Chapter 12: An Invitation to Join

The next morning, as the faint light of dawn crept in at half past five, Ren Zhong, having slept barely three hours, woke in a haze amid a cacophony of noise. Outside the door, voices surged and ebbed, a constant stream of conversation and footsteps. Booming shouts, shrill curses from women, heated quarrels erupting over unknown matters—one group passed, then another, the multitude like an army sweeping through. The uproar carried on for over ten minutes, leaving the sleep-deprived Ren Zhong so disoriented he almost believed he'd spent the night in a market.

He was itching to leap up and curse them, but ultimately refrained. Narrowing his eyes, he quietly observed the uncouth figures passing by the doorway. Zheng Tian had chosen her lodging well. The men and women outside, all in their prime, moved with vigor, carrying various weapons and packs—distinct from the grimy, destitute wastelanders. Clearly, most of the guests in this communal sleep pod were scavengers like Zheng Tian’s team: those who roamed the wilds by day, capable of hunting wild beasts for a living.

This implied the pod had a relatively high security index, offering safety if not restful sleep. Ren Zhong was frustrated, but powerless. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to confront them; he simply didn’t dare. Regardless of the racket outside, Zheng Tian, Chen Hanyu, Wen Lei, and the others slept soundly. If he went out now to raise a fuss, he’d only alienate himself.

At last, after half an hour, the noise outside faded. He thought he might finally steal a bit more sleep, but then a loud crash rang out inside the room. Ren Zhong turned his head, squinting toward the source.

Well, well—Wen Lei was awake.

When Wen Lei wore full armor, Ren Zhong hadn’t realized just how massive he was. Now, he saw it clearly. Wen Lei stooped, his head bent deeply as he rubbed it with a pained expression. The crash had come from the giant smacking his head against the ceiling as he rose. Ren Zhong estimated Wen Lei stood at least two meters twenty-six.

“Damn it. Couldn't they build these sleep pods taller?” Wen Lei grumbled.

“It’s your own fault, always banging your head. Don’t you know how to duck?” came the sharp voice of Ou You Ning, narrow-faced and sharp-eyed.

“Mind your own business! You talk too much,” Wen Lei retorted.

The two launched into a spat. Ren Zhong suffered in silence.

Soon, another voice joined in—Bai Feng, the long-armed man, had awakened.

Bai Feng was no better. Though he didn’t join Wen Lei and Ou You Ning’s squabble, he dragged a box from beneath his bed, fished out a whetstone of indeterminate purpose, and began meticulously grinding his fingernails, the sound grating on nerves as if sharpening knives.

Ren Zhong sent silent greetings to Bai Feng’s family.

A while later, Chen Hanyu, sleeping diagonally across from Ren Zhong and head-to-head with Zheng Tian, suddenly opened her eyes. Within a second, her gaze shifted from groggy to clear. She sat upright, pulled a tablet from beneath her pillow, and began studying. Ren Zhong observed the scene sharply—the tablet displayed what appeared to be an anatomical model of a wild beast.

He was astounded—not at Chen Hanyu’s diligence, but at how swiftly she transitioned from deep sleep to focused study. It defied human physiology! Not even Einstein could manage such a feat!

Time slipped by, and at six o’clock Zheng Tian, opposite Ren Zhong, awoke. The baby-faced leader demonstrated the meaning of “instant takeoff”—eyes open, springing from bed, snatching up a tablet at lightning speed. On the screen was a three-dimensional map of the area within three hundred kilometers of Spark Town. Tiny, sandy dots radiated outward from Spark Town, spreading in all directions.

“Hey, this DeepInfo Group’s Hunting Assistant is really handy. Pricey, but flawless otherwise. It doesn’t show the movements of professional teams, but for half-professionals like us and the general direction of solo scavengers, it marks everything clearly. Today, the fewest people are leaving through the south gate. We’ll take the south! Enough, Wen Lei, stop bickering and pack up. Let’s get breakfast and prepare to head out!” After scanning the tablet for two minutes, Zheng Tian set the tone for the day’s operation.

Ren Zhong calculated the time, sat up with a slap, his dark-ringed eyes blazing as he looked at Zheng Tian. “Good morning.”

He, too, “awoke” quickly. He finally understood: these people had no cool-down time between waking and clarity.

“Good morning, Brother Ren Zhong,” Zheng Tian greeted.

The group headed downstairs, leaving the communal sleep pod, and made their way to the food supply hall at one corner of the square—the canteen.

“Brother Ren Zhong, you said to the town mayor you wanted to find work here in Spark Town, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you decided what you’ll do?”

On the way, Zheng Tian asked, seemingly casually.

Ren Zhong shook his head. “I haven’t figured out what’s best yet.”

“Are you interested in trying out with our team?”

“Is that possible?”

“Of course. I won’t boast, but Zheng Tian’s squad may not compare to the professional teams, but among Spark Town’s semi-professional scavenger teams, we’re a rising star! Here, brothers share a bowl and work together. We may not be fabulously rich, but everyone earns at least one contribution point a day. Right now, we’re all saving up. Once we reach a hundred contribution points, we can buy an official wristband. Then we’ll earn two contribution points daily. With another two or three years of effort, we may not become citizens overnight, but we’ll have enough to buy good gear. Who knows—the next professional team to gain official status might be us! And if you ever want to take it easy, after buying the official wristband, you can retire and enjoy life.”

Ren Zhong parsed every bit of information from her speech.

Key elements detected.

The official wristband, priced at one hundred contribution points, was superior to the temporary one, with similar features to those rented from the sleep pod. Renting a wristband earned only 0.1 contribution point per night, while owning one netted a full point. So, the rental cost was 0.9—a staggering ninety percent, more exploitative than feudal landlords.

Moreover, even a solid scavenger team like Zheng Tian’s only made one contribution point daily from hunting wild beasts—the same as sleeping with an owned wristband. The payment for sleeping with your own wristband was absurdly high—something was off. Too many irrationalities to worry about; Ren Zhong simply nodded, worldview completeness +10.

“All right, I’ll give it a try. But I don’t want to drag you down. Honestly, I have no special skills, so let’s try working together for a couple of days. If it doesn’t work out, I won’t trouble you further—I’ll figure something else out.”

“Deal!”

Ren Zhong still carried a huge debt—101.2 contribution points owed to Sun Miao. He needn’t necessarily repay it, but he did need a livelihood, and had to establish an income source quickly.

That morning, the six of them spent a total of 0.6 contribution points in the canteen. The food was unremarkable—blocks of meat and plain rice. The meat had no texture, like minced paste. Before leaving, Wen Lei carried a large bag containing the day’s provisions, bought at the canteen—all self-heating packs, resembling portable military rations.

On the way to the parking lot, Ren Zhong calculated the purchasing cost and couldn’t help but complain inwardly. The meals were expensive; each person spent 0.1 contribution point daily just on food. Ordinary people without combat or production ability earned only 0.1 contribution point per day by sleeping—so any extra expenses, like repairs, clothes, or illness, would have to come from their food budget. No wonder so many wastelanders looked malnourished.

“Running this canteen must make a fortune,” Ren Zhong commented offhandedly.

Wen Lei rumbled, “What can you do? All the businesses in this world are monopolized by the nine big conglomerates.”

Nine conglomerates?

Another key element detected.

Ren Zhong now knew three company names: Spark Resource Recovery, which purchased wild beast materials in the town; DeepInfo Group, providing the Hunting Assistant internet service; and “Tianlong High-Tech,” as written on the sign above the canteen door.

Ren Zhong frowned. From Wen Lei’s words, it seemed corporations monopolized all livelihoods. But what about the state?