City of Time: Falling into the kill zone at the start

Chapter 88 Bold Guesses

Three hours is neither short nor long.

When Lu Chen walked out of the tavern, the fluorescent green screen inside the city wall had changed to [22:06].

There is less than an hour left until curfew.

In such a short time, it's unlikely that Lu Chen could find another place to obtain valuable information.

Furthermore, Lu Chen wasn't exactly very familiar with the Ximen area.

To be on the safe side, it's best not to take the risk of "checking into the hotel at the last minute" and instead go back to the hotel early to check in smoothly.

Most importantly, the "harvest" at the tavern had already left Lu Chen with no interest in obtaining any new information.

—Lu Chen was already shocking enough.

Lu Chen needs time to process this information.

With his mind filled with thoughts, Lu Chen returned to the "Hotel Street" near the West Gate and randomly picked a makeshift hotel that looked good to him.

As always—the shop owner silently handed over the capsule without saying a word.

Lu Chen skillfully extended his left arm and paid the overnight fee for [1 hour and 15 minutes].

After taking back the capsule, the shop owner gave Lu Chen a quick look.

"A scavenger?"

Not understanding the shop owner's intentions, Lu Chen only frowned slightly.

Then the shop owner asked again, "Do you need to catch the bus tomorrow morning?"

Lu Chen was still puzzled, but finally nodded slightly.

At this moment, the capsule that had been taken back by the shop owner was handed to Lu Chen again.

"Add 15 minutes, I'll wake you up at 6 AM."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's expression froze, and his confusion deepened.

"The curfew ends at 6 PM, aren't people being asked to leave?"

The shopkeeper shook his head expressionlessly: "That's the rule of the Rope Inn."

"The makeshift hotel cleared out its guests at 7:1 a.m.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen's teeth immediately ached.

7:1 AM.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that once it was confirmed that the residents had missed the bus, the process of eviction began immediately.

After a moment's thought, Lu Chen didn't dwell on it and paid for the customized wake-up service for 15 minutes.

When you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.

Lu Chen's current "identity," or rather, his professional alias, is that of a scavenger.

Lu Chen knew that the City of Time was rife with systemic fraud and extortion against those who had been resurrected.

But Lu Chen doesn't believe that scavengers will face the same fate.

Don't forget;

The scavenger's occupational number is 172.

The whipper who owns the rope hotel and the caretaker who owns the makeshift hotel are number 180 and number 178, respectively.

All are lower than scavenger number 172.

Lu Chen didn't believe that in the City of Time—this absurdly class-divided world—anyone would dare to provoke someone with a higher job title, meaning someone of higher status or position.

After paying [Time], Lu Chen started walking and went straight to the deepest part of the hotel.

Unlike last time, when he stayed overnight at a makeshift hotel in the night market, this time Lu Chen chose a middle spot that was neither too high nor too low.

First, use the entrance to the lower-level shelter as a ladder to climb upwards;

Upon reaching the third-level shelter, I stretched my legs into the shelter entrance.

Then, twisting his body, he slowly moved into the makeshift hospital.

Finally able to lie down, Lu Chen was lost in thought once again.

Lu Chen thought about it a lot.

This has also given rise to many speculations.

For example, does the lowest-level parasite, number 243, also intentionally reproduce and give birth in order to absorb children?

After all, the poorer people are, the more they crave the "1 year" that children come with.

If such a situation also exists among parasites, then what kind of woman would choose a parasite to have a child with?

How can the parasites afford to provide the bridge funds and maternity expenses that the woman urgently needs?

...

"Perhaps, the existence that doesn't urgently need [time], yet still desires that [one year], chooses to cooperate with the parasite?"

Thinking about it this way, the more Lu Chen pondered it, the more likely this possibility seemed.

The desire for time is clearly not limited by gender.

There is no situation where men need more time than women.

Regardless of gender, the balance in the timer will decrease, and it will take 8 minutes to stay in the rope hotel and 4 minutes to buy black bread.

In other words, the benefits of having a child over a year are equally appealing to both men and women.

In this way, everything else becomes clear.

Why do men monopolize the child's [1 year] when women in labor-intensive professions have children with men in productive professions?

Because women are in the labor profession, they have a lower social status, are poorer, and are dependent on the other party.

Men, on the other hand, are professionals with higher status and greater wealth, and can meet the needs of their partners—such as bridging funds that women urgently need, and living security during childbirth.

This collaboration was led by men of higher status.

...

The same logic applies if the positions of the man and woman are reversed.

Women in labor professions can absolutely find jobs with lower status and lower job titles than themselves—such as parasitic partnerships.

Since women have a higher status in this collaboration, it is natural that women will take the lead.

Considering that women sacrifice their sexuality and also bear the risks of childbirth—men in this collaboration not only fail to gain anything, but may even have to pay a price.

For example, necessary 'cooperation venues', some 'time' compensation, and the responsibility for care and upbringing the child after birth.

As for the child's "1 year," it is solely the woman's responsibility.

Why?

—Even men who go out to pee have to pay for their time!

Why would someone give you a gourd for free and then have your baby?!

Based on all of the above, Lu Chen boldly guessed that this cooperation model should be like this.

—Women in the workforce tend to have some savings, such as around 60 days' worth;

She can afford the cost of living during childbirth and postpartum recovery on her own.

The reason for having a child is to make an investment, to try to turn the savings I have in 60 days into a huge sum of money in 16 years.

In order to dominate this collaboration and successfully monopolize that [1 year], the women will seek out men with the lowest possible job titles—such as the last parasite.

They are all parasites at the very bottom, so naturally they have no ability to make any contribution.

The only thing we can do is to perform physiological conception and, to the best of our ability, dedicate some time.

For example, being responsible for the costs of the "cooperative venue".

At most, a small amount of time compensation will be added.

In this way, what men get in this collaboration is to pay with their time at a slightly lower-than-market price, essentially getting a short-term benefit at a low cost.

Or perhaps they couldn't afford to leave, and after a period of "white laundering," they only had to help take care of and raise the child after the birth of the baby.

"Miner Number 2..."

Almost instantly, Lu Chen thought of the first friend he made at the coal mine.

"The parasites generally only have about 1 day's worth of resources left."

"Miner No. 2 possesses 52 days of experience that are severely inconsistent with his identity and profession..."

Thinking this way, Lu Chen felt more and more that the unusual amount of wealth of Miner No. 2 must be related to the [1 year] that newborns are born with.

Either he had a child with a woman and they shared that [1 year];

Either he himself, after turning 16, managed to retain his initial capital of [1 year] despite his father's or mother's covetousness.

Or perhaps they managed to preserve a portion of it.