Chapter 54

The medical department said it would not only dispatch doctors and ability-users to the slums, but also divide the areas and forbid the movement of flu patients between them, severing transmission routes as much as possible.
Lin Tantan was rather surprised.
Doing this would require the base to put in a lot of effort. She hadn't expected them to be willing, after all, medical resources were precious. They could be used on wealthy patients who might pay well, but sending them into the slums would hardly bring any profit.
She found herself a little impressed with the base's temporary government.
There were many slum districts throughout the base; the medical department took most of them, but a few were left for Lin Tantan, and she gladly accepted.
They worked late into the night, and by the time they wrapped up it was dark. Even so, they'd only gone through the worst-off patients in that slum; a true cure was still far off. The looks from those patients weighed heavily on the ability-users as they left.
Back at the clinic, Lin Tantan began paying the ability-users and guards. She'd rented a warehouse nearby to store the supplies they'd earned, and salaries were paid out from that stock, on average two jin of grain per patient treated.
That rate was similar to what they'd get at the clinic: an ordinary patient who was cured would pay maybe a dozen to twenty jin of grain in total. The treating ability-user received seventy percent of that, and divided by the number of treatments they performed for that patient, it came out to about that rate.
But in the slums it was a free clinic, meaning Lin Tantan had no income while still having to pay many wages. Watching Qian Feifei and a few others call out names, check treatment counts, and weigh out grain and other supplies, Lin Tantan estimated how long their stock would last: at most two or three days.
Xu Tianjin clicked his tongue. “Doctor Lin, you're extravagant. Even a big household couldn't afford to burn through supplies like this.”
Lin Tantan said, “It doesn't matter, it's just in one hand and out the other.” She didn't value the supplies that much. Ye Xiao had Bai Cheng stationed on that side, so the pace of gathering supplies was not something she needed to worry about. Even if commercial forces returned, there wouldn't be anything she couldn't afford. For her, as long as her own accounts balanced, that was enough.
So she decided to expand the clinic. The newly arrived wood-type ability-users found the day's cooperation pleasant. Although they'd earn less per case than treating wealthy clients, they didn't have to kowtow to anyone, deal with petty headaches, or fear being cheated or attacked. The money was easier to earn, so when Lin Tantan advertised for recruits, they were all willing to come.
“Then meet here at seven tomorrow morning. I'll rent the house next door too; we'll operate from here for a couple of days, and if it works out we'll open branches in other areas.” Lin Tantan was pleased, the more people came, the better; they were all earning money for her, even if her take after expenses wouldn't be large. “We pay daily, no delays. If you know any wood-type ability-users, bring them along; even if their skill is a little rough, as long as they can treat patients that's fine.”
After giving that speech she sent the wood-type ability-users off and paid the guards their wages.
The guards' wages were much lower. Except for a few leaders, everyone else got six jin of grain a day. Since they only worked half a day today, that meant three jin apiece. With sixty or seventy people, over two hundred jin of grain went out.
Qian Feifei stared at the warehouse, half empty, and clicked through the accounts. Finally she said, “Tantan, aren't these wages a bit high?”
“They're worth it. This is the best group we could get. Look, they all follow orders, work efficiently, and don't cause headaches. And each of them can handle themselves physically, any troublemakers get subdued in no time. Six jin a day isn't much; once they can leave the base, they might even scoff at six jin.” Lin thought the money was well spent.
Qian Feifei thought to herself that with over half a month of rain, any supplies outside were probably soaked or flooded, where was there much left?
Worrying about the future, she felt anxious and wanted to persuade Tantan to keep more supplies for themselves. But then she figured it wasn't necessary, if she could think of those things, so could Lin. Besides, there were people at the villa; if Lin Tantan dared to be so lavish, she must have her reasons.
Lin Tantan thought about where to put Xu Tianjin but couldn't find a suitable room. Bringing him back to the villa was out of the question, the villa already housed nine people, and Qian Kai and Qian Feifei had moved out after only a couple of days. She didn't want to bring anyone else in.
After thinking it over, she brought him to Jiang Zhongyi's place.
Jiang Zhongyi lived in the residential complex very near the villa: a fifth-floor, three-bedroom apartment with six occupants. They were all Jiang's students and sworn brothers. These men ran the clinic during the day, but Lin Tantan didn't take them along to the slums in the afternoons. Compared with professional bodyguards they were still lacking; they might not be able to handle the kind of commotion stirred up by ordinary slum patients denied treatment.
When Lin Tantan arrived, she could hear continuous wailing through the door.
She knocked, and the person who opened the door stood bare-chested, hair dripping as if caked with mud, looking completely listless. When he saw Lin Tantan he nearly shut the door again, forcing a smile as he shouted back into the room.
Then came the commotion of people rushing back inside to dress.
Lin Tantan led Xu Tianjin in and laughed, "What's going on?" As soon as she stepped inside a smell hit her, somewhat sour, somewhat rotten, like smelly shoes, hard to put into words.
Several rows of wet clothes hung by the balcony. Jiang Zhongyi was using his ability to dry them and hurried over. "Sister Lin, what are you doing here?"
Lin Tantan introduced Xu Tianjin. "…It's too late tonight, let him stay with you for one night." She glanced at Xu Tianjin. He quickly set a bag he'd been holding on the table: six vacuum-packed glutinous rice zongzi, with meat and salted egg yolk, heat them up and they're ready. A rare treat these days.
Jiang Zhongyi protested awkwardly, "You came and even brought food? You're with Sister Lin, stay as long as you want. Dongzi, clear out our room; we'll sleep on the sofas."
Xu Tianjin hurriedly refused, but couldn't insist. Lin Tantan smiled, "You take the bedroom, it's only one night. If you feel bad about it, go help out."
After she said that, Xu Tianji scratched his head, put down the big backpack and went inside to help.
Jiang Zhongyi eyed the bulging pack that looked stuffed with who-knows-what, then the white water bucket leaning against it, thirty liters of water, my goodness! Even though water was rationed, a household only got about ten jin a day. Six grown men, what use was that?
If you wanted extra water you had to buy it yourself. Luckily, some of the people who came with them from Yang City had connections and extra supplies; they knew each other. He'd acted as a squad leader on the road, so they showed him favor and sold a little at a low price, otherwise, even if someone could afford to buy, they wouldn't be able to get any.
Because of that, they had let themselves go until they were almost unkempt. Don't be fooled by how neat they looked at the clinic, that was because they wore their best clothes there, showing only clean faces and hands.
Lin Tantan signaled him to step aside. "Keep a closer eye on him. Don't let him go out alone or interact with others by himself. Try to draw him out, ask what he thinks of me."
Jiang Zhongyi stiffened. "Is there something wrong with the kid?"
"Not exactly wrong, an old acquaintance I haven't seen for a while. I want to observe him. After thinking it over, I don't trust leaving this to someone else."
Wasn't that basically saying she trusted him? Jiang Zhongyi grinned. "Then let him stay here."
"Forget it, there are six of you already. Just tonight."
"What can you learn in just one night? Don't worry about it. I'll make sure he behaves and stays here."
Lin Tantan considered it. "All right. As for rent, I'll give you some water each day."
"Rent? No need." But he really couldn't refuse, they were short on water.
With that settled, Lin Tantan was about to leave, the smell made it hard for her to stay. "By the way, why is everyone so down?"
"Well, didn't we go move bricks by the city wall this afternoon? Some spots were washed out by the rain, the work's not for just anyone. Better to stick with you, Sister."
"Then tomorrow afternoon come with me to the shantytown. Bring more people if you can. Those bodyguards get six jin of grain a day; you get less, like at the clinic, only five jin a day."
Jiang Zhongyi laughed, "Alright, alright."
"Bring Xu Tianjin to the clinic tomorrow, too." After giving her instructions, Lin told Xu one more time before she left.
She watched the closed door. This was as much an observation as a test for Xu Tianjin. If he couldn't withstand Jiang Zhongyi's subtle prodding, she'd have to reconsider how to handle him.
The stairwell was dark and filthy. Lin Tantan switched on her flashlight, swept it across piles of trash, and walked down without changing her expression, turning over in her mind what Xu Tianji had said on the way.
He had deliberately put on a show in front of Zhou Yan, most notably on that stormy day when he insisted Zhou Yan return to the base. Would Zhou notice anything? And after Xu Tianjin crossed over, would his personality differ too much from the original?
Besides Xu Tianjin, might there be others arriving from three hundred years in the future?
The thought gave Lin Tantan a headache. In hindsight she shouldn't have used her real name; she should've gone by "Lin Tanshan" instead. Anyone coming from three centuries later would likely have heard of her name and deeds, she'd be a walking target.
Luckily she hadn't revealed mastery of all five abilities; even if someone came to "claim kinship," she'd simply deny it to the death.
Even if her identity were exposed... after thinking it through she realized the consequences wouldn't be that severe: at worst she'd be treated as an oddity and detained for questioning about historical developments. Her only real fear was that people would discover she was the reason the apocalypse was accelerating, then she'd surely become the focus of everyone's blame. If it came to that... she would leave Ye Xiao.
She stepped out into the black night as a fine drizzle began again. She raised her flashlight and watched the tiny drops falling from the eaves like grains of salt or fine feathers, and sighed wistfully.
The thought of possibly leaving Ye Xiao made her chest ache.
That's why she didn't want any uncertainties.
She lifted her foot to walk on, but then noticed a dark figure standing in the open ahead, holding a large umbrella, silent and still, so motionless it seemed to merge with the night.
Lin Tantan was startled. Her flashlight couldn't reach that far, but she recognized the silhouette at once. "Ye Xiao!" Her footsteps pattered as she hurried over. "What are you doing here?"
After saying it, she felt a strange familiarity, she'd said similar words more than a couple of times. Every time he appeared unexpectedly, and the instant she saw him her spirits brightened.
Like now, all her heavy worries had simply vanished; she smiled at the man beneath the umbrella. Ye Xiao, are you my little angel?
Ye Xiao stepped forward a couple of paces, tilted the umbrella toward her and drew her under it. Around them were only a few weak streetlights and the downward beam of her flashlight. Her face was a little blurred, but he still caught the smile on her lips and the light in her eyes with precision. He smiled too. "It's so late and I saw you still weren't back, I couldn't not come look for you."
"Oh, is that so." Lin Tantan rubbed her nose; it was pretty late.
Ye Xiao: "Finished up? Can we go now?"
"All done. Let's go, let's go. From now on you don't need to come looking for me, I won't get lost."
"No. This area isn't safe, and you're a girl, I can't be at ease," Ye Xiao said.
"I'm not an ordinary girl, and I already checked in, I told Brother Bai I'd be late," Lin Tantan murmured, her flashlight sweeping the road ahead. There were puddles everywhere; they had to watch their step.
Ye Xiao glanced at her and tilted the umbrella further toward her. "Still not convinced." He paused, then added, "Unless, "
Lin Tantan turned to look at him.
Ye Xiao stopped and gazed into her eyes; there was a seriousness in his look that left no room for doubt.
Lin Tantan felt something was wrong; her heart leapt and she felt a strange shrinking. "Unless, unless what?"
Rain tapped lightly on the canopy. They were close enough that Lin Tantan had to tilt her head up to look at him. Ye Xiao's eyes were slightly shadowed; beyond that gravity, other, more complicated things were hard to read.
They only held each other's eyes for two seconds before Lin Tantan suddenly turned her head and let out an "Ah!" "The rain's getting heavier, let's hurry!" Then she splashed off ahead.
Ye Xiao stood in place for a moment, lowered his gaze and gave a helpless smile.