Chapter 1 - The girl that lived in the slums
Leng Mo gripped the bag in her hands tightly, increasing the pace of her legs. Just another street and she would be home. She gave herself some encouragement as she headed towards the direction of her house.
Tonight’s guests returned later than usual, and she had to wash dishes behind the kitchen until two in the morning. Although she could receive an extra 800 Ginny as overtime payment, returning at such a late hour was definitely unsafe.
Turning pass an alley, she could finally see the street she lived in. It was at this time two youths with messily dyed hair appeared on the opposite side of the street, whistling at her from far away: “Yo, the little girl over there, still not asleep at this time? Wanna come play around with us?”
Leng Mo calmly ignored them, increasing her pace once more. The two chicken heads came closer, but suddenly stepped back when they saw Leng Mo’s face, silently cursing as they turned away and left.
Leng Mo furrowed her brows. This again. Everybody would always look at her as if they had seen a ghost. Was something wrong with her? Regardless, she wasn’t complaining that the others didn’t come to hit on her. She wasn’t eager for trouble.
Finally home! She breathed out in relief as she stood in front of her home, pressing down on the fingerprint scanner by the door, the door slowly sliding open.
“Light.” She said after entering the house. Immediately, a piercing light lit up the house.
Damn it! Leng Mo covered her eyes as she hurriedly added: “Gentle light.”
The lights slowly dimmed, finally reaching an acceptable level. Letting go of the bag in her hand, she took out an electronic newspaper from the postage box behind the closed door. After placing today’s electronic newspaper into the postage box this morning, she had received a call from her boss telling her that she needed to work overtime, so she has yet to watch the news until now.
(TL: Yes, watch, not read)
Turning on the electronic newspaper, she retrieved the items within the bag. Three tubes of nutrient fluids, the cheapest ones with original flavors. She bit open an opening, sucking a mouthful of it as she flipped through the news.
Today’s news was all the commonly seen ones. If it’s not about some corporation’s young master doing whatnot, then it’s about some aristocrat traveling to some planet.
As Leng Mo flipped through the news, she muttered in her heart. Next time when I saved enough money, I would definitely buy a tube of strawberry flavored nutrient fluids to have a taste. Not sure if it would also have this soft and sticky texture.
Halfway through the news, all three tubes of nutrient fluids had gone down her belly. Leng Mo wiped her mouth after finishing her dinner, readying herself for bed as she kept the electronic newspaper when suddenly, a news article attracted her attention.
“According to reports, the space station explosion three months ago was caused by terrorist organization Sabacus Kruli. The space station was funded by Sabacus Kruli, and because all the procedures were handled properly, it did not attract the government’s attention.
Until three months ago, the space station suddenly sent inquiries and distress signals to the federal government, and only then did the federal government took notice.
However, it was not long after the distress signal was sent, the space station exploded due to aging equipment. Was this all just an act by Sabacus Kruli, or was this a cruel means by the federal government? Let us wait and see!”
After Leng Mo listened to the news, the corners of her mouth hooked up into a cold smile. A cruel means by the federal government? What a joke! If the federal government had cruel means, Sabacus Kruli would not be so unbridled.
However, none of these were her problems. It was better that she went to bed earlier. She still had to rush to the supermarket early tomorrow morning. Hopefully, she could queue into the first 10, getting a discount of half the normal prices.
Bringing with her this beautiful wish, Leng Mo climbed onto her beloved bed, setting the timing device at the bedside, and entering into slumberland within three seconds.
The sky had yet to brighten, the timing device had already rung. Leng Mo shivered as she got out of her bed. Turning off the timing device, she tightened the clothes on her body and went out the door.
She only owned this set of clothes on her body. Originally she still had another, but during last week she accidentally tore it apart when she was washing it. She was already extremely careful with it, but the clothes were still easily ripped apart. What in the world did she eat to get this damned strength?
She had to go to the supermarket to fight for her place today. You had to know that even the cheapest set of clothes would cost 2000 Ginny, and that was a week’s worth of her financial aid. The nutrient fluids were already expensive, an original flavor costing 40 Ginny each. Her one week’s worth of financial aid was not even enough for her week’s worth of nutrient fluids.
After begging the restaurant’s boss for a long time only did she receive the dishwashing job, allowing her to save up some money, but even then it was only a meager 3500 Ginny. If she could not get the first 10 places, then she would have to starve for the following week.
Leng Mo moved at lightning speeds, taking less than 10 minutes to arrive at the supermarket’s entrance. At this time, there were only two to three people there, great!
Leng Mo quickly went over and took up a spot, wrapping herself around her clothes tightly to battle against the cold wind. Everything was great about Sanggan star, except for the chilly wind in the mornings here were too strong,
She heard that humans had once lived on Earth, but now it had reduced to a mere location for outdoor history lessons. She had even heard that those who went, had contracted diseases when they returned. She couldn’t help but admit that the current Sanggan star was much better than Earth by a lot.
After half an hour, the people behind started increasing in numbers, and the sunlight became brighter as well. On the other hand, there was also some faint activity coming from the supermarket. It was finally opening!
“Good news, good news. Today’s first 10 will get a gaming bracelet for free. It’s the newly released <
The people in the queue started becoming restless, there many a few people trying to squeeze to the front of the line. It didn’t take long for the line to become disordered.
Loew Continent? What was that? Leng Mo furrowed her brows. Taking a look at the line, the people there seemed excited. Did she miss out on some new information because she was too focused on work?
Leng Mo was queued at the 4th spot, so regardless, she would still obtain it. She felt slightly relieved. Although the slums were disorderly, and everyone relied on the strong and disdained the weak, yet it was a wonder that nobody ever came to her for trouble. This time she should be able to obtain that gaming bracelet.
If this game was so well received, then at that time, she could even trade the bracelet for some Ginny to spend. Leng Mo was very satisfied with her conclusion. She straightened her body as she blocked the shoving from behind.
When there was still a minute to opening time, a few men came up from behind, pulling away the people in front of the line and taking their places.
An old lady in front of Leng Mo was pushed to the ground. Leng Mo hurriedly helped the lady up, preventing her from the danger of being stepped to death by the masses.
“Thank you, young lady.” The old lady stood up, her face aggrieved: “Ai, I never thought my luck would be so bad today. I originally wanted to buy clothing for my granddaughter, but now it seems I won’t have enough money.”
Leng Mo was prepared to push the man in front, wanting him to return the spot to the old lady, yet the old lady held onto her hand tightly: “Ai, young lady, young lady, you can’t do this. I still want to live!”
Leng Mo was slightly shocked. It can’t be that women’s standings in the slums have fallen to such heights? She took a look around her surroundings once more. There was still nobody coming to snatch her spot.
She had lived in this part of the slums since she was a child, but she had never been bullied before. Can it be that she grew up to be too ugly?
It was at this time, the entrance to the supermarket opened. The first 10 entered accordingly, but when it was Leng Mo’s turn, she hesitated slightly, before moving aside and pushing in the old lady.
The old lady became startled, gratefully looking towards Leng Mo: “Young lady, what do you wish to buy? I’ll help you get it, otherwise, it would be too troubling to you.”
Leng Mo nodded her head: “Then you can help me get a set of clothing that I can wear. The cheapest kind is fine.” She took out her identity card after saying so, swiping 1000 Ginny to the old lady. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
The old lady thanked Leng Mo gratefully, before entering the supermarket amidst the crowd’s urging.