Rope hadn't expected the old man to start reminiscing at a time like this. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond and could only rub her head sheepishly.
"Weren't those things from years ago already settled? Besides, didn't you promise me you wouldn't bring up the past anymore?"
Back then, she was just a child. Her parents, unable to bear the resources required to raise her, had no choice but to abandon her in these slums. She was young then and didn't possess such sophisticated thieving skills; she couldn't support herself alone and had to sneak into places while the owners were out to steal food. It was during one of those times that he caught her red-handed. Afterward, he would occasionally treat her to a meal, and to this day, Rope would still help him out from time to time.
"Child, I know you're reluctant to leave me and the things here. But this time, you must find a way to get out. You really can't stay here any longer; we will only drag you down..."
Jeanne was still outside looking at the sky when she was suddenly startled by the word "No!" shouted from inside the house. She turned back toward the closed door and patted her heart, which had nearly stopped from the shock.
That shout was far too sudden. Following it, the voices lowered, and Jeanne, standing outside the door, took a few steps back, keeping a cautious eye on the house. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that a sudden outburst like that was hard to handle; it was better to be careful.
Following a period of silence, another intense argument broke out. The two of them were using slang and dialects in their speech, making it impossible for Jeanne to understand what they were saying. Before long, the noise inside subsided again. Just as Jeanne mentally prepared herself for another loud sound, the door swung open, and Rope ran out, looking lost and dejected without saying a single word.
"What's the situation?"
Jeanne quickly looked inside the room to see the old man sitting there looking quite lonely. His eyes were filled with heartache and reluctance as he tapped the ground rhythmically with his cane. It seemed the two had undergone a fierce discussion that ended in a disagreement, resulting in the current state of affairs.
"I'm truly sorry for letting you see such a pathetic display, Miss Jeanne. Originally, I thought I could persuade the child, but I didn't expect it to end like this."
Having said that, the old man looked up at the ceiling. Whether he was reminiscing about his past or thinking about what to say next, he simply sat there in silence.
"Actually, you don't need to be too pessimistic about this, old gentleman. Everything you're worried about hasn't happened yet. Who's to say a turning point won't arrive for this matter?"
Jeanne had roughly guessed the situation by now, so she sat down to comfort the old man who was grieving alone. At this moment, she naturally understood what was on his mind. For an elder who knew how Lungmen handled such things, it was natural to view the situation with pessimism. This wasn't alarmism; with Wei Yenwu's consistent method of nipping danger in the bud regardless of the sacrifices involved, such things were bound to happen.
But hadn't Jeanne come here precisely to help them solve these problems? Just because she knew how it might end, was she supposed to act as if nothing was happening?
"You don't understand Lungmen. Or rather, no matter which mobile city we run to, people like us have no way to survive! Moreover, this matter is definitely not that simple."
The elder understood the complexity behind this. This affair was like a river with surging undercurrents; one never knew where hidden killing intent might lie. Anyone who tried to intervene or solve it would fall into a trap if they weren't careful.
"Though I can't give you any promises, I will do my best. In truth, it's not just for the sake of helping; I feel that this matter is beneficial to me as well."
With that, Jeanne stood up and walked out of the room. She planned to leave this place for now. As for a deeper investigation or finding the specific cause of the outbreak, that would require a long-term plan.
"According to that child's introduction, she said you are a cadre of an Infected organization! Is the one on your arm your organization's symbol? I don't know what your organization is called yet."
Just as Jeanne was about to leave, the old man remembered the armband. At the very least, he wanted to know who had helped them; it couldn't end without even knowing a name.
"Us? We are called Reunion. Perhaps you will hear this name again in the future! By then, perhaps everything will be different."
The old man watched Jeanne's silhouette disappear behind the dilapidated wooden door, his mouth involuntarily whispering the name "Reunion" as a light flickered in his eyes. His intuition told him that perhaps this Reunion was truly an organization that fought for the future of the Infected, rather than just a local faction with a fancy name.
Walking outside, Jeanne saw Rope waiting for her with a smile. It seemed she had already calmed her emotions and moved past her earlier dejection.
"I thought you'd need some time to adjust your mindset. I didn't expect you to step out of that state so quickly."
Jeanne looked at the smiling Rope and marveled at her ability to regulate her emotions. To recover to this extent in such a short time meant this child's psychological fortitude was much stronger than average. But then again, she had been a thief—a trade that tested one's nerves. If she were easily startled, it would be hard to survive on that alone.
"My work isn't finished yet, so how could I let such 'little' things affect my upcoming tasks? So, where would you like to go next, Boss?"
How could Rope's mood truly have recovered so quickly? However, for the sake of the Lungmen Dollars, she decided to get back to work. Ultimately, she couldn't bear to let those five hundred Lungmen Dollars fly away. Although Jeanne had come to help them and she technically shouldn't take the money, life was life.
"Then take me on a tour around the area! I still want to know what the living environment of Lungmen's Infected is truly like. No, not just the gathering areas; take me to see the living areas of the non-Infected as well."
Jeanne thought for a moment; she didn't know which direction to go, so she might as well walk around to understand the current state of the Lungmen slums as a plan for the future.
"The non-Infected gathering areas! Do you really want me to take you there? It's very dangerous for someone like me! Non-Infected people really like to bully us Infected."
A look of worry appeared on Rope's face. The living zones of the non-Infected were significantly better than here, but the people there wouldn't even allow Infected to step on their soil. They believed that an Infected person stepping on their land caused pollution and was a symbol of bad luck... even when they themselves were barely surviving, they insisted on stepping on the Infected to maintain a sense of dignity.
"Don't worry, I just want to get a rough understanding of the situation there. If you're worried, you can let me go in alone. I'm quite confident in my ability to protect myself."
After saying that, she urged Rope to move faster. These things were quite time-consuming, and if they delayed further, they wouldn't finish today. At that moment, Rope saw the sunlight shining upon Jeanne. For a heartbeat, Jeanne seemed to glow under the sun's rays, leaving the 'little' thief dazed.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go!"
"Ah, right!"
Hearing Jeanne's voice, Rope snapped out of it and quickly led the way. However, that image was etched into her mind like a photograph, something she could look back on from time to time.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Lungmen, a man with a dragon's head focused intently on a photograph of Jeanne, puffing on a pipe as smoke occasionally billowed out.