A Request

After staying in the room until evening, Li Wei took the slip of paper Li Ming had given him from his pocket.

There was only one address on it: 118, 1st Labor Community.

The Church was a dead end. This was the only way Li Wei could think of to get into the White Tower—or at least get some help doing so.

Although Li Ming, the laborers' association chairman, seemed to have no power whatsoever, even the Council's dogs weren't just anyone among Yuguang's laborers.

He was clearly the highest-ranking laborer. If Li Wei contacted him, how much help could he offer?

Li Wei studied the address on the slip, then finally decided to seek out Li Ming and give it a try.

Feng Zi definitely couldn't come along this time. Her condition seemed to have worsened. She had gone back to limping, and she was coughing frequently, looking terribly weak.

Li Wei didn't know if it was because she had taken the medicine to force her body to heal, but he could guess that she had paid a heavy price to recover.

That night, Li Wei left Feng Zi alone in the rented room, telling her to be careful. Then he pushed open the door and slipped out into the rainy night, heading toward the 1st District.

Tian Yuan had sent almost all the police officers to Yuguang. They had conducted a thorough search during the day and stationed patrols everywhere at night. If they came across anyone on the streets after dark, they arrested them without a word.

After acquiring [Cell Regeneration], Li Wei had gained even greater control over his body. He silently evaded every officer along the way, crossed the entire 2nd District, and finally arrived at 118, 1st District.

The house looked much like the other shacks. Its lights were already out, suggesting that its owner had gone to bed.

He gently knocked on the shack's door.

Before long, a wary voice came from inside.

"Who is it?"

"The person who asked you to help get his eyes back," Li Wei replied in a low voice.

After he spoke, the house fell silent for a few seconds. Then, without turning on the lights, faint footsteps approached the door, which opened.

Li Ming's weathered face appeared. He looked around, and when he saw no one behind Li Wei, he ushered him inside.

As the chairman of the laborers' association and the head of Yuguang's hundreds of thousands of laborers, he had a remarkably simple, modest home.

Its furnishings were no different from those in Li Wei's rented room.

The bedroom door was shut tight. Li Ming's wife and child were clearly inside, and he didn't want them meeting Li Wei or getting caught up in the matter.

"I'd like to ask for your help. Is there any way we can get into the White Tower?"

Li Wei skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Li Ming immediately shook his head.

"We can't get in. Usually, only councilors and major factory owners are allowed inside that tower. Even during the Festival of Radiance, they only invite a few Yaoguang residents with special status to celebrate there. No one from Yuguang has that privilege, myself included, unless they're connected to the Church."

At that answer, Li Wei clicked his tongue.

Li Ming fell silent for a moment, then looked at Li Wei and said, "But if all you want is to sneak into Yaoguang and get closer to the tower, I might be able to figure something out."

Li Wei looked up again. After considering it for a moment, he decided that getting into Yaoguang would do for now. Being closer to the White Tower would make it easier to find an opportunity.

Besides, because of everything he and Feng Zi had done, the Police Department had begun a thorough investigation of Yuguang. It wasn't safe for them to stay there.

"All right. Make the arrangements. When and where?"

"Tomorrow morning, a train will bring a shipment of metal parts from the Barrier Field District into Yaoguang. It'll stop at Yuguang's dedicated station to take on coal. Be there beside Station 76 before six in the morning. Don't let anyone see you. I'll take you in."

"Then it's settled."

Li Wei thought their meeting was over. Getting into Yaoguang would already be a good outcome, so he was about to leave when Li Ming hesitantly called him back.

"Could I... ask you to do me a favor once you get to Yaoguang?"

When Li Wei turned to look at him, Li Ming hurried to add, "This has nothing to do with my helping you get into Yaoguang. Even if you refuse, I'll still honor our agreement. But if you're willing to help, I can pay you."

Li Wei had been about to stand, but he sat back down and picked up the untouched tea on the table.

"Let's hear it."

"I have a niece. Her father was a sworn brother of mine. Later, her parents died in a factory accident, and she was left all alone. It's hard for a girl to live by herself, and she's very strong-willed. She wouldn't accept my help for nothing. Around that time, there happened to be a councilor with a good reputation looking for suitable maids in Yuguang, so I sent her to work for him."

"I've been in touch with her over the years. She says she's doing well there, that her employers treat her kindly, but I can't help feeling she's hiding something. Once you get to Yaoguang, could you go check on her? If she really is doing well, then don't disturb her. But if that family is treating her badly, please bring her out. I'll find a way to get her back to Yuguang."

He finished explaining his request with a troubled expression, then quickly added, "Of course, I'm willing to pay you. These are my savings from the past few years. It isn't much, but you'll surely need money in Yaoguang."

Before he had even finished speaking, two lines of text appeared in Li Wei's mind.

[Quest triggered: "Visit": Find and visit a young woman from Yuguang. If she is in a bad situation, bring her back]

[Quest reward: 30,000 legal currency]

Li Wei looked at the newly triggered quest, then at the three stacks of money Li Ming had taken from a safe nearby.

Under Li Ming's expectant gaze, he didn't agree right away. Instead, after a moment's thought, he asked, "Do you have any IOUs for unpaid wages or compensation owed to laborers by factory owners in Yaoguang?"

Li Ming stared at Li Wei in confusion, unable to understand why he had suddenly asked about that. But after thinking it over, he replied, "Laborers deal with factories directly through foremen, so even if there were IOUs like that, they wouldn't be in my hands. But if you mean other unpaid contracts or IOUs..."

As he spoke, he turned back to the safe. After rummaging around, he found a ledger tucked away at the very back.

Holding the ledger, he returned to his seat across from Li Wei.