In Ark Simulator, why do I always start out as a ruthless person?.

"Not all the strong men in this land rely entirely on Originium skills, right?"

"At least in my opinion, people who stick to the old ways and stand still are just fragile weaklings in their hearts, no matter how powerful they appear on the surface."

"In my opinion, the naturally powerful twin queens may not be as powerful as the mace that is always moving forward."

Chen Qi did not dwell on this topic for long. After all, he knew very well how powerful the mace could be.

Although it is indeed a bit unrealistic to challenge the Gemini Queen alone.

But I can't tell Jian these words now. I must give her the motivation and confidence to move forward.

And the facts were just as Chen Qi expected.

Although he didn't give a direct answer, Jian still heard his confidence and expectations in himself... Jian, who had never been valued in this way, felt a wonderful touch in his heart for the first time.

But she quickly suppressed this feeling.

"Don't just say what I want to hear. I won't fight the Gemini Queen for you."

"I just want to leave the slums. As for what you said, the ideal of letting people in the slums live with dignity... I am not that interested."

The heart that was tempered in the slums and has long been flawless makes Jian extremely calm and rational.

She knew that he just wanted to use her to realize his unrealistic ideal.

And I just wanted to use him to leave this slum and live a dignified life.

There is no need for me to risk my life for him.

At least now, she had no reason.

"I don't want to be shattered to pieces with you, and I don't think you can really achieve that ideal."

"I just want to learn from you, okay?"

Chen Qi: "——It doesn't matter, I won't force it."

In response to Jian's pretended indifference, Chen Qi still smiled calmly.

After all, the words of the mace may be deceiving, but the system will not.

But Chen Qi remembered very clearly that the reason why he was able to touch Jian's heart was because he said that everyone in the slums should be able to live with dignity.

The reason why Jian denied it was probably because she didn't believe he could do it.

Or maybe, the hard life in the slums made her unwilling to trust anyone.

But, since his words could touch her, Chen Qi firmly believed that deep in Jian's heart, she still had the "righteousness" of wanting to save more people like herself.

It’s just that this “righteousness” is bound by the chains of reality.

"I heard that there is an old saying in Dayan, 'If you are rich, you should help the world; if you are poor, you should take care of yourself.'"

"I believe that when you, Miss Jian, no longer have to worry about where to find your next meal, you will understand that we are actually the same kind of people."

Mace: "...Whatever you think, I won't change easily."

Jian did not answer. She was a little upset and just walked forward in silence.

Chen Qi was also very tactful and followed her silently to go deeper.

[The mace takes you to the depths of the slums. This is where she lives.]

[Along the way, you saw countless ragged or skinny people. When they saw you walking on the road with clothes and shoes, their eyes exuded greed and vigilance.]

[However, when they notice that there is a mace next to you, they will quickly suppress this thought. ]

[You even noticed that many people were looking at the mace with awe and even worship... Apparently, the mace was a very prestigious person in the slums.]

[This makes you more confident that with the help of the mace, you can achieve your goal in the slums faster.]

【Gather more like-minded people in the slums and build your own power. 】

"Big sister, you're back?"

"Ah."

Facing the people who surrounded him, Jian was obviously familiar with them. He casually broke off a piece of bread from the paper bag and distributed it to the people in front of him.

Although the amount of bread is probably only enough for a few bites.

But in this slum, this piece of bread is enough to cause looting or even death.

"Take it." Mace said expressionlessly:

"Your salary alone can't support such a large family... But with me here, those bullies and scavengers don't dare to act recklessly here."

"Don't complain about it being too little. Only when I'm full can I have the strength to fight, and only then can you go home safely every day without being blackmailed by others. Do you understand?"

"Of course I understand! Of course I understand!"

Several people surrounding the mace nodded and bowed, using their actions to prove their respect for the mace.

After all, they are penniless, and the only thing they can give in return is the mace.

Chen Qi stood aside, silently observing the real scene of the slums and the most real people in the slums.

...Until the mace was no longer surrounded by people, Chen Qi walked forward with a smile and started to talk:

"Ms. Jian, I told you that we are the same kind of people."

"...Don't get me wrong, I just think that compared to facing a group of hungry and crazy people who come to snatch my food every time, it would save me some trouble if I take the initiative to share some with them."

Jian shook his head and looked at those people who treated their dignity as nothing in order to survive, and a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.

"Look at them, Qi, are these the people you want to win over and overthrow the Twin Queens?"

"They are all so sick from the oripathy that they don't even have the strength to resist the threat... Are you sure they can be of any use?"

Chen Qi: "...They are indeed sick, I can see that."

"But they don't need a doctor, Mace. A doctor can't save them."

[The body surface is covered with Originium, the clothes are disheveled, the face is pale and the body is thin... Just by looking at it, you can tell that everyone here has many "illnesses". 】

[You see, people in the slums all have a disease, and that disease is called "numbness."]

[Living day after day, they have lost hope in the possibility of resistance, and have never thought about why they have fallen to this point.]

【They just endured it silently. 】

[Just from this point alone, you will understand that these people are definitely not the ones you need to shake the team ruled by the Gemini Queen. ]

【But you didn’t give up.】

[You are a doctor who is good at treating "difficult and complicated diseases." ]

[Being numb doesn’t mean there is no anger in your heart. ]

[But how can you once again stir up the anger in their hearts and make them willing to follow you to fight for a possibility? ]

[This is not a psychological problem that a doctor can solve.]

"Then what can save them?" Jian raised his head slightly curiously and looked directly into Chen Qi's eyes.

In response to this, Chen Qi's answer was resounding and without any hesitation.

"It's to make them realize that they should be angry, and to make them realize that they could live."

"… However, it is too early to say this now. I don't have any credibility here. No one would be willing to follow someone who has just arrived and can't even support himself."

"So, I think our first thing is to take root in the slums and open a store that can attract more people and make them willing to consume. What do you think?"

"Open a store?"

Upon hearing this word, Jian, who had absolutely no sense for economics, seemed a little confused.

But soon, she realized that this might be a good idea.

After all, there are shops in the slums. Convenience stores, fast food restaurants, house rentals... are also profitable industries in the slums.

The reason why it is called a slum is because it is home to a large number of infected people with meager incomes who are treated like hard laborers. It does not mean that there is only robbery and killing in the slums.

Money still works here.

"The question is, where does the money come from to open your shop?" Jian asked.

"You don't have to worry about that."

Chen Qi patted the package that his parents gave him when he escaped from home. It contained a lot of extremely useful things to him - money, of course.

Moreover, his parents obviously anticipated their own fate and finally handed over all their property to him.

For Chen Qi, this was more than enough for him to survive in the slums and do some decent business.

"So what kind of store are you planning to open?"

Seeing that Chen Qi was not worried about money, he felt relieved, fearing that he would have to work as a laborer for Chen Qi in exchange for his knowledge of human body weaknesses.

"Is it a clinic?" The first thing that Jian thought of was Chen Qi's strengths.

"I told you, mace, no one here needs a doctor."

Chen Qi shook his head.

"Even if I open a clinic and lower the price to a level suitable for people in the slums, there still won't be many people willing to come and see me."

“Besides, if I keep pushing down the price, I won’t be able to procure good medicine, and in the end I won’t be able to save them.”

"...Then what kind of store do you plan to open?" Jian was a little confused.

However, at this moment, options from the system appeared in front of Chen Qi.

[You are determined to gain a foothold in the slums. So, what kind of store can serve as your "base camp" to resist the Gemini Queen? ]

【A. Medical Clinic】

【B. Cafe】

【C.House for rent】

【D. Beer Hall】

"——I think, for them, having a place where they can vent their emotions is a real 'hospital'."

Chen Qi smiled slightly, still having made up his mind, and said to the mace loudly:

"Of course, they also need a little stimulation to say things they dare not say on a normal day."

"It just so happens that I can help them with this irritating 'drug'."

Chapter 6: Beer Hall, Speaker, All the Elements

[A few days later, the slum, which was always lifeless, had a ripple that attracted attention.]

[A beer hall called "Bigbrau Keller" officially opened deep in the slums, becoming the first official beer hall in the slums. ]

[It’s not that there’s no alcohol circulating in the slums.]

[But in the chaotic environment of the slums, you may be robbed even if you wear slightly decent clothes, not to mention the hot wine.]

[So in the past, if you wanted to buy alcohol in the slums, you could only do so through smuggling or black market transactions, and because there was no stable supply chain, alcohol had always been a scarce commodity in the slums.]

[But today in the slums, no one dares to set their sights on this beer hall that belongs to you.]

[Because all the thugs and bullies here know that your tavern and supply chain are protected by that "monster-like strong woman." ]

[Of course, now everyone in the slums knows that the woman has named herself "Mace".]

[No one knows the origin of the owner of this tavern, the man named "Qi". ]

[He was well-dressed and had a calm and gentle smile, as if he had never lived in a slum.]

[How did he win over that terrifying woman? ]

【But such doubts did not last long. Thinking is a luxury in the slums.】

【Everyone still focused their attention on this only tavern. 】

[The pub's decoration is extremely simple. Apart from the bar, there are only chairs and wooden tables for people to sit and drink. It's simple, but sturdy enough.]

[The tavern only offers one type of alcohol, which is the cheapest and lowest quality.]

[It’s so cheap that even those infected people living in the slums with meager incomes can get drunk and escape from this cruel world for a short time.]

[Plus, with the mace guarding the place, people who consume here don't need to worry about their personal safety, and no one dares to rob here or drink the wine. ]