C7 Virtual Currency

"Calcheth is split into an inner and outer area. The inner is far nicer, but entry requires a fee. Are you looking to go inside, or would you rather explore here first?"

"I'll check out the outer area first."

The outer area was grimy and chaotic, a step up from the city's surrounding slums, where lawbreakers were bound to crosses.

"Wang Xu, for stealing nutrients and breaching public order, was executed by the security team."

Chen Cheng examined the notice next to the still-bleeding body and remained silent.

"Remember, you're still without an identity. We should head to the registration office before we run into a patrol and get into trouble."

Zhou Xuqing's reminder snapped Chen Cheng back to the present.

"Okay! Let's get registered first."

The registration office was just across from the market. After parting with 10,000 points, Chen Cheng toyed with his new, oversized electronic watch. Its capabilities were impressive, monitoring health metrics and providing a map, but its key feature was the points system – the virtual currency.

"Hey! You've spent 20,000 points of mine. When do you plan on paying me back?"

Zhou Xuqing confronted Chen Cheng, her tone betraying a hint of distrust.

"Twenty thousand points! What's the exchange rate here?"

Chen Cheng inquired with curiosity.

For 20 points, you could get half a block of nutrient paste.

This nutrient paste was a jelly-like sustenance, made from the scraps left over from nutrient production – intestines, fur, or even the deceased. In the post-apocalyptic world, if it filled the belly, few questioned its origins.

Two hundred points bought a nutrient supply, two Rad-X pills, while a white crystal nucleus was worth 10,000 points, equivalent to fifty nutrient supplies or a hundred Rad-X pills.

Points in Calcheth were a tool of exploitation, a common tactic among the major powers. After all, the ruling class could manipulate the quantity of points with ease.

"Even so, there's no way it adds up to 20,000 points, right?"

Chen Cheng had crunched the numbers and couldn't come up with 20,000 points no matter how he tried.

"Don't you think interest should be included? Do you really think my points just blew in with the wind? Look, I don't need points. Just give me two white crystal nuclei or some canned food."

Zhou Xuqing shot Chen Cheng a sharp look.

"Did you take the crystal nucleus I had on me?"

As Zhou Xuqing's ears reddened, Chen Cheng shrugged and teased, "What do you think?"

"You... I'm sure you wouldn't dare. I should just search you..."

His voice trailed off, growing fainter until Chen Cheng could no longer make out the mumbled words.

"Hey! Focus on the matter at hand. My savings won't last much longer. If you don't pay up soon, we'll be left out in the cold."

"Wait a second, are we getting our roles mixed up here? No way, you owe me 100,000 points. If you can't cough it up, I'll have no choice but to sell you to a hostel..."

Chen Cheng couldn't help but chuckle at Zhou Xuqing's frantic state. "Lead me to a trustworthy store. I've got something to sell."

"Selling? What could you possibly have left to sell?"

Zhou Xuqing's face turned red mid-sentence.

Clearly, she had given Chen Cheng a thorough search while he was unconscious. How thorough that search was could be inferred from her current embarrassment.

"We've arrived. This is the official market's acquisition station in the outer district of Calcheth. Remember, no points. The most widely accepted currency out here is crystal nuclei, batteries, and the like. And we're out of food, by the way."

Zhou Xuqing was insistent as she briefed Chen Cheng, who nodded in understanding before they stepped into the trading station.

"Your items, please."

A cool, practiced voice came from the service window, reminiscent of a state-owned enterprise salesperson to Chen Cheng.

He reached into his backpack and, under Zhou Xuqing's surprised gaze, placed an item on the counter.

I've already checked my backpack; there's no way there's anything left! Zhou Xuqing's sense of Chen Cheng's enigma deepened.

"Hiss!"

The attendant at the window drew in a sharp breath.

At the same time, Chen Cheng could feel several pairs of greedy eyes fixed on his back.

Chen Cheng exchanged a questioning look with Zhou Xuqing, who responded with a subtle nod.

Bringing him to the official acquisition station in Calcheth had been a wise choice; here, no one dared to flout the rules, though this was a privilege exclusive to Calcheth.

"Do you have any more of these, esteemed sir?"

The voice addressing him was filled with an unparalleled reverence, a stark contrast to its earlier tone.

Chen Cheng produced a can of beef, a rarity in the post-apocalyptic world where even nobility subsisted on mutated beef or hastily-grown produce.

The trader doubted his own eyes or the reliability of his scanner, for the display indicated that the food's ingredients were of impeccable quality, meaning it contained no harmful substances.

Meat was a luxury, reserved for aristocrats. The cans Chen Cheng presented were the kind of extravagance typically boasted only by the most powerful factions, a luxury within luxuries.

In Calcheth, such food was almost unheard of, beyond the reach even of the influential figures backing the town.

"There's some more," Chen Cheng confirmed.

"Please follow me to the private room for settlement. A dedicated manager will attend to you," the front desk attendant said, rising with a respectful smile.

Soon after, an attractive waiter approached Chen Cheng, offering him a secretive smile. "Esteemed sir, this way, please."

He led them to the private room, casting seductive glances and weaving subtle temptations into his conversation along the way.

"Enter, sir," the waiter invited, slightly bowing and nudging the door open to a discreetly arranged room.

Zhou Xuqing stood by, observing Chen Cheng with an amused expression. But Chen Cheng paid no attention, stepping into the room without a glance back.

Frustrated, the waiter stamped her foot and pouted, silently closing the door behind them.

Only VIP clients were granted access to the private rooms, and for waitstaff like her, it was an opportunity to earn substantial tips through extra services—a common practice across Calcheth's businesses. However, only a fraction of those tips would actually end up in her pocket.

The deal was swift; Chen Cheng retrieved 30 cans from his backpack, each fetching the steep price of 150 white crystal nuclei.

Chen Cheng couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction as he gazed at the 4,500 crystal nuclei nestled in the box. With an endless supply of canned goods at his disposal, future missions to collect crystal nuclei would be a breeze, akin to picking up loose change.

"Ding! Mission released: Establish your own company in the post-apocalyptic world. The location for your company's headquarters is now available. The reward for completing this mission is the opening of an arms factory."

"Hey! You alright?" Zhou Xuqing, noticing Chen Cheng's distant look, nudged him.

"Oh! It's nothing. I'm considering setting up my base around here. Got any good advice?" Chen Cheng, snapping out of his reverie, inquired offhandedly.

"There's no issue with that. Just steer clear of Calcheth's vicinity, and pick any place you fancy, as long as you've got the clout," Zhou Xuqing replied, holding back further comment as she recalled the cans that had magically appeared from Chen Cheng's backpack.

"Speaking of which, isn't it time you settled your crystal nucleus debt with me?" Zhou Xuqing fixed her gaze on Chen Cheng. In this apocalyptic world, being without crystal nuclei was like being penniless.

Without much thought, Chen Cheng handed her two crystal nuclei.

"No, you've got it wrong. I'm owed ten," Zhou Xuqing insisted, her eyes betraying her avarice.

"In just a short time, it's gone from two to ten?" Chen Cheng teased, yet his hand was already pulling out a handful of crystal nuclei and placing them into Zhou Xuqing's palm.

Zhou Xuqing's eyes widened at the sight of the crystal nuclei in her hand—there were easily twenty or thirty. She counted out ten and tucked them away, handing the surplus back to Chen Cheng.

"Hmph! I'm someone who sticks to her principles," she declared, and together, they left the trading station.

Chen Cheng allowed himself a smile, though internally he sighed. The journey had seemed straightforward, but he had taken significant risks to gauge Zhou Xuqing's character. In a world where people would sell out their own families for money, the stakes were even higher in this harsh, survival-of-the-fittest reality.

Zhou Xuqing was the first person Chen Cheng had met since the world's descent into chaos. Through their interactions and his careful probing, he had come to see her as decent—at least, that was his current impression.

Looking ahead, with the system's assistance, his strength would be formidable. What was there to fear? "We're being followed."

"Who?"

Chen Cheng was taken aback, instinctively wanting to scan the surroundings.

"Don't turn around. Act as if nothing's amiss. You probably caught someone's eye back at the trading station."

"But don't worry, no one here would dare to lay a finger on us."

"I have my ways of dealing with such vermin."

"Plus, it's a chance for me to demonstrate my capabilities, boss."

A sly grin spread across Zhou Xuqing's face.

Afterward, they visited an arms shop to stock up on ammo.

Zhou Xuqing's sniper rifle, a laser weapon, required a type 3 battery.

A fully charged type 3 battery, powered by a white crystal nucleus, was good for fifty shots.

Chen Cheng's laser assault rifle needed two thousand crystal nuclei, also powered by type 3 batteries, quickly depleting his newly acquired stock.

Watching the crystals disappear made Zhou Xuqing wince, but Chen Cheng didn't hesitate to pay up.

Trading cans for a laser weapon was a clear bargain.

Naturally, the elation Chen Cheng felt was lost on others.

In the apocalypse, laser weapons were a luxury reserved for major mercenary groups or factions with considerable strength, as energy was as scarce as food.

Most people relied on projectile weapons, which were both affordable and practical.

The ammunition could be retrieved and reused, more than sufficient for taking down regular zombies and mutant creatures.

For Chen Cheng, bolstering his power was the sole guarantee of preserving his wealth, so a few cans of food were of little consequence.

"Let's stay here tonight!"

Zhou Xuqing led Chen Cheng to a hotel.

"Is this place safe?"

Chen Cheng's brow furrowed, his unease about being tracked palpable.

"Relax. Once we're guests of this hotel, we're off-limits. No one will dare to interfere."

"And you can cover the room cost, right?"

A mix of menace and mirth played on Zhou Xuqing's face.

The Calcheth Hotel sat at the crossroads of the town's inner and outer districts, adjacent to the bustling center, with only a wall separating it from the Security Bureau.

Atop the roof sat imposing, sci-fi weaponry, while guard robots stood sentinel at the entrance, a testament to the hotel's formidable presence. In the tumultuous end times, safety was paramount.

A hotel bearing the name of a small town, such as this one, clearly enjoyed the support of Calcheth's official forces.

Those who resided here were of wealth or high status, with security being of utmost importance.

Zhou Xuqing noted that as a patron of this establishment, one could expect certain extraordinary privileges. For instance, if an intruder entered your room, you had the right to neutralize the threat on the spot, free from legal repercussions.