"Six months, at least six months! And Lao Hei just happens to have a ' Breakthrough Stone,' he only wants 1500 silver coins from me."
"Alright, I'm not in a rush to break through. Level three 'Gatherer' is good enough."
"What's so good about it? Your body..."
"Don't listen to people's nonsense. I'm recovering very well now. Besides, even after a breakthrough, I might not be fully recovered."
Lu Xiaofang bit her lower lip and remained silent.
Knowing her stubborn nature, Lu Xiaochu patiently advised her, "Don't do anything reckless. Money obtained through fraud is even more dangerous; a slight misstep could cost you your life."
"That's good. There must be some powerful figures in Test Site No. 49. If you really trick them out of more than 200 Awakening Stone Fragment, they will hunt us down to the death."
"I'm just a little weak, it's not life-threatening, don't make a fuss."
Lu Xiaofang held her hand, her voice low. "Mingming..." She had been coughing all night, coughing so hard it was heartbreaking. Lu Xiaofang didn't dare say it aloud, afraid that Xiaochu would hold back her cough, which would make her feel even worse.
Lu Xiaochu patted her on the shoulder and asked, "Is the food ready?"
Lu Xiaofang: "Hmm."
Song Xiaozhu stared blankly for a long time after reading this passage.
The contrast was so great that she didn't recognize him at first.
When the fake Leina appeared, she exuded a cool and aloof aura, especially when standing atop the Polluted Beast. Her presence was powerful and capable; even though her face appeared slightly younger, her overall demeanor made one overlook the almost undeniable presence she possessed.
The observation was immature.
Having shed her disguise, Lu Xiaofang, though still tall, had lost her aloof aura, replaced by a stubborn, slender girl.
The other girl looked exactly like her; they were clearly twin sisters. However, she had a more gentle and serene demeanor, spoke calmly and steadily, and seemed slightly weak and sickly.
Listening to their conversation, Song Xiaozhu roughly understood their situation.
Lu Xiaofang is a "traveling merchant," Lu Xiaochu is a "gatherer." The two sisters live in an old apartment building with very poor conditions, though it's much better than the Garbage Mountain, at least it's windproof and rainproof.
Their meals were very simple, seemingly a mixed nutritional diet.
Song Xiaozhu fiddled with the "progress bar," fast-forwarding through the peaceful night until the sun rose. She wanted to observe a little longer and also wanted to see the outside world through Lu Xiaofang's eyes.
Lu Xiaofang got up very early. She prepared breakfast before dawn and left a note that read, "Eat well, I'm going to run a business." At the end, she drew a simple sketch of Xiaofang with two windows and a door that looked like a pair of funny faces.
Xiao He: "What's that?"
Song Xiaozhu answered the curious child's question, "It's a signed painting, I guess."
Xiao He: "I don't understand."
Song Xiaozhu explained to her carefully that it was Xiaofang, and then drew a clump of bamboo, saying, "Look, this is my signature painting."
Xiao He: "Mine."
Song Xiaozhu thought for a moment and drew one for her, "How about this one?"
Xiao He: "Heart?"
Song Xiaozhu: "It's love."
Xiao He: "... Oh."
Clearly, she didn't understand, and didn't even know what to ask.
Song Xiaozhu didn't rush to explain.
No rush, Xiao He is becoming more and more curious, which is a good sign.
Lu Xiaofang lives in the Holy City.
This was the first time Song Xiaozhu had ever seen this enormous city that truly stood atop the wasteland.
In Li Siyuan's memory, this place was prosperous and wealthy, with tall buildings everywhere, clean and tidy streets, and flying vehicles shuttling through it, taking her to one glamorous shop after another.
Consumption and shopping; eating, drinking, and having fun.
The young lady's life was filled with money and happiness, but it was also as illusory and fragile as a bubble reflecting colorful light.
The Holy City that Lu Xiaofang saw was completely different from that of Li Siyuan.
She walked through the dirty stairwell and came to the equally dilapidated street.
The apartment buildings were crowded together, like enormous beasts that had been dead for a long time, helplessly entrenched on both sides of the street. People walking through them seemed to be dissecting their flesh and blood, and the air was filled with rot and stench.
This is the Lower City area.
Song Xiaozhu had never seen it before, but that sentence immediately flashed through her mind.
Qiu Shuyu had told her about it before, referring to the lower district of Ink City, but it seems to overlap with that now.
Lu Xiaofang was very familiar with the area. She greeted passersby with her sweet smile, which was very endearing. When she passed a bakery, she even managed to get a whole loaf of dry bread from them.
Biting into a dry piece of bread, Lu Xiaofang stopped in front of a rather eye-catching building.
Compared to the filth and chaos of the lower town, this small building is relatively clean, although... there is also a lot of filth on the side walls—public toilets are severely lacking in this area.
The small building has a large sign that reads four characters: Merchants' Guild.
Song Xiaozhu blinked, recalling the games she used to play, like the Merchants' Guild, the Adventurer Guild, the Warrior Guild...
Art originates from life, and the ultimate "game" is also an art form.
The Merchants' Guild here caters to Awakened of various "Merchant" classes.
Lu Xiaofang was a "trading merchant," a profession that was considered the lowest among "merchants."
After observing for a while, Song Xiaozhu roughly understood that this "traveling merchant" was equivalent to a courier.
Throughout the day, Lu Xiaofang shuttled between the Chamber of Commerce and the Lower City, moving various goods back and forth.
Despite her small stature, she possesses considerable strength and a quick wit, always managing to find the easiest route to deliver multiple goods simultaneously.
This female deliverywoman also occasionally works as a food delivery driver.
Lu Xiaofang, who had been busy all day, earned 10 silver coins.
She looked utterly dejected as she settled accounts with the Chamber of Commerce.
The "beast merchant" at the counter slowly said to her, " Xiaofang, there's big money to be made outside the city. You can't give up just because of one failure. Your sister still has savings, right? Rent three more Gorilla Beast, and I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"