Chapter 14: Collecting Electric Nets

He couldn't just fence off the front gate; at the very least, he had to encircle the entrance with electric nets.

As for farming, that could be left to his parents!

When it came to planting, Lin Cheng's father and mother were far more experienced than he was.

Everything was already set.

The night passed without incident.

...

The next morning.

Lin Cheng shared his plans with his parents.

However, he didn't mention that he was going to the western part of the city, only that he would wander around the area near the shelter.

He briefly explained the farming tasks to them.

Lin Cheng repeatedly reminded them not to stray too far from the shelter and that they shouldn't both be busy at the same time—one of them always had to keep watch.

Otherwise, if danger approached, human strength alone wouldn't be enough to resist it.

His parents, Lin Cheng's father and mother, were naturally very happy to have something to do.

As long as they weren't suddenly ambushed by alien creatures, with the shooting practice they had been doing in the training room, the couple could easily handle ordinary Level 5 alien threats.

Thanks to the drone that scouted the route the previous day, Lin Cheng was very familiar with the road conditions in the western district.

He easily avoided various traffic jams, driving straight through until he reached the shelter set up by the authorities without any obstacles.

The amount of electric nets Lin Cheng's car could carry wasn't much. If he made multiple trips, it would only waste time.

Moreover, a small private car couldn't carry much cargo anyway, and there were plenty of seemingly intact vehicles nearby.

Lin Cheng decided to try his luck and see if he could find a working truck.

After wandering around for a while, although he didn't find a truck, he did come across a black pickup truck.

The cab was empty, and even the keys were still inside, untouched.

The back of the truck was carrying some insignificant items, like plastic cups and tea sets, which Lin Cheng tossed aside.

Although it was good to stockpile things, carrying too much unnecessary stuff would only be a burden.

The pickup truck's bed was much larger than the trunk of a private car. After carefully selecting some electric nets that weren't too damaged, he rolled them up and placed them in the truck.

Lin Cheng then set his sights on a distant supermarket. Its door had already been pried open, and it looked like everything worth taking had already been looted.

But since he was already there, he decided to try his luck. Maybe he'd find something unexpected. However, Lady Luck didn't smile on him this time.

About ten minutes later, Lin Cheng walked out of the supermarket empty-handed.

The storehouse didn't have any survival supplies left—not even spider webs. Even the rats would leave crying.

But as one door closes, another opens. Shortly after leaving the supermarket, Lin Cheng discovered a tightly locked convenience store.

This store was in a very secluded area, clearly a privately-owned tobacco shop. Chain convenience stores wouldn't be set up in such a remote corner.

The entrance was so small that if you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even realize it was a store.

Because of its location, it had escaped the earlier looting.

Lin Cheng picked up a large rock nearby and smashed it against the lock, but the lock didn't budge. Instead, the shock from the impact made his wrist tingle.

"Wow, this lock is really well made," Lin Cheng muttered to himself before pulling out his Glock 18 and firing a shot at the lock.

The bullet easily broke the lock.

When he pushed the door open, Lin Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction.

The store hadn't been touched!

Cigarettes were neatly arranged on the counter, and in the corner were some common snacks and drinks.

Though the convenience store was small, it was well-stocked with everything from cigarettes and alcohol to snacks and drinks. The only thing missing was staple items like rice and flour, but otherwise, it had almost everything.

Since the store wasn't big, the storage area was located in the owner's living quarters. While searching, Lin Cheng even found a drawer filled with small change.

He wasn't tempted at all by the money. The moment the great reckoning began, the monetary system had already collapsed.

Now, paper money was worth less than a roll of toilet paper.

Money was worthless, but the goods were essential.

Fortunately, there was still some space left in the pickup truck's bed, enough to bring back the cigarettes, alcohol, snacks, and drinks.

When Lin Cheng returned to the shelter, his parents were still outside, busy planning the farmland.

Seeing Lin Cheng driving a pickup truck from a distance, the couple became alarmed, thinking it was someone dangerous.

It wasn't until Lin Cheng stepped out of the truck that his parents finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You reckless kid, why did you go so far by yourself again?"

"You know better than anyone what kind of world it is out there now. If you go that far alone again, we won't let you off easily!"

Both Lin Cheng's father and mother scolded him sternly. It was one of the rare occasions they had ever disciplined him since childhood.

Though their words were harsh, it was because they were worried about the dangers he might face outside.

Their reprimands were rooted in care and concern.

Lin Cheng laughed and said, "Don't rush to scold me. Take a look at what I brought back."

When Lin Cheng unloaded the electric nets from the pickup truck, the cigarettes, alcohol, snacks, and drinks in the truck's bed caught his parents' eyes.

Lin Cheng's father's eyes lit up immediately. As someone who had smoked for over 20 or 30 years, seeing so many cigarettes after the great reckoning naturally thrilled him.

When Lin Cheng had discovered those cigarettes earlier, he had been just as excited because he knew full well that these once-common items had now become luxuries.

Cigarettes and alcohol, with their long shelf life, were now highly valuable commodities.

At the height of the cigarette shortage, even half a cigarette could be traded for a significant amount of food and water!

And Lin Cheng had brought back two full cases of cigarettes today. If the hardcore smokers found out, they'd likely storm the shelter in a frenzy.

Lin Cheng's mother, however, wasn't as thrilled, as she had never been a fan of her husband's smoking habit.