Page 46
She could even build a customer base of her own. Once these people experienced the benefits of her tools, they would take the initiative to keep her safe.
-If she died, there would be no more tools.
Perhaps a "craftsman" was nothing special in the Fortress.
But on this barren Garbage Mountain, a "craftsman" was rare enough.
Song Xiaozhu patiently explained all this to Qiu Shuyu. Qiu Shuyu understood her reasoning, but still could not help saying, "You don't understand those villains. They can be truly terrifying. Once they know your value, I'm afraid they'll lock you up and make you produce tools day and night."
Song Xiaozhu had considered this too, but...
"What difference would it make?" She looked at Qiu Shuyu and asked earnestly, "If I get scared because of that and don't dare do anything, just hide here and there on Garbage Mountain, how would that be any different from being locked up?"
Qiu Shuyu froze.
Song Xiaozhu continued, "Besides, there's no such thing as absolute safety. Even if I don't reveal that I'm a 'craftsman' and just quietly scrape by in the community, Shang Bao still barges in... I don't want to keep passively hiding anymore. I want to firmly establish myself in the commu-
nity."
As she spoke, she paused, her voice deepening slightly. "Sister Shuyu, we only live once. Surely we can't spend our lives being this spineless."
Qiu Shuyu listened in a daze.
We only live once...
Shouldn't we refuse to live so spinelessly?
Song Xiaozhu continued, "I'd rather not have a life spent scraping by in a garbage heap."
Qiu Shuyu was shaken.
That's right... Why did I escape Ink City? Why did I leave the Fortress everyone dreams of...
Because she did not want to spend her whole life shackled and branded, becoming a killing machine with no self of her own.
She had come to the foot of Garbage Mountain for freedom.
Song Xiaozhu wanted freedom too.
"I understand." Qiu Shuyu let out a soft breath and looked at Song Xiaozhu. "Go ahead and do it."
Indeed, why should they have to skulk around in garbage heaps?
Why should villains rob their lives of value?
If they truly could only scrape by in garbage heaps, they might as well fight those villains to the death!
Song Xiaozhu smiled and clasped Qiu Shuyu's hand in return. "Don't worry. I'm not reckless. Of course I'll lay some groundwork and make sure it's safe enough before revealing my 'craftsman' profession... Hmm, here's what I'm thinking, Sister Shuyu..."
The two talked the whole way and returned to the community before dark.
Song Xiaozhu had talked until her mouth was dry, while Qiu Shuyu's eyes shone as she listened.
"This... this..."
"It's fine. Leave it all to me. You just need to know."
Unexpectedly, Qiu Shuyu said, "So Master Bai is a preacher for the Day After Tomorrow Society!"
Song Xiaozhu: "..."
After all that explaining, she had only meant to get Qiu Shuyu to help her invoke a powerful backer's name when circumstances left her no choice. Instead, she had thoroughly hoodwinked this "first person in the know."
"People from the Fortress really can't be trusted..." Qiu Shuyu sighed. "The Day After Tomorrow Society's rebels aren't vicious criminals!"
Song Xiaozhu: "..."
Forget it. No more explaining. Let Qiu Shuyu believe it. That'll make the story less likely to fall apart.
Song Xiaozhu had found the "Day After Tomorrow Society" in Li Siyuan's memory fragments...
Under the financial conglomerates' brutal exploitation, there were bound to be people who resisted, and the Day After Tomorrow Society was a rebel force that had gained some renown in recent years.
Even Li Siyuan, who lived in the Holy City's "Clouds," had heard of them.
Of course, the young lady had paid them no mind.
Never mind one little rebel force-even a hundred thousand of them could not shake Han-Tang Technology's foundations.
And up in the "Clouds," she had nothing to worry about.
Song Xiaozhu knew very little about the Day After Tomorrow Society, but she knew that in this scavenger community, some grassroots organizations had more influence than the financial conglomerates in the Fortress.
All she needed was a name. Then she could shoehorn Bai Jing into it and give him an impressive identity. As his direct disciple, she would gain an invisible backer.
Of course, she might never need to invoke that powerful name.
Unless she had absolutely no other choice, she did not want to make a show of it.
Song Xiaozhu reminded Qiu Shuyu again, "Don't tell anyone."
Qiu Shuyu nodded repeatedly. "I'll keep it secret!"
Song Xiaozhu: "..."
Fine. It worked.
By the time they returned to the community, it was dark.
With forty yuan in hand, Qiu Shuyu was full of confidence. "Come on, I'm taking you to the tavern for dinner tonight."
Song Xiaozhu said, "Let's eat at home. I experimented some more today, and the wild vegetable mush tastes even better now."
Qiu Shuyu said, "Don't worry. I have more jobs over the next few days. I can earn this much every day. We..."
Song Xiaozhu shook her head and interrupted, "Master Bai isn't back yet. Let's keep out of sight as much as possible."
"True..." Remembering the incident with Shang Bao, Qiu Shuyu fell quiet. "I'll take you out for something delicious later."
Song Xiaozhu did not think this community's little tavern had anything delicious.
Even without Li Siyuan's memories, any random little roadside restaurant in her own world would wipe the floor with this place's one and only "grand tavern."
Song Xiaozhu deliberately asked, "Sister Shuyu, do you think my cooking tastes bad?"
Qiu Shuyu hurriedly said, "It's good. Really good!"
"Then why do you want to take me out for something delicious? Is the tavern's food better than mine?"
"Uh..." Qiu Shuyu was an honest person. She actually gave it some thought before saying, "It's not as good as yours..."
Song Xiaozhu smiled. "Exactly! All we have to do is go home, and we can eat something delicious!"
In the tavern at the scavenger community.
Tian Man, Luo Liuzi, and Liu Mu had returned early. With money in their pockets, they had generously spent a whole yuan to climb aboard a small truck heading back to the community, riding into the wind all the way home.
Now that they had money, they naturally had to have a few drinks. The three went to the tavern together, ordered food as well as three bottles of liquor, and gathered around a table to drink.