Mental Illness Evolution Manual - Chapter 37

The two of them stayed in Night City for over a month. It wasn’t until the summer-autumn transition rainy season came to an end that Lu Mingqiu finally managed to wrap up her messy affairs and planned to leave.

During this time, Yan Xianchuan wasn’t idle either. She went to the Dongye family’s security team, listening to the orders of the newly appointed captain, who was also an internal member of the Starfire Resistance, to maintain the city’s security.

The chaos in Night City was directly related to the Dongye family’s previous laissez-faire attitude. The more struggles there were here, the easier it was for those in power to control. The local federal departments turned a blind eye to all sorts of chaos. Perhaps some people wanted to manage it, but how could individual strength compare to the general trend? Those who truly had ideals and aspirations in their hearts were either changed by the situation or forced to remain silent.

But after the Resistance took control of the Dongye family, they naturally wouldn’t stand idly by.

Lu Mingqiu had Dongye He contact the search team, stating the rules, prohibiting street brawls, drug use, and all sorts of other illegal and disorderly behavior.

And she sent out the Dongye family’s own security guards to help clean up the city’s chaos.

This immediately sparked dissatisfaction among various criminals. They had been fishing in troubled waters, relying on robbery and murder to loot countless profits. It was easier to take their lives than to make them obediently put down their weapons and become well-behaved good boys.

Some of the more radical ones organized to cause trouble for the Dongye family. They attacked the Dongye family’s industries, going to hospitals and shopping malls to burn, kill, and loot.

Others sprayed slogans of resistance in various places, as if Dongye He had done something that angered heaven and man.

But the fact was that he was doing something good for the people for once.

Behind these people’s fierce resistance, most of them were gangs entrenched in the West District, pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Yan Xianchuan followed the security team during this time, she was there to cause trouble for them.

Still waters run deep; the chaos in the West District was merely a reflection of the underbelly of Night City. Transforming Night City into some utopian model of friendship and love was simply impossible.

Chaos and crime were its base color, what Lu Mingqiu wanted was order. She wanted to draw a dividing line, these messy things could exist, but they had to be limited, they couldn’t just pull out guns and shoot on the street whenever they wanted.

At this time, it was a matter of which side was more forceful, which side could gain the upper hand in this struggle. There was no doubt that these loose gangs, even if they incited the masses, couldn’t overturn the sky above their heads.

Yan Xianchuan was out almost every day, she had cleaned up all the big and small gangs, she was living a fulfilling and enjoyable life, she was even a little reluctant to leave.

She’d encountered several members of the search team here—all young people, brimming with enthusiasm and idealism, clearly untouched by the cynicism of the world. They were recent graduates, bright-eyed and eager to make their mark.

It was these kinds of people who had a lot of enthusiasm and drive, they had many ideals that they wanted to achieve, unlike those old hands who only knew how to pass the buck.

The Dongye family had a new family head, and a new policy style, the federal regime stationed here naturally had to change its original attitude, put aside the cumbersome bureaucracy, obey Dongye He’s orders, and change the atmosphere from top to bottom.

This was difficult, it was like asking someone who was used to eating meat to eat a vegetarian meal occasionally, just for a change of taste, but if you asked them to eat vegetarian every day, that would be absolutely impossible.

In the past, they could just sit still and receive endless tributes, but now they had to give up the profits that were about to reach their mouths, what was the difference between that and cutting off their livelihood?

That’s what they thought, and that’s what they said.

The officials’ resistance was like child’s play compared to the methods of the gangs in the West District.

But Lu Mingqiu didn’t compromise.

If you compared the chaebols to a huge monster that sucked blood from the people, these officials were the dodder on the monster’s body, the worms in its belly, they followed the chaebols in looting, picking up the scraps and eating until their mouths were greasy.

If they thought being a good official was cutting off their livelihood, then they might as well not have this life.

In Night City, the Dongye family was the emperor who had the final say, it was easy to replace a few government officials. The vacancies in positions were also easy to fill, for so many years, there had always been some upright people who were unwilling to go along with them, with Black around, they could check the files and find out their current addresses.

There were countless talented and capable people, were they afraid of not being able to fill the vacancies?

Lu Mingqiu wanted to take advantage of this chaos to solve all the obstacles in the big picture, so that she wouldn’t be tied down by the affairs here.

These were all things that required brains, Yan Xianchuan didn’t understand or care.

But as she walked around the West District, she heard people on the side of the road talking about Dongye He, the family head, their tone had clearly changed.

Some people thought he was just trying to gain fame and reputation, he was putting on a show, the chaebols were all dogs who couldn’t change their spots, they couldn’t possibly be sincere in considering the welfare of the people at the bottom.

A small number of people felt that, setting aside their past views and evaluations, just looking at the Dongye family’s current actions, there had indeed been some changes.

The change in public opinion was naturally due to the new policies in addition to restoring order.

First of all, all the hospitals under the Dongye family, whether it was medicine or surgery fees, all the charging items had their prices reduced by fifteen percent, and it was a permanent reduction.

Even so, the profits were still considerable.

The Dongye family’s hospitals didn’t need to be completely reformed, there was Minghui Hospital, organized by the Resistance, which was enough for ordinary people, without the suppression from the chaebols, they could expand rapidly.

Slightly reducing the prices would reduce the burden on the middle class while ensuring profitability.

There were also various subsidies for some high-priced, difficult-to-treat diseases, so that families with seriously ill patients wouldn’t be dragged down by medical expenses.

The cost of education was also reduced, and several schools were built, specifically for the public, the fees were much lower than the current private schools.

This was an opportunity for people at the bottom to gain knowledge and change their fate.

A series of measures and instructions were issued by Lu Mingqiu through Dongye He’s mouth, although there were some twists and turns in the middle, they were carried out in an orderly manner.

Dongye He’s reputation also changed rapidly, he became a famous philanthropist, a great benefactor, some people even used the scene of him being interviewed after his father’s death, when he was moved to tears, to accompany his current drastic actions, they touted him as a clear stream among the chaebols, a kind and compassionate good person.

When Yan Xianchuan saw these reports, she wanted to give the editor a banner, specifically to commend his rich imagination.

The emergence of these remarks was partly due to Lu Mingqiu’s behind-the-scenes efforts. The Dongye family had become their own, they had changed their previous reputation, which made it easier for her to issue various policies and measures.

The alternate family head also needed to be cultivated, Lu Mingqiu was a little hesitant about this, even if she cultivated and controlled him, he would always be an outsider, it was the safest to replace him with someone from their own side.

There was only one way to turn Dongye He into their own, and that was to have Mirror change her appearance, become Dongye He, and take his place.

But Mirror was currently impersonating Poison Sting, acting as a double agent for the Holy Healing Church, she couldn’t spare herself, she needed to think about it long-term.

Harper didn’t leave Night City because of all these changes.

She had originally planned to leave Night City after the dust settled from the incident of taking Yan Xianchuan and the others to invade the Warren Building to find Dr. Serra, and the doctor’s subsequent death. She planned to find a prosthetic doctor to change her face, change her identity, and leave Night City.

But not long after, Atmore died, Lu Mingqiu told her about it, and she also told her that she didn’t need to leave, she didn’t need to run away, she could continue to live in Night City, no one from the Dongye family would come after her again.

The two pieces of news, one good and one bad, made her not know whether to be happy or sad.

Atmore was one of Harper’s few friends, the two of them often discussed who would die first. Would Atmore die on a mission that he couldn’t complete, be shot to death, or would she die because she knew too many secrets, she had seen too many people’s ugliness, including the children of high officials, who knows if one of them would kill her one day.

The joking words had become reality.

Harper returned to her small home, it was already a mess, the vase was smashed, the sofa was ripped open, any cabinet that held things was broken and the contents were lying on the ground.

This was because the security team had come to search, they had turned the house upside down.

She sat on half a sofa, she took out a cigarette from her bag and lit it. A former client sent her a message, complaining to her about her boss’s fickleness, which was putting a lot of pressure on her, she asked if she had time recently, she wanted to see Harper, to spend a night with her.

Harper held the cigarette in her mouth, she looked at the dried water stains on the ground, the reflective glass shards lay among them, like a ground of glass flowers, she replied, “Okay.”

…

The day she left Night City, it was still raining. Yan Xianchuan sat in the airship, looking out through the round window, layers of dark clouds were like gray dye spreading across the sky, the rain fell on the glass window, leaving streaks of water.

She breathed on the window, she reached out and poked the white frost that had condensed, her finger moved, drawing a simple smiley face.

Two upright sharp corners were her squinting eyes, a curved arc was her smiling mouth.

After a while, the water vapor was evaporated by the temperature inside the airship, she breathed out another puff of white mist and drew a sad face.

On the way back to Nanjin City, Lu Mingqiu slept for a while, the faint dark circles under her eyes were covered by the fake face, but anyone could see that she was tired.

Otherwise, the always vigilant Yellow Canary wouldn’t be sleeping on the airship.

Fortunately, things here had come to an end, everything was on track, and she could rest for a while.

Besides the two of them, there was only Gold Ring on the airship, he was pulling out the light screen, he didn’t know what he was looking at, he had a look of amusement, but he controlled himself very well, he didn’t make any sound, not even a slight whisper, afraid of disturbing Yellow Canary’s rest.

Silver Ring was left in Night City to continue assisting with the work there.

Over the past month, the number of people sent to Night City had also increased, they were working in various industries to stabilize the situation.

Deciding who to send, who was more suitable, and who wouldn’t affect the defense configuration of their original station, was also a mentally draining task.

Lu Mingqiu, who was already slender, had become even thinner. The joints of her wrists protruded, visible through her thin outer garment, like bamboo poles that would snap if you bent them.

She didn’t sleep soundly, her eyeballs moved around under her eyelids, she didn’t know what she was dreaming about.

As the airship left Night City’s airspace and entered Nanjin City’s range, the rain ceased. A heavy overcast hung over Nanjin City, clouds piled high like fluffy cotton balls. The airship soared through them, like diving into a pile of catkins, leaving a long, white contrail in its wake.

Looking down from above, Nanjin City looked like a cross star. The city’s landmark building, the Lingchu Tower, was like a cone, an iron nail, embedded in the center, reaching for the clouds.

Nanjin City was one of the most prosperous cities in the Federation. Unlike Night City, the entertainment atmosphere here was very strong, there were no less than ten entertainment companies, big and small. And because the Holy Healing Church’s cathedral was built here, the religious atmosphere was also very strong.

But the Holy Healing Church was ultimately a lie woven by the chaebols, its doctrine was to make people willingly endure suffering, accept fate, not understand resistance or progress, so except for the square where the cathedral was located, you wouldn’t see any religious activities in other places on weekdays.

There were no top chaebols in Nanjin City, they just reached out to board the city’s big ship, controlling the various small families here to balance each other.

The airship touched down with a gentle bump. Lu Mingqiu opened her eyes, revealing a trace of weariness.

The group of them filed out, they parted ways here, Gold Ring went to his own safe house, as he left, he told Yellow Canary to rest for a few days, not to overwork herself. He also gave a few instructions to the member named Polite Biscuit who was always by her side, telling her to keep an eye on Yellow Canary and urge her to rest.

Everyone could see her fatigue and they cared.

Yan Xianchuan and Lu Mingqiu went home together. During the time they were gone, Su Hong had taken care of the house, everything was the same as when they left, nothing had changed.

The fruit on the table was also freshly replaced. Yan Xianchuan changed her shoes, walked into the living room, picked up a bright red, round apple, took a bite, the juice burst in her mouth, releasing a sweet and fragrant aroma.

Finally back home, she could finally take off her disguise and be herself.

Although this high-definition holographic projection didn’t require makeup, which would put some burden on her facial skin, it was still strange for Yan Xianchuan to walk around with a face that didn’t belong to her.

Besides, she preferred to look at Lu Mingqiu’s true appearance compared to that unremarkable face.

After taking off her disguise, the latter’s fatigue was openly revealed, it was very obvious.

She stepped on her slippers and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of purified water, she gulped it down in one go, then returned to the living room and said softly, “I’m going upstairs to take a nap.”

Yan Xianchuan watched her, munching on her apple, she felt that she was standing there, like someone who had floated down from a painting, light and thin, she would fly away with a puff of wind.

“Go ahead.” she said.

So Lu Mingqiu dragged her heavy body, her heavy brain, her heavy spirit, and lay down on the soft, cloud-like bed. The intelligent system in the room controlled the curtains to slowly close, blocking out the sunlight, making the bedroom fall into a dim darkness.

It was quiet, her breathing gradually slowed, it rose and fell like the tide. The cotton pajamas were loose on her body, the familiar faint scent was in her nose, in this hazy space that belonged only to her, she could finally relax and sleep peacefully.

Yan Xianchuan finished the last bite of fruit, she accurately threw the core into the trash can, then took out a tissue and wiped the juice off her fingers.

There was a light, clear scent floating in the air of the living room, or rather, the whole house, it came from the fragrance that Lu Mingqiu usually used, it had a calming effect.

Like moss washed by mountain springs, or a new bud on a broken branch.

They say you can tell a person by their scent, the perfume a person usually uses reveals a lot of information, their personality, their hobbies…

Lu Mingqiu naturally knew many people, everyone could give her a few different evaluations, such as gentle, organized, cautious, considerate, and so on.

It seemed that warm scents were more suitable for her.

If Yan Xianchuan were to evaluate her, she would describe her as having willpower to the point of ruthlessness. As long as something could be used, as long as it could achieve her goal, she wouldn’t even spare herself.

She used others, and she used herself. She controlled others, and she controlled herself.

It was no wonder she preferred cold scents.

Lu Mingqiu slept until evening, the full moon hung high in the sky, like a silver plate.

She didn’t dream, she just felt completely relaxed, no longer tense, her whole body felt much more comfortable.

When Lu Mingqiu went downstairs, she saw her roommate sprawled on the sofa, her hands were flying back and forth on the floating screen, she was almost creating an afterimage. Her neck was tilted against the back of the sofa, almost forming a right angle with her curved spine, her legs were bent and stretched, twisted into a strange posture.

—This scene wouldn’t be surprising on any heavy internet addict.

The large TV facing the sofa was on, it was playing the real-time game footage, a mage wearing a red robe raised his staff and walked back and forth, casting various skills as he walked, bombarding a silver dragon that could spew ice cones.

“Finally awake, I’m so hungry.” Yan Xianchuan said with her mouth, her hands were busy, she cast another fireball spell.

“Why don’t you eat if you’re hungry?” Lu Mingqiu chuckled.

“I’m waiting for you to eat together.” Yan Xianchuan took a moment from her busy schedule to glance at her, “We should have a good meal to celebrate.”

Things in Night City had come to an end, for the Starfire Resistance, taking control of a top chaebol company was a landmark victory, they should definitely celebrate.

It’s just that they had been busy with various affairs, they hadn’t had time to celebrate.

Yan Xianchuan was a person with a strong sense of ceremony, she had been thinking about this for a long time.

Life would be a stagnant pool without a sense of ceremony, it wouldn’t have any ripples.

Lu Mingqiu heard this and replied, “I’m negligent, do you have anything you want to eat, or any restaurants you want to go to?”

Yan Xianchuan took out the ice dragon with a flat A, she said decisively, “Yes! Hot pot!”