The rising sun shatters the darkness!

Chapter 332 This is the Lower City District (Please give me a monthly ticket)

……

Half past two in the morning.

Xu Shu worked hard for most of the night before he finally found a place that looked pretty good and moved in with his whole family.

Because it was getting late, it was clear that the matter of processing the residence order would have to wait until tomorrow.

Fortunately, this matter is not urgent and can be taken slowly.

After temporarily settling his family down, Xu Shu left alone.

He planned to go to the local star tower first, on the one hand to explore the way, and on the other hand to exchange some of the existing property on hand for cultivation resources.

When he walked out of the hotel, it was drizzling outside. Xu Shu casually threw a few coins into the self-service umbrella machine at the door, and went out with the umbrella.

You can't see the stars and the moon on a rainy day.

This may seem like nonsense, but in fact, in the lower city area of ​​Baiyujing... it is even more nonsense.

Because here, even on a sunny day, you can't see the bright night sky.

Walking on the street, late at night, there are still many passers-by in raincoats passing by. They are in a hurry with their heads down, like rats in the sewer.

Xu Shu couldn't help but sigh when he saw it.

Before, he thought that the downtown area was relatively low-lying and had a small population, but it was quiet and had a good environment. It was not noisy, and people could enjoy the sun during the day and the night view at night. Life there was very comfortable.

The actual downtown area is completely the opposite. You can't see the starry sky when you look up, and there are stinky ditches everywhere when you look down. Eight people are crammed into one house, and the ground floor can be rented out!

Oh, there is one thing that is right. The “terrain” is indeed very low, but it is not the kind of low terrain you imagine. It is because…

The entire lower city area refers to the entire city "below the safe zone wall".

In other words, it is the urban area that is still "on the ground".

The "upper town", on the other hand, refers to the area above the horizon of the city wall - as if the people here have redefined the concept of "horizon".

In the eyes of people in the Lower City, the Upper City has fresh air, a broad view, and is spacious and leisurely. When you go out, there are overpasses and elevated roads that lead to every place, and everyone lives like a god - as for the higher "Yunshangtian" fairy mountain area, it is not something ordinary people can even dream of, it is more than just "like a god."

In short, according to the residents of the downtown area here, even the moon is rounder in the "upper city", and everyone is working hard to be able to live in the upper city.

This is no joke, because the moon is almost invisible in the downtown area.

why?
Because the buildings here are almost as tall as the city walls, and many are even a head taller than the city walls.

The monster formed by the steel jungle has extended its claws to every corner of this small urban area, as if this is not enough to utilize the limited land resources in the safe zone to the maximum extent.

These parts that are higher than the city walls together form the "upper city area", which are connected to each other by the "sky bridge horizon". Eating, drinking, defecating and urinating are all done up there, and the residents of the upper city area do not need to come down unless necessary.

The residents of the lower city say they live on the ground, but in fact it seems almost the same as living underground.

Unless you go to specific parks or other areas, if you walk normally in the city, you cannot see the sky when you look up, as your vision has already been occupied by the exterior walls of high-rise buildings.

Not only that, all the garbage needs to be transported from top to bottom and finally sent to a specific processing center through underground tunnels for unified destruction.

This results in the entire lower city area having worse conditions the closer to the ground you get.

If it weren't for the 'air purification structure' that appeared on the wall a short distance away, humming at maximum power and outputting around the clock, I'm afraid even the smell here would become unbearable - I heard that this thing was produced by Mo Palace, and it was only thanks to this that the basic survival needs of the people in the lower city were guaranteed.

Narrow, cramped, dark, damp, capital, exploitation, oppression, disease... one bad synonym after another mixed together to form the unchanging theme of the downtown area.

"No wonder I could see from a distance before that the top floors of those buildings have been transformed into various villas, gardens, and mountain villas. After all this time, the world above and below the city walls are no longer the same." Xu Shu was speechless.

To be honest, even in his previous life, he had never seen such a crowded area.

In similar situations, he seemed to be able to appreciate the wonders of the world only from popular science magazines like "The World's Most Crowded Cities".

Even the population density of the places described in those magazines seems to be dwarfed by that of the lower city of Baiyujing.

Xu Shu even had some doubts about how many people could be crammed into this small city.
The total population of D8B3 is over million, but in order to save space for planting, the residential areas are already quite cramped;

But from the perspective of D9B3 area, Xu Shu felt that the "slum" where his family moved to a few years ago because his adoptive father was seriously ill was like a five-star hotel.

It's a first-class security zone, a base for super powers, but more than 90% of the people in it live in conditions far worse than those in the slums of the third-class security zone?

Is this reasonable?

Regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, it was presented so vividly in front of Xu Shu's eyes, refreshing his worldview.

After walking across several streets with an umbrella, Xu Shu suddenly stopped.

He wiped the rain off his face and looked at the umbrella which had become full of holes in less than twenty minutes. After a slight hesitation, he pushed it directly into the narrow and tight trash can.

Then, he looked in annoyance at the "convenience supermarket" in the distance whose sign was only half lit, and prepared to buy a raincoat like the workers returning home at night.

"It would be nice if my clothes had a self-cleaning function like the Upgrade Drive underwear."

As this thought flashed through Xu Shu's mind, he suddenly remembered something.

He was wearing a 'protective spell', which was given to him by his teacher Gu Pan. It was an armor-type protective spell of the lowest quality.

This thing can be displayed externally, it seems to be able to block rain...

Xu Shu hesitated for a moment, and chose to activate the protective spell, and then his body sank slightly.

The next second, a sturdy and heavy "mech warrior" nearly three meters tall and nearly two meters wide appeared in the narrow alley.

Although as the lowest-grade "ordinary" level protective spell, it only has a +1 physical defense performance, for Xu Shu now, it is not even as strong as his own flesh and blood.

But as a piece of armor, its appearance is still cool enough - so much so that it blocked the alley so tightly that even the corners of the wall were rubbed off by a lot of dust.

The passers-by around were also blocked, and the nearest lady, who was less than 1.5 meters tall but obviously very tired from work, was knocked to the ground by Xu Shu. Her pants were wet. She looked at the Armor Hero who appeared in front of her in confusion and shock.

Even within just a few minutes, a long queue formed. The people in the front stared at Xu Shu in shock without saying a word, while the people behind him were shouting and cursing, wondering what was happening.

"..."

Xu Shu pretended not to see the woman he knocked over, took off his armor expressionlessly, covered his face under the shy, fearful, or annoyed gazes of the crowd, and strode out of everyone's sight, his steps getting faster and faster.

Boom boom boom!
clap clap clap!
He jogged all the way and soon reached the end of the alley, where no one could see him and turned into an inconspicuous store.

“…Fuck, this is so embarrassing!”

Xu Shu, who was almost socially dead, took a few breaths, knocked on the counter, woke up the shop aunt who was about to fall asleep, and took out a hundred-dollar bill: "I want a raincoat, a new one, a good one."

The aunt on the rocking chair opened her eyes, pretending to read the newspaper, glanced at Xu Shu, and reminded him, "Handsome boy, the worst raincoat is 200 yuan and 30 yuan per set, and it's not sold individually."

Xu Shu's expression hardened slightly.

Take less?

The old lady looked at the time and urged, "If you want to buy, hurry up. According to the rules, the price of rain gear will increase by 30% on rainy days. It's not easy for you to make money at such a young age. I don't want to charge you more."

"Is there such a thing?"

"How can I deceive you? Who here doesn't know that our boss is a famous Zhou Paopi? Who doesn't know that I, Xiao Huangli, am the most kind-hearted and honest person?"

After some thinking, I finally figured it out.

It turned out that the owner of this shop was a not-so-rich upper-city guy, and the aunt was just an employee.

No wonder he was reluctant to leave at three in the morning. It was not because of his fighting spirit that urged him to do so, but because his bonus and perfect attendance would be deducted if he left early.

I asked the aunt how much commission she could earn if she increased the price of this raincoat by 30%?

The aunt almost laughed herself into a choke: "Little handsome boy, are you kidding me? Where does our commission come from? Even if I have this thing, I can't sell it to you at the original price."

Xu Shu silently took out a few more coins.

I would like to say thank you to my auntie. I am very grateful.

Put on a dark red plastic raincoat.

Go out and break up the endless stream of water drops.

Looking up at the sky, I feel a lingering shadow.

I feel like a fool who only sees the world from the bottom of a well.

A tattered, low-quality umbrella costs 3.7 yuan to rent. A complete, simple raincoat costs more than 200 yuan.

The people in the upper city are like drifting and scattered dark clouds;

The people in the lower town are like sardines with a blocked pipe.

They enjoy the meaning of life above their heads;
They were trampled into the ground without leaving a trace.

This is the first-class safety zone?

Really...

One by one and wait, curled and twisted!
Looking at the poor living environment in the Lower Town, Xu Shu couldn't help but ask, life is so miserable, why are there so many people scrambling to get in?
It seems that it is not as prosperous and comfortable as this wasteland!
In those small towns where business is booming, everyone has so much hope for their lives, and their lives are simply getting better and better.

But why do people outside want to come in, but people inside don’t want to go out?
This is not like the basic rule of the siege, the people inside should want to get out.

As soon as this question flashed through his mind, Xu Shu thought of the women who were forced into prostitution in Jinbaoshan, the pregnant women in Xinglongzhuang who provided the "sublimation pill" to the Snake Mother, and the ghosts who were lying on the windows and crying for hunger when he passed by Jingwang Mansion.

He looked back at the supermarket sign, which was broken but still lit in the rain, and couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.

Right.

Here, although they are poor, at least they are "treated as human beings".

How hard is life in the wasteland? They are old, how could they not know?
These people are not really stupid. If life outside is really good, why would they fight so hard to come here and live a hard life?

What local gang autonomy? It's just an illusion of prosperity.

In the end, the Star Tower is still the last harbor for mankind.

And there are three hundred and sixty-one star towers like this that can truly protect an area in the entire human race. Oh no, three hundred and sixty!

For some reason, at this moment, Xu Shu felt an inexplicable sense of excitement and heroism mixed with a slight sense of guilt in his heart.

……

……

Half an hour later.

Xu Shu once again saw the Star Tower after not seeing it for several days.

Surrounding the Star Tower are large white jade squares, with other buildings only a few hundred meters away.

This is the area with the widest view in the entire downtown area, bar none.

Looking up, although I can't see the whole picture, I can find that the star tower in front of me looks exactly the same as the star tower in D8B3 area, with no difference at all.

Including the Astronomical Society Station that looks like a circular orbit, the Dawn Church on the east side, the Moon Church on the south side, the Starry Church on the west side, and the Judgment Department Prison on the north...

All the buildings, even the layout, are exactly the same, which almost made Xu Shu feel like he was back in area D8B3.

but……

"With such a poor view from this place, how can the Astronomical Society observe celestial phenomena?"

"They should be in the upper city. No, maybe they are on the Baiyujing floating island at the top. Is there a base nearby?"

"Well, let's go back and ask about the prices of those floating islands and what qualifications are required to live there..."

Several thoughts flashed through Xu Shu's mind silently.

Compared to the downtown area with a cyberpunk flavor, he would rather live on the floating island. After all, the scenery there is better, and the conditions and treatment in all aspects are definitely top-notch.

But it's definitely a lot to ask for.

Without thinking much, he walked to the bottom of the Star Tower through the passage on the side.

Xu Shu was right about one thing. After the "big explosion" accident in area D8B3, checkpoints were indeed set up at the entrance outside the star tower.

Moreover, to make it even stricter, the checkpoint is two-way. Whether you are coming out of the star tower or entering the star tower from the outside, you must show your identity and register on the side.

Xu Shu now had a "letter of introduction" written by the local director, and his identity documents were also in place. He was just missing the last procedure, so he would not be embarrassed and went to register and enter with a swagger.

But he was a little curious, so he asked rather noisily: "What if the people coming out of the Star Tower refuse to register their real names?"

The officer from the Judgment Department smiled, pointed to the prison not far behind him, and said confidently, "Either go back to where you came from, or stay there. We don't accept people of unknown origin in our safe zone!"

Xu Shu smiled.

Okay, okay, that’s how it should be!
This way, this place will be even more desirable to live in.

The next second, the proud staff member suddenly smiled and said to Xu Shu, "By the way, sir, this is your ID, please keep it. Our captain just said that with your status, if you want to transfer to our local organization and join us, you can apply directly through the internal process of the Astronomical Society."

"Oh, I see." Xu Shu put away his certificate unhappily and nodded.

He was also considering this, but since he had just arrived and was unfamiliar with the place, it would not be the best idea to rush in and do everything.

I still have to observe and make a decision. It would be best if I could connect with Bai Sanxiang and the others first. Otherwise, if I go in alone, I might easily get involved in the infighting among local official forces.

Well, be careful!
After thinking for a while, he added, "By the way, you won't spread my news everywhere, right?"

The staff member hurriedly said nervously: "Don't worry, sir, we understand the rules. Unless you instruct us, we will not take the initiative to report your arrival here unless we are checked by the higher-ups. The information is kept strictly confidential!"

Xu Shu rolled his eyes.

How is this different from not keeping it secret?
Isn't it true that anyone who wants to check can find it?

However, this was not something that needed to be concealed. After all, he was "one of us" and not a wanted criminal, so he did not care too much.

Entering the inner hall of the Star Tower, Xu Shu exchanged for an Air-hidden Mask worth 1 contribution point according to his custom, [Uterus·Xuanxiao], which had the shape of a strange vase.

After hiding his original figure, Xu Shu walked into the bottom hall of the Star Tower.

His only feeling was that there were too many people.

Too much!
The busiest airports, stations, etc. in the previous life could not compare with the Star Tower Hall here.

You have to know that it is late at night, almost three in the morning, and there are so many people here. It is conceivable that it will be even busier during the day.

The strength of the first-class safety zone was once again demonstrated.

After walking through the crowds of people coming and going for a while, Xu Shu saw that there was no one at the door of a vacant "space capsule" where someone had just left, so he walked over immediately.

Just then, a girl wearing an Aries mask who was sitting on a bench not far away saw this and immediately stood up and ran over here.

She was less than 1.2 meters tall and had a very petite figure, but she was jumping around very quickly and reached Xu Shu's side in just a few steps.

Xu Shu was stunned, but he saw the girl stretched out her hand and said with a chuckle, seizing the opportunity: "Wait a minute! I came here first..."

At this moment, Xu Shu was quite comfortable with his hands in his pockets, so if he stretched out his hand again, it would definitely not be as fast as the little girl.

However, before the girl could finish her words, Xu Shu curled his lips and said, "I'm sorry, little sister, I'm in a hurry too. According to the rules, whoever touches it first goes in first, hehehehe!"

After saying that, he didn't need to stretch out his hand, but instead thrust his waist forward, pushed the protruding part forward, and passed by the short girl's face, and was the first to touch the cabin door.

It's sizzling!

Xu Shu activated the mechanism instantly and entered the "boarding gate" in a flash.

The hatch closed immediately, leaving only the short girl who was one step away from success standing at the door.

Her body trembled slightly and she touched her face in disbelief. Her eyes almost popped out when she thought about the almost terrifying size of it just brushing past her face during the brief contact just now.

After a while, she let out a scream of frustration, attracting many people around to watch.

At this time, Xu Shu had already sat down in the cabin with his legs crossed.

He could not hear nor care about the noise outside, but calmly turned on his upgrade drive, moved the light curtain to the recessed slot in front, and embedded it deeply:

* Upgraded network
*Gu Pan (Taichu), Level 2 Iron Armor

*Contributions: 84
[First-level Curse: Hercule (Legend) // Level: 20/20]

[Second-level Curse Seal: Iron Armor (Legendary) // Level: 14/20]

(End of this chapter)