“There’s no way! If the two of us just walk out together, people will only think we’re sisters, and they’ll probably think I’m the older sister and you’re the younger one…”

“You smooth talker.” Yvonne Sullivan said with a smile.

“And that little beggar—don’t you think he’s stupid? Just for a boxed meal, he was actually willing to go to a thieves’ den with someone, and after being sold, he even helped them count the money.”

“He’s not stupid at all.” Yvonne Sullivan shook her head gently. “On the contrary, he’s actually very smart.”

Ethan Lincoln looked at Yvonne Sullivan with a puzzled face. She knew her aunt had a sharp eye for people and very high standards—ordinary people could hardly catch her attention. That’s also why, to this day, no man had managed to win her heart.

“How is he smart? He’s clearly an idiot.”

“What did he lose?”

“If it weren’t for me, he would’ve almost been tricked.”

Yvonne Sullivan shook her head lightly and said with a smile, “At first, he stepped in on his own initiative, not just to help… As a man, when a lady nearby is being harassed, he should stand up for her. He’s much braver and more righteous than those men who just stood by and watched.”

“Later, didn’t he say it himself? He knew the other guy was a scammer, but he was just hungry and wanted something to eat… Someone who tries to scam a boxed meal from a scammer—how could he be an idiot?”

Yvonne Sullivan squinted at Ethan Lincoln and said, “Besides, didn’t you give him a hundred yuan?”

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have given him any money.” Ethan Lincoln said irritably. “I thought he was pitiful, but turns out he’s a sly one too.”

“He’s sly, but he’s a good person.” Yvonne Sullivan said with a smile. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken up for us and tried to stop that pest for us… Alright, let’s not talk about them anymore. In this vast sea of people, we’ll probably never see them again. Let’s just enjoy our shopping and think about what to eat for lunch!”

“Right, let’s not talk about them. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.” Ethan Lincoln said angrily.

After eating and drinking their fill, a new problem arose.

Where to stay?

Although Olivia Bolton still had a few dozen yuan left in his pocket, he couldn’t even afford the cheapest guesthouse. If he found a place to stay tonight, what about tomorrow? And the day after?

Besides, any place to stay would require an ID card, and he didn’t have one to prove his identity.

He went to the “ID Center” under the overpass to ask. An ID card cost fifty yuan, and even if he emptied his pockets, he didn’t have enough.

“Can’t you make it cheaper?” Olivia Bolton pleaded.

“This is skilled work.” The guy at the ID booth, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, said with a proud look.

After thinking it over, wandering the city all day, Olivia Bolton had no choice but to return to his old haunt—the bridge underpass.

After his parents disappeared and the house was repossessed by the research institute, Olivia Bolton was left homeless and found this bridge underpass. At least here, he could shelter from the wind and rain, and no one could bully him.

The bullying he’d suffered, his unfortunate fate, had left Olivia Bolton with no sense of security. Even though, after the Greedy Wolf Stone entered his body, he was stronger than most people, the psychological scars of the past couldn’t be erased in a short time.

Returning to his old refuge, Olivia Bolton even felt a bit happy.

Though this place was crude and rundown, at least it was one of the few places in this cold city that had ever given him warmth and shelter.

Most importantly, staying here meant he wouldn’t run into the “Lighthouse,” and it would be harder for those monsters from the demon lab to find him.

After the Greedy Wolf Stone entered his body, his six senses became sharp, far beyond ordinary people. When he escaped, he heard Professor Fraser’s furious roar and learned of the “Lighthouse’s” existence.

This person was Fraser’s inside man in Jiangcheng, and would help Professor Fraser capture him. He didn’t want to go back to that hellish place, so he had to avoid that guy.

Of course, Olivia Bolton still didn’t know who the Lighthouse was, so he could only stay alert at all times.

He pulled out some of the dry grass from under the bridge and spread it on the ground, then went to the nearby market to buy a cheap cotton quilt. After tidying up a bit, it was enough for him to stay for now.

No matter how primitive and rough this place was, it was still much better than that despair-inducing glass “coffin” in the lab.

Besides, he didn’t want to stay anywhere crowded. If the demon lab found him, it would be another bloody disaster. By then, would he be able to escape the pursuit of those gene warriors?

After years of imprisonment and days of running, now that he could finally relax, Olivia Bolton felt utterly exhausted.

That night, Olivia Bolton slept especially soundly, even with a satisfied smile on his lips.

The moonlight was cold and clear, black clouds covered the sky.

“Plop, plop…”

Several muffled sounds rang out, and a dozen or so waterbirds resting by the river were startled into flight, their cries unusually clear in the quiet night.

“It’s all your fault! You insisted on hiding in this godforsaken place—I almost fell into the river.” A deep male voice said.