NOVEL WEB Chapter 253
Chapter 253: Two Sides of the Balance 34
Kui Xin had pre-emptively searched for information about Fusgong City on the network, understanding what kind of city it was.
Near the Federal Administrative Center, Fusgong City was undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid in both economic and political status.
“We are currently outside Uli City,” Kui Xin opened her wrist communicator to check the coordinates. “It’s still over two thousand kilometers away from Fusgong City… tsk, it’s so far… Let’s rest.”
“Is an S-Rank spatial vortex very exhausting?” Ambereye asked.
“Mm, it really is.” Kui Xin exhaled. “After one spatial vortex, resting for a while usually helps; after several in succession, I can definitely feel the fatigue. The physical exertion depends on the distance; going farther requires more energy, but close distances aren’t much trouble.”
“That’s reasonable… After all, each spatial vortex spans almost four hundred kilometers.” Ambereye said. “If it were Night Cicada, he would have collapsed by now using this ability continuously today.”
Had Kui Xin not transported Scalpel and others to Hei Hai City, she and Ambereye could have traveled further. However, powerful abilities come with high consumption; Night Cicada would need oxygen tanks to open multiple spatial vortices, whereas Kui Xin’s condition is much better.
From Baijing City to Hei Hai City, Kui Xin used six spatial vortices. From Hei Hai City to Fusgong City, it will likely require twelve spatial vortices.
Baijing City is roughly equidistant from both destinations, but despite that, Hei Hai City is far from the Federal Administrative Center – it faces the sea, while the latter is centrally located inland.
“It’s already half past eleven, let’s eat.” Kui Xin sat on the ground and took out food from her gear bag, taking a bite.
Ambereye also sat down to eat some prepared food.
“I estimate needing six hours to recover.” Kui Xin said.
“Alright, I’ll handle the patrols; you rest first,” Ambereye commented.
Kui Xin finished eating, rehydrated, and leaned against a large rock to rest.
The midday sun was strong, so they sat in the shade of the rocks. But as time passed, the sunlight gradually shifted until it was about to shine directly onto Kui Xin.
Ambereye wasn’t sure if she was asleep or not, so when she stood up to change position facing the sun, she took off her backpack and held it above Kui Xin’s head to shield her from the sun.
After a few hours, the sunlight became less intense.
Ambereye put down the backpack, and Kui Xin ended her rest.
“Let’s continue.” She stretched as the bones popped loudly.
Another spatial vortex was initiated as they moved to the next planned coordinate, steadily heading towards Fusgong City.
***
The architectural cluster of Fusgong City was distinctly different.
“Finally, there’s a subway system here…” Kui Xin mused aloud. “Hei Hai City and Baijing City don’t have a subway; only hover trams. And Baijing City doesn’t even have those either.”
“The transportation here is divided into underground and above-ground sections. Subways as well as hover trams exist,” Adam explained. “I was here once a long time ago.”
“In your world, it’s called a subway, while here it’s referred to as a ‘ground rail’ train. The meaning is similar.” Adam continued, “Different cities use different modes of transport, which largely depends on their geographical settings.”
Many of the Federation’s cities have long histories. During their initial construction, they did not always consider future expansion, resulting in incomplete transportation plans. Additionally, when initially building these cities, FedTech wasn’t advanced enough to overlook geographical barriers.
Without underground traffic, Hei Hai City, a coastal city, often experienced heavy rains. Building subways there risked flooding, leaving the drainage infrastructure inadequate. So, instead, they built a suspended tram system throughout the city.
Starting out as a mining town, Baijing City’s soil composition was unique, and it was near polar regions, making underground tunnels costly to construct. Even the suspended tram proved unsuitable due to the icy conditions for much of the year. Thus, the city’s roads were exceptionally wide with multiple layers of overpasses, designed to alleviate traffic congestion.
Technologically, it is possible for FedTech to build both underground and above-ground transportation systems in coastal and polar regions. Still, such urban development projects come with high costs. Although current transportation lines are strained, they are still usable. Why invest in additional infrastructure?
Adam then added, “Fusgong City is the most important transportation hub in the Federation. It links the Federation to other cities. If you look at the map, you’ll notice that the central city in the network of routes is Fusgong City.”
“Why isn’t the Federal Administrative Center the central city?” Kui Xin queried using data manipulation to ask Adam.
“Because Fusgong City was established before the Federal Administrative Center. The center was a later development when another city was chosen instead. However, given how many factories are present, there’s limited room for city expansion, leading to the creation of a new city nearby—the Federal Administrative Center was subsequently built,” Adam explained.
“These development stories have significant academic value,” Kui Xin said. “If a sociologist were to travel to the Second World, they might write papers: ‘A Comparative Study of Urban Development in the First and Second Worlds’ or ‘The Impact of Geography on Urban Appearance in the Second World.’”
“It is indeed a topic worth investigating,” Adam agreed, “although such academic discourse cannot be circulated.”
“Let’s go, take the subway… ground rail,” Kui Xin told Ambereye.
After continuously opening spatial vortices, she needed a break and wanted to save her energy by utilizing public transport.
“But we don’t have legal identification to ride,” Ambereye pointed out. “Entering would trigger the Investigative Bureau’s city traffic surveillance system.”
“Not a problem,” Kui Xin dismissed casually.
Ambereye nodded thoughtfully, “Okay, since you say so.”
The urban transportation system falls under Investigative Bureau control, which Adam oversees. Thus, Kui Xin could move freely about the city without fear of being apprehended by the Investigative Bureau.
Though Adam could provide them direct access to bypass security, they needed to remain covert because Eve was watching from the shadows.
Few entry points to ground rail routes existed outside Fusgong City. Kui Xin and Ambereye disguised themselves in regular clothing, wearing expensive facsimile human skin masks purchased from a black market doctor before boarding with their belongings packed like travelers.
Unbothered by inspections or identity checks, they boarded the clean and spacious ground rail car seats. The scene reminded Kui Xin of her roots in the First World.
Looking through the glass windows revealed advertising panels playing animated commercials on the walls around the waiting area, reflecting on the train’s glass like colorful lights, creating an illusion with people inside too, tinting their figures with vivid hues.
The carriages consisted of several sections, few people aboard, and the train began moving, swaying slightly, speeding through the silver-colored tunnels. The advertisements lining the tracks transformed into colored light shows. Kui Xin felt as though she was passing through auroras, deep purple and blue light shimmering over her.
“It’s beautiful,” whispered Kui Xin softly.
“Indeed,” Ambereye agreed. “Every city is beautiful, but no part of each is the same.”
More beautiful places become stunningly so. More industrialized areas grow even more modern, whereas outdated ones deteriorate more noticeably.
Two hours later, the ground rail reached its destination, Kui Xin’s target—Fusgong City’s slums.
Such a glittering metropolis still had a slum, hence the statement about parts not being equally beautiful. In the areas unlit by the city’s lights, residents lived in poverty, akin to rats.
When they exited at the ground rail station, the upward escalator was broken, marked “Out of Order, Under Repair” with a layer of dust implying it had been that way for some time.
Kui Xin and Ambereye had to walk out of the underground section.
They wandered a bit after leaving the underground area, passing a towering structure visible beyond the gray buildings. Rows of low, small, and dim grey houses spread around, some with faint lighting showing where the poor lived.
Kui Xin gazed at the distant tall structures beyond the low buildings.
Nuclear Power Plant!
The factories stood out prominently, glowing coldly in the dark night. She saw protective domes guarding the industrial sites, vast enough to create a sense of pressure even from afar.
The nuclear complex’s structures were much higher than those in the slums, resembling giants overseeing ants. Compared to the nuclear plant, the slums’ tiny grey blocks were like stones scattered at the foot of a mountain.
“How big are those containment domes?” Kui Xin asked gravely.
“Each dome covers an area equivalent to twenty football fields combined, two in total. Due to their size, they use an internal support framework, similar to a tent’s structure,” Adam replied. “Combined, they span nearly thirty hectares.”
“Crap,” Kui Xin commented. “Living here feels like living next to a grim reaper, constantly threatened…”
“The initial nuclear leak was controlled without serious damage to surrounding areas.” Adam said, “However, it’s uncertain if any latent issues might surface in the future.”
“It’s like the reaper holding a knife always threatening your neck; you never know when it will strike.” Kui Xin concluded.
She turned her gaze toward Ambereye.
“Ambereye, this is where your expertise comes in,” Kui Xin stated.
As if it were an illusion, Ambereye perceived expectation and encouragement in Kui Xin’s eyes.
“I don’t want to look at me like that… You’re making me doubt my expertise,” he responded.
“Why doubt?” Kui Xin asked, “There are no sewers to hide in at the nuclear site.”
“Alright, understood.” Ambereye sighed heavily. “I’ll scout with rodents to check things; isn’t that what you wanted me for?”
“Split into teams,” Kui Xin directed. “One team enters the nuclear power plant to investigate. The other stays outside to find people in the vicinity.”
She raised her communicator and sent a picture to Ambereye. The face of Remover 777 appeared on the screen.