Chapter Fifty-One: Enmity Over a Peck of Rice

“Yes, of course we can. We won’t say a single word.” The promise of meat brought a gleam of triumph to both Xiaoyong’s mother and Xiaoyong as they exchanged glances. In silent agreement, they returned to their beds without another word, making it clear they would speak no more.

Seeing the mother and son fall quiet, Li Qingshui tugged at Liu Chang’s sleeve and whispered, “Come on, let’s go out for a bit.”

The two of them left the room and made their way to the distant stairwell, where they sat side by side on the steps. Liu Chang looked puzzled. “Are you really going to share the meat with them?”

“Has that frog’s acid burned away your brain?” Li Qingshui regarded Liu Chang steadily.

“No.”

“Then neither has it burned mine.” There was a subtle change in Li Qingshui’s eyes, a flicker of resolve.

“You…” Liu Chang caught her gaze and seemed to understand something. He let out a heavy sigh. “I see what you mean. When do we make our move?”

“Tonight, when it’s late and quiet—it’ll be easier then.”

“What about the military?”

“That’s exactly why I agreed to give them meat, out of concern for the army’s reaction. The military is extremely sensitive to any violence among civilians right now. They fear riots, fear that violence will stir unrest, and with the way rage spreads like a contagion, their concern isn’t unfounded.” As Li Qingshui spoke, she pulled a hand-rolled cigarette from her pocket and lit it, taking a drag before continuing. “Still, their attention is only on public perception.”

“If someone were to simply disappear without a trace, as long as it didn’t cause a stir, it wouldn’t trouble them.”

Liu Chang nodded.

“Just be clean and efficient tonight,” Li Qingshui said, passing Liu Chang the half-smoked cigarette. “With your skills, it’ll be easy. Try this—it’s made from the leaves of a strange plant I found outside. The taste is good and it helps with stress.”

Liu Chang took it, inhaled, and found the aroma pleasantly fresh.

“Are you sure you can do it? I suppose this is your first time killing someone incapable of fighting back?” Seeing him silently smoking, Li Qingshui spoke gently. “Taking a life is never pleasant, but when you’re dealing with bullies and scoundrels, we have no other choice.”

“There are too many people who turn on you the moment charity runs out. Even if we give them meat today, what happens when we can’t spare any for them? They won’t keep our secret. Besides, why should we give them meat? How did we get this meat and the pickling supplies? You were burned nearly to death, your kidneys failed; the little girl and I barely survived the willow tree. The three of us traded our lives for this, so why should they get to feast for nothing? This meat isn’t just food—it’s our lives. Call me selfish if you want, but if someone hasn’t paid the price, they shouldn’t expect rewards.”

“If they dare to act like thugs and freeloaders, they’d better be ready to face the consequences.”

“I understand. Thank you. You said all this so I could have a clearer conscience—so I won’t hesitate when the time comes. I get it.” Liu Chang forced a wry smile, finishing the last drag of the homemade cigarette. Only when the burning end nearly singed his lips did he flick the small butt to the floor.

“Let’s talk about something else. I heard about the willow tree, but Xiaojing is too young to explain it clearly. I want to hear it from you.”

“It’s a super-organism. I don’t even know how to explain it. Its mutation and evolution is obviously much faster than other species—it’s unique.” As Li Qingshui spoke of the willow tree, her posture involuntarily hunched in discomfort. “It can control human brains, read memories and knowledge, even link separate minds together. It just hasn’t developed true independent intelligence yet.”

“But it already has a sense of self—so true consciousness can’t be far off.”

“Heh. Humans took countless years to develop true intelligence, and now in just a dozen days, another species has stolen it from us. It’s tragic. How many more of these ‘anomalies’ do you think the world has?” Liu Chang asked, feeling a pressure in his chest. “The world is vast. Kaifeng is just a small city in northern China. If a super-organism like that willow can emerge here, what about elsewhere?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I can tell you this: such super-organisms must be exceedingly rare,” Li Qingshui replied. “We just happened to encounter one. Even if others appear elsewhere, what are the odds they’ll evolve the same brain-controlling ability? If this willow hadn’t developed that by chance, would it have sought greater intelligence? Without it, it’d be just an unusually tough plant, no threat to humans at all.”

“It’s all coincidence. Even among super-organisms, it stands alone.” Li Qingshui concluded, “I don’t know about other super-organisms, but there won’t be another tree like this one.”

“I don’t agree with you. It’s only been a few days. The world is so big, the oceans so deep—how can you be sure there aren’t more anomalies out there? Even if there aren’t now, can you promise there never will be? Remember, it’s only been a dozen days! With global evolution, anything is possible.” Liu Chang stood up, offering his hand to Li Qingshui and pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go back. Overthinking this will only wear you down, and it won’t help. We just need to do what we can.”

“As for the rest? We’ll leave it to fate.”

“Yes, leave it to fate.” Li Qingshui rose, and together they walked down the corridor and returned to the dormitory.

Inside, Xiaoyong and his mother could barely contain their impatience for the promised meat. When Liu Chang and Li Qingshui entered, both jumped up from their beds.

“Let’s eat—the meat won’t be as good if we wait.”

“Very well, let’s begin.” Li Qingshui glanced at them, her face expressionless. “Don’t forget what you promised me.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep our mouths shut,” Xiaoyong’s mother said brashly.

“Are you really going to let them eat?” The fat man, seeing their resolve unchanged, grew anxious. “You risked your lives for this. You’re really going to share it?”

“Let it go. We’re all in the same dorm. Sooner or later, we’ll need each other’s help.” Liu Chang stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

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