Chapter 38: The Seventh Day, Footwashing Water

On the way back to the sleep pods, the two of them chatted a bit more about things relating to their profession.

Ren Zhong felt a tinge of regret—he had lost money.

The professional title assessment took place once a month, conducted in the slumber space. When the time came, the rented wristband would activate its previously blocked advanced networking features, creating a virtual body for the professional in the slumber space that was almost identical to their real one. This served as the basis for a combat strength evaluation that closely simulated real battle.

There were still eight days until the next assessment.

Ren Zhong had heard about the assessment before. He’d thought it was just an honorary certification of practical ability, like the eighth-level machinist in the 21st century. He didn’t expect that after passing the assessment, he’d actually be able to collect a quota of contribution points from the wristband.

A first-level professional could collect 0.5 points per day—another guaranteed income for a professional scavenger. For those scavengers without an official wristband, this was even more valuable than simply renting one to sleep.

This was also why official professionals like Zheng Tian, who had passed the assessment, lived better, held higher status, and advanced faster than other freelance scavengers.

The pyramid of this world was everywhere.

Ren Zhong calculated—he’d lose four points. It hurt. He could hardly breathe.

When they arrived at the sleep pods, the others were still awake, some reading, some studying the map.

As expected, Zheng Tian brought up the idea of going to Rat Cliff Mountain again.

This wasn’t some inevitable twist of fate. Within three hundred kilometers of Spark Town, Rat Cliff Mountain—with its abundance of weak beasts and few people—was indeed the best place for Zheng Tian’s team and their Thunder Runner to hunt for easy pickings.

Yesterday, Zheng Tian had reluctantly skipped the place at Ren Zhong’s request, but it was clear she regretted it. Now she brought it up again, her mind made up.

Ren Zhong didn’t object this time. After all, he’d tried changing locations yesterday, but the professional teams still swooped in to take their cut. It was better to just go for the richest spot. Even if half their earnings were taken, the net gain would still be higher than today’s. Plus, the lowly first-level rat beasts were perfect for him, a newcomer, to practice on.

“All right, but I have a suggestion,” Ren Zhong said with a smile.

“Go ahead, Ren,” Zheng Tian replied.

“You haven’t been to Rat Cliff Mountain before, have you?” Ren Zhong asked.

Zheng Tian nodded, “No, I haven’t. But the interior of the mountain isn’t dangerous. As long as we get past the second-level beast blockade at the edge, it’s easy going. I’ve been studying the map ever since we got back.”

Ren Zhong shook his head. “That map isn’t official—it’s very basic and not much use. I’ve actually been to Rat Cliff Mountain before. Why don’t I lead the way tomorrow?”

Zheng Tian was surprised. “Huh?”

Though she found Ren Zhong’s “census taker” role odd, she agreed in the end.

Another busy night passed, with Ren Zhong once again immersed in an ocean of knowledge.

...

“Ren, this isn’t right! This isn’t what I heard! Everyone says Rat Cliff Mountain is a treasure trove, but we’ve been wandering for almost two hours and only caught two rats. That’s just not possible!” Zheng Tian stared at the sensor as she drove, her voice full of doubt.

Though the team had already come to respect Ren Zhong’s tactical skills during their fight with the Bladeworm, the meager results after nearly two hours of searching were still discouraging.

Sitting in the middle of the back seat, Ren Zhong rested his hands on the backs of the driver and passenger seats, leaning forward to scrutinize the electronic map, occasionally glancing up at the road.

He calculated time and location in his mind, but said aloud, “It’s fine. Early wealth isn’t true fortune; getting rich later is the real blessing. Be patient.”

Before his last death, the team had driven the Thunder Runner around Rat Cliff Mountain for nearly eight hours. The entire area was only six square kilometers, and they’d already covered almost all of it. As a 23-year-old prodigy with an eidetic memory, this was his greatest asset.

He was deliberately taking them off course, heading wherever the loot wasn’t.

Even running into two rats was a minor slip on his part.

“Well, okay, I trust you, Ren,” Zheng Tian said helplessly.

Suddenly, Ren Zhong raised his voice. “Stop! Pull over here. Ou Youning, bring over the corpse of the oil rat we killed earlier and make a throwable incendiary from its pitch.”

Three hundred meters ahead, the armored Crystal-scaled Longtail Rat would soon enter the vehicle’s sensor range. And then, the fierce professional hound, Bei Lihui, would soon arrive.

Ou Youning, the demolitions expert, asked, puzzled, “Huh? Why?”

Ren Zhong ignored him, jumped out of the car, and pointed to a palm-sized paw print on the ground. “Look.”

The others gathered around to examine it.

Ren Zhong began his explanation. “The beast that left this print is no small fry—at least a meter long. The database has a record: when a large number of first-level rat beasts gather, there’s a chance a second-level beast evolves—the Crystal-scaled Longtail Rat. Its body is covered in crystal scales, extremely tough and smooth, nearly immune to kinetic ammunition. But it’s not invincible. Its biggest weakness is fire—it’s no more resistant to flames than an ordinary animal.”

After hearing this familiar routine, the team once again marveled at his keen observational skills. With the miracle at the Bladeworm battle still fresh in their minds, deducing a beast’s type from subtle clues on the ground was now considered standard fare for Ren Zhong.

Unlike the previous near-disaster, this time everyone could prepare calmly and thoroughly.

Just as Ou Youning was finishing the incendiary, Bei Lihui arrived with a gust of wind.

...

“You’re not messing with me, are you? Two hours for this little haul?”

Bei Lihui opened Chen Hanyu’s box, his brow furrowed as he scrutinized Zheng Tian.

Zheng Tian, who had already told Wen Lei to open the cargo hold, pointed to the empty compartment and said helplessly, “Look, Brother Hui. We really had terrible luck this morning. If you don’t believe me, check the black box and see our patrol route. You’ll see we haven’t been slacking off.”

“Fine. Remember what I said—take care of yourselves.”

Bei Lihui grabbed two chips and left quickly.

Watching Bei Lihui walk away, Ren Zhong slowly turned and looked behind him, a meaningful smile on his face.

So what if you’re strong? I can still make you drink my foot-washing water. You tried to muscle in on us! After all that, you only made four points—barely enough to cover your time.

Hmph!

Zheng Tian returned to Ren Zhong’s side, not daring to ask or say much. But Ren Zhong could see a faint look of relief and secret delight on her face.

A slow morning had turned out to be a blessing in disguise—they’d only lost two chips. Wonderful.

After a few minutes, making sure Bei Lihui wasn’t coming back, Ren Zhong waved to the others. “Come here. Let’s make a battle plan. Here’s what we’ll do next…”

After he finished, Zheng Tian was the first to object. “No way, Ren, you can’t be serious. That’s too risky! You just put on the armor for the first time!”

Ou Youning added, “Yeah, Ren, you can’t get hurt.”

Bai Feng said nothing, only frowned, feeling a bit resentful that Ren Zhong had taken over a task that should have been his.

Wen Lei hesitated several times, but in the end said nothing. Strangely, he had a lot of confidence in Ren Zhong—though he didn’t know where it came from. Perhaps it was Ren Zhong’s talent, or perhaps it was the ever-present calm he radiated.