Chapter 469: Chapter 180: The Ceiling of Cunning Close to Demoniac_3
Ren Zhong blinked, lightly resting his right index finger on his left wrist watch, then nodded, "Yes. Every small town’s wastelanders are top-notch cheap labor. Although the people from the wastelander tribes outside are also cheap, they’re more rebellious, lack basic knowledge, and aren’t very useful for work."
Ma Dafu was taken aback, initially wanting to say that Ren Zhong was inconsistent, but his gaze quietly drifted over Ren Zhong’s wrist watch, vaguely understanding.
He suddenly realized that Ren Zhong was scheming something even bigger. Ren Zhong’s gaze had actually drifted past Starfire Town, landing on a further place.
This made him feel both fearful and inexplicably excited.
Amidst these complex and intertwined emotions, Ma Dafu nodded, speaking in a way that carried hidden meanings, "My incompetence indirectly caused the deaths of so many people. I truly want to do more."
Ren Zhong raised his hand to pat Ma Dafu on the shoulder, "Then let’s work together. I know you’re a good man, Old Ma. We can’t change what happened before, but we can prevent similar things from happening right under our noses in the future."
"Hmm. Of course."
According to the average lifespan on Source Star, Ma Dafu was considered to be of ancient age by now, but inexplicably, during conversations with Ren Zhong, he felt as if someone was imparting wisdom to him.
He was the student, and Ren Zhong the teacher.
He clenched his fist slightly, finding that yesterday’s trauma from seeing the alien ore factory’s burial pit had unknowingly eased significantly.
So what if I’m old.
To know the way in the morning, to willingly die by evening.
As long as I live another day, I’ll fight with him for one more day. I want to see exactly what this brain, as clever as a demon, is plotting!
Yes, Ma Dafu had already understood Ren Zhong’s "disguise."
He knew Ren Zhong’s essence hadn’t changed, just like when he fiercely killed the brutish man surnamed Huang who tried to violate a girl. But the plot had grown larger, so he was silently concealing his edge.
However, a treasured sword hidden will eventually be unsheathed, and its shine will break the dawn!
Ma Dafu thought to himself, I really wish to live another ten years. Only time can wash away your disguise in my eyes, allowing me to see your true self.
But he dared not choose human cryopreservation.
He feared that upon awakening, Ren Zhong would have turned to dust.
In such a world, besides waiting for death, what else would be worth anticipating?
Finally, Ren Zhong arrived at Liao Yuan County.
Liao Yuan County wasn’t as large as Zhan Sha County, with a total population of just over seven hundred thousand.
The technological feel within the county town was also not as strong as in Zhan Sha County, but Ren Zhong had a very special affection for this county town.
Ever since he first heard the name Liao Yuan County from Wang Zhaofu, he had always thought in his heart that one day he would break through the prison of Starfire Town and come to Liao Yuan County to see what this city, only accessible to Citizens, looked like.
Later, he first went to Zhan Sha County, and his obsession lessened somewhat.
But Zhan Sha County was like an unexpected fleeting affair on the road of life, while Liao Yuan County was the unforgettable first love.
Both county towns featured similar large transparent domes.
The function of this dome might be to repel the Ruined Beasts and also had some ability to isolate toxic and harmful gases from outside.
The architectural theme in Zhan Sha County consisted of floating islands supported by conical towers, while Liao Yuan County did not have such stunning high-tech content, just one skyscraper after another of varying shapes soaring into the sky.
According to the guide map provided by the artificial intelligence assistant Zhi Zi, Liao Yuan County was also a garden city, with these skyscrapers embellishing a forest composed of numerous city parks of various sizes.
About 90% of the city’s area was vegetation, with only 10% occupied by tall buildings.
Clearly, the people in the two county towns had completely different lifestyles.
But what they did have in common was that citizens in both places enjoyed a life of peace and prosperity.
Ma Dafu introduced, "The Mechanical Warrior Academy where Ma Xiaoling studies is situated in Liao Yuan County. Although the county’s economic level is average, the Liao Yuan Mechanical Warrior Academy is quite renowned on Source Star. Since you’re aspiring to become a mechanical warrior, when the opportunity is right in the future, you can come here for further studies, and you’ll definitely gain something. Look, some people over there are students from the Warrior Academy. Just around that corner is the academy. Want to go take a look?"
Ma Dafu pointed not far away, where several young men and women clad in standard armor were flying through the air.
These people flew along while chatting and arguing, creating quite a lively scene.
Ren Zhong glanced from afar and shook his head, "No."
Though their attire was different, the scholarly atmosphere exuded by these people reminded him of those days when he had just walked out of academia only to be struck by cancer.
This place was peaceful, forming a sharp contrast with the soon-to-be ruins of Starfire Town just within reach.
Yet Ren Zhong also sensed the stench of decay here.
Ma Xiaoling grew up in such a place, finally developing a shallow comprehension where she was evidently kind but only scratched the surface.
It wasn’t Ma Xiaoling’s fault, but this environment’s.
The happiness of Liao Yuan County’s citizens seemed too good to be true.
Tragically, their happiness wasn’t entirely built upon the wastelanders either.
Chromium Carbon Town, at least, could serve as a shield for Zhan Sha County.
Whereas Starfire Town, for Liao Yuan County, had no value whatsoever.
In here, wastelanders seemed like a burden that shouldn’t even exist, not even worthy of being used. Their only real value was in hunting low-level Ruined Beasts, which was hardly better than nothing.
Eradicating poverty on one hand, while creating it on the other.
Source Star’s system indeed sought only the intellect.
All other needs, all controlled trade, all barely satisfactory "welfare systems," are mere disguises to cover the truth.
The lives of citizens and wastelanders were almost entirely segregated.
Even for Ju Qingmeng, if not for his own appearance, she would never have any real interaction with wastelanders.
Citizens and wastelanders forever remained mere passersby to each other.
Citizens would only consider matters of the wastelanders when they themselves had issues, becoming fallen citizens about to descend to wastelander status, feeling a bone-chilling fear.
Ren Zhong quietly ignited his anger, scanning the city with a smile tinged with disgust.
Perhaps one day, as Ma Dafu suggested, he might come here for further studies, but he would never truly integrate into this place.
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