Life Game In Other World
Chapter 231: Believer (Long - - Please Subscribe, Add to Favorites, Request Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Believer (Long Chapter - Please Subscribe, Add to Favorites, Request Monthly Tickets)

The black sedan drove through the streets, the city outside the window a blur of fleeting lights.

Ramshackle shacks were perched beneath the bustling towers of the metropolis, where disheveled people in tattered clothes huddled against the cold winter winds, staring blankly at the stream of traffic flowing by.

Luxury cars weren’t uncommon in Kaye City - in the brief moment that He Ao peered out, seven or eight vehicles worth over a million federal coins each passed by him.

Hao Ao withdrew his gaze, reclining on the sofa in the back of the car,

"Danny, what’s the food self-sufficiency rate in Kaye City?"

"Kaye City is an industrial city. The agricultural companies under the group supply about 35% of the city’s food, and other small agricultural companies supply 15%."

The elderly butler seated in the passenger seat answered slowly, "The remaining 50% of the food is purchased from the Mosanto Grain Industry Group, which transports the food from nearby grain-producing cities."

"Only half self-sufficient?"

He Ao bowed his head in thought.

In fact, Kaye City’s rate of food self-sufficiency was relatively high among the Federation’s non-grain-producing cities. Stronger financial and commercial cities, like Dawn City, might have rates of less than 30%.

"Master Vian, you seem to like that girl just now very much?"

While He Ao was deep in thought, Danny suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

He Ao paused, then realized the old butler was referring to Lina; he nodded lightly, "Her talent for promotion is very high."

He then looked at Danny with some confusion. Normally, the butler wouldn’t take the initiative to pose questions, "Is there a problem with her?"

"Master Vian, the old master was already married at your age."

Danny said in leisurely manner.

"Pfft, cough cough cough,"

He Ao nearly choked on his saliva, covering his mouth to cough a few times, then glanced out the window before speaking in a calmer voice, "I’m not in a hurry. Who is in charge of the corporation’s fixed assets?"

"Jamie. His father is a member of the board of directors."

The butler said softly, not bringing up the previous topic again.

"Find some trustworthy people," He Ao pulled out a handgun inscribed with the insignia of Stars City from his chest, "and form an investigation team; someone has been secretly trafficking the corporation’s fixed assets."

"Understood."

The old butler nodded gently.

"Hmm," He Ao pondered for a moment, then continued, "Does the corporation have an intelligence department?"

"The Industrial Development Department has a special division for ’borrowing’ from competitive products, and the Mercenary Corps has its own wilderness reconnaissance agency,"

The butler shook his head slowly, "But there is no dedicated intelligence department."

"I see..."

He Ao was contemplative for an instant, "Pull some fairly reliable and smart people from the Mercenary Corps, hire a few teachers with expertise in intelligence, and form a separate intelligence investigation team."

The Federation does not offer protection for logistics in the wilderness; major consortiums wanting to sell their products elsewhere must hire their own escorts to protect their goods from damage while in transit.

This gave rise to the substantial mercenary organizations active in the wilderness.

Initially, consortia would hire well-known mercenary organizations for escorting.

However, some mercenary groups would collude within, secretly siphoning off consortia’s goods, forcing these consortia to form their own Mercenary Corps.

Now, the major consortia with higher rankings in the Federation all have their affiliated Mercenary Corps.

These large Mercenary Corps are generally stationed outside the high walls and are not permitted to enter the city in large numbers. Even when a few mercenaries come and go, they must undergo strict checks and cannot carry any high-risk weapons.

But these Mercenary Corps would not gather en masse. Most of the time, consortia’s Mercenary Corps are dispersed, delivering goods, and cannot be convened at short notice.

After giving these instructions, He Ao leaned back on the sofa, slowly closing his eyes.

——

Deep into the night, the weary man slowly pushed open the door to the house.

"Daddy!"

A cute little girl ran towards him with open arms.

"Eh," Jack’s face lit up with a smile as he picked up his daughter, holding her in his arms, and stretched a hand to close the door, "Has Anna been good today?"

"Anna has been really good! Mommy even praised Anna today!"

The little girl, holding a candy in her hand, nodded vigorously with a snuffling sound.

"You’re back?"

Elsa, the wife, looking exhausted, placed the prepared broth and bread on the table, "Come and eat."

"How did it go with Anna’s school today?"

Jack sat at the dining table, placing his daughter on a small stool beside him.

"I’ve asked around all the kindergartens nearby, five in total,"

Elsa sighed, "The cheapest one, when you add up the tuition, living expenses, and care fees, is about 127 federal coins a week."

"Hmm."

Jack responded softly, his head bent as he ate his bread.

After deductions for medical and social insurance, Jack’s weekly earnings amounted to 540 federal coins.

Elsa, who worked as a waitress, had variable wages, but based on what her colleagues earned, her weekly pay was likely to be between 370 and 420 federal coins.

She didn’t have health insurance, so she had to buy the cheapest medical insurance herself, costing 45 federal coins per week, which meant that her actual weekly salary ranged from 325 to 375 federal coins.

Together, the couple’s weekly salary barely reached around 900 federal coins. Although this seemed decent, out of those 900 federal coins, 470 had to be spent on rent and management fees for their apartment.

What remained of the 430 federal coins, after deducting the fixed weekly costs for utilities, food, and public transportation expenses, was practically nothing.

Squeezing out an extra 127 federal coins for their daughter’s education was difficult.

Anna stared with wide eyes at her mom and dad, unable to understand what was troubling them.

"If it really won’t work, I can stop my medical insurance,"

Elsa said, looking down at her bowl of thick soup, "Most of my colleagues don’t buy health insurance either. We’re young and healthy now, buying insurance is just giving money to the insurance company."

"Isn’t there a nursery school under the Nolanka Group nearby?"

Jack suddenly asked.

"Yes," Elsa nodded gently, "That one costs 135 federal coins a week."

"Today I heard from the workshop supervisor that official employees of the Nolanka Group can enjoy a 30% discount at the group’s nursery schools, but the slots are limited."

Jack slowly said.

"Those limited slots are usually reserved for the children of group managers; how could it be our turn?"

Elsa sighed.

Jack didn’t continue the discussion on this topic, instead he asked, "How much is left of the savings we brought from Dawn City?"

"Three thousand seven hundred."

Elsa responded.

"Take out five hundred... seven hundred, let’s take out seven hundred. I’ll go talk to the workshop supervisor tomorrow," Jack bit into a piece of bread, "There’s always a way."

Anna shook her head from side to side, looking at her dad, then at her mom, knowing that this wasn’t the time to be acting spoiled. She bowed her head and sipped her soup in small mouthfuls.

——

The night wind brushed against Lina’s cheeks.

She looked much more spirited than before, her messy chestnut hair now combed smooth and neat, giving off the impression of a smart and capable urban professional.

She went home for a bath at noon and then took a nap, only waking up not long ago.

Although she dreamed multiple times of Jet’s tragic death while asleep, she was so exhausted she couldn’t react to these horrifying visions.

Clutching the cold business card in her hand, she wandered aimlessly into the night.

As an excellent media person, she naturally knew what the title ’Chairman of the Nolanka Group Board’ implied.

That was the real ruler of the city, embodying the city’s wealth, an uncrowned king.

Contact with such an entity often meant a chance for rapid advancement.

She should have been happy, but there was only a hint of melancholy in her heart.

If this Mr. Vian were an ordinary playboy, she wouldn’t mind getting involved with him.

Perhaps she could even use the opportunity to gain access to high-society circles.

But clearly, Mr. Vian was not just any playboy.

From his devilishly persuasive words and sharp emotional insight, it was clear he was a leader with courage and wisdom.

He was a doer.

Following such a doer meant really achieving something significant, attaining a certain status.

But correspondingly, it also meant taking on more risk.

In this world, return and risk always coexist.

A simple truth, as the chairman of the Nolanka Group Board, could Vian not find someone with greater abilities than Lina in the entire Kaye City?

That was almost impossible.

So the most likely reason Vian had approached Lina was that the environment he found himself in was not good; he could not fully trust those who were originally by his side.

Therefore, he wanted to find someone from the lower class, with no backing but a certain talent, to be exceptionally promoted to the center of power, counterbalancing the original factions.

This person, owing allegiance to no faction and devoid of any background, derived all power from Vian’s patronage. Hence, only by forging a strong bond and standing firmly with him could one survive in the tumultuous and chaotic center of power.

Similarly, according to the rules of power dynamics, should any issue arise, this person would be the first to be thrown out to calm the public anger.

So, being by his side meant that one could be abandoned at any moment, that one could die at any time.

Lina stopped in her tracks and looked up at the grand gates of the villa area.

This was her first time visiting the villas in the wealthy district.

While the vast majority in the city were crammed into skyscrapers stacked like urns,

Some enjoyed sunlight, courtyards, and the expansive sky.

She walked and walked and found herself here.

In the end, she was tempted by that man. She wanted to change the world, to change this twisted, terrible world.

Even if it meant death.

She grasped a silver chain that brushed her collarbone and lifted it.

It was a silver pendant, with a miniaturized version of a black and white checkered, bizarre smiling face mask on the front, and on the back of the pendant, there was a silver letter,

K