The stingy federal government

"So when you handed me your bracelet earlier, you hesitated not because you were afraid people would laugh at your low score, but because you didn't know how to take it off?" Xi Chunzhi said, the realization dawning on her.

Tu Ran gave an awkward smile.

That was exactly right.

"But is 1,000 credits really that much?" she asked, still curious.

"The two of us have been working for a year, and together we haven't even racked up 1,000 credits. And 10,000 credits can get you promoted to Intermediate Pioneer—what do you think?" Xi Chunzhi crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"That is a lot. But what's the difference between Intermediate and Beginner?"

"Simple: six words—higher pay, better benefits." Xi Chunzhi counted on her fingers.

Indeed, no matter what world you were in, those six words were what workers cared about most.

Tu Ran, who had failed to find a job in her original world and had landed a stable position in this one, now felt a flicker of hope for those six words she'd once thought unreachable.

"Wait a bit longer," Xi Chunzhi said. "I ordered takeout; it should be here soon. You can take it home."

"Fried chicken?"

"Mm." Xi Chunzhi's tone was indifferent.

Tu Ran's face fell.

She was thinking about the stinking, foul-smelling corpse of that Gu Diao creature she'd blasted to bits.

Noticing her expression, Xi Chunzhi straightened up. "It used to be your favorite. You didn't lose your taste along with your memories, did you?"

"No, it's just—I'm thinking about the dead Gu Diao I blew up. I've lost my appetite." Tu Ran answered honestly.

"You'll get your appetite back in a few days. Put it in the fridge. This fried chicken was earned with my own merit—there's no way I'm wasting it." Xi Chunzhi said.

"What do you mean? Didn't you order the fried chicken?" Tu Ran didn't understand how a box of fried chicken could be tied to her merit.

"Ordering it still costs money, after all. There's no way our salaries could buy feed-raised chicken." Xi Chunzhi snorted. "It's because I was walking at night once and happened to run into a juvenile Heluo monster about to possess a human. I shot it dead with two shots and saved that person."

"So that person rewarded you with a box of fried chicken?" Tu Ran guessed.

"How could that be? That person was just an ordinary citizen, poorer than me. They couldn't afford it."

"Then why?"

"How can you not remember anything?" Xi Chunzhi complained before explaining: "It's all because the Federal Government stirred up public outrage around that time. Ordinary citizens thought the Threshold was a place where disasters came from and should be sealed off immediately. But the Federal Government wouldn't listen—they trained special Pioneers to go in and explore. Day after day, the conflict deepened."

"At that moment, I, as a Pioneer, saved an ordinary citizen from a monster's grasp. The Federation immediately seized on that to control public opinion, heavily publicizing Pioneers as heroes about to save the world."

"So," Tu Ran continued, "the Federal Government rewarded you with a box of fried chicken for your contribution during that public opinion reversal?"

"Pretty much." Xi Chunzhi sighed. She wasn't sure if saving that person had been the right thing to do. If she hadn't, the public would still be protesting the formation of the Pioneer Team, and who knows—one day, the Federation might cave to pressure and halt Threshold exploration. Then who knew how many Pioneers would survive?

Tu Ran sighed too. The Federal Government was so stingy. Such a big contribution, and they only rewarded a box of fried chicken?

As for Xi Chunzhi's hard-earned fried chicken, Tu Ran declined. "You should eat it then. It won't taste as good if it's been in the fridge too long."