22: Section 22

After finishing a slice of bread, 4277 wrapped up the remaining pieces.

Seeing this, Jing Yuan asked, "Are you planning to take those back to your friends?"

4277 hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Jing Yuan smiled and said, "If you want to share this food with your friends, I can bring you more tomorrow. But you must remember, your friends cannot know what we are doing here. Can you do that?"

4277 nodded. "Don't worry! I'll definitely keep it a secret. I won't even tell 4068 or 4079."

After speaking, 4277 stood up and went to the nearby workbench, carefully picking up two flying daggers. She showed them to Jing Yuan; under the influence of magnetism, the two flying daggers easily snapped together.

4277 asked, "Will this work?"

Jing Yuan took the flying daggers and examined them closely. Their appearance was fine, but he would need to use them to know for sure.

"I'll give them a try! Come back tomorrow, and I'll give you an answer." Jing Yuan checked the time and said, "That's it for today! You should head back now."

4277 nodded and left the workshop with her things.

After 4277 left, Jing Yuan remained alone in the workshop, controlling the flying daggers with his telekinesis.

Chapter 22: Driving a Wedge

The flying daggers flew back and forth in the workshop, leaving behind trails of afterimages.

Under the influence of magnetism, the two flying daggers merged into one. Jing Yuan could control them to combine or separate, but he could not yet control the two daggers to fly along two different trajectories.

"It seems that if I want to control two flying daggers, I need to continue strengthening my power," Jing Yuan analyzed privately. "According to the system prompts, I can also get stronger through training..."

Clang!

While Jing Yuan was lost in thought, he suddenly got distracted, and one of the flying daggers sliced a gash into the workshop's metal wall.

Jing Yuan quickly recalled the flying dagger.

The space in this workshop was too small, making it difficult to practice properly.

Moreover, the workshop was rented. If he covered the walls with blade Marks, it would be difficult for Jing Yuan to explain later.

So, Jing Yuan left the workshop and went to a secluded spot on The Lighthouse's Outer Ring Road.

This area was on the edge of The Lighthouse; aside from some working Dust Citizens, Upper Citizens rarely came here.

The Lighthouse floated in the sky. Looking out from the outer ring, one was surrounded by clouds, making it an excellent observation deck.

However, the people on The Lighthouse were in no mood for sightseeing. This place was The Lighthouse, but it was also a cage.

Jing Yuan released the flying daggers with his telekinesis, controlling them as they danced wildly in the air.

After several tests, Jing Yuan discovered that if he were controlling small steel balls, any direction was the same—there was no difference.

But controlling flying daggers was different. The daggers were flat; different angles would produce different effects.

In a high-speed state, they would also be affected by uneven air resistance. These were all areas Jing Yuan needed to practice.

Jing Yuan was immersed in his practice, completely unaware that someone was nearby.

It wasn't until he heard a few sobs that Jing Yuan snapped out of it and hurriedly put away the flying daggers.

Fortunately, the other person was also immersed in their own emotions and hadn't noticed the daggers flying in the air at all.

Out of curiosity, Jing Yuan went over to take a look. It was a blonde woman sitting on the edge of the outer ring, facing the clouds, lost in sorrow.

The woman felt someone approaching and subconsciously turned her head to look.

Before the woman could recognize Jing Yuan, Jing Yuan had already recognized her.

"Penny, what's wrong?"

This woman was none other than Penny from the Wasteland Hunters. Seeing her crying, Jing Yuan instinctively thought she had been bullied.

"You are... Jing Yuan?" Penny hesitated for a moment before recognizing the man before her was Jing Yuan.

"Yes!" Jing Yuan walked over, hesitated, but still asked, "Um... are you okay? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm fine, I just want to be alone for a bit."

"Okay, as long as you're okay!" Jing Yuan pointed to where she was sitting and said, "It's a bit dangerous where you're sitting. It's better if you move back a bit!"

"I said I'm fine!"

Sensing that Penny's tone was a bit off, Jing Yuan gave a slight smile and stepped back. There was no need for him to stick his nose into other people's business.

"Jing Yuan!" Penny suddenly turned her head and called out to him.

"What is it?" Jing Yuan was startled.

"I have a question I want to ask you!"

Though puzzled, Jing Yuan walked back toward Penny and said, "Go ahead, ask."

"When you were disguised as a Dust Citizen and carrying out a mission on The Surface with Captain Mark, we didn't know who you were. When Donnie shouted at you, why didn't you explain yourself clearly instead of choosing to fight? We all know you're very strong—were you just trying to show off your martial prowess?"

Jing Yuan was still in a state of confusion. He asked tentatively, "You're not crying here because I hit Donnie, are you?"

"No!" Penny also felt like her mind was a mess and didn't know what to say. She added, "I feel like ever since that dispute with you, Donnie has changed."

Hearing this, Jing Yuan finally understood. It turned out to be because of Donnie.

Penny was crying; it was likely a relationship issue.

Jing Yuan smiled and was about to explain. But on second thought, wasn't this an opportunity to save Penny?

She and Donnie loved each other, and their life source essence emitted a scent that attracted Phage Beasts!

What if they weren't in love anymore? Could this danger be averted?

Jing Yuan pointed to the spot next to her and asked, "Can I sit here?"

"Whatever."

Jing Yuan sat down, maintaining a distance of two people between them.

"You're secretly crying here because of Donnie, aren't you?"

"I am not crying!"

"I don't know what the problem is between you two. But since you asked me, I'll give you an answer. First of all, my dispute with Donnie wasn't about whether I was wearing Dust Citizen clothes, but about the fact that Donnie doesn't treat Dust Citizens as human beings. He slapped me on the head before he even spoke a word of warning. I didn't even get a chance to explain before I was hit. I'm not a Dust Citizen; I certainly wasn't going to take that. So, you can't blame me for that."

Penny's eyes flickered. Perhaps her thoughts had been too chaotic just now and she hadn't known what she was saying. She quickly explained, "I didn't mean to blame you."

"I understand," Jing Yuan smiled. "Maybe you feel that Donnie has undergone some changes recently, and that these changes were caused by me. But I want to tell you, Donnie hasn't changed; he was always like this!"

Penny looked up at Jing Yuan, about to explain, but Jing Yuan continued, "Is it not so? Once a person is an adult, their personality rarely changes. What you call 'changed' is simply you seeing another side of him. I don't know what happened between you, but whatever it was, it's not worth you crying here."

"Look on the bright side! In this post-apocalyptic world, living is more important than anything else. As for things like feelings and love? They aren't important!"

Penny's eyes filled with panic, and she quickly snapped, "You're talking nonsense! We don't have those!"

"Shh!" Jing Yuan quickly pressed his index finger to his lips. "Keep it down! On this Lighthouse, rumors spread like wildfire."

Penny realized this as well and said in a low voice, "We don't. Don't talk nonsense."

"What happens between you two has nothing to do with me. From my perspective, there's nothing wrong with loving someone; what's wrong is The Lighthouse's system." Jing Yuan quickly glanced at her and said, "Don't go repeating this. Loving someone isn't wrong, but we often love the wrong person. Life on this Lighthouse is hard enough as it is. If the person you love still makes you sad, do they really love you? If this person doesn't love you, why is it necessary for you to be sad over him?"

Penny's eyes were momentarily dazed.

One could not talk about love on The Lighthouse; she had never met anyone who dared to speak so brazenly about topics related to 'love.'

Even with her and Donnie, the vague affection between them was only conveyed through a look or a gesture.

When had they ever spoken the word 'love'?

Jing Yuan looked at Penny and smiled. "So no matter what happens, it's not worth your sadness."

Penny could tell Jing Yuan was comforting her and replied politely, "Thank you! I'm not sad!"

"That's for the best." Jing Yuan gave a mischievous grin and asked, "Do you know Mark's sister, Red Calyx?"

"I do," Penny smiled somewhat bitterly. "Are you trying to tell me the consequences of loving someone?"

"No!" Jing Yuan said. "I want to say, *that* is true love! If he loves you, would he dare to go public? Would he dare to face the burning stake? The one you care about—would he dare?"

Penny's expression clearly hesitated. Right! Would he dare?

Jing Yuan's words were indeed quite heart-piercing.

Even if it were true love, there was no need to go to one's death knowing it was forbidden!

But in Penny's eyes, if he didn't even dare to go public, was it still true love?

Jing Yuan smiled; he didn't know if he would succeed in driving a wedge between the two's feelings.

But if he could succeed and save their lives, it would be a good thing!

"What are you two doing here?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. It was actually a patrol soldier from the City Defense Force.

Chapter 23: Interrogation?

Jing Yuan turned back to look at the City Defense Force soldier and replied, "Oh, we're just chatting about some things."

"Show me your ID tags."