147: Sources faster than news?

Su Yue and Li Haoyang were in the hospital room, discussing the situation when the hospital family members would visit tomorrow.

At this moment, under a bridge in the development zone, a faint fire was flickering.

Through the fire, which emitted a trace of warmth, a group of Homeless persons could be seen gathered under the narrow bridge.

They were several meters apart from each other, with dirty blankets and discarded cardboard laid out beneath them.

No one spoke or chatted.

Besides the sound of breathing, the only other sound was the crackling of firewood in the fire.

At the very edge of the bridge, lay a young man with yellow hair, who appeared to be no older than twenty.

The young man was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, with a thin jacket draped over him.

The place where he was located was almost completely shrouded in darkness, and the damp air and cold wind constantly blew on the young man.

“Hiss…” The young man turned his back to the fire, his body hunched and curled up.

But he still couldn't help but shiver, fighting against the chill of the night with his thin body.

However, after enduring for a while, the young man finally couldn't hold on any longer.

He felt as if his whole body was being eroded by the damp and cold air, and the heat his body had just managed to replenish was rapidly dissipating.

Coupled with the irregular meals these past few days, the young man's teeth were chattering.

He had wanted to fall asleep as soon as possible, but the coldness made it impossible for him to sleep, and he even worried that if he fell asleep, he would never wake up again.

So from a curled-up position, he suddenly sat up straight.

The young man's sudden movement only drew a disdainful glance from a few nearby Homeless persons, and he received no other attention.

“Cold… so cold.” The young man whispered.

Then he turned back, his gaze looking at the simple fire in the center of the bridge, his eyes revealing a longing.

It must be warm there… it would be great if I could get closer.

The young man thought to himself, his peripheral vision keeping an eye on the Homeless person nearest to him.

Seeing the other person's eyes closed, seemingly not paying him any attention at all.

The young man cautiously moved in the direction of the firelight, making a faint scraping sound on the cold concrete floor.

Despite the subtle sound, it still attracted the attention of others.

As if sensing the young man's actions and intentions, several pairs of eyes instantly cast towards the young man.

Especially the Homeless person closest to the young man, whose eyes had been closed, opened them directly.

He glared fiercely at the young man, his eyes filled with threat,

As if the young man were to move another step forward recklessly, he would go berserk at any moment and teach him a lesson.

“What are you doing? Stay put!” The Homeless person said in a low voice.

Seeing this, the light in the young man's eyes dimmed a few points.

He subconsciously bit his lip, shrinking his neck and sitting in place.

He curled up against the wall like a snail.

Clearly, there was a very obvious difference in status within this circle of Homeless persons.

It was even closer to primitive animals, speaking with absolute force.

Only by intimidating other Homeless persons could one have the right to speak and enjoy relatively better treatment.

The fire burning under this bridge was the simplest symbol of this.

In the cold and desolate late night, whoever was closer to the fire also meant that their status in this small group was higher, and it decreased from there.

As Homeless persons, there was nothing left to compare, so they attached even more importance to their respective territories.

This was why the young man, simply wanting to get a little closer to the fire out of cold, caused such a big reaction from the Homeless person closest to him.

Seeing the young man shrink his neck and move to the wall, the Homeless person closest to the fire smiled, revealing a row of uneven yellow teeth.

He seemed to enjoy the feeling of controlling others.

And just then, a shifty-eyed Homeless person beside him saw him smile.

A flattering smile also appeared on his face, and he began to chat with him.

For a time, the area under the bridge became a little lively.

The main content of the conversation was nothing more than bragging about past experiences and where to pick up more things.

After chatting for a while, the topic inevitably turned to the recently appeared Fat Bears.

“Biao Ge, I heard that Fat Bears have been causing a lot of trouble recently… it seems like many people have encountered them.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the person called Biao Ge smiled contemptuously, as if he didn't care at all.

“What Fat Bears or not Fat Bears, with so many of us, do we still need to be afraid of them?”

Immediately after, Biao Ge didn't forget to glance at Huang Mao, who was curled up in the corner.

He said jokingly: “Besides, even if we really run into that group of Fat Bears.”

“They would also have to pick someone with fair skin and tender flesh, at least someone they can lay their hands on… right, Huang Mao.”

As he spoke, the surrounding Homeless persons' gazes also followed him to the young man in the dark corner.

Some let out a few lewd chuckles, their words extremely vulgar.

Under this atmosphere, the young Huang Mao felt his whole body prickle.

He curled up even more, burying his head low.

‘Thump, thump, thump…’ Just then, a heavy sound of footsteps suddenly rang out.

And it got closer and closer, the sound echoing in the bridge.

Someone was walking straight towards their direction in the darkness.

The sound of footsteps immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the bridge.

“Hey? Who is it this late at night…”

Several Homeless persons crawled up from the ground, pricking up their ears to listen.

Their gazes also looked towards the darkness outside the bridge.

Coupled with the conversation everyone had just had, this group inevitably linked the newcomer with the rumored Fat Bears.

Even Biao Ge perked up, staring at the source of the sound.

And the Huang Mao young man at the edge of the bridge was even more terrified.

Thinking it was really that group of Fat Bears coming, his body subconsciously moved further in.

“What are you doing, get out of the way!”

The young man's subtle movement immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of the Homeless person closest to him.

He cursed and reprimanded the Huang Mao young man, and almost lifted his foot to kick him.

Seeing this, the Huang Mao young man no longer forced himself to try to move towards the center of the bridge,

He could only continue to curl up in place, not knowing what to do.

He had only been homeless for a short time and roughly knew what Fat Bears were.

If the people who came were really Fat Bears, then the Homeless persons in the bridge would definitely not stand up for him.

And don't expect them to rely on the number of people to drive the newcomers away.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, if Fat Bears really came, they would definitely push Huang Mao out without hesitation.

Thinking this, the Huang Mao young man's heart was in his throat.

He buried his head low in his arms, only daring to look out slightly with his eyes.

However, as the sound of footsteps approached, a figure gradually appeared in the darkness.

When everyone saw the figure, a sense of fear arose from the bottom of their hearts and quickly spread around.

For a moment, everyone in the bridge was stunned.

The man walking over was burly, wearing black clothes, with a yellow cloak tied on his back, and holding a bright yellow club-like object in his hand.

And the most terrifying thing was the clown mask he wore on his head, which was showing an exaggerated smile to everyone.

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“Oh my god…” Seeing the figure revealed in the darkness, the Huang Mao young man subconsciously cried out.

His curled-up body trembled, and he leaned even closer to the cold wall.

And the surrounding Homeless persons also exclaimed one after another.

They successively crawled up from the ground, looking at the man who had appeared in the darkness.

The Homeless person closest to the Huang Mao young man was even more prepared, with one foot ready to kick the Huang Mao young man at any time.

He planned to kick him out to be a scapegoat if he noticed something was wrong.

“Damn, Biao Ge… what is this?” The shifty-eyed Homeless person exclaimed.

And Biao Ge also frowned tightly, watching the unwelcome guest.

No one noticed that sweat was seeping from Biao Ge's palm, and he would likely be the first to slip away if the situation went south.

The Huang Mao young man was too scared to move, and the group of Homeless persons around him didn't make any rash moves either.

The two sides were in a stalemate for a moment, and finally, the newcomer made a move.

“Don't make a fuss, it's me.” The man wearing the clown mask said in a casual tone.

He slowly placed his hand on the clown mask in front of everyone, and then took off the mask.

And beneath the mask was a face that didn't look fierce, and even gave people a strange sense of familiarity.

As the man made this move, Biao Ge narrowed his eyes.

He repeatedly and carefully examined the man's appearance, seemingly recognizing the person.

Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Sha… Bro Sha? Is it Old Sha?”

Clearly, it was also the first time Biao Ge had seen Old Sha dressed like this, and the sudden sight just now really scared everyone.

And hearing Biao Ge's words, and seeing that the two seemed to know each other, the name Old Sha was also somewhat familiar in the circle.

The Homeless persons who had been on high alert earlier all relaxed.

“It's me, hehe.” Old Sha smiled amiably and stepped into the bridge.

And as he walked, he didn't forget to look at the Huang Mao young man.

Old Sha looked at the Huang Mao young man's startled expression, wondering what he was thinking.

He walked a few more steps into the bridge, and Biao Ge also didn't completely relax his guard, asking tentatively,

“Old Sha, why are you dressed like a ghost this late at night? You really almost scared us to death.”

Hearing this, Old Sha spoke as if chatting:

“Hey, you've heard about it too, haven't you? Aren't Fat Bears causing trouble around here recently?”

“I'm dressed like this for safety's sake, to see who dares to provoke me.”

Hearing Old Sha's explanation, Biao Ge smiled noncommittally.

“Alright, Old Sha, you really know how to put on a show.”

“Let alone changing your clothes, with your physique, who would dare to touch you?”

During their conversation, Old Sha had already walked in front of Biao Ge, and seemingly familiarly found an empty spot and sat down cross-legged.

Although he didn't reveal any intentions, Old Sha's expression was already a little serious at this moment.

He recalled what Yuan had told him in the text message, and the real purpose of the so-called Fat Bears.

Old Sha finally stopped joking, and knocked the brass mace in his hand on the ground, making a dull sound that echoed in the bridge.

It seemed to be reminding the surrounding Homeless persons to take what he was about to say seriously.

“Biao Zi, I came to find you today because I got some wind, and there's a piece of news I need to tell you in advance.”

As soon as these words were spoken, it immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding people, and Old Sha said in a deep voice:

“Do you know why that group of Fat Bears has been so rampant recently, and specifically targeting Homeless persons?”

The shifty-eyed Homeless person next to him thought it was a joke and subconsciously said,

“What else could it be? They're Fat Bears!”

Old Sha shook his head, his eyes looking a little serious, and explained to this group of Homeless persons.

He recounted the information Yuan had provided him in the text message in his own words.

And when this group of Homeless persons heard Old Sha's explanation, they learned that the real purpose of this group of so-called Fat Bears was to use the bodies of Homeless persons to spread a certain virus.

Everyone's subconscious reaction was disbelief, thinking that Old Sha was joking.

However, after Biao Ge awkwardly chuckled twice, seeing that Old Sha still had a serious expression on his face.

His face also involuntarily became serious, and he frowned tightly.

“Old Sha, is what you're saying… true?”

Seeing that Biao Ge seemed to have some doubts, the surrounding Homeless persons also started to cause a commotion.

They spoke one after another: “That’s right, where did you hear this news?”

“Fat Bears want to use us to spread disease? That's too outrageous.”

“Is that something a human can do?”

With the jeering of the surrounding Homeless persons, Biao Ge's face was also half-believing.

Seeing this, Old Sha's mouth twitched slightly.

However, seeing Biao Ge's expression, his goal had already been achieved.

Regardless of whether these Homeless persons believed what he said, at least it could make them more vigilant.

Old Sha immediately stood up and patted the dust off his butt.

“Alright, I’ve delivered my message. As for whether you believe it… that’s your own business.”

“In addition, it’s best to pay attention to the news these two days. Go wander around the entrances of some shopping malls with radios or televisions. Maybe you’ll see some reports.”

After Old Sha finished speaking, he got up and walked out of the bridge.

And as he walked to the edge of the bridge, his gaze fell on the Huang Mao young man again.

Looking at his trembling body, Old Sha felt truly unbearable.

He could clearly sense that this Huang Mao young man was isolated by the Homeless persons.

“Tsk…” Old Sha clicked his tongue and met the Huang Mao young man's gaze.

He raised his chin and said, “Hey, kid, you’re so young, how did you end up here?”

“Look how cold you are. If you trust me, come with me. I’ll take you somewhere warm.”

Old Sha still had a fire burning in that abandoned courtyard, and he had also brought along some fellow Homeless persons before.

If this Huang Mao followed him, he wouldn't be as wronged and bullied as he was in the bridge.

And after hearing Old Sha's words, the Huang Mao young man was obviously startled.

He stood there foolishly for a moment, not knowing what to do.

His gaze darted back and forth between the clown mask in Old Sha's hand and the brass mace.

The surrounding Homeless persons were also paying attention to their situation.

And the Huang Mao young man also sensed that the gazes of this group of Homeless persons were full of watching a show and mockery.

Finally, after a moment of silence, the Huang Mao young man made a certain decision.

“Okay, I believe you.” The Huang Mao young man replied.

Old Sha chuckled again and patted the few strands of yellow hair on the Huang Mao young man's head.

“Honestly, those few strands of hair of yours are quite eye-catching. I’ll just call you Huang Mao for now.”

Saying this, Old Sha also left with the Huang Mao young man.

Only the Homeless persons in the bridge remained, still feeling a little confused about Old Sha's visit.

“Biao Ge, is what Old Sha said true? It sounds so unbelievable to me.”

Biao Ge also felt a little puzzled, muttering softly, “He said he heard some wind? Where did he get the news from?”

“And he told us to pay attention to some reports, that's even more ridiculous…”

“Even the TV news hasn't broadcast it, could the news he received be faster than the TV station?!”

…

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