35. Discussing Cooperation
After nightfall, the temperature dropped significantly, and the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, lashed against the metal sheet of the warehouse, making a "whooshing" sound.
Sun Hui and her group set up two tents in a corner of the warehouse, with men and women sleeping separately, and the tent entrances facing the campfire. Wang Dajiang huddled in his sleeping bag, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, and his breath forming icy shavings on his beard.
It's too much suffering. Nobody else wants to do this job. If it weren't for the hope of getting promoted back to the base, he would never have done this. He had no choice; he had no connections or influence, so he had to risk his life.
In the other small room, the temperature wasn't much higher, but Fu Yunong was generous with the charcoal, keeping the brazier well-stocked. After instructing Hua Hua to be careful, the group lay down. Lin Songsong took up a bed by herself, while Fu Yunong, Shi Dong, Xiao Linfang, and Huangfu Jinrang slept in pairs, with thick mattresses under them and two layers of thick quilts covering them. With their hats on, they were fine except for their slightly cold noses.
Hearing the occasional coughing sounds coming from outside, the group gradually fell asleep.
The next morning, Xiao Linfang cooked a large pot of steaming lean pork and cabbage soup with rice noodles, then kneaded dough and filled an iron pot with flatbreads. Before long, the aroma wafted through the cracks in the door to every corner of the warehouse.
Upon smelling the aroma, Sun Hui and the others suddenly found their roasted potatoes less appealing.
Cai Yun swallowed hard and whispered to Sun Hui, "Sister Hui, who exactly are they? Their conditions are too good..."
Sun Hui lowered her eyelids and silently stared at the flickering flames in the fire, once again confirming in her heart that this group of people were definitely not simple.
Inside the room, Fu Yunong was slurping noodles from a large bowl. She even added two large spoonfuls of chili sauce to her bowl, making her feel warm all over.
She didn't want to deprive herself of good food because of those people outside. Good food can heal the soul, especially important in times of limited entertainment. The reason there are so many perverts in the apocalypse is because of poor diet.
After eating and drinking her fill, Fu Yunong suddenly remembered the metal blade from the metal-type ability user yesterday. So she checked the system and actually found a special metal for her, which was hard and stable. She spent two thousand points to buy it and gave it to Lin Songsong so that she could use it as her natal weapon.
Lin Songsong took the metal piece; it was thin and cold to the touch, yet heavy. Her eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you, Sister Yu Nong!"
Fu Yunong glanced at the others again and felt that it was safest for them to use pistols, given their physical limitations and the fact that they couldn't use anything else.
After finishing these tasks, the group resumed their training as usual, completely ignoring the group of people in the corner.
Listening to the wind and snow outside, Sun Hui estimated that the car was about half buried.
Her gaze fell upon the group training, and she silently analyzed: the tall guy was undoubtedly a metal-type; of the two boxing, one might have spatial abilities; as for the other two, one practicing with wooden spikes was undoubtedly a wood-type, and the one jumping rope was unclear for now, but the sharp pain in their heads last night was most likely her doing, probably a mental ability. She looked at them thoughtfully.
In the afternoon, Fu Yunong and the others were having lunch in a small room when there was a soft knock on the door.
The person who came was Sun Hui, who asked Fu Yunong to open the warehouse door for her so she could get something from her car.
Fu Yunong crossed her arms and leaned against the door, a half-smile on her face. "Those things are heavy, but the few of you working together might be able to move them. Just tell me, what do you want from us?"
Sun Hui, standing outside the door, remained silent for a few seconds before explaining her purpose, "To be honest, we're almost out of food, and we wanted to get you some more." She then glanced inside; there were vegetables, meat, and even fresh fruit.
Fu Yunong exchanged a glance with Shi Dong and said calmly, "It's not impossible to change, but I have two conditions."
Sun Hui immediately perked up her ears, her eyes filled with urgency, "Please tell me!"
"First, tell us about your base, and why you braved such a heavy snowstorm to come south." Fu Yunong paused, then added, "Second, you only accept crystal cores for exchange, and I decide what food you exchange it for; you can't choose."
Another crystal core? Could it have some other use besides being absorbed by those with superpowers?
After a moment's consideration, Sun Hui nodded and said, "I can give you a general overview of the base, but I really can't reveal anything that involves the core..." As for the latter, she wasn't picky; as long as she didn't starve, that was fine.
Fu Yunong stepped aside to make way for her, "It's cold outside, come in and sit down."
Sun Hui, somewhat flattered, entered the small room. As soon as she stepped inside, the rich aroma of food wafted towards her. She instinctively looked at the pot: bubbling mushroom and chicken stew with cornbread, and a plate of bright red cherry tomatoes, so fresh they looked like they had just been picked. Even the higher-ups at the base would rarely get to eat such food.
Fu Yunong ignored her dazed expression, picked up an empty bowl, scooped out a small half-bowl of water from the pot, and handed it to her, saying, "Warm yourself up."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Sun Hui quickly accepted the bowl with both hands. Her fingertips touched the warm porcelain bowl, and her heart warmed. She carefully picked up a piece of meat, and it fell off the bone after just one bite. It was so delicious!
After finishing half a bowl of delicious food, Sun Hui forced herself to look away from the food in the pot, composed herself, and said, "Our Watcher Base currently has more than 80,000 survivors, which ranks among the top three of the major bases in the highlands."
"Eighty thousand?" Xiao Linfang couldn't help but exclaim softly. Everyone's faces showed surprise. So much!
Sun Hui unconsciously revealed a hint of pride on her face. "That's right. The base has a very clear hierarchy. Like other large bases, it implements vertical management, divided into three major categories: T, X, and Y. Each category is further divided into levels 0 to 15. The rations for different levels are vastly different. The higher the level, the more supplies you can receive."
Fu Yunong asked curiously, "What do you mean by 'tick, cross, and crook'? Would you mind telling me?"
Sun Hui nodded and said, "T is the manager, responsible for the overall planning of the base; X is the ability user, rated according to ability level and contribution; Y is the technician, such as scientists, doctors and engineers."
Xiao Linfang asked, "What about ordinary people?"
Sun Hui paused for a moment and then explained, "The base has an assessment and recommendation system. If civilians are capable, they can enter Category X or Category Y by passing the assessment or being recommended."
Fu Yunong tapped her knee lightly with her fingertips and asked, "Then why did you brave the wind and snow to go south?"
Sun Hui didn't answer directly, but instead sighed, "In the apocalypse, strength ultimately reigns supreme. Whoever controls more superhumans and resources has the final say. The resources in the highlands are limited, and they've been divided up by the major bases almost a year ago. Our base only sent us down to investigate because the water is frozen in winter and the zombies are slow to move..."
As she said this, her gaze swept over Fu Yunong and the others, "Firstly, we want to see if there are any undiscovered resource points in the south, and secondly... we also want to find any scattered superhumans, and it would be best if we could bring them back."
The meaning behind those words was crystal clear, and Fu Yunong understood it perfectly, but her expression remained unchanged. "I understand. How many crystal cores do you have?"
Sun Hui's expression instantly turned embarrassed. "I only have five level-one crystal cores and one level-two crystal core."
Seeing a hint of disappointment on Fu Yunong's face, Sun Hui quickly added, "I can write an IOU! I'll pay you back double when we get back to the base!"
Fu Yunong raised an eyebrow, "Can you keep your word?"
"Yes!" Sun Hui said confidently. She boldly guessed that since the women were inquiring about the base, they might also be planning to head north. This was her opportunity. "I'm an X4-level ability user at the base, so I have some influence. If you don't mind, why not visit our base after the snow stops? We'd be very happy to welcome you!"
There were more than ten of them on the mission, and they lost not only men but also a lot of supplies. She was calculating in her mind that if she could bring these few powerful superhumans back to the base, she could not only offset the losses of this mission, but she might also be promoted, or even have the opportunity to transfer to the more powerful T-class.
Fu Yunong and her friends exchanged glances, somewhat surprised by Sun Hui's keen insight. She thought for a moment and said, "Let's exchange them by crystal cores first. Two level-one crystal cores can be exchanged for a pack of compressed biscuits, and one level-two crystal core can be exchanged for three packs. Are you in or not?"
“Change! Of course we’ll change!” Sun Hui nodded quickly, as the crystal core wasn’t really that important to them.
She quickly walked out of the small room and soon returned carrying the crystal cores, a total of ten level-one crystal cores and three level-two crystal cores.
After Fu Yunong counted the quantity, he handed her fourteen packs of compressed biscuits.
Sun Hui took the cookies, her gaze involuntarily falling on the plate of cherry tomatoes, her eyes filled with envy. Heaven knows how bloated their stomachs were. But she knew when to stop, suppressing her desire, she cupped her hands to Fu Yunong and the others, "Thank you all for your kindness, I won't disturb you any longer." With that, she quickly retreated with the cookies in her arms.
Sun Hui had just returned to the corner with the biscuits when Wang Dajiang jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on. He rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and his breath steamed in the air as he started cursing, "You brought back this piece of junk? I could smell the meat coming from over here! So you ate and drank your fill in there and then didn't care whether we lived or died?"
As he spoke, he glanced toward the small room, his eyes filled with resentment. The aroma of meat wafting out made his stomach rumble, and when he saw what she was holding, he became even angrier.
Sun Hui clenched her fists tightly. Wang Dajiang was just a Y-level technical commissioner. In principle, he had no direct subordinate relationship with them. If it weren't for the superiors' special order to protect him along the way, she wouldn't have bothered with this guy.
"Old Wang, we're already lucky to get any food in return." Sun Hui suppressed her anger and tried to keep her tone calm. "We've already been very accommodating to get this much."
After saying that, she took out four packs of biscuits from her bosom, tossed one pack to each of Wang Dajiang, Ouyang Peng, and Cai Yun, and carefully stuffed the rest into her backpack.
Just bear with it a little longer. If we can win over the group in the small room, we won't have to serve this useless burden anymore.
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
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