Her tone was calm, but to others, her words were sharp and fierce.
Telling someone to avoid you completely was no different from asking them to submit. It was a direct challenge to Tie Hu.
The onlookers could not help but whisper among themselves. Tie Hu had always been one of the strongest here, but today, Qin Junlan’s presence was just as powerful.
Two men from Rongzai’s group stepped forward. One held Rongzai by the arms, the other by the legs. Together, they carried him away.
Once they were gone, the rest of the crowd slowly dispersed.
Some people nodded politely before leaving, as if showing quiet support. After everyone had left, Yan Shi and the others finally lowered their guard.
“I really thought we were going to fight,” Yan Shi said.
“They don’t dare to fight us. At least not right now,” Xiaoling replied.
“Why not?” A Dong asked.
A Tao sighed. “Because of Plastique, obviously. Tie Hu wouldn’t dare cross him.”
Qin Junlan spoke again. “Keep an eye out for people we can bring in. We are still short-handed.” Then she handed over a stack of books. “Take these with you.”
A Dong stared at the books in confusion.
They were used to recruiting people, but what were they supposed to do with books?
“Boss, are these for us?”
“Yes,” Qin Junlan answered.
“But Boss, we’re just street punks. Most of us can’t even read. What’s the point of books?”
“Then figure out how to make them useful.”
Yan Shi quickly stopped A Dong from asking more questions. “Alright, enough. Boss just came back and needs to rest. Let’s not bother her. We’ll take the books back. Thank you, Boss.”
Qin Junlan glanced at the silent Bai Lansheng and said, “If you don’t recognize a word, you can ask your sister-in-law.”
Bai Lansheng looked up at her for a moment, then lowered her head again.
Yan Shi noticed the book in Bai Lansheng’s arms and glanced at the cover. There was an illustration of glassware, but he could not read the title.
The system spoke again. “Not all of those books were for you, were they? Do you really think they’ll understand them?”
Qin Junlan replied, “Maybe not now. But who knows what will happen later?”
She needed more capable people around her. Being stuck in this tiny place and constantly restricted was not the life she wanted.
After sending Yan Shi and the others off, Qin Junlan and Bai Lansheng returned to the house.
Qin Junlan let out a long breath. She had just recovered from a serious illness and was still tired. After lying down for five minutes, she opened her eyes and saw Bai Lansheng sitting at the edge of the bed, still holding the book she had picked out for her.
“Why aren’t you reading it?” Qin Junlan asked.
Bai Lansheng ran her fingers along the cover. She felt like she no longer had the right to read it.
Qin Junlan noticed her quiet mood and reached out to take the book from her. As soon as she touched the corner of it, Bai Lansheng quickly clutched it to her chest.
Qin Junlan laughed. “You’re not reading it, and you won’t let me see it either? Did you buy it just to keep it as decoration?”
Bai Lansheng turned away and ignored her.
Qin Junlan said, “Fine, I won’t touch your book. But if Yan Shi and the others come to you with questions, you’ll have to help them. Also, I want you to make up some quizzes to test how much they’ve learned.”
Bai Lansheng froze. Teach a bunch of illiterate men how to read? And they might not even want to learn.
She looked up at Qin Junlan and saw that she was completely serious.
Why was she being asked to do something so difficult and thankless? Bai Lansheng whispered, “I don’t know how.”
Qin Junlan replied, “Just mark a few key points and come up with some simple questions. You’re much better at this than I am.”
Bai Lansheng pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Qin Junlan did not give her a chance to refuse and changed the subject. “I’ve completely fallen out with Tie Hu now. I want to ask for your help.”
Bai Lansheng suddenly realized she didn’t need to respond to her. She lowered her head and stayed quiet.
Qin Junlan once again saw the crown of her head.
She reached out with one finger and poked the swirl in her hair.
“Don’t your neck muscles get tired from always looking down?”
Bai Lansheng moved away slightly, avoiding her hand. She had made up her mind not to respond to anything Qin Junlan said.
Suddenly, a heavy weight pressed down on her knees. That annoying troublemaker had rested her head on Bai Lansheng’s lap, making it impossible for her to move.
Qin Junlan’s bright eyes looked up at her, and Bai Lansheng almost lost control of her composed expression.
Qin Junlan said, “Every time I talk to you, I never get to see your eyes. If you won’t look at me, then I’ll just lie here so I can look at you instead.”
“…Fine. Sit up. I’ll look at you,” Bai Lansheng replied.
She felt like she was already making a compromise, but Qin Junlan continued.
“Can you really look at me when I talk to you?”
When she saw Bai Lansheng’s silver hair shift slightly, Qin Junlan finally sat upright. “The doctor said Omega pheromones are a natural remedy for Alphas. What do you think about that?”
Bai Lansheng quietly rubbed her legs. The spot where Qin Junlan’s head had rested still felt warm and strange.
That question made her freeze. Her fingernails accidentally scratched the back of her hand.
The fear from her memories came rushing back, overwhelming the new feelings from earlier. The pain from her hand was nothing in comparison.
She lowered her head and stared at the blanket beneath her as if she were deeply focused on the pattern in the fabric.
Omega pheromones can help heal damage to an Alpha’s mental strength. There have indeed been such cases. After an Alpha’s mental strength is injured, if they encounter a compatible Omega, there is a small chance that the damage can be repaired. However, that chance is extremely low and very uncertain.
Qin Sisi’s mental strength was too weak. There was no hope for recovery.
When she first learned that healing might be possible, Qin Sisi had been overjoyed. But after every attempt ended in failure, her joy turned into deep frustration and rage.
After that, she took it all out on others, becoming a person who lashed out with either words or violence.
When Qin Junlan spoke about healing, the first thought that came to Bai Lansheng’s mind was that something which had been impossible in her past life would not suddenly change in this one. If the result would be the same, and Qin Junlan insisted on trying, then all she could expect was to be hit again.
Her shoulders drooped as if weighed down by something heavy.
Qin Junlan found it amusing. She had only mentioned the idea, and Bai Lansheng was already resisting it.
People like Rongzai were just petty bullies. The real trouble was Tie Hu, the man behind them. Qin Junlan had already embarrassed him in public today and had no intention of backing down.
She decided to reason with Bai Lansheng. “Look, Tie Hu is clearly much stronger than me. If he decides to fight, I won’t have the option to avoid it, especially if I want to protect you. If I’m too weak to move, like when I had that bad cold, we’ll be in trouble. That’s why I want you to try helping me repair my mental strength. I promise, if anything makes you feel uncomfortable, just say stop and I’ll stop immediately. Is that okay?”
Since she was asking for help, Qin Junlan lowered her tone and spoke gently. Still, her sincerity didn’t earn her a single glance from Bai Lansheng.
Bai Lansheng remained still, lips lifting slightly in a mocking smile. She thought Qin Junlan was naive to believe this could work. C-level mental strength could not be repaired.
She also laughed at herself for thinking Qin Junlan might have changed.
The room fell silent. Bai Lansheng braced herself, expecting to be struck. Suddenly, a firm hand clapped her back, straightening her slouched posture.
“Don’t keep your head down like that,” Qin Junlan said with disapproval. “You’re young, not some old woman.”
When Bai Lansheng still looked glum, Qin Junlan reached out and pinched her soft cheeks with two fingers, leaving two small dents.
Their eyes finally met as Bai Lansheng was forced to look up.
Qin Junlan began asking rapidly, “Can you? Can you? Can you?”
Bai Lansheng had never seen anyone act like this. Her cheeks hurt from being pinched, and her delicate lips were squished into a pout. Qin Junlan didn’t let up, using both hands to squish her face like dough.
Bai Lansheng was furious and shouted, “No I cannot.”
Hearing how her voice came out in a strange pitch, she grew even angrier.
Qin Junlan laughed and finally let go, smiling as she said, “That’s better. If you don’t like something, just say so clearly. But when you speak, look into my eyes. I don’t want to talk to someone who acts like a block of wood.”
Her gentle smile caught Bai Lansheng off guard.
Qin Junlan pressed her palm to Bai Lansheng’s head and leaned in until their foreheads touched. Eye to eye, she said seriously, “I’ll say this again. I give you permission to speak your mind.”
With that commanding tone, such close distance, and a steady hand on her head, Bai Lansheng felt nervous and swallowed hard.
Qin Junlan rubbed her hair again and smiled.
The system grumbled. “You’re manipulating her.”
Qin Junlan replied, “How?”
“This is emotional manipulation.”
“I’m just being friendly. When you’re trying to get someone’s trust, you don’t glare at them. Even arms dealers send people who know how to smile.”
The system asked, “If you give up, won’t you feel regret?”
Qin Junlan answered, “Of course I’ll regret it, but not too much. Healing mental strength with such a low chance of success isn’t nearly as important as how Bai Lansheng feels.”
The system finally went quiet. The host was finally starting to care about the target. That was a good sign.
Qin Junlan checked Bai Lansheng’s corruption level. It hadn’t gone down yet, so she knew she had to work harder. Once the target was happy, the order—no, the corruption level—would be easy to handle.
Suddenly, she noticed a scratch on the back of Bai Lansheng’s hand. Her arms were thin and pale, and even a small injury stood out sharply. She reached over and touched it gently.
“Where’s the ointment Old Wu gave us?” she asked.
Bai Lansheng flinched, afraid she would reach into her pocket, and quickly pulled out the medicine.
There were no cotton swabs around. Qin Junlan washed her hands thoroughly and applied the ointment herself.
Bai Lansheng felt her long fingers gently touch her skin, bringing a soft tingling sensation. The medicine was probably worth a lot, but it had been used on her.
After tending to the wound, Qin Junlan washed her hands again and picked up a book to read. Her black hair fell over her shoulder, making her look calm and focused.
Bai Lansheng glanced at her. That troublemaker was still planning to fight Tie Hu and would probably get badly beaten. She would regret using the ointment then. For now, she decided to let it go.
As for the medicine, there was no rush. If Qin Junlan lost the fight, she could use it on her later.
With that thought, Bai Lansheng turned away, clutched her book, and closed her eyes.
She had thought it would be hard to sleep in a place filled with unpleasant memories. But as she listened to the soft sound of pages turning, she slowly drifted off without noticing the blanket someone had placed over her.
After leaving the alley, Yan Shi and the others did not go straight home. They gathered nearby to talk.
They discussed what had happened and couldn’t help feeling worried.
Tie Hu had been around longer and had gathered many loyal fighters. He was strong and a real threat in a fight. If their boss lost, what were they going to do?
They thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with a solution. In the end, they sat on the ground, drawing circles in frustration.
After a while, they realized Xiaoling had stayed quiet. She was flipping through a book.
A Dong asked, “Why are you reading right now? Can you even understand that? Don’t you care about what might happen to the boss?”
Xiaoling turned a page. “I can understand it.”
A Tao was shocked. He knew Xiaoling didn’t know many words. Curious, he leaned over to see and soon found himself reading too.
Xiaoling didn’t like that. She told him to get his own book and let her finish reading before they swapped.
Yan Shi flipped through a few books. Most of them had plenty of pictures. It was clear the books were chosen carefully to suit their level.
Xiaoling said, “Right now, the most important thing we can do is believe in the boss.”
Everyone fell silent.
She continued, “It seems like you agree with me. Then think about why the boss gave us these books. We should focus on doing what we can right now and wait for the boss to give us further instructions.”
After a long pause, A Dong touched Xiaoling’s forehead and said, “Xiaoling, you’ve changed. I almost don’t recognize you.”
Xiaoling brushed his hand away. “Did you notice that when the boss was dealing with Rongzai, our sister-in-law was quietly watching and didn’t look scared at all? That shows how much she trusts the boss. If she can do that, we should believe in her even more.”
Everyone was finally convinced and reached for the books.
Even A Dong and A Tao, who hated reading, pulled long faces and sat down with the others.
This place was still just one of the many slums in District D. But within it, something in a few hearts was starting to reach for a bigger world.
Bai Lansheng did not realize that she had already changed something in these people. Like a butterfly flapping its wings, her influence had shifted their lives away from the path they once knew. One day, this shift might come back around and affect the one who started it all.
Before falling asleep, Qin Junlan contacted Boss Lü again to confirm the time for receiving the tickets, only to hear that something had gone wrong. There was a chance the tickets would not come through.
The exhibition on Yaomu Star was a large-scale event. It had become a trending topic online, and posters were plastered everywhere. Qin Junlan had even seen a flyer at the shop where she bought a helmet. At the time, she had been more focused on gang activities and Bai Lansheng’s situation, and other events quickly distracted her.
But now, everything had changed. Though her status appeared to have risen, her position had grown more dangerous. She was under pressure, and someone else had their eyes on her target. She needed more leverage to solve her current crisis.
The exhibition ticket was a key part of her plan.
She decided to go in person to deal with it.