City of Time: Falling into the kill zone at the start

Chapter 87: The Music of Lili Plain!

In addition, there are many details that seem reasonable but are actually extremely bizarre.

For example, the bridging funds for "2 days" are not fixed at "2 days", but rather a "starting price".

Women can increase the amount of bridging funds they need, up to a maximum of 15 days.

As for whether or not a woman with a productive occupation will be accepted, the decision will be based on a comprehensive assessment of her appearance, figure, and whether she has a history of childbirth.

If you think it's worth it, then accept it;

If you think it's not worth it, then try to negotiate a lower price.

The starting price for "2 days" is a price that will be accepted regardless of body shape, appearance, or whether a woman has had successful childbirth experience—as long as she is a woman.

Appearance and figure can be a plus, and a successful childbirth experience can add anywhere from 3 to 5 days, depending on the number of successful pregnancies.

Furthermore, besides having children, this couple will most likely have a second transaction.

As mentioned earlier: the child born is entirely the responsibility of the man for raising and caring for;

And this man must be a professional with a property.

Therefore, in order to get the "1 year" from the child, the man will find the woman again when the child is 16 years old.

The gist of it is: You teach your professional skills to your child, and I'll give you [10 days] or [15 days].

In this three-way transaction, the man receives one year of the child's life, the woman receives approximately 10 days of vocational skills training, and the child receives a skill that will allow them to make a living.

Just like the bartender Lu Chen met at the tavern earlier, namely the 2026th Standing One.

As for why they specifically chose this woman instead of just any working professional?

—Of course, it's because this woman is, after all, the child's biological mother;

Even if it's just out of her remaining maternal instinct, so that her "child" can have a better life, this woman will charge less for skills training.

For men who want to get a "1 year", it might take more than "30 days" to go out and find someone.

For finding the child's mother, it only takes up to 15 days.

Why not?

...

Besides this combination of male-owned professions and female-owned labor professions, there is naturally a second combination.

Both the man and woman are employed.

This situation is relatively troublesome.

In most cases, it's because the woman is too ugly and has no experience of successfully giving birth, so she's only worth [2 days] at most.

But it will take 3 to 5 days to fix the hole in this woman's body.

Knowing that men in productive professions wouldn't spend more than two days on her, this woman would turn her attention to relatively affluent labor-intensive jobs.

Specifically, the male worker must be able to afford the bridging funds for the female worker for at least 3 days or more.

Costs incurred during the 30 days before and after delivery;

And the necessary investment required to raise the child over the next 16 years.

Generally speaking, this working-class man needs to have a balance of savings for at least 60 days.

As for income—even the lowest-ranking parasite, number 243, can earn effective income for [2 hours] every day, which is enough to ensure the most basic food and shelter for themselves and their children.

This couple's method of "producing offspring" is naturally different from the former.

Since both partners are engaged in manual labor, the male in this couple is unlikely to be able to provide the secluded location needed for procreation.

Therefore, the two of them had to pay double the price, which was 16 minutes each time, to book a "hourly room" at the Rope Hotel after work every day.

This [16 minutes], naturally, is the man's part.

The rope hotel is essentially a pavilion, open to the elements on all sides.

In order to protect privacy, or rather, to maintain the most basic appearance of the city;

Or perhaps, considering the 16 minutes paid by the man, the urging party would often set up a 'secluded place' inside the pavilion, using four draperys to create a privacy.

It's very simple—cover the rope with two pieces of rags, and then hang two pieces of rags between the two ropes using two sticks.

The area was surrounded on all sides, and the whippersnappers went to the shop entrance to keep watch and prevent anyone else from entering the rope hotel.

Anyway, it's not curfew yet, and very few people would go to the rope hotel beforehand.

Sixteen minutes a day is certainly not a heavy burden for someone in a well-off profession.

Even if you can't conceive for a long time, it doesn't matter at all—just consider it a "ladle".

After becoming pregnant, everything continues as usual, and the woman resumes her normal life.

Before a pregnant woman goes into labor, the man will find a rope hotel and negotiate with the chaperone that the pregnant woman can rest in the rope hotel 24 hours a day.

You will be given 8 minutes at night, and an additional 8 minutes during the day.

Rope Inn, which previously couldn't earn any "time" during the day, can now earn an extra "8 minutes" per day, and those who encourage it are unlikely to refuse.

The men would go to work in the morning and return to the rope hotel in the evening to bring food back for the pregnant woman.

Until the woman goes into labor—it's still a gamble.

The bettors are that the pregnant woman will be able to give birth safely at the rope hotel.

In order to encourage the men to allow pregnant women to give birth in the rope hotel, the men have to pay between 1 hour and 3 hours.

If the birthing process includes the night and affects the operation of the rope hotel, the man has to make up for the loss, calculated on a "hotel-only" basis, for 10 hours per night.

In the end, after the child is born, it's still the same: the woman returns to a normal life, and the child is left to be raised by the man.

The only difference is that the women in this pair can only rest for three days after giving birth.

If you want to rest more, you have to bear the cost of living yourself; men will no longer bear any expenses.

Another difference is that this couple might discuss child custody issues, unlike the previous one.

For example, if a man feels he can't handle the child, he might discuss with the woman: "Let's raise the child together."

We'll take turns caring for the children, sharing their food and lodging expenses. After 16 years, when we receive that [1 year] bonus, we'll split it equally.

Or, the woman's body is weak after childbirth and she has not recovered even after three days of rest;

I feel I need to rest for a few more days, but I don't have the financial means to support myself to continue recuperating.

At this point, the woman might say: "If you take care of me for a few more days, I'll help you raise the child."

For example, breastfeeding before the age of one.

Or: Give me another 15 days, and I'll help you raise the child. That 1 year is still yours; I won't fight you for it.

...

It was only after learning these "insider" details, or rather, specific details, that Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine.

That's outrageous.

This logic of reproduction, driven purely by profit and exploiting children, struck Lu Chen as utterly bizarre.

Even with Lu Chen's strong adaptability and his familiarity with the City of Time's ways, he still couldn't accept such a bizarre situation.

It is unacceptable, at least for the time being.

And there's a high probability that they'll never be able to accept it.

Having already paid off his bank debts and being "quite wealthy," Lu Chen absolutely refused to believe that he would one day stoop to having a child with just any woman for a "one-year" income.

Lu Chen may have children;

But it's definitely not for the sake of the [1 year] profit.

Lu Chen may have a partner;

But it certainly wouldn't be a woman from any particular profession who would be willing to have a child just for a few days of bridge financing.

All I can say is that what Ximen saw and experienced in the tavern over an hour was truly shocking to Lu Chen.

It also gave us a more comprehensive understanding of the bizarre nature of the City of Time.