Bandit Aura!

I had heard that the refugees on the wasteland were fierce and cunning, willing to do anything to survive, but this young man in front of me...

Never mind, he was my savior. No matter what, I owed him a huge favor.

"It seems there's no time," Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and explained sincerely, "I can't feel half of my body right now."

"Oh, that's the effect of the Snake Skin Tree sap. It not only has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, but it can also numb the nerves and help heal wounds."

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei's swollen, purplish-red lips and nodded slightly, saying, "Thank you. I will repay you."

"Why say that? I didn't think of these things when I saved you," Tang Fei waved his hand casually and said, "However, if your family has any spare flying cars or guns and ammunition..."

Tang Fei looked embarrassed, the following words seemed to make it difficult for him to speak, unsure how to express them.

"Understood," Phoenix nodded and said, "When I get back to New Star, I'll have someone send you a flying car and three electromagnetic pulse guns."

"Thank you so much," Tang Fei enthusiastically extended his right hand and shook Phoenix's small hand, saying with a smile, "I was just saying it casually. It's okay if I don't have those."

"When I saved you, I had only one thought: this was a living life, and I couldn't leave her in the wilderness to be eaten by wild beasts, or gnawed by carnivorous ants until not even bone fragments remained."

"It would be even worse if she fell into the hands of those Predators; it would be a fate worse than death. I can guarantee you would have rather not escaped from the Great Tomb."

"And add a ton of living supplies," Phoenix said.

"Oh my, you're too kind," Tang Fei beamed, saying, "How are you feeling now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? If you feel any pain, I can chew some more Snake Skin Tree leaves for you."

"Everything else is fine, just weak and powerless."

"It's okay, it's okay, you'll be fine after resting for a while," Tang Fei comforted him, "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Your mouth looks a bit dry. I'll go find some water for you."

"Okay, thank you," Phoenix said.

Since you saw my mouth was dry, why didn't you give me some water? My throat is about to catch fire.

Of course, she wouldn't say anything that would disrupt the stable, harmonious atmosphere.

She was completely powerless now, unable to even stand up. Having fallen into the refugee area of the wasteland, she knew nothing about the young man in front of her, his identity, background, or what he had done in the past.

Or what he might do.

No matter what, she couldn't anger him at this moment. She had to show her gratitude and honesty as much as possible.

Hmm, but the gratitude shouldn't be too much, so he doesn't guess my true identity.

That would just be more trouble.

The immediate priority was to ensure her own safety, then quickly recover her strength, and contact New Star to have them send someone to pick her up.

Those debts would be settled, little by little, after she returned.

Blood debts must be repaid with blood.

Soon, Tang Fei returned with a large bowl of water.

Of course, this had nothing to do with the flying car, pulse guns, or a ton of supplies.

Phoenix wanted to sit up to drink the water but found that her body couldn't move at all.

Tang Fei noticed her predicament and said, "It's okay, just lie down and I'll feed you."

As he spoke, he took out a bronze spoon from his pocket.

Clearly, he had prepared it in advance.

Phoenix glanced at the surface of the spoon and managed to suppress the urge to ask him to clean and disinfect it. There was an old saying on Earth, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Since she had fallen onto this wasteland, nothing was more important than staying alive.

Tang Fei didn't know what she was thinking. For a young person living on the wasteland, potable water was a luxury. Sometimes they would just lie on the ground and stick their mouths into the river or tilt their heads back to catch the stream water flowing from the mountains.

Tools were never a problem.

Even the lack of tools wasn't a problem.

Tang Fei used the spoon to scoop water and fed it into Phoenix's mouth, spoonful by spoonful. Her dry, peeling lips were nourished and began to become moist and shiny.

Strangely, her face grew redder and redder.

Is she shy? Tang Fei thought to himself.

It's understandable. What woman could resist being looked at so closely?

"Are you okay?" Tang Fei asked.

"I'm fine," Phoenix swallowed another large mouthful of water, glanced at Tang Fei timidly, and said, "Can you go slower? You're feeding me too fast, and I'm choking."

She tried her best not to provoke these "riff-raff" on the wasteland, even making this simplest and most reasonable request with caution.

"..."

Tang Fei felt a sense of indignant shame. I get a racing heart just looking at your face, and you, looking at my face... are worried about choking on such a trivial matter?

"Your throat is too shallow."

Tang Fei decided to shift the blame to Phoenix, after all, how to shirk responsibility was also one of the essential survival skills on the wasteland.

"You need to practice more. The more you drink and the faster you swallow, the deeper and wider your throat will become."

"..."

Tang Fei's words were harsh, but his actions became much gentler and slower. After finishing the bowl of water, he looked at Phoenix and asked, "Do you want to eat anything?"

Phoenix shook her head and said, "No need, I'm not hungry yet."

She didn't want to make too many demands. Before everyone was sufficiently familiar with each other and had established a basic foundation of trust, she would minimize her burden on others and avoid negative impressions as much as possible.

Living was the most important thing.

Of course, how wonderful it would be to have a steaming bowl of Snow Bull Noodles.

Thinking of Snow Bull Noodles, Phoenix couldn't help but swallow.

"What's your name?" Phoenix didn't want to think about Snow Bull Noodles, braised pork, spicy chicken feet, or stir-fried sea cucumber, so she took the initiative to chat with Tang Fei.

"Tang Fei," Tang Fei replied. "Tang, as in Tang, the ancestor of Han."

"Then it must be the 'fei' from 'a gentleman of virtue, like chiseling and filing, like carving and polishing'?" Phoenix chimed in.

Tang Fei glanced at her meaningfully and said, "No, the 'fei' from 'ruffian'."

"."

Phoenix was slightly startled. Had this guy seen through her?

Impossible, right? He was so young and lived in this precarious wasteland, how could he have such deep thoughts?

"Why would parents give their child such a strange name?" Phoenix maintained a calm facade, showing no outward signs of surprise, and asked with feigned curiosity.

"I heard it's because I was too good-looking when I was born. They worried I'd be bullied when I grew up, so they gave me this name. They wanted me to be a bit more 'ruffian' when I spoke and acted, so people would be afraid of me and no one would dare bully me."

"As expected," Phoenix said after a moment of daze, praising, "What thoughtful parents."

"Yeah," Tang Fei nodded. "Unfortunately, they're both dead."

"Dead?" Phoenix thought about the harsh environment for young men and offered words of comfort, "I'm so sorry..."

"You did it?"

"Huh? No, I don't even know them," Phoenix quickly denied.

This was a joke. She didn't dare to bear such a heavy accusation. If she did, she feared this guy would kill her like prey.

There were no laws to restrain people in the wasteland, nor were there any concepts of kindness or virtue.

"Then why are you sorry?" Tang Fei shrugged indifferently and said.

"I'm just expressing my regret."

"Are all people from New Star as hypocritical as you?" Tang Fei stared at Phoenix and asked, "You say sorry and regret for someone you haven't even met. Is this how you usually talk?"

"."

Phoenix's chest suddenly puffed up, indignant.

It took her a great deal of effort to suppress the anger in her heart, and she patiently explained to Tang Fei, saying, "Because you are my savior, so when I heard your parents were gone, I felt very sad."

She looked at Tang Fei with a sincere expression and said, "I know that in this environment, it must have been very difficult for you without your parents by your side."

Tang Fei stared into Phoenix's eyes for a long time, then nodded and said, "It was indeed not easy. So, don't lie to me anymore."

"How could I lie to you? You are my savior, the one I will be grateful to my entire life."

"You just tried to tie me down with the label of 'gentleman.' Do you know that gentlemen can't survive in the ruins?" Tang Fei smiled brightly, but his tone was incredibly serious.

"I understand." For some reason, looking at his smile, Phoenix felt a chill run down her spine. He was much more terrifying when he smiled than when he didn't. "I'm sorry, that was my mistake. I was just worried... worried you would hurt me."

"If you were a gentleman, adhering to gentlemanly etiquette, my situation would be safer, wouldn't it?"

"How could that be?" Tang Fei waved his hand and said, "What good would it do to hurt you? None. Although people in the wasteland have some quirks, I don't, and my family doesn't."

"Besides, I believe in your character. You promised to give me a flying car, an electromagnetic pulse gun, and a ton of supplies. You'll keep your word, won't you?"

"Yes," Phoenix nodded firmly.

She understood the meaning behind Tang Fei's words. There was no friendship between them, only a transaction.

As long as there were no greater benefits to be gained, she was absolutely safe, and there was no need to say inappropriate things or do thankless tasks as she had just done.

After all, no one wanted to be manipulated.

Hmm, she needed to re-evaluate this young man's intelligence.

And his danger level.

(PS: Thanks to "Floating Melbourne" for the Silver Patron, also a beautiful operations officer who has given me a lot of help and support.

Thanks to "Smoky Ash Brother" for the Silver Patron. "Smoky Ash Dimly Falls" – this name makes me think he's a burly man with a melancholic demeanor, stubble, and hundreds of failed relationships. I didn't expect him to be quite refined and handsome when we met, which greatly impacted my status in the looks department.

Fortunately, I held my ground.

Thanks to "Quiet Handsome Man" for becoming our patron. There's a comment in the book review section about him that I think is particularly good: Quiet is fake, handsome is fake, but love for Old Liu is real.

Thanks to "emonofu" for becoming our patron, an old friend who has always been there and never missed a beat.

Thanks to "Ming Wei Meng Ying" for becoming our patron. This young girl has grown up before my eyes.

Thanks to "Listening to Wind Luo Ye" for becoming our patron. I chatted with her like a brother for a long time, and only when I suddenly saw her moments about being a "simp" did I realize she was also a girl.

Thanks to "Sui Er Xiao" for becoming our patron, also an old friend of many years. Except for being a bit younger, everything else is great.

Newcomer, new book, thank you to old and new friends for your continued support.)