Chapter 139: The Path of the Citizen

As Ren Zhong was about to return to Zheng Tian's small courtyard, Wang Zhaofu sent him a message.

"Forty chips of perfect and excellent grades—I can give you 48,000 after tax. The average value per chip comes out to 1,200."

Ren Zhong immediately replied, "That high? Older Brother, you must have squeezed out your own profit margin."

Ren Zhong clearly remembered that special chips like the Dream-Weaving Labyrinth bug sold for only about 1,500.

Among this batch of forty chips, not many matched the quality of the Dream-Weaving bugs.

Even if Ren Zhong sold them through the professional team's account at Spark Resources, the average price would at best reach around 1,350.

If Wang Zhaofu took them elsewhere to sell, even if he could find a professional team to endorse the account and only bear an 8% commission, he would still have to leave some margin of difference for the professional team.

Yet Old Wang was giving Ren Zhong the after-tax price. It was far too generous.

Wang Zhaofu gave two dry coughs. "Hey, Little Brother, you're overthinking it. Your older brother here is a professional merchant; I never do a losing business, it's merely a matter of earning more or less. What are we to each other? It's not a one-off deal; earning a little less from you is only right."

"Well, alright then. Many thanks, Older Brother."

"Additionally, those ninety chips have really been left for too long, and their stability has greatly diminished, so I can only calculate them at 700 each, giving you a total of 63,000."

Ren Zhong: "Okay."

Next came the main event.

A micro-corps was far more valuable than the equipment of professionals at the same rank because it allowed a person with zero combat capability, after undergoing basic operational training with a difficulty roughly equivalent to learning how to use a television, to attain the combat power of a professional of the same rank, or even surpass it.

The set of Tier 3 micro-corps in Sima Wan's possession, crafted by a war artist, could under normal circumstances fight a squad of Tier 3 professionals and remain in an undefeated position.

"This set of micro-corps is no ordinary item; the materials are top-notch and the programming is advanced. If it were a complete set and undamaged, it would be worth at least two to three million points—enough to buy twenty sets of Tier 3 basic exoskeleton armor. Now it is severely damaged, missing parts, and the control hub is broken as well. It must be fully repaired before it can be used, and I can only sell it to a professional war artist who will fix it and resell it, so I'm afraid the price will be driven down. Therefore, your older brother can only offer you 720,000."

Wang Zhaofu deliberated as he spoke.

Ren Zhong immediately replied, "That's fine. Thank you for your trouble, Older Brother."

"Alright then, I'll transfer the money to you right now. Oh right, wasn't there supposed to be a pair of Tier 4 dismantler gloves? Damaged? They're still worth tens of thousands."

Ren Zhong: "I assigned them to Chen Hanyu."

Wang Zhaofu: "Oho! Then I understand. That would be the tall, pretty girl in Zheng Tian's squad. I remember she was rather cold, wasn't she? Well, well, Little Brother, you've got some moves. No wonder you weren't interested when I invited you to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with me the other day."

Ren Zhong roared internally.

Fight shoulder-to-shoulder your granddad!

There aren't many idioms I can safely use nowadays; could you please spare me a few?

Also, why won't this "dirty old man" meme go away when I clearly haven't done anything?

It's as if the whole world knows I'm a dirty old man.

Is it my problem, or is it the fault of the times?

"Still, Little Brother, listen to a word of advice from me. I've known this little girl Zheng Tian for many years. It hasn't been easy for her and Chen Hanyu to rely on each other all these years, and unlike ordinary female scavengers, they don't have much emotional baggage. Now that they've finally managed to lean on you, you should treat them a bit better in the future."

Ren Zhong replied feebly, "Older Brother doesn't need to worry about that."

"Mmhmm. Also, Captain Lin's armor... Hehe. And that pair of dual pistols..."

"That's easy to discuss. You and I will contact each other again in a few days."

"Deal!"

With the arrival of Wang Zhaofu's funds, Ren Zhong's personal assets once again climbed into the seven-figure range, reaching 1.05 million.

Looking at the account balance, Ren Zhong let out a faint sigh.

Sigh.

Having beheld the vast ocean, all other waters seem pale; having seen the magical peaks of Wu Mountain, no other clouds compare.

Having once possessed a fortune of over three million, he was no longer the good young man of the past who would rejoice for a long time over scamming a few hundred points from Brother Sun.

Ah, people—the more money one has, the less joy remains.

The troubles of the rich are beyond the imagination of the poor.

Ren Zhong pushed open the courtyard gates of the squad, where a bustling and enthusiastic scene was currently unfolding inside.

Everyone was preparing a banquet.

Although the joy was brief, it was ultimately worth celebrating.

While everyone was happily eating dinner, Ren Zhong received a communication request from Spark Resources. It was none other than the hot-figured yet plain-looking female staff member with whom he had interacted many times.

As old acquaintances, there was no need for excessive polite formalities.

As per custom, she first congratulated Ren Zhong profusely, and then meticulously briefed him on various matters related to professional teams.

After the two finished chatting, the other party brought up an extraneous topic.

She said she had bought a rather nicely renovated small courtyard on the edge of the White Wall and had replaced it with a comfortable, large bed, and asked when Ren Zhong would have time to come over for a cup of tea.

Ren Zhong politely and smilingly declined.

At 9:30 PM, Ren Zhong bid farewell to the squad members and headed straight for Ju Qingmeng's villa inside the White Wall.

Before leaving, he assigned Zheng Tian a task: to go to Lin Wang's team's estate early tomorrow morning to take inventory and move relatively valuable items—including the third-generation Iron Curtain—to their own courtyard.

Zheng Tian did not foolishly ask why they weren't simply moving over there.

The days left in Spark Town were numbered; that place was destined to become ruins, and moving house was meaningless.

...

In the villa's living room, Ren Zhong and Ju Qingmeng sat side by side.

Floating before their eyes was the data modeling diagram of Lin Wang's complete set of armor.

Ju Qingmeng said, "Lin Wang certainly spared no expense. The material cost of this armor definitely exceeds six million. It allows him, with a basic power of six kilowatts, to exert a level close to mech warriors with a carrying capacity of over nine kilowatts wearing conventional equipment. Your victory was truly not easy."

Ren Zhong nodded. "Yes, there was a lot of luck involved."

"Yet you still accomplished what was deemed impossible by common sense, didn't you?"

Ju Qingmeng blinked, looking at him.

Ren Zhong: "Yes."

Ju Qingmeng: "During the battle with you, the armor sustained considerable damage. Only about 70% of the internal parts and components are intact and usable. It will take me a day or two to fully grasp all the technical parameters, and then we can figure out what things can be transferred into your armor."

"Thank you for the hard work. No rush, there are still five days left, take your time."

Ren Zhong stood up, walked over to the living room bar counter, took out two disposable paper cups, tossed in a few tea leaves, and began pouring hot water.

After a long while, Ju Qingmeng walked up behind him. "Are Mayor Ma and the others coming over later?"

Ren Zhong nodded. "Yes, they certainly will."

Ju Qingmeng: "Are you troubled by something?"

Ren Zhong's hand jerked violently, and he asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Ju Qingmeng smiled. "A woman's intuition?"

Ren Zhong was astounded and touched his own face. "That good!"

"Well, actually, you just zoned out. Look, the water spilled out. You've never been like this before. Even if you're still in the fatigue period of the stimulant's aftereffects, this isn't normal."

Ren Zhong turned back to look at the damp tabletop, where a few unsteeped tea leaves had washed across the bar surface along with the overflowing water.

He snapped back to reality.

At Ju Qingmeng's home, he had been far too relaxed, leading to a brief trance caused by his preoccupied mind.

Some things had to be done.

Yet even if his heart had long since made its resolution, it went so much against his nature that it always made him somewhat uncomfortable.

The things he was about to do to Mayor Ma and his daughter were far more severe than taking advantage of Sun Miaozhu and shearing Zheng Tian and the others back then.

It would leave a massive fissure between him and the Ma family that only the whirlpool of time could grind away.

Ren Zhong was not inherently a politician truly skilled at hardening his conscience and speaking utter nonsense with his eyes wide open.

What was more, the people he was about to deal a heavy blow to this time were those he had long since acknowledged in his heart as his own people.

This was completely different from the state of mind he had when hoodwinking the likes of Lin Wang and Yang Bingzhong.

Two minutes later, Ren Zhong and Ju Qingmeng sat back down in front of the coffee table, watching the wisps of white smoke rising from the two newly brewed cups of tea.

Ju Qingmeng: "You've always wanted to kill Lin Wang, and you did it. We've all seen the changes in the small town—why are you still unhappy? Because of the census?"

Ren Zhong nodded. "Yes, but not only that."

"What else?"

Ren Zhong was silent for a brief moment, then asked Ju Qingmeng word for word: "No matter what I do, will you understand me?"

Seeing him so solemn, Ju Qingmeng did not answer casually; instead, she weighed it in her heart for a long time. "I will."

"Thank you."

Ju Qingmeng: "You want to pursue Ma Xiaoling for the sake of benefits? To forge a deeper alliance with Ma Dafu through her? To raise your social status faster? You want to... deceive Ma Xiaoling's feelings?"

Ren Zhong smiled and shook his head. "No. But I feel that, in a sense, what I'm about to do is even worse than that."

"Ah?"

"Let me give you an example. I made a promise to you that I would help rewrite your destiny. And you unconditionally believed my promise. But if one day, before I have fulfilled my promise to you, I disregard your advice and do something that means certain death, and I actually die. My promise turns into empty words—would you hate me?"

When Ren Zhong used Ju Qingmeng's personal situation as an example, she vaguely understood what he was about to do to the Ma family.

He was going to betray all the expectations the Ma family had placed on him.

This time, Ju Qingmeng thought for a very long time.

Eventually, she slowly spoke: "I have pinned all my hope on you. If you really did that, I would indeed feel disappointed. But I believe that no matter what you do, you must have your own unavoidable hardships. I won't hate you."

Ren Zhong was taken aback.

After a long while, he averted his gaze. "Thank you. Truly, thank you. So that's why, even though you knew Spark Resources was about to move away, you never asked about my subsequent plans."

"Yes." Ju Qingmeng reached out from the side and tightly grasped Ren Zhong's hand. "You are the one who allowed me to reclaim the self that had already died, giving me the courage to rebel by seeking life through death."

"Over these past two months, I have witnessed everything you've done. I basically know about your affairs too."

"I believe you are definitely not a person who breaks faith; you are different from everyone else in this world... entirely different. I am willing to trust you, but that doesn't mean I must stubbornly demand that you succeed in everything."

"I know what we are trying to accomplish is inherently difficult, no less so than getting Spark Town to pass the census. Although you've displayed extraordinary talent and wisdom, I never held onto wishful thinking. I've always been mentally prepared to face failure. Even if we fail, as long as we tried our best, our conscience is clear, right?"

The two people's eye contact was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Ju Qingmeng abruptly released Ren Zhong's hand and walked quickly upstairs. "I won't participate in your confidential discussion tonight. It's not that I'm afraid of hearing your secrets; it's just that I feel you certainly wouldn't want me to see you telling forced lies."

...

Three minutes later, Ren Zhong, Ma Xiaoling, and Ma Dafu were seated together in the living room.

It was currently 10:05 PM.

Ren Zhong went straight to the point. "Lin Wang, Bei Lihui, Sima Wan, Pan Fenglian, Song Qianlian, and Xing Ming—these six people all died directly or indirectly at my hands. I have already severed one of Yang Bingzhong's arms."

Ma Dafu was greatly startled. "How is that possible!"

...

Ren Zhong looked at Ma Xiaoling beside him.

Teacher Ma predictably jumped out, looking utterly smug. "Hahaha! Dad, you wouldn't know this, but Ren Zhong is a genuine super genius, he's already Tier 4! Surprised? Shocked?"

Ma Dafu's mouth hung wide open, unable to speak for a long time.

Ma Xiaoling continued showing off, "I've accompanied him through plenty of training these past few days, and it exhausted me to death. I watched with my own eyes as his parameters shot up like a rocket in just ten days or so, it was terrifying."

Ma Dafu finally recovered his wits and said angrily, "Such important intelligence, why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

Ma Xiaoling spread her hands and shrugged. "I learned it from you, Dad. Who told you to keep everything a secret from me?"

Ma Dafu gritted his teeth, yet felt entirely helpless.

"Hey, Dad, calm your anger. I knew it, you were afraid I had a loose tongue and couldn't keep a secret. But look how tight-lipped I am! I kept it from you for over ten days."

Ma Dafu: "You still have the nerve to say that!"

After the father and daughter bickered for a good while and finally settled down, Ma Dafu, though delighted by Ren Zhong's soaring strength, still voiced his doubts about the future.

After all, the relocation of Spark Resources was a settled and irreversible fact, and it was imminent.

Furthermore, even though Ren Zhong had attained Tier 4 strength as a scavenger raised within Spark Town, he couldn't possibly handle a Tier 5 census inspector.

Therefore, leaving remained an absolute necessity.

Ma Dafu said, "You've done very well. Recently, your momentum as the newly promoted professional captain is blazing. There shouldn't be many scavengers who haven't heard your name. You've prepared plenty of money too, right? According to reliable intelligence, Yang Bingzhong is moving away in five days. Do you plan to prevaricate with him first and launch the plan to hire scavengers to leave the moment he departs? I'll cooperate with you when the time comes."

Ren Zhong slowly nodded. "Yes."

Ma Xiaoling chimed in from the side, "Then will you guys need to spend a lot of money when the time comes? If so, you don't need to rush to pay back the money you owe me. I've earned quite a bit lately, I'm not that strapped for cash."

Old Ma laughed heartily as well. "That's more like it. Now that you have both fame and enough cash, plus my endorsement, I reckon you can at least take over ten thousand people with you. Wonderful, simply wonderful. Then I can finally retire in peace and enjoy some blessings."

"Great, truly great."

Ma Dafu exclaimed repeatedly, his round, chubby face blooming with a smile, glowing so brightly that he looked a few years younger.

Ren Zhong watched his expression and nodded with extremely deliberate movements. "Yes. Congratulations, Mayor Ma."

For a long time recently, Ren Zhong had played the role of the ultimate Oscar-winning actor.

He had toyed with Lin Wang and the others, as well as Yang Bingzhong, right in the palm of his hand.

He had become so skilled at it that it even felt unfamiliar to himself.

Yet at this very moment, he seemed to have rediscovered his former self.

Turns out, lying really was a painful thing.

The happier Ma Dafu smiled, the heavier Ren Zhong's heart became.

On the other end, Ma Dafu chuckled and patted Ren Zhong on the shoulder. "Why call me Mayor Ma? Once I retire, you and I will be friends of a generation apart on equal footing. Just call me Brother Ma."

Ma Xiaoling, sitting nearby, wasn't having it. "What about me? What about me? What do I do? I'm Ren Zhong's teacher after all, why should I be lowered a generation for no reason?"

Ma Dafu waved his hands dismissively. "Let each calculate their own seniority. Alright, enough horsing around. Now, Ren Zhong, can you finally tell me where your tribal settlement is located? These days, outdoor settlements that can accommodate over ten thousand people at once are rare indeed."

Ren Zhong shook his head. "The timing isn't ripe yet. Saving Spark Town is just one part of our plan; there is still a final step remaining."

Ma Dafu: "What is it?"

Ren Zhong slowly said, "I must regain my citizen status. Only in this way will I have the opportunity to establish a legal, permanent town amidst the wasteland, giving the scavengers a true home, rather than just a temporary settlement that merely shields them from the wind and rain."

Ma Dafu gave a slight start, and after a moment, softly said, "So that's how it is. You and my father... never mind, your considerations are indeed thorough. You came prepared."

It wasn't easy for a scavenger to become a citizen and achieve a true class leap.

As powerful as Lin Wang was, he could only dream of it until the day he died.

Ren Zhong had already inquired about six main promotion channels.

They were as follows:

First, become a Tier 5 professional, participate in examinations, become an employee under the Nine Mega-Corporations, and engage in important work including combat teaching, cutting-edge hunting, starry sky missions, etc. This was the path Lin Wang chose.

First, obtain quadruple certification. This certification included joint certification led by the largest legal enterprise in the lowest administrative unit—a legal town cluster; the civil voting recognition within the small town; and the signed approval of the mayor and the captain of the guard.

Third, authorization of privileges from upper-tier citizens. For example, a Tier 5 citizen could authorize five Tier-1 citizens, though it also came with joint liability. Upper-tier citizens would not casually use their authorization.

Fourth, make a special contribution and receive a direct elevation from the top-tier architecture.

Fifth, complete a massive amount of tax payments.

Sixth, former citizens who had fallen to become scavengers due to a collapse of credit or other reasons could regain Tier-1 citizenship after paying off their debts and acquiring a certain amount of contribution points through tax payments. This was Wang Zhaofu's path.

After weighing his options, Ren Zhong chose the second path.

This was his only viable plan in the short term.

...

Ma Dafu asked, "There's no problem on our end. Because of the conflict between me and Yang Bingzhong, the citizen promotion quota in Spark Town has indeed remained vacant for nearly ten years; the quota is there. But how will you persuade Yang Bingzhong? How will you secure the ballots of the other citizens in the town?"

Hearing Ma Dafu split these two questions up to ask them, Ren Zhong was already certain that the poor, pitiful Old Ma comrade was indeed still kept in the dark.

The citizens under your jurisdiction had already handed the cold-blooded ballots concerning the lives of twenty thousand scavengers to Yang Bingzhong, and you're worried about my single citizen certification?

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