Chapter 1030: Changing Minds
That night, at the weapons factory.
The workers on the assembly line had gotten off work and had gone home. However, Feng Zi and several engineers were still at the workshop, studying more about machine optimization. A few of them were arguing about replacing a certain part of the machine. Feng Zi was slapping her hands on the table, and the others’ faces were burning red. However, their argument seemed only limited to technical issues. In fact, after spending an entire afternoon with them and coupled with Feng Zi’s carefree character, she had gotten along well with everyone in the factory.
And now, everyone considered her as one of them. Besides, Feng Zi was very knowledgeable when it came to the machinery, and the suggestions she provided had been very valuable so far. However, they still needed to do some tests on her ideas to see if they would work well.
Feng Zi and the engineers didn’t realize how time flew until the roars of an engine broke the tranquility of the night. The security then released a red motorcycle, and the rider drove into the factory and finally stopped in front of Feng Zi.
As the rider removed its helmet, a look of surprise appeared on Feng Zi’s face.
“I thought the woman named F is here to deal with me. Why is her motorcycle with you?”
“I met her just now. So, I asked to borrow her motorcycle to ride around,” Zhang Heng said. “What’s going on? Are you ready to call it a day?”
“Hmm, since you are here, let’s go back together,” Feng Zi said. After saying goodbye to the engineers discussing with her, she sat on the motorcycle’s backseat.
Zhang Heng twisted the throttle, the motorcycle made a roar, and they sped out of the weapons factory.
Zhang Heng did not speak all the way, but Feng Zi couldn’t hold back and asked, “You…have nothing to say?”
“What do you want me to say?” Zhang Heng’s voice sounded muffled by the wind that was blasting them.
“I know you have always disliked Mr. G and the vision he’s portrayed. So… you probably won’t like what I did in the factory this afternoon.”
“You have nothing to worry about because I never interfere with other people’s life decisions, nor do I ask the people around me to do as I please,” Zhang Heng said.
“I kind of understand why Mr. G and you are so incompatible. Both of you are at extreme ends,” Feng Zi said.
“Let me correct you here. I am not incompatible with Mr. G. Our only contradiction is only about the transaction. He broke the agreement between us, and it upset me. So, now, I’m using the memory encoder to blackmail him into doing things for me. He should be distraught now. That’s it.”
“So, you will give him the memory encoder later?”
“After he finishes what I want him to do, I will return him the memory encoder,” Zhang Heng said.
“Then, do you still want to kill him?” Feng Zi asked again.
Zhang Heng did not answer immediately. He seemed to be thinking about the question. It was only after a while that he said, “No. When this matter is over, I will concentrate on collecting shellac records no matter who wins or loses.”
“You changed your mind. Why? I thought you were the kind that makes decisions without being affected by others.”
Since Feng Zi asked, Zhang Heng had no intention to hide anything from her anymore. He then said bluntly, “The reason I wanted to kill him had nothing to do with the new world that he was going to create. Although I was personally skeptical about the beautiful vision he outlined, I don’t actually care much about this kind of thing. I just know that he is not as generous as he presents himself to others. See, he has only treated me politely now because he needs the memory encoder that I have with me. Once I hand it over to him, I’m not ruling out the possibility that he will make me pay the price. So, I wanted to kill him before he could kill me.”
“…”
Feng Zi did not know what to say. So she paused and asked again, “Now how do you know that he won’t make you pay the price anymore?”
“I don’t know that. I saw that many people rely on him, hoping to change the world. Even if I still hadn’t identified his end goal, at least the enthusiasm of these people is true. I don’t want to take away their hopes. My stand remains the same, and I do not intend to join them. I have no reason to stop you from helping him too. It is better that I leave as soon as possible to do the things I want to do. No need to worry about me. Since the tracking device has been extracted from my head, no one in the entire New Shanghai 0297 would be able to locate me if I choose to go into hiding.”
…
Zhang Heng and Feng Zi had been living on the first level for three days now. During this period, Mr. G had always been very polite towards them. He would send his people every day to ask them what they needed and gave them enough credit points to cope with their expenses.
Feng Zi was now working at the weapon factory, reporting to work on time every day, while Zhang Heng continued to heal his injuries. With the help of the latest generation of medical gels, his surgical wounds healed very quickly. Soon, there was only a faint scar left. After that, Zhang Heng bought a wig for his head. By doing that, no one would be able to notice the scar.
Later, Zhang Heng asked Black to inform Mr. G that he would leave the first level for some time. Mr. G then had a video call with Zhang Heng, during which Mr. G told Zhang Heng about the current situation of New Shanghai 0297. After what happened that night, Shengtang Morgan Group could no longer stand the forces that were not within their control.
Even if this force could help with the stability of the first level, reducing their management costs, ever since Mr. G started to execute his plan, the trouble he caused exceeded the benefits Shengtang Morgan Group could reap from it. Hence, the atmosphere on the first level had only grown tenser.
Shengtang Morgan Group had successively deployed more police from the other four levels to the first level. In the name of maintaining public security, the police trigged minor skirmishes with Mr. G, and although both sides had not done something out of line at this stage, no one knew how long it would last.
After telling Zhang Heng the current situation, Mr. G also euphemistically hinted that it was safer that he stayed on the first level, especially considering that Zhang Heng would still need to bring the memory encoder to him from the second level. Mr. G could not afford to let something bad happened to his benefactor at this time.
Zhang Heng, however, still insisted on leaving. And at the same time, he rejected the bodyguard sent by Mr. G. Considering that the relationship between the two parties was still in their honeymoon phase, and Zhang Heng was strong enough to protect himself, Mr. G said nothing anything, in the end, agreeing for Zhang Heng to leave the first level temporarily. Afterward, the two reached an agreement that Zhang Heng could only leave for a maximum of three days. At the same time, if something bad happened and caused the situation at the first level to deteriorate rapidly, Zhang Heng had to bring the memory encoder back immediately.