Old Friends

The mine Guardian treated the boy like he was being escorted.

Finally, we reached the bottom of the mine.

When this mine owner, named Jiao Shensan, who was only 23 years old, met the boy.

His expression shifted slightly.

But then he cleared his throat and said, "Gentlemen! I heard you have a new mineral deposit? And the quality is top-notch? And you've come all this way to choose me as your partner? It's my honor!"

Mine Jiao Shensan stepped forward and tightly grasped the boy's hand.

The boy smiled quietly, which could be considered a response.

But for some reason, a hint of sadness lingered deep in the boy's eyes.

But then he saw Mine Jiao Shensan, his expression urgent. "Gentlemen, where is your mine located? And what is our profit-sharing arrangement?"

"No rush."

The boy quietly replied, "Compared to the mine, I'm more interested in Boss Jiao's background. What... what exactly did you go through before, and how did you get to where you are today?"

"Hehe."

Mine Jiao Shensan's eyes gleamed. "You mean, I'm Greed, right? That's right, I am Greed, and the reasons for Greed all over the world are pretty much the same."

I used to be very poor.

"Extremely poor!"

I'm stuck in the mire, unable to resist.

"I'm even about to lose the will to live."

"But it was around that time that I got an opportunity."

"It's like a drowning person grabbing at a straw. Even though that straw might not be able to support my weight, I have to hold on tight. I pulled the straw out by the roots and dug my fingernails into the ground. Even if my fingernails peel off and my fingers are covered in blood, I have to climb ashore!"

There was a moment of silence.

But then Mine Jiao Shensan suddenly looked at the boy and said, "Hehe, let's not dwell on the past. Now, tell me about your mineral resources. We'll split it 30/70, I'll take 70% and you take 30%!"

The boy simply stared quietly at Jiao Shensan, the mine owner, and said, "No rush."

"No rush?"

"I'm in a hurry!"

"That's Source Matter, that's money! A huge sum of money!!!"

Mine Jiao Shensan's eyes bulged as he gripped Qin Yiguan's shoulders. "We'll split it fifty-fifty! Let's not waste any more time!"

The boy's eyes were filled with sorrow. "How did you become like this?"

Which way?

The mine owner, Jiao Shensan, was already showing signs of impatience, but he still patiently said, "It's a 30/70 split, I get 30%, you get 70%, that's the most I can do!"

The boy quietly shook his head.

The fervent expression on the mine owner Jiao Shensan's face gradually faded, replaced by a sudden calm. "You forced me to do this."

"Someone come here."

Mine owner Jiao Shensan turned his back and gritted his teeth, saying, "Stabilize those two... to the mining machine, and treat them like laborers! They can be released when they're willing to reveal the location of the ore vein!"

The boy slowly stood up and suddenly spoke, "Brother Lu... what happened to you?"

But then the mine owner, Jiao Shensan, shouting, "What nonsense are you spouting? Who is your Brother Lu?!"

"It's because you have kidney disease."

I always feel the urge to urinate.

The boy stared quietly at Jiao Shensan, the mine owner. "So, in your real life, your body has a habit of your feet always involuntarily shifting slightly, subconsciously making the movement of an ordinary person holding in their urine."

"And I happen to have the habit of observing people and imitating them."

"The Metaverse is amazing; whatever habits you have in reality will be replicated here exactly."

The boy paused for a moment, his gaze sharp. "So, even if you have a different face than Jiao Shensan, you still can't hide your subconscious actions."

But then the mine owner, Jiao Shensan, suddenly looked down at his feet.

Just a second ago, his feet were still moving slightly.

He suddenly looked up, "Qin Yiguan, what nonsense are you spouting! It's just a matter of moving your feet, and you're already making wild guesses!"

In that instant.

The mine owner, Jiao Shensan, abruptly stopped speaking, his expression changing drastically.

There was still an indescribable sadness in the boy's eyes. "When did I ever say my Qin Yiguan?"

But then they Mine Jiao Shensan's body trembling violently, his expression of terror flashing constantly.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth and put on an anxious expression.

He grabbed Qin Yiguan's shoulder, "Brother... since you've figured it out, I won't hide it anymore. You have no idea what I've been through since entering the Central District! I've come this far because I had no other choice!"

"All I can tell you is that without money, we are nothing but ants, nothing but dung!"

"We were brothers in Rust City, and we are here too!"

"Quick!"

"Tell me the location of that mine, and we'll get rich together!"

"Speak quickly!"

The mine owner, Jiao Shensan, almost roared in anger!

The boy's eyes were a little moist, and he shook his head slightly.

Even if Brother Lu has changed, he wouldn't mind sharing information with Brother Lu.

But the truth is... there are no mineral resources at all.

Mine Jiao Shensan's face contorted in pain, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot. "Qin Yiguan, you won't talk? You won't talk?!"

"Then don't blame Brother Lu!"

"Someone come here!"

"Install them on the machine!"

The mine owner, Jiao Shensan, went completely insane. "Help! Help! Where is everyone?!"

He had called out multiple times, but none of the Guardian outside answered, which made him increasingly frantic!

He actually reached for the pistol he was carrying.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Suddenly, the sound of a beam sniper rifle came from outside the door.

Mine Jiao Shensan, suddenly turned around and, through the window, saw his personal Guardian being shot in the head one by one.

In the distance, a number of solemn-looking men in black rushed forward rapidly!

Bang!

The office door was also kicked open.

A man in a black suit with a gold '60' embroidered on his chest burst into the room, hissing, "Mine Jiao Shensan, your mission is over. I'm in charge of recovering you!"

But then they saw Mine Jiao Shensan, his eyes filled with terror. "You're here to kill me? Wait! You've got the wrong person, I'm not..."

Bang!

His chest was pierced!

He died with his eyes wide open, falling backwards.

The next moment.

Several information management members, carrying 'tech vacuum cleaners' on their backs, rushed into the house and began the retrieval of the body.

"!!!"

The Information Management Bureau officer's face suddenly turned extremely pale. The indicator light on the 'vacuum cleaner' was flashing wildly, but the corpse remained unchanged. "Something's wrong, it... isn't Digital Human!!!"

"What?!"

Section Chief Wu was immediately startled and hurriedly stepped forward to remove the corpse's shoes and socks, only to find that the sole of his right foot was completely clean, without any writing on it!

at the same time.

Section Chief Wu also noticed the scar on Jiao Shensan's calf, a mark left by a blunt instrument.

"This..."

"What is going on?"

Section Chief Wu was completely clueless, incredibly frustrated, and furious!

at the same time.

Qin Yiguan and Jingye Meinan were hidden behind the equipment in the distance.

I witnessed the whole thing silently.

Jingye Meinan was also stunned. "What's going on? Isn't that Jiao Shensan? Where is Jiao Shensan?"

The boy remained silent.

They led the Jingye Meinan, on a circuitous route.

We arrived in front of that huge tracked vehicle.

He quietly watched ' Brother Lu ' in front of him.

At this moment, Brother Lu was already half-dead from torture; his whimpering grew weaker and weaker, and he was running out of strength.

The boy turned his head and looked at the sole of ' Brother Lu's ' right foot.

Where the blood scabs and dirt covered the area, there was a line of small print that was easily overlooked—AE234.

The boy noticed these numbers when they first met.

"I see!"

Jingye Meinan suddenly gasped, "Your old friend... he's ruthless! He was originally a laborer, but he secretly broke free from his own bolts. His legs were almost crippled, but he secretly kidnapped his boss and had a face transplant. Then, the laborer became the boss, and the boss became the laborer!"

Your friend... is really ruthless!

"And this Greed Jiao Shensan is truly pitiful; he can't utter a single word!"

At that very moment.

The laborer in front of us, ' Brother Lu,' finally collapsed from exhaustion and died from his own exhaustion!

Jingye Meinan had long understood Boss Qin's intentions.

Without asking any further questions, he took the 'tech vacuum cleaner' off his back and slowly absorbed the corpse in front of him.

But then he saw tears welling up in the boy's eyes. "Greed... it's endless. There's always Greed above Greed. It can completely change a person, and it can completely destroy a person!"

"Why..."

Jingye Meinan also felt a little lost. "Your old friend is dead. My condolences. But right now, the more important thing is that we have to get out of here quickly, or our lives will be in danger. What do you say, Boss Qin?"

"Boss Qin?"

Jingye Meinan, and just then caught a glimpse of a string of blue code that looked like ashes.

"???"

"???"

"Boss Qin?"

You cremated yourself?

At that moment, Jingye Meinan's AI received a message.

"My alarm went off, I... I'm logging off. You need to find a way to escape. I just did a thorough observation, and there's a woman inside this Information Management Bureau."

'I trust you.'

'--Your Boss Qin.'

"???"

"Log off?"

"I'll escape on my own?"

Jingye Meinan was completely dumbfounded. "Damn."

That evening.

The boy took advantage of the moonlight.

They infiltrated Central District No. 03.

They walked for a full four hours and carried back two corpses.

They were buried in the Rust City.

After Brother Lu's death, his elderly and ailing mother, as if sensing something from beyond, also passed away in the Nutrient Pod.

The boy looked at the two tombstones.

That scene flashed through my mind.

Brother Lu's short hair was neat and tidy, his face was full of boldness, and he harbored great ambitions in his heart.

Before leaving.

Brother Lu surveyed the Rust City before him, his eyes revealing a sense of longing and reluctance.

"If one day..."

Brother Lu suddenly said calmly, "When you see me again and find... I'm dead, then please bring my body back and bury it in this Rust City."

The boy picked a handful of wildflowers and placed them in front of the tombstone.

It wasn't exactly sadness.

But this desolate change...

It's thought-provoking; I'd rather not say more.