Chapter 19 Rumor: "Nightfall, the usual spot"
The time he returned to the dormitory was neither too early nor too late, just when everyone was going to bed. People at the bottom of society didn't have any communication devices, so naturally they didn't have tablets or internet. Shen Mi had temporarily adapted to the environment here, but he hadn't adapted to life without the internet.
Waaaaah, my game, my daily quests! My Xingqiong! And her favorite cola and milk tea. Shen Mi silently mourned for three minutes before regaining her energy.
The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of people talking, and a small number of people were already asleep. Those who were asleep were used to the environment and did not find it noisy.
Shen Mi pricked up his ears to listen to the gossip being told by the group of people around him—
"Oh, and there's something even more shocking!" a woman said in a low voice, mysteriously. "Do you know how 1017 got arrested today?"
"Isn't it because he's stupid?" someone scoffed.
"That's one of the reasons! Do you know what the key is?" The woman paused, deliberately building up curiosity, "He messed with someone he shouldn't have."
"Someone we shouldn't have messed with?"
"Yes, he's offended Director Cullen's new favorite."
"A new favorite? Never heard of it. What's its name?"
"I don't know her name, but her number seems to be 8013? Or 7013?" The woman lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling with gossip. "I heard she's really pretty, with skin as smooth as an egg! She was unknown before, but I heard that Kulen personally arranged an easier job for her, and she'll be going to District C next month."
"Really?" someone asked skeptically. "When has someone like Kulen ever been so generous to others?"
"Who knows?" The woman shrugged. "Anyway, 1017 approached her because of this. After Kulen was promoted, he became even more resentful and had caused her trouble before."
"Then what?"
"And then..." the woman drawled, "the new favorite appeared to have suffered a loss, but secretly went to complain. You all know Kulen's temper; how could he tolerate his chosen 'person' being bullied? Especially since he personally picked him."
"...So 1017 was dealt with personally by Cullen?"
"Smart!" the woman chuckled, then lowered her voice and continued, "And Ivy, who was causing trouble with 1017, was also dealt with."
A soft gasp was heard from the surrounding area.
"Speaking of which, how did Ivy get arrested?" someone asked. "Isn't she the most opportunistic person?"
"She's just a fence-sitter, sticking to whoever she sees as good." The woman chuckled. "It's said that 1017 was the one who gave her away."
A gasp of amazement immediately rippled through the crowd.
"Really?"
"He can't be that irresponsible, can he?"
"Believe it or not, this is information released by the security team." The woman shrugged. "Tsk, these two are quite interesting. Yesterday they were in cahoots, and today they've betrayed each other."
"...Tsk, serves them right."
"It's his fault for having bad eyesight. He could have just picked anyone else to attack, but he had to go and mess with the person that Kulen had his eye on."
"Do you think the new favorite was transferred to Zone C based on his own merit, or something else?" At this point, the people surrounding him chuckled ambiguously.
"Is there even a question?"
"Who knows? Anyway, she climbed up by stepping on 1017." The woman snorted and shook her head. "But in this place, no one should laugh at anyone else. Today it's 1017, tomorrow it's the new favorite, and the day after tomorrow it's anyone's guess."
As Shen Mi listened, he thoughtfully recalled the appearance of the woman who had pretended to be injured that afternoon; it must have been Ivy.
As for the new favorite they mentioned, the only one in the entire labor camp who best fits the description is probably himself.
And this "new favorite" is lying on top of them, with the soles of its feet facing them, eavesdropping.
Their words were laced with speculation and sarcasm, especially regarding their guesses about the "new favorite"—they weren't really concerned about why Kulen promoted someone, but rather they tacitly accepted some unspoken "rule" and harbored complex emotions towards the "chosen one" deep down.
Jealousy, contempt, resentment, and even an inexplicable malice.
As Shen Mi listened to the whispers and discussions, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
These people have a wealth of speculation about Cullen and his so-called "new favorite," and have even fabricated a whole story about her "rise to power"—some details of which she couldn't help but praise, as they were so convincingly made up that they seemed real.
However, she was happy to see this misunderstanding happen.
At least for now, everyone attributes 1017's downfall to "failing to win favor." As for those who truly helped her, they naturally cannot become targets of suspicion, making Kulen take the blame—it's a godsend.
Of course, she knew in her heart that using rumors as a shield wouldn't last long. Cullen wasn't someone who liked to be manipulated; if he realized these rumors were affecting him, he might just get rid of her too.
So, before Cullen really notices her, she has to find a way to extricate herself from this situation.
However, she was also glad that these people had put up a smokescreen.
At least for now, most people see this as an internal power struggle within Kulen's ranks, rather than the result of Danheng's secret machinations. This, in turn, helps her conceal what she and Danheng are secretly investigating.
Shen Mi lay back down without saying a word.
She snapped out of her thoughts, turned over, and prepared to sleep. Just as she closed her eyes, she saw Savare poking her head out, staring straight at the group of women spouting nonsense.
Savare's eyes were filled with anger. She cautiously peeked out from under the bed and asked in a low voice, "Sister Chenmi, did you hear what they were saying?"
Shen Mi nodded gently and snuggled into her blankets, indicating that she could speak freely. Shavalei was clearly agitated, but dared not speak loudly. She muttered under her breath, "Those women are going too far! They're talking nonsense and don't understand the truth at all! What they're saying about a new favorite and vying for favor is completely fabricated!"
Seeing Shavalei's excited expression, Shen Mi smiled slightly: "Don't get excited, anyway, these words won't affect you or me. Even if they're really talking about me, I don't care."
Savare frowned and continued in a low voice, "But they're all talking nonsense."
Shen Mi listened patiently to Shavalei's complaints and carefully broke down his considerations for her, saying, "Let them talk. The more they talk, the safer we are."
"Why?"
Shen Mi leaned close to Savare's ear and whispered something. Savare's gloomy face instantly brightened.
She asked in disbelief, "Really?"
Shen Mi couldn't help but pinch her cheek and said, "It can't be fake!"
Savare was pinched, and she shrank back slightly, muttering under her breath, "Then aren't they helping us?"
"I guess so." Shen Mi chuckled and released his hand, a hint of slyness in his eyes. "Anyway, letting them say a few words won't hurt us; in fact, it's helping us out."
Savare was still a little confused, tilting her head as she asked, "But... what if Cullen really starts paying attention to you? Wouldn't that be very dangerous?"
Shen Mi didn't answer directly, but slowly said, "That's why we need to take advantage of the time before he really notices me, and..." She blinked, "But these rumors are temporarily in our favor. At least for now, most people think this is a power struggle within Kulen's ranks and don't think of anything else. As long as the rumors exist, we'll be safe."
Saware was finally relieved and couldn't help but look at Shen Mi with a hint of admiration: "Sister Shen Mi, you're amazing..."
Shen Mi smiled and gently patted her head: "Go to sleep, you have to get up early to work tomorrow."
Savare then obediently shrank back into the covers, her voice muffled: "Mmm."
———
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the alarm sounded precisely on time.
Shen Mi and Shavalei quickly got up and followed the other laborers out of the dormitory. A damp, rusty smell filled the air, and the surrounding buildings seemed even more oppressive in the morning mist.
Today's task was still physically demanding. Shen Mi was assigned to the moving area, where she and several adult men lifted heavy alloy plates. Knowing she couldn't match their strength, she used her size advantage to do tasks like moving back and forth and passing tools.
Savare's job was easier; she only needed to register the quantity of goods at the checkpoint. However, she would occasionally steal glances at Shen Mi, as if to make sure she was safe.
"Hey, watch out!" A gruff voice interrupted Chen Mi's thoughts. A tall man glanced at her impatiently. "Don't block the way!"
Shen Mi deftly stepped aside, showing no outward reaction, but she had already memorized the person's face. She continued her work calmly, keeping a close eye on her surroundings.
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye—Dan Heng was standing in the distance, looking down at a data board, seemingly checking something.
He noticed her gaze, looked up, and their eyes briefly met.
Shen Mi nodded slightly, and Dan Heng nodded imperceptibly before turning and leaving as if nothing had happened.
Shen Mi withdrew his gaze and continued working as if nothing had happened, but in his mind he had already begun to plan his next move.
After lunch, Shen Mi went to the spot where he was facing Dan Heng and searched the ground where Dan Heng had been. Finally, he saw a very faint trace on the thin layer of yellow sand on the back of a stone.
Following the trail, she indeed found a short message written in the characters "仙舟":
"Night falls, the usual spot."
She stared at those words, blinking thoughtfully.
Danheng is looking for her... Is there some emergency, or is there some new development?
He rarely left written messages, as the slightest carelessness in this place could expose him. But this time, he not only wrote something, but also specifically chose the character "仙舟" (Xianzhou), indicating that he didn't want others to be able to easily understand it.
Shen Mi looked up. The workers around her were still resting in twos and threes, and no one noticed what was happening to her. She quickly wiped away the marks on the stone with her hand, stood up, and returned to the crowd as if nothing had happened.
"Sister Chenmi, where did you go?" Shavalei looked up, with food crumbs still stuck to the corners of her mouth.
"I just took a walk," Shen Mi said casually, reaching out to wipe the food from the corner of her mouth. "Eat slowly."
Savare nodded, continuing to pick at her food, but she couldn't help looking at Shen Mi with curiosity. She had a feeling that something must have happened when Shen Mi went out just now.
But Shen Mi didn't say anything more. She simply finished her meal quietly, cleaned up the dishes, and went back to her afternoon work as usual, as if nothing had happened.
However, she had already started calculating the time in her mind, waiting for night to fall.
A note from the author:
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I'm here!!! Thank you so much for all the nutrient solution you gave me!!! The nutrient solution is so precious, and you all gave me so much at once [crying][crying][crying] Thank you so much, thank you everyone for your affirmation!!! There are still about 40,000 words left in this chapter about Teacher Danheng! The next chapter is about Jingyuan, and there will be Teacher Danheng's return and Ren's entrance interspersed. [doge][doge][doge]
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