Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 710 - 595 Charging

Chapter 710: Chapter 595 Charging

"Charging—the power company provides 20 minutes of electricity each day." Jin Li’s finger scraped on the counter as if trying to scrape something off to eat.

"20 minutes!" Lu Jing gasped.

"As soon as it gets dark, we have to light candles. Humans can’t do without electricity." Jin Li’s eyes glowed in the darkness, and so did those of his hundred rat companions behind him.

"They never paid for it, stealing electricity," Rinne said.

"The electricity was supposed to supply some small factories in the Northeast District that were paying. The nearby humans also enjoyed it... But the power distribution company went bankrupt, and they’ve been doing it like this since a week ago... People can’t buy electricity even if they pay. The day before yesterday, a generator and 20 liters of fuel were sold at a high price, and the buyer was killed on the way home at night..." Ratman babbled on.

As the darkness deepened, Lu Jing couldn’t help but grab Rinne’s hand in the pitch black that surrounded them.

She looked out in horror; the muddled people outside looked like zombies. They were old timers and young men, plus some women and cunning children, all heading toward the power station in groups.

"You haven’t given enough information. You... come with us. Take us to see their destination," Lu Jing beckoned to Jin Li.

"They’re going to the power station in the outer block to charge... 20 minutes every day, they need to charge their implants. You can go there by yourselves," Jin Li said.

Hearing this, Lu Jing felt even more terrified; footsteps from all around converged toward the same place.

People resolutely headed toward one destination; the area around the power station was bound to be impassable.

"Who decides who gets to charge and who doesn’t?" Lu Jing persisted.

"Fists and bullets. Poor humans just love to kill each other. The poorer they are, the more they like to trample others..." Jin Li sneered and then patted the black box in the corner of the counter, which charged all the scarce terminal machines in the rat holes.

"Come with us and show us the way; we’ll ensure your safety," Lu Jing said.

"It’s not a pretty sight," Rinne warned.

A large crowd of people desperate for electricity cramming into one power station was bound to be exceedingly bloody.

"Isn’t there anyone maintaining order?" Lu Jing murmured.

"The only ones who could maintain order were killed this afternoon," Jin Li unlocked the door, squeezing through a narrow side door.

Hunched over, it was about the same height as Lu Jing; if it stood upright, it might even be taller than a human.

"Cold Bay’s Thugs?" Rinne came to her senses.

"Yes, yes. Who else can control these restless human things besides Cold Bay’s Thugs? But I heard they were wiped out, so there’ll definitely be fresh bloodshed tonight, for electricity..." Jin Li’s tongue licked its whiskers incessantly, as if it too wanted to see humans suffer.

They left the cramped black market, walking up a ramp.

Lu Jing wrapped herself tighter in her green clothes; it was bitterly cold. Indeed, the street outside the power station was already impassable, with tens of thousands of eyes staring at the small power station, equipped with a variety of sockets, capable of satisfying all sorts of charging needs, from vehicles, batteries, implants to household appliances.

Lu Jing turned and saw them wearing crudely made synthetic fabric clothing, holding batteries, guns, and household appliances, all with looks of panic or tension.

Around them were many tall figures with strange eyes, as well as those who looked like secret agents and spies she had seen before, all poised to act for those 20 minutes of power supply at the power station.

This place was like a pressure valve filled with stress, ready to explode as soon as the power station’s lights came on, fighting brutally over those sources of energy. Many people’s implants would lead to tissue necrosis once they ran out of power.

"Electricity..." Lu Jing murmured, "how could electricity have also become so scarce?"

"Every day, people go to steal electricity from the city. I also buy lots of battery gadgets to sell, but humans simply can’t afford them," Jin Li glanced towards the distance.

Following its gaze, Lu Jing looked toward Jialong Slope’s other side, which looked like a resplendent Paradise, the entire building lit up, its brilliant lights piercing the night sky as if to etch its mark into the heavens. Huge implant ads were projected high up, promoting neural kits that could customize thought patterns, making it easier for users to triumph in various careers.

Dense security shuttles patrolled between the core of the city and the outskirts, their glaring searchlights trained downwards, as if something was stirring below.

Lu Jing knew they must be a group of ordinary people trying to cross the border in search of electricity, penniless and desperate to survive.

The next second, as 7 p.m. struck, the entire block was suddenly illuminated.

Hundreds of street lamps on both sides of the road lit up the area, and the power station shone with blinding flashes of light. For a moment, this side of the city was no different from the other tall buildings, equally bathed in the warm glow of light.

But the pressure finally exploded, and people rushed toward the large power station in the center of the block, shoving, squeezing, howling, screaming incessantly.

Before she could take in the scene, cries erupted behind Lu Jing; she turned to see an alleyway where the noise emanated from deep within.

"What was that sound?" Lu Jing asked.

"Human things robbing each other," Ratman turned to discern the noises.

Lu Jing sprinted, following the sound into a dilapidated apartment building, just in time to see two men breaking into a room, bursting through the door.