Chapter 177: 177, New neighbor, Yang Xiaojin

In truth, even if Yan Liuyuan had not informed Jiang Wu, Ren Xiaoshi would go tomorrow.

Yet he had to make his meaning clear to Jiang Wu: "Professor Jiang, these barriers may soon become unsafe. We rented this courtyard to facilitate our escape."

Jiang Wu gathered her hair behind her ears and whispered, "Mmhmm, I understand."

"Do you have no doubts?" Ren Xiaoshi asked curiously. "Such as what danger? Why so grave as to necessitate fleeing?"

Jiang Wu laughed softly. "You must have your reasons for acting thus. It was by following you that we survived before. Now, if you deem there is peril, we have no cause to doubt."

Throughout the day, Ren Xiaoshi had faced relentless questioning. Now, to find someone who trusted him, he felt a flicker of surprise. "Professor Jiang, you and your students may take refuge in this courtyard, but know this—the space is limited, and you will have to sleep on the ground. Moreover, when we flee, we shall not provide you with provisions. Each must fend for themselves."

"Mmhmm, I understand," Jiang Wu nodded.

Though motivated by goodwill, Ren Xiaoshi would never risk slowing his own escape by aiding others.

The experiment subjects that even Luo Lan deemed worth fleeing from must be terrifying. Ren Xiaoshi mused that their numbers might exceed what they had imagined.

At that moment, Jiang Wu glanced at the many bicycles parked in their courtyard. "Do you intend to flee on bicycles?"

"Indeed," Ren Xiaoshi replied. "Thus, our escape will be swifter, and you may not keep pace."

Each bicycle within these barriers costs at least a thousand yuan. In these times, any materials tied to steel are exceedingly rare.

Though the school had just paid Jiang Wu her salary, and the students' stipends had arrived, purchasing supplies for escape was feasible, but bicycles were beyond their means.

Jiang Wu hesitated. She had considered asking for a loan but ultimately remained silent. What justification could she offer Ren Xiaoshi to borrow money for a bicycle?

Unintentionally, Ren Xiaoshi remarked, "There is a bicycle shop merely dozens of meters away. You could borrow one when the barriers fall..."

Yan Liuyuan was stunned. "Brother, are you certain you said 'borrow'? Do you intend to repay it?"

Ren Xiaoshi fell silent. He knew this was wrong.

Jiang Wu shook her head. "That would corrupt the students."

Ren Xiaoshi said nothing. He realized such righteousness was inevitable. His willingness to aid Jiang Wu stemmed from her inherent nobility.

Yet this was beyond his power to help.

"However," Jiang Wu said, "I know there is a bicycle rental in the barriers. Ninety yuan a month, requiring only a resident ID and three hundred yuan as deposit. I can rent one in advance."

Three hundred yuan was insufficient for a bicycle's cost, but leaving a resident ID as collateral posed no risk—after all, the barriers were sealed; no one could flee. Each student had six hundred yuan in stipends, enough to rent a bicycle and still afford escape supplies.

Moreover, the resident IDs of the 109th Barrier would soon be obsolete.

Yet Ren Xiaoshi inquired, "What distinguishes renting from borrowing? We all know the bikes cannot be returned."

Jiang Wu spoke quietly, "It is a form of compensation for the shopkeeper."

Ren Xiaoshi pressed, "Would that not corrupt the students?"

Jiang Wu suddenly grew resolute. "Then I shall not tell them."

Yan Liuyuan: "..."

Wang Fugui: "..."

Ren Xiaoshi watched Jiang Wu wrestle with a dilemma—was this hypocrisy or genuine virtue?

When the teacher spoke, he glimpsed her inner turmoil.

Jiang Wu was one who acted in accordance with her words. In the previous escape from the 109th Barrier, had she not truly saved the students, they would not have lived to this day.

Now, to grant them tools for escape, she was willing to transgress her own principles.

By concealing this from the students, she chose to bear the burden of sin alone, allowing them to uphold their moral convictions.

Ren Xiaoshi found it difficult to judge whether such conduct was despicable or noble. He had no right to judge.

At that instant, a crisp laugh rang out abruptly: "It's just over twenty bicycles. We, the brigands, admire Professor Jiang's character. We hereby sponsor these twenty-odd bicycles!"

Ren Xiaoshi turned gravely toward the voice. Their courtyard was not isolated but adjoined others, so the backyard next to theirs belonged to another household.

There, he saw Luo Xinyu perched atop the courtyard wall, laughing. "Ren Xiaoshi, surprised? Unexpected?"

"Hah," Ren Xiaoshi grimaced. This was indeed surprising—the courtyard they had rented was adjacent to Luo Xinyu's. How coincidental.

Yet he knew Luo Xinyu had arrived first. Old Wang had originally sought to rent the neighboring courtyard, but the landlord said it had been taken the day before.

Suddenly, Ren Xiaoshi realized this was no coincidence. Many factions likely knew of the experiment subjects' arrival, so they had all congregated in the optimal escape location...

They had all thought alike!

Ren Xiaoshi asked, "Where is Yang Xiaoju?"

"Heh," Luo Xinyu smiled enigmatically.

This left Ren Xiaoshi unnerved. Why such an eerie grin? "Who else resides nearby?"

"Luo Lan and the others are nearby too," Luo Xinyu listed off. "The Huotan Company people were probably killed by you, so we haven't seen them. The Yang family is across the street."

Indeed, they were all here...

Suddenly, Luo Xinyu demanded, "Why didn't you mention earlier that you had knocked out Dong Funing's teeth?"

Ren Xiaoshi paused. "She tried to bite someone, and her teeth were fragile. Whose fault was that? Can't they grow back?"

Luo Xinyu snapped, "Your teeth fall out, and they grow back? She'll have to eat vegetarian from now on!"

Eat vegetarian? Ren Xiaoshi mused. "Does that mean she can only drink plant-based blood?"

Luo Xinyu arched a brow. "What plant-based blood? I mean she can only drink pre-prepared blood, unable to bite others."

"Ah, ah," Ren Xiaoshi felt no remorse. He chuckled, "Then she could try pig or cow blood—drink a whole pig's blood, gain a pig's strength!"

In truth, Luo Xinyu had never sympathized much with Dong Funing, for she was no saint. Yet hearing Ren Xiaoshi's words, she found herself oddly moved...