Canned Souls 6

"Are you out of your mind? What are you saying!" Tan Yiyuan couldn't believe it. "There are nearly a hundred of them in that gang."

He caught his breath and looked at the indifferent savior standing before him. Her clothes were unwrinkled, her shirt neat and clean, and the pale blue veins on the back of the hand holding the plastic bag were clearly defined.

She looked like she belonged on a screen or in a clean, spacious room, issuing orders from on high—not standing in a narrow, filthy alley with two unseeing corpses at her feet.

She killed with clean, crisp efficiency and showed no reaction afterward, as if it were second nature. After what happened yesterday, a normal person who knew they'd offended a gang of lawless thugs would have backed off wisely and not poked the hornet's nest again.

Tan Yiyuan had initially thought she was acting out of a sense of justice, boasting beyond her means, but she seemed calm and restrained, not the type to get swept up in the heat of the moment.

Nor did she seem like the type to listen to anyone.

Words of dissuasion stuck in his throat. His chest ached dully, his head felt groggy, and every breath filled with the stench of blood. A torrent of words surged to his tongue, but all he managed was, "Thank you, thank you."

Yan Xianchuan looked at him, barely able to stand upright, and said, "You need to see a doctor."

"It's fine, I'll go home first. I promised I'd be back within two hours," Tan Yiyuan said, pressing his chest. "What should I call you?"

Yan Xianchuan didn't object to his choice. She followed behind Tan Yiyuan, whose steps were a bit unsteady, and gave her name when asked.

Every tycoon guarded the privacy of their family, and no media outlet would risk their life to expose it recklessly. Only a select few could appear in public with names and faces known to the masses; the rest of the family members vanished without a trace, not a single piece of information leaking out.

Even someone as famous as Lu Mingqiu—no ordinary person knew she was a member of the Bolov family.

Even if Yan Xianchuan went around declaring she was a member of the Yan family, no one would believe her.

Tan Yiyuan contacted a cleaner to dispose of the bodies, saving the Investigation Bureau the trouble of looking into the murders.

The way back wasn't too far. On the road, this savior didn't ask about his injuries or his home situation. She displayed a total indifference toward him.

Tan Yiyuan became even more convinced that her decision to help was definitely not out of kindness; it seemed more like an attitude of having nothing better to do.

But he had no better option at the moment. If he could truly shake off the Black Claw Gang, he could stop dragging his family into hiding with him.

His home was somewhat remote. Probably because of the need to avoid retaliation, he'd chosen a residential building with no surveillance cameras.

Looking up, he could see the prosthetic body advertisements on the screen of a nearby commercial building, brightly lit and dazzling. But here, it was especially dim.

Only a faint, unknown light revealed the outlines of things.

"Sorry, the streetlight has been broken for a while, and no one's come to fix it," Tan Yiyuan apologized, pulling out a flashlight that cast a warm yellow beam.

He went into an unmarked repair shop, pushed through the back door, walked along the street for a bit, then stopped and led Yan Xianchuan into a small building.

As soon as he pushed the door open, Tan Yiyuan called out in a low voice, "Shuangshuang? Honey, I'm back."

The next moment, from deep inside the silent room came the grinding sound of something heavy being moved, then quick footsteps. A woman, looking somewhat startled and haggard, walked out holding a child.

She saw her husband's blood-stained clothes and bruised face at a glance, and tears immediately welled up. "Thank heavens, I'll get the medicine kit!"

She turned and ran off to search the inner room. The child was set on the floor and toddled over to hug Tan Yiyuan's leg.

Tan Yiyuan scooped him up, fondness shining in his eyes. "Sweetheart, did you miss me?"

"This is my wife, Gu Shuang," he introduced, then gently touched the child's face. "And this is Xiaoxiao."

The toddler, named Xiaoxiao, was unnaturally quiet. He smiled when looking at his father, looked puzzled at Yan Xianchuan, but never made a single sound.

Gu Shuang returned with the medicine kit. She gently cleaned the blood from her husband's wounds, then sprayed pain-relief mist on the bruised areas. Her movements were tender, her gaze full of love.

A strange scent hung in the room, like floating sunlight, dandelions scattered by the wind, a wisp of cotton, a scarf—an unnameable smell that gave off a warm, cozy feeling.

Pheromones.

Yan Xianchuan realized: Gu Shuang was an omega. She no longer had the lingering scent of pheromones, likely due to suppressants, but traces still remained in the room.

It was somewhat incredible.

Omegas received various welfare subsidies from birth. The alliance funded the upbringing and education of every omega. Even orphans were specially raised, enjoying a life of comfort and plenty until they married.

An omega never suffered from birth to death. Even if they started a family, the other half, at the very least, would be a third-class citizen with a stable job.

Tan Yiyuan, a former member of the Black Claw Gang, had no fixed residence or stable job and was a fourth-class citizen. According to the law, he would never come into contact with an omega, let alone start a family with one and have a child.

Gu Shuang finished treating her lover's injuries, then, with her anxiety eased, noticed the stranger in the room.

A woman so beautiful it was sharp, yet as indifferent as the deep sea.

She stood there, seemingly unnoticed, but the moment one took notice and met her eyes, an overwhelming pressure swept over.

It was as if rivers of blood flowed in her gaze, or maybe it was just an illusion of the light.

Gu Shuang stepped back, but her lover caught her hand and introduced the other woman.

She suppressed the unease in her heart and said sincerely, "Thank you, Miss Yan. Thank you so much."

Yan Xianchuan looked at her without averting her gaze. "You're welcome."

"It's time for Xiaoxiao's late-night snack," Gu Shuang said, withdrawing her hand and giving them both an apologetic smile.

Yan Xianchuan watched her hurriedly retreating figure for a moment longer before following Tan Yiyuan to sit on the sofa.

"You noticed, didn't you?" Tan Yiyuan said, pouring two glasses of water. "About Shuangshuang's situation."

Yan Xianchuan nodded. "She's an omega."

"Alphas have such keen senses," Tan Yiyuan said with a wry smile, his expression a mixture of love and nostalgia. "She and I, how should I put it, eloped?"

"She ran away from home, knowing nothing, almost getting sold. I saved her. Afterward, we got together."

"Xiaoxiao has Ledvitt syndrome, a problem with his vocal cords. He can't speak," Tan Yiyuan's voice dropped. "The doctor says this illness can be cured before age ten; after that, it can't be treated."

"That's why I wanted to leave the Black Claw Gang. Third-class citizens have medical subsidies, which could save nearly half the money. I have some skills—I know repair work. If I work hard and save, I'm sure I can have enough before he turns ten."

"I want to give Shuangshuang a stable home, not one lived on the edge, making her worry."

"But Gasco just won't let me go." Tan Yiyuan clenched his fist. "I've explained to him many times that I just want to live a peaceful life, that I won't get involved in Black Claw business, but he doesn't believe me. He insists on eliminating the roots."

Her curiosity satisfied, Yan Xianchuan asked the question that most concerned her now. "Why does he keep targeting you?"

"Because I was the one the previous leader chose as his successor," Tan Yiyuan said. "Gasco is wary of me."

"He's a cruel, indifferent man with no feelings at all. He simply can't understand my actions. He's always believed I was trying to find outside help behind his back to overthrow his position as leader."

"But I don't care about the Black Claw Gang at all!" Tan Yiyuan's suppressed anger was like a water balloon filled to the brim, on the verge of bursting at the slightest touch.

Xiaoxiao, sitting in his lap, wrapped his arms around his father's neck. The bulging veins on Tan Yiyuan's forehead instantly subsided. He closed his eyes, held Xiaoxiao close, and murmured softly, "Be good, Xiaoxiao. Daddy loves you."

He kissed the child's forehead and handed him to Gu Shuang, who had walked over with two bowls in her hands—one containing a dark brown medicinal brew, the other with sugar water.

Tan Yiyuan explained, "He has to take medicine every day, every six hours, to prevent the condition from worsening."

So that was the late-night snack, Yan Xianchuan realized.

Despite being plagued by illness, the atmosphere among this family was filled with harmony and hope.

Yan Xianchuan had long forgotten what family affection felt like. She could understand Tan Yiyuan's actions, but it was only understanding—rational, without being moved.

Still, she had no intention of going back on her word. She remained determined to help him.

Yan Xianchuan: I'm a normal, good person, and I should do good deeds.

With that thought, she asked, "Do you know where I can buy weapons? I also need detailed intel on the Black Claw Gang, including their numbers and strongholds."

"It's been years, so my understanding of them isn't too accurate anymore," Tan Yiyuan said. "But you can buy information from Samsara. Zhu En is the most powerful information broker around here."

"As for weapons, Gina has goods. She lives on Button Street. I have her contact info; I'll give it to you."

Within two seconds, Tan Yiyuan looked at her with surprise. "The friend request was rejected."

Unlike the black-market dream vendor, who assumed it was just the default rejection of everyone's requests, Tan Yiyuan had more insight and thought more deeply.

The hardest thing for a person to change is their temperament.

Even if a thug wore a crisp suit, he wouldn't pass for an elite; put him on a throne and he'd just look more like a clown.

But Yan Xianchuan, this person of unknown origin, was used to looking down on everything. She conversed naturally, not haughty in speech, but her arrogance was latent, like the shadow at the bottom of a cliff—invisible yet ever-present.

She didn't look down her nose or stick her chin up, but she had an air of indifference toward everything.

She showed no signs of having to toil for a living, nor any confusion from being troubled. It was as if she was used to a life of ease, with the confidence to do as she pleased.

When she heard that the request had been rejected, she reacted only after a moment, asking him to try again.

Would a person who deliberately set their friend requests to reject be so slow to realize?

Tan Yiyuan suspected that Yan Xianchuan's citizenship class was higher than he'd imagined.

The two added each other as friends and agreed to go buy weapons and information together the next day, an area where Tan Yiyuan had more experience.

Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao finished his medicine. He held a cup of sugar water in his hands but couldn't help his eyes drifting to the caramel pears on the table.

He was very well-behaved. Although he wanted to eat them, he didn't pester his parents; he just couldn't stop staring, taking a sip of sugar water after each look, as if using it as a chaser.

Yan Xianchuan noticed his little movements early on. When they finished talking, she opened the packaging. "Want to eat?"

Xiaoxiao nodded.

Yan Xianchuan picked up a caramel pear with her hand, swirled it in front of his eyes, then put it in her mouth and took a solid bite.

Her face, usually expressionless, now curved into a faint smile.

"See you tomorrow."