Xu Shi's answer was unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.
"Whether Long Tianding was sincere or not, if he truly wanted to open schools and other real businesses in Sin City, it would ultimately be a good thing for Night Sin City."
He explained earnestly, "How did that saying go again? The world isn't all fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social customs?"
The saying might not have fit perfectly here, but the principle was the same.
Sin City and Night City stood as equals, and their territories were roughly the same size. But their various census figures were worlds apart—education rates were only one aspect. Average life expectancy, environmental issues, and the same old GDP figures... it wasn't merely a huge gap; it was the difference between heaven and earth.
That was inseparable from Sin City's own system. Under the influence of gang culture, most people in Sin City had only one path if they wanted to survive: join a gang. Coupled with the long-standing hostility toward Night City, other ways of life were subtly looked down upon by Sin City residents as well.
It was like that movie joke: "Mom, I want to study hard and get into college." "That's wonderful, son. Go recruit all your classmates into our gang once you're there!"
At its core, it was warped.
Xu Shi didn't deny the saying that existence was reasonable in itself. Night City bosses hiring gang members to do dirty work had become an unwritten rule, and he himself had borrowed Ding Jun's men to deal with He Laosan... But in the end, all eleven districts of Sin City were like this. They would forever remain a hidden danger.
The three evils of prostitution, gambling, and drugs had taken deep root, and the harm they spawned went without