Data Wasteland

As night fell, the street lights came on one after another.

The soft light passed through the walnut trees on the side of the street, illuminating the low buildings around.

Mainly small buildings with two and three floors, with a small garden in front of the door, surrounded by a half-person-height white wooden fence, planted with flowers and plants of various colors, small and exquisite.

This block is located on the west side of the central city of Monitor Lizard City and is called "Fengxin Street" because the flowerbeds on both sides of the street are planted with a large number of white hyacinths.

It is March, which happens to be the blooming season of hyacinths. The white flowers are full of vision, fragrant and pleasant, full of petty bourgeoisie.

Most of the residents here are middle-class, mainly grassroots officials, small aristocrats and small company owners. Although this class is not rich and wealthy, it still has some money on hand and has requirements for the quality of life. The housing prices are moderate and the environment is good, making it their best choice.

Under the street lamp, a girl walked quietly, brushing the hyacinth gently with her slender white hand, and came to a small building.

The side window on the first floor showed lights, and there was the sound of frying and the loud voice of a woman.

"Don't stand still, take the plate and load things!"

"Oh my God, why do you make so much salad dressing? Are you trying to bankrupt me!"

"Have the potatoes been cut? What? You only cut halfway. You must have been a rich lady who didn't do housework in your previous life. Give me things soon. If you finish cutting them, we estimate that we won't be able to eat potatoes next month!"

Listening to the familiar voice, the girl smiled slightly, opened the door gently, and walked in.

"Xue Fei, you are back."

A tall and thin woman came out of the kitchen and hurriedly stepped forward to help the girl with the bag.

"Well, just came back from cram school." The girl nodded.

This quiet girl was Su Xuefei who had just met Chen Xing in the orphanage.

She, her mother, and three aunts lived in the house.

After a while, the food on the dining table was all ready, Su Muzhu, who made dinner, came out of the kitchen, untied his apron and threw it aside, and sat down with the dining table.

She looked a little tired. She didn't hug the daughter who came home with a smile as she always did. She didn't even glance at her daughter before drinking a beer on her own.

"What's wrong with you, mom?" Su Xuefei didn't sit down to eat, but walked to Su Muzhu's side and asked caringly.

Su Muzhu turned to look at her daughter, snorted coldly, and continued to drink, looking sulking.

Su Xuefei didn't know why her mother was suddenly angry, and stood there a little bewildered. She was introverted and not good at speech since she was a child. When she was anxious, she burst into tears.

The tall and thin woman on the side was a little blindsided, and stood up and said, "Sister Su, why are you having trouble with your children."

Another chubby woman followed and persuaded, "Sister Su, Xue Fei only comes back once a week. It's rare to go home, so don't embarrass her."

"Yes, Sister Su, Xue Fei is not easy..."

The third woman with a pockmark on her face also echoed, Su Muzhu's eyes widened, "Is everything turned upside down!"

She saw her akimbo, pointing their noses, and shouting, "Three useless old hens, if you can lay eggs, am I so worried!"

The three women were ashamed at once, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to answer the conversation.

Seeing the reaction of the sisters, Su Muzhu seemed to feel that she was overdone, and her tone eased, "It's okay, it's not early, eat quickly." Then she glared at her daughter again, "Be back early next time you rest. Don’t be fooling around outside all day, because I don’t have time to say a few words to you."

"Yeah, I must come back early next time, and talk to my mother." Su Xuefei nodded obediently.

After this episode, the family sat down and quickly restored the atmosphere of the past, full of joy.

The good times may not last long, and halfway through dinner, a piece of news suddenly broadcasts on TV.

"After internal discussions by the monitor lizard city government, the Principality Council voted and decided to levy a special war tax next month. All personnel of the right age who have not joined the military will have to pay an additional 0.7% of their personal income each month..."

Su Muzhu began to sigh again when he heard that taxes would be increased.

Even if Su Xuefei is dull, she knows what her mother is worrying about. She activates the black watch and pays her living expenses. "Mom, this month's money."

Su Muzhu looked happy, activated the black watch, saw the numbers on the screen, pulled her face down again, and complained, "It's still two hundred gold coins. Your owl is also stingy enough."

"Mom!" When her boyfriend was said, Su Xuefei became a little unhappy and stomped her feet hard.

"Am I wrong? Look at someone else’s gold master, at least five hundred and one thousand a month. This Ricardo is not good, two hundred gold coins a month can’t be beaten by thunder. I used to see him as handsome and capable, and thought he was a good man, but the result was A stubborn iron rooster, no, iron owl."

Su Muzhu talked about each other constantly.

"Mom, they have treated us very well!" Su Xuefei raised her voice, "Rent such a good house for us and pay us back every month. You can't say that to him!"

Su Muzhu raised the volume and said, "What do you know, what you do in our business is youth rice! You can't make money when you are young, and you will know it is miserable when you are old!"

Seeing her mother's emotions, Su Xuefei stopped arguing, lowered her head and said nothing.

At this moment, Su Muzhu seemed to have thought of something suddenly, the expression on her face changed instantly, filled with smiles, "By the way, Xue Fei, do you know who I saw on TV recently?"

"Who?" Su Xuefei asked subconsciously.

"Chen Xing, when I was in Crow City, the young man who came to live at home, remember, he is not easy now, he is already the commander-in-chief, much more powerful than that owl!" Su Muzhu said flatteringly, "You If you see him, you have to get close to him, he was so generous back then!"

"Mom!" Su Xuefei's lips were white with anger, and she stood up with a thump, "Since I've been with Jiatu, I can't go all around, otherwise, what's the difference between me and those shameless women!"

"If you are in our business, you don't need to be embarrassed. If you have money, it's fine." Su Muzhu said.

"Mom!" Su Xuefei was angry and anxious, tears rolling in her eyes.

"Oh, my dear, why don't you understand..." Su Muzhu got up and hugged her daughter's shoulders, a little distressed, and some hate iron and steel, "I'm all for your good!"

Su Xuefei didn't speak, but kept crying.

Su Muzhu saw this and started crying, "Ouch, how come my life is so bitter!"

"Looking for a man, man is gone, doing business, business is gone, I'm exhausted for half my life, burned up all night, you say what evil I have done in my life!"

Su Muzhu cried louder and louder, and the three old wanderers also wiped their tears.

"Mom..." Su Xuefei hugged her mother. She knew her mother's hardships since she was a child. A big fire in Crow City burned everything and everything started from scratch.

"Xuefei, your three aunts are too old to receive business, we will count on you for the rest of our lives."

"Mom, it's okay. I'll go to Baita College in a few months. Jiatu has found a mentor. After graduation, he will find a good job to support you and aunts." Su Xuefei comforted. .

"He really wants to send you to study, so I'm not afraid that your wings will be hard and you will fly away?" Su Muzhu was a little disbelieved. In this Goulan Washer, she was used to seeing men's innocence.

"Gato is not that kind of person, he is really good to me."

"I'll give you this money if you are sincere to you? In his capacity, he can't even count as a dime."

"Gato has always been a clean and honest official, and he doesn't do chores. He usually only has salary income."

"Hey, what is good about the poor scholars? If you want me to tell me, I'd better go to that Chen Xing, the boy is so clever..."

"You didn't look down on him back then."

"It's different now, if you follow him..."

"Mom!" Su Xuefei stomped her feet hard.

"Good, good, no more, no more."

The family sat down to eat again.

"Tuk tuk..."

There was a knock on the door outside when I was finishing eating and packing up the tableware.

"It should be a door-to-door sales promotion." The tall and thin woman said, she got up to open the door, and soon she came back. "What a strange guy."

Saying that she threw a black business card on the dining table, "Give a business card and ran away without speaking, which is too strange."

"Could it be a liar?" The short fat woman picked up the business card, which had a dragon head printed on it. There was no other information.

"How can a liar not speak." The tall and thin woman said.

However, when Su Xuefei saw the black business card, her face suddenly turned white and her body trembled slightly.

Since everyone was packing the tableware, they didn't notice the change in her expression.

"I'm out for a walk." She stood up and said.

"Be careful and safe." Su Muzhu asked, but didn't particularly care. This is a satellite signal coverage area and a high-end residential area with high security.

Su Xuefei hurried out the door, looking around as she walked.

"Oh, what a coincidence, isn't this our Miss Su Xuefei, don't come here unharmed..."

There was a frivolous voice from the dark corner, and two men, one tall and one short, came out.

"What do you want to do!" Su Xuefei turned pale, clenched his fists, and looked at the two nervously.

"What do you want to do?" The tall and thin man sneered, like a dangerous hyena, "I want to dismantle the bridge after crossing the river. There is no such reason, right?"

"Miss Su Xuefei, you can't do this to us!" The short man approached.

Su Xuefei couldn't help backing up and shouted, "I have already given you money!"

"I gave it, but it's still not enough..." The tall and thin man said somberly, "Little girl, do you think it's easy to go to the Black Death Continent to get someone back?"

"Thirty thousand gold coins are only enough for travel expenses. We have to pay ransom when we come back and re-register our identity. But we have paid a lot of money in advance."

"You didn't say that before!" Su Xuefei called.

"Keep it down!" The tall and thin man glanced left and right, with a cruel face, "You don't want your man to know, do you?"

"If the owl knows that you use his money to help another man, what are the consequences, I think you know better than us."

The tall and thin man sneered, "One is the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary army, the other is the chief of staff of the military department, two

If people fight, I don’t know who can survive..."

"No!" Su Xuefei covered her mouth, her big eyes full of horror.

"Don't worry, Miss Su Xuefei, we are not fools. If there is no need, who would dare to provoke them, they are all big people in Ambergris." The tall and thin man changed into a kind-hearted appearance, "You As long as we make up the remaining money, we promise to be tight-lipped."

"You, how much do you want?" Su Xuefei asked scaredly.

The tall and thin man stretched out two fingers, "Give another 20,000 gold coins, and we'll clear them."

"You!" Su Xuefei's face was pale, and the other lion spoke loudly, and the anger suddenly overwhelmed the fear.

"Don't be angry, Miss Su Xuefei, what your man has is money, so he will throw away 20,000 gold coins." The tall and thin man persuaded.

Although Su Xuefei was trembling with anger, but under the coercion and temptation of the other party, she finally agreed.

After Su Xuefei left, the short man's ferocious expression immediately collapsed, revealing a look of fear.

"Brother Long, if we do this, will something happen?" The short man was obviously scared. "Her two men are really cruel characters. If they find out, we will be ten. The head is not enough."

"Just put a hundred minds on it, that stupid woman would not say it even if she died." The tall and thin man was full of confidence, "You think, two tigers fight, there must be a wound, but it is not us who are afraid. "

"When she gives the remaining money, let's run, go to the outer continent, no one can find us." The short man said.

"That's not good, this stupid woman is our cash cow!" The tall and thin man showed a sullen face, "As long as we seize her culprit, we don't have to worry about the prosperity and wealth of the rest of our lives, hahaha!"

At the end, the tall and thin man couldn't help laughing.

"Brother Long is wise!"

On the other side, Su Xuefei, who returned home, shut herself in the room, curled up in the corner, holding her arms, shaking all over.

Why does she have a relationship with this local ruffian named "Long Brother", things have to be talked about from four years ago.

After the big fire in Crow City, Chen Xing escorted their mother and daughter all the way to Monitor Lizard City, and then said goodbye to her.

Before long, she saw Chen Xing's wanted on the LCD billboard on the street.

She was very worried, but after all, she was just a little girl who had nothing, she could do nothing but anxious.

It wasn't until half a year later that she learned from a court scribe that Chen Xing had committed a crime and killed a princely family member and was exiled to the Black Death Continent.

She began to look up relevant information on the Black Death Continent on the Internet, and learned that almost none of the people exiled there could survive, so she became even more worried.

She was worried that she would never see the kind mercenary again.

Later, after introduction, she followed Ricardo and became the canary of the owl.

With money in her hands, she looked for people everywhere, hoping to get Chen Xing back from the Black Death Continent.

She asked all the people she knew around her, but none of them had the ability.

Everyone told her that unless Grand Duke Red Dragon speaks in person, no one can do it.

Later, after an introduction by a low-level official, she got to know the little leader of a large gang in the underground world of Monitor Lizard City, that is, this "Brother Dragon".

Brother Long told her that their gang often fished for people from the Black Death Continent, and said that several of his little brothers had returned from the Black Death Continent.

As long as he was given 30,000 gold coins, he would be able to fish out people from the Black Death Continent.

Obviously, this is a very low-end scam. If the other party is really capable of retrieving people from the Black Death Continent, let alone 30,000 gold coins, even 3 million gold coins will have a large family of clans who are willing to pay for their unsatisfactory descendants.

Poorly she is just a child who hasn't been involved in the world, and she didn't even finish high school. In this Xiuluo field that eats people without spitting out bones, she is like a lamb.

Su Xuefei, who was helpless, chose to believe in Brother Long, and took most of the money Ricardo gave her every month to Brother Long, and begged him to help Chen Xing.

Until a few months ago, Chen Xing suddenly appeared on TV, and Long Ge said that he brought Chen Xing back.

Then began to fabricate new lies, saying that Chen Xing came back and paid a lot of money, and continued to squeeze and blackmail Su Xuefei.

Although this matter seems simple, Su Xuefei only needs to tell anyone from Ricardo or Chen Xingzhong that Long Ge and even the underground gang behind him will be devastated.

However, she is an extremely introverted person who bury her feelings deep in her heart.

Just like her last life, she left Chen Xing so as not to drag him down. Because she felt that she was just a toy that was broken and abandoned by the young masters, and it was not worth the other party's life.

She simply felt that someone like Chen Xing would one day become a big man and could not become a burden to him.

She didn't say anything, so Chen Xing mistakenly thought she was vain and unwilling to suffer with herself.

But I don't know what future there is for a wandering warbler who lives in the post town. A man who is willing to support himself and provide a long-term meal ticket will laugh even in dreams.

Just as now, she was worried that Ricardo would collapse when she knew that she would spend money on other men.

She is always worried about others, but she rarely cares about herself.