Chapter Thirty-One: Technology

"Your order is ready!"

The stall owner’s piercing voice interrupted Song Shi’s train of thought.

"Oh, thanks."

Song Shi snapped back to reality, grabbed the bag, and began eating immediately. The palm-sized hot dog was slathered in a sauce he couldn't name—sour and sweet. The two burgers were quite filling, though not particularly delicious; the canned vegetables were overly salty, and the synthetic meat patty in the middle had a gritty texture.

Still, for a fast-food meal costing twenty-some credits, one couldn't ask for much. Besides, this was already on the higher end for a street stall. Not far away was another stand where they sold roasted white grubs—truly the cheapest snack available.

Cultivated in centralized vertical farms, white grubs were the most common source of protein for the impoverished in this era. Through genetic modification and selective breeding, these grubs could grow up to twenty centimeters long. Plump and round, they were rich in high-quality protein and could be harvested steadily in just twenty days—making them an excellent choice, whether processed into canned synthetic meat or eaten directly.

When the technology was first developed by "Pure White Biologicals," it was even named one of the "Outstanding Technological Innovations of the Year."

Of course, there were downsides. First, the texture was terrible, like chewing on wax. Second, because these were genetically modified organisms, and to increase individual weight, accelerate growth cycles, and capture seasonal market share, farms would inevitably over-rely on various hormones, which could cause health issues if consumed in excess.

But no matter what, it was still better than starving to death. This was, after all, a path to survival explicitly provided by the Corporation. People might grumble about it, but when it came down to it, they still felt a sense of gratitude.

Song Shi, however, wasn't interested. It wasn't out of disdain, but simply because he had eaten so many of them in the past that he preferred to keep his distance. This applied to both his current body and his previous life.

In his previous life, Song Shi was from the "Pan-Eastern Continental Union," a place nominally led by the "Upper Council" but actually rife with undercurrents of conflict between various states and provinces. Of course, none of that had anything to do with him. He had also grown up in an orphanage without parents, but that institution was far less compassionate than the Romond Orphanage his current body had known. He had been kicked out at fifteen to fend for himself. During his time there, because the Union had adopted the "white grub cultivation" industry, the orphanage director—to skim more off the budget—would force them to eat a white grub diet for over half a month at a time, for every meal of the day.

It was hard to endure. So, Song Shi really didn't want to touch the things.

"Sigh, I forgot to ask for it iced..."

After awakening his psionic powers, a psionicist's appetite increased significantly. Song Shi finished the hot dog and burgers quickly, only realizing after taking a gulp of his drink that he had forgotten to ask for it chilled. This low-quality beverage, made purely of water, food coloring, and saccharin, was quite astringent without ice.

Song Shi shook his head and sighed, but he finished the rest in one go anyway. He checked the time; it was past eight in the evening. It was time to find a new place to stay. He only had a few hundred credits left, which wouldn't last long, and the deadline for the Vow [Blood and Fire] was before the dawn of the nineteenth day.

In other words, he needed to find a way to make money, start learning his second psionic technique as soon as possible, and simultaneously find an opportunity to complete his vow of vengeance. To satisfy the Path, the target had to be at least of Vidani’s caliber.

"Looking at it this way, the mission is quite tight."

Song Shi muttered to himself, yet a glimmer of joy surfaced in the depths of his eyes. A path without difficulties, one that follows a predictable routine, can never offer a glimpse of the scenery at the summit. Besides...

Song Shi began to smile slowly.

It is precisely because of the hardships and dangers that the climb is worth it! Only such challenges could provide him with real motivation and make him feel truly alive.

...

Walking for a while along the dim, gloomy streets, Song Shi suddenly noticed something.

It was a casual glance, but behind a rusted guardrail in the distance, within an open-air parking lot scattered with all kinds of trash and overgrown weeds, two figures stood beside an old pickup truck. One was crouching by the car door, fumbling with something, while the other stood guard, looking around nervously.

The moment he saw this, Song Shi understood—he had stumbled upon a car theft in progress. Although he wasn't close, based on his experience, their method was likely the most primitive lock-picking. As for using network technology to open the door with a single thought and taking full control of the vehicle's systems—he didn't think these two were "net-domain hackers."

A moment later, the one standing guard noticed Song Shi’s gaze.

They had accidentally stumbled upon a car-theft guide circulating online and thought there was good money to be made, so they decided to try it out. This was their first time stealing a car, and both were incredibly nervous. The number of patrol officers deployed by the Bureau of Security in the Deep Moss District was low, and with infrastructure—including surveillance—in a state of disrepair, the law didn't hold much deterrent power here.

If they were caught, having an arm removed would be considered a standard consequence. Thus, the moment Song Shi’s gaze fell upon them, they noticed.

The air froze for a second.

The guard shivered, but then, thinking of his companion about to pry the door open, a surge of courage rose within him.

I can do this.

He chanted to himself. Before deciding to come out, he had binge-watched the entire "Hardboiled Sean" trilogy! Immersive simulated films! He had learned a thing or two!

Imagining that he wasn't holding half a baseball bat, but rather Sean’s iconic signature weapon, the retro automatic revolver—the Sky-Suspended Wheel—he mimicked the tone he imagined Sean would use, his voice filled with magnetic gravity:

"—Don't be a busybody. You didn't see anything. Get out of here, fast."

"Is that so?"

Song Shi spoke with interest. Watching these two clearly underage kids, he marveled at how the Deep Moss District was truly a place of "extraordinary talent," while also reflecting on his own strange luck—how little time had passed, and he had encountered such a thing again.

The other party stiffened.

They realized this passerby was just standing there, watching them. The boy subconsciously turned his head to look at his companion, noticing they were both sweating profusely.

"What do we do?"

"How should I know!"

"It was your idea in the first place!"

"Didn't you agree with it just as much!"

"Should we just run?"

The two tried to communicate with their eyes.

Just as Song Shi was about to say something, he suddenly turned his head, looking in a certain direction.

The next moment, accompanied by a figure emerging from the darkness nearby, a voice cut in.

"What... are you doing?"