Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Money-Making Professions (Two in One)

"Payment? What kind of payment do you want?"

Regardless of what the other party asked for, Chengzi decided to start by bargaining and immediately said:

"Bai Wu, since I’m a girl, could you give me a discount? How about gifting it to me? I’ll remember your kindness."

This reminded Bai Wu of a joke from the Idle Fish Second-Hand Market in his previous life, where a girl would ask for an alienware priced at forty thousand yuan to be sold to her for eight thousand just because she was a girl.

Bai Wu said indifferently:

"I don’t like girls, girls have to pay extra. If you can show me something on the spot, I’ll give you a fifty percent discount."

"..."

Chengzi decided to resist passively and puffed out her chest.

[Girls love to deceive themselves into thinking the image in a beauty camera is their true self, and a bigger bra size equals bigger breasts, but we all know the truth cannot withstand ’pinching’.]

Turns out to be an empty shell.

Bai Wu looked at Chengzi calmly and unconsciously, Chengzi felt a bit intimidated; she had no idea how to deal with Bai Wu and said dejectedly:

"I want to check the goods first." freeweɓnovel.cøm

Bai Wu handed the camera over to Chengzi and said:

"Be my guest. Just remove the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, and silently think of the numbers."

Chengzi fiddled with the camera, silently thinking of the numbers from about ten minutes ago; she was quite eager to see the astonished faces of the two wings confronting each other.

Bai Wu watched Chengzi take pictures and roughly guessed what she wanted to capture.

This girl is quite unashamedly shady, openly and unabashedly shady.

"Aren’t you afraid that one day it will truly backfire on you?" Bai Wu suddenly blurted out.

Chengzi certainly knew she was shady, but it was strange that Bai Wu also seemed to know she was shady, as if some steps in between had been skipped, though she felt quite composed:

"I just want more cuties to feel the sweetness of love. What wrong have I done?"

That made sense, irrefutable.

Click.

The camera flashed, and the photo slowly slid out. Looking at the two men’s angry, suspicious, and incredulous expressions, Chengzi giggled and said:

"Ahh! It really can capture it! I’ve struck it rich! I’ve struck it rich!"

Chengzi trembled with excitement: "Doesn’t this mean that if I keep taking pictures, I can learn about history?"

She silently thought of another set of numbers, wanting to test the limits of the camera, and thought of a time seven hundred years before.

Bai Wu was taken aback, he hadn’t even reacted at first.

That’s right, the camera could be used this way.

By continuously taking pictures, photo by photo, couldn’t history be pieced together like a puzzle?

This was obviously a foolish act comparable to Jingwei Filling the Sea, but it gave Bai Wu some inspiration.

"Eh, why can’t it capture anymore?" Chengzi tapped on the camera.

"Due to the brief Spirit Possession time, less than three hours, its efficacy is still very low. It can only be used twice a week. I’ve used it once outside the Tower, for the next use, you’ll have to wait seven days."

"Ah... I see."

Chengzi lowered her head, pondering over the value of the camera.

Even though the frequency of its use was far less than expected, this camera, as long as it was used in the right place, was definitely a sharp tool for intelligence gathering.

Liu Chengzi had some difficulty; dealing with someone like Bai Wu, who was indifferent to beauty and always seemed calm, meant bargaining was very troublesome.

Especially in the Chengzi Store, there was simply nothing of equivalent value to offer.

She had intended to try her luck despite feeling nervous but then she heard Bai Wu say in his unhurried tone,

"Skip the bargaining process. Don’t try to belittle it to drive down its price. Doing so will only make me think less of you."

"I..."

Liu Chengzi was at a loss for words.

"Fair exchange, barter. You can choose something of equal value, be it goods, information, services, or a combination that I find appropriate."

Is this service you’re mentioning even legitimate? Liu Chengzi really wanted to comment, although she felt that Bai Wu was unlikely to fall for seduction.

Bai Wu’s gaze swept over Liu Chengzi’s shop, and after all, not much time had passed, so the merchandise had barely been updated.

The notes were much the same as last time.

Liu Chengzi also didn’t dare to pass off counterfeit goods as treasures to trick Bai Wu; she always felt his gaze was too penetrating.

She was truly at a loss, but she really wanted the camera, and so she said,

"Then... what do you want for it?" freёwebnovel.com

Bai Wu nodded with satisfaction and replied,

"What’s the deal with the direct broadcast facilities in the mid-level area of the harbor market?"

"Huh?"

Liu Chengzi didn’t expect Bai Wu to switch topics so abruptly, wondering why he had suddenly moved on to this topic:

"Direct selling via broadcast, it’s said to have existed since the Pre-Tower Era. The common folk are pretty fond of that sort of thing. The more prestigious the person, the more they can attract an audience. Celebrity effects, ya know, they’ve been a thing since ancient times. But with your discernment, you shouldn’t be fooled... those are con tricks, right?"

The uniforms of the Investigation Corps, to a certain extent, are also high-tech items from the third layer, capable of providing thermal insulation to some degree.

Unlike the poor quality cosplay outfits in the streaming rooms, Bai Wu shook his head and said,

"I know those are deceitful. I’m asking whether the existence of such things started off as a scam, or if there were actually real events regarding external Tower broadcasts?"

Liu Chengzi, quite astute, heard the real question Bai Wu was asking:

"You’re interested in livestreaming?"

"If I’m not mistaken, these livestreams can’t be fake every time, because the common people aren’t that foolish. There must be a few fakes followed by a real one every now and then, mixed among them, otherwise it wouldn’t last long. I want to understand some data."

"Does this count as information that could offset part of the camera’s price?"

"It does. Tell me some details about the genuine broadcasts first."

Liu Chengzi became interested:

"Well, you definitely came to the right person. Come on, let’s sit and talk."

She happily moved a small stool closer, excited as if she had come across juicy gossip. As soon as Bai Wu sat down, she started to chatter excitedly, explaining some of the industry rules of the lower levels.

"Most people who live on the lower levels spend their time outside the Tower, protected by the Investigation Corps, collecting minerals and Blue Line Grass in the white zones. Although they go outside the Tower every day, most have a very limited understanding of what lies beyond.

Because the Corps members eradicate Evil Fallen in certain areas in advance, not many have actually seen Evil Fallen. People fear Evil Fallen, yet you might find it hard to believe that at the same time, they yearn to encounter them."

This was not at all hard to imagine.

Bai Wu, upon arriving at this world, had first encountered people of this sort.

Those nobles from the third and fourth levels who sent the lower-level folk off to the Tower’s outskirts to gamble were doing it to witness the spectacle of Evil Fallen devouring humans.

"David Fincher once said he firmly believes that there is a pervert living inside everyone, and this is also the source of his creative inspiration," Bai Wu remarked.

Liu Chengzi didn’t know who David Fincher was, but after thinking about it, she concluded that if she was a pervert, she must be a love-obsessed one.

"In any case, everyone likes to see what happens outside of the High Tower. They love gore and thrill, and are keen to learn about the vast world beyond. The High Tower is massive, but compared to the expansive territories of the Pre-Tower Era, it’s quite small.

To all those who dare not leave the High Tower, the world beyond is a mythical land. Whether rich or poor, noble or commoner, everyone is curious about what happens outside, but none of them would dare to actually go there."

Bai Wu understood; immense sensory needs created a massive market demand.

And humans have always been willing to take risks.

"Why not turn to the Investigation Corps?"

"Because aside from the Legion commander and the sixteen squad leaders who can initiate an application to leave the High Tower, no one else has the means to do so."

That made sense; the Investigation Corps was the ruler’s weapon, and nobody wanted their blade borrowed by those merchants. In a way, it also maintained order.

If the official army turned into a private force, it might lead to a reshuffling of the High Tower’s various powers.

However, naturally, Bai Wu had no particular fondness for the Heavenly Dragons of the third, fourth, and fifth levels. He pondered secretly: as long as I can conceal my identity during the free activity period, it should suffice.

A crime that goes undetected is not a crime, and an undetected Wang is still a good neighbor.

"Anyhow, since so many people wanted to learn about the outside world, this line of work came into being amid high public expectation. To solve the problem of the inability to use technological items outside the High Tower, people also sought various ways to attempt live-streaming, of course, there was really only one method."

"Spirit Possession of items."

"Right, only spirit-possessed items can be used outside the High Tower, and the process is said to be quite lengthy. Many items were taken outside of the High Tower, but nearly none with video recording capabilities. Even if there were any, they could not facilitate live streaming.

It wasn’t until about seven years later, when a certain magnate spent a fortune hiring people to take various items outside the High Tower, that he finally managed to spirit possess a pair of handcuffs. This pair of handcuffs looked like ordinary handcuffs on the surface..."

"But are actually monitors, right?"

"Eh, you’re so clever."

Bai Wu smiled. It appeared he had ruined a treasure in the past. He asked further:

"Such a useful item, why doesn’t the Investigation Corps use it? And since Spirit Possession is purely a matter of luck, how does the merchant ensure subsequent handcuffs would also be spirit-possessed?"

"There’s no guarantee. But the person who left with the handcuffs didn’t just take one pair. Everyone’s thinking was like this: if the chance of Spirit Possession for a single item is very low, then bring a ton of them."

Liu Chengzi paused before continuing:

"Guess what happened? Thirteen pairs of handcuffs, and they all got spirit-possessed, all with the same abilities. This phenomenon is known as Spirit Possession diffusion. Just like some people are good with dual blades, and both blades would undergo Spirit Possession at the same time. However, seeing the phenomenon of Spirit Possession diffusion is very rare."

Bai Wu roughly grasped the idea: at the moment of Spirit Possession, there was a certain chance for similar items to undergo Spirit Possession simultaneously, even though the odds were quite enigmatic;

"So later on, there was a pair of handcuff monitors that could strangely connect to the displays inside the High Tower?"

"Right, as for why the Investigation Corps doesn’t use this device, it’s because they can’t buy it. The magnate had no intention of selling the handcuffs."

If you were the only one in the world capable of live streaming, obviously you wouldn’t sell your device to anyone else.

The profits from a monopoly are unimaginably high. But all of this is predicated on having the power to enforce the monopoly.

"It seems this magnate is no ordinary person."

"That’s right, the people of the Investigation Corps don’t dare offend him openly. Some speculate he might come from the fifth level."

The ruler’s hierarchy...

Bai Wu’s thoughts were far more complex than Liu Chengzi’s.

After all, Liu Chengzi had no idea that Bai Wu had worn those handcuffs not long ago.

His mind raced, his brow inadvertently furrowing.

It appears I took this gamble too lightly; Wu Jiu’s attitude towards the bet beforehand was enough to prove that the organizer of the bet had an extraordinary identity.

So, who exactly tipped off the Investigation Corps to capture me? It’s certain that the informant’s identity starts with nobility. But who would offend the gambling establishment’s boss for a beggar?

Moreover, this boss has quite a background. If my identity were exposed, could Wu Jiu still keep me safe?

If I were to live-stream outside the tower, would that catch the attention of the gambling establishment’s people?

Bai Wu continued to press:

"So, to carry out a real live-stream, I must contact that magnate? His business has even infiltrated the lower class? Do you have a way to obtain live-streaming equipment?"

The wealthier the person, the more they realize the value of the lower-class labor force. Naturally, the magnate’s business would not be confined to the upper three layers.

"I can get in touch with him, yes, I have a boyfriend who has connections."

Where others would say I have a friend, Liu Chengzi goes straight for I have a boyfriend. Bai Wu had to admit, that was also a kind of strength.

Bai Wu didn’t want to beat around the bush:

"I need the following props: a Spirit Possession mask that can change my voice, styled like a smiling clown face or something similar; if it can’t change the voice, it at least has to be sufficiently sturdy."

"Also, the live-streaming equipment. I can’t get it under my identity. You’ll need to help me get the equipment and ensure no one can trace it back to me."

Liu Chengzi felt this was somewhat difficult, but Bai Wu quickly raised the stakes:

"The camera can only be used twice a week, but if you continue to carry it, its Spirit Possession level will increase, allowing more frequent use, and it may even evolve further. If you’re willing to help me, the camera is one benefit, and if in the future, other items suitable for Spirit Possession come up, I may consider smuggling them out of the tower for you."

Liu Chengzi was tempted.

If Bai Wu’s strength was enough, wouldn’t that make him a reliable Spirit Possession item producer?

Wouldn’t that be more valuable than all her boyfriends combined?

Although unfamiliar with Bai Wu, women trust their instincts, and she felt that Bai Wu was very capable, a solid pillar to lean on.

"Deal! I’ll get you the live-streaming equipment and ensure no one traces it. That much I can do. But I have to be your financial partner. With me around, you can focus on live-streaming, while I take care of the operations!"

Being able to open a shop in a bustling lower-layer area and keeping trouble at bay meant Chengzi’s social network was naturally more robust than her figure.

Bai Wu had no objections; live-streaming needed someone to hype it up, and Chengzi was indeed suitable.

"How soon can you do it?"

"Are you in a hurry? It will probably take three days."

That was quicker than expected.

After discussing the details with Liu Chengzi, Bai Wu left Chengzi Store.

Upon returning to his accommodation, he examined the Traction Disc, pondering over his next exploration. Should he go to the area arranged by the challenger or find a random place?

While Bai Wu was planning his activities outside the tower, little did he know that Wu Jiu had other plans for him.

Knock, knock, knock, the door was rapped on, and a female voice came from outside:

"Bai Wu, it’s me, Yun Shu from the interrogation team. The captain sent me to look for you."

The interrogation team?

Bai Wu had a guess about the purpose of the visit. The interrogation team was responsible for questioning criminals, having a grasp of lower layer intel, and also investigating some lower-layer cases.

Could it be there was a case?

Thinking about the style of the infamous signs in the lower layer, Bai Wu wasn’t surprised at all about crime occurring in this place.

But he had never tried solving a case using Prayle’s Eye before; it might feel like having an unfair advantage.

(Once again, thank you all for your support, but during the new book period I really need recommendation tickets~ I will absolutely not ask for these after the book is on the shelves, so please don’t find me annoying~ This is a young sprout of a 70,000-word book, so please water it generously~ Thank you!)