City of Time: Falling into the kill zone at the start

Chapter 76 Give Me a Reason

Zhao Jie's heartfelt complaint left Lu Chen with a strange feeling of unease.

It's not that I sympathize with Zhao Jie.

At least not entirely.

Instead, Lu Chen thought of himself, who had also been one of the "targets" of the City of Time.

There is one thing Zhao Jie was right about.

—Lu Chen is indeed lucky enough.

Although the unfortunate recovery occurred on the last day of July, the first bank debt interest payment was due that very day;

But at least it wasn't abandoned by the jade.

At least they gained the opportunity to go out of the city to scavenge, earn high returns, and cover debt interest.

Although Lu Chen has now "landed" and escaped the killing line's lock-on range, looking back, it has only been twelve days since Lu Chen arrived in the City of Time.

...

"It seems you've already realized your situation."

Pulling his thoughts back from the bewildered and helpless memories of twelve days ago, Lu Chen looked at Zhao Jie with a slightly complicated expression and said something leisurely.

Then Zhao Jie shook his head with a wry smile.

"Brother Chen told me on the first day of my recovery."

"--The only ways for the resurrected to obtain [time] are through factories, mines, and scavenging."

"To survive and avoid being crushed by bank debt interest, one must leave the city to scavenge."

As he spoke, Zhao Jie forced a smile, saying with a hint of self-deprecation, "I spent [10 minutes] buying this information from Brother Chen."

These words caused Lu Chen to shake his head with a wry smile, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

However, the person beside Lu Chen, who had remained silent throughout, only quietly examining Zhao Jie's jade, suddenly spoke up at this moment.

"Besides camping out at recovery sites and selling information to those recovering, haven't you thought of any other methods?"

Perhaps it was because she was more familiar with Lu Chen;

Or perhaps, it's a natural reverence for the identity of jade scavengers.

Upon hearing Yu speak, Zhao Jie quickly sat up straighter.

After thinking carefully for a while, he replied in a deep voice, "I've been to other factories."

"The steel mill said I was too thin and weak, and they wouldn't hire me."

"Textile factories, in principle, only hire female workers, and only skilled workers."

"The other factories are in a similar situation."

...

"I've thought about being a scavenger too."

"I thought about contacting scavengers and trying to get them to take me out of the city."

"But I don't have any leverage to attract scavengers, or any price they can afford."

"Even if there were scavengers willing to take me out of the city for no reason, I would still worry about their motives."

"After all, the only thing I have that is valuable and meaningful to scavengers is this body."

After saying that, Zhao Jie looked at Yu with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

She then turned to look at Lu Chen, her expression full of pleading.

Zhao Jie's intentions naturally did not escape Lu Chen and Yu's sharp eyes.

Unfortunately, Yu was like a child who suddenly interrupted a conversation between adults.

After Zhao Jie answered his question, he leaned back on the sofa, looking as if it was none of his business.

Even Lu Chen did not look at Yu with a troubled expression as Zhao Jie had expected.

Instead, she frowned slightly, crossed her hands in front of her mouth, and gently rested her chin on them.

"The scavengers won't take you out of the city."

"To a scavenger, your body is also worthless."

"If a scavenger takes you out of the city, it's like bringing a burden along."

[It even carried a time bomb.]

Lu Chen didn't say the last sentence.

—The scavenger who is resurrected and turns on himself may also be part of the painful memories in Yu Xin's heart.

Even if that's not the case, Lu Chen doesn't need to tell Zhao Jie that when a scavenger takes you out of the city, you can kill him without incurring legal responsibility.

Especially given that Lu Chen intended to mentor Zhao Jie, he would be even less likely to do so.

"is that so……"

As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, Zhao Jie lowered his head, his expression revealing his dejection.

"Even my body isn't worth using by scavengers..."

...

"Phew~"

"What a vicious kill line!"

"Leave them no chance of survival whatsoever."

Forcing a smile and mocking himself, Zhao Jie couldn't suppress the desolation in his eyes.

Yu remained indifferent, observing without uttering a word.

Lu Chen did not show any intention of offering help.

Lu Chen was thinking.

Previously, Lu Chen and Yu had been considering whether to pay off Zhao Jie's bank debts and become Zhao Jie's creditors.

The purpose of doing this is, of course, to avoid the high service fees incurred when depositing "time" in a bank when leaving the city.

But now, Lu Chen and Yu have the [capsule].

No longer needing to worry about bank service fees, they naturally lost the motivation to help Zhao Jie repay his bank debts.

In the City of Time, nothing is free or time-free.

Even seemingly free factory wastewater can be used as a treatment center, a "bait" to extract treatment fees from people.

...

The survival rule of the City of Time is to neither expect others to help us without expecting anything in return, nor to help others without expecting anything in return.

Lu Chen had already accepted the former.

As for the latter—Lu Chen can accept and get used to it as much as possible.

As for Zhao Jie, Lu Chen, out of his remaining humanity, harbored a slight thought of "repaying a debt of gratitude."

After all, without Zhao Jie's purchase of the information within 1 hour and 30 minutes, Lu Chen would not have been able to pass the jade's test.

If you fail the test, you will not be able to leave the city to scavenge, pay off your bank debts, or have the wealth you have now.

If Zhao Jie needs 3 days or 5 days, Lu Chen, who is still somewhat humane, will most likely just give it to him.

Consider it repaying a debt of gratitude and settling this favor.

But Zhao Jie's problem is far from being solved in just 3 or 5 days.

—A bank debt spanning a full 6 years is by no means a small amount, even for Lu Chen now!

Today, number 9529 is stored in a capsule and will be given to Lu Chen and Yu for 10 years, with the two of them to split the profits 4-6 as agreed.

Lu Chen's share was only 4 years.

The three solar panels brought back this time can be sold for [one year], but Lu Chen can only get [about 5 months] of them.

To put it bluntly, even if Lu Chen really wanted to help Zhao Jie, he couldn't afford to pay off Zhao Jie's bank debts for six years.

Most importantly, Lu Chen had no reason to do this.

—Lu Chen has no need, nor is it possible, to repay a debt of gratitude of 1 hour and 30 minutes with 6 years of his life.

Having largely adapted to the City of Time, Lu Chen wouldn't do such a good deed for no reason.

income.

motivation.

Risk is also a factor that Lu Chen needs to consider.

What's more, Lu Chen and Yu are teammates now.

Every decision Lu Chen makes must be taken into account for the sake of this duo.

yes;

Lu Chen was indeed free to dispose of his share as it belonged to him.

But this does not mean that Lu Chen can squander his "time" at will, thereby limiting the team's future.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen slowly turned to the side, looking at Yu with a complicated expression.

Only after Daiyu nodded slightly did she seem to have made up her mind and turn to look at Zhao Jie again.

"I plan to take you out of the city."

"Probably once or twice—at most three times."

"We'll help you become a scavenger, thus giving you a certain chance of survival."

"But I can't convince my teammates to offer you such tremendous help free of charge."

"So, I can give you a chance."

...

"Convince me."

"Give me a reason to take you out of the city to scavenge, to help you become a scavenger, and thus, to survive in the City of Time."