CHAPTER 39

Compared to the terrifying nature of Li Haohao, this area appeared unusually mild. As long as they followed the normal rules, there were hardly any incidents of v!olence. The only thing constantly increasing was the numbers on their wristwatches, lingering on the number 99 for a long time.

It felt more like a typical rescue mission, except this time it involved escaping with a group of young girls, and He Ran had no idea about the escape route.

Looking at so many Li Haohaos, He Ran tried her best to number them but had no idea which number she was. There were just so many Li Haohaos here, and regardless of which Li Haohao spoke to her, she saw them as the embodiment of Li Haohao herself.

They passed through sewage pipes, climbed through a section of sewage pipes, and even had to take stairs. The internal structure of this building was a mess. He Ran thought that perhaps this wasn't the real building.

Any camera people they encountered on the way were taken out by He Ran, and some of the Li Haohaos also helped.

Among these Li Haohaos, some wore golden bead strings while others didn't.

They told He Ran that the button she had taken from the camera people was the key to controlling the golden bead strings. It could directly cause the nearest Li Haohao to faint in pain, and they were all afraid of it.

So He Ran immediately dismantled the button and threw it against the wall, breaking it.

Everyone was in a hurry to move forward, speaking softly. In the instant the item was shattered, all the Li Haohaos instinctively let out a quiet cheer, and then they huddled together and continued along the escape route.

Under He Ran's observation, some Li Haohaos appeared different. For example, not all of them knew the escape route. Those who knew the route didn't wear golden bead strings. She learned from them that those without gold accessories were either ones who had escaped from cages on their own and were saved by their companions, or they had escaped from the kitchen and returned.

But the most outstanding one was the one at the very front. When He Ran approached her, the girl narrowed her eyes and appeared exceptionally vigilant.

The other Li Haohaos told He Ran that this girl was the first one to save herself. It was the first time she saw the young Miss in the room, completely naked, while the young Miss, who looked exactly like her, indifferently took pictures with a camera. So she found a way to hold the young Miss hostage.

Of course, the young Miss was also trying to communicate with them, using gestures, writing, and eye contact. And, of course, the young Miss had the privilege of being able to come to the breeding center at any time. That's how they slowly organized the escape team.

"Some people have already escaped?"

"Probably." The first girl who saved herself was particularly cold and vigilant, reminding He Ran of the girl who huddled like a cat on the co-pilot seat in the car at the beginning.

"But you're not sure?"

"Not in the kitchen, not in the cages, and not at the banquet. They can only be outside."

"Is there no way to contact people on the outside?"

It was a redundant question, as this particular Li Haohao refused to answer.

Then, they began climbing the stairs. The stairs were prone to making noise, so they moved slowly and quietly. He Ran followed behind, and one by one, the Li Haohaos dropped out of the ventilation ducts like fruits. She raised her hand, and the Li Haohaos fell into her embrace. Her arms began to feel sore, but some of the girls were not as brave as the others. They hesitated, closed their eyes, and hesitated to drop down, fearing it would make a loud noise.

She smiled generously, raising her hand, and one by one, the Li Haohaos jumped into her embrace. Almost everyone had embraced her at least once. At first, she could feel the differences in each Li Haohao—some were shy, some were delicate, some were carefree, and some would linger in her embrace a little longer. As they went further, exhausted, it became a mechanical embrace, a release, and the other Li Haohaos would gently support them. Finally, they managed to get all the girls down, and some of them had already moved ahead.

This plan was really risky, with so many people... She remembered what the young Miss had said, that if sacrifices were necessary, then so be it.

The stairs seemed to have countless floors. As they climbed, He Ran looked up and suddenly saw a poster stuck to the ceiling. She tiptoed and tore it off.

It didn't say anything about "Night of XX" or any Li Haohao.

It was the Daomiao City Supplementary Food Program

The large poster had only one line of text, without even a picture. She looked at it repeatedly but couldn't find any other information.

The nearest Li Haohao to her grabbed her arm and shook her head when she looked at the poster. She folded the poster and placed it on herself, remembering that she still had a strand of Li Haohao's hair in her pocket.

When she touched it, it was still hair, but when she took it out, the hair turned into flowing bl*od before her.

He Ran closed her eyes and continued climbing.

Daomiao City Supplementary Food Program

A document lay on the executive's desk. A girl pushed open the door, crying, "Daddy... it hurts so much..."

The Governor sat on the sofa, brows furrowed as he perused the documents. "What's wrong now?"

The girl first placed a bowl of something pitch black on the table, then sat down next to her father, showing him her arm. "Today is my birthday, and I wanted to cook you a bowl of noodles... but, but I got burned. It hurts so much, the fire just surged up!"

"What is this?" The executive pointed at the contents of the bowl.

"Noodles."

"Such precious food, and you're wasting it. It's only Daomiao City that has an abundance of food..." The executive threw down the documents in annoyance, picked up the bowl, and raised an eyebrow. "Why does it smell like meat? You dared to put meat in it?"

"I didn't!"

"Do not touch the meat inventory! Even now the rationed supply only last half a month, you--"

The Governor's anger welled up from within as he slammed down his bowl and raised his hand, delivering a slap to his daughter.

His daughter fell to the ground, holding her face and crying, "Dad, I didn't put any meat... I didn't mean to mix flour..."

She lifted her arm, and the Governor noticed a patch of burnt skin. He quickly squatted down, sniffing her arm.

Confused, his daughter looked up and explained fearfully, "My... my arm got burned. Don't worry, Dad, I'm fine... it doesn't hurt anymore."

The Governor shook his head, feeling like he had lost his mind. Why did he suddenly sense the aroma of meat from his daughter's arm?

"Aren't you fine? Why aren't you leaving? I still have official matters to attend to!"

Although he had driven his daughter away, that peculiar meat fragrance made his mouth water. The more he couldn't see it, the more he desired it. The data became unbearable, and the phrase "Supplementary Food Program" almost transformed into a vivid arm right before his eyes.

That night, he opened his daughter's door. His beloved girl had already applied medicine to her own arm, and the meat fragrance was gone. He stared at his daughter's arm and couldn't resist taking a bite.

"Ah!" The girl woke up in pain and looked at him with wide eyes. "Dad, why did you bite me?"

"I saw you sleeping, Dad loves you, what's wrong with giving you a bite?" He pretended to bite her again, but his daughter hesitated, saying, "I'm already sixteen, please... please stop doing this!"

After leaving his daughter's room, he was startled by the thoughts in his own mind. He tried to suppress them, but during his work, the repressed thoughts began to spread even more.

He summoned the Head Chef Yan to his office ,placed a hand behind his back, and prepared to silence him at the moment he opposed.

"Human? Death row inmates? That's a good idea." Light gleamed in Chef Yan's eyes. The Governor sensed that the excitement in this man's eyes was genuine. He replaced the gun with a pen and signed a top-secret document known only to the two of them. He then signed another document, allowing Head Chef Yan to retrieve people from the prison.

A piece of meat was secretly delivered to his desk, but he didn't have the courage to eat it. The words "Variant Virus" floated in his mind, while Chef Yan stood with his hands behind his back, closely watching the meat.

"Governor, maybe we should consult with professionals... If we want to promote this on a large scale, using only death row inmates won't work. Even if it can eliminate the virus in individuals, what if there's pollution? It's difficult for us to control the source of ingredients."

The piece of meat grew cold, and the Governor forced himself not to think about it. So what if he didn't eat meat? The rampant beasts had severely reduced the production of meat, eggs, and dairy, but couldn't they still eat beans? Why were humans being so fussy, talking about supplementary foods and such? It's only these people in Daomiao City. Go to other outposts and see if they have regular food supplies!

Fingers intertwined, the Governor stared at the piece of meat for a long time. The next day, he called in some experts to study the meat together.

"There are two aspects to consider. Firstly, from a biological perspective, is it possible... I mean, in this apocalyptic environment, is it necessary to spend precious financial resources on feeding the dead prisoners? And secondly, from a pollution perspective, will there be..."

This time it didn't go smoothly. He shot two people in the room, and the remaining experts took the piece of meat back with them.

More samples were needed, and the cages were empty.

More data was needed, and people in Daomiao City began to disappear.

Before he could bear the pressure, a report was submitted to his desk.

Using human flesh as a supplementary food is feasible based on existing meat processing techniques.

He flipped to the back.

But a stable source is required, one that is unpolluted and free of bacteria.

He flipped to the last page to find a solution.

The recommendation was to find several individuals with a pollution level of 0 and ensure their artificial cultivation in an unpolluted environment.

It was almost like having no solution at all. In these times, who has a pollution level of 0?

He paused for a moment.

He called his daughter over, placing the sixteen-year-old girl on his knee. They both seemed anxious. The unusual intimacy in their interaction made the girl's eyes flicker with suspicion, but the innocent and harmless girl he had raised obediently listened to his request.

"So, clone me and distribute my clones... for everyone to consume?"

"People need supplementary food."

"But..."

"Daomiao City is different from other cities. Daddy is superior to them. The base in Daomiao City is responsible for a lot of food production. Isn't that enough? The residents are not satisfied. They want supplementary food. They say there's a shortage of meat now, they say I'm incompetent, they say all I do is send the things produced in Daomiao City outside without improving the living conditions of the residents in the base... Are you willing to see me being criticized? My sweetheart?"

"Daddy, please don't do this." The young Miss stood up, and the Governor rose with dignity, towering over her by two heads.

"Sweetheart, you have enjoyed privileges. Privileges mean that Daddy has taken good care of you. You don't have to fight like the people at the bottom. You don't have to work hard, just as my daughter, you don't have to be exposed to pollution. Even if you waste food, you won't be punished. Your pollution level is still 0, the cleanest and safest source of food. You have enjoyed privileges for so long. The world is fair, and now it's time for you to contribute. And you should know, it's your clones that will be consumed, not you. You have no connection with them, and they are not your children. I can make sure you never see them... Moreover, this plan might not even succeed; it's just an attempt. Are you not even willing to try?"

"They will grow up. They will have their own thoughts."

"No, they won't. They won't have emotions or self-awareness. They are just your clones, designed to grow up exactly like you since birth."

"Then, what materials will be used? Doesn't this require more resources?"

"You don't need to worry about that. We have surplus food and purified solutions. We only need meat."

"What about plant-based synthetic meat..."

The Governor's gaze grew intense. "You just think that enjoying privileges is your entitlement. Well, as the Governor's daughter, you always believed that everything was owed to you. You never thought about giving back, you just don't want to."

"I'm willing, I just..."

"I'm glad you're willing, good girl. Daddy knew you were raised well."

The Governor smiled and swallowed a mouthful of saliva lightly.

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