Chapter 4: The Bank's Gold Bars

The moment Jiang Chen's feet landed on the dusty, luxurious wooden floor, it felt like no more than a fleeting instant.

He checked the energy bar on his wrist and froze for a moment. The energy consumption for this trip was only 40%—much less than he had anticipated.

Could the capacity of the energy bar increase with each recharge?

Jiang Chen shook his head. This was certainly good news, but with his current knowledge, he couldn't explain why this was happening. He decided to let it be for now.

Sitting quietly on the high-end sofa, Jiang Chen relished this rare luxury—something almost impossible to have in the wasteland. He lit a cigarette, letting time pass by in peaceful silence.

Through the moldy wooden window, he vaguely spotted Sun Jiao's figure approaching down the street. After confirming it with the binoculars, Jiang Chen stood up, went downstairs, and opened the door to let her in.

"Here's the gold you wanted," Sun Jiao tossed a bag at him. Jiang Chen's hands sank slightly under the weight, but his heart leapt. This bag was heavier than he expected—probably several kilograms. Yet, Sun Jiao had thrown it over as if it weighed nothing. The strength she possessed was a bit frightening.

Jiang Chen glanced at her arm—its slender lines revealed no visible muscles.

"Man, I'm exhausted. The bank lobby was full of zombies. I nearly drained two battery packs clearing them out. The vault's sealed with thick steel plates, so I couldn't get in. These gold bars I found in a room called the VIP Room."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Sun Jiao tossed her backpack aside. Despite the modest amount of gold, it still weighed several kilograms. Plus, carrying weapons and supplies meant she'd been lugging around a heavy 20-kilogram load over quite a distance. The bank wasn't exactly nearby.

"Go on."

"Huh? What's this..." Sun Jiao took the can of cola Jiang Chen threw at her, staring at it for a moment.

"I noticed you like it." Jiang Chen chuckled awkwardly, feeling a little self-conscious under her gaze.

Sun Jiao pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. After a brief moment of silence, she returned to her usual bold demeanor, tearing open the can and gulping down the cold drink.

"Glug, glug... Ah, that's better! Carrying gold in this scorching heat... I'm sweating like crazy. Wait, is this cold?" She gave Jiang Chen a suspicious glance.

"The fridge in the kitchen still works. The solar power system on this villa is surprisingly intact." Jiang Chen wasn't lying here; although most of the electrical appliances had been fried by the EMP, the solar power setup on the roof of the villa had somehow survived, and the fridge was still running.

Maybe the place had been lived in before, and some of the functional appliances had been repaired. But judging by the thick layer of dust on the floor, that must have happened a long time ago.

"...Forget it, I'm sure you wouldn't tell me where you got this anyway." Sun Jiao waved dismissively and tossed the empty can to the floor. "So, what's the next step? To blow open the vault and haul the gold here, we'll need some professionals. At the very least, we'll need powerful explosives or a skilled hacker to crack the electronic lock."

"Where can we find those?" Getting explosives was tricky. In a peaceful society, buying food was easy, but acquiring contraband was nearly impossible. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen asked.

"Many survivor bases have them, like Liuding Town," Sun Jiao said, her eyes taking on a nostalgic expression as she gazed out the window. "It's one of the more... interesting places in this wasteland."

"Is it far from here?"

"Not too far, but it's pricey." Sun Jiao squinted, looking somewhat amused. "Aside from the local 'landowners' and the 'laborers' who have lost their freedom, visitors have to pay one unit of energy crystal to enter, or something of equal value."

"One energy crystal?" Jiang Chen furrowed his brow in confusion.

"This." Sun Jiao casually pulled a small, dark green crystal from her pocket. "This is an energy crystal. It's about 37 points worth. You can detect its energy with an Epaid device. It's not easy to get. Only powerful mutated creatures generate these bio-crystals at the back of their heads. If possible, I really hope we don't run into those things..."

Mutated creatures powerful enough to scare her? The thought alone made Jiang Chen shiver.

He took the dark crystal from her, and a faint pull of energy tugged at his hand. Jiang Chen's heart raced. Could this crystal charge his wristband?

However, he didn't show any reaction. Casually, he toyed with the crystal in his hand before returning it to Sun Jiao.

"What can one energy crystal get us?"

"A tenth of a box of meat cans, or half a box of low-quality cans. Ten nutrient boosters, one C-type battery, or three energy weapon magazines. There are so many things you can trade for. This energy crystal is used as currency in many survivor bases. You could even buy a night with a woman in Liuding Town." Sun Jiao flashed a teasing grin at Jiang Chen, clearly enjoying getting under his skin.

"Uh... 37 energy crystals. How about I trade you four cans for it?" Jiang Chen coughed awkwardly.

"Deal." Sun Jiao didn't hesitate to toss the energy crystal back into Jiang Chen's hand. However, as though remembering something, she sighed and added, "Honestly, though, I know you eat a lot, but this trade is definitely a bad deal for you. If you do this with anyone else, you'll end up being scammed."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen shrugged indifferently, not too concerned about the three extra energy crystals.

"Well, ten energy crystals are worth one can, but it depends on what kind of can it is. In Liuding Town, most cans contain mutated fish meat, and some even have sand in them. But that's the best-case scenario... Some cans even have human meat in them..."

The sense of helplessness and numbness in her voice left Jiang Chen feeling suffocated. He swallowed hard, unable to speak for a moment.

"Chicken curry, braised beef... those delicious dishes, it was the first time I've ever tasted them." Sun Jiao said wistfully, casting a meaningful look at Jiang Chen before shifting her gaze. "Traders on the wasteland usually use mutated cows to transport goods. I once had the chance to eat some mutated cow meat. The dry, tough texture left me more than satisfied."

"I believe you," Jiang Chen's voice was barely audible.

At that moment, he felt a pang of fear. To Sun Jiao, he was just a weakling. If she wanted his "wealth," she could probably take him out in an instant.

Did he trust her? Right now, Jiang Chen only felt a chill of terror. He even considered grabbing the gold and returning to the modern world, leaving everything behind—whether it was the threat of death or the wasteland. With these few kilograms of gold, he could live like a millionaire.

He now understood he had underestimated this world.

But perhaps because of his greed, or some misguided sense of confidence, Jiang Chen eventually calmed down. He suppressed the thought of running away.

His face showed no sign of his inner turmoil, and he tried to look nonchalant.

"Trust?" Sun Jiao scoffed, but there was a faint, unspoken emotion in her eyes—something Jiang Chen couldn't quite name. However, in this wasteland filled with hunger and death, such a distant word seemed almost foreign. Although Jiang Chen had said it, Sun Jiao merely dismissed it with a flick of her eyes, as if the word had long ceased to matter.

She sighed and walked towards the kitchen.

"Your naivety... it's almost troubling. But, I don't hate it."

"..."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen slowly relaxed. The tension in his chest loosened.

Maybe, just maybe, he had made the right call. Sun Jiao didn't seem to have any ill intentions toward him after all.

Chapter 4: The Golden Bars of the Bank

The moment Jiang Chen's feet touched the dusty, expensive wooden floor, it felt like just an instant to him.

He glanced at the energy bar on his wrist and froze for a moment—this time, the energy consumption from the crossover was only 40%.

Did the capacity of the energy bar increase with each charge?

Shaking his head, Jiang Chen dismissed the thought. It was undoubtedly good news, but with his current knowledge, he was in no position to explain such phenomena. He decided to leave it at that.

Sitting quietly on the plush sofa, Jiang Chen relished the luxury that was hard to come by in this world. Lighting a cigarette, he waited for time to pass.

Through the moldy wooden window, he vaguely saw Sun Jiao's figure walking up the street. After confirming with the binoculars set aside, Jiang Chen stood up, went downstairs, and opened the door to let her in.

"Here's the gold you asked for."

As he caught the bag Sun Jiao tossed to him, Jiang Chen's hands sank slightly with its weight. He couldn't help but smile inwardly. This was no small amount—probably several kilos. Yet, the way this woman had tossed it, like a crumpled paper ball, was rather impressive.

He glanced at her arm. Her slender frame showed almost no muscle definition.

"That was exhausting. The bank lobby was swarming with zombies. I nearly drained two batteries of ammo to clear them out. The vault was sealed shut with thick steel plates, so I couldn't get it open. These gold bars are what I found in a room called the VIP Room."

Wiping sweat from her forehead, Sun Jiao casually tossed her backpack to one side. Despite the gold not being much, it weighed a few kilos. Adding the weapons and supplies she was carrying, she had been lugging around at least 20 kilos on her back during the trek. The bank was still quite far from here.

"Go on."

"Huh? What's this..." Sun Jiao took the soda Jiang Chen tossed to her, staring at it in confusion.

"I figured you'd like it." Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed under her gaze. He smiled awkwardly.

Sun Jiao's lips curled slightly, but she didn't say anything. After a brief moment of silence, she returned to her usual bold demeanor, tearing open the soda can and taking a big gulp.

"Ahhh... refreshing! This damn weather! Carrying gold outside nearly killed me. Wait, it's still cold?" Sun Jiao shot Jiang Chen a suspicious glance.

"The fridge in the kitchen still works. This villa's solar power system is surprisingly intact." Jiang Chen wasn't lying here. While most electrical appliances had been damaged by the EMP, the solar panels on the villa's roof had miraculously survived. The fridge was still functional.

Perhaps someone had lived here before, fixing what was still useful. But based on the thick layer of dust on the floor, those repairs had been made a long time ago.

"...Forget it. I'm guessing you won't tell me where you got this from," Sun Jiao waved dismissively, throwing the empty can on the floor. "So, what's next? If we're going to blow open the vault and move the gold, we'll need a specialist. We'll need either powerful explosives or a skilled hacker to bypass the electronic locks."

"Where can we find these two things?" Jiang Chen asked, his mind racing. Explosives would be hard to come by. In a peaceful society, it was easy to buy food, but obtaining contraband like explosives was nearly impossible. After thinking for a moment, he spoke up.

"A lot of survivor bases have them, like Liu Ding Town," Sun Jiao said, her eyes glazing over as if lost in thought. "It's one of the more interesting places around here..."

"Is it far from here?"

"Not too far, but it's a bit pricey." Sun Jiao squinted at him with a teasing look in her eyes. "Besides the local residents and the 'laborers' who've lost their freedom, visitors need to pay one energy unit of Yajing to enter, or something of equal value."

"One Yajing?" Jiang Chen frowned in confusion.

"This thing," Sun Jiao pulled a small dark green crystal from her pocket, holding it out. "This Yajing has about 37 points left. You can check it with Epaid. It's not easy to get. Only powerful mutated creatures will produce these bio-crystals in the back of their skulls. If we can avoid them, I'd prefer that..."

Creatures that even she was afraid of? Jiang Chen felt a chill down his spine at the thought.

He took the dark crystal from her hand. A faint pull of energy tugged at his right hand. Jiang Chen's heart raced. Could this thing charge his energy ring?!

He didn't let any of his excitement show, instead casually fiddling with the Yajing in his hand before handing it back to Sun Jiao.

"How much can one Yajing get us?"

"Enough for about one-tenth of a can of meat, or half a can of low-grade food, 10 nutrient capsules, one C-type battery, or three energy weapon magazines. There's plenty it can buy. It's a common currency in many survivor bases. You could even get a woman in Liu Ding Town for a night," Sun Jiao said with a mischievous smirk, clearly enjoying teasing Jiang Chen.

"Ahem... 37 Yajing. How about I trade you four cans of food?" Jiang Chen joked.

"Deal." Without hesitation, Sun Jiao tossed the Yajing back into his hands. But then, as if realizing something, she sighed and added, "I know you eat a lot, but this is definitely a bad deal for you. If you trade like this with others, they'll probably swindle you."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen shrugged, not particularly concerned about the small loss of three Yajing points.

"Well, ten Yajing is worth one can of food, but it depends on what kind of can... Most cans in Liu Ding Town are filled with mutant fish meat, and some even have sand in them. But that's the best case. Some cans? They might have... human flesh," Sun Jiao said, a bitter resignation in her voice.

The words hung in the air, and Jiang Chen felt a chill run down his spine. His throat tightened, and he couldn't respond for a long time.

"Curried chicken, braised beef... those are some delicacies I've only tasted for the first time," Sun Jiao continued, her tone laced with a strange nostalgia. She glanced at Jiang Chen, then quickly turned her eyes away. "Traders in the wasteland usually use mutated cows to haul goods. I was lucky enough to try some mutated beef once. That dry, tough texture was actually very satisfying."

"I believe you," Jiang Chen said softly.

A sudden feeling of fear gripped him. To Sun Jiao, he was probably no match for her in a fight. If she ever wanted his "treasure," he realized, she could easily get rid of him in a moment.

Did he believe her? Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel a shiver of dread. The thought of grabbing the gold and teleporting back to the modern world, leaving everything behind, crossed his mind. With those few kilos of gold, he could live like a millionaire.

It suddenly dawned on him that he had been naïve about this world.

But perhaps out of greed, or a strange sense of arrogance, after an inner struggle, Jiang Chen finally calmed down and pushed the thought of escape aside.

He didn't show his fear, instead forcing a nonchalant expression as he spoke.

"Believe?" Sun Jiao sneered, though the faint trace of something unspoken flickered behind her eyes. The concept of trust had long since disappeared in this wasteland filled with hunger and death. The word seemed so distant now. Even though Jiang Chen had spoken it, Sun Jiao couldn't hide her disdain.

Sighing, Sun Jiao walked towards the kitchen.

"Your naivety is really troubling... but I don't mind it."

"..."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen let out a quiet sigh of relief. The tension in his chest loosened.

Maybe he had guessed right—Sun Jiao wasn't planning anything untoward after all.