

Jiang Qi couldn't wait to interject again, saying:

"Why do we need to leave the city?"

Zhou He frowned:

"The mine is outside the city."

Yao Yao glared at Jiang Qi and said softly:

"Senior, Jiang Qi means that we don't necessarily need meat from the mines outside the city; meat from the city will do too."

Zhou He's smile gradually faded.

Yes, the other person is an ordinary student, doing the research that is expected of him/her.

But the so-called meat that the other party was researching—

They're still just human, after all.

There was meat that had been slaughtered and arranged in the mine.

In the city, there are living, walking pieces of meat.