Thomas sadly shared the story of his troubled and fallen past.
Wang Jixuan played the role of a good listener. For him, Thomas's tale wasn't particularly interesting, but paying attention to the lives of ordinary people helped him understand the world better.
The handmade car drove along the bumpy winding road and entered the forty-ninth level, intentionally avoiding the confrontation zone between the Black Fire Gang and the Wanlijin Gang, smoothly making its way into Wanlijin's territory.
Just as the Black Fire Gang's controlled area had a nickname called "City of Resurrection," Wanlijin's territory also had a unique name: "Emerald Manor."
This place was a large farm providing brewing materials. The size of Emerald Manor was similar to that of the City of Resurrection, with white greenhouses for growing crops everywhere. The main residential area was squeezed into a narrow space, creating a peculiar sight known as the "Container Forest."
Suddenly, Wang Jixuan heard the joyful screams of children.
He looked out the car window; kids were playing in the maze-like "Container Forest." Many of the container homes had energy-saving lights on outside, while adults were busy sewing under the lights.
Emerald Manor was the area in the lower city with the most lighting and electricity usage, aside from the City of Joy. Besides brewing alcoholic beverages and supplying vegetables and fruits to the upper city, Wanlijin's third biggest business was handmade sewing. About forty percent of the clothing and shoes in the lower city came from this Container Forest, including the green sweatshirts of their rival, the Black Fire Gang.
Wang Jixuan also noticed many people chatting and drinking on platforms, with armed men and women patrolling around.
His attention was quickly drawn to the greenhouses.
In his perception, the spiritual energy there felt... very pure!
There was also a bit more of it!
Could it be because of the abundance of plants?
This unexpected discovery made Wang Jixuan feel a bit more eager.
As it turned out, his luck today was quite good.
The intermediary who brought him here, "Goat Butt" Thomas, finally stopped his storytelling and pointed to a stretch of greenhouses, saying in a hoarse voice, "We're going there soon.
"Thank you, Brother Zhou. I’ve never shared my story with anyone else, except for my driver... Just now, you made me rethink my life.
"As a return, I’ll introduce you to my adoptive mother. That’s where I used to live, and she’s the most respected elder in the Wanlijin Gang.
"Alright, I'll be honest with you.
"Because your uncle is a powerful person, I planned from the start to bring you to my hometown, hoping you could get along with my younger siblings. In the future, when they need help, you can offer them a bit of kindness.
"Wait a moment, I need to change my style; otherwise, that quirky old lady will hit my sexy butt with her broom."
Thomas began to wipe his face and remove his makeup.
"Thank you," Wang Jixuan said softly.
After listening to Thomas's stories all the way, Wang Jixuan felt a bit emotional.
"Thomas" was this guy's stage name, created for convenience while doing business in the City of Joy. His poetic real name was "Hua Queyue," which he hardly used anymore.
He aimed for a contrast.
Thomas claimed to be a conservative in his personal life, having a secret girlfriend. His flamboyant appearance, way of speaking, and style of doing things were all meant to enhance his recognition among different groups.
In his line of work—bringing people from the middle city to settle in the lower city, and vice versa—connections were everything.
A few minutes later, Thomas finished removing his eye makeup, foundation, and bright red lipstick. He changed into a black shirt, skillfully applied sticky hair gel to his hands, and quickly styled his once-cockatoo-like hair into a neat side part.
In front of Wang Jixuan stood a charming middle-aged man in his forties with a fit body.
Wang Jixuan thought: This world’s transformation techniques don’t even require spells!
“How do I look?”
Thomas deliberately used a bubbly voice: “Can I be a cover model? Actually, my first job in the City of Joy was as a window model, you know.”
Wang Jixuan forced a smile, “What are we doing next?”
“Follow me, put away those wild expressions, just... keep your heart calm and try to look like an intellectual.”
Thomas rubbed his nose: “My adoptive mother has a bad temper and hates lazy punks. Don’t tell her why you were forced to come to the lower city; she despises murderers.
“Just say you offended some powerful people in the middle city, and they want to kill you. Your uncle arranged for you to stay here for a while to hide; that’s enough.
“Got it?”
“Sort of.”
“Get out of the car and wait for me for a bit. I’ll go take care of things so they can look after you more in the future.”
Thomas changed into a pair of ordinary sneakers, opened the car door, and jumped out.
Immediately, warm greetings came from the side: “Brother Hua! Long time no see!”
“Hahaha! Long time no see!”
“It’s been a while since you brought someone here. Do you have some peanuts that can be squeezed for oil this time?” “This time is different; his uncle manages logistics on the eleventh floor and is very influential... Don’t tell anyone else, especially my wife.”
“Wow! Why would someone like him come to our slum?”
“They also have enemies, and this poor guy was framed and can only hide for a while…”
Wang Jixuan got out of the car and saw Thomas chatting with seven or eight men and women under the streetlight.
More members of the Wanlijin Gang were rushing over, gathering around Thomas, chatting, and casually taking cigarettes from his hands.
The driver opened the trunk and pulled out two foam boxes.
“Brother Zhou, come help out.”
“Okay,” Wang Jixuan took one of the boxes and found it filled with bags of flour.
The basic food in the fortress was starch sticks, which were not made from this wheat flour; flour was considered a relatively expensive item in the lower city.
Wang Jixuan waited with the driver for more than ten minutes until Thomas finally finished smoking and chatting.
With a cheerful expression, he walked over, patted Wang Jixuan on the shoulder, opened a small flashlight, and headed towards the greenhouse area.
The closer he got to the greenhouses, the stronger Wang Jixuan’s senses became.
The spiritual energy here was indeed purer.
Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon a great place for cultivation!
These greenhouses were closely arranged, each measuring ten meters long and three meters wide, with a household in each one. Those who lived here were families of the Wanlijin Gang members.
As Thomas illuminated the path, he introduced Wang Jixuan: “The special soil for growing crops is a closely guarded secret of Wanlijin.
“Don’t underestimate this seemingly common soil; each household’s greenhouse has a fixed quota of this special soil every year.
“Correspondingly, each greenhouse must produce enough crops each year, mainly grapes for brewing wine and vegetables for the upper city. If they fail to meet the specified amount, that family will lose the right to plant the following year.
“Taking care of plants is the easiest job in the lower city.
“If they can increase their yield a bit, the extra will earn them some rewards.
“To ensure fairness, harvesting is done uniformly by the Wanlijin Gang. If they catch a grower stealing, they’ll lose their planting rights permanently and get a good beating.”
Wang Jixuan said, “That sounds pretty good.”
“In terms of environment, choosing Wanlijin is actually the smartest choice, but as an intermediary, I must say the chances of standing out here are relatively low unless you go against the Black Fire Gang.”
As they spoke, Thomas cleared his throat, instinctively straightened his back, and looked at the tall three-story wooden building behind the greenhouse area, letting out a gentle breath.
The wooden building looked a bit old and had been standing here for some years.
News of Thomas’s return had already reached here. Seven or eight children, aged three to twelve, were squeezed at the entrance under a yellowish porch light, eagerly looking this way.
“Brother Hua!”
A little girl shouted in delight.
“Hahahaha!”
With laughter, Thomas opened his arms and rushed over, the flashlight shaking in his hand.
The eight children rushed to meet him, chattering like a flock of little magpies.
Wang Jixuan listened to Thomas talk all the way. Besides learning about Thomas's troubled, violent, and bittersweet personal growth story, he also heard Thomas mention “the wooden house of his adoptive mother” several times.
These children were taken in by that old lady.
The reason they could create a space here and plant some dark-resistant fruit trees and simple vegetables was all thanks to Thomas. After becoming a notable figure in the lower city, he fully repaid his adoptive mother who raised him.
Watching this scene, Wang Jixuan couldn’t help but feel a bit touched.
This was the emotion of ordinary people…
Hmm?
Wang Jixuan unconsciously frowned, looking at a new figure appearing under the porch light.
It was an elderly woman with white hair, appearing to be in her sixties or seventies, wearing a light-colored floral long dress and a brown sweater, leaning against the doorframe with a smile, watching her adopted children playing and laughing outside.
In the lower city, it was rare for someone to reach such an age, but that wasn’t why Wang Jixuan frowned.
Perhaps Wang Jixuan’s gaze suddenly sharpened, causing the old lady to look up.
With the light from the nearby greenhouse, she clearly saw Wang Jixuan’s disguised appearance as "Zhou Tiantian."
With a dark expression, she said, “Little Hua! You rascal! Are you finally doing business with me?”
“Mom! This young man is different!”
Thomas laughed and approached, opening his arms for a hug, but was pushed back by the old lady’s mock kick.
“You’re still as healthy as ever,” Thomas exclaimed, secretly waving to Wang Jixuan and the driver.
Wang Jixuan’s expression returned to the smile from before as he held the foam box and moved closer, carefully sensing.
Indeed.
This elderly woman was surrounded by a chaotic and mottled aura.
It was the aura of Wen Heisen, the third-in-command of the Black Fire Gang and a D-level spiritual energy user.
(End of Chapter)