Farewell

Allie stood on the narrow street of the slum, gazing at the two silver chips in her hand and the newly purchased terminal.

Previously, any spare money she had was saved for roller skating equipment, to the point where she didn't even have a regular terminal. But it was okay, as she had no friends or family to contact anyway. Now, however, Allie's mind was filled with images of Fiona's bright red hair and smiling face, and Ryan's help. Were they friends?

Allie returned to her small cabin, the only place she could call home on Mars, barely ten square meters. She sat on the bed, took out the chips, and inserted them into her terminal. Soon, a projection interface appeared before her eyes.

"Welcome to the Mars Public Information Communication Query System," a virtual female voice sounded in her ear.

Allie took a deep breath and carefully typed in Ryan's name. She wasn't sure if she should do this, but curiosity drove her on.

Soon, a string of information appeared before her eyes.

 Ryan Waters

 28 years old, Mercurian

 Obtained Ph.D. in Quantum Physics at 18

 Chief Scientist of Quantum Technology at Mercury Institute of Technology

 Quantum Physics Engineer at Mercury Tech Company

 Senior Technical Advisor to the Mercury Government

 Head of Water Technology Project for the Mars Federal Government

 ...

"My God..." Allie murmured. Ryan's identity was truly jaw-dropping. Why would such a heavyweight figure stoop to help a small slum girl like her?

Next, Allie inserted Fiona's chip.

 Fiona Martinez, 19 years old

 Daughter of Wink Martinez, Chairman of the Southeast Mining Group of the Mars Federal Government

 Student at Mars Speed Academy

 Genius Roller Skate Mechanic

 Professional Roller Skating Athlete

 Annual Charity Ambassador for Mars Region

 Global Art Ambassador for Mars Art Exhibition

 ...

Equally dazzling identities. No wonder she could be so carefree and cheerful. In contrast, looking at her dilapidated room, Allie didn't even have a decent piece of clothing...

Just then, Allie's terminal emitted a series of beeps. She looked down to find messages from Fiona.

 "Hi Allie! Are you coming to my school today? I'm waiting for you here!"

 "Allie! I'm showing you a video of the school, quick, look! Isn't it great?"

The video showcased a spacious and bright indoor roller skating arena, with various training equipment and many vibrant young students...

Fiona also sent the address.

Allie then queried about Mars Speed Academy:

 Mars Speed Academy is Mars' premier professional roller skating training institution, located in the heart of Olympus City, the capital of the Mars Federal Government.

 The academy covers an area of over 500 acres, with comprehensive teaching facilities and advanced training grounds.

 As the highest institution of roller skating on Mars, Speed Academy has adhered to the concept of "Speed, Passion, Excellence" since its establishment, nurturing countless roller skating elites. The academy currently has nearly 10,000 students and boasts a strong faculty with top coaches from various regions.

 Speed Academy has multiple indoor and outdoor professional roller skating venues, including the largest indoor comprehensive roller skating hall on Mars and extreme tracks simulating various terrains. All venues are paved with Mars' most advanced biomimetic materials, perfectly simulating various road conditions.

 In addition to basic and professional roller skating courses, Speed Academy also offers cutting-edge courses such as roller sports medicine and equipment development, providing strong support for students' all-round development.

 With excellent teaching quality and advanced educational concepts, Speed Academy students have won numerous awards in major competitions, bringing glory to Mars' roller skating sport. Therefore, Speed Academy is also known as the "Cradle of Roller Skating Talents".

 Tuition

 200,000 gold per academic year

 Accommodation fee 60,000 gold per year

 Equipment deposit 50,000 gold

 Polar day and night camp fees are calculated separately according to different activities each year...

Great, Allie held her head. She couldn't afford any single item listed above. How ironic.

A rich heiress, a prominent upper-class Mercurian, and she was just a slum girl.

Reality is cruel, isn't it?

Her gaze fell on the silver bracelet again.

'Allie, your talent is a treasure.' That voice seemed etched in her mind.

Allie shook her head, feeling a bit ridiculous.

Just then, Allie's terminal rang again. This time it was a message from Ryan.

 Dear Miss Allie, attached is the manual for Mercury Tech Company's latest multi-functional quantum high-density bracelet AT3.

 If you have any questions during use, please reply to this message. We are at your service.

So this was his work contact chip.

"The latest model bracelet..." Allie, as if possessed, queried the price of this bracelet:

 Multi-functional Quantum High-Density Bracelet AT3 Not yet on market

Allie then queried the price of the previous generation bracelet:

 Multi-functional Quantum High-Density Bracelet AT2 229 Mercury Points

Allie had no idea how much Mercury Points were worth, so she queried the exchange rate 

 1 Mars Gold ≈ 0.00004 Mercury Points

 1 Mercury Point ≈ 18897 Mars Gold

So the price of the previous generation bracelet was 4,327,413...

4.32 million gold!

Money she couldn't earn in five lifetimes.

"Rich people are so generous, giving away million-dollar bracelets at first meeting."

Allie gently caressed the bracelet, suddenly an idea popped into her head. Why not sell it first? This way she would have money. If Ryan asked later, she could just say she lost it. He wouldn't care anyway, right?

Allie took a ride to Mars' largest black market, located between the capital Olympus City and the slums. It was a dark and dirty trading place. Merchants from all over Mars and even other planets conducted various illegal transactions here. The black market was controlled by a huge underground group with intricate connections to high-level Mars government officials. Therefore, even with frequent police raids, the black market's business had never been interrupted.

Allie wore a gray hooded cloak, completely hiding her face in the shadows. She slowly walked into the black market, surrounded by bustling crowds and noisy trading voices. The air was filled with a pungent smell, a mix of tobacco, alcohol, and other unspeakable things.

She came to a dark corner where a man with a goatee sat, his eyes gleaming with greed in the darkness.

"Are you the girl with the goods?" the man said in a low voice. He was the buyer Allen had helped Allie contact earlier.

Allie nodded and pulled out the silver bracelet from under her cloak. Her fingers lingered on the bracelet for a moment, as if saying goodbye.

The man's eyes lit up as he reached out to take the bracelet, carefully examining the patterns on it.

"This is quite a treasure. I can't believe how you got it," he grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth.

Allie didn't answer. She just stood there silently, her silver hair falling from under the cloak, shimmering in the dim light of the black market.

"Alright, let's talk price," the man placed the bracelet on the table, pushing it towards Allie. "Name your price."

Allie bit her lip. She actually knew nothing about the value of such things. But she knew this might be her last chance to change her fate.

"One million gold," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

The man burst into laughter, his voice echoing in the corner of the black market.

"One million gold? Are you joking, little girl? I wouldn't give you that much for this little trinket."

Allie's heart sank. She knew the price she quoted was too high. But she wasn't about to give up.

"Then you name a figure," she tried to keep her voice calm.

The man looked Allie up and down, his eyes full of calculation.

"Five hundred thousand gold. That's my highest offer. Take it or leave it."

Allie's heart sank. Five hundred thousand gold was already a large sum for her, but she knew the bracelet was worth far more than that. She gritted her teeth, deciding not to compromise easily.

"Eight hundred thousand gold. That's the price," she said firmly.

The man frowned, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. After a long while, he finally nodded.

"Deal."

Allie breathed a sigh of relief. She took a thick stack of gold notes from the man's hand and carefully tucked them into her bosom. This was a fortune she had never possessed in her life.

After leaving the black market, Allie didn't immediately return to the slums. She first went to a charity organization and donated part of the money to help refugees. Then, she went to several stores to buy food, clothes, and school supplies for the children in the slums. Finally, she stopped at a medical equipment store and purchased the latest solar-powered respirator.

When Allie returned to the slums, it was already dark. She quietly distributed the purchased items to families in need. Seeing the smiles on the children's faces, Allie felt a warmth in her heart.

Early the next morning, Allie arrived at Lena's doorstep. Allie gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Lena's voice came from inside.

"It's me, Allie."

The door opened, and Lena stood there, her haggard face wearing a surprised expression. "Allie? What brings you here so early?"

Allie took a deep breath, "Lena, I came to tell you that I'm leaving this place."

Lena's eyes widened, "Leaving? Where to?"

"I'm going to Olympus City to learn roller skating and participate in competitions," Allie said, her eyes shining with determination.

Lena was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I know I can't keep you here. But remember, no matter where you go, this will always be your home."

Allie nodded, then took out the solar-powered respirator from her backpack. "This is for your brother. It's solar-powered, so you don't have to worry about power outages."

Lena looked at the brand new respirator, tears welling up in her eyes. "Allie, this... this is too much..."

"Don't mention it," Allie smiled, "Consider it my farewell gift, thank you for often keeping me company through difficult times."

Lena wiped her tears and hugged Allie tightly, "Thank you, Allie. May your dreams come true!"

After saying goodbye to Lena, Allie shouldered her simple luggage and set off on her journey to Olympus City.