thefictionvixens Chapter 28 New
Chapter 28 New
Da da da……
Xu Yang knew who it was just by hearing the footsteps.
"Dr. An, what's wrong?"
"Your bill."
"what?"
……
Xu Yang did not pay the bill.
The reason is simple: he was extremely poor.
And to his surprise, this simple implantation surgery, even with all the materials provided by him—
It turns out that it was originally supposed to cost tens of thousands of contribution points.
The reason it's called "originally" is because the Federation issued a mandatory policy after the disaster, which reduced the implant price from tens of thousands to less than two thousand.
As a genuine federal citizen, he also enjoyed the policy subsidies.
However, even under these circumstances, the surgery would still cost 1342, and at that time, he only had 900 contribution points.
However, Xu Yang had considered this situation before coming, since it was a hospital visit and he realized it might cost a lot of money.
He happened to have an energy storage module in his bag that he didn't need for the time being. It was an unused version and was about 20% more expensive than the energy storage module that Lily had just identified.
According to Lily, the price of a second-hand energy storage module on the market is generally just over 30,000 yuan.
So, at worst, we could just sell the module; that was the original plan.
But that opportunity was gone. Lily had anticipated the issue of contribution points and had already settled the bill in advance during his implantation process.
Anya simply handed him the invoice she had issued.
……
He didn't say a word and let the woman pay his bill.
A friendship forged through thick and thin still holds considerable value.
Lily glanced at him from the side and said, "Let's go home."
……
It was approaching evening.
On the street, a tall man was pulling a petite girl along. It didn't look like a heartwarming scene; it looked more like a human trafficking incident.
The man had a big smile on his face, but the girl remained expressionless, yet she couldn't resist his advances.
"Let's go, it's on me. Let's go to that home-style restaurant up ahead, it looks pretty good."
Having been hungry all afternoon, Xu Yang didn't want to go home so early, nor did he want to eat any protein-rich food. He was very excited and curious about the food in the new world.
Not long after, the man led the girl to the shop entrance.
From the entrance, the restaurant seemed to be doing quite well; even though it wasn't quite lunchtime yet, a few people were already sitting at the small tables inside.
Xu Yang pulled Lily to a seat against the wall.
On the other side, a black-haired girl with a lollipop in her mouth walked over. She was wearing a T-shirt of some style, and her face was either covered in smoky makeup or genuinely tired, probably both. She also had two lip piercings near her mouth—no, those were just stickers.
In short, a waiter who seemed afraid of pain but wanted to express his individuality stood in front of Xu Yang: "What would you like to eat?"
"This is our first time here, can you recommend one?"
The waitress glanced at Xu Yang: "Salty or sweet? Light or heavy?"
Xu Yang first looked at Lily, and Lily shook her head, indicating that he could choose.
"Then it'll be salty and strong-flavored."
"A serving of stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with mushroom brains."
"what?"
……
Perhaps it was the experience of immersing himself in the flesh-and-blood angel that had a temporary effect on Xu Yang, or perhaps it was the novel experience of coming to the gathering place for the first time.
In the end, he ordered that dish.
Not long after, the younger sister brought the food to the table.
The food was normal.
As for the food, it was glowing.
Xu Yang stared wide-eyed at the steaming dish of stir-fried mushrooms and brains on the plate. He had originally thought that a bunch of things that looked like ears and brains would be served.
But in reality, there were no ears or brains. Or rather, the ears had turned into pieces of lean meat, which were a pale green color. The brains, on the other hand, were indeed white, but they looked more like tofu dregs, with specks of green light.
A very healthy dish, full of green color.
Xu Yang frowned, but this was 120 contribution points.
One hundred and twenty!
He slowly picked up a piece of green meat and threw it into his mouth...
Ok?
It's very crisp, with a numbing sensation on the tip of the tongue, and a strong salt and seafood flavor. It's not spicy, and after swallowing, there's a strange, refreshing sweetness from the plant.
Surprisingly...not bad.
He chewed one bite after another, even feeling inexplicably moved. Since coming into this world, he hadn't been provided with protein or coke—
He was able to eat a normal meal.
The conversations of other customers echoed in my ears—conversations that had been repeated every day, past and future.
It was filled with the warmth and everyday life of the city.
Across the table, Lily didn't seem to have any particular feelings, but she ate her food faster than she would eat protein-rich rations.
She probably thinks it's good too.
Xu Yang thought to himself.
……
By the time we left the restaurant, it was already night.
Xu Yang looked up at the sky. The artificial sun had disappeared, and above him was a brilliant night sky, with every star sparkling and emitting a lofty and mysterious cold light.
A man-made starry sky.
It looks absolutely stunning.
In contrast, Xu Yang had seen the pitch-black night sky over the earth, without a moon, without stars, and even the sun had turned into a dark, gloomy hole.
The reality is pitch black, just like that.
He sighed.
I still prefer the illusory, artificial dream that's currently above my head...
Back in the square, the white light curtain dimmed as night deepened, and the two passed through it to reach the ground.
The streetlights, crooked and uneven, lined both sides of the street, emitting a bright yellow glow.
They continued on their way until they reached a dilapidated brick hut. The underage girl did not take the man she had only known for two days, with whom she had shared a bed, carried a gun, run together, and faced life and death together, home.
here it is--
Xu Yang took out a metal key from his pocket. He had found this key on the man who had been torn in two at the pharmacy where he had previously picked up the crowbar.
She had previously learned from Lily that this person was her "enemy." So she naturally knew where the other person lived, and it just so happened that it wasn't far from Lily's house.
Now, this is Xu Yang's home.
In the upper part of the settlement, this behavior is not a big deal, especially when the homeowner is already dead.
To be precise, this doesn't even violate federal law; on the settlement, these so-called reconstructed buildings are essentially illegal structures.
For some unknown reason, in the federal government's considerations, the law has never left any room for humanity to rebuild their homes; it seems that staying in the underground settlements is the best outcome.
Therefore, the rules for the reconstruction zone have always been a matter of convention.
Given the dog-eat-dog nature of the post-apocalyptic world, nobody cares about property ownership. As long as people don't cause trouble in settlements or reconstruction zones, the administrators won't care, and no one else will either. Everyone has their own life.
Even in a dilapidated place, there is a unique atmosphere.
Xu Yang accepted this fact very easily; that's the absurdity of the world.
He can scavenge for supplies in a place that resembles a modern town, encountering all sorts of bio-engineered monsters; drive an off-road vehicle that requires manual steering to reach a futuristic sci-fi fortress; witness men in medieval armor getting out of sports cars, then cross a spatial portal to fight powered armor in a dream; after being blasted apart by a planet-destroying cannon, he finally eats a plate of bizarrely glowing food...
The already bizarre experience, now combined with the local custom of "usurping someone else's place," doesn't seem out of place at all.
……
Click, the key turns the door.
Xu Yang glanced at the expectedly empty room, stood in the doorway, and then turned to look back—
Under the dim yet warm light of the streetlights, a pair of red eyes were staring at him. The evening breeze brushed against his face, and the other person maintained their usual expressionless face.
But perhaps it will take a long time to forget this moment.
It's not because the night is beautiful; this godforsaken place has no night.
It was a revelation, clearer than ever before. The past was gone forever; he had arrived in this unknown and dangerous world, and from today onward, it was a brand new beginning.
and so--
"Good night."