Digging batteries
Jiang Lin picked up the box and stood up from the seat. Although the car in front of him was not as good as the floating tram before the apocalypse, it looked pretty good and a bit like the old bus.
Bus No. 8 slowly stopped in front of the station, and the front and rear doors opened. Jiang Lin followed the others and got on the bus from the front door. He swiped his wristband on the black machine next to the cab.
The cab is a separate transparent space. The car is self-driving and the driver only needs to monitor the vehicle's driving status.
"Payment successful, the single ride amount is 5 points." It takes 5 points to ride once. Jiang Lin suddenly felt that living far away was not a good thing.
The car's windows were sealed shut, with only an overhead fan keeping the air circulating. It was almost dark outside when the AI alerted her that she had received two text messages.
Jiang Lin didn't want to open the virtual screen in public, as it would take away her privacy. However, she currently didn't have a monitor that matched her smart brain, and the old monitor in the residential building where she used to live was almost scrapped.
She frowned. It seemed she had to find a place to get all the daily equipment she needed.
[Don't you want to read the message?] The long-unseen voice of 110 rang out.
[There's no display screen in the car, and I don't want to use the virtual screen.] Jiang Lin was also bored in the car, so he started communicating with 110 in his mind.
110 was silent for a moment, then spoke again, "I can project the content onto your helmet visor, so others can't see it."
Before Jiang Lin could react, a buzzing sound echoed from her helmet, and the intelligent computer interface suddenly appeared before her eyes. For the first time, she thought this system was not bad.
There were two text messages. One was from the patrol center, informing Jiang Lin to report to the patrol center at 8:00 tomorrow. Working hours were from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with an hour break in between. The patrol center was the hall Jiang Lin had visited today.
Another email came from the 99 District Center, outlining the district's layout. Jiang Lin once again realized why her small courtyard had been left alone. The 99 District was divided into high-rise accommodations and small courtyards like hers. However, this small courtyard was quite inconvenient, with only the most basic furnishings. Laundry, dining, and shopping required going to the high-rises, but the walk from the high-rise accommodations to Jiang Lin's small courtyard was about ten minutes.
Jiang Lin sighed softly and closed the intelligent computer interface.
[Actually, there's a smart washing machine in the system mall. It's not expensive and is even better than the one you have at your base. It only requires 10 used batteries.]
After hearing what 110 said, Jiang Lin's heart moved slightly. She hadn't looked through the things in the system mall carefully yet. She was bored in the car anyway, so she just started browsing.
It looked like everything was available, from small four-piece sets to large building walls. However, building materials were more expensive than furniture, which was the cheapest. The most expensive items were agricultural items. The planter she'd received from the system alone required 500 used batteries, while a comfortable four-piece set only required one.
"We've arrived at Area 99. We'll stop for two minutes. Please note your exit." Hearing the announcement, Jiang Lin, carrying her large suitcase, followed the crowd down the aisle. She silently surveyed the crowd. They were all dressed quite modestly, and Jiang Lin's new patrol uniform was considered the finest among them. It seemed the residents of Area 99 weren't very wealthy.
Although Jiang Lin was thin and small, she was wearing patrolman's uniform. People beside her glanced at her for a few seconds and then continued on their way in silence. Jiang Lin followed the navigation, turning many ways and finally found her own small courtyard.
The virtual interface was similar to the one Xu Anan had shown her: a wall roughly the height of a person, with a locked gate. Jiang Lin swiped her bracelet against the lock, and the door swung open. Inside was a bare, small courtyard, about ten square meters. The house sat to the left, to the rear. Jiang Lin swiped her bracelet again to verify her identity and entered her small house.
It was about 40 square meters, completely bare, though the walls and roof were in relatively good condition. The floor was wooden, divided into three areas: the bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room. The living room had only a dining table for two, the bedroom had a double bed, a wardrobe, and a bathroom, and the kitchen had only a basic induction cooktop, a small pot, and a drinking water dispenser.
Jiang Lin put the box on the floor and opened it. She took out the seeds and books first and placed them on the dining table. The rest were basic supplies provided to her by the patrol center.
She took a quick look and saw eight sets of clothing in total: two summer sets, three spring and autumn sets, two winter sets, and finally a set of home clothes. There was also an iron water bottle of about 800 ml, a spare helmet, and finally a set of toiletries.
Jiang Lin put these in their corresponding places, went to the kitchen to fill a pot of warm water, and sat at the dining table to check the books and seeds he bought this afternoon.
Upon taking a look, she discovered that the book was actually a notebook. No wonder the middle-aged man selling things today was reluctant to part with it. It was densely packed with records of the preferences and appearance of various plants, and there were corresponding hand-drawn illustrations from seed form to maturity. It was obvious that the person who recorded this book was very attentive.
The seeds in the seed bag were not of uniform type, but scattered here and there. Jiang Lin divided them into twelve different types with his naked eyes.
It was already dark outside. She glanced at her watch and saw it was already 8 p.m., and dinner was served at 8:30 p.m. at the latest. Feeling the familiar pang of hunger, Jiang Lin decided to go to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria in Area 99 was located in the high-rise dormitory area, about ten minutes away, just as she'd expected. When Jiang Lin arrived, it was almost empty, save for staff packing up. She walked toward the window serving employee meals.
Behind the window was a middle-aged woman in white work clothes. When she saw Jiang Lin coming, a hint of impatience flashed in her eyes: "Swipe here and I'll get you the corresponding employee meal."
The points-generating machines here all have uniform black sensors. Jiang Lin put the bracelet on it. The woman took a look at it, looked at Jiang Lin in surprise, and mumbled something in her mouth.
"There's no dine-in service, so we can only take out." The woman took out a paper bag from the thermostatic cabinet behind her and handed it to Jiang Lin.
A wave of heat emanated from the paper bag. Jiang Lin took it and left the cafeteria without looking back. Summer temperatures can reach as high as 42 degrees Celsius at noon, while only around 20 degrees Celsius at night. Although his patrol uniform could regulate the temperature somewhat, the wind still made Jiang Lin feel a chill.
She quickened her pace and walked towards home. There were no people on the road and she could only hear her own footsteps.
By the time they reached the courtyard, the heat from the paper bag had dissipated considerably, leaving only a warm sensation. Jiang Lin was curious about what kind of employee meals the First Base would provide. She opened the paper bag and found a bowl of soup and a pack of compressed biscuits.
The taste was ordinary. There was almost nothing in the soup, just salty water with a few green leafy vegetables floating on top. Jiang Lin was a little surprised. She hadn't seen green leafy vegetables in a long time. It seemed that the First Base must have its own way of growing vegetables. The compressed biscuits were tasteless. Jiang Lin finished the soup and put the two biscuits away in a disposable container.
[We've detected used batteries under the soil in your yard. Do you want to dig?] The system's sound was abrupt in the quiet of the night.
"I don't have any tools." Jiang Lin was a little embarrassed. She glanced around and found the room was empty.
I can provide a shovel, but you'll owe me a battery.
"Can."
As Jiang Lin finished speaking, an ordinary shovel suddenly appeared on the living room floor. At the same time, the battery count on her system's shopping panel changed to -1.
"Can you give me the approximate direction to dig?"
[Battery locator, only 10 batteries needed, can I buy on credit?]
"No need." She should be able to find a few by just digging underground. The yard is not big. Jiang Lin was afraid that if she continued to sell on credit, she would owe the system a few more after digging.
The street lights in area 99 were dim and several were broken, so Jiang Lin could dig the soil in the yard with a shovel without attracting anyone's attention.
As she expected, after digging about half a meter deep, the outer shell of a used battery was exposed. Jiang Lin expanded the depth around it and found a total of 3 batteries.
[Absorbable battery detected, ready to absorb. ]
As soon as the 110 call was finished, the three batteries disappeared, and the number of batteries for Jiang Lin in the system mall became: 2.
I have to say digging is quite tiring. Apart from a layer of sand on the surface, the soil underneath is very hard. I have to dig in the shovel first before I can slowly dig out a small piece. After a few operations, my arms are a little sore. The dust that rises makes me feel dusty.
Jiang Lin turned over almost the entire surface soil in the yard and found 12 batteries, bringing the total to 14. Not wanting to dig any deeper, she sat down on the ground, not caring if it was dirty or not, and dug holes here and there in the flat ground.
Her face was sweating profusely inside the helmet, and her hair was sticking to it, making her feel a bit awkward. Jiang Lin hated the sticky, dirty feeling, and digging for batteries was already one of her most annoying things.
Thinking that she had to get up early to go to work tomorrow, she put the shovel at the entrance and walked back into the house.
"System, can I specify where to put the items in the system mall?" Jiang Lin sat on the dining chair and took a sip of water.
[Yes, you can also temporarily store it in the system mall, just like your planting trough.]
After being reminded by the 110 police, Jiang Lin remembered that she still had a planting trough, but she didn't plan to study planting today. She exchanged twelve batteries for a washing machine and two sets of four-piece washing machines. She placed the washing machine in the back of the living room where it connected to the yard.
The system-generated four-piece set included not only a duvet cover but also a matching quilt and pillow. Jiang Lin folded up the old, flimsy bedding in the closet. He then tossed the newly acquired clothes and sheets into the washing machine for a wash and dry.
I have to say that the washing machine produced by the system is really good. It only takes 20 minutes to wash and dry. After Jiang Lin took a shower, all the things were washed cleanly.
She changed into her only set of home clothes and lay down in bed, feeling a little surreal. Just this morning, she was lying in her small, shabby house, dying. Now, the basic needs of food and clothing were well met, and there was also an infrastructure system of unknown origin.
Jiang Lin was looking forward to tomorrow's work. Today she noticed that some patrol teams were inside the base and some were outside the base. She wondered where she would be assigned tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
