92: Chapter 92 I'll Take You to Eat Something Good

Shushu Failed the Exam wasn't the only convoy to be screwed over by the local merchant cliques of Shahe Town.

The heavy-duty convoy led by Liver Emperor and Why Panic When I Have Flash also suffered a bellyful of frustration in this wretched town.

Unlike Shu Shu's convoy, which carried soft currency like water and paintings, Liver Emperor and Flash's vehicles were loaded with hard currency that their Ox-Horse Workshop had spent the past few days and nights tirelessly churning out—gunpowder weapons!

For instance, there was the wasteland version of the AK47, famous across Earth for its simple and durable structure, along with a dozen individual RPG launchers and matching armor-piercing rounds.

With Lin Li's permission, they had brought enough firepower to arm a small company, arriving at Shahe Town with full confidence to conduct an arms trade.

But their experience was exactly the same as Shu Shu's.

In the black market trade zone of Shahe Town, those merchants who outwardly ran blacksmith shops and armor stores saw their eyes light up with green greed when they laid eyes on these exquisitely crafted gunpowder weapons.

However, after stealing a glance at the three-story stone building in the center, everyone unanimously offered an ultra-low price that was even more insulting than asking for it for free.

"To hell with it!"

Furious, Flash kicked away a broken wooden crate by his feet and plopped down under the eaves at the edge of the market.

"The hearts of these NPCs are blacker than a mermaid in a sewer!"

Flash cursed through gritted teeth in the team channel.

"Old Liver, how about we just stir up some trouble? Let's fire a few shots into the air to force these NPCs to make the first move, and then we can flatten this shitty town fair and square!"

The more Flash thought about it, the angrier he got, and he began his tactical analysis:

"Didn't Shu Shu and the others scout this town's details yesterday? The fire points here are just for show. The defensive personnel are only about two thousand mercenaries. The best weapons are just a few nearly obsolete plasma ray guns in the hands of those noble leaders."

"Our Shelter now has a full five thousand players! Five thousand who aren't afraid to die and can respawn infinitely! Even if we only had a watermelon knife each, we could hack them all to death!"

Flash complained with some dissatisfaction:

"If you ask me, our boss Lin Li is great in every way—he's generous and even looks like a decent person—but sometimes he's too damn human! We clearly have the strength to level this place, yet he won't issue a siege quest, leaving us here to take this crap!"

Liver Emperor was squatting by a wheel checking the tracks; hearing this, he rolled his eyes irritably.

"Alright, stop your yapping. If the boss won't let us attack, he must have his strategic reasons. Hurry up and pack the goods; we're taking these guns back to the base. Selling them in the player mall to the newbies who just logged on is better than giving them to these black-hearted NPCs."

Just then.

Miracle Walker, who hadn't said much, suddenly leaned in close to Flash and gave him a subtle wink.

"Old Liver, you keep an eye on the goods here for a bit. Flash and I are going to wander around the town to investigate the local customs."

Miracle Walker waved his hand at Liver Emperor.

Without another word, he grabbed Flash's arm and pulled him toward the exit of the market.

"What are you doing?"

Flash was completely bewildered.

"This dump is full of swindlers selling overpriced junk. What's there to wander around for?"

Miracle Walker lowered his voice and chuckled.

"I heard about a decent place while I was asking around for info in the market. Come on, I'll take you for a spin to broaden your horizons."

Though Flash was full of questions, he still trusted his old comrade Miracle Walker's ability to find fun, so he followed him half-reluctantly into the depths of the town.

Class stratification in Shahe Town was severe.

The North and East Districts were where the nobles and merchant cliques—who monopolized trade, water, and food—resided.

There, one could find tall, sturdy stone houses, private soldiers armed with live ammunition, and even small water-purification manors.

But this obviously didn't represent the face of the entire Shahe Town.

Wherever rich people were bloodsucking, there would inevitably be poor people being bled dry.

Miracle Walker led Flash through many twists and turns in the city, heading deeper into the South District.

Before long, the surrounding scenery underwent a world-shaking change.

The tall stone houses vanished.

In their place were low, damp, foul-smelling slums.

Scraps of tin and rotten wooden boards were haphazardly assembled into crowded shacks.

The streets were filled with fluorescent sewage and trash, where emaciated civilians lingered on in the dark corners.

Looking at the wretched environment, Flash's eyes suddenly lit up as if he had guessed something.

"The slums?" Flash suddenly turned to look at Miracle Walker. "You mean...?"

In any game with post-apocalyptic survival elements, slums, black markets, and chaotic zones were often the best places to trigger hidden quests and connect with grey factions!

"Exactly. You're quick on the uptake."

Miracle Walker snapped his fingers. "This way."

The two turned a few more corners in the maze-like, cramped alleys.

They finally reached their destination.

It was already dusk, and the purple sunset unique to this fringe planet spilled over the filthy streets.

In this narrow, dilapidated alley, the doors of small huts cobbled together from tin and wood began to open one after another.

Ambiguous neon lights in various colors—red or pink—flickered on above the doorframes.

Under these lights emitting a cheap glow,

young women and matrons, dressed revealingly with heavy makeup but numb eyes, leaned against the doorways, beckoning to the few wealthy passersby.

"Holy crap!"

Flash had never seen such a display; his eyes were glued to the scene.

"You really know the spots, Old Qi! Good brother, give me five minutes! I'm going to experience the interaction limits of this game!"

With that, Flash eagerly pushed Miracle Walker aside and prepared to walk toward a hut with a pink light where a voluptuous woman stood at the door.

Miracle Walker grabbed Flash firmly by the back of his collar and cursed irritably:

"Seriously, is this all the ambition you have?! Is two-hundred-yuan love really that interesting? Look at this environment—aren't you afraid of catching cyber-syphilis? I'm taking you to have a real feast today!"

Flash stopped in his tracks immediately, turned back to cling to Miracle Walker's arm, and said with a flattering face:

"Brother! No! Father! Hurry up and take your son to broaden his horizons!"

Miracle Walker shook him off with disgust and led Flash through a few more turns.

The view suddenly opened up.

In the deepest part of the slums, a large three-story building was hidden, its outer walls painted dark red.

Standing at the door were four gang thugs nearly two meters tall with bulging muscles.

"Whoa!" Flash looked up at the large house emitting blurred lights. "A Warhammer-style nightclub?"

"Let's go in and scout it out." Miracle Walker adjusted his gear and strode forward.

Both were over 1.8 meters tall. Although they weren't wearing their flashy heavy exoskeletons, they still radiated an aura that said they weren't to be trifled with.

The bouncers at the door were observant; they only gave them a dark look and didn't stop them.

As soon as they entered the venue, deafening heavy metal electronic music and the pungent smell of cheap perfume hit them instantly.

The first-floor lobby was a chaotic dance of demons, filled with gang members and mercenaries lost in a drunken stupor.

A flamboyantly dressed woman in revealing clothes immediately slithered over like a water snake, her face piled with a professional fake smile.

"Two unfamiliar faces..."

"Cut the crap." Miracle Walker cut her off crudely.

He skillfully pulled a handful of copper coins stamped with the Imperial Double-Headed Eagle from his pocket, which he had acquired at some point.

In this slum where people couldn't even afford to drink water, this was a considerable fortune.

"Prepare two clean rooms. And I want the two girls with the biggest tits! Got it?"

Miracle Walker acted like a seasoned veteran of such places.

The woman took the copper coins with both hands, her eyes instantly glowing green, and her smile became sincere.

"Right away! This way, please, gentlemen!"

Soon, two girls with exaggerated figures wearing only a few strips of pink cloth came over. Each took one of them and led them to the soundproof private rooms on the second floor.

"Old Qi, you are my biological father!"

Flash gave Miracle Walker a grateful look in the hallway.

With that, he scooped up the startled girl and rushed into the room impatiently, kicking the door shut with a bang.

Miracle Walker followed the other girl into the adjacent room with an expressionless face.

As soon as they entered,

the girl with the impressive figure skillfully removed the remaining strips of cloth from her body, swaying her hips as she prepared to take off Miracle Walker's clothes.

"Stop."

Miracle Walker spoke coldly, reaching out to stop her.

He pulled out another shiny copper coin from his robe and stuffed it directly into the girl's hand.

He gave her fair chest a squeeze in passing, then pointed to the simple bathroom in the corner of the room.

"Go in. Turn on the water. No matter what happens outside, don't come out. Understand?"

The girl, having just received a generous tip, was stunned for a moment.

In all her time in this place, this was the first time she had encountered a guest with such a peculiar fetish for the sound of running water.

But for the sake of the money, she nodded obediently, walked into the bathroom naked, and closed the door.

The sound of rushing water soon came from the bathroom.

The cynicism on Miracle Walker's face vanished without a trace.

He pulled out two large-caliber pistols and skillfully screwed on black silencers. With a click, he chambered the rounds.

He leaned against the blind spot behind the door, held his breath, and waited quietly.

...

In the room next door.

Flash was in the middle of a most primitive biological exchange with the girl while internally marveling.

"Holy shit, how did the tactile realism of this shitty game even pass censorship? The slipperiness of the sweat, the sound of the breathing... it's too damn real!"

The activity was just reaching its critical sprint moment!

Suddenly!

Flash's super-strong perception attribute immediately sent a sharp alarm through his mind!

He clearly sensed four or five people in the hallway deliberately lightening their footsteps, rapidly approaching his room!

"Dammit! A badger game? Coming at exactly this time? Are you even human?"

Flash cursed inwardly, momentarily caught in a dilemma.

But logic triumphed over desire.

He gritted his teeth and pulled up his trousers with lightning speed.

Almost the second he zipped up!

"Bang!"

The wooden door of the private room was violently kicked open!

Five gang members with fierce faces, carrying rusted iron bars and homemade pistols, charged in menacingly.

"You motherfucking idiots! Would it kill you to come two minutes later?!"