Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
“Help? We are not a welfare society. If you’re interested in a trade, that can be discussed.” Looking at the sincere Tian Feng, Jiang Chen smiled.
To the survivors that just peeked their heads out of the fallout shelter, they had no clue about the rules of the wasteland, but they possessed a large number of pre-war supplies.
Needless to say help, it would be considered sympathetic if one could resist the urge to rob these “rookies”.
Tian Feng was stunned for a moment, he didn’ expect Jiang Chen to be so direct.
After a brief paused, the captain spoke.
“Our resources are also limited or else the fallout shelter wouldn’t be unlocked. Although we can’t give you anything in return right now, I promise, if you support our case, when we rebuild order on the shambles, we definitely won’t forget the help you provided us.”
“What cause?” Jiang Chen was lost.
“Of course rebuilding the great PAC, and shine the glorious light of the Pan-Asia Corporation again.” As if he had regained his youth, Shi Yongtian on the ground climbed up and said passionately.
“That’s exactly it.” After glancing at officer Shi, Tian Feng nodded at Jiang Chen. “Before the fallout shelter door was locked shut, the last mission we received was once the fallout shelter opens, rebuild the civilization on the ruins. If PAC didn’t exist anymore, then we’ll reform its former glory!”
“These ‘blue skins’ would typically say such things when they climb out of the ground.” Cheng Weiguo shrugged.
“Blue skins?” Tian Feng frowned.
“Nothing, only a name,” another soldier mocked.
A nickname was given by the experienced to the rookies.
They didn’t stay further on the topic as Tian Feng continued to look at Jiang Chen.
“What do you think? Our interest should be the same. Once we rebuild order, you can go back to the harmonious and stable life.”
Jiang Chen had a dubious expression on his face.
“So your recommendation is?”
“We previous thought you could just support us with some extra nuclear fusion core, but seeing your excellent ability, I have changed my mind. I sincerely welcome you to join our cause,” Tian Feng said seriously.
Jiang Chen laughed.
“So you are saying, we should create a new owner who will sit on top of us?”
“How could you say it like that,” Shi Yongtian worked up his courage and rebutted, ” a hundred years ago, when we stood up from the suppression of NATO and CCCP, joined the forces, and walked to the great corporation. Do you remember the former prosperity? Do you long to stay in these shambles filled with chaos? Only we can lead the greater Asia to prosperity-”
Listening to the nonsense of this guy, the soldiers holding their rifles began to laugh. Cheng Weiguo touched his nose and didn’t laugh since he came out from a fallout shelter. But from the curled up the tip of his mouth, he couldn’t hold out for much longer.
Shi Yongtian’s face was bloated. The sights of untrust and mockery made him furious. If this were before the war, he promised he would use his power in hand to teach these peasants a lesson. But unfortunately, the pain from the bruise on his leg reminded him that he must restrain himself.
Tian Feng was silent, but he still remained hopeful as he stared at Jiang Chen. Although the majority are “ignorant”, as the leader of this group of people, he trusted that Jiang Chen must have enough “foresight.”
Jiang Chen slowly said, “House, weapon, wall… We laid every single brick here. With or without you, we can do great things.”
“But under our leadership, you can do better-”
“Bullsh*t.”
Looking at the stern-faced Tian Feng, Jiang Chen said bluntly.
“Once you adjust your attitude and bring enough sincerity, then talk about trading with us. Or, you can try your luck with other survival bases?”
Tian Feng took a deep breath as he scanned the pitch black power armors.
“I will bring back your response.”
“Don’t pretend you are a big deal, blue skin,” Ma Zhongchen who was patrolling mocked.
Tian Feng glanced at him, didn’t say anything else, and dragged Shi Yongtian away.
…
Alarm deactivated. The fuss at the gate didn’t stop the celebration inside the base from continuing.
Only during shift change did the soldiers with empty stomachs tell their comrades with a belly about to burst the funny things that happened at the front gate before rushing to the busy square.
“Boss, why do you need to waste your words on them. We can easily wipe them out and take over the good things in the fallout shelter.”
Cheng Weiguo followed Jiang Chen to the office in the community center and while standing in front of the table, he asked Jiang Chen puzzledly.
“Oh? So you support me in occupying Fallout Shelter 027?” Jiang Chen asked.
“Even if it were a lawful mercenary, they wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away,” Cheng Weiguo answered.
Jiang Chen nodded as he didn’t say anything and looked at the map on the table.
The paper map was taken from a survival guide from before the war. Although it didn’t list out the 00x series as well as special fallout shelters not open to the public, all the normal fallout shelters were listed on the map.
“Fallout Shelter 027, located in the Songjiang area. It is not far from our base. With the capacity of 1000 people. The set lockdown period is 50 years, but it seemed to have been opened earlier than that,” Jiang Chen found the symbol on the map as he muttered to himself.
“From their words, they seemed to be really lacking nuclear fusion core. What is that?” Jiang Chen asked.
Cheng Weiguo didn’t know why Jiang Chen would ask that and looked at his boss, confused.
“it is a type of nuclear reaction battery. 100mm in diameter, it is stable and safe. A lot of industrial machines used it as the power source, including power armors. I remember the Sixth Street used it for a period of time, but like the food on the supermarket shelves, it quickly depleted, and not a lot was recycled. All in all, after consuming the nuclear fusion core batteries, the Sixth Street power armors were modified to use crystals as its power source.”
Compared to the difficult to obtain nuclear fusion core, crystals were much easier to obtain.
“I see… Normally speaking, what goods are inside the fallout shelters?” Jiang Chen continued to ask.
“Good things manufactured before the war, obedient labor, technicians, and scientists.” Cheng Weiguo knocked on the EP on his arm. “For example, these EPs were mostly distributed out from the fallout shelters. Also some limited medicine, or even manufacturing equipment.”
Jiang Chen nodded.
Last time, from Fallout Shelter 005, he obtained a batch of experiment apparatus, a quantum computer that can be used as the server for virtual reality games, as well as a production line for the Hummingbird drone.
Needless to say, for the survivors that wandered on the wasteland picking up garbage for survival, these fallout shelters unaffected by radiation were like treasures.
“Other than those, there is also food,” after a brief pause, Cheng Weiguo added.
“Food?” Jiang Chen was slightly shocked.
“That’s right.” Cheng Weiguo nodded. “Other than those frozen fallout shelters, quite a lot of fallout shelter with living humans would be equipped with breeding and planting facilities. Since all food has an expiry date, even if it were stored in ultra-low temperature in a vacuum, it would still be difficult to preserve for over 50 years.”
Without being affected by nuclear and biological weapons, the technology was also more advanced. The fallout shelters were the best place to grow food on this land.
The multiple plantation towers, soilless cultivation plants (both bankrupted) at the Sixth Streets could produce a small amount of produce, but the quantity, as well as survivability, were both limited. Since the filter equipment, the survivors who used recycled garbage as the base material could not be compared to the sophisticated equipment created before the war.
“Wait,” Jiang Chen frowned, “Logically speaking, after so many years, there are quite a few of fallout shelters that opened in Wanghai City. But until half a year ago, the Sixth Street market still hasn’t seen a trace of food.”
Cheng Weiguo had a bitter smile on his face.
“Mostly had to do with the raiders. Most fallout shelters would not escape the fate of being raided by raiders. But those bandits only know how to rob and kill, lacking the concept of foresight. While they completely raided the food, most of the people inside the fallout shelters were killed. Without knowing how to operate the equipment, it was usually sold as scrap. The lack of filtration device meant that the environment in the fallout shelter would be similar to the external world not long after.
“How many people would it take to attack the fallout shelter?” Jiang Chen asked in an undertone.
Cheng Weiguo thought for a moment and replied, “It will depend on the security force inside the fallout shelter. Normally speaking, only thirty-something soldiers would be enough to completely block the people in the fallout shelters.”
“Block?”
“That’s right, even nuclear weapons can’t do anything to the fallout shelter. In theory, as long as the fallout shelter door is locked, the people on the outside have no way of going in.” Cheng Weiguo said feeling rather helpless, “There is only one reason the fallout shelter would open before the locked date expired. That is, all the energy or resources have been depleted. As long as we block them in, they will be the first ones to give up.”
Just like a turtle.
Jiang Chen nodded as he had a brief understanding of the fallout shelters on the wasteland.
“I see, now go do your own things.”
“Yes !” Cheng Weiguo saluted before he left the office.
Seated in front of the table, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and fell into deep thought with his eyes closed.
“Fallout Shelter 027?”
Food? Jiang Chen was not interested. The only thing he didn’t lack was food.
The thing that interested him the most were the scientists and technicians inside the fallout shelter.
He faced two choices.
Raid? Or trade?
