Happiness Coins were an absolute necessity for ordinary residents seeking to settle down and make a living in the shelter city.
They were anchored to the inexhaustible energy of the hydroelectric plant, the mineral reserves surrounding Happiness City that decades of mining had failed to deplete, the Inner City's formidable industrial might, and, above all, military strength capable of crushing small-scale infection tides in head-on clashes!
Relying on this powerful triad of resources, industry, and military might, Happiness City did not even need to expand its farmland; it could easily trade with surrounding shelter cities, large settlements, and small encampments for vast quantities of agricultural goods and produce to sustain the daily needs of over a million people.
Even though Happiness City's leadership often made impulsive, idealistic decisions on a whim—such as completely waiving electricity fees during the rainy season when hydropower surged, or dropping the price of nutrient paste by one Happiness Coin during harvest season—the market still ran steadily.
For the residents would spontaneously save money to brace for price hikes triggered by resource shortages in the winter and spring.
Coupled with timely regulatory interventions by the authorities, the Happiness Coin retained a portion of its purchasing power even beyond Chuan City in other cities and shelter cities.
Yet contribution points, which ranked a tier above Happiness Coins, operated on an entirely different underlying logic and anchor.
Everything redeemable with contribution points consisted of strategic resources and restricted items.
For instance, modified firearms: tuned to military-grade standards, these guns not only incorporated rare alloys to enhance durability, but also underwent special ballistic optimizations, boasting lethality far surpassing the common wares on the open market.
Or high-tech electronics: military-grade communicators, thermal detectors, and specialized gear designed to combat infected variants—each an indispensable lifesaver when trekking across the wasteland.
And, of course, the cold weapons that Cheng Ye was determined to purchase even if it meant borrowing money.
For people of the modern age, forging a cold weapon was no longer a technical challenge; the real difficulty lay in the materials used.
Like the Damascus steel, 52100 steel, and 15N20 steel frequently seen on Forged in Fire.
Yet on the wasteland, such steels could no longer be considered top-tier forging materials. What was truly valuable—what demanded contribution points to purchase—was the "transcendent ore" Cheng Ye had only learned about today.
In its original form, it might have been nothing more than an ordinary chunk of iron ore. But once tainted by the power of transhumans or infected variants, it had a chance of developing wondrous properties.
Depending on the degree of contamination, prices varied astronomically.
Take Liu Bi's short blade, for example: incorporating less than twenty grams of ordinary transcendent ore was enough to maintain an enduring edge while achieving superb hardness and toughness—qualities no modern material could match.
"Yeah, of course I know that."
Recognizing that the clerk had likely noticed his apprentice status and offered a well-intentioned reminder out of concern that he might break the rules and face penalties, Cheng Ye didn't find it odd at all and gave a slight nod.
Contribution points were so precious and lacked a fixed anchor, so it was only natural that they were not permitted to circulate or be traded freely.
Furthermore, in Happiness City, the channels for an individual to acquire contribution points were extremely limited.
Only a handful of specific official posts had fixed avenues to earn them: inspectors received a contribution bonus upon detecting infected entities trying to slip into the city; the Works Bureau gained contribution rewards when land-clearing efficiency far exceeded expectations; engineers regularly received contribution points each cycle for keeping municipal facilities operating properly...
Beyond that, contribution points were awarded solely to those who made tangible contributions to Happiness City.
For example, scouts on patrol who stumbled upon hidden hordes of infected variants could earn points once their report was verified.
Or scavengers venturing into city ruins who uncovered valuable items and turned them in could receive points depending on their worth.
It was an intense incentive system. If contribution points could be traded at will, their role as a measure of value and a guide for civic behavior would be severely compromised.
Happiness City therefore laid down strict rules: contribution points could be loaned, but every individual had a maximum quota per cycle.
An ordinary resident had a cap of only 10 points every half year.
For an apprentice inspector like Cheng Ye, the limit was ten times higher—100 points.
Naturally, the system was not without loopholes. If Cheng Ye wanted to buy a pistol worth 20 points, for instance, he could easily have Liu Bi purchase it and "gift" it to him, bypassing the borrowing restrictions entirely.
The clerk's reminder had targeted precisely this issue. Happiness City operated its own surveillance and oversight mechanisms. While minor edge-skirting might be met with a blind eye, should someone file a targeted report, the resulting retroactive fines were enough to bankrupt the offender in an instant.
"Alright, I've finished signing."
Cheng Ye nodded and pushed the signed application form through the window.
The clerk typed rapidly on the keyboard. A few seconds later, Cheng Ye's defense comm vibrated.
[Happiness Bank, Buffer Zone Branch]
[New Era Year 35, June 26, 18:47]
[Song Yongfeng from the Works Bureau has transferred 100 contribution points to you.]
[Current Balance: 143 points]
"Why is it 143?"
Cheng Ye tapped open the transaction history below to take a look.
[New Era Year 35, June 26, 07:00: Standard salary credited: 24 contribution points]
[Balance: 43 points]
[Remark: Infection source phase verification completed. Rating: Early Phase 2]
So the bounty for the Deathwhisper Tentacle was settled along with it...
At seven o'clock, Cheng Ye had been on the phone with Ding Yishan and hadn't noticed the transfer notification.
As for the five points previously promised to Garcia, they hadn't been transferred yet because Garcia had been beaten into the emergency room by Liu Bi.
With 143 points, even after taking out the 20 points for the pistol, there's definitely enough to buy materials. Even if transcendent ore is expensive, I can just use a smaller amount as long as it meets my current needs.
With grain in hand, one felt no panic.
As for firearms, Cheng Ye didn't have heavy demands; buying a Bison pistol like Brother B's for self-defense would be plenty.
Once field missions came around, he could assess whether it was necessary to upgrade to a more powerful submachine gun or rifle.
Cold weapons were different. A handy weapon required extensive time for the user to break in and master.
Just like Liu Bi's short blade: though its initial forging materials had been mediocre, he had patched and maintained it over more than a decade, never bearing to part with it.
"Xiao Cheng, Sister Luo, now that the points have gone through, I'll be heading back to the Works Bureau."
Stowing the transfer receipt in his backpack, Song Yongfeng turned to the two of them, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a smile.
"Good thing this torrential rain has been intermittent, giving our Buffer Zone's drainage system room to catch its breath. If it poured nonstop for another full day, the outskirts might manage, but the urban district would definitely be paralyzed by waterlogging."
"Old Song, hasn't your Works Bureau forecasted how many more days it'll keep raining?"
As the three walked outside, Luo Xiaoxue couldn't help asking with concern, "My man went to reinforce the hydroelectric plant. If the downpour doesn't let up, he'll probably have to stay out there for a while..."
"According to the forecast from the Inner City's Meteorological Bureau, it'll last for at least nearly half a month."
"That long?"
"Yeah. Since the start of the year, the reports coming in from shelter cities everywhere haven't looked good. Weather patterns are slipping toward total chaos, and who knows what weird things will happen down the line."
At the mention of this, Song Yongfeng's smile vanished, replaced by an unmistakable shadow of worry.
The threat posed by meteorological disruptions was by no means lesser than an assault by swarms of infected.
Right now it was merely torrential rain, which the Buffer Zone could still mitigate by clearing the drainage conduits. But what if it turned into blizzards?
Even setting aside blizzards, if the coming autumn suffered reduced crop yields, the ripple effects hitting Happiness City would trigger a disaster affecting everyone.
Furthermore, the behavioral patterns of infected variants were inextricably linked to the weather—such as hydrophilic infected variants that moved along the heavy rainfall front.
If the weather continued down this chaotic path, there was no telling whether a massive infection tide might erupt around Happiness City around wintertime.
"Take care, Uncle Song."
Cheng Ye watched Song Yongfeng board a bus and depart into the distance.
Only then did the two look back, walking side by side to a bench outside the bank entrance and sitting down.
Chapter 16