Chapter 100 - 88: First Entry

Chapter 100: Chapter 88: First Entry

The staff member’s heart skipped a beat as Xu Mo’s calm, emotionless eyes swept over him. This well-equipped, ruthless type was not someone a lowly administrator like him could afford to offend. ’What if he finds out I ripped him off...’

At that thought, he couldn’t sit still any longer. He quickly jogged out of the guard post, an obsequious smile plastered on his face, clutching the three bullets he had just taken. "Hey! Buddy, wait! Hold on!"

Xu Mo stopped and looked back at him, a little surprised.

The staff member wrung his hands and explained awkwardly, "Buddy, my bad, my bad! I didn’t explain it clearly just now. In private trades, these bullets are worth way more than the official price. Usually, one round goes for two Contribution Points. I took five from you but only counted it as five points... Here, take these three back. We’ll call it two bullets for a day of parking. How does that sound?" He cautiously held out the three bullets.

Xu Mo was taken aback for a moment. Only then did he realize he had misjudged the value of the ammunition. In this post-apocalyptic world, weapons and ammo were hard currency. Reliable, standard-issue ammunition, in particular, was worth far more than the official base exchange rate. He’d nearly been played for a fool.

Xu Mo glanced at the staff member’s anxious expression, then at the three bullets, but didn’t take them. The loss was trivial to him. On the contrary, this incident had given him a quick lesson on one of the base’s unwritten rules and its internal economy.

"Keep it," Xu Mo said. "The rest can cover tomorrow’s parking fee. Anything extra is your information fee."

The staff member was stunned for a second, then his face lit up with surprised gratitude. He hurriedly said, "Thanks, buddy, thank you so much! Don’t you worry, I’ll keep an eye on your vehicle while it’s here. I’ll make sure nothing happens to it. My name is Wang Qi. If you ever need any odd jobs done or information gathered here in Base Six, just come find me!"

Xu Mo nodded and, without another word, turned and left the vehicle rest area with his heavy gear on his back. Wang Qi stood frozen in place, watching Xu Mo’s retreating figure. He wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his brow and let out a long sigh of relief.

...

According to the simple map he’d received at the entrance, Xu Mo first needed to go to the "Identity Activation Point" to activate his Identity Card. Only an activated Identity Card could be used to record and trade Contribution Points, making it the equivalent of opening a bank account.

The activation point was in a large hall converted from an old warehouse. The line wasn’t long, and the process was simple. He inserted his Identity Card into a reader, a staff member verified his basic information, and then had Xu Mo set a simple password and provide a fingerprint scan. The entire process took less than five minutes.

"All set, Mr. Xu Mo. Your Identity Card is now active. Contribution Points can be earned by completing missions, turning in specific materials at the exchange office, or transferred through trades with others. Please keep it safe." The staff member handed the Identity Card back to him.

Xu Mo took the Identity Card. Here, Contribution Points were the lifeblood that kept the entire base running.

After activating his Identity Card, Xu Mo wasn’t in a hurry to accept missions or exchange for Contribution Points. Instead, he decided to check out the nearby trading market first.

Getting a firsthand look at the prices and demands was more important than any armchair strategizing.

He strolled toward the largest trading area marked on the map—the same bustling zone he had driven through earlier.

The deeper he went, the livelier it became. The trading area was a dazzling array of stalls selling all sorts of strange and bizarre things. Some sold parts from mutated creatures—sharp claws, tough hides, peculiar bones. It was said that some of these materials contained un-dissipated "energy" that was useful to Cultivators.

Xu Mo tried to sense it but didn’t detect anything like energy. ’He had no idea how these Cultivators actually cultivated.’ But there was one thing Xu Mo did know: parts from mutated creatures, like hides, could be exchanged for Contribution Points.

There were also stalls selling all kinds of modified weapons. Hand-forged Cold Weapons glinted menacingly, while Frankensteined firearms looked powerful but unreliable. Others sold relics from the old world, from books and toys to electronics, but these drew little interest. Most stalls, however, sold basic survival supplies: compressed food, water filters, medicine—especially antibiotics—fuel, cloth, and so on.

The shouts of vendors filled the air.

"Come and see, come and see! Freshly harvested mutated hyena fangs! Polish ’em up and you’ve got the finest daggers!"

"Homemade Molotovs! Powerful and affordable!"

"Antibiotics! Only three packs left! Get ’em while they last!"

"Repair tool kit! Ten Contribution Points or ammo of equal value!"

Dressed in his high-end gear, Xu Mo was extremely conspicuous as he walked through the market. Wherever he went, many stall owners actively tried to attract his business, their voices growing a few degrees more enthusiastic. At the same time, many others shot him wary glances, instinctively protecting their wares or silently stepping aside to let him pass.

After making a loop, Xu Mo stopped at a weapons stall. The owner was a burly, scar-faced man who was animatedly pitching a machete with a serrated edge welded onto it. When he saw Xu Mo, and especially the AWM on his back, the stall owner’s voice trailed off. He forced a smile. "Hey, buddy. See anything you like? It’s all good stuff."

Xu Mo’s eyes swept over the stall. He casually picked up a military-style canteen that looked decently made and asked, "How much for this?"

"Uh, two Contribution Points, or one rifle round," the stall owner replied, testing the waters.