Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"Take good care of him, I\'m leaving the base to you, I\'ll see you tomorrow at noon," Bai E waved his hand and quietly left.

In fact, there were still some doubts and concerns that weren\'t voiced—like whether the boy could perfectly control the rat horde, or what kind of connection he had with the demons. What sort of impact would the identity of a demon believer have on his body as well as his mind and actions?

But today was not the right time.

The restless soul needed temporary warmth to soothe it.

He also needed to learn more about demons and their believers through other channels.

If the boy\'s fate was to plunge into the abyss of destruction due to his contamination with demonic influence, he could only do his best to ensure the boy journeyed through the last part of his life with as few regrets as possible.

He could rest forever in a sun-warmed afternoon among the chorus of birds and fragrance of flowers, but he should not fade namelessly into the pitch-black, ice-cold sewers amidst helpless panic and indignation.

The people of this world lived a miserable enough existence... they shouldn\'t also die a miserable death.

...

"The boss has left," Dai Lian, who had taken the initiative to climb to the outside of the cave to see Bai E off, let out a long sigh of relief.

When one\'s conscience is burdened, it tends to cause some panic.

In the games on the screens of the past, Dai Lian could sell out NPCs without even blinking.

But in this game of maximum realism, the oppression from such characters was also at its peak.

Every time the boss\'s gaze swept over him, Dai Lian always had the feeling that all his little schemes were completely seen through.

Just a moment ago, the quick-thinking he did indeed entertain some various thoughts.

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As their range of activity grew and he heard more news, he came to know that the Arbitration Place was incredibly powerful and, for the right price, not impossible to sell to.

Of course, he didn\'t ponder this thought further before it was easily derailed by two fools.

But merely having such a thought made standing under the boss\'s scrutiny feel as heavy as committing a crime.

"He\'s gone, so what\'s with the sigh of relief?" Kuang Xin asked, noticing something odd about his tone.

Dai Lian responded with a wistful tone, "Just now, it was lucky that Yanzi reacted quickly, or we would have been in trouble."

Kuang Xin looked confused, uttering a perplexed noise, "...Huh?"

"Just now the boss told us to take care of that kid..." Dai Lian glanced downward—they three players had run up to see off the boss, leaving only that Rat Person hiding alone below—"I hesitated for a moment, but luckily Yanzi answered quickly. Otherwise, I guess the boss wouldn\'t have offered to help us build a storehouse."

Their path to promotion within the organization would probably have grown distant.

It was a test.

And luckily, Yanzi\'s genuine kindness had inadvertently struck true.

But I, who quickly reacted as well, deserve some praise...

"Um... Oh right!" Speaking of this matter made Kuang Xin curious, "How did the boss know he could help us dig? Didn\'t he also just meet this boss for the first time?"

"Who knows..." Dai Lian\'s eyes wandered, "Maybe he has other sources of information, but speaking of which, I\'m more curious about why the boss suddenly changed his mind? Wasn\'t he going to kill him at first?"

Gong Yan tilted her head, her eyes slightly trance-like, "Maybe it was after hearing about the boy\'s ordeal... Don\'t you think it\'s just what the boss should do? Otherwise, what kind of organization did we join?"

If their leader had not made such a decision at this moment, then what did all those words he preached about the beliefs of the organization mean?

Were those just hollow goals touted by hypocrites? Ambitious schemers wielding kindness as weapons in pursuit of their plots?

"Such charisma is what it takes to lead an organization filled with idealism, right?"

"I suppose..." Dai Lian sounded somewhat melancholic.

Remembering the heroic demeanor their leader had displayed when confronting the Arbitration Place... even Dai Lian had to admit that he too needed to steer clear for the time being.

This NPC was indeed a bit handsome.

...

Bai E quickened his pace back to the military camp, propelled by the rare clarity of the starry night.

His actions today had indeed been somewhat impulsive.

But what venture doesn\'t come with risks?

If caution were always useful, there wouldn\'t be so many sacrifices in this world.

Life and death are dictated by fate.

As he delved deeper into this world\'s backdrop, Bai E felt his natural instincts gradually being unleashed... of course, it might also be the world\'s tech restrictions on artificial human genetics subtly affecting his decision-making—

To do what you want to do, to say what you want to say.

Only with a clear mind can one live a satisfying life.

Biding one\'s time is just to accumulate strength, hiding away forever is nothing but cowardice.

You only live once, so why not live boldly?

[Feedback received from the commission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +2.]

"..."

?

...

The city, like a flickering newborn star, played tug-of-war with his solitary lamp throughout the night.

Standing alone and somewhat lost in the middle of the street, Zhou Wenjie was dazzled by myriad spinning lights pouring into his eyes, feeling like the modern urban streetscape hesitantly guided him back to reality.

The inner city... is it really like this?

No wonder everyone outside is desperate to get in; just this brightly lit comfort is an unimaginable stability for those outside.

Wenjie, curious about everything in this world, walked briskly along the clean streets.

He soon realized a problem—where should he even begin with the most basic survival?

Entering the inner city with empty hands, he had neither acquaintances nor funds.

"Hiring for LAN maintenance work, eh! Brother... wanna take a look? On-the-job training, guaranteed to learn." The guy yelling on the street corner late at night didn\'t look at all respectable.

However, Wenjie, with no prospects in sight, seemed to have little choice.

Indeed, as long as he had a foothold, he was confident he could learn anything.

"Do you think I can do it?" Wenjie asked, slightly anxious. Apart from an Inner City Residence Permit, he had nothing on him, and he was clueless about the inner city\'s situation.

"Sure, you\'re more than capable!" said the skin-and-bones man with a giggle, "Just by looking at you, brother, I can tell you\'re hardworking and down-to-earth! As long as you\'re willing to learn, there\'ll definitely be no issue!"

"Alright..." Wenjie silently tightened his grip on the knife hidden in his bosom, the only weapon Gong Yan had given him for self-defense, "I\'ll go with you to have a look."

To die was no big deal, but to lose the Inner City Residence Permit that Yanzi had gone to great lengths to obtain for him would be an unforgivable sin.

But he couldn\'t pass up the opportunity; there was no harm in checking out the situation.

The man immediately packed up the mess in his hands and, with eyes darting about like a rat, looked around before tilting his head to signal Wenjie to follow him into a dark alley behind, "Come with me!"

Even the most luminous cities have their dark corners untouched by light, and after many twists and turns, Wenjie found himself in a dusty basement led by the other man.

With the sound of an air compressor thundering in operation, the flashing light from fan blades offered an unstable source of illumination, and the skinny man had to raise his voice to instruct Wenjie by his ear, "When you get there, don\'t touch or look around randomly. Focus on the lesson, and afterwards, you\'ll be ready for the job."

Wenjie nodded, "Okay."

...

[You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Incomplete)," progress 20%...]

...

[You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Incomplete)," progress 40%...]

"There\'s not much difference..."

Wenjie\'s eyes were somewhat glazed over as the principles of this work appeared not much different from that of computer hardware in the real world, resulting in a swift and significant learning progress.

[You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Incomplete)," progress 100%...]

"Alright, you can go to work now. Remember, if you don\'t know something, you can ask, you can reserve it, don\'t fiddle around, anything damaged here will cost more than you can afford!" the supervisor warned sternly.

Wenjie looked at the mountains of "electronic waste" piled up in the warehouse and smiled helplessly.

Gleaning usable parts from this pile of electronic waste was the job he and the others had to do.

So-called maintenance, turned out to be salvaging whatever useful parts remained in this trash...

Wenjie guessed he had probably been tricked into some kind of small, shady workshop, but as long as there was an opportunity to improve his skills, it wasn\'t a dead end.

Casually picking up a circuit board before him, the item\'s properties instantly floated before his eyes—

[Discarded Electronic Component: Careful dismantling may still yield some usable spare parts... Dismantling will yield: Usable Parts 5~8. Dismantling requirement: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance.]

Just recycling?

A glint passed through Wenjie\'s eyes; working a lifetime in such a place would hardly give access to truly high-end knowledge.

Who would have thought he hadn\'t had his fill of computers in reality, and now he had to resume the old trade in the game.

Well... if he had to advance this way, then let\'s give them a little shock with his existing knowledge.

"Hey! What are you daydreaming about? I told you to work, did you hear me?"

Wenjie turned to look at the supervisor, smiled faintly at him, then sat down at a workbench not far away.

[You are attempting to dismantle...]

[You have successfully dismantled the target, obtaining Useful Components*3.]

[You have completed an instance of practical Computer Hardware Maintenance, gaining Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +4.]

[You are attempting to perfect the Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, current completion progress 1%, upon full completion you will gain: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance; Research Experience +1000 points; Science Points*2.]

Wenjie lifted his head slightly, smiling knowingly.

You exploit my labor for free; I exploit your materials for free... Fair enough.