Ah-Lan had witnessed Su Wan’s methods, and her heart was now filled with nothing but trepidation.
She had seen with her own eyes how Su Wan used incomprehensible power to punish Viper, how she used cold-blooded tactics to intimidate Black Rat, and how she had performed some kind of treatment on Viper.
Using both the carrot and the stick, she was truly unfathomable.
Ah-Lan was perceptive enough to drag Viper to the entrance of Room 112.
Seeing Ah-Lan, Su Wan spoke up. “Ah-Lan, come here for a moment.”
Ah-Lan immediately hurried over, her posture far more respectful than before. “Landlord, what are your orders?”
Su Wan pointed to the brand-new Star Coin Exchange Machine in the lobby.
“That is a new facility, the Star Coin Exchange Machine. From now on, Star Coins will be the universal currency here.”
“You can put anything valuable you have into it to exchange for Star Coins, then use those Star Coins to pay rent or buy food and water at the convenience store.”
She briefly explained the exchange and usage process, as well as the rent and commodity prices she had just set.
Ah-Lan looked at the machine with wonder in her eyes, which soon turned into understanding.
This method was clearly much more convenient and fairer than the previous bartering or rough estimations of value.
She immediately thought of the few small Crystal Cores and miscellaneous items she had left on her.
“I understand, Landlord.” Ah-Lan nodded, then paused as if remembering something, asking hesitantly, “Then… what about the rent for Ah-Hao and me?”
“Ah-Hao paid for a month with three Crystal Cores, which is enough,” Su Wan said. “Yours will start from today. Go to the machine and exchange some Star Coins first. Just like Ah-Hao, you only need to pay me 300 Star Coins.”
“Of course, that is only for this month. Next month, your rent will increase to 1000 Star Coins a month.”
“Yes!” Ah-Lan complied, her mind quickly calculating the value of her remaining possessions.
Standing by the Star Coin Exchange Machine, Ah-Lan followed Su Wan’s guidance and placed her last two Energy Crystal Cores—one large and one small—along with some barely intact small metal parts into the machine.
A scanning beam swept over them, and the dark glass screen clearly displayed the identification results and exchange amounts:
【Items Detected: Level 1 Energy Crystal Core ×1, Estimated Value: 480 Star Coins/unit; Unranked Energy Crystal Core ×1, Estimated Value: 90 Star Coins/unit】
【Scrap Alloy Parts (Slightly Rusted) ×5, Estimated Value: 2 Star Coins/unit】
【Total Exchangeable Star Coins: 570 + 10 = 580 Star Coins】
【Deducting 10% Transaction Fee (58 Star Coins), Actual Amount Credited: 522 Star Coins】
【Deposited into Account: Ah-Lan (Tenant-002)】
【Current Account Balance: 522 Star Coins】
Looking at the numbers flickering on the screen, Ah-Lan felt a bit dazed.
It was that simple?
With just a few steps, those scraps she had spent her life hiding and fighting for had turned into Star Coins she could use at any time?
And the valuation given by this machine…
It was actually slightly higher than the prices offered by those black market profiteers after they squeezed you. Most importantly, it was safe; she didn’t have to worry about being double-crossed.
She instinctively touched her empty pockets and then looked at her simple account information on the exchange machine’s screen. A sense of security she had never felt before quietly began to grow.
As long as she stayed here, followed the Landlord’s rules, and worked hard at scavenging and hunting, she could exchange her labor for clear rewards, pay rent, buy clean food and water, and maybe… even save a little surplus.
This was worlds apart from her life over the last decade or so in the ruins, where she lived hand-to-mouth, struggling like a beast to survive.
“How does it feel?” Su Wan’s voice came from beside her.
She wanted to hear Ah-Lan’s direct impression of this new system.
Ah-Lan snapped back to her senses, turned around, and nodded earnestly. “It’s very convenient, and very… clear.”
She paused and added, “It’s much better than outside.”
Su Wan observed her expression and saw that the flicker of light in her eyes wasn't fake.
It seemed this simple economic system could indeed provide these bottom-tier refugees with the stability and hope they craved most.
Su Wan changed the subject. “Tell me, where exactly are we located right now? Also, how do you usually survive?”
Ah-Lan organized her thoughts for a moment and began to describe the layout of this apocalyptic world as clearly as she could:
“Where we are now belongs to the ‘Ruin Zone,’ also known as the scavenging zone.” Ah-Lan pointed toward the fire door.
“A few dozen meters from here, there’s a blurry ‘boundary.’ Once you cross it, you’re in the ‘Non-Safe Zone.’”
“In the Non-Safe Zone, you can encounter anything.”
“Wandering Rot-Walkers are just the most common. There are also fiercer and even somewhat intelligent mutated beasts. Some of them evolved from animals of the old era, while others… no one knows what they were originally.”
“Even plants can have poisonous thorns and vines, or release hallucinogenic spores.”
Her tone was flat, but Su Wan could hear the underlying cruelty.
“The Ruin Zone itself is part of the ruins of an old-era city, located between the Outer City and the Non-Safe Zone.”
“The vast majority of refugees like us live in the Ruin Zone or operate on the edge where the Ruin Zone meets the Outer City.”
“What about the Outer City and the Inner City?” Su Wan pressed.
“The Outer City…” A complex look flashed in Ah-Lan’s eyes. “There are walls there, with fixed streets and buildings. Although most of it is dilapidated, there is at least some semblance of order.”
“It’s controlled by a few large refugee groups, small corporate outposts, and some powerful hunter teams.”
“The residents of the Outer City either have some skills or combat power to earn a living under those factions, or they’re lucky enough to have a small, relatively safe shelter passed down from their ancestors.”
“They can live in a relatively fixed place, trade with Star Coins, and even buy some food and water that has been preliminarily purified and has low pollution.”
“But the shelters in the Outer City can’t stop the Death Tide, can they?” Su Wan recalled Ah-Hao mentioning that only the Inner City had full protection.
Ah-Lan nodded. “Correct. The better buildings in the Outer City have simple sealing and filtration measures that can barely withstand the Death Tide. The slightly worse ones can hold out for a while after reinforcing their seals, or at least weaken the tide’s effects.”
“But some people’s dwellings are just like the temporary dens we used to find in the Ruin Zone; they can only endure it and leave it to fate.”
“So every time a Death Tide comes, people die in the Outer City too, especially in the slums.” She paused. “Only the Inner City is truly safe.”
When mentioning the Inner City, a hint of yearning unconsciously crept into Ah-Lan’s voice.
“The Inner City is the best-preserved core area of the old era, completely surrounded by tall alloy walls and energy shields.”
“They say there’s no pollution inside. The air and water are clean. There are real parks, farms, and even old-era factories running to produce clean supplies.”
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