Lin Yijing knew that Xu Mo was referring to Ning Ning's situation. She shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind, then helped her father out of the building entrance and whispered, "Thank you. You've helped me once again. I think those people won't be coming back anytime soon… I'll take my father to the hospital first. You should get home early too!"
"Well… alright. Be careful. Call me if anything happens."
Xu Mo was still a little worried, but he knew he couldn't always stay by Lin Yijing's side. He could only nod in agreement and quickly ran to the main road to hail a taxi for the father and daughter.
Before getting into the car, Lin's father nodded gratefully at Xu Mo, then turned to Lin Yijing with a worried expression and asked cautiously, "Jingjing, even if we have a month now, what about the 350,000 yuan…"
"Dad, if Mom and I could come up with 350,000 yuan, would we still be living here?" Lin Yijing opened the car door and helped her father inside, sighing softly. "Since Xu Mo managed to buy us a month's buffer, Mom and I will prepare in the next few days. The three of us will have to secretly move somewhere far away, somewhere they can't find us…"
"But what about your schooling…"
"Dad, you and Mom are the most important people in my heart. I don't want to lose either of you… Compared to your life, what does school matter?" Lin Yijing gently patted her father's hand to comfort him. Then she closed the car door, turned to face Xu Mo, hesitated for a moment, and softly said, "You might never see me again after this… You're a good person, and good people deserve good things. Let the past stay in the past—don't let it become a burden for the rest of your life. Try to move on. I hope you find your happiness again."
Uh… was this a good person card? He never expected that one day, he would actually receive this legendary ultimate weapon. And to think the first one he ever received came from Lin Yijing…
"Lin Yijing, I think you misunderstood." Xu Mo interrupted her with an amused yet helpless smile, stopping her from handing out any more good person cards. "Even if they really give you a month to gather the money, do you think they won't be on guard against you running away? They'll probably start monitoring your place from tonight."
Lin Yijing had made such a reckless decision only because she didn't fully understand the underhanded tactics of loan sharks. Now that Xu Mo pointed it out, she immediately looked lost and murmured, "Then… what should we do?"
Xu Mo placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her fragile shoulder and said softly, "For the next few days, you and your family should stick to your normal routine. Don't do anything that might make it seem like you're preparing to leave. Otherwise, those gangsters might come knocking sooner than expected… As for the money, give me some time. I'll find a way to help you."
"But… that's not 350 yuan, or even 3,500 yuan—it's 350,000!" Lin Yijing was grateful for someone she could rely on during this difficult time, but she thought Xu Mo was merely comforting her. After all, judging by his attire, he didn't seem like someone who could easily come up with such a large sum.
"Yeah, it's 350,000. But you should be glad it's not 3.5 million—otherwise, I'd have to rob a bank." Xu Mo joked.
For some reason, Xu Mo's smile always made Lin Yijing feel at ease. She couldn't help but chuckle softly and reminded him, "Just… be careful. Whether you can get the money or not, it doesn't matter. Just don't do anything foolish. No matter how this turns out, I'll always be grateful for everything you've done for me."
"Heh, how about treating me to a meal?" Xu Mo teased, remembering that he didn't spend a penny on that fancy French dinner earlier, so technically, it didn't count as Lin Yijing treating him.
"Alright, I'll treat you." Lin Yijing's mood had noticeably improved.
"Haha, 350,000, huh? If we go by regular meal prices, you might have to treat me for a lifetime to make up for it."
"Then I'll let you eat for a lifetime."
The moment Lin Yijing said this, she realized how ambiguous it sounded. Her cheeks flushed red, and she hastily blurted out a few words of farewell before escaping into the taxi.
Eating Lin Yijing's food for a lifetime… That sounded pretty enticing. Xu Mo finally realized the double meaning of her words and couldn't help but scratch his head, grinning foolishly.
Walking along the main road, he hadn't gone far when a taxi stopped in front of him. After getting in, the driver greeted him and asked, "Where to, buddy?"
"Just… nowhere in particular. Just drive around the city." Xu Mo suddenly changed his mind.
"Uh… alright!"
Though the driver found it odd, as long as it meant more fare, he didn't question it. He started the car and drove off.
Staring aimlessly at the passing scenery outside the window, Xu Mo must have looked like a heartbroken young man in the driver's eyes. The lack of direction in his journey only reinforced this impression. The well-meaning driver tried to start a conversation to console him, but after being met with Xu Mo's silence, he gave up and focused on driving.
Only Xu Mo himself knew that he wasn't just wandering aimlessly—he was planning his next move.
Tonight's incident was an unexpected event. But regardless of whether the victim was Lin Yijing or someone else, he couldn't just stand by and watch as a reunited family was torn apart by gangsters once again.
Xu Mo had considered negotiating directly with the Southern City Gang to have Lin's father's debt adjusted to a reasonable amount. However, after careful thought, he realized that wouldn't work. He still had blood on his hands from the Southern City Gang, and if he showed up in front of them, there was a good chance someone would recognize him. That wouldn't just fail to solve Lin Yijing's problem—it might even put her entire family in danger.
Moreover, whether or not Lin's father had fallen victim to predatory lending, the fact remained that he had borrowed money. Even if it was from gangsters, a debt was a debt. Xu Mo could protect them temporarily with force, but that wouldn't erase the massive debt. The only way to resolve it once and for all was to pay it off—buy their safety with money.
350,000 wasn't a small sum. At least for Xu Mo right now, it was impossible to come up with. And among the people he knew, only a handful could afford to lend him that much, but why would they? It was an enormous sum, and he had no way to guarantee repayment.
So, the only way to help Lin Yijing was through Apocalyptic Shard trading.
The official value of an Apocalyptic Shard was already high, and rumors said black-market dealers offered several times the official price. If he were willing to part with a few shards, raising 350,000 would be effortless.
If this had been before the assassination attempt, Xu Mo might have done just that. But now, he understood—every single Apocalyptic Shard was a lifeline in the world of wielders. Unless absolutely necessary, giving them up was like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
That left only one choice—he had to acquire new Apocalyptic Shards.
There were only three ways to obtain them:
Searching the world and hoping for luck.
Killing and looting.
Entering an Apocalyptic Environment and fighting for survival.
The first option was out—if any undiscovered shards still existed, they were probably buried deep in places like the Mariana Trench. The second option was fast and effective, but Xu Mo wasn't the kind to kill innocent people. Besides, wielders were well-hidden; finding and defeating one wasn't easy.
That left the last option—venturing once more into the terrifying Apocalyptic Mirage.