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

Chapter 042 Let's go all out!

Ultimately, Yu accepted Lu Chen's suggestion.

Starting tomorrow, the two will take turns keeping watch at the city gate, waiting for scavenger number 3994 to return to the city.

At the same time, make all necessary preparations to leave the city.

The moment No. 3994 stepped into the city, the two had to spend 20 days cutting in line to leave the city and retrieve the hidden hibernation pod.

Although it is highly likely to be a medical experimental product;

Although the compensation for [2 years] may not be received quickly;

In the end, the compensation was only about 100 days in total, with each of them receiving only 50 days.

This is still a considerable fortune.

Especially since it's a fortune that's readily available...

"I'm going to sleep for a while."

"Do as you please."

After the business was settled, Yu left those words and lay down on the mattress, falling into a deep sleep shortly afterward.

Lu Chen, however, was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by Yu's words, "Do as you please."

—There is only a space less than one meter wide and two meters long between the mattress and the door.

Even its height is only one meter—a horizontal shelf suspended one meter in mid-air!

Lu Chen shook his head with a wry smile, not dwelling on it much.

He lay down on the spot, turned to his side, and soon fell asleep.

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"Ugh~"

"Ah, that feels so good..."

Around 17 p.m., the two woke up from their deep sleep.

On her jade-like face, there was no longer any sign of fatigue.

Lu Chen stretched dramatically, looking refreshed.

—Even though it was a hard cement floor, Lu Chen didn't find it very comfortable to sleep on it;

But upon waking up, all the fatigue from the past few days vanished.

There was no toilet, no water, and of course, no "washing". The two quickly tidied their clothes and headed out towards the No. 3 recovery point.

There were still few people on the road.

—It wasn't even 19 p.m. yet, and all the factories were still operating.

At this time of day, those walking on the streets are naturally the "property class," including scavengers, who don't need to clock in for work.

In fact, Lu Chen felt that scavengers could not be considered "property owners".

It's more like...

Hmm, freelancer...

"What can we buy at the black market tonight?"

Walking down the street, Lu Chen felt a faint sense of anticipation as he thought about going to the black market that night.

But remembering what Miner No. 2 and Yu Du had said before: that things on the black market are almost impossible to buy with [time], Lu Chen's expectations diminished slightly.

Yu's next words abruptly poured cold water on Lu Chen's newly ignited enthusiasm.

"I have [1 year and 94 days], you have [124 days]."

"—You'd better not spend too much of your time."

"Scavengers, as long as they are not the type to lie around and do nothing, will mostly develop a habit of keeping their time at least 90 days a week."

"That's roughly the cost of three trips out of town to scavenge."

"With these 90 days, and the capital to go out of town to scavenge three times, we can cope with possible sudden crises or unexpected expenses."

...

"You now have debts to pay off every month [60 days]."

"Therefore, your balance warning line should be set at [150 days] - at least no less than [120 days]."

"As for my [1 year 94 days], I have about [300 days] available."

"But on the black market, very few things can be bought with [time]."

"Moreover, there are only 300 days left, not even enough to buy a handgun."

As she spoke, her expression remained calm and serene.

Clearly, Yu had no intention of gaining anything from the black market tonight.

More than anything, it was to broaden Lu Chen's horizons.

Furthermore, although neither of them said it explicitly, they both held a glimmer of hope for the resurrected person number 9529 whom they were about to meet.

—Most of the recovered patients from the No. 1 recovery center were medical test subjects;

You will need to pay medical expenses, and there is a high probability that you will incur debt.

The item obtained from the No. 2 revival point allows scavengers to receive [2 years' worth] of rewards on the same day.

In addition, there is a certain probability that the scavenger will be given some extra time as a reward.

If the second recovery point is like this, how much worse will the third recovery point be?

Although the robot described the four years each of them received this morning as "rewards and bonuses," it was clearly a reward from the City of Time.

The person in question, number 9529, may also offer additional thanks.

"Aren't we being a little too greedy?"

Lu Chen's casual remark made Yu shake her head and smile.

"We didn't ask for it."

"If it's there, it's there; if it's not, it's not—we'll take it if he gives it to us, but it's no big deal if he doesn't."

Perhaps after resting well, Yu finally returned to her earlier calm demeanor, where she remained unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her.

The difference is that, compared to the "Keep Out" sign before leaving the city, Yu now always has a faint smile on her face.

—Of course, this trip out of the city yielded a great deal of fruit.

However, in the past few days, I have become a little more familiar and acquainted with Lu Chen, and our relationship and bond have become closer.

"Detonators aren't expensive."

"—You can buy a set in about 100 days."

"If we can get some extra later, maybe we can buy some tonight."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen turned his head in the direction of the voice, a slight look of confusion on his face.

Then Yu took a deep breath, and the smile on her face faded slightly.

"That hibernation pod area."

"—It's almost become my heartache. I can't bear to give it up, but I don't dare to go openly and honestly."

"I'm thinking, should we blow up that area and see how many hibernation pods there are?"

...

"Whether it exists or not, or how much it is, it can put an end to this worry."

"If there are any, pick one and bring it back; it won't be a waste of a set of detonators."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen's expression changed drastically!

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Yu carried a hint of horror!

"fry?"

"With such a commotion, won't all the scavengers in the area gather around?!"

"One wrong move and it could turn into a massive firefight?!"

Seeing Lu Chen's strong reaction, Yu couldn't help but shake her head and smile.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I was just thinking about it."

"Even if it weren't for the hibernation pod, I wouldn't do it just for safety reasons."

"Tsk, I'm just not reconciled."

"I was the one who found the hibernation pod area, but because of pod number 3994, it's all messed up..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen did not immediately believe it. Instead, he stopped and looked intently at Yu's face.

He breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that Yu wasn't just making excuses for him.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

"They've already rescued me and 9529, and there's another one still hidden. That's pretty good."

Didn't you say that?

"Countless scavengers go through their entire lives without ever finding even one hibernation pod."

"You've picked up three in less than a month, that's already quite impressive."

Yu nodded slowly, but a hint of resentment appeared on her face.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the No. 3 recovery point and sat down by the roadside with practiced ease.

Then Yu took a deep breath and looked at Lu Chen with a slightly serious expression.

"I'm still not reconciled."

"Should we think of a way to give number 3994 a really tough time?"

"—On the premise of ensuring safety."