After believing she had grasped the underlying secrets of this world, Jiang Ling relaxed somewhat. A civilization that had converted a planet into a "reconnaissance aircraft" surely wouldn't value Earth's meager resources. At least they wouldn't be like the Trisolarans, who would attack us every few centuries. Her expectations suddenly soared, even to the point of being a bit dazzled. She remembered the "Observer" claiming to be a singularity, and she wondered if she was some kind of destined protagonist.
"I don't have a sister or a house, and my parents are both dead. How can I be considered the destined protagonist?" She thought of her past experiences and immediately denied her destiny as the protagonist. Maybe she was just a guinea pig of the "system", and even the way she died was arranged!
But she still hoped that she would not be at the mercy of fate, and she hoped to be a little freer. If that super civilization could predict everything, why would they build reconnaissance planes?
“It’s better to think less about the future and keep your feet on the ground to achieve success!”
After her wandering thoughts, Jiang Ling turned her attention back to the "system." She preferred calling it "system" for its convenience over "observer" or "reconnaissance aircraft." She only had a little over a hundred energy points left, so she planned to use up the remaining ones. After eliminating the seemingly useless or the seemingly impressive but practically useless options, there were only three, maybe four, worthwhile options.
"Let's see what the storage box can produce. There's also a weapons box and an ammo box. As for the liquids, I wonder what they'll be good for?" She spent a little more energy on the storage box. While it wasn't that stupid plastic box this time, it was still just a box—a metal box. She was speechless for a moment, ready to ignore this option.
He selected the weapons box for the second time, but this time he didn't repeat the same items. "Six crossbows? What good are they?" From what he'd gathered from Li Wenjia's notes, those mutants were likely insurmountable with cold weapons or bows and arrows; humans typically relied on explosives or firearms. Furthermore, crossbows were only effective at injuring people. Unless they struck someone in the head, medical care in this world would be sufficient to save them. "Unless I can swap out the ammunition for explosive arrows! Otherwise, it's useless!" Jiang Ling concluded.
Then she discovered the crossbow was incredibly useful, because the next column offered truly powerful arrows. She swapped out several different types of arrows, using up a significant amount of energy. Finally, with only a fraction left, she paused, feeling unsatisfied. "Now I have armor-piercing arrows, explosive arrows, incendiary arrows, poison arrows, electric arrows, and regular carbon arrows. If I could get a nanosuit someday, I could play a real-life version of Graphics Card Crisis!"
One last thought was to try a different drink; maybe that was what it was meant to be used for. "Soda or energy drink? That's the question."
She put several boxes of "Green Claw" drinks in the corner. She recalled that she could attach the specifications when she changed the ammunition before, so she tried "XX boxes" this time. It was obvious that this "system" was intelligent.
. . . . . .
No one knew how she spent the day. When Jiang Ling woke up, she found herself lying on several wooden boxes with her saliva all over the floor.
Life underground felt like it had lost its time structure. For some, it might be daytime, while for others, it was already night. When Jiang Ling opened her parents' room, she found them fast asleep. The younger one was clinging to the older one's legs. She whispered, "Good morning!" and carefully retreated to her own room.
She planned to sell some of the weapons and drinks, but before that it would be better to test their power first, so as not to sell something that was obviously valuable at a low price.
"There's a lot to do. Find a suitable location, a suitable target, and finally, record the entire process for analysis. Oh, and I remember only those with Class B clearance or above can access a terminal!"
She needed a basic communication tool. It was not a good idea to borrow Jiang Wenwen's tool every time. Moreover, her permissions were only enough to connect to the site's intranet, so she could not find many things.
Maps of the site can be found online, mostly drawn by residents themselves. Jiang Ling used her father's terminal to download a highly-rated map. She discovered a significant number of ration shops, though these were simply called "shops" and actually operated as "supply and marketing cooperatives." The internet also claimed that true shops could only be found in distribution centers or small settlements.
Although those who recommended buying things at the distribution center swore that the goods were legitimately sourced and the prices were fair, a rationing store could do the job if it only required a terminal, and there was one near her home. Jiang Ling planned to go to that rationing store to inquire about the situation, even though the balance on her pass was zero.
Before leaving, she grabbed a handful of bullets from the ammunition box in her room and stuffed them into her pocket. She didn't know the current value of bullets, but according to a novel she had read before, these industrial products were still worth some money.
"One, two, three, four, five, one, two, three. So they're building fifteen apartments in the station." Jiang Ling discovered this pattern as she reached the sidewalk. The apartments stretched endlessly, ending at a dark intersection. She was headed for the intersection, and this time of year was actually night for one-third of the residents in the residential area. Thanks to a sufficient population, the eight-hour workday had surprisingly been maintained in this apocalyptic era.
She tiptoed quietly along the sidewalk beside the tracks. This row of suites, along with the adjacent row, were closed, and she didn't want to disturb them. These suites still retained their original appearance, and Jiang Ling imagined what they would look like in a few years or decades, after being extensively renovated. Perhaps they would become a cyber world filled with neon lights, but more likely, a world of advanced socialism.
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