Chapter 102 - 89: Intelligence

Chapter 102: Chapter 89: Intelligence

Night had completely fallen, and Xu Mo didn’t continue to wander. His top priority was to find a place to settle down, digest the day’s information, and plan for tomorrow.

Walking back the way he came, Xu Mo spotted a converted five-story building on a relatively bustling street not far from the vehicle rest area. A sign welded from scrap metal hung over the entrance—"Anxin Inn." Next to it, the words "Hot Water, Security Guaranteed" were scrawled crookedly in red paint.

This was one of the more formal lodging options in the base; at least, it looked far more reliable than the drafty tents and shacks. There was even a burly guard cradling a rifle at the inn’s entrance. The guard was leaning against the doorframe, bored out of his mind. When he saw the fully-armed Xu Mo approach, he just lazily lifted an eyelid without any further reaction.

Xu Mo walked into the inn’s lobby. The lighting was dim, and the air was thick with a strange mixture of disinfectant and mildew. Behind the front desk sat a middle-aged woman in a worn but relatively clean uniform, her head bowed as she worked an abacus—a device that had become more popular than easily broken electronic calculators in the post-apocalyptic world.

"Need a room?" the woman asked without looking up, her voice a bit hoarse.

"Yeah. A single room. What’s the price?" Xu Mo asked.

"A single for the night is ten Contribution Points," the woman said, then added, "You can also pay with supplies. We’ll set a price based on what you’ve got."

’Contribution Points again.’

Xu Mo cut straight to the point. "How do you value bullets?"

The woman finally looked up and sized up Xu Mo. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the sniper rifle slung over his back, and her tone became slightly more courteous. "Standard-issue rifle rounds, at the Shelter’s rate, are one Contribution Point per round. So, ten rounds."

Xu Mo frowned. ’That’s a much bigger rip-off than the parking fee.’ It was obvious the inn had marked up the price. But he couldn’t be bothered to haggle over a few bullets. After all, he desperately needed a quiet, safe place to rest and go over the intel.

"Six rounds," Xu Mo countered, his tone flat. "If that doesn’t work, I’ll find somewhere else." He knew places like this wouldn’t stick to the official rates, but ten rounds was definitely too high.

The woman hesitated before finally nodding. "Alright. You’re a new face, so let’s call it a friendly discount. Six rounds for one night. Hot water’s available 24/7. Room 306 on the third floor. Here’s your key." She handed him an old brass key. "Just a reminder: no fighting in the inn. Violators will be thrown out and blacklisted."

Xu Mo took the key, paid with six rounds, and headed for the stairs without another word, making his way up to the third floor.

The room was about twenty square meters. Though simply furnished, it had all the essentials. A standard double bed with clean sheets stood against one wall. The bathroom, which had a separate shower and toilet, was reasonably tidy. They even provided a new, unopened set of toiletries. The light-colored wallpaper had yellowed slightly, but the room was in good condition overall.

For someone like Xu Mo, who was used to roughing it, a hot shower and a clean bed were a considerable luxury.

Xu Mo placed his pack and primary weapon within easy reach. He meticulously checked every corner of the room, only relaxing slightly after confirming there were no hidden threats or surveillance devices. He went into the bathroom and washed away the grime and exhaustion of his journey, feeling much more refreshed.

Back in the room, Xu Mo sat at the desk and pulled out the handwritten booklet he’d traded seven bullets for: *Intelligence on Jiang City and Surrounding Areas*. He opened the valuable little book.

The paper was coarse and the words were handwritten, but the script was neat and clear. The first section was an overview of the Jiang City Shelter and its surrounding environment.

"The Jiang City Shelter was established utilizing parts of Old Jiang City, as well as the surrounding mountains and military installations. It is currently the largest known human survivor settlement in the Eastern Region. Its core leadership was formed by the complete relocation and restructuring of the original Jiang City Management Committee, ensuring basic stability and a high concentration of military power. The Shelter has jurisdiction over twelve forward bases and outposts, including the Sixth Forward Base, which form its outer defense and resource-gathering network."

Xu Mo gave a slight nod as he read. ’This confirms my earlier suspicions. The power of the old civilization didn’t collapse; it just continued on in a more efficient, centralized form.’ This was perhaps a blessing in disguise, as it had at least preserved the most basic framework of human civilization.

Then, Xu Mo’s eyes locked onto a particular passage: "In the early days of its establishment, the Shelter faced extreme resource shortages. To rapidly acquire survival supplies, industrial equipment, and absorb population, the Jiang City Shelter organized several large-scale, systematic ’Scavenging Operations’ in the surrounding towns. The first of these, codenamed ’First Cry,’ targeted the nearest town with the least expected resistance: Cyan Pine Ridge Town and its surrounding areas. The operation stripped the town of nearly all usable resources and forcibly relocated the vast majority of survivors found there..."

"’Cyan Pine Ridge Town... Operation First Cry...’" Xu Mo repeated the words in a low voice, a complex expression on his face.

He remembered what he had seen and heard in Cyan Pine Ridge Town when he first arrived in this world. ’So that’s why it was so barren—nothing but ruins, without a single decent supply in sight. That’s why, aside from those mutated rats and the wolf pack that came later, there were almost no signs of other survivors.’ The answer was right here.