Wasteland Development Diary

Night had fallen, but the streets were brightly lit, with rhombus-shaped stones adorning every shop, even making the street signs gleam.

The streets in the Seventh District were narrow.

Zhou Yi followed Doctor Lu, jostling shoulders with all kinds of pedestrians.

"Why not build them wider here?"

"Because it's not necessary."

The antlered female doctor said, "It makes it seem prosperous, giving the illusion that the population is constantly flowing in and business is booming."

"Life is easily misled and influenced by group behavior, making everyone more willing to spend money locally. It's almost all like this from the Seventh District to the First District."

"Is business bad here?"

"It's not that it's bad, but only a few trades really make money."

She explained, "Prostitution, gambling, assassination, and scavenging."

Zhou Yi said, "Isn't this a safe zone? Is assassination allowed?"

"Of course, you can't do it directly, so you have to find ways to challenge or lure the target outside."

She brought the topic back, "Why are you following me?"

"I'm very interested in you."

"You want to sleep with me?"

"No. I think your skills are quite good."

"You mean blood medicine?"

The other party didn't stop walking, just casually saying, "Blood medicine is not uncommon in this place. In the end, it's just a means of survival for mixed-bloods, because their blood is the only thing of value."

Yuanxiao had already introduced mixed-bloods to Zhou Yi, this group being the offspring of Guangna species and humans.

Mixed-bloods have no reproductive ability and have innate Guangna organs, but their strength is not as good as their parents. Most mixed-bloods are just accidental byproducts of the previous generation's desires.

In the eyes of humans, mixed-bloods are humanoid monsters, and in the eyes of Guangna species, mixed-bloods are underdeveloped freaks.

Blood medicine is a profession developed by mixed-bloods.

"Let's talk later, I have to work first."

Doctor Lu hurried into a large building called "Lucky Pendulum," which was built with gold and splendor, the entrance steps inlaid with glittering rhombus stones, and the doorman bowed and saluted every entrant.

Zhou Yi followed her all the way into the lobby, finding it extremely spacious and filled with tables. Each table was hosted by a scantily clad beautiful woman, and customers sat around the tables, playing cards and rolling dice.

It turned out to be a large casino.

Slightly distracted, Zhou Yi couldn't find Doctor Lu.

Someone came over and said, "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

It was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old doorman.

His voice was clear and his face was smiling.

He was also a C-level enhancer.

Zhou Yi shook his head, "I'm waiting for a friend here."

"Okay. Then I won't disturb you. If you're interested in playing a few rounds, you can buy chips at the front desk."

"Thank you."

The doorman bowed and then left.

The guidance service provided by the casino was just right, without any mandatory spending, which was not annoying.

Zhou Yi looked around and noticed a mechanical life gambler.

It was a four-wheeled vehicle, topped with a long mechanical arm. The mechanical arm's metal fingers were pinching playing cards, and it was intensely gambling with other gamblers.

Zhou Yi watched from a distance, and after a while, the mechanical arm lost.

It didn't seem discouraged, and took out more chips to participate in a new round of gambling.

The second round was lost again.

The third round was also lost.

Only then did it leave the field.

Zhou Yi observed the surroundings and also saw two mechanical lifeforms wandering around the casino.

He used telepathy to ask Yuanxiao beside him, "Do mechanical lifeforms also like to gamble?"

"Yes."

The Death Angel said, "Chairman, mechanical lifeforms believe that gambling is a mathematical problem. As long as they can crack the secret of probability, they can obtain stable profits from gambling."

"..."

Zhou Yi was shocked, "So naive?"

"Actually, it's not. They know that the house will use various means to ensure profits. But a casino, if no one can win money at all, it is impossible to operate. So it is necessary to ensure stable profits while giving gamblers a part of the probability of winning."

"Competition between casinos also depends on who controls the probability more accurately and effectively."

Yuanxiao explained, "Mechanical lifeforms are looking for that key probability constant, and finding a path to victory through calculation. In fact, the casino's actuarial and probability design are almost all completed by mechanical lifeforms in the background, so this is also a mathematical contest."

Zhou Yi understood.

Mechanical life gamblers are calculating and capturing the part of the profits that ordinary gamblers have.

"It's not very appropriate to say this. But there were two very famous gambling kings in the Forbidden Continent, both of whom were mechanical lifeforms. The big gambling king only used 10 light seeds as capital, and relied on calculations in the casino to earn more than 20 million light seeds, and the small gambling king also earned 10 million light seeds."

Yuanxiao said that the casino is also happy to see the deeds of the gambling king.

Because this is a natural promotional sign, telling everyone in the Forbidden Continent that gambling can really make you rich overnight!

This made Zhou Yi suspect that the gambling king was also created by the casino.

He scanned left and right.

After searching for a long time, he finally found where Doctor Lu was.

At this time, Doctor Lu had her hair up, wearing a low-cut black dress that revealed a deep cleavage. She stood in front of a table, smiling as she dealt cards.

It turned out that she also worked part-time here as a sexy dealer.

Zhou Yi watched for a while and then left the hall to breathe fresh air outside.

There was a very peculiar and enthusiastic atmosphere in the casino, and staying there for a long time would easily be affected by that fanaticism.

At the edge of the steps, Zhou Yi hadn't stood for a while when two women came over.

"Want to play, brother?"

One of the women wore a coat outside, but inside it was empty, with only some black tape sticking to the key parts, which were vaguely visible during activities, making it even more seductive.

The other woman wore a white tight sweater, highlighting her upper circumference and graceful waist and hips, but below the waist was a slippery snake body covered with scales.

She also had a small bell hanging around her neck, which jingled softly as she spoke.

"Are you very angry? I will help you have fun, you can play however you want."

The other party seemed to mistake Zhou Yi for a frustrated gambler and came to pull his hand.

"No, thank you."

Zhou Yi raised his hand to refuse.

The tape girl smiled freely and said in his ear, "You're really cold-blooded, remember to come to me if you change your mind. I like your type, I'll give you a 50% discount."

The snake girl showed a sad look, but soon found the next guest.

The outside of the casino became a place for prostitutes to solicit customers, which was a seamless connection between the two industries.

These prostitutes are all enhancers, male and female, and their costumes and words have been carefully designed.

Zhou Yi thought of a question: "Yuanxiao, casinos and prostitution, if there is no money or someone tries to freeload, and you can't use force in this safe zone, how do you deal with these people?"

"Each of the sixteen sections in the Seventh District has its own rules."

Yuanxiao's eyes swept over those soliciting prostitutes: "But the result for debtors is the same. The rules here will enforce repayment."

"If the debtor is good at fighting, they will be sold to be assassins. If they are physically strong, they may also be turned into prostitutes or test subjects... If they can't do anything, then some of their organs may be sold to offset the debt."

"There is also an extreme way, which is to escape the safe zone. But entering the dangerous zone outside is more dangerous than forced labor and organ deduction, so anyone with a clear mind would not do this."

Zhou Yi said, "What's in the dangerous zone?"

"There is strong radiation outside, all life will continue to weaken, vitality will continue to decline, and it is difficult to persist for long."

"There are also assassin rats."

"They are about this big, about the size of a sand rat."

Yuanxiao gestured with both hands.

"But the levels are all B-level and above."

"Assassin rats have extremely strong aggression and killing desires. They are very fast, extremely resistant to blows, and like to ambush and hunt. They will cut open the prey's body, only eat the internal organs, and then discard the corpse."

Zhou Yi asked, "Do they fight in groups?"

"No, assassin rats are all single combat."

Single?

Zhou Yi couldn't help but be a little surprised: "Is the single lethality enough?"

"Chairman."

Yuanxiao said with a serious face, "The assassin rat's diet includes Ridge Hunters, Light Squids, and adult Gray Whales."

"They only have one ability, which is [Death]."

"Being attacked by an assassin rat has a certain probability of dying directly. Although this probability is small, because the assassin rat's attack frequency is very high, there is still a risk of being continuously hit. This is the same for both flesh and blood life and mechanical life."

"Holy crap!"

Zhou Yi couldn't help but swear.

This ability is too heaven-defying!

No wonder people here would rather have their organs sold than leave the safe zone.

If you encounter an assassin rat when you go out, you're gone if you're unlucky.

"Is there no countermeasure?"

"Yes, give light seeds."

Yuanxiao said, "As long as you give them light seeds, they will eat the light seeds and stop attacking."

"..."

Equivalent to paying protection fees.

"Has no one considered catching assassin rats for research? Their ability should be very valuable."

"Not easy to catch."

Yuanxiao said, "If captured or exhausted, assassin rats will instantly end their own lives. They are like professional killers, committing suicide if they fail."

Still quite proud.

Zhou Yi thought, that's indeed tricky.

This kind of creature takes life and death lightly, and if you don't agree, just do it... It has a bit of the Forbidden Continent's honey badger vibe.

The two were having an encrypted conversation.

Suddenly, a voice came from his mind.

"Chairman, there's a special consciousness here."

"That thing is unusual."

"If possible, please get it."

It was the atmospheric creature Curling.

It was the first time it had taken the initiative to speak.

"Can you sense the outside world?"

Zhou Yi was surprised.

"I can sense some through consciousness..."

Under its guidance, Zhou Yi came to a small shop opposite the casino. A flower-screen old TV was placed on the corner of the store, the screen covered with colored squares.

That's what Curling sensed.

The shop owner was a mechanical lifeform, with the head of an old-fashioned CRT square-headed monitor, and a metal body like a Tetsujin.

It said enthusiastically, "Does the guest have anything they are interested in? We have clearly marked prices here, no deception of the old or young!"

The price tag on the TV was 99.99 light seeds.

Zhou Yi asked, "Can I touch it to see the material?"

"Of course."

He touched the TV, input energy, and turned on telepathy.

He didn't get any information.

Zhou Yi turned on [Radio] again, still without success.

Does this thing really have a consciousness?

Or is the atmospheric creature's precision of consciousness higher?

Curling said, "Chairman, the consciousness fragments inside are very small. I'll absorb it and see."

In order not to attract attention, Zhou Yi took out 100 light seeds and bought the TV.

"Guest, you really have an eye for it. It is a local antique from the Age of Gods. Look how well it is maintained. I have many other things here, take a look, they are all good things..."

Zhou Yi responded verbally.

The atmospheric creature's voice came from his mind.

"Chairman, confirmed, it is a consciousness fragment of a light core body."

"Its fragments have been releasing a signal, or rather a sentence."

Curling said, "It says."

"Welcome to the Forbidden Paradise. We have now opened Meat Mountain, Golden Elephant Valley, and Spark Plains to the public. We sincerely invite tourists from all over the world to come and enjoy the fun of death."

Forbidden Paradise?

It seems that this is the real name of the Forbidden Continent.

Zhou Yi fell into contemplation.