Chapter 37

Trouble 

After the apocalypse, the entire structure of the world had changed.

The once-bustling cities had turned to ruins. Places once too high in altitude for humans to inhabit had become new thriving bases. Former continents were now underwater, while new green oasis bases had emerged in what used to be deserts.

Of course, much of the land had turned into barren wastelands.

Civilization had fractured, communication lines were severed, and information had become scarce.

Some areas flourished, while others fell into decline. No one knew how many people were left on the planet, nor how many bases still existed.

Everything had to be rediscovered.

The Sunlight Base was located on one of these desolate wastelands.

Once, it had been a thriving metropolis, teeming with people and plagued by soaring real estate prices and traffic-clogged highways. But in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.

The sudden outbreak of the virus brought the entire city to a halt. People no longer had to worry about waking up early to avoid traffic jams on the highway. Everyone was ordered to stay home, and thus began the long days of waiting for the lockdown to lift.

At first, fresh vegetables were still being delivered, but over time, the deliveries slowed. Eventually, only seeds and fertilizer were sent in.

This marked the beginning of the agricultural advantage that the Sunshine Community—no, Sunshine Base—enjoys today. 

That’s why good property management is essential.

The property manager at Sunshine Community was a highly capable man. Right from the start, he stockpiled ample supplies of food, oil, and salt. A retired soldier, he managed the community like a fortress, successfully defending it from wave after wave of zombie attacks.

They held out for so long that eventually, the zombies moved on, and their community became what could only be described as a “rural backwater.”

After all, if even zombies lost interest, what else could it be but the countryside?

But having fewer zombies didn’t make things easier. Resources were scarce, the population lacked the expertise to rebuild civilization, the environment continued to deteriorate due to mutations, and their outdated weapons couldn’t keep up.

Although they had survived the initial waves of zombies thanks to their stored supplies, if those same attacks came now, they likely wouldn’t make it.

At Sunshine Base, anyone with skills or abilities dreamed of leaving. However, most ordinary people were too afraid to venture far. They had endured the hardest twenty years of the apocalypse and were now accustomed to life in this post-apocalyptic world. Some even believed that life wasn’t so bad anymore. Many thought they could just stay put—after all, the apocalypse had been going on for so long, it had to end sooner or later, right?

And so, they waited quietly, hoping for the end of the apocalypse.

—

“I don’t think our base chief thinks the same way,” Chen Shan said to the boys on the back of a small truck. “The proof? He made sure we use universal currency, which is actually quite expensive.”

The boys listened with great interest, unaware that their points had such significance.

They were sitting in an old truck—the same one that Juan and Peter had ridden before. As promised, Chen Shan had taken on a mission to another base and brought Peter’s vegetables along. Sure enough, they sold for a good price! 

After calculating his costs, Chen Shan realized the business had potential. So, he made a habit of visiting farmers when Juan gave lessons to the children near the fields. He befriended their parents and bought vegetables from them. Whenever he took a mission, he sold the produce along the way. Over time, he even managed to make some decent money.

Now, he had turned it into a regular business.

Being a savvy businessman, Chen Shan always combined vegetable sales with a mission. He never rented a vehicle just for selling vegetables. This time, he had taken a mission to escort a doctor to another base, and since the doctor was an old friend, Chen Shan agreed to let his younger brother and the others come along for the ride. They sat among the vegetables, excited to visit a new base.

Juan and Peter had come along as well—after all, the doctor’s old friend was Juan!

“Take Peter’s vegetables, for example,” Chen Shan continued, “Last time, they sold for 585 points at the Garden Base. Sounds like a lot, right? But that’s internal currency—only good within the Garden Base. Luckily, they trade with us often, so their points are accepted here too. But if we exchanged them for our base’s points, they’d only be worth 390.”

“That’s the difference between universal currency and internal points,” he explained. “Our base chief insists we use universal currency, and that’s why I decided to settle here.”

As he sprayed water over the vegetables, Chen Shan said, “Our base is pretty much a rural backwater. Other bases don’t even know we exist. If we ever want to move to another base, no one’s going to recognize our points. That’s why using universal currency is the smart move—this way, everyone here is saving points they can use at any big base. If something happens, we won’t panic.”

“Honestly, not investing in houses and focusing on earning points is the smartest choice.” This last remark was directed at Juan.

At first, Chen Shan had assumed Juan cared about houses as much as everyone else on the base, so he hadn’t mentioned it. But now that they were closer, and he saw that Juan didn’t care about housing at all, he felt comfortable saying it.

Juan glanced at him, noticed that Chen Shan wasn’t planning to elaborate further on currency, and turned his attention back to the book in his hands—a history book that one of the children’s parents had given him. He had been using it to teach lessons.

Peter, however, was still curious about the outside world. Seeing that Chen Shan had stopped talking, he joined Ah Hai and the others in urging him to continue.

“Tell us more about the other bases! What else do you know? Come on, tell us everything!”

Faced with their eager expressions, Chen Shan had no choice but to dig deeper into his experiences, recalling whatever he could about the outside world.

Fortunately, the trip wasn’t too long. Just as Chen Shan was running out of stories to tell, the driver announced that they had reached their destination—Garden Base.

The doctor jumped down from the cab and, seeing the heap of fresh vegetables behind them, teased, “Looks to me like you’re here to sell vegetables, with my trip being just an excuse!”

Chen Shan scratched his head with a sheepish grin. “No way! I just thought the truck would be safer, and Juan wanted to see the outside world. Since you’ve always looked out for him, I figured you wouldn’t mind if I brought him and his friends along…”

The doctor smiled, listening to Chen Shan’s banter. Then, he glanced at Juan, observing that although the boy still looked pale and thin, his emotions seemed calm and stable. It appeared that Juan had managed to overcome the shadow of his former home, and much of that progress was thanks to the group of friends by his side.

Patting Juan on the shoulder, the doctor stopped chatting with Chen Shan and said to him with a grin, “Have fun, and sell lots of vegetables.”

Juan gave a nod in response.

The doctor then left. As the best doctor from Sunshine Base, he had been on assignments to many nearby bases. This time, he was invited by Garden Base to treat patients. Upon seeing him, the security team let him pass without question. When he gestured toward Juan and the others, they were also allowed to enter.

“What a good man,” Chen Shan said sincerely as they entered Garden Base with ease. “If only the doctor could visit other bases every day.”

“Dream on,” teased a female teammate, giving him a playful kick. “Now hurry up and unload the goods—we have vegetables to sell.”

Chen Shan laughed and jumped down from the truck. 

Having sold vegetables here before, they knew exactly where to go and who offered the best prices. Before long, they had sold the entire truckload and handed the earnings to Peter.

Pointing toward the nearby marketplace, Chen Shan said, “This is the free trade area of Garden Base. Go explore, but stick together, don’t get lost, and don’t get into any trouble—we’re on a mission.”

The boys nodded and, laughing among themselves, set off for the market. 

If Sunshine Base was known for its agricultural produce, Garden Base’s specialty was textiles. Having survived the early years of the apocalypse, Garden Base developed its own niche industry to thrive. 

While Sunshine Base grew fruits and vegetables, Garden Base cultivated cotton and flax, raised ducks and geese, and even bred silkworms. Even in a post-apocalyptic world, people needed clothing. After the supply of pre-apocalypse clothing ran out, people sought new ways to stay warm and clothed—and Garden Base filled that need.

In fact, Chen Shan’s team had sourced their down jackets from Garden Base on a previous mission. Other bases frequently placed orders with Garden Base, sending teams to collect the goods. During such exchanges, Sunshine Base also managed to sell quite a few agricultural products, allowing nearby residents to live more comfortably for a while.

Recently, with Garden Base fulfilling a major order, many of its residents had received a nice bonus. Knowing this, people from nearby bases had flocked to the marketplace to sell their wares, making it especially lively.

Chen Shan had intentionally brought the boys along on this trip, thinking it would be a good opportunity for them to experience a bustling market filled with people from various bases.

As they wandered past stalls, the boys pointed and whispered to one another, marveling at the variety of items for sale—many of which they had never seen before. They tried to guess the purpose of each strange object, engaging in lively discussion.

Despite their excitement, they refrained from buying anything. Even when they found items cheaper than at their own base, they resisted the urge to spend. The more they saw, the more curious they became about life in other bases. They quietly resolved to save their money—just in case they ever got the chance to leave Sunshine Base one day.

Although no one voiced it aloud, the thought lingered in their minds: What if we can leave one day?

That is, except for Peter.

Like the others, Peter explored the market with great interest. But unlike them, he asked questions about things he didn’t understand and inquired about prices for items that caught his attention. And if the price was right, he simply bought them.

Before long, Peter had accumulated quite a collection: a red-trimmed down vest, a brightly colored hand-knit sweater, a bracelet adorned with a large green gemstone, and even a dried fish.

The vest and sweater made sense—they provided warmth. But the bracelet? The boys couldn’t understand why anyone would buy jewelry in an apocalypse, especially one with such a huge gemstone. Was he planning to use it as a weapon?

Ah Hai and the others stared, dumbfounded, at the bracelet on Peter’s wrist.

“Juan said the gemstone is really valuable and that the craftsmanship is excellent. It has artistic and collectible value!” Peter said proudly, showing off the bracelet.

Juan, with a serious expression, added, “The gemstone is of exceptional quality—an extremely rare, high-grade emerald. While the gold in the bracelet isn’t particularly valuable, the forging technique and the intricate design suggest it’s a vintage piece crafted by a master artisan.”

“I think it’s a great purchase,” Juan concluded confidently.

The boys looked back and forth—first at Peter’s bracelet, then at Juan’s. It was only then that they noticed Juan was also wearing a bracelet on his wrist.

However, when they saw the dried fish Peter was carrying, they were genuinely tempted.

It was a large fish, dried to perfection, and priced at only 50 points—a bargain. It would keep for a long time too.

Should they buy one together? They hesitated, debating the idea.

Just as they were about to make a decision, someone gave one of them a heavy pat on the shoulder. Startled, they turned to see the doctor standing behind them.

“Say nothing, follow me, and call your brother,” the doctor said in a low, urgent voice. “We need to leave—immediately.”

His face was unusually grim.

“Something’s happened.”