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“Hehe, go ahead,” the shopkeeper chuckled, putting away the chocolate.
Wang Zhi ordered another cup of coffee. When he went to pay, the shop attendant declined, saying that since Wang Zhi had just given him a gift, the latte was on the house. It wasn’t expensive anyway—only 1 Survival Point.
“Shopkeeper, do you not get many customers usually?” Wang Zhi casually glanced around and asked.
“Heh, not anymore. Before the apocalypse, when people still traded with money, those with refined tastes would stop by for a cup. But now, who has the luxury to waste time drinking coffee?” The shopkeeper laughed at himself.
“I see. You know Captain Jie Xi, right? Well, I like her and want to pursue her. I’ve noticed she comes here occasionally, but I don’t know exactly which type of coffee she prefers, so I thought I’d ask you.” Wang Zhi found an excuse to ask. He couldn’t exactly say he wanted to bribe Jie Xi, could he?
“Haha, youth is a wonderful thing. Even in the apocalypse, you’re still thinking about love. But let me give you a word of advice—Captain Jie Xi isn’t someone we can pursue.”
“Heh, I’ll give it a try. Failing is better than regret.”
“Good! You’ve got spirit! Captain Jie Xi does come by occasionally, but she buys Blue Mountain coffee beans to take with her. She doesn’t drink it here—probably because of her status. Here’s your latte.” The shopkeeper explained as he handed Wang Zhi his coffee.
“She likes Blue Mountain coffee? How much is it?”
The shopkeeper sighed. “To be honest, coffee beans are a non-renewable resource in the Dawn Tower. Every sale means one less batch. I have only one barrel of Blue Mountain left, and it costs 200 points. Before the apocalypse, I went to the Wallenford Estate in Jamaica to source these beans, and they weren’t cheap even back then.”
“No problem! I’ll take it!” Wang Zhi made a firm decision. He had to use this chance to get close to Jie Xi.
The shopkeeper was stunned by Wang Zhi’s decisiveness. Spending 200 points just like that?
“Brother, you’re really throwing your points away. Is it worth it?” The shopkeeper asked with some heartache.
“It’s worth it.”
Wang Zhi took the barrel of coffee beans. He unsealed the lid and took a few beans to smell—rich aroma, slightly sweet with a hint of bitterness. This was authentic Blue Mountain. After confirming the shopkeeper wasn’t scamming him, he handed over his access card for the transaction.
“I didn’t expect you to know coffee,” the shopkeeper commented as he swiped the card.
“I’ve been to Jamaica before. I didn’t think I’d find these here.” Wang Zhi took back his card.
“By the way, why did you choose to live here before the apocalypse?” Wang Zhi asked.
“That story goes back five years.” The shopkeeper lit a cigarette and offered one to Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi accepted, and the two smoked together.
“Five years ago, I owned a café outside. One day, a guy walked in and told me about a place recruiting businesses. If I moved there, not only would I not have to pay rent, but they’d also subsidize me 10,000 yuan per month. Sounds fishy, right? The guy left me an address and said I was welcome anytime.
At first, I thought it was a scam and ignored it. But later, my café was struggling, and I remembered that guy. So I followed the address and ended up here. It’s been five years now, and I’ve made decent money and adapted to life here.
But what confuses me is who exactly this developer is. Their power must be immense. How much money would it take to sustain the benefits here and keep the entire Dawn Tower running?
Still, that’s beyond my concern, so I don’t dwell on it. Over the years, this place kept bringing people in. Some left to restock supplies, but no one really left for good.
At first, people came here to work or run businesses because the benefits were too good. Just running a business here earned you 10,000 yuan a month. Jobs paid even more—nobody made less than 20,000 yuan a month. The economy flourished.
But in recent years, a new batch of people started arriving. Unlike the early settlers, they weren’t here to work but to train on the upper levels. They were like soldiers, undergoing rigorous training.
Around that time, the Survival Points currency system was introduced. Most people didn’t believe in it, but it didn’t matter—because Survival Points could be exchanged for cash.
As long as people could cash out, they didn’t care. But now, those so-called cash reserves have turned into worthless paper—less than 0.001 Survival Points.”
Listening to the shopkeeper’s story, Wang Zhi pieced together the bigger picture. The Dawn Tower was built by throwing money at it. But its creator must have known that money would eventually lose its value. The apocalypse was inevitable.
He recalled the meeting screen from that day, where he had caught a glimpse of the Tower Lord. Sitting there, she had the air of a holy knight—dignified, serious, and elegant.
“What will you do once you sell all your coffee? Will you find another job or start something new?” Wang Zhi asked.
“Sigh, I’ll have to find a job. Anything worth doing has already been taken, and after money became worthless, I don’t have enough Survival Points to start another business.”
“And what happens to this café once you leave?” Wang Zhi continued.
“It’ll be repossessed by the Dawn Tower. What happens after that is up to them. But thanks to you buying my best coffee, I can last for a few more months.”
After getting some filter papers from the shopkeeper, Wang Zhi left with his barrel of coffee beans.
Now that he had what he needed, it was time to find Jie Xi and give it to her.
Wang Zhi headed straight to the first floor’s Guardian Headquarters.
“Hello, please inform Captain Jie Xi that Wang Zhi from Sunset Glimmer seeks an audience,” he said to one of the guards at the entrance.
The guard glanced at Wang Zhi before turning inside.
A moment later, the guard returned and said, “Please present your access card for identity verification.”
“No problem.” Wang Zhi handed over his card.
The guard scanned it with his device. After confirming Wang Zhi’s identity, he said, “Alright, follow me.”
Inside the Guardian Headquarters, some guards monitored surveillance screens, overseeing different floors.
Wang Zhi followed the guard to the end of a corridor. The guard knocked three times and announced, “Captain, the visitor is here.”
“Come in,” Jie Xi’s voice called from inside.