In the brief dead silence in the corner, Sun Ci's gaze gradually sharpened like a blade, as though he wanted to pierce through that ruined face.
"Go on."
"My teacher taught me a few techniques. I need some Spiritual Substance supplements, purified mercury, and some materials..." Ji Jue gave a bitter smile. "If things go smoothly, the efficiency can improve considerably."
"How much?" Sun Ci pressed.
Ji Jue pondered for a moment—mainly calculating how much he needed to exceed the workload to stand out at just the right level without being treated like a monster. "If I'm lucky, I can handle the dismantling and cleaning of seventy pieces on my own."
Nearly half...
Sun Ci sucked in several breaths of foul air, almost overjoyed, but quickly forced himself to calm down. "Why help me? With that ability, wouldn't it be better to curry favor with the new manager?"
"After someone who sells their ass becomes a manager, what can they do besides exploit others to earn the capital needed to climb higher?" Ji Jue smiled bitterly, bloody fluid seeping from the scars covering his face. "I'm a cripple. If I don't count on a team leader who might take a little care of me, should I count on someone like that?"
"..." Sun Ci fell silent. After a long while, he asked, "What do you want?"
"I only hope that if you ever get the chance to leave this place in the future, you'll give me a little support." Ji Jue patted the two crutches braced beneath him, his tone bitter. "I probably won't be able to hold on much longer."
Sun Ci froze for a moment and looked at Ji Jue, as though he were seeing another, even more miserable version of himself.
At last, he made up his