Chapter 147 Doctor? No, I'm not.
"It's nothing, let's hurry up and pick them."
After more than an hour of effort, Ji Mu andZhang Yuan's backpacks were already bulging, but there were still many fruits on the tree.
Just as Ji Mu was about to call Zhang Yuan back to the RV campsite, an unusual noise alerted him.
"Uncle Zhang, did you hear anything? Come and smell around, I think someone's coming." Ji Mulooked around warily.
"There's no one there, Xiao Mu. Are you too nervous? I see the leaves are lush over there. Let's go take a look." Zhang Yuan pulled Ji Muand started to walk deeper into the area.
Ji Mu suddenly stopped what he was doing, his ears keenly catching a faint sound coming from not far away. It was a sound that did not belong to nature, carrying a hint of deliberate secrecy and danger.
He turned to look at Zhang Yuan and found that the other man's face looked unusually gloomy in the dappled shadows of the trees, with a malicious smile on his lips.
"Uncle Zhang... what do you mean by this?"
A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Ji Mu'sheart. He abruptly took a step back, distancing himself from Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan's smile grew increasingly sinister. He could already smell the scent of the people who had come to meet him—the scent of a large armed force…
Zhang Yuan slowly put down the fruit in his hand, his eyes revealing a coldness that Ji Muhad never seen before, completely different from his usual demeanor.
" Xiao Mu, you do have a brain. You realized it so quickly. My plan shouldn't have included the possibility of being discovered in advance."
"Uncle Zhang, are you really going to betray us? Who exactly are you? Didn't you say you were a doctor? Aren't doctors supposed to save lives? Why are you working for those bad people?" Ji Mu had a pretty good idea that Zhang Yuan must have exposed their location to He Qing and his group.
"What doctor? I haven't been a doctor for a long time. I'm just a veterinarian."
Upon hearing the word "doctor," Zhang Yuanreacted as if his sore spot had been touched. "Do you think I'm doing all this for you guys, putting up with your grievances every day? Of course, it's for supplies and for survival!"
"You're talking nonsense. You must be a doctor. You know a lot about human medications, but when Raymond vomited last time, you had no idea what to feed him. How could you possibly be a veterinarian?"
"Fine, since we're going to tear things apart here anyway, I'm not going to pretend anymore. Yes, I used to be a doctor, but I stopped being a doctor and became a 'veterinarian' on a hospital ship in international waters. My hands are used to cut out people's hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys. I'm no longer a doctor who saves lives."
Ji Mu lowered his eyes and kept backing away. He found it hard to accept this story, and the expression on Zhang Yuan's face felt completely unfamiliar.
Zhang Yuan's eyes were exceptionally cold, just like the eyes he had when he looked at the countless "piglet" on the medical ship who begged for mercy, retreated, cried, roared, and were desperate. He usually wouldn't even use anesthesia on these people, because fresh, living organs are more vibrant and can fetch a higher price.
His suturing skills, which he was always so proud of, were meaningless in the high seas. Those "piglet" lost their will to live after their organs were removed, and he didn't need to sew up a person who was about to become a corpse.
Simply toss them overboard, and the sea will wash away all traces of their existence in the world.
A self-deprecating smile curled at the corner of his lips. " Xiao Mu, long before the Post-Apocalyptic World arrived, I had already seen countless deaths and injuries. On the hospital ship in international waters, morality and rules simply do not exist. The dark side of human nature can be amplified infinitely with the desire to survive. And I am merely conforming to the rules of the game, using my scalpel to exchange for the capital I need to live."
Ji Mu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He couldn't imagine how long Zhang Yuan had been the executioner of those horrific organ traffickers.
This is so devastating because it matches the image of Uncle Zhang, the kind middle-aged man who has helped and supported him all along.
"Then what do you take me for? A tool you've always used? Zhang Yuan, it's not too late to turn back now. Are you really prepared to go down this dark path?"
"Turning back? It's too late. And even if I wanted to turn back, they wouldn't let me go. I've been part of their plan for a long time. I can't escape my fate. Xiao Mu, don't struggle anymore. Your end is also predetermined. Be good and cooperate. Uncle Zhang will find a way to get them to spare your life, okay?"
Ji Mu clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions as he stared into Zhang Yuan's eyes. For the first time, he felt an urge to kill someone. He also realized for the first time that the apocalypse not only brought disaster but also laid bare the complexity and cruelty of human nature.
He activated his Supernatural Ability. Zhang Yuan stared into Ji Mu's eyes and also sensed something was wrong. He shouted repeatedly, "What are you looking at? Come out and help me!"
Ji Mu was about to activate his Supernatural Ability when he was startled by the shout, but he couldn't care less about that now, as the hallucination went straight to Zhang Yuan's mind.
Zhang Yuan frantically pulled a scalpel from his waistband, ready to fight Ji Mu to the death. He wanted to kill the kid first, otherwise, if he fell into the illusion Ji Mu created, it would be very troublesome.
However, Supernatural Ability is naturally faster than a knife. The illusion quickly plunged Zhang Yuan into a state of confusion, causing him to wildly wave the scalpel in the air, but he was actually just standing still.
"Tsk, what a piece of trash." As a woman's voice appeared, Zhang Yuan instantly snapped out of his hallucination.
Ji Mu looked at Zhang Yuan in surprise, "What's going on? I clearly used the Illusion Supernatural Ability on him."
He Qing and a man emerged from the woods behind Zhang Yuan. Zhang Yuan now had two more accomplices. He could have used hisSupernatural Ability to kill Zhang Yuan, or at the very least, escaped...
Now, the illusion of Supernatural Ability has failed at the crucial moment, which makes Ji Mufeel a chill, but he does not show any panic. He remembers what Yu Miaomiao once said: no matter what happens, you must remain calm and not show any fear.
He quickly assessed the situation. AlthoughZhang Yuan had betrayed them, the appearance of He Qing and his group had added another variable to the situation.
He took a deep breath and decided to stabilize the situation first and look for a turning point.
At least He Qing knows him and his brother, so she shouldn't try to kill him right away.
Moreover, these people went to so much trouble to trick him into coming here, it's obvious they want to use him to threaten his brother and Yu Miaomiao...
"My Supernatural Ability... it's not working, I need to try again." What puzzled him even more than this was why his Supernatural Ability had failed.
"Hmph, don't waste your time. You're unlucky to have run into me." He Qing noticed Ji Mu's confusion, curled the end of her hair, walked arrogantly to Ji Mu's side, and whispered in his ear, "My Supernatural Ability is to make allSupernatural Abilities ineffective."
Ji Mu was even more shocked; did that mean he really couldn't escape...?
Someone, please save him! He regrets it now; he shouldn't have disobeyed and run away. The thought that he will never see his brother, Xu Nanwei, or his two older sisters again terrifies him.
He turned and charged into the woods, but Scarface beat him to it, raising his gun and blocking his path.