Chapter 442 - 333: Family, Path of the Morning Star 2

His older brother, Wei Bai, sat in a wheelchair, his face pale and his eyes sunken. A fresh blanket was draped over his legs.

He saw Wei Song and his lips moved, but only a few words tumbled out in the end.

"Good... Everything’s good!"

The stagnant, death-like despair deep in his eyes had faded considerably overnight.

Wei Song went to meet them, taking the large woven bag from his mom’s hands.

It felt heavy, as if filled with stones.

"Mom, didn’t I tell you to pack light? What is all this?"

Zheng Jingfeng wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled.

"It’s all things we’ll need. Pots, pans, and some old things from home... Everything is expensive in the city. Every bit we can save helps."

Wei Song said no more. He hoisted the bag and placed his other hand on the armrest of the wheelchair.

"Dad, I’ll push."

Wei Tang let go and stepped aside, watching Wei Song with a complicated look in his eyes.

It was a mix of relief, worry, and a hint of... indescribable unfamiliarity.

’His son seemed to have changed.’

’He looked the same, but his whole demeanor was different.’

’He stood taller, his gaze was steadier, and he carried himself with an indescribable strength.’

"Let’s go. The car’s outside."

Wei Song pushed the wheelchair toward the parking lot. Zheng Jingfeng walked beside him, looking him over constantly.

"You’re thinner. Have you not been eating properly?"

"But your face is paler. I guess the city sun isn’t as harsh..."

Wei Tang followed silently at the rear, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the station.

The well-dressed city folk, the travelers with their rolling suitcases.

He instinctively hunched his shoulders, pulling his faded jacket a little tighter.

Outside the station, the car sent by the Management Bureau was waiting.

The driver quickly got out and helped them put the wheelchair and luggage in the trunk.

"Let’s go." The car headed for Anning District.

On the way, Zheng Jingfeng was glued to the window, watching the streets fly by.

High-rises, shopping malls, greenbelts, students in school uniforms.

Her eyes were wide, like a child from the countryside seeing the city for the first time.

"These buildings are so tall... That one must be thirty stories, right?"

"The streets are so clean. You can’t even see a single leaf on the ground..."

She murmured to herself, her voice filled with wonder.

Wei Tang sat silently in the back, only occasionally stealing a glance at Wei Song in the passenger seat, taking in his son’s calm profile and the expensive-looking dark gray jacket he wore.

The car stopped at the entrance to Anning District. They unloaded the luggage and the wheelchair.

The security guard at the gate, a middle-aged man in a uniform, immediately saluted upon seeing the silver badge on Wei Song’s chest.

"Hello, Mr. Wei. Welcome to your family."

"Mm," Wei Song nodded, pushing the wheelchair inside.

Zheng Jingfeng and Wei Tang followed behind him, taking in the complex’s environment.

Manicured lawns, neatly trimmed bushes, clean stone-slab paths, and in the distance, a seven-story, beige apartment building.

"This... this is really the apartment they assigned you?"

Zheng Jingfeng’s voice trembled.

"Yeah. It’s Building 7, apartment 302. You two should remember that."

Wei Song entered the building and pressed the button for the elevator. The doors slid open, revealing a mirrored interior.

The elevator stopped on the third floor. Wei Song took out his key and opened the door to 302.

"Mom, Dad, come on in." He stepped aside.

Zheng Jingfeng was the first one inside. She stopped in the entryway, stunned.

The living room was spacious, with a balcony beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sunlight streamed in, reflecting off the polished floor tiles.

The sofa, coffee table, TV stand, and dining set were all brand new. The style was simple, but the quality was clearly excellent.

Decorative paintings hung on the walls, and potted plants stood in the corners.

A faint, fresh scent hung in the air.

It was nothing like their old house in Xiongshi County, which always smelled of must and cooking fumes.

"This... this is really our home?"

She turned to look at Wei Song, her eyes turning red again.

Wei Tang pushed Wei Bai inside and also froze on the spot. He opened his mouth to say something, but it was as if his throat were clogged.

He just raised a hand and rubbed his eyes hard.

Wei Bai, sitting in his wheelchair, let his gaze sweep slowly across the living room.

It passed over the clean windows, the soft sofa, and the sycamore tree swaying in the wind outside.

He lowered his head and stroked the slightly rusted frame of his wheelchair, feeling completely out of place in this new home.

Wei Song came up behind him and began to push the wheelchair farther into the apartment.

"Brother, your room is over here."

He pushed open the door to the second bedroom. It wasn’t large, but it was filled with light.

There was a single bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. The desk faced a window with a view of the lawn below.

Wei Bai wheeled himself over to the window.

The sunlight fell on his pale face, outlining it in a faint golden glow.

He stared for a long time before the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a stiff, unfamiliar smile he hadn’t worn in ages.

It seemed as if the wind from outside had blown away a little more of the gloom in his eyes.

「One month later.」

「Jiangzhou City Superpower Management Bureau, Mission Debriefing Office.」

Lin Wei sat behind her desk, reading the mission report in her hand.

"Two bounty missions, three Cult strongholds eliminated."

"Killed one Level Two Mutant, two Level Two Stewards, and twenty-seven regular cultists. Rescued nine captives."

She looked up at Wei Song, who stood before her desk, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"Very efficient. Based on your contributions, this is your reward."

She pushed a transparent Crystal Box across the desk.

Inside the box lay three thumbnail-sized golden crystals. Just like the last ones, a faint halo of light swirled across their surfaces.

Wei Song took the box. It was warm to the touch.

"In addition, here’s your mission stipend and bonus." Lin Wei handed him a bank card.

"A total of one hundred twenty-seven thousand."

Wei Song accepted the card, his fingertips brushing against its cool surface.

’One hundred twenty-seven thousand. In the memories of this body’s previous owner, that was an enormous sum of money.’