Chapter 94: Tenfold Stimulant, Information Flow Jammer, Network
Day Forty, Evening.
At the Miracle Hands Clinic.
Today was a special day for Sun Miao, one worth celebrating.
Brother Sun had two great pieces of news.
First, he had actually earned money from Ren Zhong!
When Ren Zhong transferred 5,000 credits to his account and took the box placed on the clinic desk, confirming that 4,500 credits had arrived, Sun Miao momentarily felt dazed, a strange sense of unreality washing over him.
Second, Ren Zhong was preparing to die.
He had purchased ten vials of a second-tier psycho-stimulant at an exorbitant price of 5,000 credits each—a drug that guaranteed death upon use, and the manner of death would be particularly touching.
Earning money and having a scoundrel die—truly double blessings—but Sun Miao inexplicably couldn’t feel happy.
“Damn it, you rogue Sun, what on earth are you thinking? Isn’t life worth living? Given your current status in town and your fairly good relationship with Madafu, and if you just tried to get close to Lin Wang, lowered your head a bit, and worked seriously for Yang Bingzhong, I guarantee you’d live a comfortable life from now on. There’s no need for this stuff, right?” Sun Miao grumbled.
Ren Zhong put away the medicine box and asked in return, “Don’t you want to make money?”
Sun Miao turned his face away. “Get lost! Even a fool knows it’s better to fish for a big catch than just one wave of profit. I don’t want to make money from just you. Damn it. Idiot.”
Ren Zhong was silent for a moment. “Thanks, Brother Sun.”
“Thanks my foot.”
Ren Zhong said, “Okay then, I won’t thank you.”
Sun Miao: Damn.
In the heavy silence that followed, the atmosphere grew oddly tense and awkward.
After a while, unable to bear the embarrassment, Ren Zhong and Sun Miao simultaneously looked away.
Ren Zhong asked again, “Brother Sun, you really don’t have any fierce drugs here that can explosively boost physical strength and carrying capacity? I always feel like you’re someone who can surprise me. It shouldn’t be this way.”
Sun Miao pointed to the door. “Get lost! Do you want to die even faster?”
Again scolded, but Ren Zhong was not angry; instead, he grew more spirited.
Brother Sun’s tone had changed; no longer the straightforward refusal of before.
Having long studied Sun Miao’s thought patterns, Ren Zhong sensed the key point: this treasure boy did have something but was unwilling to reveal it.
Ren Zhong pulled out his watch. “Brother Sun, guess how much money I have on me right now?”
“How much?”
“More than 32,000 credits, and soon it’ll be over 44,000.”
Sun Miao: “Hiss!”
Ren Zhong squinted his eyes. “Want it?”
“Want.”
“So, think about it? Brother Sun, I know you don’t want me dead, but look, I even got stimulants. What difference would it make if I got some drugs to boost my physical ability?”
Sun Miao stiffened his neck. “You idiot, I’d rather you die. It’s just that I really can’t do it right now.”
“Can’t do it now? You could before? When you worked at Mengdu Group? The products of Mengdu Group?”
Sun Miao suddenly fell silent, growing extremely cautious, his eyes flashing with faint hostility. “You actually know I used to work at Mengdu Group?”
Ren Zhong was caught off guard by this sudden change.
After some thought, he realized that although he had probed Sun Miao’s past thoroughly since his resurrection, all his inquiries were indirect; Sun Miao had never voluntarily explained his former identity.
Ren Zhong had been too engrossed in his battle of wits with Brother Sun and had overlooked this small detail, mixing up his words.
But he quickly made amends. “Mayor Ma knows, Ju Qingmeng knows. They all know you came from Mengdu Group. It’s not a secret. Your past isn’t secret; your present is.”
Sun Miao paused. “That actually makes some sense.”
“Not ‘makes sense’—it’s a fact. In my core social circle, you’re basically the only one who thinks your past is secret.”
“Wait, I’m a bit confused. Let me sort this out.”
Ren Zhong said, “Don’t bother. These are trivial details. The point is, what exactly is the drug? I’ll pay extra. Even if it kills me with side effects, I don’t care. Didn’t you just say you want me dead?”
“It’s not that I’m particularly hoping for that. Here’s the thing…”
After hearing Sun Miao’s explanation, Ren Zhong sighed deeply. “Looks like it really can’t be done.”
“But there’s still hope. The problem is you’re too poor. With your money, you can barely peek at it from hundreds of meters away, let alone buy the medicine. Why don’t you give me back the stimulants and slowly save up some zeros?”
Ren Zhong chuckled. “Forget it. Not to mention how long it would take to save three million, even if I had it, could Mengdu Group sell it to me?”
“No. That’s an exclusive supply for fifth-level citizens and, in fact, most fifth-level citizens can’t buy it either. Three million is just the sticker price, but that stuff isn’t really on the market.”
“Hm.” Ren Zhong nodded. “If you hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have believed such a thing existed. It goes against my….”
“What?”
“Nothing. Never mind, I’m leaving now.”
“Get lost.”
The drug Sun Miao mentioned was called Star Origin Injection.
It was a truly fierce concoction that could rapidly strengthen practitioners below the fourth tier without killing them, with almost no side effects, especially suitable for mech warriors.
Its exact components and mechanism were unknown, existing outside Ren Zhong’s original scientific understanding, akin to the Xubeasts.
The core material of Star Origin Injection came from a special mineral extract.
It could greatly accelerate human metabolism, lasting longer and more comprehensively than adrenaline.
Users who injected it, with proper training and nutrition, could in a short time push both their physical fitness index and carrying capacity beyond 300.
How high it could go depended on brain-machine synchronization and individual talent.
Sun Miao said some had reached above 600 within half a month.
Its production was extremely scarce, with global annual output under a thousand vials.
Though “only” priced at three million, it was highly prized for its tremendous aid to new practitioners.
Its real market circulation price was so high that a fifth-level citizen could buy an entire small town, turning all the buildings and the wasteland inhabitants into private property.
Although Ren Zhong hadn’t obtained any physical samples, he had gained vital information.
He was satisfied.
Though expensive and out of reach to buy, its mere existence gave hope.
***
Later, Ren Zhong mounted his newly purchased motorcycle and first headed to the arms mall, collecting a tax-deducted pure loan of 12,600 credits from Ju Qingmeng.
Then he sped straight to the Night Never Sleeps bar next to the flea market.
Night Never Sleeps was one of the few gathering places for wastelanders in this small town, serving as a restaurant, nightclub, entertainment venue, and deep recreational hub all in one.
It was a landmark attraction in Spark Town and a pillar of its entertainment industry.
Its main clientele were the thousands of semi-professional scavengers, with occasional visitors from afar—connoisseurs of local customs—coming thousands of miles to sample its offerings.
The Night Never Sleeps building covered nearly 600 square meters with three floors, each serving different purposes.
Compared to other houses in the slums, this small building exuded a completely different air, adorned with dazzling red and green lights.
Its somewhat chaotic neon signs covered almost the entire street-facing wall.
At sunset, when the twin moons rose, the neon lights illuminated half the street.
Loud music played fiercely until 9:30 p.m., when the crowd dispersed.
Ren Zhong’s close teammate, Ou Youning, was a regular here.
The anonymous Mr. Ou, once only somewhat known, had risen to fame with Zheng Tian’s team’s success.
Unfortunately, rumors said Ou had just gotten back on track in life and then retired from the scene, leaving the bar owner lamenting the loss of a major client.
By the time Ren Zhong arrived, night had fallen.
As he pushed open the door, the mixed stench of sweat, gunpowder, sour cheap liquor, and strange perfume hit his nose.
He furrowed his brow as a woman dressed provocatively, revealing a large expanse of pale skin, approached him.
She lowered her voice. “You must be the gentleman Brother Ou mentioned.”
“Mm.”
“The private room is ready. Your guest has arrived, in room 17.”
“Thanks.”
Ren Zhong greeted her, transferred 20 contribution points on the spot, and headed to room 17.
Inside waited a plump middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache—Wang Zhaofu, a wandering black market merchant.
Introduced by Zheng Tian, the two had become barely acquaintances.
“Mr. Ren, the items you requested are ready, all in the Qingfeng heavy-duty truck in the parking lot. Here’s the key.”
“Thanks for your trouble.”
Wang Zhaofu squinted slightly. “Before handing over the goods, may I ask why a second-tier practitioner like you is buying such stuff?”
Though already plump, his eyes nearly vanished when squinting.
Ren Zhong remained calm. “Everyone in town knows I’ve been working in the abandoned mine recently. I might head to White Bone Valley soon. You probably know what happened there recently?”
“Of course, my information is even more up-to-date than you think.”
“I’m worried about encountering another demon infant. Thought I’d buy something fierce just in case. Is that reason enough?”
Wang Zhaofu shook his head. “A bit far-fetched. Demon infants aren’t ordinary fifth-level Xubeasts. Even if you got info-jamming grenades, it wouldn’t help much. Death is unavoidable. I’d rather you stay away from that cursed valley, even if you don’t buy the jammer this time.”
Ren Zhong laughed. “What, you’re turning down money?”
Wang Zhaofu stroked his mustache. “I’m a businessman; I take money when I can. But you’re a rising big client; I haven’t made enough from you yet, so I can’t bear to see you die for nothing.”
Ren Zhong smiled. “Boss Wang, do I look like a fool?”
“No.”
“Then do you think I’d die for no reason?”
“No.”
“Then that’s settled.”
Wang Zhaofu nodded. “You’re right. Let’s do a cash and carry deal. We go to the parking lot. You check the goods, then pay me directly. The key will be yours.”
Snap.
Ren Zhong immediately transferred the money.
His balance instantly dropped from 44,703.94 credits to 2,148.94.
In a flash, he spent 42,555 credits.
Wang Zhaofu was surprised by the watch’s payment alert. “A deal over 40,000 credits, and you don’t want to inspect the goods? Not afraid the truck might be empty, or that’s a fake key and I’ll run off with your money?”
Ren Zhong shook his head. “Though this is only our second meeting, I felt a connection from the first time. I believe you’re an honest, trustworthy businessman. Inspecting the goods would only hurt our feelings.”
Wang Zhaofu was stunned.
Having done business for over ten years across countless towns and counties, meeting thousands of buyers, this was the first time he encountered such a person.
He remembered when Ren Zhong bought the Thunderbolt car, haggling fiercely and cutting into his core profits, ending up with a humiliating defeat.
That guy had a sly, triumphant grin then.
All evidence pointed to a cunning, ruthless competitor.
He never expected that at their second meeting, Ren Zhong would suddenly change his style.
This level of trust was akin to that of half-brothers.
“Boss Wang, what’s wrong?” Ren Zhong asked, noticing his long pause.
“Nothing… nothing. Mr. Ren, you’re truly an extraordinary person. No wonder you’ve become one of the town’s strongest in just over a month. I, Wang Zhaofu, am impressed. It’s my fortune to know you.”
Ren Zhong laughed heartily, raising his fruit wine glass. “I feel the same. Rare to find such a kindred spirit—let’s drink!”
“Cheers!”
They toasted and chatted happily in the small private room.
Ren Zhong deliberately drew out conversations, and with 40,000 credits of trust on the line, Wang Zhaofu was somewhat inclined to speak openly.
Though their meal was merely barely edible synthesized food, the atmosphere was warm.
Wang Zhaofu shared many amusing anecdotes from his travels doing business in dozens of nearby towns and counties.
Ren Zhong listened with great interest.
He gathered useful information, including matters concerning Liaoyuan County and Chongyi County.
Liaoyuan County was the administrative region above Spark Town, overseeing four towns, including Spark Town itself, covering tens of thousands of square kilometers.
From this simple fact, Ren Zhong deduced much.
***
He had already measured the gravity of Source Star to be nearly identical to Earth’s.
Therefore, Source Star’s size should be similar to Earth’s.
Though soil area was unknown, it might be larger due to smaller ocean coverage.
Ren Zhong had been here a long time but had never seen a heavy rain.
Source Star’s climate was relatively dry.
But for just one county to be so vast, it suggested human settlement density on Source Star was far lower than Earth’s, at least much lower than his homeland’s.
Yet he saw a huge number of users and stock investors daily on headlines and markets.
The monthly sales of “Sid Meier’s Armored Insights” were 142,354 copies; total sales nearly two million.
Only mech warriors with some wealth would buy this.
Based on the proportion of mech warriors in Spark Town’s population and wealth distribution, Ren Zhong concluded Source Star’s total population base was no smaller than Earth’s.
All this indicated massive population concentration in cities.
Source Star’s urbanization ratio was shockingly high.
These basic info should have been in his watch’s database but were not; instead, Wang Zhaofu’s words revealed them all.
***
After nine p.m., a slightly tipsy Wang Zhaofu checked the time and reluctantly stood to leave.
“Ren little brother, it’s late. I need to sleep at the town government guesthouse. Our deal must stay secret, so I won’t accompany you to inspect the goods. I’ll leave early tomorrow. Don’t see me off.”
Ren Zhong nodded. “Take care, Brother Wang.”
“Meeting you today, Ren little brother, feels like fate. That’s the phrase you used, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll meet again. Take care.”
***
After seeing Wang Zhaofu off, Ren Zhong drove straight to the parking lot.
Information Flow Disruption Grenade (fifth-level disposable special bomb).
Armed Qingfeng heavy-duty truck (third-level military equipment).
Eight core joint biological metal bearing hubs (third-level exoskeleton core components).
Fission Beast tendon (custom third-level exoskeleton superconducting transmission line).
Aimon beast alloy (a third-level alloy that can integrate into arc-light slash blades and exoskeleton chest, shoulder, and back plates, further enhancing material properties).
These were all the tough goods he had acquired today from the black market through Wang Zhaofu.
The core product was the Information Flow Disruption Grenade—citizen-exclusive equipment, priced at 20,000 credits in the county-level arms mall, but as a restricted item bought on the black market, it required an extra 5,000 credits, costing him 25,000.
The Armed Qingfeng truck cost 7,000.
The other three parts totaled 10,555, all essential components for further modifying his armor.
A complete third-level balanced exoskeleton base suit would cost at least 150,000 credits, far beyond Ren Zhong’s current means.
But he needed to explosively boost combat power in the shortest time possible.
So, following the guidance in “Armored Insights,” he selected the three most core components, striving to achieve the greatest improvement at the lowest cost in the shortest time.
Arriving at the parking lot, he opened the truck and saw everything quietly arranged, nothing missing.
Ren Zhong exhaled quietly.
Fat Wang hadn’t played him.
Of course, he wasn’t really afraid of being cheated but preferred fewer complications.
This small risk had earned him considerable goodwill with Wang, and next time they met, they would be true confidants.
Then Wang would surely be amazed: how could there be someone who knew him so well, as if a worm in his belly?
***
In the small lab in the arms mall, Ren Zhong and Ju Qingmeng were discussing.
“Thanks for working late tonight. Sorry to trouble you again.”
“No problem. I’m waiting for you. If you can’t get past Lin Wang, then there’s no point in discussing our matters.”
“Hm.”
“I’ll measure a full set of parameters first. Then I’ll fine-tune your equipment based on your situation. Your armor modifications are currently too extensive, making it a unique custom model on Source Star—no room for mistakes.”
After about half an hour, Ren Zhong straightened up from the testing machine.
Ju Qingmeng measured dozens of parameters, the four most core being:
Brain-machine synchronization rate: 29.99%
Bioelectric carrying power: 166.9 kilowatts
Neural reaction index: 318.3
Comprehensive physical fitness index: 166.9
Ju Qingmeng marveled at these figures. “Your improvement is unbelievably fast. Give it another month and a half, and by census day, you’ll definitely reach third-level standards. Coupled with the armor insights you’ve learned, I’ll customize your gear. You might even stand a chance against Lin Wang.”
Ren Zhong shook his head slightly. “Time is short. Let’s see as we go.”
At that moment, his watch suddenly vibrated.
In his mind rang Madafu’s bone-conduction voice: “Ren Zhong, what are you doing? How did you get noticed again?”
Ren Zhong frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Are you at the arms mall? I’m sending Ma Xiaoling to pick you up now. You owe me an explanation in person.”
***
The Network.
The omnipresent surveillance and listening system hidden within the “Sauron’s Eye” and the watches.
This was a new term Ren Zhong heard in Madafu’s private meeting room after removing his watch, causing his brow to twitch.
Just a moment ago, when he unconsciously uttered an idiom, he had nearly met death again.
If not for Madafu lowering his threat and rebellion indexes slightly with mayoral authority, he would have died on the spot.
The “interesting” thing about this world was that danger never disappeared; it lurked all around him like an invisible venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment.
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