"Whose idea was it to establish this wealthy area?"
At this moment, Jack, who had been standing aside, walked over, took the cigarette that Thomas Xu handed him, lit it, and continued, "I don't think the person who came up with this idea intended to distinguish between people's identities and statuses. Establishing such a wealthy area is actually indirectly using your hands to help those who lack the ability to go out and find food. Otherwise, without the rent and job opportunities you provide, the only thing waiting for these people from the slums would be a brutal death. Moreover, the gathering place isn't just a free ride for the freeloaders; only by working hard can one earn the corresponding rewards to survive!"
"Hey? Brother Lin, after you analyzed it, I really think that's the case. I didn't expect our gathering place to actually have some humanity!"
Thomas Xu slapped his thigh, immediately agreeing and nodding his head repeatedly. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "I'm not quite sure who came up with this idea, but I know it was the result of discussions among the three largest gangs here. I heard that the first person to lead the way in paying rent was Ryan Qiang, the one who has always supported Thomas Hong!"
"Oh? Then I really want to meet this person if I get the chance!" Jack nodded, revealing a warm smile. He took another puff of his cigarette and said to Thomas Xu, "Actually, things here are a bit better than what I've heard from you. Although food is scarce, it's clear that the few leaders here are doing their best to maintain the operation of this small society. There may be many unfair things happening, but even before doomsday breaks out, unfairness is everywhere. This gathering place has done quite well in giving everyone a chance to survive!"
"I guess I was a bit biased in my evaluation of this gathering place because I was being hunted by Guangdan and the others those days. If food could be a bit more abundant, this would be a decent choice. After all, there aren't too many living corpses here, nor are there those cannibalistic psychopaths! But food is our biggest weakness here!" Thomas Xu flicked away the cigarette butt in his hand, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"Thomas Xu!"
While Jack and the others were chatting, a robust voice came from outside the door. Thomas Xu turned around with a smile, and in walked Biaozi, whom he had just seen on the road. Thomas Xu turned back and asked with a grin, "Biaozi, what's with your rush? I'm not a woman; is it necessary to chase after me just a few minutes after we parted?"
"Haha~ man, I just missed you!" Biaozi laughed heartily and gave Thomas Xu a rather cheesy hug. After Thomas Xu pushed him away with a look of disgust, Biaozi casually said, "Man, I really did miss you, and my brother heard you were back, so he specially set up a table for you tonight, wanting to invite you and your boss to dinner!"
"Come on, can you not say such disgusting things? If you want to treat us to dinner, just say so. Why mention that you missed me? People who don't know the situation might think there's something weird going on between us!" Thomas Xu said, feeling a chill and instinctively taking a half step back as he touched the goosebumps on his arms.
"Haha~ what's wrong with being a bit cheesy? It just shows that we're close!" Biaozi laughed loudly. Seeing Jack smoking nearby, Biaozi cautiously stepped forward a couple of paces and respectfully said, "Big brother, our Qiang Ge heard you were here and wants to invite you over for a simple meal tonight. I wonder if you have time?"
"Is it Ryan Qiang?" Jack asked casually.
"Yes, our boss is Ryan Qiang!" Biaozi nodded eagerly and said, "If you have no plans tonight, please do us the honor!"
"Alright, you guys go back first. Thomas Xu and I will come over tonight!" Jack nodded lightly without hesitation.
"Hey! Great, thank you, big brother!" Biaozi immediately nodded happily and rubbed his hands together, smiling as he said, "Big brother, we might not have the finest delicacies, but we do have some ordinary food. If you don't mind, you can bring your wives along; our Qiang Ge's two wives will also be there to keep you company!"
"Okay!" Jack smiled, feeling a bit more curious about Ryan Qiang, whom he had yet to meet. Regardless of whether he was the one creating job opportunities for the people in the slums, the fact that he sent his brother to invite him to dinner in such a humble manner showed his sincerity. It also indicated that Ryan Qiang was not a proud or ostentatious person, and Jack had never liked dealing with arrogant and showy individuals.
Biaozi left in high spirits, and Thomas Xu smiled at Jack, saying, "Lin Ge, you just said you wanted to meet Ryan Qiang, and he's already come to invite us to dinner. I think agreeing to go is a great opportunity because, in my opinion, Ryan Qiang is someone worth getting to know!"
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Jack asked Thomas with great interest.
"Let me put it this way, the strongest among the three major gangs is Tiger Ye, and the third is a Northeastern guy called Yuan Dapao, while Ryan Qiang is right in the middle. However, whether it's Tiger Ye's gang, which is mainly composed of locals, or Yuan Dapao's small but elite group of Northeasterners, none of them are as well-disciplined as Ryan Qiang. I've hardly heard of any of their people bullying others, and they rarely get involved in killings. Moreover, whenever there are significant disputes in the gathering place, he often personally steps in to mediate. If I had to choose a leader in this gathering place, I would definitely pick Ryan Qiang first!" Thomas Xu looked at Jack with a serious expression.
"That's quite a compliment!" Jack nodded thoughtfully and smiled.
There was still some time before dinner, and the cleaners from the slums were busy in the house. Since there was no proper place for everyone to rest, Thomas Xu decided to take Lu Jia to see Doctor Qin for a check-up, while Jack, noticing Six's somewhat dull gaze, also decided to take her to see the doctor.
Although the doctors here probably couldn't solve Six's psychological issues, Lu Bin had caused significant harm to her body before he died. Moreover, Cao Mei had told him yesterday that Six's gynecological condition had worsened to the point of starting to rot, and if not treated promptly, it could endanger her life.
The women were still excitedly packing their things, and Jack and Six followed Thomas Xu back to the main road. To Jack's surprise, the only clinic here was not located in the wealthy area but in a small concrete bungalow in the slums.
The bungalow looked very ordinary, square in shape, with the exterior left in its natural concrete color without any plaster. There were no signs indicating it was a clinic, but a row of barely recognizable painted letters on the door told Jack that it used to be a small food shop. Only a simple little yard in the back had some gauze strips drying, which could barely be associated with a clinic.
"Long time no see, Nurse William. Why are you here alone? Where's Doctor Qin?"
Thomas Xu lifted the curtain at the door and walked into the room. A round-faced girl in a blue T-shirt was fiddling with bottles and jars on a Thomas-style table. Hearing someone speak, she capped a glass bottle, looked up at Thomas Xu, and smiled, "It's you, Brother Thomas! Doctor Qin is in the back examining a patient. What brings you here today? I hope your inflammation has cleared up?"
"It's… it's all cleared up!" Thomas Xu smiled awkwardly, his smile stiff. Recently, he had developed inflammation due to poor personal hygiene. Although it wasn't a sexually transmitted disease, being reminded of it in front of so many people by a young girl made him feel embarrassed. He quickly pointed to Lu Jia beside him and said, "I brought my sister-in-law for a check-up. She's about to give birth, and we need Doctor Qin to take a good look at her!"
"Oh! So it's Sister Lu Jia!" The girl looked at Lu Jia beside Thomas Xu, clearly surprised. Although the gathering place had around six to seven thousand people, they were all crammed into such a small area, and any little news would spread throughout the entire gathering place immediately. Moreover, the news of Lu Jia and her husband's death was no secret. So when the girl saw Lu Jia, she was stunned for several seconds before reacting, quickly bringing a stool for Lu Jia to sit down. However, she opened her mouth several times but ultimately decided against asking questions. After all, it was Thomas Xu accompanying Lu Jia for the check-up, not her husband, which was enough to indicate Gao Hai's fate; it was highly likely that something had happened to him.
"William Qian, this is a gift I specially brought back for you from your brother. You probably haven't had this in a long time, right?" Thomas Xu helped Lu Jia sit down on the stool and immediately took out a large piece of Dove chocolate from his pocket, handing it to the girl. Seeing the surprise on her face, Thomas Xu smiled and said softly, "I'm not being stingy with you, am I? If my sister-in-law needs any medicine later, you can't keep it to yourself. If there are any good medicines, just let me know; I have plenty of good stuff here!"
"Hehe~ Brother Thomas, you silly, how can Sister Lu Jia take medicine carelessly while pregnant? It's best if she doesn't have to take any medicine at all. But if she needs something after giving birth, I'll definitely save you some imported good medicine for this piece of chocolate!" William Qian said with a smile, not in a hurry to eat the chocolate but instead carefully putting it into her pants pocket, not forgetting to mumble that she would share it with Dr. Qin.
After Thomas Xu found a stool for Jack to sit down, he started joking around with William Qian. However, just a few minutes later, a beautiful female doctor in a white coat stepped out from behind a blue curtain hanging on the door frame.
The female doctor had her hair tied back in a neat ponytail that swayed on her back. She had one hand in the pocket of her coat, and a disposable blue mask was hanging by her ear. As she lifted the curtain, she turned back and coldly said to the room, "If you want to keep your life, you can't do that anymore. Although urine from a healthy body is sterile, that doesn't include people with sexually transmitted infections. And your long-term heatiness has caused oral ulcers; those things in your mouth are transmitted this way!"
The female doctor looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Although she was not tall, only about 1.65 meters, her demeanor was quite outstanding. Standing there, she had a straight posture, exuding an air of cold, untouchable pride that felt completely natural and not at all annoying, as if this was her innate charm.
However, this woman was indeed as Thomas Xu described, her personality was clearly very cold. Without needing to speak, her expression revealed a hint of icy distance. Yet, this cold and glamorous aura almost overshadowed her stunning face, naturally evoking a sense of an untouchable goddess.
"But Dr. Qin…" Just as Dr. Qin stepped out of the room, a woman with an average appearance but an attractive figure rushed out behind her. This woman was only wearing a red tank top and a red mini skirt pulled up to her waist, exposing her completely bare lower body. She was holding a small piece of sheer thong and, not caring about her exposure in front of the two men in the living room, anxiously said to Dr. Qin, "You know I'm not good-looking, and men come to me just to play with things that other sisters don't want to. If I don't do these things, no one will come looking for me!"
"I can't help you with that. I'm a doctor, and I can only help you with your health, not teach you how to please men. So you should talk to Thomas Hong about that, not me. Moreover, those things in your mouth are highly contagious and not suitable for you to continue engaging in such activities. Otherwise, the number of people infected directly or indirectly by you will only increase!" Dr. Qin said, with both hands in her pockets, her big, bright eyes looking at the woman across from her without much emotion, and then she said lightly, "I will talk to Thomas Hong about your situation later; I think she will make some arrangements for you."
"Thank you, Dr. Qin…" The woman nodded dejectedly, still holding her thong, not bothering to put it on, and just weakly pulled down her skirt before walking heavily out of the clinic.
After the woman left, Dr. Qin glanced at the few people in the room. Seeing Jack and the unfamiliar faces of the two Thomases, she didn't pay much attention and walked over to the square table where the medicines were placed. She picked up a glass teacup filled with several ingredients, including goji berries and lilies, among others. She unscrewed the lid and took a few sips, then chewed and swallowed a piece of lily before covering it again and said淡淡地说道:"Which of you would like to go first?"
"Doctor Qin, I'm not in a hurry. Please take a look at this sister first!" Lu Jia quickly got up and pulled over Number Six behind Jack when she saw Doctor Qin speak. Doctor Qin glanced at Number Six, nodded, and said, "What seems to be the problem?"
On the sixth, she did not answer Dr. Qin's question, but instead pointed at her white coat, tilting her head and said, "I used to have a white coat like yours!"
"Were you a doctor before?" Dr. Qin asked, slightly furrowing her brows.
"No!" Number Six gently shook her head and said, "You have to wear a white coat in the lab too, but mine got stained with a lot of blood and I can't wear it anymore!"
"You…" Dr. Qin seemed to have noticed something off about Number Six. She looked at Lu Jia with a questioning gaze. Lu Jia smiled apologetically, slightly pointed at her own head, indicating that Number Six had some issues, and then said, "Dr. Qin, my sister has some gynecological problems that she would like you to check!"
"Come with me!" Dr. Qin nodded expressionlessly, said no more, turned around, lifted the curtain, and walked into the inner room, while Lu Jia quickly pulled Number Six in after her.