Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Chu Guang and Lollipop

Chapter 4: Chu Guang and Lollipop

Two hundred years ago.

To be precise, in 2125, a war broke out on this prosperous planet.

Both sides in the war were determined to completely destroy each other and used almost every means they could use.

The war lasted only three years.

But it only took those three years to destroy everything on the surface of this planet.

The long nuclear winter almost extinguished the flames of civilization, and both sides successfully sent each other into hell and buried themselves.

Since then, a wasteland era that was more depressing than the Great Depression began.

Although two centuries had passed since that doomsday battle, and the nuclear winter had basically ended more than a century ago, mankind had not returned to the top of the food chain.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons, biological weapons, and even genetic weapons has caused the entire planet's ecosystem to evolve in an extreme direction.

The so-called "mutants" were also the main threats faced by survivors struggling in the ruins.

For example, the wolfdog with two heads Chu Guang first encountered was one of them.

However, even if they were mutants, there were strong ones and weak ones.

The "deformed creatures" caused by gamma rays like the double-headed wolfdog were usually not strong, and except for a few lucky exceptions, might be even weaker than before the mutation.

In contrast, crunchers, creepers, etc. which were caused by biological weapons and mutated to the point where their ancestors could not be identified, were the real monsters born for killing.

Their nervous systems were eroded by mutant fungi. They usually hid in ruins, sewers, or subways and other invisible facilities during the day, and only went to the streets for food when night fell.

The situation in the suburbs would be much better than in the city.

Especially the outer suburbs.

In the past five months, the most dangerous mutant that Chu Guang had encountered was only a mutant brown bear. Although it was strong, its reaction was relatively slow.

Before being discovered by it, Chu Guang avoided it very carefully.

The faint light of the dawn passed through the broken concrete wall, and together with the shadow of steel scrap, fell on the street full of car wrecks and gravel.

It was currently eight o'clock in the morning.

There was about a twelve-hour time difference between the time here and the other world.

Looking at the two mutant hyenas wandering on the street, Chu Guang clenched the sharp water pipe in his hand and carefully walked around them, heading behind the ruins.

Although he was confident that he would be able to kill both of them, there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble.

Besides, these beasts were very clever, even knowing to use their kind as bait; no one knew how many of them were hidden in the shadow of the ruins next to them.

Following the path through the ruined streets, Chu Guang was finally relieved when he saw the sign of Bett Street Children's Paradise.

Bett Street was a relatively large survivor settlement in this area, in which more than 100 families of survivors lived.

Before the outbreak of the war, it used to be a children's amusement park with numerous facilities and a wide lawn.

After the war, it was designated as a temporary refuge by the military, accommodating a large number of citizens who had fled from the urban area of ​​Qingquan City.

What happened to those people was unknown, but today, more than two hundred years later, this place had become a "small town".

People used discarded plastic boards, rain sheds, wood and metal brackets to build simple shelters on the bare muddy ground, similar to the kind in "Frostpunk".

The wall of the amusement park was a natural barrier. After rough repairs, iron wires and nailed wooden boards were installed on top.

In the center of the amusement park was a five-story medieval castle, which looked like it came out of a fairytale. Only, the paint on the surface had long since fallen off, and half of the wall on the side facing the city center had collapsed, leaving only the northern half and a crumbling, solitary tower.

Even if it was a fairytale, it was definitely a dark one.

But even if the building had broken down like this, it was still the "most luxurious" building on Bett Street.

At the same time, it was also the mayor's home.

Although Chu Guang lived here for five months, he’s never met the mayor. The person was very mysterious and rarely showed up.

"Yo, you came back early today."

Looking at Chu Guang coming from the corner of the street, Old Walter, who was smoking his smoke pipe, narrowed his eyes, faint white smoke coming out of his nose.

He was holding a double-barreled shotgun in his hand.

Although the gun looked old, no one would doubt its power.

Chu Guang once saw the old man firing only two shots before knocking down a mutant brown bear that rushed towards the gate of Bett street with his own eyes.

Since then, he had been eager to have one.

"I spent all night outside."

"Outside?"

The old man glanced at the pointed water pipe behind Chu Guang, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

No one knew how dangerous the night was better than him.

Every time he was on night shift, his index finger would not dare dislodge from the trigger. Any movement of wind and grass would make his nerves tense.

Although the mutants in the outer suburbs were not as dangerous as in the city, there were too many marauders watching here.

Falling in their hands would not end up much better than dying on mutant hands.

Old Walter didn't quite believe that this guy actually spent the night in the wasteland peacefully with only a steel pipe.

"Had an accident."

Chu Guang didn't explain, just giving Old Water a tired look before going straight through the gate of the settlement.

There was only one recycling station on Bett street, which was easy to find. It was just next to the main entrance of the settlement.

Under the rolling door lay an old-fashioned electronic scale that could never show an accurate result, and beside it stood a board: "Fair Prices, Fair Trade".

This shop was the property of the mayor, and was also the only place on Bett street that bought scrapped parts and mutant mole skins.

In order to monopolize the garbage picking business, this dictator even enacted a law arbitrarily: “No one is allowed to sell their captured prey and scrapped parts to caravans passing by here.”

The reason was to ensure that the goods on Bett Street could be sold at a reasonable price, rather than being conned by "cunning merchants".

Such unreasonable rules could also be passed partly due to the ignorance of the survivors here.

Not only that, but the general caravan wouldn't risk offending the dictator by going to scavengers to buy the little poor supplies they had.

They only do big business.

And only do business with trusted people.

"Sell? Or buy?"

The shopkeeper was a fifty-year-old man named Charlie. It was said that he used to be a resident of a shelter in another province. He was later arrested and used as a slave until the mayor bought him from a slave owner. The work of dealing with the scavengers was given to him.

Most of the residents here were “wasteland people” born and raised here without any education. Their math was very bad, so much so that they could even make mistakes when doing simple addition and subtraction.

But Charlie was different.

He came from a shelter.

Although none of the shelters on this wasteland were exactly the same, one thing was similar.

Everyone who could live there was an elite of the pre-war society. Their children not only inherited the clever mind from their parents, but also received a good education from the age of enlightenment.

If it weren't for this world being so terrible, he would probably become an engineer, doctor or scholar just like his parents.

Instead of keeping accounts here.

"Sell."

Without talking nonsense, Chu Guang took out 6 used batteries from his backpack and threw them on the tray of the electronic scale along with 5 adhesives.

This was what he found in the wreckage of nearby buildings before he found Shelter 404.

Old Charlie picked up the waste battery on the table, randomly checked the model and whether it was damaged, and threw it on the scale beside him.

Those things were definitely scrapped, but it was okay to recycle the materials inside.

"The quality is alright. The garbage in this area should have been cleaned up. Where did you get the good stuff?"

Could those things even be called good stuff?

"Got lucky."

"Hehe, I’m just asking. Mhm, the battery is good, but the quality of the adhesive is average. Their seals have been removed and I doubt that they can be recycled, so I can only give you half of its value... And the total adds up to 3 chips."

Chu Guang did not bargain with him either, and took 3 white chips from him.

This kind of plastic coin with a metallic texture was the "currency" issued by Boulder City, the largest survivor settlement in Qingquan City. It could be exchanged for food and supplies in most survivor settlements in Qingquan City.

The face of the chip was printed with the face value, and its back had a special anti-counterfeiting code and printing, which would show a special luster under sunlight.

This chip had many advantages, such as heat resistance, and its ability to be easily stored and identified. In particular, the most critical point was that it was basically impossible to counterfeit with post-war technology.

Small and medium-sized survivor settlements like Bett street, which were small in population and incapable of industrial capacity, mainly did business with caravans in Boulder City, trading agricultural products, prey, and collected garbage in exchange for necessary living supplies and even weapons.

So naturally, this currency would also circulate on Bett street.

Of course, it didn’t work everytime. If the caravan didn't come, the prices of the entire settlement would be messed up.

The mayor had also tried to implement Bett Street’s own currency, a book-keeping ticket, but no one wanted it.

Even the survivors of Bett Street knew that that kind of paper could not even be used to wipe butt, making it no different from waste paper.

"Would you like to buy something? A new batch of goods from Boulder City just arrived in the store."

Chu Guang, who was about to leave, stopped and asked back.

"Are there guns?"

"No, you can't afford it even if we have it."

Old Charlie grinned, looking at Chu Guang who was about to leave, and continued.

"But there is some food and fuel. If I were you, I would definitely buy more before the price goes up."

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Guns, even the cheapest kind, were difficult to buy in places like Bett Street.

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That’s because even if a caravan selling arms passed by occasionally, those weapons would usually end up in the mayor’s own warehouse and would not be placed on the shelves here for anyone to choose.

Besides, as Old Charlie said, even if there was such a thing, it was not something that a scavenger like him could afford.

Chu Guang knew exactly why he said that.

As a well-educated shelter resident, Charlie would certainly not fail to see that all the survivors living on Bett street, whether they were scavengers or hunters, had their surplus value exploited by the mayor's family.

Even if the mayor never reached out personally to take the chips away from them.

"The price of food and fuel are going to go up?"

Looking at Chu Guang with surprise on his face, Charlie smiled faintly.

"Did you not notice, the temperature has been cooling down recently, but mutants outside have become active."

Chu Guang frowned. He thought for a moment and said.

"Winter is coming?"

"I remember that you only came here five months ago. You may not have experienced it. In previous years, the temperature will start to cool down almost at this time. This year... winter may come earlier, maybe it will snow in October.”

Speaking of this, Charlie paused for a moment and said meaningfully.

"Winter is coming."

"Whether it's a human or a mutant, it is time to make preparations in advance."

When Chu Guang first came to Bett street, he was wearing a blue jacket. Charlie subconsciously regarded him as someone from a shelter, so he didn’t treat him badly.

Although this kind of treatment had never been reflected in transaction prices, the old man did help Chu Guang a little in terms of experience.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to adapt to life on the wasteland so quickly.

Chu Guang nodded seriously.

"I see, thank you."

"You're welcome," Charlie smiled lightly, "Don't die."

It was already early September. If it really snowed in October, Chu Guang would only have a little more than a month left to prepare.

For the survivors living in this area, snow was definitely not something to be happy about. This meant that in addition to food, there was an additional expenditure on fuel.

The vast majority of people here made a living by picking up scraps and hunting, and the nearby farms only needed people during busy periods of farming.

In winter, the difficulty of picking up scraps would increase exponentially, and no one would be able to predict whether the things buried under the snow were waste parts or the fangs of mutant mice.

Animals such as wild deer and rabbits would also reduce their activity time and even hide in their dens for the winter.

The most terrible thing was that once winter came, caravans wouldn't come here. Even if the good things were picked up, they could only be piled up at home and be sold during the spring of the coming year.

Or, one could decide to venture to Boulder City, ten kilometers away.

That was the largest settlement of survivors in Qingquan City. Even in winter, the market there would not close.

However, its location was on the side of the third-ring road in Qingquan City, close to the Northern City District of Qingquan City, and there were countless dangers hidden along the way.

To travel there on two legs, and in the winter when the lowest temperature could reach minus ten degrees was tantamount to suicide!

...

After leaving the recycling station, Chu Guang first went back to his residence.

In fact, it was not so much a residence as it was a shack that could barely keep out the rain, without even a decent window or door.

Until yesterday, he was still thinking about saving some materials such as cement and PVC boards to seal up the leaky wall before winter came.

But now it seemed that this was no longer necessary.

Taking out a rusty aluminum box from the moldy sleeping bag, Chu Guang broke it open with great effort, and spread the plastic coins hidden in it onto the plain wooden table.

A total of 47 white chips with a face value of 1 point.

With the 3 coins in his pocket, it added up to exactly 50 points!

This money was saved by him frugally, bit by bit, so that one day he could leave this damn place and move to Boulder City with better conditions.

But now...

He had a new plan for this "property".

If he could live on his own, why stay under other people’s fence?

"The ruins of the nursing home above the shelter can be used, and the surrounding walls around the building are all concrete structures... If the players can really come to this world, then they can collect some materials nearby. That way, repairs shouldn’t be too difficult."

"Near the nursing home is a wetland park. It is unlikely to find metal scraps there, but the surrounding vegetation is still lush, so there should be no shortage for burning material. In addition, wood can also be used as a material for repairing buildings and making furniture… Axes! Yes, I have to buy four axes."

Hunting monsters and leveling up?

There are no such things!

After all, it was already said that it was a 100% real hardcore game. Since it was a hardcore game, it was natural to start with the most basic work!

"Shovels and saws, these tools are also necessary!" Before the players logged in, Chu Guang had already figured out how to arrange them.

Of course, in addition to the tools for work, he also needed food.

Once the culture chamber was activated, it would immediately consume the active substances pre-stored in the culture chamber to synthesize clones for players to use.

And these clones all needed to eat!

Although the clone could lie in the culture chamber and stay dormant at a lower metabolic level when the player was offline, it was impossible to lie down all the time.

People had to eat as long as they were alive. This was the eternal truth!

"At least I have to reserve enough food for five adults to consume in a week… Assuming that everyone would need to eat one wheat cake a meal and two meals a day, I would need to get 70 wheat cakes."

Wheat cake was the most common food on Bett street, and he could exchange two for one chip.

This kind of cake was generally the size of a palm and was very hard. It tasted like soil mixed with sand, but it could fill the stomach and provide a little salt.

It could also be made into a paste by cooking it in a pot.

70 cakes would require him 35 points. Even if he haggled the price, he would at least need to spend 30 points. In this way, his budget was not enough.

Chu Guang's brows furrowed, but soon smoothed out.

It was he who made the problem complicated just now.

In fact, there was no need for those players to eat too well.

If he replaced the wheat cake with the raw materials for making wheat cakes - that was, the green wheat produced by the nearby farm, he could buy a full kilogram with only 3 points!

Hoarding 5 kilograms was enough for him to eat for two weeks by himself!

As for the others, he would think of a solution when he crosses that bridge.

"I’ll just prepare these things for now..."

After storing the chips into the backpack, Chu Guang put the backpack on again.

Although he hadn't slept for a whole night, he was very excited now, as if he had found the meaning of life again, and didn't feel sleepy at all.

When he opened the door and came outside, he saw a little girl squatting inside his neighbor's house, looking at him curiously.

Chu Guang remembered her name. Yu Xiaoyu, the youngest daughter of the Yu family.

Most of the survivors on the wasteland were emaciated with sallow complexions, the youngest daughter of the Yu family being no exception. Her small arms and legs akin to reed sticks made it hard to imagine that she was old enough to get married.

Seeing that Chu Guang noticed her, she confidently walked out of the house.

"I heard some noises coming from your house, so I was checking on what happened."

Everyday at dawn, the men on Bett street would go out to pick up scraps or hunt, while the old and weak, women, and children generally stayed at home to look after the house or do some other work.

Although everyone was poor, and there was nothing valuable at home that was worth stealing, no one wanted other people to break into their houses when they went out.

This man named Chu Guang came from outside. He usually left early and returned late, and rarely communicated with neighbors in his neighborhood.

She didn't know much about him, only felt that he didn't look like someone who could endure hardship.

Everyone was very wary of him at first, and her mother also asked her to keep her eyes on him.

However, Xiaoyu didn't think he was a bad person, because once he made soup at the door and gave her a bowl.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, I can help you take care of the house when you are out." She blinked and added happily, "I'm idle anyway."

Poor child.

If she were in that world, she would still be in school at her current age.

Not wanting to offend the girl, Chu Guang hid the pity in his eyes, took out a lollipop from his pocket blankly and stuffed it into the little girl's hand.

"Take this. You can eat it."

"But don't tell anyone that I gave you this."

"Otherwise this will be the last thing I give you."

She’d never seen this kind of food.

Yu Xiaoyu first took a bite of the wrapping paper and found that she couldn't open it with her teeth. Only then did she realize that she should tear it open.

Her big eyes stared at the red fruit ball stuck in the plastic stick, and she cautiously stuck out her tongue and licked it lightly.

‘What is this taste?!’

‘So sweet!’

With little stars shining in her eyes, she raised her head happily and wanted to say thank you to the man.

However, the person who gave her candy had already gone far away.

.......................

Another long ass chap, hope you like it.

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