Chapter 870: Longyou Shuangzixing (4)

After a moment of Silence, Axing finally remembered the other purpose of his visit.

From his inner pocket, he fished out a small cloth bag containing a few small mineral crystals he had saved up for a long time.

"Laogui... look at these... can you trade them for something? Preferably... something that can make a person feel a bit more energetic, or... something that can stave off hunger for a bit longer..."

Laogui took the cloth bag, examined it carefully under the dim light, pinched the small stones with his fingers, and curled his lip.

"The quality is average... kid, good things are in short supply right now, the prices aren't what they used to be."

He rummaged through his tattered coat for a while, pulled out a small metal box, opened it to look, then closed it again.

Then he pulled out an even smaller capsule sealed with wax.

"Here, 'Huolipi', it can keep you from feeling tired or hungry for four standard hours, and you'll have plenty of energy. But you'll feel twice as miserable once the effect wears off, and it's hard on the body, so use it sparingly."

Axing gripped the capsule tightly; although this thing had major side effects, sometimes, being able to survive the current harsh quota was more important than worrying about long-term damage.

"And this,"

Laogui handed over the small metal box again, which contained a few white pills.

"Basic painkillers, the effect is average, but if you get hurt or your lungs ache badly, it can help for a bit."

"Is... is that all?"

Laogui chuckled and tucked Axing's bag of minerals into his chest.

"Kid, don't be greedy. In these times, things that can actually save your life are the hard currency. As for that nonsense news... just listen to it, don't take it too seriously. Staying alive is better than anything else."

Axing clutched the pitifully small capsule and the few painkillers tightly in his palm; the cold touch of the metal and chemicals gave him a sliver of comfort.

He thanked Laogui, carefully avoided the crowd, and returned along the path he had come.

………

Longyou Shuangzixing · Mi-You Star · Liuli City.

If Kafu-Long was a tomb buried underground, then Liuli City on Mi-You Star was a twisted monument built at the tomb's exit.

This city was named after the byproduct widely used in its main architecture, which was generated during the refining process of Longyou alloy—a dark, glass-like material.

They absorbed the dim, yellowish light of Mi-You Star, presenting a stagnant, black-purple luster.

Liuli City had no natural sky; its upper reaches were covered by a massive dome structure used to filter out the slag and harmful radiation ejected by the chaotic gravity of the binary star system.

Beneath the dome, layers of alloy and glass buildings were stacked densely upward; the higher one went, the more brilliant the lights, and the hum of the air circulation system grew fainter.

The top-level platform even simulated a fake, unchanging "twilight" scene, a luxury that only City Lord Huolakesi, his management, and the Star Alliance garrison officers could enjoy.

As for the lower levels of the city, they were the residential areas for refinery workers, low-level technicians, service personnel, and countless tiny individuals clinging to this industrial behemoth.

Pipes crisscrossed, steam filled the air, and the roar of machinery echoed eternally.

Although it was slightly better than the mines beneath Kafu-Long, it was equally suffocating.

Lia Moran was a data entry clerk in this Lower District, working in an office under the "Ziyuan Tiaodu Administration" in the Third District of Liuli City.

Compared to miners and workers on factory assembly lines, her job was undoubtedly much more "decent" and easier—at least she didn't have to face lethal dust or corrosive acid mist directly, nor did she need to exhaust her physical strength.

She possessed a narrow but independent dwelling, could obtain three sticks of standard Nutrient Paste and two liters of purified water every day, and even had a meager "Star Alliance Credit Point" allowance each week, which she could occasionally use to trade for a small piece of something sweet from black market merchants in the Lower District.

On Longyou Shuangzixing, this already counted as a "middle-class" life.

Her father had been a low-level engineer who dedicated his life to this city, eventually passing away from gene collapse syndrome due to long-term radiation exposure, but because of this, he had secured for her a slim chance to receive basic education and this job.

Lia knew her position clearly: better than some, worse than others.

Early in the morning, the alarm did not announce the start of the workday as usual, but rather a repeatedly played synthetic voice announcement that echoed through every corridor and every residential unit.

"Notice to all residents of Liuli City: Effective today until further notice, a Level 3 Riot lockdown is in effect. All non-essential posts are suspended. Residents please remain in your respective residential units or designated areas and do not move about freely. Patrol forces will be increased in all public areas. Cooperate with security checks and follow instructions. Repeat, a Level 3 Riot lockdown is in effect..."

Lia sat up from her small bed, where she could barely turn over, and her heart sank.

A Level 3 Riot lockdown?

She had only heard of it once in her childhood; it was said to have been activated many years ago when a large-scale Riot occurred in a certain mining area.

What had happened?

Her office work group was also flashing wildly on her Data Pad, and an emergency message from her boss, who was usually always lazy, popped up.

"Everyone! Report to the Seventh Assembly Point immediately! Dressed properly! Fast! Big shots from above are coming! Whoever messes up will be thrown directly into the Furnace!"

Lia dared not delay and quickly put on her gray uniform, which was the best one she had.

She straightened her hair in front of a small, blurry metal reflective surface on the wall, took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked out.

The corridor was already filled with lower-level residents who were as bewildered as she was.

Squads of Garrison soldiers wearing dark gray armor and holding Energy Rifles—whom people privately called "Grey Dogs"—were driving the crowd and shouting loudly.

"Move fast! Go to the assembly point! No stopping! No whispering!"

Lia followed the flow of people, being driven toward the designated Seventh Assembly Point, a large platform on the edge of the Lower District usually used for piling up discarded parts.

The platform was already packed with thousands of people, and more were constantly being driven in.

The Grey Dog soldiers set up warning lines on the perimeter, and four-legged armed robots, the "Liquidators," stood at key positions, their multi-barreled rotating turrets moving slowly, scanning the crowd below.

"What on earth is going on?"

A familiar female colleague squeezed to Lia's side and asked with a trembling voice.

"Is it... something happened under Kafu-Long again? I heard the quotas have been terrifyingly tight lately..."

"I don't know..."

Lia shook her head, her gaze sweeping over those killing machines.

"But it doesn't look like it... If it were miners causing trouble, the lockdown range should mainly be in Kafu-Long, it wouldn't implicate our entire Mi-You Star..."

Her voice stopped abruptly.

A low roar came from above the dome.

Everyone couldn't help but look up.

Through the blurry filter of the glass dome, they saw a small fleet slowly descending, approaching the city.

That was definitely not a common ore transport ship or a standard-issue Star Alliance Frigate.

The leading spaceship had elegant lines, and the geometric emblem of the Fengqi Star Alliance was branded onto its hull.