Chapter 129
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Chapter 129: Backup and Exemption
Not long after Nia left, several figures in black entered the dimly lit basement.
Their waists bulged with concealed weapons, and their steps were firm and deliberate, a clear sign of their extensive training.
Their target was just ahead; killing that woman or bringing back her hands would make their relentless pursuit worthwhile.
A vast fortune of information coins awaited them, promising a life of ease.
This promise came from a genuine authority, leaving no room for doubt.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
After a chaotic burst of gunfire, the daytime black market once again retreated into silence.
Nia, having anticipated this, moved swiftly through the dark tunnel.
She had foreseen everything unfolding behind her.
From the moment she revealed her identity before the other council members, she had prepared for every possible outcome.
Human lifespans are finite, and council members are no exception to mortality.
Yet, as council members, they enjoyed medical advancements beyond the imagination of the outside world.
This granted them a false sense of immortality and fueled their insatiable greed.
According to Nia’s knowledge, a significant rift had emerged in the Hope Council over two decades ago.
This division wasn’t over grand ideologies but rather the inheritance of power and seats.
Council members generally believed that, as one of the ten who shaped humanity’s future, their lives were of greater value.
Discussing human rights in an apocalypse was a luxury few could afford.
The council members largely accepted this notion, either tacitly or with full endorsement, with no overt opposition.
However, their perspectives soon diverged.
Some council members believed they should employ every means to extend their lives and achieve eternal dominion.
Others argued that the essence of life lay in inheritance, and even the most esteemed council members were bound by their humanity and genetic limitations.
The factions avoided open conflict, knowing that escalation would only hasten humanity’s demise.
Instead, they engaged in a subtle, ongoing struggle. Those who favored inheritance eventually donned heavy hoods, concealing their identities.
This ensured that, even when inheritance occurred and new members took their places, the old folks couldn’t identify them, maintaining a fragile balance.
After all, a council member’s authority wasn’t tied to their appearance but to the spire’s recognition.
As for the methods of inheritance, each council member held their own beliefs, and they refrained from interfering with one another.
Later, for reasons unknown, even those who sought eternal life adopted hoods and concealed themselves.
Yet everyone knew the faces beneath remained unchanged.
All this knowledge had been passed down from the previous “Nia.”
Now, the red-haired woman walked through the shadowy corridor, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Someone had finally lost their patience!
Who could it be?
Matthew? Vaughn? Or Bordeaux?
Nia licked her lips; her fishing plan was going smoothly, and she had successfully tricked the other party into making the first move.
Those plotting to harm her…
Since they intended to kill other council members, there was no point in complaining if they ended up being killed in return, right?
—
"Try to see if it can run now."
Shi Jin, holding a wrench in one hand and a small hammer in the other, crawled out from under the jammed production line equipment.
At her command, an assistant pulled down the power switch.
With the roar of machinery, the production line shredder vomited out a pile of indistinguishable debris like a ruminating animal, then continued working.
Shi Jin leaned against the wall and observed for a few minutes; seeing that the machine had no issues, she returned to her position.
The Maintenance Team Leader seemed like a job that wasn’t too busy since, logically, machines shouldn’t break down all the time.
But in Hope City, not only were people exploited, but machines were not spared either.
Many internal gears of the machines were nearly worn down, but new parts had yet to be approved.
Such matters needed to be addressed and negotiated by the maintenance workers, as although the parts had not been approved, production schedules could not be delayed.
Before ten o’clock in the morning, Shi Jin had already completed her second repair for the day.
This machine looked like it wouldn’t last much longer…
She sat in her position, a maintenance manual stained with unknown oils spread out in front of her.
However, Shi Jin’s eyes were subtly gazing toward the second floor.
Through the space that stretched to the roof in the middle of the factory, she could see a group of people bustling in the office of the production line manager.
This made sense; after all, she had just expressed concern for her boss’s boss the night before.
That group was clearly there to investigate.
This was undoubtedly a good thing—so long as the Public Security Team kept a close watch on her boss, that old man would have no time to come down and issue orders to the workers below.
That was his only way of asserting his presence.
While Shi Jin was daydreaming as she looked at the office on the second floor, a serious-looking young man suddenly appeared before her. He held an employee manual and compared the person in front of him with the photo in the manual:
"Maintenance Worker Shi Jin?"
"That’s me; may I ask…?"
"Grab your tools; we need your help."
Shi Jin, seeing the young man’s pistol at his waist, didn’t dare say more. She picked up her toolbox and headed to the second floor.
Walking into the office, she saw the production line manager who had been showing off just yesterday now cowering like a frightened quail in the corner.
His desk had been overturned, revealing a dark green safe.
"Wh- who put this in my office?
"I really don’t know anything!"
The production line manager cried out in a way that delighted Shi Jin, but she didn’t believe him at all.
The young peace officer who brought her upstairs felt the same way; he sneered and said:
"If the Captain were here, you wouldn’t be so defiant.
"Shi Jin, you are the best maintenance worker here; try to open this safe."
"Me? Really?"
Shi Jin feigned surprise.
This wasn’t a mismatch of expertise; it felt too on point.
So much so that Shi Jin even suspected this could be a trap set to capture her, the "Master Hand."
But looking at the bruised and battered production line manager, she felt this was just a plain coincidence.
After much thought, Shi Jin finally spoke cautiously:
"I’ll give it a try, but I can’t guarantee success."
The young man waved his hand:
"Just do your best; he’s in big trouble, so it won’t hurt to try."
Most things in Hope City are standardized, which meant that if Shi Jin could open one safe, the doors of most safes in Hope City would be open to her.
The key question was just where these treasures were hidden…
