Chapter 836 - 855: These Unknown Expansion Packs

The worker looked embarrassed and scratched his head. "No, our factory isn’t hiring people to slaughter Gugu Beasts."

Slaughtering Gugu Beasts wasn’t difficult anyway. It was all done directly with large-scale machinery.

"Then why did they all leave?"

"Oh, it’s like this. The boss of our factory has a kind heart, and he’s holding a free medical clinic at the factory entrance—"

"For free?!"

"Yes, completely free of ch—"

Before he could even finish the word "charge," the circle of people around him vanished.

They grabbed their companions and rushed off without a backward glance.

No one even suspected it was a lie. For one thing, given their current wretched state, there was nothing left to scam from them. For another, the factory boss was known to be a kind-hearted young man who had donated Star Coins on several occasions.

Therefore, the news of the free clinic had to be true. They just didn’t know the scale of it. How many people could be treated in half a month? Those at the back of the line probably wouldn’t even get to see a doctor.

They had to hurry. It was one thing to end up at the very back of the line the first time, but they absolutely couldn’t fail the second time!

It was time to charge!

Mobilized into action, the crowd bolted toward the factory at the fastest speeds of their lives. A few who were slightly better off even hopped onto human-powered "four-wheel hoppers."

Tens of thousands set off simultaneously. The spectacle was quite magnificent.

Ting Mo made her way slowly from the back of the line, gathering material through interviews. Unlike Xiao Xiao’s casual snapshots, her filming had a very clear focus. She wanted to expose all of this; she wanted to show the cruelty of this place.

She carefully recorded every aged face and asked them how old they were this year.

Nineteen. An age of blooming buds and fresh branches, yet they had already withered.

Thirty-one. The prime of life, yet they were tottering as if in their twilight years.

Forty-two. At a time when people on the Federation Star would be at their absolute peak, these people’s faces were disfigured beyond recognition, and their hands were mangled.

Fifty. The finish line of life on Q3.

Scarcely anyone lived past fifty.

Aside from age, she conducted structured interviews, asking why they were lining up here, why they didn’t normally go to the hospital, what kind of work they did on Q3, and what their hourly wages were.

Some refugees had never spoken in front of a camera robot before, and their voices were incredibly soft.

Ting Mo didn’t show any impatience. She crouched down. This girl, who was normally so quiet in front of her seniors, offered a warm smile. "I’m from a Numbered Planet, too. I passed my exams and went to the Federation Star, where I became a reporter.

"I’ve come back to do these interviews because I want to broadcast the situation here to the outside world...

"My job is to gather information. Could you please help me?"

Sure enough, upon hearing the words "Numbered Planet," the dark, emaciated people lifted their heads. They looked shocked at first, then praised her. "To think a young lady like you made it all the way to the Federation Star... That’s really, really amazing!"

"If only my kid could be just like you."

Wearing such nice clothes, so fair-skinned, and so pretty. Just like Federation people.

With the shared bond of being fellow locals, and Ting Mo’s reassurance that their faces would be blurred and voices altered in the broadcast, everyone gradually grew bolder. Their interstellar language was heavily accented and a bit unrefined, but it was incredibly genuine.

After recording all of this, Ting Mo passed by the area where the violent brawl had broken out in the line earlier. The hospital’s cleanup had not been thorough enough, leaving reddish-brown bloodstains on the ground.

Ting Mo pursed her lips.

Without a word, she recorded these images. The evidence was mounting, but it was still far from enough. She wanted to go check out the mines.

She wondered if her Federation livestream press pass would be enough to get her inside.