"Then why don't you go and heal these wounds?"
Angela tilted her head and asked.
So Hayden sighed: "It's obvious you have no idea what I'm talking about, right?"
Angela didn't answer directly, but instead stared at Hayden with a helpless look, like a wise mother looking at her self-righteous child. This gaze even gave Hayden a chill.
Fortunately, his phone rang at that moment. And the name displayed on the screen surprised Hayden greatly.
[Comrade Hayden, are you interested in earning some extra income?]
Surprisingly, it was Alastor's voice coming from the other end of the phone.
"I'm not one of your comrades. And then, extra income? You dare say that? Do you know that the Mitra Group put a bounty of 200,000 on each of you yesterday?"
Hayden couldn't help but curse as he made sure no one was eavesdropping.
"You're calling me now? Do you know that you bear at least part of the responsibility for the city becoming like this?"
Of course I know. Actually, I just wanted to talk to you about this.
The genius hacker raised an eyebrow on the other side of the screen.
We, the "Bo Xun," are currently in a difficult situation, forced to strive to disappear under the pursuit of large corporations. However, this does not mean we are unaware of the suffering the people are enduring due to undeserved calamities.
We lack true warriors, and we are currently unable to offer our own assistance. But Comrade Hayden, would you be interested in doing something for the people during this time?
For example, how about helping ordinary people who are suffering because of the lockdown?
Although Hayden had somewhat anticipated this remark, he couldn't help but reply with a hint of sarcasm: "How do you expect me to help? Deliver rice door-to-door? And you'll pay me?"
Alastor's answer made Hayden's eyes widen.
Yes, we'll pay you, but not to deliver rice door-to-door.
Alastor smiled on the other side of the screen.
How about we pay you to do some good deeds?
043: Fear Marketing
On the fourth day of the lockdown, the Mithra Group still had not captured the vanished "Bosa" organization.
However, the overall tone of the reports from major news media outlets was relatively positive and uplifting.
During this time of crisis, the outstanding employees of the Mitra Group are still working overtime 24 hours a day, which deserves everyone's praise.
Mr. Tidorotha, Deputy Marketing Director of the Mitra Group, met with Mr. Sipetotik, representative of the security department of Smoke Mirror Company. The two sides exchanged views extensively on the threat posed by terrorist organizations. The meeting was fruitful.
Mars Industries announced that it will increase its investment in private security services for counter-terrorism organizations next quarter, and that it will offer a new military training business that is fast-acting and easy to learn.
We'll have to wait and see what changes this will bring to our lives.
At least that's what news reporters are saying.
In addition to these, there are a few other pieces of bad news:
Wotan Mystic Technology Corporation announced its entry into the New Seattle market, offering its "Heroic Spirit Transformation" service to citizens to a certain extent. Mr. Tidorata of the Mitra Group lodged a strong protest against this opportunistic act.
To prevent the [Blessed Pure Land] server from being hacked by cyberterrorism organizations, the Mitra Group also stated that it will enhance the server's security defense system. However, due to increased security costs, the monthly server rental fee will also increase by 25% effective immediately.
If it is inconvenient, you do not have to rent it.
However, in reality, many people do not want to rent anymore. In fact, many original users of [Fubao Pure Land] are now starting to panic.
why?
Because the news said that the terrorists, known as "Bo Xun," possessed weapons that could destroy spiritual energy!
The sympathetic information-destroying weapon "Taslan" isn't necessarily fatal to the living. Ordinary internet users, unless they use VR mode that fully immerses them in the network, won't suffer biofeedback damage. Even with VR mode, since most users access the internet through headsets or similar devices rather than directly connecting via arcane techniques, they are generally protected by information filters. This means that even if a regular user's mind and brain were to suffer biofeedback damage from sympathetic magic, they likely wouldn't actually die.
At least that's what the experts say.
But what about those users whose consciousness was uploaded to [Blessed Pure Land]?
They don't have any information filters to protect them.
They don't even have the option to not use VR mode!
What if the [Pure Land of Blessings] server were to be attacked by cyber terrorists with a "Taslan" attack? Wouldn't all the spiritual entities stored on the server instantly scatter and perish on the spot?
This has naturally caused great panic among many users who have already uploaded their consciousness, as well as those who have paid to upload the consciousness of their loved ones.
So what should you do if you panic?
The company will definitely provide a solution!
First, the Mitra Group assured everyone that this fee increase was not in vain. The server's security system had been updated and strengthened; even if [Blessed Pure Land] suffered a terrorist attack, users whose consciousness had been uploaded would not be threatened.
Even so, many users still don't trust the current security of [Fubao Pure Land]. After all, the Mitra Group is currently in a panic and has locked down the entire city; who can completely trust them?
In that case, Mitra Group readily agreed and quickly introduced another solution for users who no longer wished to remain in the "Pure Land of Blessings"...
...Soon, things started to get... a little troublesome.
————————————————————————
Ivan Petrov, 47, is drowning his sorrows in a nightclub.
The "Tekno" nightclub is a multi-purpose nightclub located in the beautiful area of New Asia, on the outermost edge of an affluent residential area. The heavy bass of metal music constantly flows from under its neon-lit sign, echoing through the streets of New Asia at night.
Even on the outermost edge, this is still considered a prestigious area of New Seattle. In other words, the guests who can enter here are clearly not truly impoverished or lower-class people. A burly Mexican orc security guard stands imposingly at the nightclub's entrance, arms crossed, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, intimidating anyone approaching. His job is to drive away foolish guests who don't deserve such an upscale nightclub.
So, Ivan Petrov, who was drowning his sorrows in a nightclub, was certainly not poor in the true sense. He was actually the manager of the drone technology department at a sanitation engineering company in New Seattle, a middle-management position, living in a safe, middle-class residential area, where he could eat real food every day and had enough technical support to easily handle household chores.
Middle class.
This is the most fitting word to describe Ivan Petrov's family situation. In fact, nine out of ten customers at the "Tekno" nightclub were not truly upper-class, but rather middle-class citizens seeking to associate with the upper-class city.
But then again, why would this sanitation company manager come to a nightclub alone so late at night to drown his sorrows? Why would this middle-class citizen hide in a nightclub for almost two days, afraid to go home? I heard his wife is almost frantic with worry.
Hayden was unaware that this matter actually had nothing to do with him. It was originally [Bo Xun], or more precisely, Alastor, who paid Hayden to use his own connections and the mercenary circles in the streets to help with a matter.
So Hayden thought about it and went to several familiar bars, restaurants, and nightclubs in the city, eventually ending up here. He ordered a drink at the bar, chatted with the bartender and a few other customers, and then proceeded to do exactly what [Bo Xun] had entrusted to him... As for what exactly this task was, we'll leave that as a mystery for now.
Later, during casual conversation at the bar, Hayden was told about Ivan Petrov.
In a corner at the back of the bar, Ivan Petrov sat alone. He was wearing a business suit that hadn't been washed for two days, his head down, in the posture sometimes adopted by losers, with a row of empty glasses in front of him, one or two still containing wine.
It seems Ivan is trying to drown his fears in alcohol.
"Hey, Petrov."
So Hayden walked over to him and patted him on the back.
"Why have you been sitting here for two days? I heard your family is worried sick."
However, to Hayden's surprise, the sanitation company manager was terrified when he saw him.
"Ah!? No, no, no, no, don't come any closer!"
Hearing Hayden's words, he was so frightened that he jumped up from the bar stool.
"Don't come any closer! I'll definitely pay you back later!"
……ah?
Something was clearly wrong. So Hayden spent several minutes, coaxing and talking to him, and even spent ten dollars to buy him alcohol, before he could calm the middle-aged man down and finally figure out what was going on.
This is so ridiculous it's sad.
Ivan Petrov, 47, and his wife Pavla had a son.
No...you can't say that.
They still have one son.
Three years ago, when the child was twelve, he was seriously injured in a car accident and could not be cured. In the end, Petrov could not bear to part with his only son, so he simply chose to upload his consciousness.
Although they died, it was as if they hadn't died. For the past three years, through the internet and the Pure Land of Blessings, this family of three has continued to live together almost exactly as before.
When Hayden heard this, he couldn't suppress his astonishment.
Moreover, he couldn't help but curse himself inwardly as an idiot.
He had always known that many children would upload their parents or grandparents to the "Pure Land of Blessings" to continue caring for their deceased elders. However, Hayden never imagined that perhaps there would also be parents who, unwilling to let their children outlive them, would upload their children, even children who had died at a very young age, to the server.
This, to some extent, makes things a bit terrifying.
"Bavra and I together make up for the mortgage, monthly expenses, and our son's mid-range server rental fee, which is basically enough to cover everything."
After taking a couple of sips of vodka and calming down, Ivan said sadly,
“But this won’t do now. What if [Blessed Pure Land] is attacked by terrorists? I complained to customer service about this, and they suggested that we use the genetic data saved during the upload to create a clone and then download it back into the physical body.”
Hayden wasn't stupid; he already understood what he meant: "This kind of service must be expensive, right?"
"Customer service said that due to the threat from terrorist organizations, related services are being discounted," Ivan replied with a long face. "But the down payment alone is two and a half million, and then it's to be paid in installments over twenty years."
Oh my god
For a moment, Hayden almost asked what the Mitra Group would do to his son if he couldn't make the installment payments, but he quickly swallowed his words.
“One thing at a time. I know this is terrible, but no money is no money.” So Hayden sighed with him. “However, the [Pure Land of Blessings] server might not actually be hacked. You haven’t been home or contacted anyone for two days because of this, isn’t that a bit excessive?”
Ivan's face immediately turned green.
Clearly, he still has some things he hasn't said.
So Hayden ordered him a few more drinks. After three drinks, Ivan, who was already quite drunk, finally confessed: "...I borrowed money."
Hayden raised an eyebrow: "You borrowed money for the initial payment for a cloned body? That's a little troublesome... but it's not all bad, is it?"
"No. It's impossible for me to borrow more than two million yuan in one go, and I don't have that much savings either."
Ivan stammered,
"So, so I borrowed 500,000 and bet it all on short-term futures, and then... I know I made a stupid mistake, but..."
He no longer needs to say anything.
Hayden covered his face, realizing that he was sitting in front of a complete and utter idiot.
However, on the other hand, Hayden still believed that Ivan wasn't born mentally challenged. Perhaps alcohol had numbed him, or perhaps fear was even more pronounced.
If you're afraid that a group of terrorists might blow up the server where your son's consciousness is located, and you need to get over two million dollars immediately to save him, then anyone could make that mistake.
So many ordinary people around the world are unaware that the "Phra Maha" organization is just a group of college students, and that "Phra Maha" doesn't possess information-destroying weapons, or if he did, it's unlikely he would use them on "Pure Land of Blessings." They only know the news that large corporations tell them, and the atmosphere of terror that these corporations deliberately create for them.
(Oh shit.)
Thinking this, Hayden couldn't help but curse inwardly.
(Those bastards from the Mitra Corporation. They're taking advantage of the situation, trying to squeeze another wave of profit from the middle class.)
Most users of 【Blessed Pure Land】 are middle-class. Purely impoverished people can neither afford 【Blessed Pure Land】nor can they squeeze out much money from it, and under the threat of death, they will simply give up and accept their fate.
However, the middle class is different. They are often unwilling to accept their fate. Therefore, companies can certainly exploit this public fear to squeeze the middle class even more thoroughly!
What Hayden found most infuriating was that only he knew, at least among the ordinary people, that this panic was completely unnecessary. [Bo Xun] had no way, and probably wouldn't, to carry out any large-scale killings or destruction of civilians. The Mithra Group's lockdown was purely for their own benefit.
And now, with the city under lockdown, who suffers? The ordinary people. Who's afraid? The uninformed ordinary people. And who has the biggest chance to make money? The capitalists!
And then there are people who plan to take advantage of the chaos and make money by lending money?
“Listen, Ivan. I sincerely suggest you go home right away.”
Hayden handed the last glass full of wine to Ivan.
"And what I'll do is help you sort things out with the creditors—who exactly do you owe, and how much exactly?"
These words truly stunned Ivan. He probably hadn't expected, and didn't quite believe, that such a good thing could exist in the world.
"Um... how much do I need to pay you for this?"
At this point, the person suddenly became suspicious.
"I don't need money, I know you don't have any right now."
So Hayden looked him straight in the eyes.
"So you owe me a favor. One day—maybe never—I'll ask you to repay me by doing me a small favor. Until then, consider this a gift."
Ivan was naturally skeptical.
But even if he didn't believe it, Ivan didn't really have many choices. He could either speak out and gamble on whether the situation would change, or he could sit there and hide, forever gloomy.