Wasteland Development Diary

"I know Maogu Town is having difficulties, but the price of our company's goods is already lower than that of Jitou Town merchants, and we can't lower it any further."

The youth with a cane in front of him looked helpless.

Cao Dayuan scratched his ear, somewhat speechless.

The Wasteland Development Company's products were indeed of good quality and low price.

Now, the residents of Maogu Town each hold rhombic stones, and the caves can be illuminated for a long time, thanks to the Wasteland Development Company driving down the price. Only 10 Maogu insects are needed to exchange for one.

Meat that was difficult to eat in the past—at least bone-in meat—can be exchanged for mushrooms. And not the dry, dirty, fragmented bones, but complete ones, with meat and marrow, put into a pot and stewed with mushrooms, sprinkled with a little salt, and it tastes incredibly delicious.

But Maogu Town was still too poor.

"Ah, I know."

Cao Dayuan still hardened his heart and pleaded, "But winter came too suddenly this year. It snowed last night, and everyone is afraid to go out, fearing encountering winter beasts."

"The rat infestation is also getting more and more serious. Sand rats have stolen a lot of hay and branches, and they are very difficult to catch. Although the mushroom production has been good in the past two years, we can eat them, but the heating problem cannot be solved."

"According to the current situation, the firewood stored by everyone is not enough to burn at all."

"You bought a lot of wood and branches from the town before, can you sell some back to us?"

"Those may only be used for decoration and flooring for you, but they can prevent the townspeople from freezing to death. We are willing to exchange them for more mushrooms. Please, just exchange some for us."

Gong Zheng fell into deep thought.

Cao Dayuan waited anxiously for the other party's answer.

He and Gong Zheng were old acquaintances.

Gong Zheng knew a lot, could read and treat illnesses, and also understood monsters. He was very respected in Maogu Town in the past. Cao Dayuan had many years of experience in cultivating cave mushrooms, but he also knew that his knowledge was limited, so he often went to consult Gong Zheng.

In the past, the two had their own strengths, and the gap was not that big.

Now, however, there was a world of difference.

Cao Dayuan was still wearing tattered clothes. This clothes was made by sewing together his grandfather's and father's clothes, which was thicker than most townspeople's clothes.

His fingernails were full of mud, the coarse cloth leggings on his feet were washed white by the sand, and he had a sour smell of mushrooms mixed with feces.

The Gong Zheng in front of him was wearing a clean, smooth black coat, with straight trousers and a pair of well-made shoes.

He held a cane made of metal or stone, his face was free of any stains, and his gestures were completely different from the past.

Although his tone was still gentle, Gong Zheng no longer had the cautiousness of a stranger, but had a kind of calmness and control.

This made Cao Dayuan feel a trace of doubt in his heart.

Was he wrong?

If he hadn't been stubborn and had joined the Wasteland Development Company with A Jin, working under that chairman. Maybe he would also be renewed and become like Gong Zheng is now, no longer troubled by food and heating.

The hesitation only lasted for a moment.

Cao Dayuan regained his firmness.

No.

To change the face of Maogu Town, it must rely on the people of Maogu Town themselves, otherwise this place will always be a gathering place for refugees and useless people in the eyes of others.

We are not beggars.

He had to stand up straight.

After a long silence, Gong Zheng told him, "I sympathize with and understand your situation, but I can't make the decision on this matter. But if the chairman nods, then everything can be adjusted. What I can do is take you to see the chairman, but the chairman is busy and doesn't have time to deal with small matters, so we need a reason."

"Reason..."

Cao Dayuan thought for a long time, and finally thought of one: "A kind of mushroom I cultivated can attract monsters. Does this count?"

"Oh? You should talk about this carefully."

Gong Zheng smiled and said, "The chairman is always full of interest in novel things."

……

Following behind Gong Zheng, Cao Dayuan held a rhombic lamp and walked through the oasis belt all the way.

From a distance, he could see a small mountain-like monster standing on the beach near the Dead Sea.

Its body had dense square holes, and each hole emitted dazzling light. It is said that there were complex passages inside, and each hole could be reached through intestines or bones.

Except for those who joined the company, no one in Maogu Town had ever really entered it.

The two stopped in front of an iron gate in the middle of a low wall.

This wall was only as tall as a person.

Cao Dayuan felt that even a child could easily climb over it, and he didn't know what the use of building it was. But the big iron gate was really imposing. Jitou Town used wooden doors, but compared with this, it seemed bulky and rigid.

Gong Zheng said to the door, "This next to me is Cao Dayuan from Maogu Town, here to visit the chairman."

"Please open the door."

Not long after.

The iron gate slowly opened inward.

Cao Dayuan was dumbfounded: "The door, can it understand what you're saying?"

"This is Emerald City. It is my company colleague and also our company's office building. The outside world generally calls it the Dead Sea Alien..."

Gong Zheng explained, "It can't understand what we're saying, but because of the chairman's order, people brought by company employees will be considered legal visitors by Emerald City, and outsiders can't get in."

Cao Dayuan hesitated a little, and glanced at the low wall again.

Isn't it just a matter of flipping over it?

Gong Zheng seemed to know what he was thinking, and said with a serious face, "Don't have the idea of ​​forcing your way in, this will directly trigger the access control, and illegal visitors will be instantly blasted into scum."

Cao Dayuan couldn't help but shudder.

Before entering the unit door, he saw two ships parked outside, and couldn't help but think that the Wasteland Development Company was developing the Dead Sea, no wonder it had such abundant resources.

Continuing to step inside, he entered a narrow box.

The silver door closed from both sides.

The silver metal wall began to flicker with light.

Cao Dayuan felt as if his body was being lifted up by something, and hurriedly supported the wall with his hands, feeling an uncomfortable palpitation in his heart: "This, what is this?"

"An elevator, which can go from bottom to top, and can quickly reach the top floor where the chairman is located."

Gong Zheng next to him smiled: "Actually, it's Emerald City's intestines."

"We... are being eaten?"

Cao Dayuan was stunned.

"We are just moving up and down quickly through these intestines, don't mind it."

Gong Zheng suddenly changed the subject: "Old Cao, what do you think is the way out for Maogu Town?"

"I don't know."

Cao Dayuan said, "Let's get through the winter first, and try not to let anyone die."

With a ding.

The door opened to both sides.

Finally leaving the alien's long and straight intestinal cavity, Cao Dayuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Behind a door on the top floor, he finally met the owner of this place, the chairman of the Wasteland Development Company, the man in the rumors.

"Please come in."

The other party was unpretentious, with black hair and white clothes, looking clean. Judging from the other party's appearance and living environment, he was indeed the kind of big shot who was pampered.

Inside was a bright and warm cave, a wide and flat structure, huge transparent crystals on the walls, thick woolen products on the ground, leather seats, various metal cans filled with wooden shelves, and exquisite and strange devices that he couldn't name...

These gave Cao Dayuan a strong sense of oppression.

Compared with the luxurious palace inside the alien, the caves in Maogu Town were like insect nests.

Cao Dayuan said silently to himself.

Stand up straight, we are not beggars.

This is a transaction.

"I heard you have a mushroom that can attract monsters? Can I take a look?" the black-haired youth asked.

Cao Dayuan took out a handful of thin, clustered small mushrooms from his pocket.

"It's this."

"They grow out of normal cave mushrooms, they are mutants, and there are very few of them. I call them 'monster-attracting mushrooms'. If you encounter a monster attack, you can throw this thing out to attract the monsters, and then take the opportunity to escape."

"It's just that there are too few of them, and I haven't found a way to cultivate them artificially. I can give you all the ones I found."

The young man took the monster-attracting mushroom and looked at it carefully.

Then he showed a very interested expression on his face: "What do you want to trade with our company for this?"

Cao Dayuan said: "We want more branches and wood to keep warm and get through the winter."

"No problem."

The other party said: "If it's not enough, I can also find some fuel for you to get through the winter."

Cao Dayuan was overjoyed: "Thank you, thank you!!"

"It's a small matter."

The other party pinched the mushroom in his hand: "This is more important. Now let's talk about this monster-attracting mushroom."

"Okay, okay."

The stone hanging in Cao Dayuan's heart finally fell.