Chapter 36: The Parlos Morning News

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“Recently, the workers’ demonstrations in Rota District have grown increasingly intense. As for the demonstrators’ demands—that factories install additional safety equipment, that wages be raised by twenty percent, and that the minimum working day be reduced to ten hours—this station offers no comment.”

“But we must acknowledge one fact: as of now, the demonstrations have already caused fifteen deaths and more than three hundred injuries. Meanwhile, the various economic losses resulting from the strike are conservatively estimated to reach twelve million credits...”

Across the projected floating screen, all manner of pop-up advertisements continued to appear because no video subscription had been purchased.

Between those advertisements, a perfectly groomed news anchor in a suit smiled flawlessly, his voice gentle as he delivered the morning news.

After getting out of bed, Song Shi watched the program Paloser Morning News while chewing on an energy bar.

Although the corporations controlled public opinion and information, weaving a unique “information cocoon” for every user through one targeted feed after another and wantonly manipulating people’s perceptions and emotions, some things were still difficult to conceal—such as the workers’ marches in Rota District these past few days.

That was why news programs like Paloser Morning News still possessed a certain value. Song Shi also needed such information to assess and analyze the situation in Paloser.

“The municipal government’s latest tender for the city’s power-grid infrastructure was finalized the day before yesterday. Volta Energy has successfully secured the contract.”

“According to this station’s exclusive interview, Mr. Brooks, manager of Volta Energy’s Paloser branch, intends to demonstrate his sincerity and confidence in Paloser’s development prospects by supplying an additional batch of the latest solar sails at below-market prices, thereby creating a more stable power supply for Paloser. We believe that under Volta Energy’s construction efforts, Paloser’s tomorrow will surely be better—”

Volta Energy was one of the nine colossal corporations belonging to the Corporate Alliance: a monopolistic giant in renewable and nonrenewable energy, power-grid components, and the development of cutting-edge energy weapons.

Its orbital weapons cluster, Punishment, was reputed to be capable of erasing a city of a million people from the continental map when operating at full power.

“Now for our third report. Yesterday, the news spokesperson for Emerald Pharmaceuticals’ Paloser branch suddenly announced that preparations for Phase Four of the expansion and redevelopment project in Rota District were nearly complete. Construction would formally begin next March. According to reports, the project would provide more than thirty thousand related jobs while making the city’s industrial structure more complete and rational.”

“Mayor Kent has decided to make a temporary change to his itinerary and visit Emerald Pharmaceuticals’ Paloser branch in order to deepen cooperation and discuss regional deployment...”

Rota District—commonly known as the New Industrial Zone.

After the Old Industrial Zone had fallen under lockdown, Rota District had surpassed it in scale after years of vigorous development. The Third Institute of Mental Psychology, from which Song Shi had escaped three days earlier, was located there as well.

“Expanding again?”

Watching the news, Song Shi pondered for a moment.

On the map, Rota District and Deepmoss District were two urban districts lying directly beside each other.

When they were first planned, this arrangement had been intended to allow the large number of cheap laborers in the former to return home to the latter more quickly, thereby improving attendance and efficiency.

But this new expansion of Rota District would inevitably encroach upon part of the area originally belonging to Deepmoss District. Even if the expansion absorbed some of the population and encouraged them to settle there, that would still be a drop in the ocean compared with the enormous population—nearly sixty percent of the city’s total—crammed into Deepmoss District.

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Nearly sixty percent of the city’s population living in slums was an exceptionally serious situation, even among the cities of the Corporate Alliance.

Under such circumstances, Deepmoss District would become even more overburdened. Quite a few more people would probably die.

“Tch. No... Those actuarial experts fed by the corporations must have calculated this long ago. They’ve decided that the ‘benefits’ outweigh the ‘losses.’”

“Heh. True. Humans can grow back in great numbers before long. Why would they worry about running out?”

Song Shi was smiling, though there was a chill in it.

But he had to admit that, given his “current” circumstances, he truly was powerless.

Even in his previous life, there had been some things... he could not do.

If he killed one lofty director, there would be candidates already waiting, ecstatic to take the vacant seat.

If he carved through a corporation’s headquarters with fire and burned everything inside, companies with the same business, already circling like hungry predators, would pounce upon the corpse, lap up its still-warm blood, and seize the market it had left behind.

Was he supposed to keep killing?

It was not as though he could not...

But even if a colossal corporation collapsed—and that had happened before, more than once—the Corporate Alliance would still stand. The order would remain as it had always been, and as it would be in the future.

Song Shi thought to himself.

Aside from his friendship with a few companions, perhaps this was also why, in his previous life, he had been willing to accept employment from the Dawnbringers.

But it had been only “employment.” He truly could not, as they did, cast everything—including himself—into the idealistic fire of opposing the corporate order and turn it into fuel for a brief, searing blaze.

Beep—beep beep beep.

A burst of flashing icons on the retinal display interrupted Song Shi’s recollections.

An unfamiliar call.

Song Shi’s gaze sharpened. He suddenly realized something, and his entire bearing changed.

Then—

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When Jalidan answered the video call, the young man on the other end looked awkward and flustered. As though frightened, he seemed almost afraid to meet Jalidan’s eyes.

“Oh...”

Jalidan raised an eyebrow, quite pleased by the sight.

“Let me think. Yes, He Yue, right?”

Jalidan slipped smoothly into his routine. “It’s the third day now. How are you feeling? Have you found a job?”

The other man’s eyes widened. “I’m still looking... Wait a second. There’s no way I could find one that quickly! Besides, didn’t we agree on a month?”

“Then why aren’t you trying harder?”

Jalidan bared his teeth, then suddenly forced an ugly smile. “Just kidding. Don’t be so nervous—we’re a legitimate lending company. Since we agreed on a month, then it will be a month.”

“I just remembered something I forgot to tell you at the time. I’m calling now to remind you.”

The other man looked somewhat tense.

“Don’t entertain any thoughts of refusing to repay your debt, and don’t even think about running.”

Jalidan raised his crooked index and middle fingers and tapped beneath his own eyes. His tone turned cold.

“I guarantee that if you do, you’ll regret that thought every single day for the rest of your life.”

The call ended.

Having successfully delivered the threat, Jalidan nodded in satisfaction and could not help laughing.

At the other end of the call, Song Shi casually picked up a scalpel and began to laugh as well.

“Setting the loan aside for the moment, how dare you threaten me?”