Chapter 400: Chapter 400
"I know, but Austin doesn’t have our detailed information, just our Asian identity and our physical samples. Even if we’re scanned, we’ll just be ’suspected’ targets," Jing Shu said.
Yang Yang had to admit, "The key is, any suspected target must be sent up for the Slave Masters’ men to verify personally. The informants I arranged were captured, and we haven’t heard from them since. It’s likely they met bad ends. They’d rather mistakenly capture many than let a single one go."
A slight smile played on Jing Shu’s lips. "Then we just need to make the inspectors determine that we aren’t the suspected targets."
Yang Yang raised an eyebrow. "You mean to bribe? Threaten?"
"Don’t forget how Zero was captured," Jing Shu said.
Yang Yang had an epiphany. "That’s great! I actually forgot you had that skill! This task will be much easier now, thanks to you. If we succeed, you’ll get the primary credit!"
As Jing Shu and Yang Yang spoke cryptically, the others were somewhat confused about what they were discussing. Monk was completely lost. Wasn’t Jing Shu just an Assistant? How come after being apart for a month, this woman seemed to have suddenly achieved a breakthrough, and everyone was treating her with such respect?
However, it didn’t take long for Jing Shu to demonstrate what real assistance meant.
That night, the group slept in a dilapidated house outside Austin City. Jing Shu’s squad finally had a decent meal, ravenously consuming over a dozen pots of plain white rice while recounting the hardships they had endured over the past half-month.
Yang Yang began distributing the Contribution Value from their first task. It had to be said, the rewards from their desperate efforts were substantial. With twenty-three cargo ships, based on individual contributions, almost everyone received ten thousand Contribution Value. After deducting the Contribution Value needed for resources gathered from the Black Market and other places to be transported back to Wu City, each person still had about six or seven thousand Contribution Value left.
In this second task, they could collect even more resources and use Contribution Value to cover the transport costs back to Huaxia. A trip to the United States at this time practically guaranteed becoming immensely rich.
Of course, this was only possible in the third year of the apocalypse. Starting from the fourth year, the whole world would enter a slump, and by the fifth year, even the United States would have exhausted its resources. So, it was crucial to seize the opportunity early!
Yang Yang then said, "COUGH. COUGH. Mirror, you exchanged hundreds of thousands of Black Market Coin for too many resources from the Black Market to ship back this time. You used 15,000 Contribution Value and still owe 5,000. I’ve put it on your account."
Jing Shu nodded. So many things for just 15,000 Contribution Value! Transporting them from the United States to Huaxia would consume an unknown amount of Fuel, but it wasn’t a loss. Contribution Value really is a great thing. Now, her Magic Cube Space can be used specifically to store valuable and illicit materials, while everything else can be shipped back home using Contribution Value. This trip was truly worth it. She’d probably return immensely rich this time too.
Jing Shu patted Tan Ke. "I remember you still owe me some Contribution Value?"
More than just a little...
So Tan Ke, somewhat embarrassed, brought out the team’s Contribution Value list. "We used a lot of Mirror’s stuff this trip. Here’s our list."
Yang Yang was stupefied after seeing the list. "A bag of salt for 50 Contribution Value? An egg for 50 Contribution Value? A meal for 100 Contribution Value? What the heck?"
Fifty Contribution Value could transport several hundred bags of salt back to their country. However, in the mountains where they had nothing, Jing Shu had saved an entire team, managed their meals for over ten days, and according to Tan Ke, even ensured they had their fill of various delicacies. Ultimately, it was thanks to Jing Shu that they had made it out.
Yang Yang nodded. "The rest isn’t a loss; thankfully, we saved our lives."
At the final settlement, Jing Shu had earned 15,000 Contribution Value. She instantly paid off all her debts and now had an extra 10,000 Contribution Value.
It seems that even in this rich and resource-abundant Austin, this still isn’t enough. I need to find a way to earn more Contribution Value, Jing Shu thought, then suddenly asked, "Is there any other way to earn Contribution Value on this second mission?"
Stealing the vegetable dehydration technology and associated equipment was their main objective—the "ticket" for this round trip—and offered no additional Contribution Value.
Yang Yang pondered and said, "Frankly, this trip is funded by Qian Duoduo. So, as long as you can bring back anything beneficial for the development of Stone Garden, you can use his channels to transport the materials back to the country."
"Understood." This made Jing Shu a bit hesitant. If she brought more things to Qian Duoduo for the development of Stone Garden, would it hasten its demise? However, if she turned a sheep into a wolf, would the tyrant have some reservations? Jing Shu didn’t dwell on it too much; she could only take things one step at a time. What troubled her now was what to plant in the six new fields in her Magic Cube Space.
Currently, Jing Shu’s spirit field had fruits, medicinal herbs, vegetables, cotton, and tobacco, each occupying six cubic meters of space. It was a perfect ratio, but overproduction led to waste, though there was still some surplus. Over the year, she had accumulated enough cotton and tobacco, which would be precious consumables in the future. However, Jing Shu still didn’t plan to plant grains. One reason was that the grain obtained from the United States this time was difficult to transport back and was of mediocre quality, though it could be used for other purposes. Besides, she had already collected a lot of grains. So, what else could she plant? Perhaps soybeans and peanuts to extract some oil? But she had already obtained quite a lot of edible oil from the United States this time. "Perhaps I can find some unexpected Seeds in this city," she thought with interest. Even if she couldn’t, it didn’t matter; she had a very daring idea she had long wanted to try. Musing over various plans for the future, she eventually fell asleep.
The temperature in Austin had already dropped to 3 degrees Celsius. After coming out from the mountains, Jing Shu contacted her family and learned that Wu City had already reached minus six or seven degrees Celsius, and many people had already frozen to death.
Thinking about how Wu City’s temperature would drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius in two years, Jing Shu knew she had to urgently gather various resources. The apocalypse would only become more severe.
"Is it really okay? Are we just going to enter the city so carelessly? What if we’re discovered and arrested for questioning?" Monk asked, worried. Official source ıs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Jing Shu smiled without speaking. Carrying large and small bags, she led everyone to the entrance of Austin Castle. Security there was tight. Every person entering the castle was forbidden from carrying any weapons, so all of Jing Shu’s group’s luggage was held at the security checkpoint.
The lobby resembled the service area of a bank. After the group entered, they approached one of the counters. A slightly overweight man, gasping for breath, was continuously entering data into a computer there.
The man looked up at the group and then asked, "What’s your purpose for entering the castle? To become citizens of Austin? Or are you wandering short-term laborers? Oh, a group of Asians. If you are not citizens, I must call security to take you to the interrogation room first."
Tan Ke’s hand tightened. Everyone held their breath.
Jing Shu said smilingly, "Sir, we’ve come to seek refuge in Austin and wish to live in the castle. We’ve brought plenty of food supplies."