Chapter 17, I want an explanation

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About 100 kilometers north of the Abandoned Cave Society, in fact, was almost within the realm of the high wall ruins.

It was a core city before the era of disaster, which by now had become ruins. Low Energy Storms, mutant creatures, Green Skin Orcs… Whether it was the environment or the things that lived there, all posed a great threat to humanity.

However, the massive urban ruins also concealed the wealth of the pre-war period.

Rubbish Town was right next to the high wall ruins.

Initially, scavengers established this gathering point as a supply station and trading spot for expeditions to the high wall ruins and excavation missions.

Later on, it developed continuously and eventually turned into a fairly large town.

There was no Central Government or ruler in Rubbish Town, but rather merchants known as 'agents' controlled the situation, creating a social structure of agents-mercenary caravans-adventurers and mercenaries-scavengers. The armed adventurers took and guarded various resource points, scavengers entered to excavate resources, caravans bought and sold resources, and agents operated behind the scenes, monopolizing the business.

The garbage scavengers brought back would be initially processed into various types of materials, mainly metal, which also constituted the main output of Rubbish Town.

Another main output was energy.

This brings us to mention 'Low Energy Storm,' the most terrifying disaster on Rage Owl Star.

The so-called Low Energy Storm was a huge trauma left over from the war. Inside the sweeping winds would rise high-density Low Energy—an energy residue left after an outbreak of Spiritual Energy. This type of energy normally couldn't be harnessed, and instead, it caused fatal damage to human bodies, machinery, and electronic equipment.

Humans could not survive in such an environment, and even the mutant creatures birthed by Low Energy dared not move in the core of the storm when the Low Energy Storm was at its fiercest.

The high wall ruins were one of the areas where Low Energy Storms occurred most frequently and violently.

But after the storm, there would always be some legacies left behind. The violent Low Energy combined with some minerals occasionally produced something called 'Hot Ash Stone.' This thing wasn't the same as a high-density energy crystal, but it could generate sustained high temperatures once ignited.

That could be used to generate electricity.

Raw materials, Hot Ash Stone—these were the two major outputs of Rubbish Town.

Gu Hang still remembered how the Abandoned Cave Society used to produce ores, which were mostly sold to Rubbish Town. They actually wanted to sell to the closer Revival City, but Revival City didn't want the raw ores. And the nearest place that had the capability to perform initial processing of raw materials was only Rubbish Town. The prices they offered were low, which was one of the important reasons why the Abandoned Cave Society used to struggle to make ends meet.

Let bygones be bygones, Gu Hang was interested in the fact that there were connections between the Abandoned Cave Society and Rubbish Town.

Gu Hang made up his mind that as soon as he returned, he would have Patel contact Rubbish Town.

His direct territory needed to continue developing, which required plenty of raw materials and energy support.

As for the trading goods, he had already thought it through.

Food.

Rubbish Town didn't produce food; they usually imported it from Revival City.

What Gu Hang intended to create was an economy where the Abandoned Cave Society produced an alloy steel, as well as other industrial products in the future, to be sold in Revival City; buying food from Revival City to sell in Rubbish Town; and procuring raw materials from Rubbish Town to expand production.

A very good cycle!

The hundred tons of food he had requested from Revival City could now play a part.

Aside from supplying the Governor's domain, he planned to sell the rest to Rubbish Town.

This batch of supplies would arrive in eight days, and Gu Hang patiently waited.

During these eight days, two pieces of news arrived, one good and one bad.

The good news was that the monthly fixed income from the grace of the large-scale alloy steel production initiated by the Abandoned Cave Society was rising rapidly.

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[Current Grace Points: 1]

[Monthly Fixed Income: 12]

[Governor's Camp: 8/Terra Month]

[Abandoned Cave Society: 4/Terra Month]

It had doubled!

Neither of the two territories had increased in population. The main change during this period was the significant boost in the production of alloy plastic steel. The increase from 1 to 4 for the Abandoned Cave Society must be a reflection of the production boost.

The increase at the Governor's Camp should be a reflection of productivity as well. The difference lies in the fact that the Abandoned Cave Society used two newly erected smelting furnaces, while the Governor's Camp relied on two Black Box Manufacturing Machines. Although the output of alloy plastic steel wasn't as high as that of the Abandoned Cave Society, the quality was much better, and they had also produced two smelting furnaces.

All in all, expanding production was definitely a good thing. Not to mention the products themselves, the wealth represented by the increase in the monthly fixed income within the system was also substantial.

Gu Hang hoped to maximize the monthly fixed income before the grace points were distributed this month.

He could try to boost the population, open up trade routes, expand production... In the past few days, aside from inspecting the soldiers' training, he had been considering these plans.

But on the seventh day, he received some bad news:

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"The goods were robbed?"

Gu Hang's face darkened as he pressed the man before him for answers.

The man lamented, "Yes, we were transporting thirty carts of goods from Revival City when we decided to take a rest before continuing. While we were sitting on the ground singing, hundreds of raiders jumped out and robbed us!"

Why didn't they just go for a hotpot meal while they were at it?

Gu Hang sneered, "Not a single item left, but no casualties? Are the wasteland raiders this compassionate now?"

"It's not that there were no injuries! Look at my nose, Governor! A gun butt came crashing down and broke my nasal bone!"

He kept talking, noticing the Governor's face growing ever darker, and his voice got quieter and quieter. He began to feel an imposing pressure filling his heart, as if a mountain was about to bear down on him.

Struggling, he spoke again, "We surrendered. The robbers seemed more than just simple bandits, not the usual wasteland raiders. I recognized two of them, they seem to be mercenaries lurking around the outskirts of Revival City. At first, we were very afraid, but after we surrendered, they indeed didn't kill any of us. They just took the ox-carts away."

He paused then continued, "I suspect that when we set off, someone noticed the goods we were transporting. Those mercenaries, blinded by greed, didn't dare to act near Revival City, so they followed us all the way..."

Gu Hang cut him off, "You're saying you were robbed just fifteen kilometers from my camp?"

"Yes."

"Your group was small, not carrying enough guns, and after they surrounded you, you surrendered immediately. Then the raiders didn't kill you but just took the goods?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Gu Hang had lost interest in talking with this man any further.

He left the temporary housing for the bedraggled transport team members and called over Yan Fangxu, ordering him to take the twenty-odd marine troopers in the camp, along with the trained Abandoned Cave Company, to the scene of the incident to investigate and attempt to track down the raiders.

As for himself, he returned to his room and instructed his attendant, Zhang Chao, to establish communication with Hodgson, the Chairman of the Revival City Council.

"My goods were robbed. I need an explanation from you."