CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 133 CRISIS! SIMULATING AGAIN

When Zhang Lei saw that the returning young miner was none other than his pretty-boy classmate, Chen Pingchuan, the confusion on his face instantly vanished. He forced a fake smile and greeted him enthusiastically.

"Brother Chen’s back, huh? How did it go this time? Still no luck?"

"Hmm."

Chen Pingchuan’s voice was somewhat cold. This was not his first time returning to the central clearing to dump waste slag.

The first time he returned empty-handed, everyone simply thought Chen Pingchuan was having bad luck. But this was already his fourth trip, and he was moving more than twice as fast as the others. Furthermore, his basket was fully loaded every time, showing no signs of slacking. This was all very strange.

The miners’ gazes began to change subtly, now tinged with confusion and suspicion. Some couldn’t help but whisper, though their low voices still reached Chen Pingchuan’s ears.

"Old Li, why do you think this high school student is so damn unlucky? Since this mine opened, some of us have occasionally come up empty on energy crystals, but his luck is something else. Four trips already and still nothing."

"Damn, now that you mention it, this kid might be a jinx. We’d better stay far away from whichever tunnel he’s in."

"I think so too. I have no idea what Brother Scar was thinking, sending a few kids over here. Aren’t they just causing trouble?"

"But then again, city folk are different. A single trip leaves us sore all over, but this kid has made four in just over half an hour. He’s no worse than a full-grown adult."

"Haha, Er Gou, you don’t know shit. Those young masters from the city all grew up on genetic agents. If I had those advantages, I’d have become a crime lord like Brother Scar long ago."

"Shh! Watch your words. Walls have ears."

The voices stopped abruptly.

Chen Pingchuan didn’t care what others thought of him. His mind was filled with a single image: him, wildly smashing things with a BANG! BANG! BANG!

He set down the basket full of waste rock, picked up a new one, looked at Zhang Lei, and asked calmly, "Do you need to search me?"

Hearing this, Zhang Lei first handed over a pre-prepared bottle of water and said with a fawning smile, "What are you talking about, Brother Chen? Of course I trust your integrity. Besides, there’s an energy detector at the exit. My position is just for show. If you ask me, the higher-ups just sent us here to experience life."

Zhang Lei then pretended to ponder for two seconds. "How about you mention it to Miss Feng and get a different task? With your relationship, Miss Feng could probably pull some strings."

On the surface, Zhang Lei acted as if he had Chen Pingchuan’s best interests at heart, but internally, he was sneering. What a brainless pretty-boy. He turned down the overseer position to go digging in the mines. Even though mined ore could be exchanged for points, everyone saw the exchange rate. Any other light task would have been far more comfortable.

Chen Pingchuan didn’t have time to bicker with Zhang Lei. Countless simulation points were waiting for him to harvest. So, after accepting the water, he gave a slight nod, picked up the new basket, and turned back toward the mine.

Zhang Lei’s smile froze for a couple of seconds before he turned and vented his frustration on the other miners, cursing them.

"You lot, hurry up and move this waste! Try to keep up with our classmate Chen! Why are you all so useless?"

Zhang Lei’s sharp and bitter words naturally stirred resentment among the miners, but he couldn’t care less. During the lunch break, he had bribed one of Brother Scar’s underlings and learned some inside information about the mine. Of course, he hadn’t told anyone else; he was the only one who knew.

[Ding! 100 simulation points credited. Current balance: 1,144 points.]

[Ding! 100 simulation points credited. Current balance: 1,234 points.]

[Ding! 100 simulation points credited. Current balance: 1,354 points.]

...

[Ding! 100 simulation points credited. Current balance: 5,944 points.]

Working nonstop from two in the afternoon until nine at night, seven hours of intense labor left Chen Pingchuan feeling like his bones had turned to mush. A constant, tingling numbness radiated through his arms.

He dragged his exhausted body back to the dormitory. Forcing himself to wash the dirt off in the washroom, he looked down at his somewhat rough hands. This was the first time since becoming strong that he truly understood the meaning of hardship.

Sure enough, being a miner isn’t easy. It’s even more tiring than my old manual labor job.

Back in the dorm, Zhang Lei and Li Qiang were sprawled out on their beds, exchanging banter. Their cheerful laughter echoed from time to time. Meanwhile, Liu Haofeng sat quietly to the side, frowning as he thoughtfully jotted something down in a notebook.

CREAK. Just then, the dormitory door slowly opened.

The moment Chen Pingchuan’s figure appeared, the dorm fell into a deathly silence.

Liu Haofeng, who had been writing furiously, looked up and greeted him. "You’ve worked hard, Chen Pingchuan. Get some rest. The mission period is long, so don’t wear yourself out."

Hearing Liu Haofeng’s words, Li Qiang and Zhang Lei’s expressions instantly turned a little strange. Zhang Lei was the first to react.

"Yeah, Brother Chen, get some rest."

"Failing to find any raw energy crystals is no big deal. Tomorrow, I’ll make those dirt-diggers give you the better tunnels. Don’t worry, it won’t cause any trouble."

"That’s right, Brother Chen! I have some ready-to-eat snacks here. If you’re hungry, just come and get them. Don’t be a stranger," Li Qiang added.

Liu Haofeng’s eyebrow twitched. These two were fast learners.

"Thanks!"

Chen Pingchuan felt a bit helpless. Though he knew these guys certainly had their own agenda, his good upbringing kept him from being rude. Of course, this led to a new realization. The relationships between people can be surprisingly subtle. For instance, in the past, if someone provoked him, he’d want to kill their entire family. Thinking back on it now... uh... maybe he would just punish the main culprit.

After briefly arranging his belongings, Chen Pingchuan lay down on his bed.

The dorm beds were uncomfortably hard compared to his bed back home in the City of No Night. But for the thoroughly exhausted Chen Pingchuan, it was more than enough to support his weary body.

After resting for a moment, Chen Pingchuan softly murmured, "Call up the attribute panel."

[Ding! Attribute panel displayed!]

[Name: Chen Pingchuan]

[Occupation: Student, Laborer, Weapon Master]

[Age: 20 years old]

[Strength: 8.9/16.8 (recovering rapidly)] (Talent effect active; 1 point is the average for an adult male)

[Agility: 4.3/7.6 (recovering rapidly)]

[Spirit: 4.6/8.8 (recovering rapidly)]

[Constitution: 4.7/8.2 (recovering rapidly)]

[Skill: Crafty Hands (Rule Type)]

[Title: None]

[Achievement: Worse Than a Beast (One Star), Loli Abductor (Two Stars)]

[Special Status: Divine Blessing]

[Talent: Double Strength (Green), Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence (Green), Parasitism (Purple), 24k Titanium Alloy Dog Eyes (Yellow), Friend of Women (White, Growth Potential), Dying with Eyes Open (Special)]

[Temporarily Retained Simulation Reward: Acting on Behalf of the Heavens (Blue, Growth Potential, Progress 1/100). Requires 10,000 simulation points for redemption.]

[Remaining Simulation Points: 5,944]

[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 0]

[Next Simulation Attempt Restores in: 22:43:10]

Looking at his increasingly impressive attribute panel and his remaining simulation points, Chen Pingchuan felt it had all been worth it.

Huh, my Spirit attribute went up again.