Chapter 60: Kindred Spirits in Misfortune

After buying the stocks, Ren Zhong immediately moved on to the next step and headed straight for the vicinity of the north gate town wall.

At that moment, the young man and his mother were having dinner in their room.

Ren Zhong had just arrived at the door when he heard the old woman’s scolding voice from inside.

He knocked.

After a few seconds, the wooden plank door creaked open, and the bewildered young man poked his head out.

Feigning surprise, Ren Zhong said, “Oh, I’ve seen you before! What a coincidence.”

The young man nervously rubbed his hands together. “Sir, is there something you need from me?”

Ren Zhong pointed at the supply cooperative’s delivery truck, which was unloading nearby. “I’m planning to build a house here. But I’m quite busy and don’t have time to handle it myself. How about you help me build it? Once it’s done, I’ll pay you three contribution points. What do you say?”

The young man was dumbfounded on the spot.

The story unfolded almost identically to before, but this time, as Ren Zhong was about to leave, he asked an extra question.

“By the way, you seem to be in need of money. What are you saving up for? Would you mind telling me?”

The young man glanced nervously at the room behind him, then lowered his voice, “Mr. Ren, I want to buy a second-hand rapid-fire machine gun. I asked around, and it’s only ten points. I’m exactly three points short. I thought I’d have to save for a very long time, but you’ve really helped me out.”

Ren Zhong adopted a look of sudden understanding. “I see. In that case, you don’t need to go out of your way. I’ll take care of the gun for you later. I only want ten points, and I’ll get you one that’s almost brand-new. How about it?”

“Uh…” The young man shook his head quickly. “I can’t accept that. A gun like that should cost at least fifteen points. You’ve already paid me very generously. I can’t take advantage of you.”

Ren Zhong laughed heartily and clapped the young man on the shoulder. “Listen to yourself! If you do a good job building the house, I’ll be happy. What’s wrong with giving you a hand? Keep it up! Work hard! If you’re willing to put in the effort, I’ll look after you in the future!”

The young man stood there stunned for a long time.

His instincts told him that the kindness of the man before him was too abrupt, almost suspicious.

But he couldn’t figure out what the man could possibly want from him.

Money?

Impossible.

The payment he was offering was fifteen times the normal rate—clearly not someone who lacked money.

Something else? But didn’t he have nothing to his name?

“Mr. Ren, are you serious?”

Ren Zhong replied, “What could I possibly deceive you for?”

The young man scratched his head awkwardly. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“But you can’t just drop your guard with everyone just because I’m a good person. In this town, ten contribution points is a fortune for many people. You need to be careful and protect yourself.”

The young man subconsciously felt that Ren Zhong’s words were a bit contradictory, but he nodded honestly. “I’ll remember.”

After a long while, Ren Zhong left in high spirits.

The young man had already passed his test completely.

At the moment, Ren Zhong didn’t have the power to save everyone, so he would start with those around him.

Then, without pause, Ren Zhong hurried to the firearms mall.

He bought a set of training armor, one compatible battery, and a magnetic storm dust grenade, spending a total of seventy-two points.

He didn’t come across Ju Qingmeng while shopping, only a regular clerk handled the transaction.

That was the way things usually went. Ju Qingmeng was the boss of the firearms mall, not someone who could be summoned on a whim like any other employee.

After his purchases, Ren Zhong hesitated for a moment before leaving, and said to the clerk, “By the way, I’d also like to test my mech warrior aptitude again.”

The clerk glanced up at him. “That requires precise instruments, and I don’t have the authority. The manager has to handle it.”

He looked back toward the manager’s office, whose door was tightly shut. “Sorry, our manager isn’t in a good mood today. Maybe try your luck another day.”

Ren Zhong promptly offered a bribe. “I’ll give you one contribution point as a tip, pretax.”

“Please, right this way!”

Ten minutes later.

The icy, formidable Ju Qingmeng stared at the monitor, her face expressionless, and curled her lip. “Initial brain-computer synchronization rate, ten percent. Useless.”

Ren Zhong was taken aback. “Wait, what…?”

Hey, that’s not what you said last time!

He distinctly remembered that the last time he’d tested his synchronization rate, she’d smiled and said, “Ten percent—not bad, just enough to pass.”

Last time it was “not bad,” but now he was “useless”!

The difference was that this time he wasn’t wrapped in his census taker’s cloak, nor had Mayor Madafu personally accompanied him.

The treatment was worlds apart.

Such is life.

Seeing Ren Zhong’s look of disbelief and disappointment, Ju Qingmeng waved him off impatiently. “What’s with that face? Did you think you’d get nineteen point nine percent? You’re dreaming. If your initial synchronization rate is only ten percent, it basically means you’ll never become a Level Three or higher mech warrior. I say you’re useless—what’s your objection?”

She scolded him thoroughly, but his mind couldn’t help but drift back to that night when she wore a sheer nightgown, bashful and expectant…

“No, listen, here’s the situation. Until this afternoon, I was a terminally ill patient. I just got cured by Dr. Sun Miao. I’m still very weak, but recovering quickly.”

Ju Qingmeng looked him up and down. “You do look pale. Fine, come back and retest when you’ve recovered more. I suggest you focus on strengthening your body and don’t use the training armor yet, or the data won’t be accurate. I saw a case like yours last year—a man named Wen Lei…”

Poor Wen Lei, brought up again.

Just then, Ju Qingmeng’s gaze flicked back to the monitor and she exclaimed, “Wait! It’s at eleven percent? Was there a problem with the previous reading? Stay still, let me check again.”

…

Half an hour later, Ju Qingmeng stared at the monitor showing a twelve point three percent brain-computer synchronization rate, speechless.

She had never seen anyone whose initial value could rise during testing—it defied all reason.

“Mr. Ren, there’s something odd about your condition.”

Her attitude shifted slightly, now addressing him with an honorific.

Ren Zhong could see things were progressing as he hoped, so he said, “I told you, I’m a recovering terminal patient.”

Ju Qingmeng looked over her shoulder at her assistant. “You, out.”

The assistant quietly slipped out, closing the door behind them.

Ju Qingmeng said, “I’ll run a few more tests.”

“On what?”

“A few other metrics. No charge.”

“All right. Thank you.”

A few minutes later, Ren Zhong and Ju Qingmeng looked together at the four metrics on the monitor.

Brain-computer synchronization rate: twelve point five percent—up another point two percent.

Bioelectric carrying capacity: one point zero three kilowatts.

Neural response index: fifty-two point nine.

Comprehensive physical fitness index: five point zero seven.

Everything else was within reason, except for the neural response index, which was absurdly high.

“Mr. Ren, just who are you? Your synchronization rate is very unusual—even for someone recovering, I’ve never seen anyone improve this quickly. And your neural response index is off the charts! What’s your relationship with Sun Miao?”

Ju Qingmeng regarded Ren Zhong with a probing gaze.

Ren Zhong sighed. “Manager Ju, you know Dr. Sun’s background, don’t you?”

Ju Qingmeng nodded. “Of course. For someone like him to move into town, he had to submit a full dossier.”

Ren Zhong nodded. “I’m in a similar situation. We used to be colleagues, both doing research.”

“I see. But as I recall, Mendu Group hasn’t developed any drugs that can permanently enhance neural response. So how…?”

“I was born with it.”

“What! Impossible!”

“But isn’t that what the numbers show? Why would I lie to you?”

“If you’re that gifted, why come to Spark Town?”

Ren Zhong sighed. “I made some enemies, lost my citizenship and researcher’s credentials, and was exiled. Now I’m just a nobody, an outcast. I had no choice but to come here and start over. I only wish I’d studied medicine—then I could be a doctor like Sun Miao. My skills are useless here, so I have to try to survive another way and become a combatant.”

Ju Qingmeng was silent for a long time before saying softly, “At least I’m still a Level Two citizen. You’re worse off, but you’re stronger than I am.”

Ren Zhong smiled. “That doesn’t matter. So many outcasts keep struggling to live, don’t they? As long as I’m still alive, I haven’t given up. What’s that saying—where there’s life, there’s hope?”

She nodded. “Mr. Ren, I suspect your initial synchronization rate is above fifteen percent. You have a chance to become a Level Five professional. With your extraordinary neural response, believe in yourself—you can do it. True talent never goes unnoticed forever.”

“Thank you for your encouragement. You too—keep fighting!”

Nearly half an hour later, Ren Zhong left, carrying a Level One alloy warblade and wearing a full set of balanced basic exoskeleton reinforced with an amplifier. He rode off on a single-soldier wheeled motorcycle, just acquired from the firearms mall for twenty contribution points.

His carrying capacity was still too low to handle even a Level One exoskeleton.

He could only use it by installing an amplifier.

The amplifier had been personally added by Ju Qingmeng, who had dug out some nearly expired recycled parts from the warehouse and only charged him the ten-point scrap cost.

The motorcycle, originally priced at forty points, cost only twenty as a second-hand item. He hadn’t been this lucky before—last time, someone else must have snapped it up.

All his other combat gear was brand-new. Altogether, counting the exoskeleton, battery, and weapons, he spent a total of one hundred eighty points.

Ju Qingmeng also approved a full refund for his now-useless training armor.

After this shopping spree, Ren Zhong was left with only seven point three six contribution points; he could feel the chill in his pocket as he walked.

By the time Zheng Tian arrived at the town hall entrance, Ren Zhong was leaning against his motorcycle, gulping down nutrient paste.

Brother Sun was generous—he’d given him three bottles, no need to be frugal.

Now that he was properly equipped, Ren Zhong planned to start working overtime that very night. As the saying goes, “Before the soldiers move, the provisions must arrive”—that was the logic.

Turbocharged, he set off.

“Mr. Ren, you…”

Zheng Tian was surprised to see Ren Zhong so heavily armed.

Ren Zhong smiled. “I’ll be settling down in Spark Town from now on. Let’s look out for each other.”