A Mind Reader

"Can you open your mouth for me?"

Zhang Youji slowly opened his mouth while Lin Fang held a small flashlight, checking for tartar or any cavities.

"You can close them now." Lin Fang said as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

There were a few more tests before Zhang Youji's health checkup was done.

"Xiao Ji, you did good! I told you that my Big Brother is nice!" Lin Jiaojiao said cheerfully while holding Zhang Youji's hand as they walk out of the room.

When Lin Fang was left alone, he closed and locked the door before sitting down on a chair.

He looked down on the medical report infront of him.

Zhang Youji, an eight-year old child who is now an orphan. He was extremely underweight and malnourished.

This was not the first time he saw this kind of report on children.

In fact, he usually saw them on reports written under the cause of death along with dehydration or starvation.

Either way, the apocalypse was a cruel world for children. They were weak and young. Their immune systems were not as strong compared to an adult's.

And because food was scarce, hunger and nutrition became a common problem. He saw many children die due to this at the previous base on the north.

Here in the northwest base, the government made a lot of precautions and they created a place in between Section 2 and 3 for children where they are given enough food and nutrition.

Interestingly enough, humans can still see far in the future and has quickly created a way to ensure that the next generation continues on.

Facing extinction due to the mutants is definitely out of the question which is why children were given extreme care in the base. Lin Fang thought of sending Zhang Youji to the Children's Center where he could live peacefully and receive proper care and attention.

However, Lin Fang found out that this was not an option anymore.

Earlier, the child would flinch when Lin Fang tried to touch him so he then asked for permission. Still, the child was hesitant.

It was a good thing that his sister was there because Lin Fang wasn't sure how to coax Zhang Youji who was clearly cautious and aloof of him.

"Xiao Ji, my Big Brother is a good person. He's nice and he'll treat you nicely. You can trust him!"

Most children would have gotten swayed by this kind of naive persuasion but Zhang Youji didn't immediately acquiesced.

In fact, Lin Fang had to wait a few more minutes before they could begin the tests. He ended up wearing gloves before he was able to touch Zhang Youji.

What a curious child, he thought.

This behavior was something that Lin Fang could ignore since he guessed that being wary of adults after experiencing the apocalypse was normal for a child like him. Zhang Youji likely saw something...

His sister did told Lin Fang that they picked him up after battling with a red half-mutant that could speak.

At first, he didn't believe it. How was it that a mutated monster could speak?

But then, it was not entirely out of question either since they were former humans and evolution would gradually happen just like what happened to ability users.

The curious thing that got to him and the one reason why Lin Fang could not send Zhang Youji to the Children's Center was not because his sister was attatched to the child.

In fact, it was because of their interaction.

He noticed how his sister would talk and chatter while holding Zhang Youji's hand.

The child would nod from time to time but he never spoke.

His sister continued talking as if she knew Zhang Youji's answers.

"Right, Xiao Ji? That wasn't so bad."

"Ah? You don't like injections? Don't worry! Big sister won't let go of your hand. I'm also scared of injections but it actually doesn't hurt that much once its over."

"No, no. We have to wait for the others to get done, then we can eat our meals together!"

"I also miss Big sister Mo... I wonder how she's doing.."

Some people might not notice the oddity in this interaction but Lin Fang did, because he knows his sister well.

He knows when she was hiding something because she would usually babble or chatter loudly.

This child must be special, Lin Fang thought.

"Right? Xiao Ji, I'm sure that Big sister Mo is safe since she's strong."

And this child might just be too special, Lin Fang thought again.

He leaned on his chair and closed his eyes, both hands resting on his lap while clasped together.

It wasn't everyday that he gets to encounter a mind reader.

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