"Song Lan."
After Song Lan had put away the dishes and gathered his thoughts, Lu Xiang called him again. Her voice was steady as it had usually been.
The discussion about love had ended in failure. It was time to talk about something serious.
"Yes?"
"Hold onto this."
As he was in deep thought, Lu Xiang took a card with a golden edge from her bag and handed it to Song Lan.
It was her paycheck card.
She was a workaholic, rarely relaxing even after coming home. Often, she would sit alone on her sofa, studying legal documents until midnight. Aside from her job, Lu Xiang did not have any bad habits. Plus, her salary as the head of the Law Enforcers division was quite substantial, so she must have saved quite a bit over the years.
But, wasn't there something wrong with this?
In 2020, the role of handing over the paycheck card was usually played by the male party.
Could it be that this was another bad idea given by "A Love Tip Every Day" to Lu Xiang?
"Take a day off tomorrow and go to the prosthetics shop, the money on the card should be enough."
"...I am actually quite satisfied with my body as it is now."
Caught off guard by her words, Song Lan was stunned for a moment before responding.
In 2166, body modifications had become a trend. For most people around here, it was common to have a gun implanted in one's forearm for self-defense. But for Song Lan, prosthetic modifications were quite horrifying.
When he first arrived, he had researched a lot about it online. Many of those modifications required the flesh to be cut open, bones to be extracted from the inside, and replaced with sturdier metal, not to mention advanced eye and skull modifications.
Although many people who had gone through prosthetic implantation claimed that there was no pain throughout the procedure, Song Lan felt a chill just from accidentally seeing an image of the surgery process.
"This case is complicated, and the situation in District 17 is grim."
Lu Xiang glanced at Song Lan's petite figure. He didn't look like the fighting type at all. If he encountered the lawbreakers who roamed the streets, he was likely in danger. "Chai Ke's men might attack the Law Enforcers, you're a clerical worker, and you're their primary target."
"Is it so serious?"
Song Lan didn't understand.
He was just an ordinary administrative worker, and he didn't provoke anyone. When he walked on the street, he always tried to avoid confrontations, let alone with criminals.
It seemed wrong to bully such an innocent working man. Didn't they have a conscience?
"Yes, they will follow you after work, kidnap you in a deserted alley, torture you, and try to pry information from you."
Lu Xiang said seriously, this was the part she knew best, "Cutting flesh, chopping fingers, breaking teeth, cutting tendons..."
"Hold on, I've got the idea. There's no need to go into so much detail."
Song Lan had to stretch out his hand to interrupt Lu Xiang's detailed explanation. After thinking about it for a second, he felt uncomfortable.
It was no wonder that the Law Enforcers in District 17 had such great respect for Lu Xiang. Despite being a woman, she was always the first to arrive at a gruesome crime scene.
Song Lan admitted that he was not mentally strong, but he felt that as a law-abiding citizen, he didn't need to force himself to accept these terrifying scenes.
Lu Xiang nodded slightly and no longer shared with Song Lan any criminal scenes she had dealt with. In fact, what she had just mentioned were only the lightest methods.
Next, she had to address Song Lan's concerns, "During the surgery, you'll be unconscious and won't feel any pain."
In 2166, it was somewhat unbelievable to reassure a person, especially a Law Enforcer, that a prosthetic modification operation is painless. But Lu Xiang thought that this kind of worry would have been justified when the technique was just emerging a few decades ago.
"Apart from the prosthetic modification, are there any other ways?"
Song Lan couldn't help but ask.
Since Lu Xiang had been so open, he had no choice but to accept this harsh reality.
Fine, he admitted that he had been too naive to hope that criminals would have a conscience. It was as ridiculous as asking "Sir, what kind of work do you do" when someone else was repairing the air conditioner.
"There is. In the assessment for the rescuer, the jury usually examines from three aspects. The first one is the extent of prosthetic modification."
Every time Lu Xiang wanted to discuss this issue with Song Lan, he would always find a way to avoid it. Today, she finally had a chance, and she was determined to change his outdated and stubborn mindset from the root. "The rating standard for this is the most intuitive. Knowing the brands and models of the prosthetics implanted in the candidates' bodies can give an almost accurate evaluation. Those students from wealthy families often go this way."
Enthusiastic netizens summarized the rescuers who went this way - get stronger by spending money.
According to her knowledge, those top tier prosthetic implanted individuals spent an unimaginable amount of money on their bodies.
As the head of the Law Enforcers in District 17, this was the part she knew best, and she naturally moved into the reporting mode, "The second one is to strengthen one's physique through relentless training."
"I think I can do that." Song Lan's eyes lit up and he raised his hand to vote, claiming to have found another way out, "You can save your money. Starting from today, I'll do 100 sit-ups and push-ups before going to bed every day!"
"Objectively speaking, the grannies and grandpas who exercise in Central Park have more of a workout than this."
Lu Xiang continued, "This is the hardest path and requires the most effort. People who take this path must undergo systematic training from an early age and regularly inject drugs to increase the body's limit. The cost of these medicines is much cheaper than direct prosthetic implantation, making it possible for ordinary families to become rescuers. But it's clear that your current level of physical training just isn't enough, and time doesn't allow for it either."
"Isn't there still a third way?"
"The third way..." Lu Xiang suddenly paused, then changed her words, "You don't need to know the third way. You don't have the potential for it. Knowing too much won't do you any good."
She extinguished Song Lan's last hope and said, "So, if you want to have the ability to protect yourself in a short time, prosthetic implantation is the only way. I hope you can overcome your psychological barrier - your personality is not suitable for front-line work, but at least I hope you can protect yourself."