Bai Liu looked at the TV. Lu Yizhan followed his gaze and noticed that the TV was talking about local community doctors. Therefore, he casually asked Bai Liu, "I recommended that you see the community psychologist. Have you been seeing him regularly recently?"
Lu Yizhan might have been the person in the world most worried about Bai Liu's mental health. He was afraid that this person would eventually be tempted to make illegal money.
"I went to see him twice, but I felt like I was close to making the psychologist question his own psychological state. I stopped in order to do something good." Bai Liu retracted his gaze from the TV and turned to look at Lu Yizhan, slightly raising an eyebrow. "I think you should be the one seeing a psychologist now."
Lu Yizhan had a heavy beard and looked worried. He had dark circles under his eyes, smelled of smoke, and his clothes were wrinkled with dirt on them. At first glance, it was obvious he hadn't gone home all night. His eyes were bloodshot, making him look anxious.
Lu Yizhan just smiled bitterly at Bai Liu's teasing and asked, "Why are you here?"
Bai Liu wasn't the nosy type. Previously, he had been willing to come to the hospital to take a look only because of Lu Yizhan's nagging. Being so proactive wasn't Bai Liu's style at all.
"I came to see if you were going to smoke yourself to death." Bai Liu glanced at the pile of cigarettes on the lid of the trash can beside Lu Yizhan. "How can you save money to marry your girlfriend when you're spending so much on cigarettes?"
Lu Yizhan raised the cigarette butt between his fingers and slowly blew out smoke. "They're cheap cigarettes. Don't tell Sister Dian. I'm really upset and uncomfortable. Several children had an accident again last night."
Bai Liu nonchalantly followed Lu Yizhan's words and asked, "Oh? What happened?"
Lu Yizhan was silent for a moment before taking a puff of his cigarette. "It wasn't easy for the five children in the welfare home to survive. I don't know what happened, but they started fainting one after another last night. They were rushed to the hospital again."
"After checking, there were no problems with any of the indicators. It was just severe anemia. They were examined the day before yesterday, and the anemia wasn't that serious. As a result, these children started showing symptoms of coma in the early morning. They went into shock and even convulsed. The doctor said it might have been caused by excessive blood loss, but the children have been staying in the hospital, and the doctor can't find the reason for it."
"Where is Liu Jiayi?" Bai Liu asked casually, changing the topic.
Lu Yizhan's frown deepened. "This child is also very strange. She suddenly slipped out after her brother left yesterday morning. We only found her this morning. We asked her what she was doing, but she didn't say. The surveillance cameras were broken, and no one knows where she went last night. We could only send someone to guard her. After she came back, we asked the doctor to draw her blood. It's being sent for examination now."
"She looks much paler than she did yesterday, very similar to the children who had an accident last night. She likely has severe anemia."
"Some of the police wanted to question her since her disappearance was too suspicious. It's just that her condition is really bad, so it's better to let the doctors examine her first."
Once Lu Yizhan's floodgates were opened, he didn't stop talking. He had been holding it in all night and hadn't found anyone to talk to. Now that Bai Liu had come, he poured everything out to him.
Lu Yizhan sighed. "It isn't just this. The welfare home isn't right. I still feel there is a connection with those investors."
At this point, Lu Yizhan anxiously poked his forehead with his thumb, as if poking a hole in it would help him find a way to solve the case. "I've inquired. My colleagues investigating the case have the same idea. They've sent people from the entire department to investigate, but it's too difficult to find clues. The missing children from the welfare home ran away on their own, and it's hard to know where they've gone. In addition, the identities of these investors are special. It will be hard to investigate them unless we have key evidence."
Bai Liu nodded to show he had heard, but instead asked, "Can I see those children?"
Lu Yizhan thought about it before nodding. "Yes, I can vouch for you. Currently, there are many people with adoption intentions coming to see these children. You should be able to see them."
"The other children are fine, but Liu Jiayi might be a bit troublesome. Since we asked the doctor to draw her blood, she has been hiding under the bed and refusing to come out. If we go in, she starts screaming and shows an excessive reaction. I don't know if she will be willing to let you in."
Lu Yizhan went with Bai Liu to see the children.
These deformed children with excessive blood loss were lying on the beds with pale faces. Their breathing was weak, their body temperature low, and even their hearts beat very slowly. The boundary between life and death seemed blurred in these children.
The blood ganoderma lucidum bred from adult desires was greedily and wildly absorbing fresh blood from the bodies of these young children. They were at the age with the fastest rate of blood recovery, yet it still couldn't satisfy the blood-sucking speed of greedy and dirty adults.
"They can't figure out what's wrong with them." Lu Yizhan couldn't bear to look at the children lying on the hospital beds, and his eyes turned red. "It's too much suffering. They're just this young."
Bai Liu gently stroked a child's dry lips with his fingers. His voice was very soft, and it wasn't clear who he was speaking to. "Don't be sad. It will get better."
[System notification: Does player Bai Liu want to use the item 'blood ganoderma lucidum' to cure the target on the hospital bed?]
[Reminder: There is only one blood ganoderma lucidum. Adults can take it three times, and children can take it six times. There are provisions regarding the dosage and timing of use of this item. Is player Bai Liu sure he wants to use this item?]
Bai Liu: [Yes.]
[System warning: This item isn't the player's core desire and can't be used directly by player Bai Liu in reality! Zizi… zizi… abnormal bug data intrusion…]
Bai Liu felt the cross over his heart grow hot, and the temperature of the coin seemed to rise excessively.
[…Unable to clear abnormal data… Item 'blood ganoderma lucidum' has been used…]
The child's throat bulged strangely, as if he had swallowed something. Then he frowned and instinctively swallowed.
The weak child's pale face instantly became ruddy. Within a few seconds, he slowly regained consciousness and opened his eyes with difficulty.
Bai Liu's blank face appeared before him.
The child breathed weakly, his chest rising and falling lightly. He looked at the blurred face of the strange uncle in front of him, and a warm feeling rose from his mouth. He licked his lips, and a rich, mature mushroom flavor spread across his tongue.
He had once eaten it from the teacher's hand. The mushroom that was poisonous to all children had a similar taste, but this one was sweeter. It wasn't bitter at all. It was the taste of a fully mature mushroom. There was a fullness unlike human blood. It wasn't the evil taste that came from children's blood.
It was the taste of God, the taste of happiness at being saved.
"Let's go to the next one." Bai Liu returned to Lu Yizhan, who hadn't noticed that the child had abnormally awakened, and pushed the slightly confused Lu Yizhan out, closing the door.
The child saw that the strange uncle had left and felt a bit regretful and sad. His thin fingers lifted slightly from the hospital bed, as if he wanted to catch the uncle who was leaving.
Then Bai Liu's head stuck back through the crack in the door. He was very calm and didn't feel ashamed at all as he told the child, "Child, remember Uncle's name and that Uncle saved you."
"I'm called Bai Liu. Once you grow up, remember to pay back your medical expenses. You're too young to pay right now, so I'll let you owe me first. I placed the IOU beside your bed."
The child stared as Bai Liu shut the door after saying this. Then, for some reason, he suddenly wanted to laugh.
Thus, he laughed happily and weakly.
Outside the door, Lu Yizhan's puzzled voice was heard. "Why did you look back just now?"
"…No reason. I thought I forgot to take my phone."
After walking through five rooms, Bai Liu finally came to Liu Jiayi's room.
Lu Yizhan already felt it was a bit strange. "Why did you suddenly become kind today and have the impulse to see the children?"
"I'm looking for clues. Didn't you ask me to check it for you?" Bai Liu spoke nonsense without changing his expression and looked at Lu Yizhan as if he were a fool.
Lu Yizhan couldn't help falling into deep confusion. He had seen these children many times. Were there any clues he had missed? There shouldn't have been.
Before Lu Yizhan could figure it out, Bai Liu had already opened the door to Liu Jiayi's room.
The girl's sharp cry instantly rang out, loud enough to lift the roof. The policeman guarding the room couldn't help covering his ears and gestured for Bai Liu to quickly close the door.
Bai Liu was unmoved. "Liu Jiayi, it's Bai Liu. Let's talk."
The girl's screams came to an abrupt stop.
The guarding policeman and Lu Yizhan both looked at Bai Liu in surprise.
Under the watchful eyes of the policeman and with Lu Yizhan's firm guarantee, Bai Liu got his wish and entered Liu Jiayi's room, provided that the surveillance camera was turned on and the recorder outside was connected.
One minute after Bai Liu entered, a policeman holding a phone walked over with an ugly expression. "Liu Jiayi's brother, Liu Huai, is dead. The traffic department just informed us. He was in an accident this morning. This little girl cries whenever her brother doesn't come. She called for him until she fainted, and she refused to speak. What should we do now?"
Lu Yizhan turned on the recorder with a complicated expression, and Bai Liu's voice came through clearly. "Liu Jiayi, can we talk?"
After a long time, a hoarse, dry little girl's voice answered, "What do you want to talk about?"
The policeman holding the phone stared at the recorder in amazement. "Who is inside? Why does Liu Jiayi suddenly want to speak?"
"My friend—no, he should be Liu Huai's… online friend," Lu Yizhan said, his expression growing increasingly complicated.
Although he had no idea how Bai Liu and Liu Huai had become friends.
Inside the room, Liu Jiayi crawled out from under the bed and curled up in a corner.
Her head was still buried in her knees. It was a very insecure, defensive posture. Her bare skin and fingers were frighteningly pale. Even the blue veins beneath her skin were visible.
Obviously, Liu Jiayi was in a state of excessive blood loss. Bai Liu had guessed this because the detoxification item, blood ganoderma lucidum, was only obtained from the Love Welfare Institute Monster Book – Plant Patient page. However, Liu Jiayi had stayed in the welfare home from beginning to end and hadn't had the chance to collect that page.
"What do you want to talk to me about?" Liu Jiayi asked hoarsely, not lifting her head.
Bai Liu always liked to get straight to the point. "You know that Liu Huai is dead, right?"
Liu Jiayi trembled uncontrollably and shrank back. She almost curled herself into a small ball under the quilt, and her breathing became rapid.
She had run out that morning to find Liu Huai, but she couldn't stop his death.
"His soul is with me. Or rather, part of it is with me, and part of it is with the system," Bai Liu continued slowly. "If you want to resurrect him, you need his soul. I won't give it to you for nothing. I need something in exchange."
Liu Jiayi was silent for a moment before asking, "What do you want?"
Bai Liu squinted at her. "You should be able to guess what I want. I want your soul. I want you to accompany me in this year's league. Then you can win the league and use the points for your brother. You can also use the wish to get out of the game. I promised Liu Huai that I would take you out of the game. This is my method."
Liu Jiayi was finally willing to lift her head. Her gray eyes stared at Bai Liu. There was an obvious red and swollen ring around her eyes. She had clearly been crying.
She said, "You have a lot of ambition. If I want to join the league, why shouldn't I directly follow the King's Guild? They have a much higher chance of winning. Even if you hold my brother's soul, as long as I win the league, I can use the wish to directly take my brother's soul from your hands. The system will help me do anything."
"Does that include you and Liu Huai remaining brother and sister forever?" Bai Liu's tone was calm. "I thought you'd had enough of this system that is full of lies."
Liu Jiayi's fists clenched as she remembered Hearts' frivolous smile and the item called Psyche's Tears.
The god-level item was already the highest level in the game, yet it still hadn't realized her wish.
"You can make a deal with me. I will completely reveal my skill and tell you that I can't violate the deal. If I violate it, my soul will be imprisoned." Bai Liu stared straight at Liu Jiayi. "At the very least, you can trust me to keep my word."
Liu Jiayi pressed her lips tightly together before asking, "If I promise to trade my soul to you, how will you arrange me? Do I need to stay in the welfare home? I need to go missing one day every week to enter the game. Or do you want me to go back to the countryside? That might be more convenient."
"The welfare home probably won't be able to continue." Bai Liu didn't mention that Mu Ke had reported the evidence anonymously. "I can't let you go back to your biological father's village. I have a friend who wants to adopt you."
Liu Jiayi seemed to have expected it and asked, "Is it the policeman guarding me?"
"Yes."
Liu Jiayi hugged her knees tightly again and turned her gray, transparent eyes to look'out the window. Her window faced the street. At this time, it wasn't fully closed, and she could hear the breakfast vendors downstairs shouting loudly. It was noisy and full of human warmth, completely out of place with Liu Jiayi, who was curled up on the bed with a numb expression.
"Red bean cakes, sweet and fragrant red bean cakes! Three for 10 yuan!"
"Tofu pudding! Five yuan for one bowl!"
"Beef noodles…"
"This morning, the policeman bought me red bean cakes," Liu Jiayi suddenly said. "I had my blood drawn and was looking out the window the entire time. He probably thought I wanted something sweet, so he went down and bought them for me."
Bai Liu noticed a paper bag containing red bean cakes on Liu Jiayi's bedside table. It was cold and hadn't been opened yet.
"He was the first good person I met." Liu Jiayi slowly turned her head with a very calm expression. "I am such a bitch that I don't want to harm him."
"I am a game player, and anyone who is involved with me will get caught up in the game. So forget it, Bai Liu."
She finished speaking and turned her head to look out the window again.
The morning wind was warm and mixed with the sweet aroma of baked red bean cakes. It blew against Liu Jiayi's cold forehead. The sun shone brightly on her pale face, creating a dark yellow halo around her body. She closed her eyes in a trance.
She didn't deserve even the worst people, let alone someone as purely good as Lu Yizhan.
There were very few people in this world willing to spend 10 yuan on her. She might be cheap, but there was no need to destroy someone after finally meeting him.
"It's possible, but given my friend's special nature, it's unlikely that your influence on him will bring him into the game," Bai Liu analyzed objectively and calmly.
"After all, even I can't do it. In addition, adopting a child requires his own choice." Bai Liu's tone was very calm. "He likes you very much. He was preparing everything for your arrival before you even opened your mouth. I think he is also ready for all the possibilities he will face after welcoming you."
"Do you really want to turn him down, Liu Jiayi?"
"Lu Yizhan will be the best father in the world," Bai Liu said confidently. "He will spoil you. If you want, Lu Yizhan can run five kilometers from his home to this hospital every day to buy you red bean cakes. He will send you to the best school for the disabled and will stay up all night to make dolls for you. He will be very happy to pay for you."
Liu Jiayi wanted to laugh and say, "You are describing your friend in a very stupid manner." However, the moment she opened her mouth, her voice came out vague and choked. "No."
"Bai Liu!" Lu Yizhan's face was flushed as he pushed open the door, glaring at Bai Liu. "What are you saying to the little girl?"
Lu Yizhan, who had been outside, had heard Bai Liu say, "Lu Yizhan will be the best father in the world." Ignoring the strange looks from his two colleagues, he hurriedly pushed open the door to interrupt him.
Lu Yizhan covered his cheeks in extreme embarrassment and walked over to pull Bai Liu out, whispering as they moved, "Bai Liu, how can you directly tell the little girl about her brother and lobby for me? Look, you made her cry. I asked you to check things, not to cause trouble. I'll send you away if you make a mess!"
Lu Yizhan glared and was about to criticize Bai Liu a few more times.
Just then, Liu Jiayi called softly, "Bai Liu? Are you leaving?"
As she spoke, her hand grasped the air, looking fragile as if she were about to cry. Lu Yizhan felt his scalp go numb when he saw it.
Bai Liu turned his head and shrugged. He mouthed to Lu Yizhan: [It seems I can't leave for the time being.]
Under Lu Yizhan's stunned gaze, Bai Liu walked back and sat next to Liu Jiayi's bed. Liu Jiayi gently grabbed the corner of Bai Liu's clothes, as if she trusted and relied on him greatly.
"Lu Yizhan, help me buy three red bean cakes," Bai Liu ordered naturally. "I didn't have breakfast either."
Lu Yizhan, "..."
Lu Yizhan sighed and waved at Bai Liu twice. He mouthed a few more scolding words, but after seeing Liu Jiayi holding Bai Liu's hand uneasily, he reluctantly suppressed his anger. He flicked Bai Liu's forehead with his finger and glared at him. "You wait for me, Bai Liu!"
"Bai Liu didn't even like children when he was a child. Why can this little girl treat him so well…" Lu Yizhan muttered as he closed the door and walked downstairs. It seemed he was really going to buy red bean cakes for Bai Liu. "…A grown man still eats red bean cakes. He isn't ashamed at all."
After Lu Yizhan closed the door, Bai Liu looked back at Liu Jiayi. "You really don't want to be adopted by Lu Yizhan?"
Liu Jiayi pursed her lips and gently shook her head. "I can follow you in the game, but in reality, there is no need to be adopted. I can use returning to my biological father's village as a cover. No one in that village cares whether I live or die. Then I can stay in the game. I can afford the points needed to remain there."
"That's a waste of points. Are you sure you want to follow me into the game?" Bai Liu asked again. "Lu Yizhan is a rare good man and a fool among seven billion people. If you miss him, it will be very hard to meet another like him. I really intend to introduce you to my friend because he genuinely likes you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have saved you in the game."
Liu Jiayi was taken aback before shaking her head slowly and firmly, smiling in a self-deprecating manner. "As thanks for his three red bean cakes, I won't harm him."
Bai Liu leaned forward on the stool beside her bed. "I am the complete opposite of Lu Yizhan. He doesn't need anything in return, but if I buy you a red bean cake, I will remember it until you pay me back."
"If you agree to trade your soul to me, I will squeeze out all your value until the very last moment. Of course, I will also give you the corresponding rewards. What do you think, Liu Jiayi?"
Liu Jiayi could sense Bai Liu's position. She looked directly at him before suddenly pointing toward the door. "Then go downstairs and buy me red bean cakes now."
—————————————————
Lu Yizhan arrived with the three red bean cakes. He had received a call from his girlfriend, so he was delayed. The cakes were slightly cold by the time he came up. As a result, he saw Liu Jiayi holding a red bean cake and eating it the moment he entered.
He instinctively glanced at the red bean cakes he had bought earlier. They were still unopened on the bedside table.
"Jiayi, who bought that for you?" Lu Yizhan stepped forward and asked curiously. "Another policeman?"
Liu Jiayi bit into the edge of the red bean cake. The sweet, sticky cake slid smoothly down her throat, warming her entire body. She took two bites before suddenly coughing, tears streaming down her face.
She had eaten a small mushroom hidden inside the red bean cake. It was blood ganoderma lucidum.
It was too unpalatable. She didn't like the taste of mushrooms in red bean cakes.
"Bai Liu bought it for me," Liu Jiayi lowered her head and squeezed the red bean cake.
Lu Yizhan was surprised. "He would actually spend money to buy something for someone else?"
Liu Jiayi shook her head. "It wasn't free."
Lu Yizhan's expression became indescribable. "I know. He wants your money, right, Jiayi? No, you don't have any money…" Lu Yizhan was still puzzled when his eyes caught a piece of paper on the bedside table. He picked it up, and his expression instantly cracked.
[IOU: Today, Liu Jiayi asked Bai Liu to buy three red bean cakes for 10 yuan. The price per cake is 3.3 yuan.]
[Liu Jiayi instructed Bai Liu to run an errand. Errand fee: 5 yuan. Liu Jiayi chose a red bean cake to offset the debt, so Liu Jiayi actually owes Bai Liu 5 yuan.]
"This bastard!" Lu Yizhan was truly angry. "3.3 yuan per cake and five yuan for the errand fee? He can really do business! What kind of debt is paid off with a red bean cake? Don't believe him! He probably took something worth more than three yuan. You can tell me, and I'll help you get it back!"
Liu Jiayi ate the last bite of red bean cake and brushed off her hands. It wasn't clear what she was thinking, but she looked out the window and narrowed her eyes before smiling like an innocent girl. "I used the value of the red bean cakes to pay off my debt. He didn't overcharge me."
Lu Yizhan grew more confused. "What?"
Liu Jiayi answered casually, "Something that isn't very important. It isn't worth more than a few yuan."
"How is it not worth it? You shouldn't make deals with Bai Liu…" Lu Yizhan had a headache. "He's treacherous and always demands an exchange. His calculations are always precise."
"Isn't that good?" Liu Jiayi looked up at Lu Yizhan, a hint of innocence in her tone. "Everything I want can be obtained through a trade. He will never betray me or hurt me for no reason. Isn't that good?"
She had no way to trust others, so she could only trust in such an unreliable way.
Bai Liu was her best choice because he understood her inferiority and darkness. He understood that she wasn't like a normal child.
She would never have to worry about hurting Bai Liu, nor would she have to worry about Bai Liu hurting her. Their relationship was a clear transaction. Everything was explicit and reasonable. There would be no betrayal or suspicion.
Lu Yizhan stared at Liu Jiayi's expression, but then someone called out to him.
"Yizhan, the other five children are awake!"
Lu Yizhan's eyes lit up. He put down the red bean cakes he had bought for Bai Liu and hurried away.
Bai Liu took a bite of a red bean cake. He looked at Liu Jiayi's soul note in his old wallet and frowned as he took another large bite. "It's too sweet. Can this thing be sold for three yuan? If I had known, I would've bought only one."
The moment he finished speaking, his phone rang. Bai Liu put down the red bean cake, pulled his phone out of his trouser pocket, and glanced at the screen. It was Lu Yizhan calling.
"Where are you? I bought it for you, so come and eat!" Lu Yizhan's tone was excited. "By the way, the five children have woken up! The doctor says they're getting better. If you have anything you want to ask, you can ask!"
"No, I've sorted out this matter." Bai Liu spoke slowly. "You should be able to solve it right away."
Lu Yizhan was shocked. "When did you sort it out? What do you mean, I can solve it right away?!"
Bai Liu raised his phone while glancing back at the hospital and didn't answer directly. Instead, he sighed. "Lu Yizhan, I realized that I really fell for your tricks when I was 14 years old."
"Fortunately, I'm not 14 anymore. I won't fall for your tricks." Bai Liu took another bite of the red bean cake. "Once things are resolved, remember to treat me to a meal. Otherwise, it's a bit of a loss for me. My phone credit is running out. I'm hanging up."
"?!?!?!" Lu Yizhan was bewildered. "I was talking about the case. Why am I involved—Hey! You really hung up! Bai Liu! Bai Liu!"
Lu Yizhan scolded Bai Liu for not wanting to waste money on phone charges. Then he turned and saw the policeman guarding Liu Jiayi raise his head in a daze. "Yizhan, someone posted about our case online…"
"?!" Lu Yizhan opened his phone in shock. "Isn't there anyone in the Internet Security Department? Is this case something that can be posted casually?"
The policeman shook his head, looking slightly disoriented. "It isn't the case itself but the clues. Someone released what happened to the children and the investors' medical records. They're trending now…"
Lu Yizhan, "?!"