27: Section 27

"Charles probably guessed you would come to plead for mercy, so he immediately passed judgment on Snow Peak!"

"Sigh!" Snow Peak sighed and said, "This time, it truly was my fault!"

Mark comforted him, "Don't say that; no one wants to see a teammate sacrifice themselves. Others might not know, but don't we?"

After Mark finished speaking, he looked at Jing Yuan and asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"

Jing Yuan and Snow Peak explained what had just happened to Mark once again.

Mark was also puzzled by Jing Yuan's technique.

Jing Yuan demonstrated it again, and the straightforward Mark didn't press for more details.

After leaving Snow Peak's residence, Mark and Jing Yuan walked side by side.

"I know you've been going to the Light and Shadow Society lately, but I didn't expect Charles would actually want to recruit you!" Mark said as he walked, completely unbothered by the matter.

Jing Yuan noticed and deliberately asked, "Are you not bothered by this at all?"

"What is there for me to be bothered about? We are all working for the Lighthouse!"

"You're just too kind!" Jing Yuan thought about how Charles would use Mark's kindness to attack him in the future, feeling deeply moved.

There are many ways to deal with a person, but using someone's kindness to hurt others is truly shameless.

Mark looked at Jing Yuan and said, "If Charles places you in a position of importance, you can try to advise him. Sometimes, to unite people, those methods aren't the only way."

Jing Yuan shook his head, "He won't listen to advice. Besides, he's only recruiting me to use me as a tool."

"If that's the case, then just don't accept him. In the Wasteland Hunters, no one can force you."

Jing Yuan still shook his head, "If I do that, his hostility toward you will only deepen. If all the capable people are by your side, what will he think?"

Mark also understood that the stronger he became and the more people supported him, the crazier Charles would get.

"But if you do this, what will he do if he finds out you aren't sincerely working for him?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!" Jing Yuan appeared very open-minded. With his current strength, he didn't fear Charles; after all, he didn't have as many weaknesses as Mark did.

The worst outcome would simply be going down to live on The Surface ahead of schedule.

Mark patted Jing Yuan's shoulder and turned to leave.

Jing Yuan also headed toward his own residence.

Before he had gone far, a message arrived: "Upper Citizen Jing Yuan, you have been assigned to execute Breeding Mission No. 21404! Please report to the Hall of Dawn tomorrow at 8:00 PM."

A Hall of Dawn mission?

Jing Yuan was dumbfounded. He remembered Fan Lü telling him before that a Hall of Dawn mission would be arranged for him soon.

And Fan Lü had explicitly said it wasn't Jing Nan, so who could it be?

Jing Yuan didn't actually like Hall of Dawn missions that much.

Although he was on the Lighthouse, he still hoped to carry out tasks with genuine emotion.

He had originally only wanted to use Fan Lü to annoy Charles, but he hadn't expected to actually be assigned a task.

Now, it was impossible to refuse.

Just like today's assembly—if he had refused to carry out the flogging, Charles would have known he hadn't submitted, which would have invited more trouble.

"Hmm?" Jing Yuan suddenly realized something.

Jing Yuan had complied with the flogging at the assembly. Charles immediately arranged the Hall of Dawn; was he treating this as a reward?

Jing Yuan sighed inwardly. If he hadn't read the original story and known that Charles was a total psychopath, based on these subsequent methods—giving money, status, and women—he would actually be considered a good leader!

With the Hall of Dawn matter alone, he could probably recruit a large group of people.

Unfortunately, Jing Yuan didn't believe Charles could lead the Lighthouse into the future.

Charles was the kind of child who worked hard to prove his excellence in front of his father.

Once he actually sat in that position, he would instead have no idea what to do!

While thinking about these things, Jing Yuan walked toward the Manufacturing Workshop.

There were usually very few people here, but at this moment, a Dust Citizen youth was standing there.

He was a young man with a buzz cut, and his sinister gaze met Jing Yuan's.

Jing Yuan actually felt a sliver of fear!

4068? What is he doing here?

Jing Yuan originally wanted to ignore him and walk straight past, but then he thought: Why should I, an Upper Citizen, be afraid of a Dust Citizen?

"What are you doing here?" Jing Yuan looked coldly at 4068.

The moment Jing Yuan spoke, 4068's sinister gaze instantly became submissive and hesitant.

"I... I came here to find someone!"

"This area is considered part of the Upper Citizen District. If you're acting suspicious here, be careful the City Defense Force doesn't see you and take you away to be locked up."

"I'm leaving now!"

Jing Yuan watched 4068's departing back. Every time he met this guy's eyes, it sent a chill down his spine.

Could it be that he is the 'Son of Backstabbing' in this world, and this fear is the fear of being backstabbed by him?

Chapter 28: Dismantle Everything Possible

Inside the workshop, 4277 was carefully polishing a flying dagger, not even noticing that Jing Yuan had walked in.

4277 realized someone was there; she knew it was Jing Yuan, so she wasn't startled this time.

4277 turned around, looked at Jing Yuan, and said, "These flying daggers are even harder to process than I imagined."

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll add some more contribution points for you."

4277 shook her head and said, "No need, you've already given enough. Having so many contribution points doesn't really do much for us Dust Citizens."

"Is there anything else you want then? Since you're working so hard, I'll compensate you in other ways."

"Oh, it's fine, I was just speaking casually."

After spending a few days together, 4277 felt that Jing Yuan was different from other Upper Citizens; he didn't have that condescending, arrogant attitude and treated Dust Citizens as equals.

"I'm going to The Surface for a mission in a couple of days. If I find any trinkets from the old world, I'll bring them back for you."

4277 was a bit surprised to hear this, "How did you know I like old world trinkets?"

Jing Yuan instinctively scratched his head and smiled, "Isn't it obvious?"

4277 glanced at the mechanical tools in her hand; it was precisely because she liked old world mechanical products that she had learned these skills.

4277 suddenly thought of something, turned to Jing Yuan, and asked, "You're going to The Surface for a mission in two days, will you need these flying daggers?"

Jing Yuan nodded, "Yes!"

"But only one flying dagger is finished right now."

"It's fine, one is fine."

4277 calculated in her head and said, "How about this! I'll work overtime tonight and try to have two flying daggers ready for you by tomorrow night."

"It's okay, there's no need to be in such a rush!"

4277 smiled, "Trust me, just come by again tomorrow night!"

"Alright!" Jing Yuan agreed casually.

Jing Yuan stayed to the side, watching 4277 polish the flying dagger.

Jing Yuan had also seen the scene of 4277 forging the blades before.

It was hard to believe that such a thin, small girl could burst forth with such great strength.

Jing Yuan didn't know what 4277's ultimate fate would be, but being friends with someone like 4068 made him worried she would be caught in the crossfire.

"By the way, I ran into a Dust Citizen outside just now, he seemed to be a friend of yours," Jing Yuan said seemingly casually.

"A friend of mine?" 4277 was very confused.

"That young man with the buzz cut."

"4068?"

"I didn't see his number clearly, but I remember his face."

Hearing Jing Yuan say this, 4277 said somewhat nervously, "I didn't tell them about what happens here, he..."

Jing Yuan had said before not to speak of this work, and 4277 was very observant of the rules.

If 4068 had come looking for her and caused Jing Yuan to misunderstand, losing this part-time job would be a small matter compared to the shame of gaining a reputation for not keeping her word.

"Don't be nervous," Jing Yuan comforted her, "Maybe he was just worried about you and found his way here secretly."

"Yes, it must be that!"

"So, what is the relationship between you two?" Jing Yuan asked deliberately.

"We've just been friends since we were children!"