The Underclass - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Entering District C was much easier than Galaxy had imagined.

The technological level of District C seemed even lower than that of Districts A and B; they still used old-fashioned iris verification for entry. Fula had them both wear special iris-penetrating contact lenses, allowing them to openly stroll right through District C's checkpoint, though their vehicle was confiscated.

Supposedly, this was the exorbitant toll they had to pay to pass.

District C resembled a massive slum, filled with fiery red architecture everywhere. Perhaps magma served as a natural building material here, because even the air carried the scent of sulfur and saltpeter.

A boiling river cascaded down from the distant Mount Manderson; even the waterways here possessed an unbearable, scalding heat. Occasionally, massive ships forged from specialized metals would pass over the river. Despite undergoing countless cooling treatments, the intense heat still caused the ship captains and sailors to periodically jump up and yell, "It's too hot, it's too hot! Did you turn on the cooling system?"

Before entering, Galaxy and Fula were each issued a cooling suit. Anyone living here had to wear this garment at all times; otherwise, the searing temperatures would roast a person alive within three hours.

Fula explained to her, "Eighty percent of the cities here are focused on developing the sub-volcanic minerals to provide the Federation government with materials for urban reconstruction. Because of this, for most people born and raised in District C, the only job they will ever have in their entire lives is serving as manual laborers in the volcanic mines."

"Because human labor is cheaper and more endlessly renewable than intelligent machinery," Fula continued. "Countless people die in the volcanic rock mines every year, but a very cheap compensation payout is all it takes to make a family vanish without a trace, stripping them of any right to protest the injustice."

"Didn't you say the volcanic minerals are mined to build the cities?" Galaxy asked, almost naively.

Fula laughed, her face full of sarcasm. "Do you know how many cities the Federation government has? The first to be developed will always be the advanced cities in District A. They deploy the newest hovercars and hard tech, painting their cities in vibrant colors. Even their hospitals feature holographic surgeries, allowing people to complete entire operations as if playing a game. But technological advancement and urban development have no end; once one phase is done, there will be another. Whenever the public questions this, they're told there is still plenty of time, and that the core districts must master the most advanced technology first before it can be gradually rolled out to other cities. And that wait is endless."

No one would bestow their favor upon such a poverty-stricken volcanic city, and precisely because there was no patronage, the wealth gap here was glaringly obvious.

The mining merchants, who made fortunes by recruiting laborers to dig the mines, had so much wealth that they could easily afford to live in the affluent zones of District A. They only ever came to District C for one reason: to vacation and soak in the natural volcanic hot springs.

And right outside those expensive volcanic hot springs were the workers, toiling day and night in the mines, constantly at risk of contracting SAR disease.

SAR disease, also known as Volcanic Disease, was an illness contracted after exposure to infectious pollutants inside the volcanoes. Typically, after two months, a victim's face would turn pale, their body would slowly become incredibly stiff, and ultimately, four to five months later, they would die.

"Is it incurable?" Galaxy asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've seen your file. You used to have an incredibly superior physical constitution and were meant to be a chosen prodigy. Why did you end up like this? Was it because the medical technology wasn't advanced enough?" Fula asked in return.

She met Galaxy's gaze, her eyes utterly calm. "It's not that Volcanic Disease can't be treated, but rather that the workers cannot afford the exorbitant medical costs for treatments that yield very little effect."

"Volcanic Disease is a poor man's disease. No one in this world is going to research a poor man's disease; there is no value in it."

"For them, just wanting to stay alive is difficult."

The two arrived at the inn where they were temporarily staying. Galaxy gave her a deep look. "Why are you so familiar with this place?"

"Because this is my hometown," Fula shrugged nonchalantly. "A backwards, impoverished, and terrifying place. It took me ten years to claw my way out, only to nearly die out there. At the time, I actually felt my hometown was safer."

"It's a really laughable thought," she said. "But fortunately, I found another path I could walk."

At this moment, Galaxy didn't quite know what to say. She had once eaten a vegetable from the old era called a bitter melon, and she genuinely felt that the people in this organization were like a gathering of bitter melons, herself included.

Otherwise, why would they be acting like a bunch of lunatics?

The next day, the organization transmitted An Hua's exact location. It was a research institute deep inside a volcano, where she had reportedly been spotted two days ago.

But how to get inside became the next difficult problem.

Unlike the District C checkpoint, the research institute was heavily fortified. Even the workers excavating inside had to undergo a daily physical examination to verify their blood genetics.

How to evade the blood gene test was a massive issue; unlike the research facility in Lucia Town, this place hadn't been abandoned.

Not long after, however, the organization's miraculous leader sent them an excellent item capable of temporarily altering blood genetics.

A single injection could destroy the data within the scanner, effectively tampering with their genetic sequences.

Galaxy felt that, compared to posing as a researcher, sneaking in disguised as a miner would be much more convenient.

And so, on the third day, she registered at the mine entrance and successfully infiltrated the excavation tunnels of the research institute.

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