Chapter 4

Two hundred years ago.

Exactly 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 all available means.

The war lasted only three years.

But it took only three years to destroy everything on the surface.

The long nuclear winter almost extinguished the fire of civilization. Both sides successfully sent each other to hell and buried themselves.

Since then, it has opened a waste land era more depressed than the great depression.

Although two centuries have passed since the end of the war and the nuclear winter has basically ended more than a century ago, mankind has not returned to the top of the food chain.

The proliferation of nuclear, biological and even genetic weapons has led to the extreme evolution of the ecosystem of the whole planet.

The mutants, known as "alien", are also the main threats faced by survivors struggling in the ruins.

For example, when Chu Guang first came to this world, the wolf dog with two heads was one of them.

However, even if it is heterogeneous, it can be strong or weak.

Like the two headed hyenas, which are "deformed" caused by gamma rays, their combat effectiveness is usually not high. With a few lucky exceptions, their combat effectiveness is not even as good as that before the mutation.

In contrast, predators, crawlers, etc., which are caused by biological weapons and mutated to non traceable ancestors, are really monsters born for killing.

Their nervous system is eroded by mutant fungi. During the day, they usually hide in dark facilities such as ruins, sewers or subways. They go to the streets to look for food only when night falls.

The situation in the suburbs will be much better than that in the city.

Especially in the outer suburbs.

In the past five months, the most dangerous alien Chu Guang encountered was just a mutant brown bear. Although the guy was powerful, he was relatively slow to respond.

Chu Guang carefully avoided it before it found him.

The dim light of dawn passed through the broken concrete wall and fell on the street full of car wreckage and gravel together with the shadow of steel waste.

It's eight o'clock in the morning.

There is a time difference of about 12 hours between the time here and the Dongba time zone on the other side of the world.

Looking at the two mutant hyenas wandering in the street, Chu Guang grasped the pointed water pipe in his hand and carefully wound behind the ruins.

Although he has the confidence to kill them both, there is no need to create complications.

Moreover, these animals are so smart that they even know to use their own kind as bait. No one knows how many are hidden in the shadow of the nearby ruins.

Follow the path through the dilapidated block.

Chu Guang was relieved when he saw the sign of Beite street children's paradise.

In front is "Beite Street" - a relatively large settlement of survivors in the nearby area, where more than 100 survivors live.

Before the war broke out, it was once a children's paradise, with a large number of amusement facilities and a wide lawn.

After the war, it was designated as a temporary refuge by the army and accommodated a large number of citizens fleeing from the urban area of Qingquan city.

What happened to the refugees is unknown, but today, more than 200 years later, it has developed into a "small town".

People use discarded plastic boards, canopy, wood and metal supports to mix and build simple shacks on the bare mud.

It's very much like the one in the "Diao Min era".

The wall of the amusement park is a natural barrier. After rough repair, it is bound with iron wire and boards with nails.

In the center of the amusement park is a five story classical castle, which has the feeling of fairy tale. However, the paint on the surface had long fallen off, and most of the wall facing the city center collapsed, leaving only the north half and a crumbling solitary tower.

Even fairy tales are absolutely dark fairy tales.

But even if the building is broken like this, it is still the "most luxurious" building on Bette street.

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

Although he has lived here for five months, Chu Guang has never seen the mayor. The adult is mysterious and rarely appears in public.

"Oh, come back so early."

Looking at the Chu light coming from the corner of the street, the old Walter with dry smoke narrowed his eyes and emitted a trace of muddy white smoke from his nostrils.

He held a double barreled shotgun in his hand.

Although it has been looking for years, no one will doubt its power.

Chu Guang once saw it with his own eyes. The old man only fired two shots and put down a mutant brown bear whose hair rushed to the gate of Bette street.

Since then, he has been eager to have one.

"I've been out all night."

"Outside?"

The old man looked at the pointed water pipe behind Chu Guang's back, and his eyebrows provoked a trace of surprise.

No one knows better than him how dangerous the night is.

Every time he was on the night shift, his index finger didn't dare to move away from the trigger. Any slight disturbance would tighten his nerves.

Although the alien species in the outer suburbs are not as dangerous as those in the urban area, there are too many predators eyeing here.

Falling into their hands will not end much better than dying in the hands of a different species.

Old Walter didn't believe that this guy spent the night safely on the waste soil with only one steel pipe.

"There was an accident."

Chu Guang didn't explain, but gave old Walter a tired look to feel for himself, and then went straight through the gate of the settlement.

There is only one waste recycling station on Bette street, which is easy to find, next to the main door of the settlement.

Under the rolling shutter door is an old-fashioned electronic scale that can never go, and next to it stands the memorial archway of "fair price and no deception between children and old people".

This shop is the property of the mayor and the only place on Bette street to buy waste parts and mutant mole skin.

In order to monopolize the garbage collection business, the dictator even arbitrarily promulgated a law.

That is, no one is allowed to sell the captured prey and garbage to the caravan passing by without permission.

The reason is to ensure that the goods on Beite street can be sold at a reasonable price, rather than being shamelessly squeezed by "cunning businessmen".

The reason why this unreasonable rule can be passed is also related to the ignorance of the survivors here to a certain extent.

And ordinary caravans would not risk offending the dictator to buy the few poor supplies from the scavengers.

They only do big business.

And only do business with trustworthy people.

"Sell or buy?"

The shopkeeper is a 50-year-old man named Charlie. It is said that he used to be a resident of a shelter in other provinces. Later, he was caught as a slave until the mayor bought him from a slave owner and handed him the work of dealing with scavengers.

Most of the residents here are "waste natives" born and raised here. They have no education. They are poor in mathematics, and the addition and subtraction methods that are bad to less than 100 may be wrong.

But Charlie is different.

He came out of the shelter.

Although none of the shelters on the waste land are exactly the same, one thing is similar.

All the people who could live there were the elites of the pre war society. Their children not only inherited a smart mind from their parents, but also received a good education from the age of enlightenment.

If the world hadn't been terrible, he would have become an engineer, doctor or scholar like his parents.

Not here.

"Sell."

Without nonsense, Chuguang took out 6 waste batteries and 5 tubes of adhesive from his backpack and threw them on the tray of the electronic scale.

He found it in the wreckage of nearby buildings before he found refuge 404.

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

This thing must be scrapped. Don't think about it, but it's OK to recycle the materials inside.

"The quality is fairly good. The garbage in this area should be cleaned up. Where did you get good things?"

Can this also call good things?

"Good luck."

"Hehe, I just asked casually. Well, the battery is good, but the quality of the adhesive is average. The seal has been removed, and the situation inside is estimated to be a mess. I can only give you five conversion... All add up to a total of 3 chips."

Chu Guang did not bargain with him and took three white chips from him.

This metal plastic coin is the "currency" issued by Jushi City, the largest settlement of survivors in Qingquan City, and can be exchanged for food and supplies in most settlements of survivors in Qingquan city.

The face value is printed on the front of the chip, and there is a special anti-counterfeiting code and printing on the back, which will show a special luster in the sun.

The chip has the advantages of heat resistance, easy preservation and high recognition. In particular, the most critical point is that it is basically impossible to imitate post-war technology.

Small and medium-sized survivor settlements like Beite street, which have a small population and no industrial capacity, mainly do business with the caravans in Boulder City, exchanging agricultural products, prey and collected garbage for necessary living materials and even weapons.

Naturally, this kind of currency was circulating on Bette street.

Of course, it doesn't work at any time. If the caravan doesn't come in any month, the prices of the whole settlement will have to be chaotic.

The mayor did not try to promote Bette Street's own currency, a bookkeeping ticket, but no one admitted it at all.

Even the survivors of Bette Street know that that kind of paper is no different from waste paper.

"Do you want to buy something? A batch of new goods from boulder have just arrived in the store."

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

"Do you have a gun?"

"No, you can't afford it."

Old Charlie grinned and looked at Chu Guang who turned to go.

"But there are some food and fuel. If I were you, I would buy more before the price rise."

Guns, even the cheapest, are hard to buy in places like bate street.

Because even if there are occasional caravans selling arms passing by here, those weapons usually go into the mayor's own warehouse and will not be placed on the shelves here for selection.

Besides, as old Charlie said, even if there is such a thing, they scavengers can't afford it.

Chu Guang knows why he said that.

As a well-educated shelter resident, Charlie would not fail to see that all the survivors living in Bette street, whether scavengers or hunters, were completely exploited by the mayor's family.

Even if the mayor never reached out and took even a chip directly from their pockets.

"Food and fuel prices are going up?"

Looking at the unexpected Chu light written on his face, Charlie smiled faintly and said.

"Haven't you noticed that it's cooling down recently, but the alien outside has begun to be active."

Chu Guang frowned and thought for a moment. Suddenly he thought of something and said.

"Winter is coming?"

"I remember you came here five months ago. Maybe you haven't experienced it. In previous years, it's almost going to start cooling down. This year... Winter is expected to come earlier. Maybe it's going to snow in October."

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

"It's winter."

"Whether it's human or alien, you have to prepare in advance."

When he first came to Beite street, Chuguang was wearing a blue coat. Charlie subconsciously took him as a shelter, so he took care of him.

Although this kind of care has never been reflected in the transaction price, the old man did Chu Guang some help in terms of experience.

Otherwise, he would not adapt to life on the waste land so soon.

Chu Guang nodded seriously.

"I see. Thank you."

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

Now it's early September. If it's going to snow in October, Chu Guang has only more than a month to prepare.

For the survivors living in this area, snow is definitely not a happy thing. This means that in addition to food, there will be an additional expenditure on fuel.

Most people here make a living by picking up garbage and hunting. The nearby farms only need people during busy farming periods.

In winter, the difficulty of picking up garbage will increase exponentially. No one can predict whether the parts buried in the snow can be used as waste or the tusks of mutant mice.

Animals that can provide meat, such as wild deer and rabbits, will also reduce their activity time and even hide in their nests for the winter.

The worst thing is that once winter comes, the caravan won't come here. Even if you pick up good things, you can only pile them at home and sell them at the beginning of the next spring.

Or, venture to Boulder, ten kilometers away.

It is the largest settlement of survivors in this area of Qingquan city. Even in winter, the market there will not be closed.

However, it is located on the edge of the Third Ring Road of Qingquan City, close to Beicheng District of Qingquan City, and there are countless dangers along the way.

Most people want to walk on two legs, and it's still in the winter when the lowest temperature can reach minus 10 degrees, which is tantamount to suicide!

……

After leaving the recycle bin, Chu Guang first went back to his residence.

In fact, it is not so much a residence as a shelter that can barely keep out the rain. It doesn't even have a decent window and door.

Until yesterday, he still wanted to save some materials such as cement and PVC board to seal the leaking wall before winter came.

But now it seems that this is no longer necessary.

A rusty aluminum box came out of the moldy sleeping bag. Chu Guang broke it with great effort and poured the plastic coins hidden in it onto the lame wooden table.

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

Counting the 3 pieces on yourself, it adds up to exactly 50 points!

He saved all the money little by little in order to leave this ghost place one day and move to Boulder City with better conditions.

But now

He has a new plan for this "property".

If you can stand on your own, why should you rely on others?

"The ruins of the sanatorium above the shelter can be used, and the walls around the building are all concrete structures... If players can call, it should not be too difficult to collect some materials nearby."

"There is a wetland park near the sanatorium. It is not convenient to collect metal waste, but the surrounding vegetation is lush, and there should be no shortage of heating fuel. In addition, wood can also be used as materials for repairing buildings and making furniture... Axe! Yes, I have to buy four axes."

Strange level training?

It doesn't exist!

It's said that it's a 100% real hard core game. Since it's a hard core game, it's natural to start from the most basic work!

"Shovel and saw can't be used in these tools!" game player has not yet landed, Chu Guang has already thought how to arrange them.

Of course, in addition to the tools for work, there is also the most critical rations.

Once the incubator is activated, it will immediately consume the active substances pre stored in the incubator to synthesize clones for players.

And these clones need to eat!

Although the clone can lie in the culture chamber and sleep at a low metabolic level when the player is not online, it is impossible to lie all the time.

It is an eternal truth that people should eat when they live!

"We have to reserve enough food for at least five adults a week... If we count two meals a day, one wheat cake per meal will also get 70."

Wheat cake is the most common food in Bette street. One chip can be changed.

This thing is usually as big as a palm. It may be mixed with bark or other fibers. It tastes hard and rough. It looks like soil mixed with sand, but it can fill your stomach and add a little salt.

If you put it in a pot, you can make paste.

If you buy 70 cakes, you get 70 chips. Even if you bargain, 60 chips are indispensable. In this way, my budget is not enough,

Chu Guang's eyebrows frowned, but soon stretched out again.

Just now he thought the problem was complicated.

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

If you change the wheat cake into the raw material for making wheat cake - that is, the green wheat produced by the nearby farm, you can buy a full kilogram with only 3 chips!

Store a 5kg, enough to cope with a few days!

Not really. You can learn from the survivors of Bette street to mix bark or plant roots into it.

As for the rest, we'll find a way then.

"Just prepare these things for now..."

Sweep the allocated chips into the backpack, and Chu Guang carries the backpack back on his body.

Although he didn't sleep all night, he is not energetic now. It seems that he has found the meaning of life again. He doesn't feel sleepy at all.

When he opened the door and came outside, he saw the neighbor's little girl cat at the door of the next shack, looking curiously at her side.

Chu Guang knows her name. Her name is Yu Xiaoyu. She is the youngest daughter of the Yu family.

The survivors on the waste soil are mostly yellow and skinny. Naturally, the youngest daughter of the Yu family is no exception. With her small arms and legs like a reed firewood stick, it's hard to imagine that she is going to marry.

Seeing that Chu Guang noticed herself, she was not shy and came out of the house.

"I heard something in your house, so I'll have a look."

Every day at dawn, the men on Bette street go out to pick up waste or hunt. The old, weak, women and children usually stay at home to look after the house or do some work that can make money.

Although everyone is poor, they can't save money after eating last meal, and there is nothing to steal at home, no one wants to take advantage of their own home when they go out.

This man named Chu Guang comes from outside. He usually goes out early and returns late. He seldom communicates with the neighbors in his neighborhood.

She doesn't know much about him. She just doesn't think he looks like he can bear hardships.

At first, everyone was very wary of him, and her mother asked her to keep an eye on the stranger from the outside.

However, Xiaoyu didn't think he was a bad man, because once he stewed soup at the door and divided her bowl.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I can help you look after the house when you're out." she blinked and added happily, "I'm idle anyway."

Poor child.

If she was in that world, she should still be reading at her age.

Not wanting to make people feel offended, Chu Guang hid a trace of pity in his eyes, took out a lollipop from his pocket and stuffed it into the little girl's hand.

"Take it and eat."

"Don't tell anyone I gave it."

"Or it'll be gone."

I've never seen such food before.

Yu Xiaoyu first took a bite of the wrapping paper and found that he couldn't open it. Only then did he realize that the outer packaging was to be torn open.

Wu Liu's big eyes stared at the red fruit ball inserted on the plastic rod. She carefully stretched out her tongue and licked it gently.

This, what's this smell?!

How sweet!

Twinkling with little stars in her eyes, she looked up happily and wanted to say thank you.

However, the man who gave her sugar has gone far.