Chapter 7: Test

Lu Meng stopped the water cup and then pushed it back.

He carefully closed the lid to prevent evaporation.

Although he didn't lack water himself, he couldn't waste someone else's kindness.

In the face of sincerity, any pale words would seem powerless.

Seeing Lu Meng refuse, Huo Buyang made up his mind.

He suddenly stood up, then bent his knees as if to kneel.

But Lu Meng still smiled and stopped him.

A young man should not succumb to despair, nor should his backbone be crushed by hope.

Moreover, Lu Meng was not doing charity, and he did not want a slave.

"Don't rush to thank me. Do you remember what I said? Before I can perform surgery on your mother, you need to help me with one more thing," Lu Meng said as he dusted himself off and stood up. "There's still plenty of time before dawn, why don't we go now?"

Rejecting rewards is sometimes a form of arrogance.

It was time to put Xiao Huo's mind at ease.

And to reassure himself.

Huo Buyang nervously nodded. He knew that there was no free lunch in this world. The favor owed was certainly tied to something very dangerous.

But no matter how dangerous it was, he was willing to go.

Meanwhile, the 2000 kai coins he had earned from unlocking an achievement had arrived. Although there was no doubt that such one-time rewards wouldn't be a major income source in the later stages, for now, it was still quite a fortune.

Lu Meng focused his mind and received the kai coins, feeling a weight settle in his lower back. Based on the weight, he estimated it was 20 coins of 100 denomination each.

Very scientific.

---

Huo Buyang gripped the rope tightly, feeling it shake in his hand.

This was the signal that Lu Meng was climbing down the well.

Lu Meng didn't know how he had found this ancient well, but he had left his heavy belongings at the wellhead for Huo Buyang to guard, tying the rope to himself and descending to explore.

One end of the rope was tied to a tree stump. Huo Buyang didn't need to exert much strength. He only held the rope to confirm Lu Meng's situation below.

Xiao Huo was a bit confused. His task seemed too simple.

Why was he here?

The task was dangerous, but the one in danger was Lu Meng.

"Big Brother Lu, are you okay?" he tried calling, but only heard echoes from the well.

After a while, just as Huo Buyang was about to shout again in worry, Lu Meng's faint voice finally came from the well:

"Quiet, don't attract attention."

Huo Buyang quickly shut his mouth.

From the response time, Lu Meng had already descended deep into the well.

The night was quiet. Huo Buyang began to feel a bit bored. The clouds parted, and the light of the twin moons shone on him, allowing him to see what Lu Meng had left at the wellhead.

A silver metallic box, from which Big Brother Lu had previously taken out medicine to treat his mother's injuries.

A fine steel machete, narrow-bladed and scarred with years of wear, looking poorly maintained but exuding a brutal killing intent.

This was a weapon designed for killing, perhaps already stained with blood.

Huo Buyang clicked his tongue. This was the first time he had observed such a weapon up close. Unlike their shabby weapons, the ones scavengers picked up for self-defense, only gang thugs or leaders were allowed to carry something like this.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Lu Meng was no ordinary person.

However, Huo Buyang realized that he actually didn't know much about Lu Meng. Still, for some reason, he felt a sense of closeness deep down.

Maybe it was because Big Brother Lu was a good person.

Lu Meng's bag was also left on top, with a piece of torn cloth revealing a shining kai coins.

Wow, a hundred!

It was a large denomination he had never seen before, and it seemed there was an entire bundle of such bills.

Big Brother Lu was really wealthy.

"Quick, pull me up!" Suddenly, a voice from the bottom of the well, tinged with a hint of fear, called out.

Huo Buyang was startled, quickly pulling on the rope, but it felt as if something was holding it down, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it.

His nerves were stretched to the limit, but the rope only tightened, becoming heavier.

He yelled, "Big Brother Lu, I can't pull it! Climb up quickly!"

But there was no response from the well.

Huo Buyang gritted his teeth, wrapping the rope around his arm and pulling with all his might.

He felt his fingers were about to snap, his shoulder nearly dislocated.

Big Brother Lu, please be okay.

Suddenly, the rope loosened, and a loud crash came from the well!

Huo Buyang couldn't stop himself from falling, then jumped up, rushing to the well to check.

The rope by the well swayed emptily.

The rope had broken, and the sound was like stones falling... Was Big Brother Lu buried down there?

The thought made Huo Buyang's face turn pale.

It was Big Brother Lu who had saved his family, and when it was time for him to return the favor, he had been hiding on the shore. He regretted it; no matter what dangers lay in the well, he should have insisted on going down himself.

Why do the kindest people always face such dangers?

This is why the world...

"Big Brother Lu!" Huo Buyang shouted.

A hand slapped his shoulder, warm and strong.

"Shh, am I not here?"

Looking back, it was Lu Meng, his face calm, not the panic Huo Buyang had expected.

"Big Brother Lu, you're okay?" Huo Buyang sighed in relief.

"Nothing serious," Lu Meng seemed reluctant to say more. "Pack up, let's head back."

In the dim light, his profile was handsome, yet his expression deep, impossible to read.

Huo Buyang didn't think much more. As long as Big Brother Lu was safe, that was all that mattered.

And this was the way a big brother should be—solving all the difficulties behind the scenes, only to casually say afterward, "It's nothing, no big deal," leaving others with endless speculation.

This was exactly how Huo Buyang imagined Big Brother Lu.

As Huo Buyang busied himself, Lu Meng's mind was very active.

He was holding an instrument, its screen already dark.

A metal detector, something he had brought up from the well. It was very useful for exploring ruins or finding mineral veins.

To leave Hub Station, mastering a reliable way to accumulate resources was still crucial.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a nuclear battery, and it had long run out of power.

Until he found a replacement battery or learned how to generate power, it was unlikely it would be functional.

The ancient well was a place only Lu Meng knew about. He could have easily kept it to himself.

But, this was a test.

There was no danger in the well.

Lu Meng wouldn't naively trust Huo Buyang just because the system had classified him as a teammate.

Reality was not a game; anyone could betray you. Before trusting Huo Buyang, he needed to secure himself.

The three items Lu Meng left at the wellhead were all deliberate.

Once Huo Buyang had the medical module, he could treat his mother without needing Lu Meng as an outsider.

And that large bundle of kai coins was enough to help a scavenger family rise, live a life of unimaginable comfort.

Finally, if Huo Buyang had taken the machete when Lu Meng was halfway up, he could have easily cut the rope and killed him.

Then, he could have buried the well entrance with a few stones, and no one would ever know what happened. Lu Meng's existence would be erased from this world forever...

Of course, this was impossible.

Even as a test, Lu Meng would never gamble with his life.

The healing medicine in the medical module had already been used up by Song Chai, and without Lu Meng's five points of medical skills, Huo Buyang would never have been able to heal his mother. He would only prolong her suffering.

And the well he had chosen wasn't actually very deep; it was just that in the dark of night, it was hard to see.

Beneath the well was a mine shaft that connected. When he cried out for help, he had simply tied the rope to the bottom of the well, making it impossible for Huo Buyang to pull it. He himself had sneaked through a hidden exit in the mine shaft and returned to the surface, appearing behind Huo Buyang.

If Huo Buyang had even entertained the thought of betrayal, the well would have become his tomb.

It was said that when digging or robbing tombs, if a father and son were digging a tunnel, it was usually the father waiting at the surface to support while the son went down to collect treasures.

Because the father didn't want to leave wealth without heirs, while the son had no such restriction. If he was blinded by greed, he could cause a tragedy.

Even if this was just a rumor from the past, it proved that human nature couldn't withstand a test, which is why people say not to test human nature.

But Lu Meng didn't care about that. Right now, he only had one life. Instead of giving it to someone else, it was better to let those who threatened him die.

Besides, he had already received the achievement reward and could now install enhancements through his mod.

The wasteland had never lacked lone wolves.

But for now, none of those hypotheticals had come to pass.

Lu Meng sheathed his knife and hid the "wallet" again.

Huo Buyang took the initiative to carry the backpack, and with his small frame, it looked like a bit of a struggle.

Lu Meng smiled, listening as Huo Buyang chattered on while they walked. The boy had carried too many burdens in his young life, with no one to trust besides his mother. But he was also too mature for his age and didn't want to worry her, so he never spoke of his struggles.

Now, having met "Brother Lu," he had let his guard down and turned into a bit of a chatterbox, revealing the lively, youthful side of himself.

All Lu Meng had to do was be a patient listener and occasionally respond with a few words.

…Of course, there was another possibility.

Huo Buyang hadn't refrained from harming him out of trust or simple kindness.

Instead, he had already figured out that this was a test and realized that only by keeping Lu Meng alive could his mother be saved.

That was fine, too. It meant he had passed.

Because it proved he was smart—and Lu Meng liked dealing with smart people.

—If someone was truly smart, they wouldn't try anything against Lu Meng.

"I'm going to get a good night's sleep when we get back. I'm exhausted." Lu Meng yawned. That much was true—too much had happened in a single day.

"You're one to talk, Brother Lu." Huo Buyang pouted. "You said you needed my help, but I barely did anything. The task you gave me was way too easy. Do you think I'm useless or something?"

"This task wasn't as easy as it looked."

"Really? I didn't feel that way at all…"

…

As for whether Huo Buyang would realize one day that everything had been a test—would it affect their trust?

Lu Meng had already gotten what he wanted and blocked off the mine shaft after leaving.

It was simple.

As long as no one found out, it wouldn't be a problem.