The Law of the Jungle!

"You mean... a new survivor outpost popped up out of nowhere in Ling Lake Wetland Park? Right under our noses?" Flames flickered in the brazier. A man as massive as a bear sat upon a chair draped in human skin, his chin resting lazily against his loosely clenched right fist as he stared expressionlessly down at the servant below the steps, having just listened to the report. His name was Bear. Just like the knotted muscles across his body, every single cell in him seemed born for violence. Most marauders of the Bloodhand Clan had no names, save for the clan chieftain or decurions bestowed names by the chief. According to a tradition passed down from the previous century, the chieftains of the Bloodhand Clan bore single-character names. For instance, his predecessor's predecessor was named Snake, whose eyes were pecked blind by Eagle before being tossed into the subway tunnels to be torn apart and devoured by Gnawers. Later, Eagle was snapped in half at the waist by Bear, his neck crushed, and then hung from a streetlight and set ablaze like a lamp. By now, the corpse was long gone, leaving only that ugly severed head propping up Bear's brazier. The law of the jungle ruled here: the strong were king. And without question, he was the strongest. As well as the most vicious! The man prostrated at the foot of the steps dared not look up, speaking in a muffled whisper: "The cattle were delayed while preparing the tribute for you, so it was already dusk by the time we set out again. Mutants were prowling the city for food, and fearing we might damage the tribute the cattle prepared for you, we detoured along the edge of Ling Lake. "We thought that place was completely deserted, but as soon as we entered, we found traces of human activity. My partner and I tracked them and eventually discovered a hidden settlement deep in the woods." "How many?" The man kept his forehead pressed to the floor tiles. "No more than thirty!" Hearing that number, a hint of disdain surfaced in Bear's eyes, and his interest waned. Only thirty people. Deduct the elderly, the weak, and the women, and they would be lucky if even half that number were able-bodied men who could fight. Survivor outposts like that usually offered little to plunder. In other words, they were barely even worth keeping as livestock. Once a good day came, he would send a few underlings over to butcher the old and young and drag the men and women back as slaves. When heavy winter snows blocked the roads and kept everyone trapped indoors, they would serve nicely for indoor amusement. And if meat ran low, a few could always be slaughtered and cooked. "Where is the tribute?" "Already delivered to your room!" A smile finally crept onto Bear's impatient face. It was a chilling grin, one that made even the fire in the brazier seem to waver. "Very good. Dismissed." The man hurriedly asked, "What about the outpost by Ling Lake...?" Bear waved a dismissive hand. "We'll talk after I wake tomorrow." "Yes..." The kowtowing man gave a submissive reply, smiling wryly in his heart, yet daring not harbor a single complaint. By the time you wake... It'll probably be this time tomorrow. ... Early morning. On a street not far from Bet Street, Liszt, having ordered his caravan to halt and wait, checked the mechanical watch on his left wrist. It was a little trinket he had bought recently. Through its transparent casing, one could see multiple gold and silver hands, along with gears turning at a steady pace underneath. It did not just tell time; it also integrated a compass, tachymeter, Geiger counter, and a whole slew of features... although most who could afford such a luxury rarely had any use for them. Liszt couldn't help but daydream. Perhaps before long, he would secure his ticket into Boulder City's high society? He had long grown sick of the itinerant merchant business. Especially in recent years, with marauders, mutants, and mutated beasts becoming increasingly active, he was forced to spend ever more on bodyguards and insurance. On top of that, he had to deal with these country bumpkins. Perhaps he ought to follow the example of the big shots in the inner city—handing the business over to underlings to manage, and using his free time to refine his tastes. How did that saying go again...? Right! Social mobility! "Did no one ever teach these natives the concept of punctuality?" Two minutes had already passed since the agreed-upon time. Yet that man had not appeared with the goods he needed. Liszt couldn't help thinking that the fellow might already be dead. After all, mutant leeches were by no means easy to deal with. Just then, a figure appeared around the street corner. "Chu Guang sent me. He said he had an agreement with you to sell you some blue mushrooms." Yu Hu emerged from the corner of the street, showing his empty hands to indicate that he was unarmed and meant no harm. Chu Guang had previously instructed him that if he saw Boss Li's caravan show up at Bet Street, he should deliver this message and then guide him to Ling Lake Wetland Park. If the other party refused, so be it. Liszt narrowed his eyes. "Where is he?" "He couldn't come here," Yu Hu said, shaking his head. "He has already left Bet Street and is currently living with his companions." Liszt spent about three seconds weighing the risks and rewards. Twenty kilograms of Blue Parasol mushrooms was worth the risk. "Lead the way." Yu Hu nodded cautiously. "Please follow me." ... Today, the average temperature outside the shelter had dropped to thirteen degrees Celsius. For the humid south, this temperature was rather uncomfortable. The whistling chill in the wind was already enough to raise goosebumps. The shelter jackets used a special adaptive thermal material that felt rubbery to the touch yet was as light and soft as synthetic fiber. Between 5 and 35 degrees, the material itself provided thermal insulation in the cold and thermal conductivity in the heat. Thus, a scene emerged where some could run around energetically even against the biting wind, while a certain lizard was freezing to the point of lagging. "This game really isn't realistic enough after all," Ye Shi sighed softly, looking up at the sky. "I'm from the south myself. When the wind blows at this temperature, there's no way you'd feel nothing like this." "Why the hell don't you try taking your jacket off?!" Scavenger was shivering violently, bundled up in a thick deer-hide coat and hopping continuously to keep himself warm. Ye Shi glanced at him as if looking at an idiot. "Why on earth would I do that?" Scavenger: "%&@!" Though the weather had turned cold, today was still a momentous day for the Cow and Horse Squad. Before logging off yesterday, their collective savings had finally reached 200 silver coins—enough to buy land. As for why they hadn't logged on during the day? For one, both Gale and Old White had day jobs and only had time to play games in the evening. For another, according to Fang Chang's analysis, when it was daytime in the real world, it was nighttime on the server, making it impossible to hunt outside. It was better to stay offline and save their characters' energy for the in-game daytime. Daytime was the home turf of hunter players! "Respected Administrator, we would like to purchase a plot of land." Approaching the Administrator, Fang Chang spoke respectfully, presenting with both hands the silver coins he and his teammates had spent days earning. "Here are 200 silver coins. Together, my teammates and I are buying twenty square meters." Nearby players spectating cast envious glances at Fang Chang. Two hundred silver coins! That was enough to buy two guns! Accepting the coin pouch from Fang Chang, Chu Guang nodded, then took out a small notebook and handed it over, speaking in a businesslike tone. "Plots purchased by individuals must be contiguous, the length and width must not differ by more than a factor of three, and the shape must be square and neat. Plots purchased as a group can be combined. In addition, take note during construction and renovation that you must not endanger base facilities or disturb other residents." Normal people wouldn't stake out some bizarre, twisted shape, but players couldn't be judged by normal logic. Setting detailed rules now would save him time later. He would teach these lines to Xiao Qi later. After all, reciting them in person every time was a hassle. "Can it be anywhere?" If possible, Fang Chang wanted to buy right by the front entrance and wall off the respawn point's only exit. Chu Guang replied, "Only within the planned zones." The main thoroughfares leading from the sanatorium to the four gates were reserved for roads, and the open area before the sanatorium's front entrance was designated as a plaza... All of this was written down in the notebook. Fang Chang took the notebook and looked it over. Though he had anticipated as much, he still felt a twinge of regret. Sure enough, freedom was a relative concept. In an online game especially, the development team would never let players exploit loopholes—after all, it wasn't just a single player on the server. Even if someone found an exploit, it would just get patched as a bug. Sigh. I really wish there were a single-player version of Wasteland OL. That would be insanely fun! After browsing their options, the Cow and Horse Squad ultimately settled on a thirty-square-meter plot closest to the sanatorium's front entrance. As for why it was thirty square meters: Scavenger and Brother Mosquito had just joined in. In truth, Scavenger couldn't scrape together 50 silver coins on his own, but Mosquito had lent him 40, which, combined with his meager 10 silver coins, was just enough. Scavenger said with touched gratitude, "Brother! Thanks a ton!" "Don't mention it. The interest is two silver coins a month." "Fuck! There's interest?!" "What did you expect?" Mosquito shot him a sideways glance and chuckled. "Only five percent interest a month—that's a steal. Just think of it as a mortgage." Scavenger: "MMP!" Mosquito: "What did you say?" Scavenger: "I said you're the MVP!" Is this guy really a furniture salesman in real life? He knows how to make gunpowder, how to craft bows and crossbows, and now he's even running a loan shark business... Standing nearby, Chu Guang wore an odd look, feeling that this guy was practically a walking felony, though he couldn't very well say anything. Whatever he did in reality was his own business. In any case, Chu Guang was just an emotionless NPC. "Administrator!" "Are you here to buy land as well?" Chu Guang asked, looking at the player before him. "Uh, I'd like to, but I haven't saved enough money or contribution points yet," the player scratched his head sheepishly. Then, remembering why he had come, he hurriedly rattled off, "A bunch of people have arrived south of the sanatorium—about ten of them!" Chu Guang was slightly taken aback. "That many?" And they came from the south. Could it be...? "There are also more than twenty head of cattle! They've got a ton of stuff loaded on their backs!" Before the player could finish speaking, Chu Guang immediately plucked five copper coins from the pouch and tossed them into his hand. "Go to the warehouse, fetch twenty kilograms of blue mushrooms, and take them to the south gate to wait for me." Delightedly receiving the reward, the player respectfully accepted the quest. "Understood, Administrator!"