There is a scarcity of everything in Nest City.

On a small scale, it's money, food, resources... On a large scale, it's the lack of fairness, law, and dignity.

But the only thing it doesn't lack is "people."

Nest City No. 3 has a total of 26 districts and 31 outlying areas, with each district having a population of over a million.

Compared to this number, the 25,000 people proposed by Yang Lie seems insignificant.

However, this is not the case.

Although human lives in Nest City are worthless, the sudden death or disappearance of more than a thousand people still draws the attention of those who meddle in others' affairs, leading to unnecessary trouble.

The council will inevitably come knocking, and the police will also participate in the investigation.

Although in the end, it's likely that no one will be able to touch them, their interests might be damaged, and a few political enemies or competitors might seize the opportunity to tarnish their reputation.

This is something they are unwilling to see at all costs.

Furthermore, all the guests present are "respectable people"; you can pick one at random, and they're the "philanthropists" frequently featured on the front pages of the news, or the business owners and officials who "care for the common people."

If this incident ends up causing a scandal and implicating them, the PR costs alone would not be a small figure.

So, the elite present still hesitated, unwilling to ruin the benevolent image they have built.

Yang Lie, of course, could see what these people were thinking, but he didn't insist. He simply coughed lightly and added, "I know you don't believe me, but I, Yang Lie, can swear on my life here that the return on this investment will definitely be more than a thousandfold!"

"It might even allow me and you to go further, to step into the ranks of leaders in Nest City and become the [Giants] you all dream of."

"As you all know, I, Yang Lie, never lie, nor do I exaggerate."

With the guarantee from the Apprentice Death God, people couldn't help but fall silent, with some even tempted.

A thousandfold return? To say it's not tempting would indeed be a lie.

For most people, there are often only one or two chances to turn their lives around. If grasped, it allows for a leap in social class.

Their greed knows no bounds.

But, reluctant to lose face, people decided to wait a little longer, not wanting to be the first to make a move.

Finally, it was the police superintendent in uniform who stood up first.

He took off his police hat and slammed it onto the table, looking rugged as he said, "Damn, I'm in!"

"If I'm being honest, ever since Director Yang came to our G District, he's always been supportive and caring towards us. Whenever there's an opportunity to make money, he's the first to let us know."

"Now the director needs help. How can we, as friends, sit idly by?"

"Director Yang..."

He looked at Yang Lie, speaking generously, "I can't speak for others, but I will represent the G District Police Headquarters and take a share for 1,000 people!"

Then he turned to the crowd, grinning widely.

"I know what everyone is hesitating about—it's nothing more than the concern over the impact of large-scale human experiments. After all, everyone has a kind heart and can't bear to see the people suffer..."

"But just think about it, in the end, won't the development of science and technology benefit the people?"

"Once the research is perfected, everyone can live longer and won't have to suffer from the pain of life, aging, illness, and death. Isn't this not just doing a good deed but an immeasurable benevolence?"

"By then, all of us who participated in this will be remembered in history. Isn't that a great achievement?"

He turned back to Yang Lie, smiling and asking, "Director Yang, am I right?"

"Absolutely! No one understands me as well as Chief He does~"

Yang Lie laughed, his face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Sometimes, you know, people are overly worried about some immediate risks, thinking we're acting out of selfish desire, but how could they understand our intentions to benefit the community..."

He sighed with feigned regret, but the smile on his face couldn't be suppressed.

"In the end, isn't scientific research meant to benefit the populace? This could be considered a 'livelihood project'!"

"A hundred years later, our names might be written into textbooks, with statues erected for the world to admire. Wouldn't everyone want to witness such a vision with me?"

Once he said this, the last bit of hesitation in the guests' hearts disappeared like smoke.

"Ah, we must be getting senile, only now do we understand Director Yang's painstaking efforts..."

"Yes, Director Yang is dedicated and loyal, serving the people. How can we just stand by and watch?"

"I represent [United Fruit Industry], and we'll take a share for 1,200 people!"

"And I... I personally can represent [Dix Mercenary Corps] and take 900 people."

"Don't rush, I want to invest too! Director Yang, our [Dongnan Chemical] group has been your earliest partner. Taking a share of 3,000 people shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"3,000 people? Friends at Dongnan Chemical, isn't that too much?"

"Whether it's too much or not depends on strength. If our friend from [Royal News Agency] is interested, they could also take a share for 3,000 people."

"Damn... we at the news agency don't have that many people... oh well, Director Yang, just give us a share for 500 people."

The guests scrambled to participate, eager to fight over more shares.

Seeing this, Chief He, who spoke first, shook his head and smiled, "Alright, everyone, stop arguing. After all, we're not doing this for profit; we're doing it for the 'benefit of the people.'"

"Whether the share is more or less, it doesn't affect the accumulated merit and the desire to contribute to the people. Let's not hurt our harmony."

Upon hearing these words, people calmed down, regaining their former etiquette and noble demeanor.

"Yes! Chief He is absolutely right. Ultimately, we're thinking of the people, haha..."

"If they knew our intentions, they would surely understand us."

Everyone shared a knowing smile, their faces filled with righteousness, and their words always full of phrases about benefiting and caring for the people.

But what they actually did was, in a casual manner, strip the innocent of their right to survive.

Everyone wore a hypocritical smile on their face, but not a single one was willing to bend down to look at those they claimed needed help, the "common people."

Between toasts and cups, 25,000 human lives were smoothly "contracted."

The dignitaries got what they wanted, so they temporarily set aside their false demeanors, indulging in the expensive wines on the table, savoring the dishes, and enjoying the beauties that Yang Lie had prepared in advance.

They looked forward to a bright future, but conveniently forgot that this future was built on the innocent's blood.

Perhaps they never cared about these from the beginning.

Human life? It's just the cheapest thing in the world.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.