"How did you recognize me at the state university?" Xu Le asked, lowering his head. Li Wei hadn't noticed the heaviness in his companion's mood and smiled as he replied, "You started working at the repair shop, and now many people know. I thought about it, and although it shouldn't cause any trouble, it's still something you worked hard for, so I wanted to inform you."
Doesn't cause any trouble? Really? Xu Le examined himself internally but couldn't find an answer. That electric shock stick, a standard military weapon, could easily be traced back to him if the police station decided to investigate. They could check his identification, recheck Uncle's identification, and uncover his status as a military deserter.
He should be angry at Li Wei for losing the electric shock stick. After all, he had repeatedly warned him about it. However, seeing Li Wei's exhausted face at that moment, Xu Le's heart softened, and he didn't say anything. He had heard that Li Wei and the group of orphans had been fighting for territory during this month and were probably tired.
There were plenty of weapons from the military on the black market, and hiding the electric shock stick inside a broken crystal screen seemed clever enough not to attract too much attention. Xu Le comforted himself with this thought and patted Li Wei's shoulder, saying earnestly, "You still haven't looked at that thing, but... about what you said earlier, try not to resort to violence. In the future, always look for a proper job."
"What proper jobs are there in Eastwood? Did you see the students protesting on the streets today? The unemployment rate is already at 30%, and that's not even counting after the crystal ore complex goes bankrupt. Where are these elders supposed to go?" Li Wei ran his hand through his messy golden hair, stubbornly saying, "I want to be outstanding. I don't want to rely on handouts for the rest of my life."
"Protest?" Xu Le was startled. The Eastwood Grand District rarely saw any political activism. The previous event on Bell Tower Street was a significant occurrence, but it seemed strange that students who hadn't even finished their studies would take to the streets to protest.
"Many people were there just to watch. It's said to be organized by the Veterans Association. Apparently, there are issues with the Capital Star Circle elections, and the opposition believes they're unfair, so they organized a massive federal parade," Li Wei explained as he held the heavy books in his hands and walked towards the street. "Oh," Xu Le responded, feeling heavy-hearted, offering a casual agreement.
He and Li Wei knew nothing about politics and had kept their distance from it, uninterested in getting involved. Although fairness didn't truly exist in federal society, with the upper class represented by the Seven Great Families always having more advantages than ordinary people, and the dark oppressions hidden beneath the bright coat of legal justice... what did it have to do with them? Their lives had always been unfair, and they had long grown accustomed to it, their warm blood hardened.
Upon returning to the repair shop in the fourth block of Xianglan Avenue, Xu Le hesitated before telling Boss Feng Yu about the intercepted electric shock stick. Unexpectedly, Uncle Feng Yu showed no concern at all, as if he believed that Xu Le's identity as a rebellious deserter would never be exposed.
And indeed, that was the case. In the following ten days, nothing happened in the Eastwood Grand District apart from the impact of the federal parade. The faction battles using military-grade weapons were common in federal society, and no one important would spare the time to pay attention to a small repair shop like theirs.
However, Xu Le remained cautious. He had an unshakable feeling that he couldn't shake off, a feeling that he would encounter trouble if the electric shock stick fell into the hands of the police. He didn't know if the trouble would be big or small, so he started practicing that set of movements more diligently, frequently returning to the mine tunnel to dance with the stray cats, performing the stiff dance.
Days passed, and Feng Yu looked at Xu Le, drenched in sweat, and said mockingly, "You still don't believe that individual strength is useless in front of metal machinery?"
Xu Le closed his eyes, feeling the tremors in his muscles and how they were becoming more pronounced. He tried to understand the true purpose of this trembling, the sound it made. Clenching his teeth, he replied, "Until now, I haven't changed my mind. But the issue is, if the authorities really catch us, you won't have the money to provide me with a mech suit... and even if you did, I wouldn't use it. Apart from becoming someone else, what other options do I have?"
"Are you still worried about that electric shock stick?" Feng Yu furrowed his brow, not understanding why this child was so naturally cautious. Then he smiled and said, "Don't forget about the chip at the back of your neck. Under the first charter's surveillance, if the authorities really want to arrest you, where can you escape to? Become a refugee in Bermuda or work as a treasonous thief in the Empire?"
With the extensive electronic surveillance network in the federal society, theoretically, it could control all criminal activities. Xu Le wasn't flustered upon hearing these words and replied earnestly, "Boss, as a deserter, you've managed to live well. I believe you must have a way."
"Quite the audacious statement. If someone in this world can remove the chip from their body without triggering the federal monitoring network, they would surely win the Nebula Prize," Feng Yu taunted with a smile. "You just celebrated your 16th birthday last week, yet you're more cautious than a middle-aged chief. It's quite absurd."
Xu Le retorted sarcastically, "Let's not forget about your rotten teeth. You paid a hefty price just for a new dental record, afraid of being arrested by the government and military. Yet, you still have the audacity to mock my caution."
Feng Yu shook his head helplessly, choosing not to argue further.
...
...
Days passed peacefully, and Xu Le began to wonder if he was being overly timid. Little did he and Li Wei know that in this city, another person shared their worries. That person was Deputy Director Bao Longtao from the second police station. Since the embarrassing incident at the governor's office several months ago, his influence within the police department had significantly weakened.
"Having to file a report for taking evidence, and it takes two months for examination?" Deputy Director Bao chuckled self-deprecatingly as he looked at the metal rod in the vacuum bag on his desk. In his previous position, he wouldn't have had to go through such trouble.
Unaware of the consequences, he despised these orphans even more. If it weren't for the incident on Bell Tower Street, the report he had requested to be transferred would have been resolved long ago. The Capital Star Circle families wouldn't have bothered with him for so long. However, he didn't dare to retaliate against these orphans these days because he wasn't sure if the person with the hat that night was a real federal special agent.
Wearing gloves, Deputy Director Bao took out the metal rod from the bag and narrowed his eyes as he examined the fine current generator inside. He secretly wondered if this electric shock stick had any connection to the federal special agent. Although such military weapons could be found in the black market, they were quite expensive, and these orphans shouldn't have the financial resources to acquire one.
After contemplating for a long time, Deputy Director Bao decided to investigate this matter. Of course, he wouldn't do the investigation personally, but he wanted to confirm whether a federal special agent had indeed entered Hexi Province. In the Capital Star Circle, Deputy Director Bao had several allies in research agencies who could assist him. He wrote the address of the recipient on an official envelope and instructed his secretary to send the exhibit to the evaluation branch of the Area Highwood 17 research institute.
Little did this powerless deputy director know that his small actions would have a significant impact on the future of the federal government.