Outside the outpost, heavy snow fell in thick sheets.
At the south gate, Yu Hu, wrapped in his fur clothes, braved the swirling flakes as he hurried over from the direction of Bet Street.
Upon arriving at the outpost, Yu Hu originally intended to find Chu Guang, but failed to locate him. Instead, his eyes were drawn to a long line that had formed in front of the sanatorium.
Stepping a little closer, he saw his younger sister sitting behind a small wooden desk.
A look of earnest diligence was written across her tender young face.
Reaching out her small hands, she took silver coins from the bluecoats waiting in line. Only after counting them over and over with meticulous care did she tap a few times on a screen.
"That’s forty-one coins in total!"
Looking up, she gazed at the player before the counter, a sweet smile blooming across her face.
"Tank you! Stay safe on your adventures!"
"Wuuu... damn it, Sisi! Lend me some money! I want to deposit more!"
Standing behind her, Sisi rubbed her forehead in exasperation, reaching out to tug at Tail's sleeve. "All right, all right, Tail, stop making a fool of yourself here. You're holding up the people behind us."
"Don't you think she's adorable?! You heartless woman!"
"Yes, adorable, very adorable. Tsk. By the way, the convoy to the greenhouse ruins is leaving shortly. Are you going or not?"
"I'm going! Damn it, why do I have to work during the day and grind at night too?! What happened to a relaxing casual game? Can't I spend a little more time with cute things?!"
"Well, excuse me for not being cute enough. Stop wasting time—leveling up, earning money, and buying gear are what matter. Let's go. If you keep dragging your feet, the guy behind us is going to punch you."
Still protesting loudly, Tail was dragged away.
Just then, a great white bear emerged from behind the line, creeping nervously toward the counter, holding onto the doorframe with both hands in a bashful manner.
Seeing the massive bear, Xiaoyu blinked in surprise, but she showed no fear. A sweet smile quickly returned to her face.
"Would you like to make a deposit?"
His fur concealed any blushing. Meat Mountain Steamed Bun clumsily fumbled for his pouch and dumped every single coin inside onto the desk.
"I—I—I give it all to you!"
Seeing the great white bear turn and flee after tossing down the money, Xiaoyu called out in a hurry.
"Ah, w-wait! Um, your ID!"
"Take it all!!"
In the end, it was only with Xiao Qi's help that Xiaoyu tracked down the bear's ID.
After carefully counting the coins on the table, Xiaoyu registered the amount on her VM, just as Chu Guang had taught her.
Although Yu Hu could neither read what was on the screen nor understand what the bluecoats were chattering about, it was clear that they were not giving his sister a hard time.
Still, when that massive white bear had shuffled out, instinct had startled him. Had the people around them not remained completely unfazed, he might have drawn his bow and fired on the spot.
Just then, Chu Guang strolled over from the side and looked at Yu Hu with a warm smile.
"Aren't you going over to say hello?"
"Nah, I just came to take a look. I'd better not disturb her work." Yu Hu scratched the back of his head with an honest grin. "I didn't expect Xiaoyu to be so capable. Last night, I was worried sick that she'd cause trouble for you."
Chu Guang smiled. "How could she? Your sister is very clever and learns fast. She simply never had anyone to teach her before."
Yu Hu sighed softly. "Dad, my older brother, and I have to go out hunting most days, so we couldn't teach her much. Ma did try to teach her how to make flatbreads, but she was never very good at it. Last night, I was terrified she might mess things up. That's why I hurried over first thing this morning. On the way here, I kept thinking that if she really caused trouble, I'd bring her back no matter what. But looking at her now... she's definitely far better off staying with you than with us."
"You shouldn't put it that way," Chu Guang said, shaking his head. "You should still come visit her often. Even the warmest bed can't replace being with family."
*A warm bed?*
*Did things move that fast?*
Yu Hu froze for a moment, then nodded. "You're right... Well, I'll be taking my leave now."
Chu Guang offered politely, "Leaving so soon? Why not stay for lunch before you go?"
"No, no," Yu Hu replied, shaking his head and waving his hands. "I won't impose. I still need to go hunting later. You go ahead with your business, sir. I'll head on back."
Chu Guang did not insist. He nodded. "Be careful on the road."
...
Walking out through the north gate, Yu Hu was in high spirits. Although snow swirled through the air, warmth spread through his chest, making him feel better than if he had just taken a drink of hard liquor.
Just then, however, he spotted a covered wagon piled high with bricks. Beside it stood a man.
The figure looked somewhat familiar.
Yu Hu stepped closer to get a better look, and his eyes instantly went wide.
"Zhao Shu?!"
"Yu Hu?!"
"Wait, aren't you dead? I could have sworn your family already held your funeral!"
Yu Hu was as blunt as ever, but Zhao Shu was in no mood to take offense. Meeting an old acquaintance in an unfamiliar place brought tears welling up in his eyes.
"Brother, I almost died! If not for these bluecoats saving me, I'd be gone!"
In about five minutes, Zhao Shu recounted his ordeal over the past month or so—from being captured by marauders while out hunting, to the bluecoats overrunning the Bloodhand Clan's stronghold, and finally being relocated with the others to the brick factory by the river.
Though Yu Hu instinctively sensed something unusual about his capture by marauders, his simple mind could not process anything too complicated, and his attention soon shifted elsewhere.
"...So you mean you're working for Big Brother Chu and his people now?"
Zhao Shu paused, momentarily confused. "Big Brother Chu? You mean the Lord Administrator? Well, working here is pretty comfortable. They provide food and lodging, there's meat with every meal, and they supply firewood and charcoal to keep us warm. Now they even pay a daily wage of one silver coin. All I do every day is shape bricks with the molds, push them into the kiln to bake, and haul the finished bricks back. It isn't tiring at all."
Yu Hu nodded and asked, "Then are you never going back?"
A complicated expression surfaced on Zhao Shu's face.
"Go back... Where would I go? All that's left at home are my parents, my older brother, and his two kids. The food they have left is barely enough to scrape through the winter. If I go back now, there definitely won't be enough to feed everyone. Let's wait until spring next year. When that time comes... we'll see."
As he spoke, Zhao Shu suddenly remembered something. Leaving a hasty "Wait here for me," he turned and ran inside the gate.
A moment later, he returned carrying a small pouch of coarse salt, weighing about three or four liang, and pressed it into Yu Hu's hands.
"I traded my wages for this. Take it back to my mother for me. Tell them... I'm doing fine, and not to worry! I'll visit them next spring! Also, Yang Ergou is alive too... but he's busy right now. See if you can pass word to his family as well."
Taking the salt, Yu Hu nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry. I will make sure the message gets to them!"
Yu Hu turned back along the road he had come.
However, as he passed the southern entrance of Wetland Park, Yu Hu suddenly noticed a trail of footprints alongside his own that did not belong to him.
The tracks were shallow and looked to have been made some time ago.
Guided by a hunter's vigilance, Yu Hu squatted down and brushed his index finger across them, his brows knitting slightly.
*Whose footprints are these?*
...
Bet Street.
Hurrying through the gates, Wang Biao headed straight for Old Charlie's general store.
"Old Butler!"
Charlie, who had been resting with his eyes closed in front of the door, opened one eye. Seeing Wang Biao, he understood immediately and rose from his chair.
"Come inside."
The door curtain dropped shut.
Bursting with excitement, barely pausing to catch his breath, Wang Biao gesticulated wildly as he reported everything he had seen and heard while trailing Yu Hu.
The more Charlie listened, the deeper his brow furrowed.
"You're saying... a survivor settlement has appeared in Ling Lake Wetland Park?"
Wang Biao nodded vigorously. "Yes! There are bluecoats, and refugees from who-knows-where... probably from the north. They've built palisade walls in the woods, dug ditches, and set up barricades. I couldn't see inside the camp, but there was a chimney, puffing smoke non-stop."
"From the north?"
Charlie's frown tightened further.
The north was the territory of the Bloodhand Clan, and not far from there lay a mutant tribe.
What was building a settlement there other than offering themselves up on a silver platter?
And besides...
Those marauders were ruthless brutes who devoured people whole without spitting out the bones. How could they have allowed outsiders to move in?
Wang Biao did not care about any of that, his thoughts consumed entirely by eager malice.
"Old Butler, that Yu brat broke the rules! We should arrest him right now!"
He had detested the Yu family for a long time.
Yu Hu in particular had beaten his third brother. And then there was that outsider's shed—they hadn't left a single door beam behind, taking it all for themselves and brazenly claiming the man had gifted it to them. Utterly shameless.
Wang Biao had calculated everything thoroughly. According to the rules of Bet Street, anyone who traded privately with outside merchant caravans was deemed a traitor, punishable by a fine of an animal pelt at best, or property confiscation and banishment at worst.
Whether those people counted as a merchant caravan did not matter. What he cared about was the shed Yu Hu lived in. If Yu Hu were driven out, his family could seize that outsider's shed for themselves.
Old Charlie, however, was a man of experience. He was not nearly as short-sighted.
*Bluecoats...*
He had been one once, though that was a very long time ago.
After pondering for a good while, Charlie said cautiously, "There is no rush. Take care not to alert them. I will report this to the Mayor before making any decisions."
Wang Biao was stunned.
What was there to report?
Wouldn't it be settled by simply raiding the house?
As long as the Mayor gave the word, the Wang family would be the first to answer.
Yet the old butler wasted no more breath on him.
Tossing four white chips into Wang Biao's hand, Old Charlie shooed him out of the shop, locked the door behind him, and hurried off toward the center of town.
...
The Mayor and his family resided in the castle at the center of Bet Street.
Originally constructed as an entertainment venue, the castle had now become the very symbol of the pyramid's peak.
Inside lived the ruler of the town, while servants, guards, and close kin occupied the brick-and-timber houses clustered around it. Farther out stood the dilapidated shacks and lean-tos.
After reporting to the guards on duty and undergoing a brief search, Old Charlie was granted entry.
Stepping into the ground-floor hall, he saw two lovely children kicking a ball across the open space.
Their clothes were fashioned from deerskin, as was the ball they kicked. Their clean faces and carefree smiles were luxuries that the children living outside could never possess.
Noticing Charlie at the entrance, the slightly older boy tossed his brown curls and scooped up the ball from the floor.
"Charlie? You're back? Want to play with us?"
"My apologies, young master. I am afraid I cannot join you... I am here to see your father."
A flash of disappointment crossed the boy's face, replaced by petulance. "Go on, then. He's in the study."
Charlie bowed respectfully.
Bypassing the children's playground, he followed a servant to the elevator and rode it to the top floor.
The moment the elevator doors parted, a wave of warm air greeted him.
In the hearth directly across from him, a fire crackled, wood popping as it burned.
"I know the way."
Nodding to the servant, Charlie passed through the corridor to the left and arrived before a pair of towering double doors, each standing twice the height of a grown man.
This was the Mayor's study.
Inside stood rows of bookshelves laden with novels, poetry collections, and odd curios salvaged by scavengers from the ruins outside.
Seated behind an antique wooden desk, the Mayor leisurely sipped his tea. From the radio on the desk came the crackling notes of a melody performed by the Red-tailed Warbler Ensemble—his favorite piece of music.
Boulder City had three major radio stations, one of which could be received even as far out as the northern outskirts of Qingquan City.
Every evening from six to seven, the station broadcast market prices for bulk commodities. From seven to ten, it aired cultivation advice for high-demand cash crops like kam trees and spirit leaves, interspersed with advertisements for arms dealers and clone traders.
The rest of the time was devoted to loops of pre-war pop music. This was the old Mayor's favorite program, offering him brief respite from the grim reality of the wasteland.
Even to the ears of a true pre-war survivor, such pastimes were hopelessly dated.
Waiting quietly until the song concluded, Charlie stepped up to the desk and lowered his gaze respectfully.
"Sir, I have an urgent matter to report."
The Mayor lifted his eyelids slightly, speaking with languid detachment. "What is it?"
In his eyes, any urgent matter Old Charlie brought forward amounted to nothing more than another minor nuisance stirred up by the roaches out in the shacks.
Those people were like weeds, sprouting anew after every purge. He had never cared whether they lived or died.
Keeping his head bowed, Old Charlie continued, "A survivor settlement has appeared in Ling Lake Wetland Park to the north. Its population is estimated at over a hundred... perhaps even more."
"Ling Lake Wetland Park? A survivor settlement?! How is that possible!"
The teacup landed on the desk with a heavy clatter. The Mayor sat upright in his chair, glaring at Charlie. "Is this intelligence reliable?"
"It should be accurate."
Charlie nodded solemnly, maintaining a deferential tone. "Their strength cannot be underestimated. Several local hunters have taken their game directly to them in exchange for salt and meat to bring back. By all appearances, the terms they offer seem far more generous than ours. I fear that over time, this may hurt your interests... I suggest we take the initiative to establish contact with them, and appropriately adjust the price of salt."
The Mayor's expression shifted between doubt and calculation, his index finger tapping rhythmically on the desk as he weighed his options.
After a short silence, an idea stirred in his mind. He pulled open a drawer and retrieved an envelope stamped with a bloody handprint, along with a blank sheet of paper.
Picking up a fountain pen, he scrawled a few lines, folded the sheet into the envelope, and tossed it into Charlie's waiting hands.
"Find someone bold, careful, and trustworthy to deliver this letter to Bloodhand."
Looking down at the envelope, Charlie blinked in surprise. "Are you planning to..."
The Mayor spoke without expression. "This winter will be brutal. Barring any surprises, Bloodhand's men will come again next month."
The mere thought of those insatiable scoundrels made his teeth grind in hatred. Yet he had no choice; even if he mobilized all his guards, they were no match for them.
Charlie hesitated. After a moment of reluctance, he offered a cautious warning. "I fear this may not be wise. Besides, I doubt Bloodhand's men have failed to notice them—they hardly need our reminder—"
"This is without question the best course of action. Or can you propose a better one?" The Mayor waved his hand dismissively and pressed on, "Our granary doesn't hold enough surplus to satisfy them. If we cannot provide food, we will have to offer people. You know very well what happens to those taken by the marauders. Think of the families torn apart. I am doing this for the good of the people in this town."
Only at a moment like this did he suddenly profess to care for the townsfolk.
Picking up his teacup once more, the Mayor glanced at the silent old butler, took a sip of warm tea, and spoke in a slow, deliberate voice.
"The weather is only getting worse."
"Pray, then. Let us hope our neighbors can feed those jackals."
Charlie bowed his head deeply. "As you command, sir."
The Mayor nodded with satisfaction. "You may leave... Ah, and another thing. Once you return, tell those unruly wretches to gather more firewood, and see that it is thoroughly dried. Wet wood pops and crackles in the fire—it makes an intolerable racket."
Keeping his head low, Charlie backed out of the study with the envelope in hand.
"Yes, my lord."
Chapter 117