Flame Hell Bar.
It's still as noisy as ever.
Of course, they think it's music.
But to Zhou Mo Sen, it just makes his scalp tingle.
Alice is immersed in it, already looking quite like a vampire.
Moving to the rhythm of heavy metal rock.
Strangely invigorating.
"What are you planning to tell me?"
"Huh?"
"You know, I don't want to waste time."
"What?"
"You play, I'm leaving."
"No, wait."
Alice didn't expect Zhou Mo Sen to just leave, and hurriedly pulled him back.
"Why are you so impatient?" with a bit of complaint.
Zhou Mo Sen looked helpless, "Miss Vampire, my time is very precious, I really don't have time to play with you."
"Alright, let's talk in your car."
Soon, the two left the bar, away from the clamor.
Alice took out a blood pack, took another sip, and said:
"It seems like, you should have won by now, right?"
"Won?" Zhou Mo Sen frowned.
"Dr. Howard spread those rumors just to damage your clinic's reputation.
And after the news aired, Dr. Zhou's reputation has improved."
Alice made a good point, but Zhou Mo Sen shook his head.
"Do you think he'll just stop there?"
This rhetorical question made Alice smile wryly.
"So, do you actually want to completely defeat Dr. Howard?"
"I hope you understand, I just want to run my clinic normally."
Alice nodded, agreeing with his words.
And Zhou Mo Sen noticed that Alice kept referring to 'Dr. Howard' in conversation.
Is there such a big grudge between father and daughter?
Zhou Mo Sen wasn't sure, and there was still a very important question that hadn't been made clear yet.
"Zhou, do you still not trust me?"
Alice was clearly not asking a question.
Her pale face was full of smiles.
Zhou Mo Sen furrowed his brows slightly, but eventually nodded.
"You're his daughter, I can't figure out why you'd help me and not your father."
Alice continued smiling, "Didn't I tell you before?"
Is it because she wants to become a vampire, and Howard disagrees?
Zhou Mo Sen laughed, "Do you think I would believe that kind of reason?"
Alice pouted, "Haven't I shown enough urgency? Besides, I really do want to become a true vampire."
Zhou Mo Sen's expression turned serious, "But you already look quite like a vampire."
Is this Alice's flaw?
No, that's not important at all.
The important thing is, why does Alice want to help Zhou Mo Sen?
"Can you take me somewhere?"
Without thinking much, Zhou Mo Sen agreed directly.
The broken-down Toyota was started up and soon disappeared around the corner.
...
A Google map once went viral on our domestic internet.
It was the map of the US-Mexico Border.
One side was a bustling city, and the other was a sparsely populated wasteland.
Then it asked:
Which side is the United States?
The answer was interesting.
The desolate side is the United States.
And the bustling city is actually Tijuana.
San Diego and Tijuana are really quite close.
But, in between them is Chula Vista.
Which means that desolate place is this Hill City.
But Hill City is after all a small town.
Many Mexicans cross the border, and they basically head to San Diego.
Under Alice's direction, Zhou Mo Sen arrived at the border of San Diego and Chula Vista.
San Diego is a beautiful coastal city, and very wealthy.
Whereas this Hill City is much worse.
The buildings are low and somewhat rundown.
The car stopped, and Alice pointed into the distance.
"Do you see it?"
"..." Of course Zhou Mo Sen saw it.
It's already night, and darkness has cloaked many people in a protective color.
A lot of people were coming from the south, in groups.
They should have crossed Hill City and then come to San Diego.
But many didn't go further north.
From the numbers, directly staying here, it looked like many people were planning to spend the night.
Continuing north, entering San Diego City, at most a quarter were Old Mo.
"What are they up to?"
Zhou Mo Sen couldn't help but ask.
Alice didn't say anything, just pointed in another direction.
It was a big sign.
On a building, bathed in the dim glow of streetlights.
CSL plasma (Blood Plasma).
Zhou Mo Sen understood in an instant.
CSL is an Australian company, and this is their blood bank.
Those Mexicans are here to sell their blood!
Legally speaking, in the United States, it's not called selling blood.
It's called donation.
But, they give money.
For a 'donation' session, you can get about 30 to 50 US Dollars.
This amount of money is actually quite a lot for those below middle class.
Moreover, the US has specific regulations on the frequency of blood donations.
Generally speaking, the number of times per year for a person should not be too high.
In Europe, it's regulated to be around 30 to 60 times.
Honestly, 60 times is a lot, roughly more than once a week.
But in the United States, it's more intense.
104 times.
That is, you can sell blood twice a week.
This is actually written into law.
Additionally, these blood banks often provide coupons.
By frequenting the blood sales, they can earn more money.
These Mexicans make their living by selling blood.
They camp out here and wait for the blood bank to open at dawn.
Then, they line up to sell blood.
Leave their blood, take the US Dollars, and return to Tijuana.
Thinking of this, Zhou Mo Sen couldn't help but think of Dr. Howard's 'member'.
"Is he making money off these people?"
Alice nodded silently.
They didn't speak for a while, and the silence in the car was intense.
He could almost figure out why Alice wanted to help him against her father.
The American Health Management Association has the power to decide who can 'donate'.
Howard, that old guy, is a member, so he is naturally the one exercising this power.
Simply put, he's taking a cut from this.
Acting like a middleman.
After a period of silence, Alice said with a tremor in her voice, "I didn't know where the blood I drank came from before.
After I found out, I absolutely despised myself."
Zhou Mo Sen said nothing, just listened quietly.
Alice continued, "He is already very wealthy, he shouldn't be doing such things!
We are all sinners.
I actually want to save him.
Zhou, I'm begging you, promise me?"
What did she want me to promise her?
Zhou Mo Sen still said nothing, just looked at this girl.
He completely understood Alice's motive by now.
It was human conscience that made Alice unwilling to join her father in his deeds.
Underneath the facade of a vampire,
lies a kind heart.
Alice seemed to plead, "When you win, can you spare him?"
This request...
Zhou Mo Sen intended to lighten the mood with a joke:
"You're overthinking it; we're just in a business war."
Doesn't a business war kill people?
But Alice could tell the gentleness in Zhou Mo Sen's words.
"Thank you, you truly are a good person."
Being given a card again?
But before Zhou Mo Sen could say anything, Alice took something out.
"I can't help you much, but this person might be able to."
Zhou Mo Sen took it and saw it was a business card.
It read:
Do you want to be beautiful? Then come find Dr. Andy Warner.
...
It was dawn.
Sunlight streamed in, forming pillars of light.
Some say this is called the Tyndall effect.
But this room was very cramped.
Yet it was filled to the brim with medical equipment.
Used needles still had traces of blood on them.
But at this moment, someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Is this Dr. Warner?"
A man?
There was only one person in the room, wearing a white coat.
He rubbed his eyes lethargically, still not fully awake.
"Do you want liposuction or to enlarge your manhood?"
The door opened to reveal a standard-built, somewhat handsome Asian in front of him.
"You..." Dr. Warner was a bit surprised.
But the man spoke directly, "Back at Dr. Howard's clinic..."
Before the man could finish, Dr. Warner became agitated.
"I was framed!"
Clearly, he didn't want to mention his past.
And this newcomer...
"Do you want to join me for revenge?"
Revenge?
Andy Warner's mind was still buzzing…