Chapter 61: The King of Connections

When they met, Ren Zhong was already fully armed, so Madafu’s attitude wasn’t too bad. As the registration finished, Madafu offered an extra reminder.

“Mr. Ren, in three months, Xinghuo Town will face a census. But there are far too many vagrants in town, and you’re currently last on the list. You know what that means. Even though you used to be a citizen, the Hunters won’t care about that. When the time comes, it might actually be safer for you out in the wild than inside the town. I suggest you start making plans early.”

Ren Zhong nodded. “Alright, thank you for the warning. By the way, Mayor Ma, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should say.”

“Go ahead.”

Ren Zhong glanced at Zheng Tian standing beside him.

Catching on, Zheng Tian slipped away.

Lowering his voice, Ren Zhong said, “Mayor Ma, you’re waiting for a census officer to come to Xinghuo Town, aren’t you?”

Madafu didn’t hide it. “Yes. I think the atmosphere in Xinghuo Town is still healthy and positive. The birth rate this year is pretty good too. Even though other industries have shrunk badly, the scavengers still bring in income every day. The output from White Bone Valley is abundant as well. The town can barely keep going. I hope a census officer will come and, with luck, put in a good word for us. The vagrants can’t live without this town.”

Ren Zhong said, “But I have some bad news for you. Before coming to Xinghuo Town, I heard that there won’t be any census officer coming this time. You’d better be prepared.”

“What!” Madafu cried out, jumping to his feet and shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s impossible, absolutely impossible. Even though Xinghuo Town has shrunk a bit in recent years, we still have over twenty thousand people. At the very least, someone should be sent to have a look—even if it’s just for show! How can they just abolish us like that? What about those twenty thousand vagrants? Only a few thousand scavengers can survive in the wild, and many people don’t even have temporary wristwatches! This… this can’t be true!”

Ren Zhong looked at the old man’s round, plump face and could see the genuine anxiety and panic there.

This old man really was worried about the fate of the town’s vagrants. He was truly a good hearted man who’d risen from the mud.

No wonder that last time, this fat old man had even gotten himself killed by a Hunter because he gave Ren Zhong his dying statement.

Ren Zhong found it remarkable that, in such a world, there could still be an official like this. It was truly moving.

“If you don’t believe me, check with someone from Xinghuo Resource Recovery. They probably already got wind of it. Just don’t say you heard it from me.”

Madafu calmed down, slumped in his chair. “If you say so, there’s no need for me to check. Never mind. Mr. Ren, you can go now. I’ll think it over and see what I can do.”

“Alright.”

Ren Zhong had just turned to leave when Madafu staggered up again. “Mr. Ren, wait, let me walk you out.”

...

“There’s no need to see me out. Go back and get some rest. Don’t be too anxious—when the boat gets to the bridge, it will straighten itself out. Who knows, maybe things will turn around in a few days. I have quite a few ideas too, Mayor Ma. If you need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Thank you, I will. Take care, Mr. Ren.”

Waiting outside, Zheng Tian watched as Madafu personally walked Ren Zhong to the door and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

A starving camel is still bigger than a horse; a fallen citizen is still a lord.

Look at the warmth in this old man—it’s astonishing.

Madafu had a good reputation in town, but Zheng Tian had never seen him show such friendliness to a stranger, especially a vagrant.

She was curious about what the two of them had talked about in private, but she was a person who knew her boundaries and didn’t pry.

“Mr. Ren, what are your plans for tonight? Will you be staying with us in the communal sleep pods?”

Ren Zhong thought for a moment. “I’m not sure yet. But let’s go over there and chat for a bit first.”

“Alright.”

Zheng Tian climbed onto the back seat of Ren Zhong’s motorcycle, a little awkward, unsure where to put her hands.

Ren Zhong didn’t suggest that she hold on to his waist.

This time, now that he had built up enough strength, not only would he avoid helping Zheng Tian’s team improve, he would actually suppress them.

It wasn’t for Zheng Tian’s sake, but for Wen Lei, for Chen Hanyu, and for himself as well.

So he needed to keep a certain distance between them and downgrade their relationship to a simple partnership for now.

...

They arrived at the sleeping pods.

Since the motorcycle was fast, the others were still chatting animatedly when they arrived, except for Chen Hanyu, who was reading on her tablet.

Ren Zhong joined the conversation, then feigned curiosity and asked Wen Lei for his pocket watch, looking it over with admiration. “You two have known each other since childhood—everyone envies that kind of bond.”

Wen Lei blushed and scratched his head sheepishly.

Ou Youning, sitting nearby, poured cold water on the mood. “What childhood sweethearts? She’s a citizen now, it’s not the same anymore. We’re just a bunch of no-hopers stuck in this mud pit—who knows when we’ll drop dead. Wen Lei, don’t kid yourself. You’d be better off coming with us for a good time. No point dying with regrets.”

“Ou Youning, shut your mouth! We’re a team. If Wen Lei goes down, you think you’ll make it out?”

Zheng Tian cut him off sharply.

She’d noticed that among the five of them, Ren Zhong seemed to have the best impression of Wen Lei—at least, he was half an acquaintance.

Ren Zhong was a close friend of Sun Miao, and even Mayor Ma treated him with respect.

Naturally, Zheng Tian was eager to recruit him.

She’d already begun analyzing the situation.

Someone like Ren Zhong would have high standards for his teammates.

Her team was decent by town standards, but really only average—nothing particularly special.

Thankfully, he seemed to like Wen Lei, so she’d have to count on Wen Lei to impress him.

Then, as if unintentionally, Zheng Tian asked, “Mr. Ren, you don’t look like you’ve had any training. How did you end up with a level-one exoskeleton?”

Ren Zhong smiled. “I asked Manager Ju from the Arms Shop to install an amplifier from a training suit for me. Until my other stats catch up, I’ll just have to make do with this for now.”

Gasp!

The rest of the team stared wide-eyed.

He’d just arrived in town, hadn’t even spent a night, yet he’d gotten Ju Qingmeng—the famously frosty woman—to personally modify his gear?

What kind of social skills were those?

Even if he used to be a citizen, that shouldn’t be possible!

Was he the legendary king of connections?

After a while, Ou Youning, thinking of his own miserable experience trying to buy gear, said bitterly, “Clearly, the joys and sorrows of people are never the same.”

Zheng Tian, too, began to doubt her life choices.

How is this guy playing at such a high level?

How are we supposed to be good enough for him? She almost couldn’t bring herself to invite him to join the team.

After a long pause, she finally said, almost wistfully, “Mr. Ren, if you ever want to train, you can bring Wen Lei along. He might look simple, but he’s actually pretty sharp and knows his stuff.”

Ren Zhong nodded. “Alright. Thank you in advance.”

Wen Lei waved his hands frantically. “No need to thank me, really.”

Seeing this, Zheng Tian let out a quiet sigh of relief and clenched her fist in encouragement.

Wen Lei, keep it up! The future of our team depends on you!

Ren Zhong then abruptly shifted the topic to Chen Hanyu. “By the way, I’m interested in the Disassembler profession too. Chen Hanyu, do you have any old gloves you don’t use anymore? Could I buy them off you? I was going to get new ones, but I already spent all the money Sun Miao lent me. I can’t afford a new pair right now.”

What!

The others were shocked again.

No wonder he’d been flat broke that evening, but now he was fully equipped and even had a motorcycle.

So it was all thanks to money Sun Miao had lent him!

At first, when Ren Zhong said he and Sun Miao were close, they hadn’t really believed him—he might have been exaggerating.

But now it was clear: in these times, anyone who’ll lend you money is a friend for life.

Now they understood that when he said “close friend,” he was actually being modest.

Meanwhile, Chen Hanyu, caught off guard, hadn’t even reacted yet.

She put down her tablet. “Huh? Old gloves?”

But Zheng Tian had already answered for her.

“She has a pair! But how could we take your money, Mr. Ren? Just take them and use them!”

Ren Zhong still transferred five points to Chen Hanyu, ignoring Zheng Tian’s disappointed gaze.

“I won’t be sleeping here tonight. Shall we meet again tomorrow evening?”

Zheng Tian replied, “Alright, Mr. Ren, take care.”

...

At 9:50 that night, Ren Zhong rode out of Xinghuo Town.

This time, until he got his hands on a level-four wristwatch, Ren Zhong didn’t plan to give himself a full eight hours of sleep unless it was absolutely necessary.

One night with a level-four watch was worth fifty nights with a level-one.

The difference in value was like heaven and earth.

Ren Zhong intended to squeeze every last drop of value from every second.

Make money, make money—charge ahead!