Chapter 108 Matteo's Plea
"That bastard stood me up!" Karen was furious. "I have to find Matteo and teach him a lesson!"
Normally, Karen wouldn't get this angry, but today she wanted to show off and show Lucas up. Now, even though Lucas wasn't mocking her, his half-smiling expression made it even more infuriating.
Lucas looked at me. "Come with me?"
I didn't answer him. Instead, I looked at Karen. She patted her chest. "I know the Chaotic Zone pretty well too. I don't need Matteo - I can lead the way!"
I nodded. "Alright. Is Night Wolves' territory far from here? Let's go there first."
"No problem!" My trust clearly made Karen very happy.
We drove southeast without stopping. The streets got narrower and narrower. When we reached a small road, the car couldn't go any further. Karen looked troubled.
"If we don't have someone watching the car, by the time we get back, it might be completely stripped."
We only brought a few people with us. If we left someone to guard the car, it would mean weakening our defensive capability.
Karen's face darkened. "Could this be Matteo's plan all along?"
"Probably not." I shook my head.
Not long ago, Night Wolves was just a tiny gang. They only managed to grow from a weak force into a small-to-medium-sized one because I gave them an invitation to buy weapons at the trade show.
After the show ended, Night Wolves pledged their loyalty to me. They were the first force in the Chaotic Zone to swear allegiance to me. Matteo was uneducated and not particularly bright, but he was loyal.
Karen had observed them for a long time and confirmed Night Wolves' strength and potential, which is why she arranged for Matteo to guide us today.
Matteo didn't show up on time. I guessed something must have happened.
The whole way, I wondered if my route had been leaked and whether there was a trap waiting for me ahead. But since we were already here, backing down wasn't my style.
Lucas decided to leave two people to watch the car, and then we walked into the alley.
Sewage flowed freely along the broken stone road. The sticky surface was disgusting. After just a few steps, my clean, shiny black leather boots were splattered with muddy spots.
The stench of rotting garbage filled my nose. With a cold expression, I pulled medical masks from my pocket - one for myself and one for Karen.
There was one left. I hesitated about whether to give it to Lucas. He looked at me expectantly and held out his hand, palm up.
I slapped the mask into his palm. Lucas put it on, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. I looked away uncomfortably.
Night Wolves' territory wasn't large - an irregular oval shape. Crisscrossing alleys extended outward from the center, where Matteo lived.
Along the way, I could see plenty of eyes watching us - some greedy, some wary. There were also figures hiding in the shadows, seemingly clutching something in their hands - most likely iron bars or daggers.
The densely packed tin shacks looked like a pile of sardine cans stacked together. Every now and then, you could hear strange howls and children's quiet crying.
At the center of Night Wolves' territory was a circular two-story building called The Pack House. It didn't look like much, but it had good defenses. Combined with the chaotic surroundings, the building was easy to defend and hard to attack.
Looking at The Pack House's relatively new walls, I thought Matteo was pretty smart after all.
But there weren't many people in the building. Karen couldn't even find anyone to ask questions.
Suddenly, a commotion came from the west - it sounded like people were chasing and fighting.
The noise grew louder and closer. We could hear gunshots and cursing.
Karen raised her gun toward the direction of the commotion. Lucas shielded me like a barrier.
Two minutes later, a group of people burst into the open space in front of The Pack House. The two young men in front stopped abruptly and demanded in panic and anger, "Who are you?"
People behind them pushed forward. "Don't block the way! Our pursuers are coming!"
Someone yelled "Don't back up," someone else yelled "Don't push forward," and others were shouting "Someone fell!" and "My foot got stepped on!" The whole scene was chaos.
"They're Night Wolves people," Karen told me.
Just then, the crowded mass split to the left and right. A tall, burly man carrying a child ran over. When he saw us, his eyes lit up instantly.
It was Matteo.
He wore a leather jacket covered in grease stains that didn't look warm at all. He had a fierce skull tattoo on his neck. His face was injured and bleeding. The child in his arms was very small.
"Karen!" Matteo rushed over, his tone urgent and humble as he begged loudly, "Please, I'm begging you! Save this child!"
The child in his arms let out a painful whimper, her tiny body curling up, hands clutching her stomach tightly.
"What happened?" Karen looked into the distance. "Who did you fight with?"
"The Saunders family!" Matteo said through gritted teeth. "This child belongs to Zachariah. Zachariah could fix houses - he was my friend! His child got sick and needed to see a doctor, but the Saunders family wouldn't let them leave the Chaotic Zone!"
He explained anxiously, "I got Zachariah's call for help this morning and rushed over. I thought I could drop off the child and then go meet you at the agreed place, but I didn't expect Zachariah to be dead! The Saunders family used this child as bait to try to trap us all! We barely escaped."
As Matteo spoke, his voice trembled badly. Behind him, someone started crying quietly.
The two young men who had been running in front crouched on the ground holding their guns, looking helpless.
I glanced at how they were holding their guns and guessed they were out of bullets. No wonder they didn't attack us.
After hearing Matteo's explanation, Karen's expression didn't soften. She looked at me, waiting for my decision.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked. "Put her on the ground. Let me examine her."
"Yes!" Matteo answered with delight, took off his jacket and spread it on the ground, then carefully laid the child down.
This gesture made me think better of him.
Lucas had Alfred take two people to help Night Wolves deal with their pursuers. I crouched in front of the child and observed carefully.
The child's face was sallow, her eyes closed, her brow furrowed. I thought she was no more than four years old, but after examining her bone structure, I realized she was at least seven - just malnourished. Her arms were as thin as sticks, skin stretched tight over bone, making her look younger than she was.
She wore an oversized old shirt with a collar covered in stains, giving off a foul sour smell.
I didn't mind the vomit on her clothes. I lifted her shirt and immediately saw clearly defined ribs and a slightly swollen belly.
My clean, slender fingers formed a stark contrast with the little girl's dirty clothes. Adrian handed me a handkerchief. Someone laughed sarcastically.
Matteo turned and scanned the group with a warning look, then looked at me, rubbing his hands helplessly.
I used the handkerchief to wipe the yellow vomit from the girl's mouth, then gently lifted her eyelid. I saw a faint yellow tinge in the whites of her eyes.
"When did the pain start?" I lightly touched the girl's abdomen. She shuddered violently and answered weakly, "Last night."
My hand gently moved across her belly. I could feel slight movement in her intestines.
"What does she usually drink?" I asked.
"Just water from the nearby ditches," Matteo said hesitantly. "All the water here is like that. That's how we all grew up."
I already had a diagnosis. "It's from drinking dirty, unboiled water for a long time. She's infected with parasites. The situation isn't good - it could cause intestinal perforation."
Matteo's eyes reddened. "Zachariah helped me before. Ms. Sorelli, please, you have to save this child!"