Chapter 4: To Survive, You Need to Know the Background

"I need some medicine for injuries," Lu Meng said.

"You're hurt?" Wei Hong asked, concerned and somewhat curious.

Lu Meng was dressed like a scavenger, but since he was an envoy from the headquarters, this was probably just a disguise.

After getting a closer look, Wei Hong noticed that Lu Meng seemed to be full of energy, showing no signs of physical weakness. Initially, she hadn't thought in this direction.

"It's for a friend of mine. He needs surgery urgently," Lu Meng paused, not revealing any details about Huo Buyang.

"Actually, it's not just injury medicine. Disinfectants, basic surgical tools... everything's in short supply. It would be best if there were post-op recovery medicine too."

"If you happen to have the 'Type B Advanced Medical Module,' that would be even better."

Having laid the groundwork, Lu Meng revealed his real purpose.

[Module] was a technological concept from the ancient civilization. To make cutting-edge technology accessible to ordinary people, they designed various modules, each containing all the necessary tools to solve specific problems.

For example, if you needed to unscrew a bolt, they would hand you a whole set of tools.

Although this would lead to resource waste, it wasn't a big deal for the highly developed and materially abundant ancient civilization.

The advantage was that an ordinary person could complete tasks at an average level just by using the tools from a module, accompanied by relevant instructions, without needing specialized knowledge.

The more advanced the module, the less professional knowledge the user needed.

The [Type B Advanced Medical Module] that Lu Meng sought was such a relic of the ancient civilization.

With such a module, even someone with no knowledge of medical technology, like him, could perform a simple surgery alone.

"Sure," Wei Hong nodded. Medical modules were essential for a group of ruthless warriors like the Rogue Knights, and her boss had plenty stored at the bar in West Town.

"But I'll need to fetch it from the warehouse. You might have to wait a bit."

Although the modules were precious, they weren't irreplaceable.

Once the tools and medicines inside a module were used up, you could simply replace them with new ones based on the module's blueprint, even if the substitutes weren't as effective.

This was why module technology spread quickly in ancient civilizations, and even now, people in the wasteland could still benefit from the legacy of the ancients.

What was truly irreplaceable was the innovative ability to design new modules.

Wei Hong called Zhang He over, gave him a few instructions, and asked him to retrieve the module from the bar's storage.

Meanwhile, she stayed at the bar and chatted with Lu Meng, the "envoy from headquarters," about his escape from Rebirth Town and his journey.

Lu Meng mixed his past experience in the game 'Swordman' with the story and adapted it, embellishing it for Wei Hong.

Anyone could tell a tall tale.

Thanks to her understanding of the world, Lu Meng was able to speak fluidly, making the story sound so elaborate that Wei Hong couldn't help but praise him.

As they chatted, the "Kiss of Sacred Fire" drink burned itself out, leaving behind a strange black liquid at the bottom of the glass.

To avoid ordinary people accidentally triggering the cocktail used for contact, it was designed not for drinking.

Lu Meng sipped the beer Wei Hong had just poured, the slight drunkenness helping him think. The buzz in his nerves was just enough to stimulate his brain while keeping him clear-headed.

After this deal…

He would need a way to defend himself.

Looking at the crossbow hanging behind the bar, he asked, "Is that crossbow for sale?"

Wei Hong turned to look, "It's a failed prototype my boss made. Its actual range is less than 30 meters. I only hung it here because it's still new. I'll replace it in a few days. If you want it, I can get you a military-grade crossbow."

"I just thought it looked small and delicate. I wanted to buy it as a souvenir," Lu Meng casually lied. If it were a military crossbow, with his strength, he wouldn't need it. "Looks like our tastes are similar."

"Really? I think it looks nice too," Wei Hong seemed pleased. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."

"Your boss' stuff? You're giving it to me?"

"Something nobody's bought, not even he wants it, and he always says I have bad taste..."

Just as Lu Meng and Wei Hong were casually chatting, a strong man wearing a leather vest pushed open the door, looked around for a moment, and walked straight to a corner table.

There had originally been only a man in black sitting at that table, drinking quietly. When the strong man sat down casually, the man in black wasn't surprised. He simply moved a little, clearly already familiar with him.

After the strong man downed a large cup of liquor, the man in black refilled his cup, then spoke:

"Song Chai, lost a bet again?"

Song Chai didn't answer. He pushed aside the drink the man in black handed him and grabbed the jug to drink it all.

"He Xun, stop with the sarcastic remarks. Got any jobs for me?"

The man in black was He Xun. They used to be the top dogs in the same gang. After gaining some fame, He Xun used his cleverness to join the market and slowly climbed up to become a district supervisor, rising to prominence.

Song Chai, on the other hand, believed in muscle as truth and continued managing the gang, acting as a local thug.

Unfortunately, you can only keep a few fish in a small pond. They were just a small gang, with only two or three strong members. Even though they managed a bunch of refugees, when money got tight, they had to go to their "brother" in the market.

He Xun didn't mind using his "big brother" to handle problems he didn't want to deal with.

"Not much I need your help with," He Xun replied slowly. "But there might be a fat sheep..."

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the bar.

From this angle, he could vaguely see Wei Hong's profile.

"What's this? Looking at that woman again?" Song Chai didn't even turn around. He was already used to He Xun hanging out in this corner.

Otherwise, how would a district supervisor like him be spending every day in a little tavern?

"I'm telling you, don't get attached. Wei Hong might be a bit chubby, but she's no ordinary employee. You still want to make a move on a merchant?"

"How can you call a girl chubby?"

He Xun's words caught Song Chai off guard. "And I wasn't looking at her, I was looking at the scavenger she's talking to."

Song Chai followed his gaze, just in time to see Wei Hong laughing with amusement at something Lu Meng said, and even he was surprised:

"How did Wei Hong end up with a scavenger... Don't worry, once I make a move, your rival will disappear for sure."

He Xun just sneered:

"Hmph, looks like you don't know that scavenger. If it weren't for me keeping an eye out, you wouldn't even know about him. I was wondering why Wei Yi has been acting so smug lately..."

As the supervisor of the market, He Xun was more sensitive to changes in acquisition prices than most people, and his sources of information had to be reliable.

Wei Yi's performance had doubled in recent months, and He Xun was very curious about the reason behind it.

If someone like Song Chai, a gang leader, knew about it, he might just brush it off, thinking of Lu Meng as a somewhat capable scavenger.

But He Xun was different. What he cared about was where this scavenger had obtained so many civilized relics.

Some of them he had never seen before.

There might be a big secret behind this, such as Lu Meng finding a large, undiscovered ancient civilization base, bringing things out daily to trade for money.

After listening to He Xun's explanation, Song Chai nodded. "I don't understand."

"He's just a scavenger, do you really need to be so concerned?"

"You don't need to understand," He Xun patted Song Chai's shoulder, "When we leave the bar, help me take him to your gang, and I will come find you."

If He Xun could find this base, his position in the market might improve.

Even without this base, he had already planned to "invite" Lu Meng over; he just hadn't expected to run into him at the West Town Tavern today.

It would be best if he could recruit him.

'But if someone like him can't be of use to me, I can't let my competitors benefit either.'

He Xun still believed that Lu Meng was in possession of a secret base that no one else knew about.

As for making a fortune on his own?

As the supervisor of the market, He Xun knew exactly how difficult the work of a scavenger was in the wasteland.

After all, this situation was something they had caused themselves, and he wouldn't allow anyone to get rich like Lu Meng and still come to bars.

"If he doesn't know his place..." He Xun narrowed his eyes, "Does he not understand his background? People who can't figure out their position should be killed."

"Be quick about it, don't let anyone notice," He Xun still had some concerns about any potential ties between Lu Meng and the West Town Tavern.

Song Chai patted his chest, "Leave it to me, don't worry. Besides, he's just a scavenger, what can he do to us?"

"Alright, when we get back, no matter how much you lost in this gamble, I'll cover it!"

He Xun clinked glasses with Song Chai.

In the midst of their laughter, the fate of a scavenger was sealed.

...

The appearance of the B-type advanced-level medical module was a silver-white box, and upon opening it, there were well-labeled vials and disposable surgical tools arranged in order of use.

Lu Meng checked it according to his memories from his previous life and confirmed everything was correct.

This medical module was organizational support provided to him as the "headquarters envoy" by the Langren group, so Lu Meng wasn't charged any kai coins, which he could not afford anyway.

However, when Wei Hong wanted to gift him a hand crossbow, Lu Meng still insisted on paying the remaining 200 opening coins he had on him.

This was a matter of social etiquette.

She had also kindly given him two extra sets of crossbow bolts.

This hand crossbow was commonly referred to as a "toothpick crossbow" in the wasteland. The miniature bolts it shot could be exaggeratedly compared to toothpicks, but in reality, they were about the thickness of disposable chopsticks from ancient civilization.

After several rounds of drinks, Wei Hong began to babble.

Although she was usually carefree, it was clear she was now quite drunk.

Zhang He quickly pulled her aside—if she kept drinking, no one would be able to tend to the bar.

Lu Meng also helped support Wei Hong, but his mind remained clear.

He wasn't drunk at all.

It wasn't that Lu Meng had a high alcohol tolerance—his constitution was only 5 points, about the average level of a normal person, certainly not enough to match Wei Hong, a female warrior who could handle alcohol well.

It was just that the young girl was in a good mood and drank a lot.

Additionally, as someone who had managed a bar for years, while he hadn't immersed himself in it, he had no particular taboos.

He had also subtly guided the conversation.

After all, a brain numbed by alcohol was easier to manipulate.

In contrast, Lu Meng had only drunk a little.

He didn't dare drink too much, afraid of getting drunk—getting drunk would lower his attributes.

Given how few attributes he had, he couldn't afford it.

'But even so, she didn't reveal much about the Langren group's internal information. It seems she still has some subconscious guard against me.'

Seeing that Wei Hong had already passed out on the bar counter, with just a little drool escaping her mouth, he could only say goodbye to Zhang He.

Before Lu Meng left, Zhang He mysteriously stopped him and gave him the 450 kai coins for "toll money" that he had paid earlier.

If he could get in the good sides with the boss, would he not take the opportunity?

Lu Meng smiled, didn't refuse, but left 50 kai coins behind as a normal tip.

Zhang He awkwardly accepted it, watching Lu Meng leave with composure and understanding the meaning behind it.

Receiving the money was to teach him a lesson, and giving the tip meant letting the past be bygones—someone of Lu Meng's stature wouldn't stoop to holding a grudge.

Once he was out of everyone's sight, Lu Meng suddenly crouched down, entering Stealth mode.

It would draw too much attention if he went straight into stealth as soon as he left the bar.

With the medical module on his back and a vial of medicine in hand, he quickly moved away, while coating his crossbow bolts.

Lu Meng reflected with a teasing mindset on the earlier scene.

If Zhang He really felt guilty, shouldn't he have dug into his own pocket to support Brother Lu?

Just returning the money wasn't enough; young Zhang really didn't know how to handle things.

After turning left and right, just as he felt no one was following him, his attribute panel suddenly displayed a status update.

[Life Skill: Stealth 12→13 (Basic)]

Stealth skill had leveled up.

Lu Meng grew alert—this level-up was unusually fast.

This meant he had triggered a special state when leveling up Stealth, indicating someone with a higher perception attribute than his Stealth skill was watching him!

In this state, practicing Stealth would earn double experience, but at the same time, the stealth effect itself would be negated.

He was being followed.