DipNovel Chapter 025 Let's go take a look.
Chapter 025 Let's go take a look.
A shootout among scavengers?
Lu Chen didn't know whether the combination of Yu and himself could be considered powerful.
But there is no doubt that when scavengers encounter each other outside the city, they will be caught between a rock and a hard place – afraid of both sides.
They're all out 'picking up trash,' why are they risking their lives?
No normal person would want to encounter other scavengers outside the city and face the risk of dying outside the city.
Unless, of course, the risks and rewards are equal.
—For example, Yu took Lu Chen to the resource-rich northern suburbs and brought back valuable supplies.
On the way, they happened to encounter other scavengers—even groups of two or three scavengers.
At that time, greed may prevail over caution.
"So that means..."
"The northern suburbs are a choice made only when one urgently needs a large amount of time and has no other options, and thus has no other choice but to take a desperate gamble."
Seeing that Lu Chen was not blinded by the northern suburbs or the so-called "abundant resources," Yu picked up a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly nodded.
But then Lu Chen asked again, "What about the western and eastern suburbs?"
"It's not as far as the northern suburbs, but it's not exactly close either."
"Both security and the abundance of supplies are at a moderate level."
This time, however, Yu was clearly hesitant.
Compared to the northern suburbs, which are 600 kilometers away, the eastern and western suburbs are indeed closer.
But I'll say it again.
The closer to the city gate, the more thoroughly the scavengers would loot, and the scarcer the supplies would become;
Its advantage lies in its relative safety.
The farther away from the city gate, the less thoroughly the scavengers would loot, and the more abundant the supplies would be.
But it is also more dangerous.
How to strike a balance—how to find that delicate equilibrium between "abundant resources" and "security"...
"Your hibernation pod is the one I picked up from the eastern suburbs."
...
After a long period of deliberation, Yu spoke in a deep voice, causing the air inside the car to freeze instantly.
After a long while, Yu threw the cigarette butt out the window and rolled up the car window.
While rolling up the window lever, he said, "You should already have some guesses, right?"
"--9527, 9528."
"Within just two days, two resurrected individuals have appeared in the City of Time."
"In the past—nearly 300 years since Genesis, there have only been a total of more than 9,500 resurrected individuals."
"On average, there are more than 30 per year, which is less than 3 per month."
...
"The hibernation chambers for recovered patients are not evenly distributed, nor do they appear one by one."
"—When one appears, a whole bunch will often follow."
"The longest period since Genesis has been 46 years without a single hibernation pod being retrieved."
"The largest number of times was within just two months, with hundreds of hibernation pods bringing back hundreds of revived individuals to the City of Time."
As she spoke, Yu seemed lost in memories, lingering in a daze for a long time.
He finally shook his head with a wry smile and picked up the cigarette pack again.
—This time, they didn't forget to give Lu Chen a third one, exceeding the quota.
...
"There is a high probability that there are more hibernation pods in that area of the eastern suburbs."
"To avoid the news leaking out, I didn't even dare to mark that area on my map."
"but……"
Before Yu could finish speaking, Lu Chen quietly took over the conversation.
"Zhao Jie".
"Recovered patient number 9528, Zhao Jie."
Yu slowly nodded, a look of bitterness immediately appearing between her brows.
"The hibernation pod is very heavy."
"It's so heavy that it's impossible for me to lift it onto the cargo box by myself."
"The only way is to drag them back with chains, and only one at a time."
...
"I originally planned to bring your hibernation pod back and then go back to see if I could find the next one."
"—For this, I spent [20 days] cutting in line, and then left the city again three days later."
"But, Zhao Jie..."
...
These words made Lu Chen fall into deep thought once again.
Yu is right.
Lu Chen had indeed had doubts for a long time.
—In the past three hundred years, there have only been a little over nine thousand resurrected individuals. As a result, Lu Chen had just woken up when Zhao Jie appeared the very next day.
Two days, two hibernation pods, two revived individuals.
This made it hard for Lu Chen not to suspect that his hibernation pod was not alone, but rather part of a whole cluster.
Zhao Jie's hibernation pod was most likely once "neighbors" with Lu Chen.
At this moment, his guess was confirmed, but Lu Chen was not happy at all.
That area—the area where there is a very high probability that multiple hibernation pods exist—has been discovered.
The scavenger who found that area is numbered 18-172-3994.
Zhao Jie's hibernation pod was the one he brought back.
Outside the recovery point, Lu Chen also got into a conflict with him—thanks to Lu Chen, he was punished by having his exquisite switchblade confiscated, plus a 15-day penalty...
"Zhao Jie's hibernation pod was discovered in that area. He will definitely cut in line and leave the city as soon as possible."
"If we encounter..."
Softly murmuring, Lu Chen subconsciously turned his head to look at Yu's waist and calves.
The slightly offensive look did not offend Yu.
It was as if it could read Lu Chen's mind instantly, and it simply shook its head slightly.
"There are no firearms."
"On the black market, even a handgun is worth at least [1 year]."
"Moreover, it only accepts the exchange of scarce resources, and it is impossible to buy them by spending time."
...
"I can't afford it, and he probably can't afford it either."
"If it were just him alone, I might be able to handle it."
"With you, Officer Lu, on the side, there shouldn't be any danger to his life."
"but……"
Yu hesitated to speak, but Lu Chen already understood her concerns.
— Form a team.
The scavengers may form teams to leave the city.
Indeed.
In most cases, scavengers who go out of town in groups will fall into a vicious cycle of killing each other for various reasons.
But if it's for an area where there might be hibernation pods—and multiple hibernation pods exist—then a team trip is necessary.
As long as the final profit is enough to satisfy everyone, for example, each person can get their own hibernation pod?
Therefore, a scavenger team consisting of two or even three people could potentially return to the city safely without incident.
"Let's go take a look."
After a brief moment of thought, Lu Chen offered his suggestion.
"This time when leaving the city, I spent time cutting in line and intentionally or unintentionally moved towards the eastern suburbs."
"Even if you can't retrieve the new hibernation pod, you won't be satisfied without taking a look."
"Go and take a look as soon as possible."
"If it's safe, hurry up and bring back one or two hibernation pods."
"Even if it's not safe, at least you'll see it with your own eyes and be able to put your mind at ease."
Of course, Lu Chen also had his own selfish motives.
—A hibernation pod is worth at least 2 years.
While it is possible that the [2-year] private debt is almost impossible to recover, it is not entirely impossible to directly obtain [2 years].
If he could actually pick up a wealthy and powerful old man, even with a 30/70 split, Lu Chen would still get at least [200 days' worth].
With the benefits gained from this 200-day trip out of the city, Lu Chen will face much less pressure the next time he goes out.