The First Order

Actually, even if Yan Liuyuan had not gone to warn Jiang Wu, Ren Xiaosu would still have done so the next day.

However, he had to make it clear to Jiang Wu. “Ms. Jiang, I’m afraid that the stronghold is no longer a safe place. We rented a courtyard house here to facilitate our escape.”

Jiang Wu tucked her hair behind her ear and said gently, “Mhm, I understand.”

“Don’t you have any questions for me?” Ren Xiaosu was curious. “Like what kind of danger is coming, and why it’s so important that we have to escape?”

Jiang Wu smiled and said, “You must have your reasons for doing so. Back then, we only managed to survive because we followed you. Since you judge that it’s getting dangerous, there isn’t any reason for us to distrust you.”

Ren Xiaosu had been doubted the entire day while he was running errands. Now that someone believed him, he was rather surprised. “Ms. Jiang, you can bring your students here to the courtyard house to live temporarily. But lemme tell you beforehand, there isn’t enough space inside the house, so y’all’ll have to make do and sleep out here in the courtyard. Furthermore, we won’t be providing y’all with any food while we’re making our escape. We’ll each flee separately.”

“Mhm, I understand.” Jiang Wu nodded.

Although Ren Xiaosu would have liked to help Jiang Wu out of the goodness of his heart, he was absolutely not going to risk having anyone hold back the speed of their escape.

If the Experimentals could even cause Luo Lan to prepare to flee, they must be extremely terrifying. Ren Xiaosu wondered if there might be a lot more Experimentals than they had previously imagined.

At this moment, Jiang Wu looked to the many bicycles Ren Xiaosu and the others had parked in the yard. “Are you all planning on leaving on these bicycles?”

“Yes.” Ren Xiaosu nodded and said, “It’s so we’ll be faster when it’s time for us to go. Y’all might not be able to keep up with us.”

In this stronghold, bicycles cost at least several thousand yuan each. Anything made of metal these days was considered a luxury.

Although the school had already paid Jiang Wu her salary, and the students also received their subsidies for attending school, it was only going to be enough for them to buy some supplies for the journey and wouldn’t be enough to purchase a bicycle.

Jiang Wu hesitated for a long while. She had wanted to borrow some money but couldn’t bear to ask no matter how she thought about it. After all, what reason did she have that would make Ren Xiaosu want to lend her the money to buy bicycles?

Ren Xiaosu inadvertently mentioned, “Actually, there’s a bicycle shop just a few dozen meters down from where we are. You can always go and look for the owner to borrow his bicycles when trouble breaks out in the stronghold…”

Yan Liuyuan was taken aback. “Bro, are you sure you meant to say ‘borrow’? Do you even intend to return them?”

Ren Xiaosu did not reply. He knew this was wrong.

Jiang Wu shook her head. “That wouldn’t set a good example to the students.”

Ren Xiaosu did not say anything. He thought there was nothing wrong with Jiang Wu having such a sense of justice. After all, didn’t Ren Xiaosu help her previously because she had this “glow” to her?

But since this was the case, there was really nothing that Ren Xiaosu could do about it.

Jiang Wu said, “But I know there’s a place in the stronghold where we can rent bicycles from. It costs 90 yuan a month to rent one, and all we have to do is to submit our ID cards and 300 yuan as an initial deposit. I can just rent the bicycles for now.”

300 yuan was definitely not enough to cover the cost of a bicycle, but with the renter’s ID card withheld, there wouldn’t be any fear they would run off with the bicycles. After all, the stronghold was locked down at all times, so there wouldn’t be a chance for anyone to escape. And Jiang Wu’s students had received 600 yuan each for their education subsidy, so that would leave them with enough money to buy supplies for their escape after renting a bicycle.

Besides, their Stronghold 109 ID cards were going to be useless soon.

However, Ren Xiaosu asked out of curiosity, “What’s the difference between borrowing and renting the bicycles if that’s the case? We all know that those bicycles won’t be returned anyway.”

Jiang Wu said softly, “Surely we should at least compensate the shop a little, right?”

Ren Xiaosu was still curious, “But that will also set a bad example to the students, won’t it?”

Jiang Wu suddenly said determinedly, “Then I’ll just not tell them.”

Yan Liuyuan and Wang Fugui were speechless.

Ren Xiaosu looked at Jiang Wu and wondered whether she was sincere or hypocritical.

When this female teacher spoke, Ren Xiaosu could see the internal struggle she was going through.

Jiang Wu was someone who practiced what she preached. Back when they were escaping to Stronghold 109, her students would not have survived if she hadn’t been so hellbent on saving them.

But right now, Jiang Wu was bending her principles just so she could let her students gain a tool to facilitate their escape.

She couldn’t tell this to them, so she decided to bear the burden of the sin herself. She wanted her students to keep the correct fundamental values in life.

Ren Xiaosu found it very difficult to judge whether this behavior was mean or admirable, but he wasn’t qualified to do so.

Then a crisp laugh cut through the air. “Isn’t it just 20 or so bicycles? The Saboteurs are admirers of Ms. Jiang as a person, so we’ve decided that we’ll be sponsoring you guys with those bicycles!”

Ren Xiaosu was shocked as he turned his head to where the voice came from. The courtyard house they were in was not an independent structure but sat side by side with other courtyard houses. Therefore, there was another house’s backyard right next to the one that they were in.

Then Ren Xiaosu spotted Luo Xinyu leaning over the divider wall. She said, “Ren Xiaosu, aren’t you happy and surprised to see me?”

“Hah.” Ren Xiaosu’s expression darkened. What a fucking surprise, alright! This courtyard house they had rented was right next to Luo Xinyu and Yang Xiaojin’s place? How could it be so coincidental?

But Ren Xiaosu knew they must have moved in here first, because Old Wang had wanted to rent the place next door, but the landlord informed him that it had already been rented out a day earlier.

Ren Xiaosu suddenly realized this might not have been a coincidence at all. This was because most of the major powers present in this stronghold probably knew the Experimentals were headed here. That was why everyone had come here to where it was most convenient to escape from.

They were all thinking the same thing!

Ren Xiaosu asked, “Where’s Yang Xiaojin?”

“Hehe.” Luo Xinyu laughed but did not answer.

Her laugh made Ren Xiaosu nervous. ‘Why are you laughing so strangely!’ Ren Xiaosu asked, “How many others are staying in this area?”

“Luo Lan and his men are also staying nearby.” Luo Xinyu made a mental note and said, “Those from the Pyro Company have already been killed by you, so you won’t see them around anymore. As for the Yang Consortium, they’re all staying on the next street.”

As expected, everyone was here.

All of a sudden, Luo Xinyu asked, “Why didn’t you mention that you broke Dong Funan’s teeth off?”

Ren Xiaosu was taken aback. “She tried to bite someone, but her teeth weren’t strong enough, so who can she blame? Why? Are they not going to grow out again?”

Luo Xinyu snapped, “Can your teeth still grow out after they’ve fallen out? She’ll have to be a vegetarian from now on!”

Vegetarian? Ren Xiaosu pondered it and said, “Vegetarian… do you mean she can only suck the blood of someone who’s in a vegetative state?”

Luo Xinyu raised her eyebrows. ‘The fuck you mean by someone who’s in a vegetative state!’ “What I mean is, she can only consume blood that’s been transfused out and not by biting someone.”

“Oh.” Ren Xiaosu really did not feel bad about it. He chuckled. “If that’s how it is, she can even try out different flavors of blood by consuming cow’s blood or pig’s blood. If she consumes pig’s blood, maybe she’ll grow as strong as a pig!”

In fact, Luo Xinyu did not have much sympathy for Dong Funan before this. After all, Dong Funan was not exactly a good person to begin with. But with Ren Xiaosu saying that, she began to pity her a little.