novelraw Chapter 688: Take Whatever You Want
Chapter 688: Take Whatever You Want
"Yes, definitely," Jing Shu replied almost without hesitation. Although she felt she could never benefit from the Township Government, especially with Jun Bao being so... stingy, she knew she wouldn’t get any advantage. However, she had, after all, supported more than two thousand people for so long, saved many lives, and escorted them safely back to Wu City.
Those merits... should be worth something, right?
"Looking forward to your arrival."
So, Jing Shu, who had vowed to definitely not leave the house and would rather die than go out, put on her thermal underwear, sweater, thermal pants, cotton-padded jacket, and cotton-padded trousers, finally slipping into her long fur coat before stepping outside.
Having experienced the cold of her previous life, she hadn’t become accustomed to it; instead, she grew even more afraid of the cold. She didn’t want to suffer that misery again—the chilblains that made life worse than death had cast a deep shadow over her heart.
Banana District had also undergone a huge transformation. The snow fell relentlessly. Wu City issued an emergency snow-clearing order, dispatching snowplows and creating thirty thousand road-cleaning jobs. A meal was provided daily for these workers, which prevented Wu City from being buried under the snow.
The snow piles on both sides of the district roads reached thigh height. If Jing Shu hadn’t possessed the foresight to enclose her villa with tempered glass, the yard would undoubtedly be buried in snow by now.
Mr. Jing went to the roof daily to clear snow, pushing it off the villa’s perimeter until the piles were taller than a person.
Golden Sparrow Road in Wu City, once a secluded suburban area before the apocalypse, covered 200,000 square meters. It housed a transshipment storage point originally intended to become a trade and bulk goods center.
After the apocalypse, it initially stored supplies and food. Once those were depleted, it became the Wucheng Town Government’s largest resettlement area.
There were no skyscrapers here, only warehouses larger than football fields, spaced every 30 meters, forming rows that stretched for several kilometers.
Wu City once had six or seven such large-scale storage and bulk centers, but after earthquakes and floods, only this one remained relatively intact.
Each massive warehouse was designed to accommodate countless trucks for loading, transshipment, and storage. However, the current cold weather made it impossible to heat these vast, empty spaces with coal.
Still, the temperature inside was slightly warmer than outdoors. Jing Shu was amazed upon her arrival; she hadn’t expected such a place to exist.
But at that moment, the large warehouse was very messy.
To accommodate more people, the Township Government had brought in sleeper carriages and even constructed numerous mobile, sheet-metal houses.
"Hey, this is nothing! Behind this, there’s a comfort zone and a luxury zone. The comfort zone is made up of those train carriages, complete with bunk beds and toilets—extremely convenient. The luxury zone even has a few mobile villas."
This was Jun Bao’s first major initiative after taking office: he brought refugees from Ta City and Xinlan into Wu City, settling them here. Of course, this wasn’t an act of pure benevolence, offering free food. After all, residency in Wu City was now incredibly valuable, and many people coveted a Wu City residence permit.
Rumor had it that to live in Wu City, one first had to pass some sort of test. Jing Shu didn’t know if this had been the case in her previous life; back then, she had been on the brink of starvation.
For several years, this storage point had served as the Township Government’s hub for food and supplies, but those were now depleted, leaving it empty. Otherwise, it would have long been filled with Wu City’s overcrowded population. However, it truly wasn’t a good place. The warehouses were too vast and cold to heat effectively and lacked a proper sewage system. Staying for a few days was manageable, but long-term residence... would be very difficult.
Upon arriving, Jing Shu suspected her reward wouldn’t be anything top-notch. But what does this place have to do with the reward I’m about to receive?
"It really doesn’t," Jun Bao said.
Jing Shu: ...Are you joking with me?
When Jing Shu saw the other six people who had also won first prize, their Contribution Values at the peak, she felt even more thoroughly duped. Isn’t this just like those pre-apocalypse lottery scams where they lure you in with an ’easy’ first prize, only to make you spend $100 on a piece of jade originally priced at $10,000?
Among them, Jing Shu recognized a few: Su Malie’s father, a coal tycoon with whom she often collaborated; and an old acquaintance, Young Master Lan, who had been trapped with her in the Mudstone Flow Sea. Oh, she also recalled his family was connected to the power grid, supplying electricity to at least part of Wu City.
Jing Shu was a bit surprised. Young Master Lan had lost his sallow complexion in such a short time; his cheeks even had some flesh on them now.
Jing Shu didn’t recognize the other individuals, but they all appeared healthy. Their faces were flushed, they weren’t emaciated from starvation, and they all wore warm clothing—the ultimate status symbol in the apocalypse.
The few people who had been summoned exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss.
"Your Contribution Values can be exchanged for rewards, and this is true," Jun Bao assured.
Jun Bao led them to a final, distinct warehouse. It was completely sealed and heavily guarded. When the heavy doors opened, they revealed a space packed to the brim with goods, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Jing Shu’s mouth gradually fell open. The sheer volume of supplies from an entire city was far more staggering than anything she had managed to collect on her own.
Jing Shu’s gaze landed on a helicopter and remained fixed. She recognized it—the same one that had flown over the skyscrapers earlier. Its polished black metal gleamed, and its massive rotor blades exuded an imposing aura. The others were also visibly startled.
Some were armed helicopters, others were civilian models, and a few were smaller, more delicate types. But Jing Shu’s eyes were immediately drawn to this large one. Such a conspicuous position... She turned to Jun Bao. Was this intentional?
"Pick whatever you like," Jun Bao said with a sly grin. "Some of these are the private possessions of former officials, some belong to the Township Government, and some are collectibles. In short, you can have whatever you want. It’s a rare opportunity." He added, "There are also some items that were... ’confiscated.’"
There were many other large items as well: all kinds of Tan Kes, various restricted weapons, ammunition, and other supplies, all either top-notch or extremely rare.
There were all kinds of high-end items, each of considerable value; just no food.
But Jing Shu knew where Wu City’s real food storage point was—that was the true supply base.
The others held back, but under Jun Bao’s urging, Young Master Lan hesitantly pointed to a Tan Ke and asked, "I’ll take this Tan Ke?"
A Tan Ke—everyone wanted one, Jing Shu included. It wasn’t just a weapon; in this apocalypse, it was the best kind of mobile home, capable of traversing mountains and rugged terrain.
"No problem," Jun Bao stated. "Deducting your father’s current one million Contribution Value, you’ll need to provide food equivalent to another 14 million Virtual Coins. We only accept food."
Young Master Lan stammered, "...Never mind. Forget I said anything."
So Contribution Value is basically like a voucher? You can ask for anything, but you still have to pay? Oh, not pay—barter food for it? Well, that excitement was short-lived.
However, someone quickly caught on and asked eagerly, "What can I get for 3 million Contribution Value? I’ll only use my Contribution Value, absolutely no extra payment!"