Xiao Xiao had come to deeply understand that if he wanted to survive in this strange and malicious world, the only thing he could do was make himself a little stronger.
Whether he was fighting Aberrant Creatures like Rat-Men, earning more points, or dealing with the countless malicious invasions that could strike at any moment, he needed to wield greater power.
Thus, after following Designer Miss's advice and strengthening himself with Violence Factor, he began actively applying for training as well, hoping to become stronger in a short time.
I'm just a newcomer who entered this world under the guidance of two gentle and beautiful young ladies. So naturally, it makes sense for you to train me, right?
He had not expected Ruan Ruan's reply to be so surprised. "Training? What training?"
"Just..."
Xiao Xiao suddenly froze as well. "The kind of training that makes you stronger as quickly as possible?"
"Oh, we don't have that."
Ruan Ruan took a moment to understand what Xiao Xiao meant, then smiled. "This world isn't a place where working a little harder gives you better odds. The improvement you understand training to provide is nowhere near the boost in physical fitness from a single Violence Factor injection. As for combat awareness and experience fighting Aberrant Creatures, you naturally learn those after fighting enough of them. Why would you need training?"
She laughed as she spoke. "Xiao-gege, I think you'll understand very soon."
"Strength is actually an instinct you're born with."
"..."
Xiao Xiao did not know how to respond, so he could only accept her explanation.
Still, he felt that the Otherworlder organization in this city did not seem very professional.
Even people who stole electric scooters had training programs. Here, they just left people to fend for themselves...
Didn't they even have military training?
However, he had to admit that after using the Violence Factor injections one after another, he could clearly feel the changes.
He had spent four years almost entirely shut in at home. Combined with the mental torment caused by his panic disorder flaring up from time to time, this had left his body weaker than an ordinary person's, in a severely unhealthy state.
But after using the first injection, he felt his physical condition rapidly recover. The weakness and exhaustion seemed to vanish overnight.
After using the second injection, he even felt his physical fitness constantly improving, as though he had been exercising every day.
After using the third injection, however, an even more obvious "abnormality" appeared.
If he had to describe it, Xiao Xiao was willing to call it an "impulse"—some hidden impulse buried deep within his body, whose presence he could only occasionally sense.
Normally, Xiao Xiao's physical fitness was already quite good. But whenever he occasionally triggered that feeling of "impulse," his body would suddenly burst forth with a strange force.
It was as if his adrenaline had been activated, suddenly breaking through his own limit of strength.
At this point, Xiao Xiao was certain that Ruan Ruan the Designer had not deceived him. Violence Factor truly was miraculous.
But was it really as she had said? Was strength merely an instinct, and did he only need to lie flat after using the injections?
Xiao Xiao felt that she might have a point, but he still did not want to give up on training.
Even if training brought him only the slightest improvement, it was still better than nothing.
Besides, Xiao Xiao felt that he had been idle for far too long. Four years of a dark, agonizing life had left him desperately longing for everything the outside world had to offer.
Of course, when it came to training, he did not have the usual conditions. He could not even afford a gym membership.
Designer Miss had previously told him that in this world, points could buy anything. However, Xiao Xiao had discovered one problem:
Points could indeed buy anything in this city, but they could not buy money...
Perhaps once he had accumulated enough points, he could find many ways to exchange them for money. For example, Ruan Ruan had previously mentioned the simplest method:
In this city, every person and every object theoretically belonged to the city.
Otherworlders could exchange points with the city for anything.
Thus, in theory, he could even buy a person, and that person would then belong to him according to the city's logic.
Perhaps the two sides would not share any blood relation or other connection, but that person would be exceptionally loyal, selfless, and diligent toward him, working to earn money for him, and even dying for him.
It was a strange behavior, but one that conformed to the city's logic.
Of course, even without the participation of the City Will, certain creatures known as simps could do the same.
Unfortunately, Xiao Xiao did not have any simps. He only had three vicious dogs that knew how to act cute and wreck the house. He could hardly expect them to work and support him, could he?
Thus, he silently thought that perhaps he should find a job.
Xiao Xiao raised his head and looked at this dazzlingly prosperous city, feeling somewhat miserable. "I've already ended up in a fake world, and I still need to find a job... That's just too realistic!"
But there was no helping it. Ruan Ruan had warned him that he still had to obey the law in this world.
He had heard that there had once been some powerful people in this world who were accustomed to ignoring its rules. In the end, however, they had all met miserable fates.
Indulgence was a bad habit.
Yet when it actually came time to find a job, Xiao Xiao discovered another strange problem: as such a special existence as an Otherworlder, finding work was... surprisingly difficult.
Four years ago, he had holed up at home because of his illness, and he had stayed there for four full years. He had not taken the college entrance examination or held a job, so technically he only had a high school education. In this bustling metropolis, there were high-rise office buildings everywhere, packed together with office workers dressed to look like respectable people. Yet his completely blank résumé meant he could not even obtain the qualification to be exploited by capitalists like those mediocre office workers...
He spent two or three days constantly submitting résumés and attending interviews, but in the end, he got nowhere. The indifference was infuriating.
When maliciousness descended, everyone in this world would hate him.
But now, even though maliciousness had not descended, Xiao Xiao felt that they still hated him.
His mother, on the other hand, unexpectedly noticed that Xiao Xiao had begun leaving early and returning late to look for work. She was both surprised and delighted. "My boy has grown up and become sensible. Now that he has a girlfriend, he knows to earn money..."
But seeing the dejected look on Xiao Xiao's face, she was considerate enough to comfort him. "Don't work yourself too hard at first. If it doesn't work out, come cut meat with me at the mall?"
Xiao Xiao rejected her coldly.
He was one of the few special people in this city, and he had already been strengthened by three genetic injections. His physical fitness had reached the peak of ordinary humans, yet she wanted him to sell meat at a mall?
He rejected his mother's suggestion with great dignity, then searched online and selected a well-paying job suited to him.
Blackwater Bay Docks stevedore.
Daily pay of five hundred. No degree required, no relevant work experience required, and no need for a handsome face or a slim figure.
"Five hundred a day means fifteen thousand a month with perfect attendance, and it's paid daily."
Xiao Xiao sighed. "It's perfect for me. Not only can it solve my living expenses, it can also help me exercise."
The only drawback was that working as a stevedore at the docks seemed somewhat embarrassing.
But he thought it over and immediately came to terms with it: I'm already living in a world full of monsters. Why should I care about vanity?
The next day, he took the subway to the docks in the southwestern corner of the city, where he saw towering shipping containers and goods piled as high as mountains.
Although most heavy labor in this city had already been highly mechanized, quite a lot of it still required human participation.
The hardship of the job was obvious. When Xiao Xiao entered the warehouse rest area, he saw men of all sizes, their faces carrying the rough, weathered air forged by heavy manual labor.
They wore blue work pants, with towels of indistinguishable color draped over their shoulders. Some squatted by the wall drinking tea, while others smoked, their eyes flicking toward the fair-skinned youth.
"You're here to work as a stevedore?"
The Foreman had a scar across his face. He did not look like a factory worker at all, but more like a street tough.
He did not even look at the résumé. He merely cast a sideways glance at the thin Xiao Xiao, sneered, and spat onto the ground beside him.
The people around him laughed, their eyes roaming over Xiao Xiao with contempt.
Xiao Xiao remained silent under their gazes for a while. Then he walked to the pile of cargo nearby and wrapped both arms around it. It felt so heavy that it could not be moved. But he merely closed his eyes slightly and suddenly exerted force with both arms.
An indescribable monstrous strength surged up from deep within his body. To everyone's surprise, he steadily and forcefully lifted a huge wooden crate.
He carried it around once and put it back down, without even a noticeable change in his breathing.
The expressions of the people around him subtly changed.
Violence Factor truly was a miraculous element. Xiao Xiao's appearance had not changed much from before, yet he could erupt with powerful force from time to time.
"Didn't expect you to have some strength, kid."
The Foreman rubbed his bright red nose and said nothing more. He merely sneered at Xiao Xiao. "But the work here is exhausting and grueling. A young fellow like you may not have the patience to stick it out here..."
"But I'll bet you this: you won't last a week before you quit."
"..."
Xiao Xiao did not argue with him.
What did it matter whether he could last a week? The job paid daily anyway.
As for being exhausting and grueling, wasn't that simply what life was like?
Yang Jia and the others had not even been willing to arrange a round of military training for him. So he could only find a way to seek out opportunities to temper himself.
Speaking of tempering, what could temper a person more than life?
Please vote, please vote! Hehe, girlfriends work too...
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