Chapter 79: The Most Heartless Boss In History

106 silver coins and 5 copper coin!

The huge sum of money shocked the entire shelter.

It had only been a morning since the bounty was posted, but someone had already obtained first blood!

With efficiency like that, those people were clearly professional players.

As soon as the Administrator turned and left, a group of players swarmed the four players of the Bull and Horse Squad, and asked with admiration, "Brother! Where did you find the marauders? Did you go to the tire factory?"

"Destroying the entire team without suffering any losses... Aren’t you just too strong?”

"Boss, take me with you!"

Surrounded by so many players, everyone would feel inflated, not to mention Night Ten who always like to boast. He rubbed his nose with his index finger and said with a smile.

"Sorry, brothers, our team is full and we aren't looking for new recruits at the moment. But don't worry, we will update the strategy later in the evening. It's just a few marauders, anyone with a hand can do it."

"What? You asked me how I took out six people? That's a long story. At that time, six fierce and strong men came towards us. Just when they were about to spot us, I drew out my dagger and was ready to jump..."

Ample Time rolled his eyes at him, completely speechless.

Gale looked away and pretended not to know the dude.

Only Old White was more straightforward and couldn't bear to see this guy showing off. He stretched out his hand and dragged Night Ten away from the crowd.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't drag me away, I haven't finished yet!"

"Finish my ass!"

"Stop talking nonsense, let's prepare for the next wave quickly!"

As the first squad that killed marauders, everyone in the Bull and Horse Squad became the focus of heated discussion among other players.

As for the three marauders who were hanged, their corpses were sent to the Active Matter Extractor. No one cared about them.

After all, the personality setting of the administrator was a guy who abhorred evil. It wasn’t surprising that their bodies were burned.

Unable to stand Night Ten's bragging, Ample Time and others did not stay in front of the north gate. They took the reward they just received, gathered one hundred and 20 silver coins from their collective savings, and went straight to the Weapon Shop.

Soon, they became the first customer of Xia Yan and bought the first 7mm bolt-action rifle sold in the weapon store!

After adding six 7mm steel-cored copper bullets priced as high as 1 silver coin and ten cheap inferior bullets, Ample Time paid and delivered them to Night Ten.

When everyone's marksmanship was similar, the best choice was to have a perception type player as the sniper.

Old White could throw a javelin, and was brave in close combat. Ample Time could provide support with arrows. His proficiency was quite high, and the mid-to-close range abilities of his bow may not be weaker than a gun. As for Gale who was the Intelligence type, throwing a Molotov Cocktail or a primitive grenade at the critical moment would already be great for them. It was not realistic to expect him to have high damage output.

At least in the current version, the intelligence type was indeed a bit useless, but who would guarantee that it would be the same in the future?

Maybe in the next version, the intelligence type would be the best genetic sequence.

"... My archery skill isn't bad, and this bow can last for a while. Brother, this is the only sniper rifle we have in our team! Don't waste the bullets!"

"Don't worry, good brother! I will definitely not let your expectations down!" Taking it from Ample Time, Night Ten was moved. Holding the gun in his hands, he vowed he would use it well.

With how intense that look of reverence was, it almost looked like he could rub a layer of paint off it. If he still had any sense of shame anyway.

In that way, the silver coins that Bull and Horse Squad had just received from the administrator were spent in the Weapon Shop.

Moreover, in order to replenish gunpowder, arrows, and other supplies, the four of them also used some of their collective savings.

However, the four did not feel any distress.

Investing in equipment would soon bring in more money.

The hunt made them realize the benefit of the mission.

Except for the experience gained in the battle and the coins and contribution points offered as rewards, the spoils that were dropped by the marauders belonged to them!

Although they were all melee weapons and simple armor, they could still be used. The four ambitious players who have re-embarked on the journey were ready for the next hunt.

It would be great to have a bigger wave of marauders next...

If they could take out a few marauders with guns, they would really make a fortune!

A gun was at least 100 silver coins in the Weapon Shop. They could set up a stall in the market and sell their guns to players. Even if they sold the guns at 50 silver coins, it would still be cheaper than the price set in the NPC Weapon Shop.

As long as it could still be used, a bunch of people would definitely come to buy it!

Ample Time hummed a song and walked farther and farther away, while Chu Guang was still standing near the Weapon Shop, observing nearby players for some time.

What could be clearly felt was that under the stimulation of Bull and Horse Squad's sudden windfall, many players were ready to move, and were hesitating on whether to use the money they saved to buy either land or guns.

Anyway, their contribution points were not enough at the moment. And if they didn't have citizenship, they wouldn't be able to buy land even if they had money. It was better to buy a gun to fight the bandits and farm gold and contribution points!

This desire was especially ignited when they saw that the four players of Bull and Horse Squad could even kill a team of marauders without guns. Now that they had guns, how many marauders would they be able to kill?

Seeing that these players were already fired up, Chu Guang decided to give them a little push.

So, Chu Guang beckoned to the proprietress of the Weapon Shop handed her a plank that was already prepared, and said, "Hang this wooden sign at the door in a moment."

After receiving the sign from Chu Guang, Xia Yan asked with a look of confusion. "What's written on this?"

Chu Guang replied concisely, "There is a 10% discount on all revolver rifles in our shop. The discount ends at twelve o'clock in the morning today. Fifteen revolver rifles are available while stocks last. We won’t know when we will get more."

Holding the wooden sign in her hand, Xia Yan looked at him with a strange expression. "Is it necessary to have a discount? Anyway, there's only one shop in this base."

"You think I just want their money? How naive!" Chu Guang said impatiently, not wanting to explain further, "Stop talking nonsense, just do as I said."

Maybe he spoke a lot more firmly, her body shook visibly. She didn’t dare to retort and she left with the sign.

Satisfied with her obedient performance, Chu Guang nodded approvingly and continued to stand aside, admiring his masterpiece.

As he expected, as soon as Xia Yan returned to the Weapon Shop and hung the sign at the door, the players who were still hesitating saw the exciting discount and no longer had any considerations. They immediately took out the silver coins in their pockets, frantically buying the weapons on the shelves.

The price of a revolver was very cheap, one hundred and ten silver before the discount, and only 99 silver coins after the discount.

And the most important thing was that the revolver rifle was semi-automatic. As long as one pulled the trigger quickly, it could be fired repeatedly!

It was cooler than a bolt action rifle and was such a great deal!

Looking at these frantic players, Chu Guang suppressed his laughter.

They would know after they bought the gun...

Sometimes shooting too fast was not a good thing.

The price of the pistol was cheaper than the bolt-action iron-barreled rifle made by Boulder Town, and not without reason!

Of course, even with a 10% discount, there were still only a few players who could take out 99 silver coins at once.

Of the rifles sold, at least half of them were bought by three or four players that regularly teamed up.

For a standard three-person team, one gun was actually enough.

They could swap among themselves while the other two not holding the gun could use crossbows. They could also throw objects and other melee weapons to support the player with a gun. After everyone was familiar with the gun, it was not too late to get everyone one.

At the beginning of the game, the conditions were a little bit tougher, so they could only save as many coins as they could.

Sooner or later everyone would have a gun!

The revolver rifles were quickly sold out.

Under the stimulus of the promotion, not only were the guns previously seized from marauders sold out, but even the non-discounted Boulder Town iron-barreled rifles were also sold. Now there was only one lonely 9mm gun left on the shelf.

Although the players who didn't buy a gun were a bit regretful, they were not discouraged. They had other ideas.

Some active players simply took the opportunity to sell DIY weapons.

The entrance of Owner Xia’s Weapon Shop turned into a large-scale private trading scene for a while.

"Does anyone want to buy the Engineer Happy Bat? It's super easy to use! One only costs 1 silver coin, if you want to buy it, you need to hurry up!"

"Seriously, how shameless do you have to be to sell it for a silver coin? It's just a wire wrapped around a bat, alright? At least tie a blade to it!"

"What do you know, this is called piercing and blunt weapon damage! If you tie a blade to it, you can only use it to slash the enemy!”

"Sorry, I still prefer the axe!"

"Does anyone want to buy the crossbow? It was produced by Woodworking Cabin. The original price was twenty silver. Now it only costs fifteen silver. It also comes with five crossbow arrows. I don't need this anymore because I've changed to a gun. If you want it, please PM me ASAP!"

"Can it be cheaper? I only have 14 silver coins..."

"Sigh, fine then, I'll give you a friendly deal then."

"Steel breastplate! Do you want to have the same breastplate as the marauders? It won't cost you 99 silver coins, only 2! With 2 silver coins, you can take home the legendary melee artifacts!"

Trading between players was worth promoting, but it also depended on the situation and location.

Seeing that these players who were shouting prices had blocked the road and caused traffic, Chu Guang could no longer ignore it. He stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said to the group of players, "It is forbidden to block the roads in the outpost. If you would like to trade, please go to the market in front of the north gate."

"This is not a place to set up a stall!"

Hearing the administrator's speech, the players dispersed immediately and rushed to the north gate outside the base to continue the unfinished transaction.

With the departure of those players, the Weapon Shop finally became deserted.

"Can I take a holiday? There is only one gun left on the shelf." Xia Yan asked expectantly when she looked at Chu Guang walking towards her.

The weather was getting colder and colder. She was shivering even in a deerskin coat. It was hard to take a nap.

Compared to staying outside, Xia Yan wanted to enjoy the heating in the shelter.

Sleeping there was much more comfortable than outside!

"Of course not. Your job is not just to sell guns." Rejecting her request mercilessly, Chu Guang smiled and continued, "I need you to make at least one hundred bullets before you get off work. If you can't, I'm afraid that I can only let you sleep in the Weapon Shop tonight."

Xia Yan's eyes widened and exclaimed. "You can't do this, I’ll freeze to death!"

"Stop pretending, if you can freeze to death before the temperature drops below zero, how did you survive in the past? Didn't Luca also sleep in the hut next to the warehouse? Don't worry, I will prepare a warm blanket for you, and plenty of charcoal. But remember not to close the door too tightly when burning that thing, it will be safer to leave gaps."

Looking at the poor Xia Yan, Chu Guang had an innocent expression on his face, "Don't look at me like that, I'm also doing this for your own good, lest you get too bored and doze off. You may catch a cold when you fall asleep here."

"You big profiteer! Black-hearted boss! I would be a fool if I believed you!"

Seeing that it was useless to pretend to be pitiful, Xia Yan exposed her true nature and gritted her teeth while pouting for some time. After all, she couldn't do anything to Chu Guang.

Her intuition told her that he would really do it.

"Okay... One hundred bullets, right? I'll do it!"

"That's great. People have to work while they are alive, so don't think too much; at least it is not a life-threatening job to make bullets... if you are careful," Chu Guang reminded her with a caring tone as he looked at Xia Yan, who had a frustrated expression on her face, "By the way, I will spot check the quality. I advise you not to do it carelessly."

"Of course, if your performance is very good, for example... If you complete fifty extra bullets and the quality is decent, I will reward you."

As soon as she heard the reward, Xia Yan, who was still frustrated for a second, restored her energy instantly and looked up hopefully.

"What reward are you giving me? Do you have chocolate?"

"I don’t have any more chocolate, but there are still a few chocolate-flavored lollipops."

This woman is totally in love with chocolate...

Seeing Xia Yan picking up tools swiftly and already immersed in work, Chu Guang nodded in satisfaction, and finally left without worries.

On the other side, the players in front of the north gate did not delay even a moment after completing the transaction. They all rushed outside Linghu Wetland Park under the stimulation of the bounty.

They spread north along the viaduct, searching for the marauders' tracks.

Cha, who was lurking in the north of the abandoned construction site, was terribly scared, afraid that they would startle those survivors which would affect their planned offense at night. He led the people back a kilometer before stopping.

Although it was a pity that no marauders were found and only some mutant mice, cockroaches, and hyenas were caught, they still captured a lot of prey before it was dark to fill up the granaries.

Compared to a week ago, the difficulty of hunting was indeed much higher.

There were signs that the migrating deer herds were leaving the northern outskirts of Clearspring City, and were moving south along the edge of the city.

The weather was so cold that even the hyenas didn't want to come out from their dens.

It was already a bit unrealistic to expect to see mutant hyenas wandering in the wild like before.

What players encountered more often in the city were Crunchers who had no hunting value.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As it got darker and earlier, these photophobic mutants became more active than before, and this also brought a lot of difficulty to the players when it came to hunting prey. They would emerge from the shadows like zombies, and after locking onto their prey, they would swarm up, which was difficult to deal with in the narrow urban terrain and ruined terrain.

The night gradually deepened.

The urban area outside the wetland park was the first to be shrouded in darkness.

The players who went out returned one after another, and the outpost became lively.

Like before, these players set up stalls in front of the north gate, yelling and trading their gains with others.

The players who were more mindful and active were no longer just selling materials. They started catering as well.

For example, Yaya, who was selling mushrooms.

This player was getting more and more clever. She bought a big pot, set up the campfire with charcoal, and simmered it directly at the stall in front of the north gate.

The price was 2 copper coins for grilled mushrooms, and 3 copper coins for a bowl of mushroom soup. Of course, that was only if they brought their own bowl.

"Mushrooms, fresh and delicious mushroom soup, and grilled mushrooms."

There was a large circle of people in front of the stall.

"Boss Yaya, can your mushroom dance?"

"Can it sing the Great Compassion Mantra?"

"Can it be released once it's cooked?"

"Can you stew a Pimon in the pot?"

"Boss Yaya, can you cook yourself in an iron pot?"

"Do you want me to die?!"

It must be said that the taste of her mushroom soup was so fragrant that even Chu Guang couldn't help but buy two bowls, with one bowl being brought to Xia Yan.

After sitting in front of the Weapon Shop and making bullets for a whole day, Xia Yan's fingers were red and her stomach growled. She couldn’t help but feel mistreated.

Seeing the warm mushroom soup that Chu Guang handed over, she was moved to tears. She picked up the bowl and started slurping it up. "What soup is this?! Oh, it's so delicious!"

Chu Guang had a kind smile on his face. "A bowl of ordinary mushroom soup. It's my treat."

"Are you that kind?" Xia Yan held the bowl in her hand and looked at him suspiciously. "I always feel that something is fishy. Are you hiding something from me?"

"Am I that kind of person?"

Seeing that she licked the bowl clean, Chu Guang waited for a while before picking up his bowl and taking a sip.

Mhm.

The taste is phenomenal! It tastes like chicken soup. Is it the legendary chanterelle mushroom? There are actually so many good stuff hidden in the forest...

The only thing he found unsatisfactory was the fact that the soup lacked salt.

...

Outside the wall.

Forty players carrying shovels finally received the day’s wages after they completed their task of shoveling trenches for the day.

A total of 10 silver coins, plus one hundred contribution points.

For novices, they had a pretty impressive income.

Sword Execution, who was standing on the edge of the trench with the shovel inserted before his feet, was excited, and said to these new players with passion, "Congratulations, you have proven your loyalty with your actions!"

"Look around you, this trench will become our most solid first line of defense, and this was built with everyone's effort!"

With a passionate voice, he actually said everything Chu Guang thought of.

Realizing he had nothing to add, Chu Guang walked over to the new players who had joyful, but dirty faces, and quickly summarized, "Welcome to the wasteland."

"From now on, this will be your second home."

With nothing else to say, he dismissed them.

The newbies rushed to the market at the north gate, eager to spend the money they received.

Many people were already hungry.

Digging trenches didn’t mean that food was provided! In reality, no one would accept work arrangements like that!

The excitement continued until late at night, and as the entrance closed, the loud noise gradually subsided.

Guards started their patrol on the walls as the industrial area burned bright with the efforts of players who didn’t wish to go offline.

Chu Guang, who was sitting on the third floor of the nursing home, yawned. He glanced at the time that was displayed on Little Seven’s back. Surprisingly, it was already twelve midnight.

The first round of shifts has already begun.

Chu Guang stood up from the chair Mosquito made for him and stretched his body. He reached out and grabbed Little Seven.

"Let's get you back so you can recharge..."

"Master."

"What's wrong?"

"Five hundred and twenty one meters from our north wall, there are about eleven people. There are also ten of them who have circled to our northwest side and are still moving to the west in a straight line distance of six hundred and eleven meters."

"... What?" Chu Guang, who was holding Little Seven, was stunned. He cracked his neck subconsciously and glanced out the window. "Why don’t I see anything?"

Little Seven tilted its camera and answered naturally. "Because my camera can capture infrared light. Generally speaking, most cameras can, right?"

"...?"

What the hell?! Is this a sneak attack?!

Chu Guang, who was originally a little sleepy, snapped right awake.