NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1091: Cooperation (Part 2)
"Li Gang!" Wu Heng continued to ask, "You don't have a fixed refuge?"
"Yes, we live in the 'Popocatepetl' refuge, formed a scavenger team myself to find some useful things and exchange them for food." Miguel replied.
Wu Heng nodded.
He came along with several small teams, originally planning to approach another team, but unexpectedly met with danger here and changed his target to come and rescue.
"Can I enter your refuge? I have some supplies I'd like to trade for something."
The three exchanged glances, Miguel hesitated and said, "Where are you from? We have strict management, especially someone like you... carrying a gun."
"A small eastern base was overrun by zombies, we escaped here." Wu Heng remained unchanged in expression, "Just want to trade for some necessities."
Miguel's son couldn't help but interject: "Your guns will definitely be confiscated! Once you're in you won't get them back!"
Miguel nodded as well: "The managers don't allow ordinary people to carry guns, you can exchange supplies for ammo if found, but taking guns inside... is not allowed."
In this end of the world, to think survivors are still not allowed to have guns.
Wu Heng redirected the question: "Where does the base's food come from?"
"Officially it's from old warehouse stock... but I've heard actually traded from the 'Yama Hall' sub-base."
"Why don't you go to the 'Yama Hall' base?"
Miguel gave a wry smile, "How many zombies are along this route? We've already risked scavenging around, how can we go that far."
Wu Heng pondered for a moment and said, "I won't trade for anything else, just want a radio to contact the outside, or a satellite phone, I got separated from my companion, want to gather news."
Miguel shook his head, "Only managers have radios and phones, we only have a public radio, everyone listens to broadcasts together."
Wu Heng squinted his eyes.
This refuge seems like a closed prison, even now still enforcing information blockades.
He then probed with some more questions, gradually understanding the base's particulars.
Controlled by drug dealers and gangs early on, post-apocalypse it turned into its own power.
The survivors inside lived in repression but at least... still alive.
After chatting enough, Miguel and the others prepared to leave.
Wu Heng finally asked: "How do you usually deal with the zombies you kill?"
Looking into the corpse disposal site, it's also good to replenish his skeleton army.
"All burned, the incineration site is over there." Miguel pointed towards the direction of the distant volcano.
Wu Heng's heart sank, he had to change strategy, "You're right, if we go in we may not come out, but I do need some supplies... could you exchange them for me? I can increase the price."
Miguel raised an eyebrow, "What do you want?"
"Firstly a radio, even a modified one is fine, privately someone should be able to make it. Additionally, a crossbow, axe, spear, batteries, and armor I can wear."
"What will you trade for it?"
"Compressed biscuits, cigarettes."
Miguel pondered, "To exchange for what you want... it's probably not enough."
Wu Heng took out a small transparent bag from his backpack, showing a corpse core inside.
"Level 1 Corpse Core, is it enough?"
The three held their breath immediately.
A mutated zombie's corpse core... this kid is indeed extraordinary.
"It's enough..." Miguel took a deep breath.
Wu Heng nodded, "Tomorrow at the same time, here again! You bring the goods, I pay."
Seeing the other's hesitation, Wu Heng added casually, "Trading with me, you don't need to risk going to dangerous areas, just running errands to get what you want, if you don't want to, I can find another scavenger team."
The three all looked at him.
After all this chat, besides looking like a kid, his words and thoughts surpassed most adults in calmness and thoroughness.
Miguel's eyes sharpened.
He actually agreed with the other party's point, this is indeed a profitable deal without losing.
"Okay, I promise you."
Wu Heng smiled slightly, extending his hand: "Pleasure working with you."
Miguel held it firmly.
Before leaving, Wu Heng called them again: "By the way, do you have a map of the nearby area?"
"Yes." Miguel gestured to his son, the latter flipped out a hand-drawn map from the bag.
"Take it, roughly drawn, but marked with some safe zones and dangerous places, don't go to those marked with red crosses."
Wu Heng spread out the map, although crude, it was enough to judge the directions.
"What dangers are in these places?"
"Zombies haven't been cleared, there are many, and in some places... they say there are mutated zombies." Miguel pointed to a few marked spots.
Wu Heng noticed a special mark, first black then red, on the north side: "What about here?"
"It's a big supermarket, the army hasn't conquered it. They say not only zombies... but also ghosts. Don't go near."
Ghosts?
Wu Heng nodded: "Got it, see you tomorrow."
"You must come!"
"Don't worry."
The three lowered their profiles, quickly disappearing at the street's end.
Wu Heng stood at the door, his eyes again landed on that eerie mark on the map.
Ghosts!
He indeed needed one.
...
After the three left.
Wu Heng moved a chair, sat in the room.
Thinking back to the information he just got.
This refuge controlled by gangs, strict internal management, especially wary of outsiders.
With his current strength and condition, wanting to trade inside is no different than walking into a trap.
Let alone borrowing their radio to contact Li Yahong.
Previously, there were tutorial posts on forums about assembling a simple radio from old radios, then it wasn't taken seriously.
"Should have learned seriously earlier..." Wu Heng murmured.
Currently, trading with Miguel became the only reliable resource channel.
But it's clear, it's not a long-term thing, he still needs to quickly level up.