The rain was a deluge, slamming against the corrugated iron walls of the abandoned warehouse with a deafening clamor. Icy drops trickled through a palm-sized hole in the roof, striking the back of Chen Shouzhou's neck and sending a violent shiver down his spine. The air was thick with the damp, nauseating stench of rust, mold, and dead rats.
Huddled in a corner, Chen Shouzhou shivered, chattering at the stiff corpse beside him. "Hey, pal. How about you scooch over a bit? Make some room for me? Half my ass is turning into an icicle over here."
He hadn't spoken to a living person in so long he'd nearly forgotten how. At least a corpse wouldn't judge him, and more importantly, it wouldn't try to steal his last half-biscuit.
His corpse buddy, naturally, did not reply.
"No answer? I'll take that as a yes," Chen Shouzhou muttered, satisfied. He shifted his rear end closer to the corpse's cold, but at least wind-breaking, "body." From a tattered inner pocket, he produced half a pack of damp, moldy biscuits, carefully breaking off a tiny piece. The biscuit was as soft as a wet rag. The taste—a mix of sour rot and earthy grit—shot straight to his brain, almost making him vomit up yesterday's dinner of… well, of nothing but the northwest wind.
Just as he was forcing himself to choke down the foul morsel, trying to wring some warmth from it, squelching footsteps echoed from outside the warehouse. More than one person.
Chen Shouzhou's chatter died instantly. Every muscle in his body went rigid. In his eyes, usually dull from chronic malnutrition, a flicker of vigilance appeared—a look completely at odds with his goofy demeanor, like a feral cat scavenging in a garbage heap that had just heard a sudden noise.
Holding his breath, he scrambled into a nearby dust-choked ventilation duct. As he fumbled in the darkness, his fingers brushed against a cool metal tag with a strange texture. Without a second thought, he snatched it and stuffed it into his pocket.
CRASH—!
The warehouse's rust-eaten iron door was kicked open from the outside. Several brutes in tattered leather gear, armed with steel pipes and machetes, dragged a woman inside. The leader was a bald man with a ghastly scar running from the corner of his left eye to his chin. He scanned the warehouse with murky, savage eyes, like a hyena surveying its territory, seeing any living thing as nothing more than future rations.
The Stray Dogs gang! And their leader, Zhao Tie, infamous for his cruelty. Chen Shouzhou's heart lurched and sank.
"Search the place, top to bottom!" Zhao Tie barked, his voice raw. "Check every rat hole! If I find anyone holding out on me, I'll be using their head as a chamber pot!"
One of the gang members swaggered over, cursing, and kicked the corpse out of his way. Brother Corpse rolled twice before landing face-down, as if protesting the world's lack of respect for the dead. The beam of the man's flashlight swept over, about to illuminate the mouth of the duct.
Chen Shouzhou's heart leaped into his throat.
At that very moment, the metal tag in his pocket erupted in a blinding golden light!
[Ding! Detecting lifeform in extreme peril... Binding conditions met...]
[Congratulations. You have successfully bound the "Wasteland's Safest House" System!]
[Initial Mission Issued: Survive the current crisis and attract one survivor to your 'Safe House'.]
A series of cold, mechanical prompts exploded in his mind.
Chen Shouzhou was completely stunned, almost laughing out loud. Am I hallucinating from hunger?
BANG!
A gunshot rang out, but it missed. The golden flash had momentarily blinded Zhao Tie, making his hand jerk. The bullet grazed Chen Shouzhou's scalp and left a searing hot hole in the duct's wall.
"What the hell was that?!" Zhao Tie roared, raising his gun and scanning the area warily.
Chen Shouzhou had no time to answer. Survival instinct kicked in, flooding him with unprecedented strength. He scrambled desperately deeper into the duct. The dust choked him, making him cough, but with his life on the line, who had time to care?
[Novice Gift Pack has been issued. Open now?]
Open! Open it! Open it now! Before I get my head blown open! he roared in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received the Novice Gift Pack reward: Skill 'Resource Appraisal' (Beginner)!]
A warm current flowed into his mind, and his vision seemed to sharpen. He crawled out of the other end of the duct, hiding behind a pile of abandoned machinery. The Stray Dogs were still searching on the other side.
He immediately activated "Resource Appraisal" and scanned his surroundings.
[One case of sealed military-grade canned food. Condition: Pristine. Utility Value: Very High. Remark: Beef-flavored. Smells great!]
[One rusty wrench. Material: High-carbon steel. Utility Value: Medium. Remark: Good for tightening bolts, even better for cracking skulls.]
[One half-full barrel of gasoline. Utility Value: High. Remark: Light it up, and you'll be the brightest spark tonight!]
[One old generator. Core intact. Utility Value: Very High. Remark: Needs a little love and a swift kick to get started.]
[One bag of expired chili powder. Utility Value: Medium. Remark: It's expired, but it still packs a hell of a punch.]
...
Gasoline, a generator, a circuit breaker, wire, chili powder... The seemingly unrelated items spun in his head like a supercharged carousel, before snapping together into a single, wonderfully wicked plan. He licked his chapped lips.
Damn, this is a full-course wasteland banquet, isn't it? Zhao Tie, you old bastard, today I'm treating you to a feast you'll never forget.
After a fruitless search, Zhao Tie and his men left temporarily, likely to check the perimeter. Chen Shouzhou knew they'd be back soon. Time was short.
He sprang into action, rigging the wires he'd found across the entrance as a tripwire. Then, he mixed some dry chili powder with gasoline, stuffing the concoction into empty cans to create makeshift "chili smoke bombs."
"Let's see how you handle the power of apocalyptic Sichuan cuisine!" he muttered as he worked.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Zhao Tie returned with his men, ready to clear the warehouse for good.
"Alright, look sharp! Find the rat and drag him out!"
The moment they stepped inside, they hit the tripwire.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Several cans weighted with rocks swung down from the rafters, startling them. As they were distracted, Chen Shouzhou, hidden in the shadows, hurled the wrench at an old circuit breaker switch.
Zzzt—CRACKLE!
A brilliant shower of sparks lit a fuse.
BOOM!
The chili smoke bombs detonated. The sensation was like having someone light a bonfire of chili peppers right in your sinuses. It choked them, brought tears to their eyes, and made them cough so hard they felt their lungs would burst.
"Cough, cough! What is this shit?!" one of the brutes yelled, clutching his eyes and stumbling around blindly. He walked straight into a pillar, and blood immediately started to flow. The Stray Dogs descended into chaos, a symphony of curses, coughs, and collisions.
Like a stalking cat, Chen Shouzhou moved silently through the mayhem, heading straight for an iron cage in the back of the warehouse. Huddled inside was the captured woman. She wore a stained doctor's coat, her face smudged with grime, but her eyes, reflecting the flickering firelight, were exceptionally bright and calm.
He smashed the cage's lock with the wrench and hissed at her, "Let's go!"
The woman seemed unable to speak, but she gave him a firm nod and followed him nimbly out a side door.
They ran for nearly ten minutes through the downpour before they stopped, certain they were safe.
Just then, the mechanical voice sounded in Chen Shouzhou's mind again.
[Mission Complete: Survived the crisis and successfully attracted one survivor.]
[Congratulations, Host! Safe House has been upgraded to Lv. 2. New Feature Unlocked: Basement Warehouse!]
[Reward: Minor physical enhancement, initial wound recovery.]
A warm current spread through his body, washing away the hunger and exhaustion of the past days. The cut on his arm from the sheet metal stopped bleeding. He felt... good.
He grinned, turning to his new "tenant" with what he hoped was a friendly smile.
"Hi there, welcome! I'm Chen Shouzhou, the landlord, property manager, and head of security for this five-star safe house."