Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 45 Ning Yan
Border defense zone, Charlie Sugar Factory branch.

Watson, like the other criminals, was bent over, harvesting a blood-red sugarcane with a sickle.

This type of sugarcane is called "red sickle" because its juice is exceptionally sweet and is one of the main raw materials for Charlie Sugar Factory.

The air was filled with a cloyingly sweet smell, mixed with the stench of sweat and earth.

The overseer sat lazily on a high place, occasionally waving his stun baton to urge those who were a little slower on.

For Watson and his colleagues, the greatest fear was not the endless labor, but the hundreds of enormous machines deep within the factory.

[Manual Centrifuge]

When Watson first saw it, he could barely breathe.

It was a behemoth consisting of a welded steel frame and an aluminum alloy rotor.

Around its circumference, there is a circular array of pedals consisting of one hundred people.

Every person heavily indebted, or deemed a criminal who has lost their value as a laborer, will be sent to that array.

Like livestock pulling a millstone, they drive independent crankshafts, providing the centrifuge with its most primitive power.

When the machine speed reaches 3000 revolutions per second, the terrifying separation process begins.

Watson watched as the "living bodies" that were sent in were torn apart bit by bit by centrifugal force.

Bones, spinal fluid, cytosol... all valuable substances are separated, transported through different pipelines, and processed by workers.

Fat is refined into glycerin, skin is tanned into artificial leather, and blood is used to make industrial dyes.
As for those "dead bodies" that have been squeezed dry, they are sent to the incinerator along with their bones to be made into bone charcoal.

Aside from debt-ridden gamblers, most of those sent in were elderly, demented clones, each with a vacant stare, numbly jumping into the machine.

Each time, Watson could hear a piercing scream coming from inside the machine.

Each time, he could smell the faint scent of blood and burnt flesh in the air.

When he returned from the sugar factory, the screams were still echoing in his ears.

He knew that if he couldn't repay that high-interest loan, one day he would become raw material for that machine.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

The old foreman pulled him back from his fear.

He handed me a protein bar, saying, "You haven't eaten all day, take this."

Watson took the protein bar and whispered his thanks.

The old foreman looked at him and sighed, as if looking at his younger self.

"When I first came here, I was just as stupid as you. I borrowed 10,000 credits from someone, and then that person ran away after I redeemed them."

His voice was hoarse. "Back then, the returns were high, and I thought I could pay it off in a few years. But as a result, my salary kept getting lower and lower, and the interest kept snowballing. It took me thirty years to pay it off."

"Later, I got used to staying here and didn't want to leave, since all my family members were dead anyway."

The old foreman shook his head: "When I die too, you'll take my place. Being a foreman is relatively easy."

"I will not."

Watson took a big bite of the protein bar, his eyes unusually determined.

"My fate will not be like this."

The old foreman scoffed, "You still expect that person to come back and redeem you? Don't be so optimistic."

The outer city of Zhongdu, the seventh district.

A convoy of armored vehicles slowly drove in and stopped before the first checkpoint.

The overwhelming feeling is one of poverty.

The streets were narrow, sewage flowed everywhere, and there was a sour, rotten smell in the air.

On both sides of the road are low shacks made of scrap metal sheets and wood scraps.

The plastic sheeting on these roofs comes in various colors, a vibrant yet exquisite display of poverty.

The convoy continued on its way, leaving the outer slum.

The area in front was gradually replaced by chimneys and pipes.

This is an industrial area.

The deafening roar of machinery could be heard even through the car window, and black smoke billowed from the chimney, turning the surrounding area a leaden gray.

Workers in uniform walked along the roadside, their faces expressionless, their clothes stained with indelible oil.

Further on, the environment changes again.

The road is wide and flat, with neat buildings on both sides.

This is the central area of ​​the seventh district, and its level of prosperity is comparable to that of the center of Linhai City.

Neon signs flickered amidst the gray buildings, and sheriffs patrolled the streets as pedestrians hurried by.

Everything was in order, but that was all.

As the convoy passed through a 50-meter-high, dark gray wall, the world was instantly switched.

Zhongdu, the inner city.

The first thing that catches the eye is the industrial area.

There is no black smoke, no noise, only rows of huge, pure white factory buildings standing quietly.

As the convoy passed by, the highly automated production line inside could be seen through the huge glass curtain wall.

Bionic and cloned humans, dressed in sterile suits, perform precise operations on the production line with synchronized movements.

As you move forward, the scenery changes once again.

The towering factories have been replaced by rows of transparent "vertical agricultural towers".

Inside the tower, various grain crops grown hydroponically display vibrant colors under artificial lighting.

In the air, there are public transportation vehicles gliding silently.

There was no litter or unpleasant odor on the street ahead, only fresh air with a slight coolness.

There were few pedestrians, and everyone was well-dressed, with a composed and sophisticated air about them.

That's a residential area.

A dozen guards in white uniforms stepped forward and guided the convoy to park in the designated area.

This was only because of Nan Yiwei and her companion; a normal armed convoy wouldn't be able to enter the inner city at all.

A black hovercar glided up to the side of the convoy.

The car door opened upwards. Lolo had changed into a clean dress, and the swelling on her face had completely subsided.

She stepped off the exploration vehicle and was about to get into the hovercar when she suddenly remembered something.

She beckoned to the grey goose, her tone as if she were ordering a servant.

"You, Grey Goose."

The grey goose didn't move, and stared at her.

"From now on, you will be my personal bodyguard until I find a more suitable candidate."

This is not a request, it is a command.

Grey Goose frowned slightly, wondering how to politely decline.

Lolo paused, his gaze falling on her tactical mask with a hint of doubt.

"Also, take that thing off. I don't want to talk to someone who doesn't even dare to show their face."

The Grey Goose crew members' expressions changed slightly.

"Hey, I told you to take off your mask."

Grey Goose remained silent for a moment, then finally raised her hand.

She first unbuckled her helmet, took it off, and revealed her long black hair.

Then, the mask was slowly removed.

The arrogance on Lolo's face was instantly replaced by astonishment.

It was a face that had been completely destroyed, with dark green spiderweb-like markings and shrunken, sunken skin that looked ferocious and terrifying.

These are symptoms of infection with "spider fungus," which are present in many displaced people.

Moreover, the greylag goose's symptoms had spread to its face, indicating that the disease was terminal and incurable.

"you……"

Lolo instinctively took a step back, her face filled with undisguised disgust.

"You're so ugly, you're disgusting."

She left those words behind, turned and walked away, as if staying even a second longer would be torture.

Grey Goose stood quietly for a while, then raised her hand and put the mask back on, covering half of her face.

"You guys take a rest, we'll head back to Linhai City tonight." After giving instructions to her team members, Grey Goose left alone.

The team members nodded hurriedly, and felt bad as they watched their team leader leave.

The former team leader was breathtakingly beautiful, completely different from those women wearing bionic masks. Countless people in the mercenary group admired her.

Later, during a mission deep in the mountains, a group of people accidentally entered a spider fungus forest. In order to save her crew members, Grey Goose fell into the fungus forest herself.

From that day on, the gray goose, tormented by the poison, became aloof and indifferent, keeping strangers at bay.

She was unable to get promoted within the organization for a long time, and served as an action team leader for many years.

Ignoring her team members' complicated feelings, Grey Goose walked through the bustling area and into the narrow alleys of the refugee district.

Finally, we stopped in front of an inconspicuous iron gate with a sign that read "Hope Home".

The door was pushed open, and an elderly woman with gray hair came out. When she saw Grey Goose, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"You came."

"Yes, I've been busy with tasks lately, and my salary has been deducted quite a bit. It will be more next time."

Grey Goose took out a stack of gold notes from his pocket and handed them over.

"Yan, it's enough that you have this intention."

The old woman took the money and sighed, "Recently, fewer people are willing to donate, but there are more and more orphans."

Grey Goose followed her into the house.

"Sister is here!"

A dozen or so children immediately surrounded them, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

She smiled, squatted down, took out candy from her backpack, and gave it to each child.

Finally, she came to a girl.

"Chuchu, you've grown taller again."

The girl, named Chuchu, was six years old. She was holding a worn-out doll in her arms, looking slightly aggrieved: "Sister, I miss you so much."

Grey Goose walked up to her, squatted down, gently smoothed her messy hair, and handed the girl the largest piece of candy.

Have you done your homework?

Chu Chu nodded.

Another slightly older girl walked over; her name was Lilith, and she seemed to be asking for credit.
"Sister Yan, I taught her the math problems."

Lilith was one of the first orphans Grey Geese brought back from the ruins, and now she is a little helper at the House of Hope.

"You are all great."

Grey Goose patted their heads, a rare hint of warmth appearing in her eyes.

The afternoon passed quickly.

The moment of parting.

"My sister is going back."

Chu Chu grabbed the hem of her clothes, feeling a little reluctant, but not knowing how to stop her. She lowered her head and pouted.

"Chuchu, Lilith, I promise you, I'll come earlier next time, okay?"

"not good."

Lilith was a little sad, turned and ran away, not wanting Grey Goose to see her tears.

"Sister Grey Goose".

Chu Chu suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "Why are you so good to us?"

Grey Goose crouched down and patted her head.

"Maybe, because I also have the surname Chu."

Her voice was very soft, like a breeze: "Chuchu, you must remember, my real name is Chu Ningyan."

(End of this chapter)