The whole next day.
Xu Feng spent the day getting to know his new coworkers.
He barely fixed anything, but he still got a day's wages and became fast friends with everyone.
Compared with his old coworkers in the transport department, the nerdy engineers in the Maintenance Department were clearly much more "pure."
Humming a little tune as he clocked out, Xu Feng returned to the Shanty Town earlier than he ever had before.
Sure enough, just as everyone had said.
That day, Xu Feng saw plenty of foreigners near the Trading Zone, both white and Black.
Many were strolling the streets in groups or shopping.
In this day and age, language barriers weren't an issue.
Besides the universal language, the real-time translation feature on their communicators was simple and convenient.
Still, Xu Feng witnessed several altercations on the street, and his foreboding grew stronger.
He quickened his pace, heading home and wondering whether he should renovate his shack and reinforce its walls.
But after just a couple of steps,
he saw a tall young man walking after Liu Yu, who was wearing a pale purple dress and holding a bouquet of flowers.
Liu Yu looked shy, but more than anything, she seemed resistant.
Xu Feng stopped in his tracks, his heart leaping. He sighed.
Youth was wonderful.
Just as he was about to take a detour, Liu Yu's eyes suddenly met his.
Xu Feng awkwardly greeted her. "Hey, Xiao Liu. Is someone confessing to you?"
Liu Yu glared at him, then glanced at the young man and accepted the flowers. "I'll take the flowers, but we're not right for each other. Don't come looking for me again."
The young man's expression darkened, and he seemed about to say something.
But when he saw Xu Feng watching, he merely pursed his lips and walked away.
Only after the young man had left did Xu Feng approach with a grin and ask Liu Yu, "He seems like a nice guy. What, not your type?"
"So I have to like every nice guy? What's wrong with you?"
Liu Yu glared at him, took the flowers inside, and slammed the door shut.
"Uh..." Xu Feng froze. "What's gotten into her?"
He shook his head and turned to leave.
When he got home, Xu Feng called around to ask about renovating his house.
After learning that even the cheapest alloy walls cost 4,500 per square meter, Xu Feng promptly gave up on the idea.
He might as well spend the money on Blood Qi Potions.
Evening.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Xu Feng had just put down his flying blades and finished showering. He was about to wash Xiao Dan's hair when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
He warily checked the monitor and saw Liu Yu outside.
Xu Feng opened the door in surprise. "Hi."
Liu Yu had changed into a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, her long hair draped over her shoulders.
As she approached, he caught a faint, delicate fragrance that made his heart itch.
"I got some Nether Flame Spirit Dog meat from Huang Sen, so I stewed some and brought it over for you and your daughter to try."
Liu Yu held out a large bowl of meat.
The rich aroma immediately caught Xu Feng's attention.
"You shouldn't have."
Xu Feng hurriedly tried to decline, but his mouth was already watering.
The meat smelled amazing, far better than anything he could cook.
"Just tell me, are you going to eat it or not? If not, I'll take it back."
Liu Yu smiled and started to take the bowl away.
At that, Xu Feng promptly accepted the meat. "You must need something, right? Come in and tell me."
But Liu Yu waved off his invitation, her expression turning somewhat awkward.
"No, it's late. You two should be getting some rest. I came to ask you to fix my communicator.
"It has photos and videos of my older brother and sister. I don't feel comfortable leaving it with anyone else.
"Anyway, just fix it. I'll pay your usual rate."
Hearing that, Xu Feng immediately understood how much the device meant to Liu Yu.
Then he realized that she was all alone now. Her older brother and sister had both been swallowed up by this dangerous world.
What a poor soul.
"Sure, leave it to me. I'll fix it for free. We're neighbors, so I won't charge you this time."
Xu Feng agreed with a smile, though he didn't press the matter.
The bowl of meat she'd brought must've weighed at least three pounds.
Even ordinary Mutated Creature meat cost nearly a hundred yuan per pound at the lowest.
It was worth almost as much as the repair fee.
He wasn't the sort of person who liked taking advantage of others, so whenever someone did him a favor, he repaid it on the spot.
But Liu Yu furrowed her brows and insisted, "How could I? This meat is for Xiao Dan, to help her build up her strength.
"You should charge your usual repair fee. Otherwise, I'll feel awkward asking you for help in the future."
Xu Feng smiled. "All right. I'll bring it over after work tomorrow."
As she was leaving, Liu Yu suddenly blushed and said to Xu Feng, "Don't get the wrong idea about what happened this afternoon. That guy's my coworker.
"I don't like him, but I didn't want to humiliate him."
Xu Feng froze, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, that's your personal business. You don't have to explain it to me."
Liu Yu rolled her eyes. "All right, I'm going. It's so dark out. Aren't you going to walk me home?"
"Uh, walk you home?" Xu Feng glanced at the sky and shook his head. "It's so late, and Xiao Dan's home alone. I wouldn't feel right leaving her."
"Fine. See you tomorrow, then." Liu Yu waved a hand in exasperation and turned to leave.
Watching Liu Yu go, Xu Feng smiled and sniffed the meat in his hands.
Then he swallowed another mouthful of drool. "This girl keeps a low profile, but she's a great cook."
Xu Feng was just about to close the door and head back inside.
Suddenly,
a faint scream in the night made him stop.
He looked toward the direction Liu Yu had gone, but saw two figures disappear around the corner. Liu Yu was nowhere in sight.
Xu Feng frowned. "Did I hear that wrong?"
He hadn't wanted to get involved in other people's business.
But after thinking it over, he went back inside and set down the meat.
He strapped on his Flying Blade Belt, grabbed his knife, and headed out.
"Lock the door! If anything happens, go straight to the tunnel!"
He called to Xiao Dan.
Xiao Dan had no idea what was going on, but obediently replied, "Got it, Dad. Be careful!"
"Bang!"
Xu Feng gently closed the door, then shot off toward the direction Liu Yu had gone.
He had just passed the mouth of an alley at the corner when he suddenly stopped.
Two Black men had their arms around Liu Yu.
One of them had a hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Xu Feng in terror.
Xu Feng's expression darkened.
Those bastards. They'd barely opened up communications, and already they were looking for trouble!
"Fuck, it's a Great Xia man," one of the Black men muttered.
The other gave Xu Feng a cold look and quietly pulled a gun from his waist.
He pointed its dark muzzle at Xu Feng and said in broken Chinese, "Great Xia man, get lost!"
Xu Feng's pupils contracted as he stared at the gun's dark muzzle.
In an instant, a chill ran down his back, leaving him covered in goose bumps.
A gun!
A wave of mortal fear surged through his chest, stopping his breath.
Xu Feng slowly raised his hands and backed away with an apologetic smile. "OK, OK, easy, easy!"
"Mm! Mmm!"
Liu Yu struggled desperately, but to no avail.
The two Black men sneered and dragged Liu Yu away.
But just as they relaxed and prepared to turn around,
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two flashes of cold light burst from Xu Feng's waist.
They flared into two dazzling streaks of light.
Like shooting stars, the cold flashes crossed more than ten meters in an instant.
"Pfft!"
The first blade.
The flying blade blasted through the man's wrist, and the pistol fell to the ground.
The second blade.
The flying blade shot straight for the armed Black man's throat, sealing it with a single strike. Blood sprayed everywhere!
Half of his neck was blown apart by the flying blade.
The Black martial artist's eyes went wide. Clutching his ruined neck, he dropped to his knees. "Ghk, ghk..."
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