Chapter 177
“Great! These are exactly the things I wanted!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed as he cheerfully cleared out the weekly sale items, except for the ink.
He purchased 3 mining robots, 1 solar-powered printer, 2 sets of specialized printer ink, 1 advanced household robot, and 1 void stone, spending a total of 120,000 points.
Only after completing the purchase did Tang Yu’an gasp.
“That’s a lot of points!”
But seeing his balance still at 290,000, he felt relieved.
During their ten days in the alternate dimension, they had used the golden AI to produce a large amount of low- and regular-temperature fabric, which had cost points but would soon earn them profits once sold.
Tang Yu’an immediately took out the void stone and prepared the other materials to upgrade their last super storage cabinet. He initially planned to perform the upgrade in the alternate dimension but was stopped by a system prompt stating that the furniture spirit couldn’t be contacted. So, he had to bring it back to the original dimension.
In two days, once the upgrade was complete, the main store would reach Level 3!
They then transported the four new robots to the alternate dimension. The small cabin became cramped with their arrival, so Tang Yu’an moved the three mining robots to the yard and relocated the golden AI back to the pool hall. He also synchronized its time settings to avoid confusion.
Using the map interface, Tang Yu’an began expanding their territory.
The current cabin was too small, so he marked off a 20-meter square area outside the rocky perimeter for storing materials. Then, he extended a 3-meter-wide path leading to the iron mine, ultimately incorporating the mine into Store No. 4’s territory.
With this setup, the mining robots could safely travel between the mine and the Grocery Store.
The entire project cost over 30,000 points to complete the 1,000-meter-long passageway.
Once finalized, the thick snow, piled several meters high, was instantly pushed to the sides, revealing a clean, frozen pathway.
A curious, unidentified animal landed on the pathway and tried nibbling on the fence. The protective barrier immediately identified it as a dangerous creature and ejected it from the area.
Tang Yu’an programmed the mining robots, watching as they transformed into four-wheeled vehicles and sped off to the designated location.
He and Zhou Qi followed them using their flight skills. Upon reaching the mine, the robots extended their mechanical arms and began expertly extracting ore from the exposed sections of the deposit.
Satisfied with their performance, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi returned to the cabin.
Before returning to the original dimension, Tang Yu’an glanced at the household robot in the corner and had an idea.
“Brother Qi, now that we have the robot, can we finally make an egg incubator?”
With the alternate dimension’s faster time flow, they could return to the original dimension for a day, and the chicks might hatch by the time they came back!
Zhou Qi thought for a moment and nodded.
The household robot’s simple AI should easily handle tasks like turning the eggs periodically, ensuring everything ran smoothly even in their absence.
Tang Yu’an fetched the construction robot, visited Grandpa Li to get bricks, and gathered other materials like vines and clay. Meanwhile, Zhou Qi worked on figuring out how to regulate the heat source and maintain the correct temperature.
Even though Tang Yu’an moved quickly, Zhou Qi still ended up waiting over an hour for him to return.
“You should’ve gone instead! I lost another hour compared to you!” Tang Yu’an complained, pouting.
Zhou Qi patted his head with a smile. “Next time, let me go back if there’s anything else you need.”
Satisfied, Tang Yu’an brought back the materials and programmed the construction robot to build a chicken coop in the yard.
The task was simple for the construction robot, and it finished within half an hour. Zhou Qi then dried the clay walls to solidify them and covered the exterior with insulated fabric. They also bought a wooden door wrapped in insulated fabric to complete the coop.
The household robot, equipped with thermal sensors, negated the need for a thermometer. Zhou Qi placed heating stones inside the coop, gradually raising the temperature to 39°C. Once it reached the desired range, he removed one stone to stabilize it between 38°C and 39°C.
Finally, they programmed the robot to add heating stones if the temperature dropped below 37°C and remove them if it exceeded 39°C. It was also programmed to turn the eggs periodically.
They tested the setup with three fertilized eggs from their original world. If successful, they could later use mutated eggs.
“Alright, let’s head back,” Tang Yu’an said.
Returning to the Peace Grocery Store’s attic, they found it was just past 6 a.m. Despite spending two hours in the alternate dimension, only five minutes had passed in the original world.
“The time difference is insane!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed.
“Brother Qi, do you think the disasters in this dimension are related to the hole in the center of Desolate City?” he speculated.
Zhou Qi pondered before nodding. “At the very least, Desolate City’s flood is definitely caused by that spatial vortex.”
“I wonder if that hole will disappear or remain forever…” Tang Yu’an said worriedly.
With their base in Desolate City, they would be the most affected if the hole expanded.
“The protective barrier will keep us safe. Don’t worry,” Zhou Qi reassured him.
“Okay!”
Feeling reassured, Tang Yu’an brightened up and spent some time downstairs. Having been away for ten days, they missed their home despite its maintenance by the round AI. Tang Yu’an happily wiped and tidied everything himself, relishing being back.
Zhou Qi prepared some snacks in the kitchen, and by 8 a.m., they returned to the Desolate City settlement.
Arriving at Room 501, Grandpa Li and the others had just finished breakfast.
“A printer? Photos?” Grandpa Li repeated incredulously as he listened to the two boys.
He had assumed the “certificate” would be something simple—a name scribbled on paper with a fingerprint. He hadn’t expected them to aim for something so sophisticated.
Still, considering they already had devices like the smart tablet with camera functionality, using photos made sense.
“The smart tablet connects to the printer, so it can directly print both photos and information,” Zhou Qi explained. Using the super printer, he also created durable, water-resistant printing paper that could be written on like regular paper but had the toughness of fabric.
“To make it more useful, we’ll record tenant data in the smart tablet. This way, it can be easily retrieved when needed.”
They also planned to purchase a terminal for secure data storage, but since terminals were expensive in the marketplace, they decided to wait for the next Weekly Sale to see if one would appear.
Grandpa Li nodded, though he was clearly out of his depth. This was far beyond his knowledge, and he still hadn’t fully figured out the smart tablet’s functions.
Tang Yu’an dragged Grandpa Li to Room 502, setting the printer up in the main bedroom. Using Grandpa Li as an example, they demonstrated how the system worked.
First, they took his photo with the smart tablet and discovered that it had a scanning feature. This allowed them to perform a full-body scan and select the information they wanted to print for the family registry.
The printed data wasn’t as detailed as the electronic version but was sufficient for their needs.
Finally, Grandpa Li received his personal page in the registry, which was designed as a loose-leaf booklet for easy addition or removal of pages.
On the left was a passport-style photo, while the right contained the following details:
[Desolate City Settlement Registration Book]
[Name: Li]
[Gender: Male]
[Role in the Settlement: Administrator]
[Date of Birth: Year 82 Before Settlement]
[Status: Unmarried, No Children]
Looking at the last line, Grandpa Li chuckled wryly. But his gaze lingered on the line before it.
Eighty-two years old…
The age had been calculated using a bone scan, which, while not perfectly accurate, was likely close. Grandpa Li had long lost track of his exact age, but seeing this number reminded him of how old he truly was.
Thanks to his abilities, his body was still strong. Even the lingering effects of injuries from the giant lizard attack had mostly healed with proper rest.
While Tang Yu’an constantly worried about him climbing stairs, Grandpa Li felt the current level of physical effort was nothing compared to fighting mutated creatures in the wastelands.
He laughed. “Alright, I’ll call Tie Jin and the others to register.”
Soon, all eligible residents of the settlement were summoned to Room 502 for scanning and registration.
Grandma Guo, the eldest resident, entered first with Kang Kang. She soon received a thin booklet with only two pages inside.
Date of Birth: Year 86 Before Settlement
Seeing the number, Grandma Guo couldn’t help but reflect on how quickly time had passed. She then turned to Kang Kang’s page.
Name: Guo Kang Kang
Date of Birth: Year 4 Before Settlement
Kang Kang was almost five years old, so the entry was close enough.
“Grandma, let me see!” Kang Kang tugged at her leg, standing on tiptoe impatiently. Grandma Guo handed him the booklet.
He stared at her photo, then at her face, his expression full of wonder.
“Grandma’s in the book…”
“Yes, and so are you,” she said with a smile.
As Grandma Guo left with Kang Kang, Tie Jin eagerly carried his daughter into the registration room, followed by A’Lian. Though they had only known each other for a little over a month, they were open to the idea of becoming a family.
Grandpa Li recorded “Father” for Tie Jin and “Mother” for A’Lian in the registry. With the addition of Jin Lili, they became the first complete family in the settlement.
Having seen the photos printed earlier, Tie Jin and A’Lian reacted calmly to their ID photos. However, holding the booklet that symbolized their new family status, both of them teared up.
Next, the father-son pair of Shu Gen and Huoqiu entered. From this point, reactions to the ID photos became more dramatic.
“What kind of ability is this? How can it capture something so realistic?” Shu Gen stammered as he stared at his photo.
Huoqiu had occasionally seen his reflection in glass windows but had never seen himself so clearly.
“That must be an ability!” Huoqiu declared confidently.
And then he got a flick on the forehead from Grandpa Li. Huoqiu rubbed his head, grumbling, “Grandpa Li, what was that for?”
Grandpa Li looked at him coolly and said, “This isn’t an ability.”
“Then what is it?” Huoqiu asked, confused.
Tang Yu’an, standing nearby, chimed in, “It’s technology.”
“Technology? What’s that?” Huoqiu asked, bewildered.
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and explained, “Think of it as the power of ordinary humans. This kind of technology existed even before abilities appeared.”
Huoqiu froze, astonished. “Ordinary humans can have such amazing power?”
“Of course,” Tang Yu’an replied. “Through observation, learning, and building on the experiences of others, people have invented incredible things.”
“Tonight, we’re going to show a movie in the community room. If you come, you’ll get a better sense of this power.”
“A movie?” Grandpa Li raised an eyebrow, surprised. But then he reasoned that if they already had a smart tablet, showing movies wasn’t that far-fetched. He calmed down and turned to Huoqiu. “That’s why you need to study hard. Even if you can’t master this power, at least you’ll recognize it when you see it.”
Ever since learning the ten digits, the three children’s progress in studying had slowed down. While it was understandable for Jin Lili and Kang Kang, who were younger, it was less excusable for Huoqiu to be on the same level as them.
“Okay…” Huoqiu reluctantly agreed, though he silently grumbled to himself. It’s not like I don’t want to learn, but addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are so hard! He swore to never again say that studying was easy.
Standing at the doorway, Lie Huo and A’Xiang overheard their conversation and exchanged excited glances.
If this “technology” was something ordinary people could learn, wouldn’t it provide a new path for their children? At the very least, they could become valuable members of the settlement and secure their place.
The last pair of residents waiting for registration was a couple preparing to get married. Even though the marriage certificates had been replaced with family registries, it didn’t make a difference to them.
Once their registration was complete, they left with their registry, eagerly showing it off to other residents.
“Look, here’s my picture!”
“Isn’t it amazing? I didn’t realize I looked this good!”
Seeing the freshly printed registries with photos and information, other residents couldn’t sit still. They approached Grandpa Li, asking to register their families, only to be turned away.
“A family is a family. How can one person be a family?” Grandpa Li countered.
The crowd groaned in disappointment and began considering whether to pair up with someone just for the sake of registering.
Although the settlement hadn’t explicitly stated any benefits for registered families, the act of registering itself felt like a benefit. If they were putting in the effort to register people, surely they wouldn’t expel registered residents, right?
These wasteland survivors were no fools—they quickly connected the dots. The real issue was that becoming a family meant living together. Could they trust other residents enough for that?
Among them, Ba Shi was particularly regretful. If his brother Ba Tu were still here, he wouldn’t have hesitated.
But then… he had Big Black Dog.
Could he register as a family with Big Black Dog?
When Ba Shi made his request, Grandpa Li looked at him with a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
“Humans and dogs… that’s not allowed. At least, it shouldn’t be,” Grandpa Li muttered.
Reluctantly, he sought out Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi for advice.
After hearing the story, Zhou Qi thought for a moment and suggested, “Why not create a collective registry?”
“A collective registry?” Grandpa Li asked.
“Yes,” Zhou Qi nodded. “They just want to be part of the settlement records and have their photos taken. So, let’s give them that.”
However, with 26 residents left, it wasn’t feasible to issue individual booklets.
“We’ll keep the collective registry in Room 502. They can view it whenever they want, but they can’t take it with them,” Zhou Qi explained.
After considering it, Grandpa Li agreed. “Alright, let’s do it that way.”
Grandpa Li included himself and Lin Zhen in the collective registry, ensuring that all remaining residents were accounted for.
This group included the fortress defector, Lang Ya.
To him, the Desolate City settlement was a continuous string of shocks. Even in the fortress, he hadn’t seen anything like the photo-taking device in Grandpa Li’s hands.
While the fortress still had computers and phones, they were ancient relics from before the apocalypse. After the disaster, even the fortress had lost the capability to manufacture such devices.
In Lang Ya’s eyes, the mysterious owner of Desolate City settlement seemed increasingly unfathomable. As for the two young “bosses”…
He believed they were mere decoys placed on the surface.
Through his interactions with Lin Zhen and the Shi Tou siblings, he had learned of a mysterious figure none of them had met.
Though they were tight-lipped about it, the information Lang Ya had gathered painted a clear picture—there was a true mastermind behind the scenes.
Looking at his ID page, which listed his birth year as Year 25 Before Settlement, Lang Ya felt a chill run down his spine.
This mysterious figure clearly had grand ambitions.
Even the major fortresses didn’t establish their own calendars; they simply recorded the years as “Post-Apocalypse.” This year was Year 65 Post-Apocalypse, a fact that the mastermind surely knew.
And yet, this person had introduced a new calendar system, designating this year as Year 1 of the Settlement Era.
Based on what Lang Ya had seen in Desolate City, it felt like witnessing a colossal force quietly rising in an overlooked corner of the world.
He wanted to relay this information back to the fortress, but the opportunity had yet to arise.
For now, trapped in Desolate City, his only choice was to survive, adapt, and observe.
Though he was reluctant to have his photo taken, the social pressure from the crowd left him with no choice.
Grandpa Li turned to Lin Lu, emphasizing, “If you or anyone else wants to register as a family, come find me. And when your baby is born, make sure to come back and update the records.”
Lin Lu, cradling her round belly, nodded happily.
This registry would secure her and her child’s place in the settlement, allowing her to raise her child safely in this haven.
The introduction of photos, family registries, and birth years became the talk of the day among the residents.
They discussed it excitedly, and when Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi screened a movie in the community room that evening, the residents were left in awe.
Even Lang Ya, usually composed, couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Entertainment like this was rare even in the fortress. Life there was tough, and except for the elite, most people focused on survival and avoiding eviction.
Overpopulation and limited living space in the fortress made life increasingly stressful, even with efforts to expand outward. Most of the new land was used for farming, and people still preferred to live within the fortress walls.
Watching a glimpse of the pre-apocalypse world in the movie, no one remained unmoved. Everyone was captivated and yearned for such a world.
Even Grandma Guo, who usually slept early, came to the community room with Kang Kang after hearing about the movie.
As the eldest resident, she was given a seat in the front row—a gesture reflecting the settlement’s respect for the elderly and children.
This respect hadn’t gone unnoticed by the residents, whose attitudes had subtly shifted as a result.
The movie further emphasized values like honoring elders and caring for children, leaving a deep impression on everyone.
When the movie ended, the residents remained entranced, still processing the vibrant and prosperous world they had just witnessed.
Taking advantage of the moment, Grandpa Li stood up to address the crowd.
“Our mission in establishing Desolate City Settlement is to recreate a world like the one before the apocalypse. We hope all residents will work with us toward this goal.”
“As long as you follow the settlement’s rules and contribute to its growth, I promise you will have the right to live here permanently and enjoy the fruits of our efforts.”
With that, Grandpa Li concluded the session, announcing the end of the day’s community room activities.
“Grandpa Li, can we watch another movie tomorrow?” someone asked eagerly.
“Movies will be shown once every three days,” Grandpa Li replied. “The rest of the time is for discussions and exchanges.”
If even the ability users were drawn to the movies, no one would be willing to discuss their training. Hence, screening movies daily was not an option.
Though disappointed, the residents left, unable to stop talking about the movie on their way home.
Seeing how well the movie was received, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a satisfied smile. After bidding Grandpa Li farewell, they returned to the Peace Grocery Store.
“What should we screen next time?”
“The same movie as today,” Zhou Qi suggested.
“But we’ve already seen it,” Tang Yu’an said, puzzled.
“Repetition helps solidify impressions,” Zhou Qi explained. “Introducing too much at once wouldn’t be effective.”
“Alright then.”
Back in the attic, Tang Yu’an spotted Gan Lin’s drifting bottle among the pile and quickly retrieved it.
As soon as he opened it, Gan Lin’s voice filled the room, sounding on the verge of tears.
“Mysterious Merchant… Mysterious Merchant… Please answer my call…”
Tang Yu’an cleared his throat and responded, “I’m here.”
“Thank goodness!” Gan Lin cried out, his voice breaking. “You’ve finally answered me! I thought Old Mo and I had offended you, and you’d abandoned us!”
Tang Yu’an was about to reassure him, as he had with Little Blue Sea, when Gan Lin continued:
“I’m so sorry! We shouldn’t have used your name to spread teachings without your permission!”
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
Spread… teachings?!
