Chapter 12: Unrewarding Patrols

Walking aimlessly along the dilapidated street, Lu Xin realized it had been a long time since he’d truly looked at it.

The street was riddled with potholes and dust, puddles lingering from rain several days ago.

Blinding neon signs tangled everywhere, merging into chaotic yet brilliant splashes of color.

After the Red Moon incident, the surviving humans within the High Walls seemed to have split into two distinct groups.

One group was incredibly busy, always rushing, never having time to spare a glance at anything.

The other group was incredibly *not* busy. They sat listlessly on either side of the street, a cloth spread or a table set up before them, displaying wild vegetables, unidentifiable meats, crudely sharpened knives, or perhaps worn-out ornaments and unknown technological items scavenged by hunters exploring the ruined cities outside the walls.

Many others simply gathered in small groups, smoking and whistling at women passing by.

There were still many madmen outside. When the High-wall City was first built, there was a period when people couldn’t even get enough to eat. But perhaps because the number of people needing food in the world had suddenly decreased drastically, easing the resource pressure, or maybe because the speed of civilization’s reconstruction exceeded everyone’s expectations, in just thirty short years, famine and starvation had become rare within the High Walls…

…Simply put, filling one’s stomach wasn’t difficult within the High-wall City.

…What was difficult was figuring out how to live a little better!

These people idling aimlessly on the streets were like that. They hadn’t even obtained official residency in the Second Satellite City, couldn’t enter vocational schools or regular schools, and had no hope of ever living in the Main City.

So, they had given up on all pursuits, neither working nor thinking about tomorrow’s survival.

They just wandered the streets daily, numbly watching everything pass by, their eyes empty, lost in unknown thoughts.

…

…

Lu Xin walked through the street just like that, observing everyone.

He scanned the crowds, searching for dangerous individuals like the clerk from the corner Coffee Shop.

If he could just catch one, he could earn a huge sum of money and save many lives.

His sister’s figure would appear unexpectedly beside him. Sometimes, she’d be on a high-rise building nearby; other times, she’d lazily crawl across the power lines overhead; occasionally, she’d pop up on some bald uncle’s head.

The siblings patrolled the street earnestly.

And encountered nothing.

“This city is too big…”

After wandering through seven or eight streets until his legs ached, Lu Xin squatted by the roadside, eating a boxed meal while smoking.

He mentally summarized his experience: “Although the population was small when the High-wall City was first built, the number of people born in these decades has exploded. Just our Second Satellite City alone has over a million residents. Even the police complain daily about being understaffed. Me just bumping around randomly like this and finding nothing is perfectly normal…”

“If I patrol a few more times, I’ll definitely find someone…”

…

After finishing his boxed meal, Lu Xin patrolled a while longer, then went home to sleep before work the next day.

He continued this routine for the next few days.

However, this excessively normal city left Lu Xin somewhat disappointed. Absolutely nothing strange happened.

“If this city is too safe, and there’s no need for me, will Colonel Chen and the others revoke my allowance?”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but start worrying.

He hadn’t expected, however, that his other job would run into problems first.

“Little Lu, you don’t need to come into work starting tomorrow!”

The Director, half-bald but with his remaining hair meticulously combed, pushed a termination contract across the desk towards Lu Xin.

“Why?”

The Director’s words stunned Lu Xin, leaving him unable to comprehend.

He hadn’t even finalized his special investigator position, and now his regular job was gone? How could he accept this?

Although getting fired was common in this post-Red Moon world due to economic instability—especially for office jobs like his that only required brainpower rather than backbreaking labor at the docks or factories, attracting fierce competition—Lu Xin never thought it would happen to him.

He worked diligently and hadn’t made any major mistakes in all these years.

He was even a model employee; the commendation banner was still hanging in his cubicle.

Even if someone had to be let go, how could it possibly be him?

…

…

“Regarding this matter, Little Lu, you need to understand!”

The Director forced a smile, pulling out a cigarette and offering it to Lu Xin, revealing smoke-stained yellow teeth. “The company isn’t doing well right now. We can’t afford too many people for the same job. Comparing you and Little Lü, your skills are pretty much the same. But, Little Lü’s work attitude is much better than yours. Look at you, leaving early every day recently, gone before closing time…”

“Lü Cheng?”

Lu Xin remembered the young man who used to always ask him with a fawning smile how to handle work tasks. He fell silent.

He also understood what the Director meant by him ‘leaving early.’

In reality, he hadn’t left early; he just hadn’t voluntarily stayed late for overtime.

“Director, can you give me another chance?”

Lu Xin had many things he wanted to say, but in the end, he only asked quietly.

A troubled expression appeared on the Director’s face. “Sigh, you’re an old employee, I hate to let you go too. But you know how our company is, one spot per person, we can’t afford idlers. When abilities are equal, attitude is very important…”

Lu Xin didn’t listen to the rest, because he knew it was all lies.

Leaving the Director’s office, he saw that his belongings had already been packed into a box.

He wondered who had been so considerate.

“Lü Cheng packed it for you. He’s been wanting to move into your spot for a while…”

Sun Ayi, the woman with permed hair from the neighboring cubicle, whispered to Lu Xin, “Little Lu, it’s not that Sister Sun is nagging you, but you’re just too honest. I told you before not to teach others everything. See? He snatched your job, didn’t he? I heard this kid is something else. He’s dating the Director’s daughter! The Director is so clever, how could he not give the job to his own family?”

Lu Xin silently looked at the banner inside his box, reached into his backpack, and felt the gun inside.

But ultimately, he didn’t pull it out. Instead, he first went downstairs, lit a cigarette, and started pacing slowly.

He remembered the advice Chen Jing had given him before.

If he encountered trouble in life, she gave him three suggestions.

One, call the police.

Two, call her.

Three, use the gun.”