CH 24

Peng Mao, a native of Jiangshi, is only 26 years old this year, Although he doesn’t look tall, he’s a fitness coach.

Recently, their company opened a new gym opposite the county’s government office. As he couldn’t get any clients, he was arranged to come here.

He was busy here for many days with the business opening and buying classes for the members. When he had the time, he saw a large number of people flooding into the township. And because someone made trouble in front of the county’s government office, he was worried that it would affect him, so he hid in the gym and didn’t come out.

Later, his younger brother came to look for him and he knew that an unknown virus had spread everywhere. He also knew that the infected people would turn to become zombies and that their father was killed.

The brothers lost their mother when they were still a child and their father worked hard to raise them. He also stayed and worked in his hometown for his filial piety, but his father’s gone?

He was sad for a while, and then they saw danger approaching the gym before they had the chance to run away.

On the way they met a group of people headed by a man named Ding Gu-nian. They weren’t as confused or scared as the others and fought bravely against the zombies.

Peng Mao and his younger brother Peng Sheng felt very safe to follow them, but when they came to this village, they were attacked by a large number of zombies.

“So they don’t think you have much combat power and thought you were a burden if you follow them, so they just threw you here?” Hao Jian understood.

Peng Mao complained aggrievedly, “I’m just a fitness coach, not a terminator!”

The corner of Hao Jian’s mouth twitched, “What about your brother?”

Speaking of Peng Sheng, his eyes became red and said, “He felt that I was useless and couldn’t shelter him so he left with the group! The reason why he went to the countryside to look for me was actually because he wanted to take refuge! He wasn’t worried about me at all!”

Xin Ting frowned, “Aren’t you brothers?”

“Yes, but I would rather that we aren’t brothers!” Peng Mao was very disappointed, “He would rather be the younger brother of those people than go with me. He has no dignity!”

“In the face of desperation, who will choose dignity over death? Most people will of course avoid the latter!” Lian Ru Ning walked over.

When Peng Mao told what happened to him, Hao Jian and the others took turns to watch around the temple. Otherwise, if everyone stayed in the temple, Peng Mao might be beseiged.

“How’s the situation outside?” Hao Jian was no longer interested in Peng Mao’s affairs. She is going to watch and take a rest.

“There are no zombies.”

“It seems that Ding Gu-nian’s group has decent combat effectiveness. Although they can’t completely eliminate the huge group of zombies, at least there are a lot fewer zombies in the village and its surroundings.”

Peng Mao said, “I think you guys are also quite good, and you know how to equip yourself!”

Hao Jian already left, but Lian Ru Ning only smiled and didn’t answer. Only Xin Ting agreed and said, “Hao Jian is really brave and very powerful. . .”

She selectively told Peng Mao about some of the things that happened along the way. Peng Mao admired her and his favorability for Xin Ting soared, “Actually, your companions are very great, but you are also very brave. With your cooperation, they were able to kill so many zombies, right?”

Xin Ting shyly replied, “Thank you.”

They full-blown chatting could not continue because their stomachs were already grumbling.

Lian Ru Ning and Xin Ting only ate a snickers, but Peng Mao hadn’t eaten anything since last night. After he was abandoned, he planned to find a place to stay for the night. Unfortunately, he met a zombie and was chased by it. After running away for survival, he was exhausted and there was only this place around, so he hid in.

Had it not been for the excitement in his heart when he aw a living person, he would’ve already fainted from hunger.

Lian Ru Ning thought for a while, “I went to the ground to see if there are any edible vegetables or fruits.”

“There is no need to look for it. Ding Gu-nian and the others monopolized the mango trees around here. They said that they didn’t know if the vegetables in the field were infected with the virus so they didn’t eat it.” Peng Mao said.

Lian Ru Ning frowned and turned her gaze to Hao Jian’s direction who was wandering outside. She quickly closed her eyes and reflected,

Why do I want to find her for answers whenever I face a problem? I can’t always depend on her and trouble her anymore!

Hao Jian seemed to feel something and turned her head to look over. After a while, she walked straight back and asked, “Do you have cash on you?”

“Huh?” The three of them were all dumbfounded by her question.

“If you have cash, I’ll find someone in the village and buy some food for us.”

Hao Jian only said that to fool them. The system had just told her the features of ‘exchange authority.’

The so-called ‘exchange authority’ can actually use cash to exchange points at a ratio of 10:1. That is, ten dollars in cash can be exchanged for 1 point, but she can only use real cash. Digital money like those stored in the bank can’t be used for exchange.

After learning this ration, Hao Jian couldn’t find any words to express her feelings and it took her a long time to say, :A pack of compressed biscuits costs 50 yuan, a rice ball costs 100 yuan, and a catty of dried meat is two hundred yuan?” 1

“It’s not surprising that the scarcity of survival materials has caused the demand to exceed supply, leading to price increases, don’t you think?”

“Then you must not know market regulation.”

“Our central system stipulates that prices will not fall but they will also not rise again. Isn’t this market regulation?”

This system makes sense and Hao Jian couldn’t refute it.

Although she has accumulated 165 points, enough for her to buy a dozen rice balls, she didn’t want to raise a group of people for nothing. Which was why she went to them for cash.

Originally, she had a lot of cash on her body, but the backpack was taken away by Chang Li and the others in the car. Unfortunately, she lost all her money. She asked whether the system can exchange valuables such as gold and silver. The system also gave the exchange ratio:

100 grams of silver for 3 points, and 1 gram of gold for 3 points.

All in all, gold and silver can be exchanged, but compared to the exchange ratio of cash,, the rate for gold and silver is simply horribly low.

Originally, one gram of silver costs two or three yuan, and one hundred grams of silver is more than 300 yuan, which should be converted to 30 points, but is only exchanged for 3 points.

The exchange ratio of gold isn’t much better than that of silver. The price for one gram of pure gold was originally more than 330 yuan, But now, its depreciation value is worse than silver.

After living for so many years, she knew that gold could maintain its value, but she had never heard of it depreciating so badly.

Hao Jian summed up another rule of the system. Instead of spending time to earn money, it is better to fight monsters and upgrade.

If such system comes form a game company, it would be very popular with non-RMB players.

Peng Mao took out the only 80 yuan he had, and Hao Jian said, “Why do you go out without cash?”

Peng Mao was also very aggrieved, “Now I use mobile phones to pay, who still brings cash? This 80 yuan is still enough for me to go to the market to buy food!”

Hao Jian glanced at the food list on the shelf, and even a pack of spicy strips cost five points. She decided to sell him the package of spicy strips that was given as a reward for a 40% discount and gave him another pack of compressed biscuits for the remaining money.

Xin Ting took out two pieces of 100 yuan from her person. Although it wasn’t much, Hao Jian decided to buy some medicine for her because of her efforts to help deal with the zombies.

She can now buy three over-the-counter medicines a day and the price of the medicine is basically 20 to 30 points. Xin Ting’s arm was injured and she didn’t know if it was serious, so it’s best to take some medicine that promotes blood circulation and removed blood stasis.

Lian Ru Ning also took out 500 yuan. She thought about it and walked to Hao Jian, “I’ll go with you. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone.”

Hao Jian didn’t object either, but said to Xin Ting and Peng Mao, “The both of you will stay here?”

“I’ll go with you to help look-out for the surroundings!” Xin Ting immediately replied. Although she felt that Peng Mao was not a bad person, she had already suffered a loss. She didn’t dare to judge a person’s character easily from the first impression. She was afraid of being alone with men.

Peng Mao didn’t know what she thought and got up quickly, “I. . . I don’t have any weapons in my hands. It’s dangerous to stay here alone. Just like Miss Xin, let me help you outside!”

In fact, he saw the two weapons on Hao Jian and wanted to ask her for one, but he thought that Hao Jian also thought that he had no combat power, and holding a weapon would only be a waste on him, so he didn’t speak.

It was Xin Ting who gave him the fruit knife, and she used the knife left by Li Ge. She felt that her injured arm could not exert the power of the fruit knife. She kept a small knife to protect her body.

Hao Jian no longer stalled and said, “Let’s go then!”

The season was perfect for maturing mangoes, litchi, and other fruits. There are many small orchards in the village that was filled with mango and litchi trees. It’s just that the fruit trees that were originally fruitful, looked like locusts crossing the border. The trunks were bare, the branches were broken to pieces, and the there was no fruit in sight.

“They thought it was too troublesome to pick one by one, so they chopped off the whole section.” Peng Mao explained.

Why didn’t they just uproot the tree and take it away altogether? This is too much. By picking the fruit, it can grow again in the coming year. If they did this, it would’ve lasted until the future generations!” Xin Ting said angrily.

“They are thinking about the end. It’s not certain whether there is a future for mankind. Why bother to think about future generations?”

Xin Ting couldn’t refute.

Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning walked ahead, communicating with voices that only they could hear.

“Are you still watching Peng Mao?” Lian Ru Ning understood in her heart about Hao Jian’s refusal to give up her crowbar to Peng Mao.

“His words are only one-sided. Who knows if it is because he betrayed the team that there is no one around him? The human heart is sinister. In this world, I don’t believe it that there are still honest people around.”

Lian Ru Ning was curious about the environment in which Hao Jian grew up in that made her this cynical. She looked at her and asked, “What about me?”

“. . .” Hao Jian glanced back at her.

If the system hadn’t asked me to bind you, I wouldn’t have the slightest care if you died in front of me.

She couldn’t say this, of course. And after a few days of getting along, she wasn’t as different as she thought.

“Except you.”

Lian Ru Ning smiled brightly, “Why?”

“Because you’re not someone else. You’re mine –” Hao Jian paused.