I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 690: Anorexia That Can’t Be Cured

"How large a batch... exactly how many?" Jing Shu’s voice suddenly rose by three notches.

Just these tens of thousands of people... The first fire Jun Bao set off nearly caused an entire upheaval in Wu City’s upper echelons. If not for the staunch measures taken, it seemed as though even a coffin lid would fail to keep things in check. Why? Because taking in people, even if there are other motives, requires food. How much food does it take to feed tens of thousands of people? If they are given their share, the higher-ups and their subordinates will have less to distribute. This is no less than digging up their ancestors’ graves!

"Who in the Northwest Three Provinces doesn’t know that practically no one has starved to death in Wu City? How many resources and buildings were buried in the previous mudslide? They’ve now turned into rocks and rubble, losses that can no longer be recovered. That’s why people keep converging on Wu City. Forget about the good citizens; even identity-less ’wild men’ want to come our way.

But rest assured, food is not given for free. If they can’t earn its value back, no one would care if they starve to death."

Jing Shu could already imagine the scene. Food isn’t given for free, but where could the food come from? Where could it possibly come from?

"Did you release this news?" Jing Shu’s expression turned unpleasant, and her tone of voice became colder. Otherwise, there had been no news of people congregating around Wu City in her previous life!

Jun Bao nodded.

"May I ask, why did you do this?" These people are not from Wu City; they don’t have Wu City identities. Even if they were all accepted, there would be no extra political achievements, no additional benefits, and certainly, no one would give out certificates of commendation!

Jun Bao earnestly replied, "To let more people survive."

"Are you a f*cking Holy Mother?!" Jing Shu truly couldn’t hold it back any longer, her anger flaring up.

In these past years, she diligently set up the Insect Cake Factory and expanded it. This was to prevent Qian Duoduo and others from being exploited during the famine, lest she and her fellow small fry would be exploited too, subsequently affecting her quality of life in the apocalypse. So, she really tried many ways.

Now, after finally managing—along with Qian Duoduo, the insect woman Xiao Wei, Jiang Jiang, and others—to secure enough food to barely keep the Wu City People from starving, this guy was going to take in a large batch of people again? If it came to the point where they couldn’t put food on the table, would they have to slaughter another fat sheep?

Jun Bao had known Jing Shu for several years, and this was the first time he saw her get angry and curse. But she must have misunderstood him. Thus, he patiently said, "Why don’t you listen to me first?"

Jing Shu was so furious she almost forgot the man before her was the rumored ’tyrant.’ In the past, to keep more people in Wu City alive, he had committed deeds that enraged both gods and men.

After all, having associated with him for so long, she understood Jun Bao’s temperament somewhat.

So she pulled out her thermos, GULPED down a cup of milk tea, and said, "You go ahead. Tell me why you have this idea of letting more people survive."

The idea is good; who doesn’t want more people to live? But do you have a perfect solution? Is it just about slaughtering the fat sheep?

If Jun Bao’s answer was nothing more than an unwillingness to watch people starve, a preference for sacrificing the few for the greater good, or some selfless, brave notion about thinking of the nation, Jing Shu would immediately break ties with him. After liquidating her Wu City industries, she would take her whole family and flee.

Their friendship would be over.

Seeing that Jing Shu was truly angry, Jun Bao couldn’t help but sigh. With a wry smile, he said, "Did you know that I have anorexia? An incurable anorexia?"

Jing Shu nodded. This guy, besides the food from her home, could hardly eat much of anything else. He only managed to nibble on the sweet snacks and crisp fruits and cucumbers that he brought himself.

She could never understand how, with so many delicious foods available, he could have no appetite.

Then she heard Jun Bao begin to narrate smoothly:

"My family had lived... over there before and offended someone. I was abducted when I was young..."

Jing Shu’s eyes widened.

"Those people were purely out for revenge. They never intended to let me live; they just thought of ways to torment me."

Jun Bao’s voice remained gentle. "They just wanted to hear me beg for mercy. At first, I still resisted and cursed. But later... when I truly ran out of strength, I gave up resisting and let them do what they wanted."

Jing Shu was so shocked she didn’t know what to say. Her mind involuntarily conjured up images of a little boy being tormented in various ways. She clearly remembered how Wu You’ai was tortured back then, his flesh sliced off piece by piece...

How could such things sound so trivial coming from Jun Bao’s mouth?

"Perhaps dying like that would’ve been a relief. After all, I was just a child. After experiencing a fate worse than death, I wondered why I should endure such humiliation... why bother?"

"But they found it amusing. How could a child manage not to beg for mercy? So, they couldn’t bear to let me die."

"So they thought of various other methods. They forced me to eat all sorts of... filthy things. Yes, they force-fed me. From time to time, they also gave me medicine and injections. This caused some wounds to repeatedly heal only to be damaged again, making some injuries fester and even attract flies and insects."

Jing Shu clenched her fists. Over and over again? Her voice trembled slightly. "How long?"

"Ah, I can’t remember clearly. About a few weeks?" Jun Bao seemed uncertain, pondering seriously. "Anyway, I was moved to several places until I finally met up with their people at the border. There I encountered someone who shared my fate, a girl a few years older than me... Her family had also offended those people, so she was brought there."

"She suffered terribly. She was tied to a pillar in that abandoned courtyard, barked at by several vicious dogs kept at a calculated distance. Then, I was also tied to a pillar. Those people must have received some news because they didn’t have time to deal with us. They hurried off and disappeared."

"I then spent a few pleasant days with that girl. Ah, happy times are always fleeting. The vicious dogs, with no one to feed them, got hungry and would pounce. She shielded me, and her flesh was torn off. Soon, she was no more."

"I also felt I was close to death. Just as well, I didn’t want to live anymore; the agony was too much. Yet she insisted that she had saved my life and that I must survive at all costs. She said she didn’t believe in predetermined misfortune and didn’t believe that good deeds go unrewarded. She hoped that one day, I could be a good person and save some people in distress, at least help them survive and not give up hope. She also wanted me to find the answer for her: do good people truly receive good rewards?"

"Ah, what a hassle. I was tied up in that abandoned courtyard for many more days... Watching her turn to white bones before my eyes, I finally awaited rescue." Jun Bao’s knuckles turned white. The indifference in his previous tone finally gave way, revealing the part he cared about most deeply.

How did he survive those days? What did he eat, what did he drink? He never said, but the answer was almost unnecessary. That’s why his first question to her was whether she knew about his anorexia—an incurable anorexia.

Consuming those filthy things, enduring those hardships... this man with such a strong mind had spoken of them so lightly. Except at the end... If it had been a stranger devoid of feelings, it might have been different. But it was his lifesaver. The shadow and trauma in his heart were too profound.

"Did you find the answer?"

"No. I’m not a good person, so how would I know if good people receive good rewards?"