The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: It Turns Out Her Direction Was Wrong

This was because the Imperial City’s nutrient liquid wasn’t just supplied to the Imperial Capital Survival Base; it was also sold to several other survival bases.

They didn’t just sell nutrient liquid within its shelf life. They also sold the expired kind, since other survival bases had large populations of lower-class citizens. With no fresh food, nutrient liquid was one of the few ways to get supplements.

As a result, nutrient liquid sales generated at least one-third of the Imperial Capital Survival Base’s annual GDP.

Fu Cheng watched Shen Lu stand up. He wanted to speak, but his tongue seemed to betray him, stiff and unable to form a sound.

"Little Deer." Just before Shen Lu went into her room, his tongue finally loosened, and he called out her name urgently.

Shen Lu didn’t even turn her head. She didn’t want to listen to Fu Cheng’s reasoning. "It’s late. I’m tired."

"Little Deer, if there’s a problem with the nutrient liquid, it’s a major incident," Fu Cheng said, maneuvering his wheelchair behind her. "Even if you wanted to investigate, you wouldn’t know where to start or how to get to the bottom of it."

Shen Lu pouted. He wasn’t wrong about that. She really hadn’t found anything concrete yet.

"The development of the nutrient liquid is led by the research institute, and the institute is directly under the government’s control. Without the government’s approval, no one can stick their nose into the institute’s business."

At his words, Shen Lu’s gloomy eyes suddenly lit up.

’So my approach was wrong all along!’

She had previously seen pharmaceutical company trucks dumping the expired nutrient liquid at the junkyard, so she’d naturally assumed she should start her investigation with them.

But in reality, the pharmaceutical companies were only responsible for production. The most crucial part, the research and development, had always been controlled by the institute.

’It’s possible the problematic expired nutrient liquid was mixed in with the pharmaceutical companies’ stock by the institute itself.’

Fu Cheng said, "If you really want to figure this out, I can—"

"No, don’t." Shen Lu turned back to him. "Just focus on your recovery. Please don’t do anything unnecessary."

She guessed Fu Cheng was about to call in favors again, reporting her findings to his superiors and asking the government to investigate.

’That was absolutely not an option.’

Just as Fu Cheng had said, the research institute was directly under the government. If there was an issue with the expired nutrient liquid, she couldn’t believe the government wasn’t involved.

If Fu Cheng reported it, not only would it fail to help her, it would draw the government’s attention to a small fry like her, bringing about her utter ruin.

"You’re right. None of this has much to do with me, so there’s no need for me to worry about it." Shen Lu put on her most sincere expression. "It was all just my baseless speculation. It won’t happen again."

’I’ve already said all this. Please, don’t be a busybody.’

Fu Cheng found her sudden change in attitude a bit strange, but his trust in Shen Lu was unconditional, so he just nodded lightly.

"I understand."

In truth, Fu Cheng felt that even if he did say something, no one would take him seriously.

But since Shen Lu told him not to, he wouldn’t do it.

Shen Lu gripped the handles on the back of his wheelchair. "Let me take you back to your room."

Fu Cheng’s refusal got stuck in his throat. With Shen Lu’s help, he moved onto the bed.

The muscles on the side of his waist, where the young woman’s arm had been, remained tense. Fu Cheng’s heart felt like a gently boiling kettle, GURGLE GURGLE, bubbling away.

’I’m such a despicable person.’

He could have moved to the bed himself if he’d just gritted his teeth and tried, yet he’d silently accepted Shen Lu’s help.

To put it bluntly, he was greedy for those few dozen seconds of close contact with Shen Lu.

’Forget it.’

’Despicable, then. So be it. He was no longer the outstanding cadet of the military academy, nor the much-admired firstborn son of the Fu Family. He was just a cripple. What did it matter if he was a little despicable?’

’Besides, no one would ever know about this but him.’

...

Shen Lu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Fu Cheng had opened up a new line of thinking for her, but with it came a cascade of new problems.

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