So, he had experienced many life-and-death moments.
Betrayed, falling asleep only to be surrounded by a horde of Aberrant Beasts, and struggling to obtain supplies without revealing his tracks…
He thought that by arriving here, supposedly on the turf of the Alliance and far from the south, he could settle down at last, but unexpectedly, there came a time when they caught up to him!
He saw the gaze of his wife and children, filled with terror and concern, turned toward him.
He extended his hand, signaling them to be silent. At the same time, he was also preparing himself for combat.
He was not a warrior by trade, but his experience of multiple escapes in the past had forcibly taught him many fighting techniques.
Hu Ke might have appeared to be an ordinary person from the outside, but as a biological expert specializing in genetic engineering, his body had undergone many changes. To some extent, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say he was a humanoid biological weapon.
Of course, by the Empire’s standards, he was still human. His self-modification had not crossed certain outrageous lines.
The muscles in his arms bulged fiercely, and his chest heaved, accumulating strength. When necessary, the power of his punch was not inferior to that of an interstellar warrior; moreover, the bioelectricity stored within his body could instantly form a high voltage and, through his modified finger bones, pierce the skin and discharge electricity outward.
This was a move of desperation.
Yet despite being ready, he was still somewhat annoyed.
He hadn’t thought things through enough, hadn’t prepared sufficiently. He thought that once here, he could live incognito and not be caught, but he hadn’t anticipated that the Nature Salvation Society’s minions would be here too!
He heard footsteps coming to the entrance of his shabby tent and then they stopped.
…
Jason Morgan rubbed his hands, then turned to the person beside him and asked, “Are you sure this is the place?”
“I’m sure!” replied the man, cradling the food that Morgan had given him, “I was deathly ill, starting to develop pus-filled bumps like those Aberrant Beasts, running a high fever, delirious. And this man, in just a few minutes, cured me. Today I saw him again; his whole family lives here.”
“Fine, that’s all I need from you.” Jason Morgan sent the man away, then cleared his throat twice and approached the ramshackle tent.
He wanted to knock but found there was no door to knock on. He could only reach out and shake the curtain that served as the only barrier.
At that moment, the curtain was pulled back from the inside.
An ordinary-looking middle-aged man appeared before him, his expression wary.
Jason Morgan tried to glance behind the man, but was blocked from seeing anything.
So, he cleared his throat again and said, “I hear you are a skilled doctor; how may I address you?”
The man didn’t answer but countered, “And who might you be?”
His tone was less than polite, leaving Jason Morgan somewhat taken aback.
He was now a ‘big shot’ in the northern part of Green Valley Region, having been there for almost two months. Especially recently, respect and flattery were all he heard, with hardly anyone speaking to him in such a manner.
However, there was no change in his expression, just a slight air of self-satisfaction as he said, “I am Jason Morgan, a D4-level official of the Rage Owl Star Alliance, commissioned to establish the Survivors Mutual Aid Self-Governance Committee in the northern part of Green Valley Region. I am currently an observer on the Mutual Aid Committee.
In the past two months, the Mutual Aid Committee has united over five hundred plantations, sheltered a large number of civilians, and provided a temporary refuge for millions of impoverished people who have lost their homes.”
“All this is your doing?”
“Uh…” Jason Morgan was taken aback, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural, “not all of it.
It’s mainly due to the governor’s wise and valiant leadership, and next are the military observers and diplomats of the Alliance, who have gathered the refugees, coordinated with the plantations, and with military aid from the Twin Cities of the Alliance, helped them establish basic military self-defense capabilities.
Then come the civil servants of the department, bringing in vast quantities of living and medical supplies to stabilize the situation… Damn, why am I telling you all this?”
As he spoke, Morgan adjusted his conspicuously red cap, and with a solemn expression, he stated, “We are in dire need of manpower right now. We need all the help we can get for the people of Green Valley Region to settle down. And you, you are such a force.”
“Me?”
“I’ve heard you’re a very good doctor,” Morgan continued, “We have a large supply of medicine, but we’re in dire need of people who know how to use them. You can help those infected recover without medicine, so imagine what you can do with it.”
“Are you trying to recruit me?”
Morgan hesitated, then said, “If that’s how you want to interpret it, that’s fine.”
Hu Ke laughed.
He had thought that the Nature Salvation Society was approaching him, but instead, it was the Alliance.
How coincidental. Just as he was considering whether to join the governor, someone from the governor’s office came to him.
“What’s in it for me, then?”
Jason Morgan looked at the man’s smile across from him. It was somewhat inexplicable, and he had no idea what Hu Ke was thinking. He was just doing his best to try to recruit this talent: “The benefits are plentiful!”
He tried to look behind Hu Ke again, and this time he vaguely saw the figures of two children.
Morgan showed what he thought was a gentle smile to the two kids, and then said to Hu Ke, “Let me start with what I can offer you. The shelter is temporary, and we provide basic food supplies to all refugees, but… our resources are limited, we are already trying to feed more people with the little we have, but there are still occasional deaths from starvation, and we’ve done our best.”
“I am sorry I can only offer you and your family thin porridge to fill your stomachs, only to let you sleep in rudimentary tents under such poor conditions. But if you are willing to make a greater contribution to the entire Green Valley Region, then I guarantee that you and your family will receive better treatment. A real roof over your heads, ample and varied food; these are all a given.”
“There’s more that I can’t guarantee, but I believe you have the ability to secure. After a pause, Jason Morgan continued, “You might have noticed that in my self-introduction, I mentioned that I am a D4 level employee of the Alliance.
If you really are a capable doctor, even after the calamity in the Green Valley Region is over, you could move to the newly established Alliance Hospital in the Twin Cities. With your own abilities, you could secure a high-ranking position. For someone like me, a D4 level employee, the food supply is enough to feed the whole family.
I still have money left to buy various appliances to improve the quality of life, a bigger and brighter house, a friendly, clean, and stable neighborhood… You can even send your children to school. In short, your life could become very fulfilling.”
“In fact, you see so many people here in the refugee camp, everyone is waiting for a chance to join the Alliance, even just being an E level employee is enough to live worry-free under the premise of hard work.”
“What do you think?”
After listening to Jason Morgan’s lengthy speech, Hu Ke thought for a while and smiled, “I must admit, you’ve persuaded me.”
“That’s good…” Morgan also smiled.
“However…” Hu Ke drew out his words, bringing up a question that Morgan had never anticipated, “I do have another question: what rank could a specialist in gene engineering, an ‘Engine Seer,’ hold in your Alliance?”
Jason Morgan was stunned.
What?
What the heck is gene engineering? And an Engine Seer?
What is this doctor talking about? Why don’t I understand?
————
The update is late today.
I’ve been working overtime a lot recently, and I typically go home after work, have some supper, take a bath, and start writing around midnight until three in the morning, then I schedule it to be published the next day.
Yesterday, I just couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep. Today, I refused to work overtime, came home to finish yesterday’s work and wrote today’s in advance.
I’m going to sleep early tonight, hoping the days of overworked corporate slavery are soon over.