A Vulpo Girl's Life as a Rhodes Island Operator

Warfarin looked somewhat excited.

Because Fengling, as an "individual," was truly full of peculiarities.

If Fengling were classified among "normal people," then she would be the one and only case Warfarin had ever handled.

Originium lesions often caused patients immense suffering.

If the diseased areas were poorly located, they could even directly cause patients to lose certain functions.

But there were indeed some lucky ones whose Originium lesions caused almost no severe adverse effects.

For instance, their tails might grow bigger and fluffier.

As for Fengling's condition, it could only be described as a miracle.

Nearly all of her mutations pointed toward beneficial effects.

The resilience of her skin, the strength of her bones, the density of her muscles.

Originium crystals were scattered throughout every part of her body. Even her tail, the most visibly affected area, appeared to be in an extremely stable condition.

Even in terms of combat capability alone, Fengling could eventually overcome certain racial disadvantages of being a Vulpo.

To put it bluntly.

Fengling could be called Infected, but she could not be called an "Oripathy patient."

Preparations Before Leaving Lungmen

"Then I'll be taking my leave for today!"

The sky was gradually darkening. Though she had already been hired, the various tests and physical examinations alone had taken up an entire day.

There were still plenty of minor matters to handle—but there was no need to rush them all today. Rhodes Island would remain in Lungmen for several more days.

Fengling's hiring was merely a small interlude for Rhodes Island.

For today, Fengling had decided to go home first.

After all, she would be leaving for a long time. She needed to properly tidy up her little nest.

And now that she had a Rhodes Island employee badge, it was at least entirely legal for Fengling to appear around Lauter Shore and the less important parts of the slums. She no longer needed to sneak around or hide herself on the way home.

The feeling of being able to walk down Lungmen's streets with her head held high... at least as far as she remembered, she had truly never experienced it before.

Lungmen at night glittered with neon lights, every corner proclaiming the city's prosperity and brilliance.

Though not everyone got to enjoy that splendor.

"The Infected..."

Too much had happened today.

Aside from her own hiring process, Fengling had also seen how Rhodes Island treated the Infected.

Just like ordinary patients who had caught a cold, they did everything they could to provide treatment, nothing more.

The fees were not cheap, but compared with the daily cost of buying medicine merely to maintain one's condition, they were still far lower.

And for patients urgently seeking treatment, Rhodes Island saved them first and worried about the rest later...

On that point, Fengling genuinely admired Rhodes Island.

Still, it felt like... Rhodes Island's need for combat power far exceeded that of any proper medical company...

Perhaps traveling through the wilderness was more dangerous than she imagined.

Fengling had no experience with such things. What lay beyond Lungmen was something she had only occasionally heard about, or learned from books and magazines.

Tonight would probably be her last trip back to her little nest for quite some time. Once she finished packing, Fengling planned to move aboard the landship.

"I should restock the emergency supplies in my little nest... Though I might never use them again, I can't abandon good habits. This time, I should choose things with longer shelf lives!"

"And... I should properly say goodbye to the people I know."

Though life had not been easy, the neighbors had always taken good care of Fengling.

On her way home, Fengling took a slight detour and arrived at a shop with a fairly abundant selection of goods.

"Emergency rations, purified water, backup fuel for the small Originium heater."

Then she made another trip to the pharmacy.

"Medical alcohol, bandages, trauma medicine... All right, this should be enough."

Her funds were tight, but Fengling was never stingy when it came to these things.

Years of experience had proved that turning her little nest into a safehouse was extremely useful.

After all, no matter how tactful she was, there would always be people she would offend sooner or later.

There had been times when it was inconvenient to fight back, and she had been blocked inside her home with no way to leave.

Fortunately, even in the Lungmen Slums, it was rare for anyone to dare break down someone's door in public. That was when the supplies Fengling kept stocked in her little nest came in handy.

"Next, I should head to Uncle Dong's stall. For my last meal at home, I really have to eat some balls for it to feel right!"

She could also see whether Uncle Lin was around and say goodbye while she was at it.

Though Uncle Lin's title as the Rat King was widely known, ordinary people truly had no idea where to find him if they wanted to.

Dong's Fish Balls was considered one fairly common place.

But today, she was probably out of luck. When Fengling arrived at the stall, she found only the young man watching the shop.

"Jaye, the usual. Three portions of Tumor Beast Balls, and another portion of fish balls, please!"

"Please wait."

Jaye's businesslike voice carried its usual calmness.

Perhaps because Fengling had ordered more than usual, Jaye glanced at her and, for once, took the initiative to make conversation.

"Did something good happen to Miss Fengling today?"

She had talked with Lin Ge Rui yesterday while Jaye was present, so Fengling did not need to explain everything from the beginning.

"Didn't I mention yesterday that Uncle Lin and I talked about me applying to that Rhodes Island place? Well, I went today, and I got in!" Fengling's lips curved into a lovely smile, and she looked extremely happy. "So I might be leaving Lungmen to work elsewhere soon. I originally wanted to see if I could run into Uncle Lin again today and say goodbye, but I guess the timing wasn't right. Jaye, if you see Uncle Lin next time, please pass along my regards."

"Of course." Jaye agreed. He knew very little about Lin Ge Rui and could not offer Fengling much help, but passing along a message was no problem. "The next time you come, I'll give you thirty percent off."

That kind of discount! If Fengling had gotten one in the past, she would absolutely have filled an entire refrigerator and eaten it slowly!

"Huh? Not this time?"

Even Jaye's usually expressionless face showed a rare hint of a smile. "Not this time. But the portions you just ordered are on the house."

A few portions of balls were not especially valuable. This was a small farewell gift from Dong's Fish Balls to Fengling, an old customer. In a situation like this, Jaye could make that decision on the owner's behalf.

And the promised discount next time was also a wish for Fengling's safe journey.

Fengling understood.

"Then... I won't stand on ceremony! I'll accept it! Thank you, Jaye!"

"Have a safe journey."

Carrying her beloved snacks, which also served as dinner, Fengling slowly made her way home.

For the first time, Fengling wanted to imprint every inch of the narrow streets of the Lungmen Slums into her mind.

Now that she had decided to leave, she could not help feeling a little reluctant.

Fengling lived on the top floor of a relatively tall building.

There was no elevator, so the top floor was indeed cheap. In fact, Fengling had not even paid for this room when she first got it.

But now, the house truly belonged to Fengling.

She unlocked the door with her key. The inside was not large, and the stored items made it somewhat cramped, but everything was arranged fairly neatly.

After eating a simple meal, Fengling took out a broom and mop, filled a bucket with clean water, and silently began cleaning.

The process did not take long. With the aid of Originium Arts, Fengling soon had the little home looking spotless.

"Last, I need to organize the emergency supplies!"

Everything meant for emergencies was made to last. Fengling roughly rearranged the items in her safehouse according to their expiration dates.

The oldest items would certainly be fine for another two or three years.

Her little nest would probably be left unattended for quite some time.

In the Lungmen Slums, there was no telling whether someone might enter her home.

Whether with ill intent or by accident.

Fengling did not have much of an opinion on that. She would not even be here, so she could not expect too much. As long as nobody tore her home apart, it was fine. So she casually left a note in the safehouse.

Farewell

"Hello, I'm Fengling."

"If you come here and need the supplies, feel free to use them. If possible, please replenish them for me afterward."

"Or you can compensate me at market price. Contact information—Rhodes Island, a medical company. Address it to Operator Fengling."

At the bottom of the simple note, Fengling drew a small and exquisite wind chime as her personal mark.

As well as the current date.

June, 1094.

"Good! That should do it!"

Everything that needed doing was done.

She had also briefly said hello to the neighbors she knew best.

For the time being, Fengling had nothing left to worry about in Lungmen.

"Hmm... I should call Ghost Sis to say goodbye too."

Ghost Sis's actual name was Hoshiguma, but everyone here called her Ghost Sis.

Ghost Sis used to run with an organization too, but she had since been recruited into the Lungmen Guard Department as a police officer. Recently, Fengling had even heard that she was about to be promoted.

Fengling had received plenty of care from her in the slums. Even the home Fengling lived in had originally been paid for by Ghost Sis.

Of course, Fengling had paid her back by now.

Since she was leaving Lungmen, it was only proper to let her know.

She dialed the Lungmen Guard Department's internal line.

Though it was already late, Fengling knew that the Lungmen Guard Department usually finished work very, very late.

"If I'm just saying hello, it shouldn't count as disturbing them at work..." Fengling muttered, but she still decided to make the call.

Before long, someone picked up.

Judging by the background noise, the Guard Department was probably in for another busy night.

"Lungmen Guard Department. Who are you looking for?"

A crisp, capable female voice sounded from the other end of the line.

It was not Ghost Sis, but Fengling roughly knew who the other woman was. She was a friend Ghost Sis had made after becoming a police officer.

"Hello, Officer Chen. Long time no see. This is Fengling. I'd like to speak with Ghost Sis."

Fortunately, though they were not particularly close, Fengling could still speak with Officer Chen. They were the sort of acquaintances who had at least shared a meal together.

"All right, she's here." After responding, Officer Chen called out on the other end of the line, "Hoshi, your call. It's Fengling."

Then came a burst of static as the receiver was passed over.

"Hello, Little Ling? It's rare for you to call me this late. What is it?" Ghost Sis answered Fengling's call. There was still a trace of amusement in her voice.

"Ghost Sis, um..." Fengling was briefly at a loss for words. Telling someone she was leaving never felt like a particularly happy matter. "I'm preparing to... leave Lungmen."