The Outcast Chapter 14

"How did you found out I'm at State University?" Xu Le asked with his head lowered. Not realizing the heavy mood of his companion, Li Wei smiled and said, "Currently a lot of people already know that you entered the repair shop. I thought that even though no trouble will result for this I should still let you know since it was something you put so much effort into making."

No trouble? Really? Xu Le thought to himself. However, he couldn't find an answer. A certain amount of standardized military craftsmanship was used to build the electric rod.  If the Police Department did an in depth investigation on it, would it lead to himself followed by Uncle Feng uncovering his ident.i.ty as a deserter?

He was supposed to feel angry at Li Wei for losing the electric rod as this was something he repeatedly reminded him previously. However, when he looked at that satisfied yet exhausted face of Li Wei, his heart softened and did not say anything. He heard that during the past month, Li Wei and the gang of orphans have been fighting over territories. They were probably exhausted from it.

There should be a lot of leaked military weapons at the black market. The electric rod being hidden under the crystal screen was quite an ingenious design; however it should not attract too much attention. Xu Le comforted himself and patted Li Wei's shoulder while saying seriously, "Just pretend you have never seen that thing before. However…I still have the same advice for you. Do not just think of fighting all the time. You still need to find a proper job in the future."

"What proper jobs can the current Eastwood offer? Did you not hear what the students argued on today's street demonstration? The unemployment rate is already at thirty percent, and this is even after excluding the resettled elders from the bankrupted Crystal Mines Alliance." Li Wei rubbed the broken curls of his blonde hair and said stubbornly, "I want to be a successful person, not someone who lived his whole life relying on the government welfare."

"Demonstration?" Xu Le was shocked. There had always been very few people who were interested in politics in the Eastwood Grand District. The previous Bell Tower Street incident could already be considered a very huge event. How come there were still students that did not study properly and joined these demonstrations instead.

"A lot of people already went there to watch the event. I heard that it was organized by the Veteran's a.s.sociation." Li Wei carried the heavy load of books from Xu Le's hand and walked in direction of the streets while explaining, "Seems like there was a problem with the election at the Capital Star System. The opposition thought it was an unjust election and organized a large scale demonstration across the whole Federation."

"Oh." Xu Le was currently deeply worried, hence he answered blandly.

Xu Le, Li Wei and the bunch of orphans did not know anything about politics at all. They had always kept a respectful distance from it, not wanting nor interested to get involved. Although injustice did exist in the society of the Federation, such as the upper cla.s.s led by the Seven Imminent Families always having everything better than the ordinary citizen, those shady oppression that were always concealed beneath the radiant wrappings of law and justice…however what relation did all these had to them? They were someone who already originally spent their whole life growing up in injustice and were already used to all this, hence it was hard for them to be hot blooded about it.

Returning to the repair shop at the fourth street of Xiang-Lan Boulevard, Xu Le reluctantly told boss Feng Yu the news regarding the electric rod getting intercepted by the police. Unexpectedly, uncle Feng Yu was not worried in the slightest, as if his ident.i.ty as an army deserter would definitely not be exposed.

In reality, this was really what happened. In subsequent days of more than ten, apart from the large scale demonstrations incident, there were no other shocking or new incidents happening in Eastwood Grand District. Gang fight involving militarized weapons was merely a small incident that could happen anytime and anywhere. Hence no important characters had the time to set their sights on this small repair shop.

However, Xu Le was still cautious as he kept feeling anxious, feeling that the electric rod that had fallen into the hands of the police would bring some kind of trouble to him, yet unable to know whether this would be a huge or small trouble. Hence, he started to increase his practice on that set of movements, frequently going back to the mines to accompany those wild cats and continuously performing the stiff dance.

One day, Feng Yu sarcastically said while looking at the sweaty Xu Le, "I thought you had always said that an individual's strength is useless in face of those metallic machines?"

Xu Le with his eyes shut was feeling the shuddering in every strand of his muscles, feeling the trend of the shuddering that were getting more distinct, attempting to seek out the actual purpose of these shuddering, clenched his teeth and answered with trembling voice, "Even now I have not changed my mind. However, if the police department really comes to catch us, with you being too poor to deploy a mech for me…naturally even if you have I would also not know how to use it. Apart from making myself stronger, what other methods do I have?"

"You are still worried about that electric rod?" Feng Yu frowned; not understanding why this kid had such a cautious disposition, suddenly smiled and said, "Don't forget that chip behind your neck. Under the radiance of the first const.i.tution, if the police department really wanted to arrest you, where can you run?  To go become a refugee at Bermuda or to become a traitor and joins the Empire?"

The Electronic Monitoring Network that covered the whole Federation can theoretically accomplish the act of controlling every criminal activity. Xu Le was not fl.u.s.tered after heard this and instead he conscientiously said, "Those gangs still exist, even an army deserter like you are still living well. I believe you surely have a solution."

"What a boastful tone.  In this world, if a person capable of removing the chip from one's body without alarming the Federal Monitoring Network exists, then he would definitely obtain a Nebula Award." A trace of sneer was contained within Feng Yu's smile, "You only pa.s.sed your sixteenth birthday last week, why did you suddenly become so cautious to the point of getting more excessive than an old man like me. This is really ridiculous."

Xu Le sneered, "Don't forget that mouthful of rotten teeth you have. In order to get a new dentist record so you can avoid getting arrested by the government and the military district, you paid such a heavy price. You unexpectedly still dare to sneer at me for being too cautious."

Feng Yu shook his head helplessly, not retorting.

The days pa.s.sed in tranquil to the point where even Xu Le thought he was too much of a coward. At the time, the repair shop duo did not know that in this very city, there was a person that was the same as them, submerged into some sort of distress. This person was Bao Long Tao, the deputy chief of the second police branch. Ever since he got the Governor's Office into an awkward situation a few months ago, his influence in the police department had been greatly weakened.

"Just getting an exhibit unexpectedly needs a report prepared. Even worst, this report actually required two months time to be approved."  Deputy Chief Bao smiled mockingly as he looked at the metallic axle in the vacuum pouch on the table. In the past, for someone at his position, there wouldn't be so many troubles.

As he thought of this, his hatred towards those orphans intensified. If not for the Bell Tower Street incident, his transfer request would be approved long ago. Those families at the Capital Star System would also not ignore him for so long. However, all these time he did not dare to take his revenge on those orphans as he was unsure if the hood covered face of that night was a real federal secret service.

Wearing gloves, he took the metallic axle out of the pouch. Deputy Chief Bao narrowed his eyes as he looked at the delicate electrical releasing tool within while thinking inwardly if this was related to the electric rod used by the secret service. Although it is not rare for these militarized weapons to fall into the dark market, however the price was extremely high. Those orphans should not have these financial capabilities.

After pondering in silence for a long time, Deputy Chief Bao decided to investigate this matter. Of course, he did not dare to personally conduct the investigation. Instead, the investigation would be directed against this electric rod as he wanted to confirm if a secret service really entered the Riverwest State.

Deputy Chief Bao had a few comrades in the research organization at the Capital Star System. They should be able to help him with this. After filling up the receiver's address on the official mail cover, Deputy Chief Bao told his secretary to take this exhibit and mail it to the appraising branch of Highwood's Seventeenth Research Inst.i.tute.

This deputy chief that had lost his influence only instinctually wanted to clarify this matter, yet he could never have guessed the amount of influence of this small action of his on the future of the Federation.