Chapter 151

The night market at the base was bustling, exchanging all kinds of things, but what was most lacking were food, water, and Crystal Cores.

Here, no one dared to carelessly bring out something like food.

The frenzy these people could whip up might trample a few to death.

“Miss, what would you like to exchange for?”

The girl with a cold expression stood in front of a stall, eyeing those few magazines with a somewhat complex mood.

This is the apocalypse!

The apocalypse, for goodness’ sake!!

The apocalypse!!

“Miss, these are out of print now, they can be collected, once the apocalypse is over, their value will double,” The stallholder immediately recommended upon seeing Chuzheng staring at the magazines.

“…” You sure know how to do business. “You think the apocalypse will be over?”

“Hey, gotta have some hope, right?” The person was very optimistic, “Miss, how about it? I’ll exchange for a pack of instant noodles.”

Chuzheng felt that now would be a good time for—A Guide to Survival and Extinction after Five Years of Apocalypse.

Chuzheng shook her head, but picked up another watch that looked very expensive yet was less valuable than a loaf of bread in the apocalypse, and tossed over a Crystal Core.

The man didn’t see clearly what she threw at first. When he realized Chuzheng had tossed a Crystal Core, he quickly covered it with his hands and looked around sneakily.

Seeing that the passersby didn’t notice, he hurriedly stashed the Crystal Core away.

His heart thumped wildly as if he had met the girl of his dreams.

Crystal Core, oh Crystal Core!

It could be exchanged for so much food!

Too thrilling!

As if afraid Chuzheng might change her mind, the man packed up his stuff and took off, leaving Chuzheng in confusion.

Why run?

It’s not like I’m robbing him.

Chuzheng planned to give him the watch when she got her hands on a Good Person Card next time.

Although she didn’t know why, seeing it just made her feel it suited him well.

If that’s what she felt, then she might as well stock up on it.

Right!

[…]Listen to how the young lady uses her words, catch! She’s talking about catching! She doesn’t need to find that word anymore, she’s started catching directly.

Is the young lady a devil?!

What sins have Good Person Cards committed.

The King’s Account lit a candle for the Good Person Card.

After a minute of silent mourning, it cheerfully issued Chuzheng a task.

[Main Quest: Please spend two hundred Crystal Cores within two hours.]

Chuzheng was not pleased; she wanted to kill the Bastard behind the King’s Account.

Could they not give her a break?

Could they not be considerate of a weak and helpless Little Cutie?

[Little cutie, we are the Spendthrift System, we need to spend without stopping! This is what aligns with our values in life!]

“Can’t you change your values in life?”

[…Little cutie, this… this might not be possible.] Can life values be changed just like that? No! We must be steadfast in our spending!

“Bastard.”

[…]Even if I can’t do it, you can’t scold me! I dislike it!

“The circulation of Crystal Cores isn’t large right now, and such a large quantity can easily disrupt the system. Is that really okay?”

Money, in the hundreds or thousands of millions, that’s like throwing a pebble into the sea, you wouldn’t even hear a splash.

But it’s different now.

This is the apocalypse.

The number of circulating Crystal Cores is limited.

Even if everyone in the country turned into zombies, and each had a Crystal Core, there would only be a few billion at most.

[Little cutie, to balance the impact of an excessive number of Crystal Cores, the consumption of Crystal Cores will increase to achieve equilibrium.] And besides, it hasn’t issued a lot of big spending quests, right? It adapts to different conditions! It’s a cultured System!

“Speak human language.”

[Absorbing Crystal Cores for upgrade will require more Crystal Cores. Of course, rest assured, young lady, the Crystal Cores you spend now aren’t considered a lot, so this situation won’t happen for the time being.]

Chuzheng: “…”

Chuzheng, seemingly lost in thought, pinched the Crystal Core. King’s Account carefully considered the words she had just said, and it seemed that there was no problem.

What was she pondering over?

“You Bastard, you damn dog.”

[…] Can’t you refrain from cursing at it? It has its dignity as a System!

Can’t afford to provoke it!

I’d better hide!

[Little Cutie, you have fifty minutes left.]

King’s Account said and quickly hid itself.

Chuzheng: “…”

Chuzheng wandered around the night market, and the people squatting on both sides eyed her with not so ‘friendly’ gazes from time to time.

However, considering the boss-like aura Chuzheng constantly exuded, no one dared to make a move on her.

Chuzheng walked to the end and found a shop.

Chuzheng entered the shop, and a well-dressed male waiter immediately came forward: “How many in your party?”

“Just one.”

“Right this way, please.”

Chuzheng noticed that the shop provided female waiters for male clients and male waiters for female clients.

“What would you like to eat?”

Chuzheng glanced at the menu, where the most expensive dish required eighty Crystal Cores.

So cheap…

Chuzheng, expressionless, pointed at that dish, and the waiter reminded with a smile, “This will cost eighty Crystal Cores.”

“Mm.” The waiter smiled more sincerely, even leaning a bit closer to Chuzheng.

Chuzheng shot him a glance, her tone growing even colder, “Stand further away.”

The waiter’s smile stiffened, and after a moment’s hesitation, he caught sight of Chuzheng’s indifferent side profile and obediently moved farther away.

Chuzheng ordered two of the most expensive dishes.

The waiter handed her the bill, reminding her that payment was required before the food was served.

The dishes served were fresh meat, not abundant in quantity, likely from a wild animal, and came with fresh vegetables.

In the post-apocalyptic world, plants were nearly extinct, the weather was scorching, there wasn’t even enough water to drink, let alone grow vegetables.

Seeing fresh vegetables here was unusual and justifiably expensive.

Chuzheng was now on the second floor, where she could observe the lobby below.

A group of people entered from outside, and as soon as they did, the atmosphere in the lobby seemed to shift.

Chuzheng leaned on the railing, emotionless as she watched below.

Isn’t that… Hmm… the people looking for the original owner?

Ning You hasn’t encountered this group yet?

Such slow progress?

No good!

Chuzheng had just thought of Ning You when she saw Ning You coming out from another side and quickly leaving.

“Hey…”

The waiter bumped into Ning You, who apologized, seemingly in a hurry, and hurried away.

“Hey, miss, you dropped something!”

The waiter picked up an object from the floor that nowadays wasn’t as valuable as a piece of bread, not worth keeping.

If one could afford to eat here, they must have some abilities. There was no point for a waiter to cause trouble.

[Little Cutie! Hurry up! Don’t let Ning You get the upper hand!]

Chuzheng remained unmoved.

She watched as someone from the group below took the Jade Pendant from the waiter and said something. The waiter nodded and walked away.

Then, the group didn’t enter the shop but took the item and left directly.

It appeared they were going after Ning You.

If Ning You was smarter, she would vanish quickly after leaving, letting the group search for her and reducing her own suspicion to the lowest level.

Apparently, Ning You was indeed smart. When Chuzheng left, there were still people standing outside, apparently waiting for something.

Chuzheng did not approach to acknowledge kinship and departed from that place instead.

If she were to tell those people now that she was the owner of the Jade Pendant, it would most likely just make the group think they had the wrong person.