Happiness Coin, Contribution Points, and the Threat of Natural Disasters!

Happiness Coins are a necessity for ordinary residents who want to settle down in Sanctuary City.

Their anchor is the inexhaustible energy from the Hydroelectric Station, the minerals mined for decades around Xingfu City that will never run out, the powerful industrial strength of the Inner City, and even the military might sufficient to crush a small-scale Infected Tide head-on!

With this combination of "resources + industry + military might," Xingfu City doesn't even need to expand its farmland. It can easily trade for large quantities of agricultural and sideline products from surrounding Sanctuary Cities, large settlements, and small gathering places, satisfying the daily needs of over a million people.

Even though the higher-ups of Xingfu City often make idealistic decisions on a whim, such as completely waiving electricity fees during the water-rich Rainy Season, or lowering the price of Nutrient Paste by one Happiness Coin during the Harvest Season, the market can still operate stably.

This is because residents will voluntarily save money to cope with the price increases caused by resource shortages during Winter and Spring.

Coupled with timely official adjustments, this also allows Happiness Coins to retain some purchasing power even when leaving Chuan City for other cities or Sanctuary Cities.

However, Contribution Points, which are one level higher than Happiness Coins, have a completely different underlying logic and anchor.

Contribution Points can be exchanged for strategic-level resources and controlled items.

For example, improved Firearms, guns with military-grade tuning, not only use Rare Alloys to enhance durability but also undergo special ballistic optimization, making their lethality far superior to those on the market.

For example, high-tech Electronic Products, military-grade Communicators, Thermal Detectors, and specialized equipment for dealing with Infected, each one is a life-saving artifact for traversing the Wasteland.

Of course, there are also Melee Weapons, which Cheng Ye is borrowing money to buy now.

For modern people, the technology to forge Melee Weapons is no longer a challenge; the difficulty lies in the materials used.

For example, 'Damascus Steel,' '52100 Steel,' and '15N20 Steel' that often appear in the Blade Forging Competition.

However, in the Wasteland, these steels are no longer top-tier forging materials. What is truly valuable, and requires Contribution Points to purchase, is the "Transcendent Ore" that Cheng Ye only learned about today.

Its original form might have just been ordinary Iron Ore, but after being contaminated by the power of a Transcendent or an Infected, it has a chance to develop incredible properties.

And depending on the degree of contamination, the price difference of the ore is enormous.

Taking Liu Bi's short knife as an example, it contains less than 20g of ordinary Transcendent Ore, which is enough to maintain its sharpness while possessing excellent hardness and toughness, far beyond what modern materials can achieve.

"Mm, of course, I know that."

He knew the staff member must have seen his Apprentice Status and was kindly reminding him, fearing he might be punished for not knowing the rules.

Cheng Ye didn't find it strange and nodded gently.

Contribution Points are so precious, with their anchor undetermined and not allowed for free trading and circulation, it is naturally reasonable.

Moreover, in Xingfu City, the channels for individuals to obtain Contribution Points are extremely limited.

Only certain specific official positions have fixed acquisition methods, such as Inspectors, who can receive certain Contribution rewards for discovering Infected trying to sneak into the city. Public Works Department employees can receive certain Contribution rewards if their clearing efficiency far exceeds expectations. Engineers can receive certain Contribution rewards periodically for ensuring the normal operation of city facilities.

Besides these, Contribution Points are only awarded to those who have genuinely contributed to Xingfu City.

For example, Sentinels on patrol who accidentally discover a hidden Infected group can receive Contribution Points after reporting and verification.

For example, if a Scavenger finds something valuable in the city ruins while out scavenging, they can submit it and receive a certain number of Contribution Points depending on its rarity.

This is a high-incentive policy, but if Contribution Points could be traded freely, their value-measuring and behavioral-guiding significance would be greatly diminished.

Therefore, Xingfu City has explicitly stipulated that Contribution Points can be lent out, but each person has a maximum limit per cycle.

Ordinary residents can only borrow a maximum of 10 points every half year.

For Apprentice Inspectors like Cheng Ye, the limit is increased tenfold to 100 points.

Of course, this rule system is not without loopholes. For instance, if Cheng Ye wanted to buy a pistol worth 20 points, he could completely borrow Liu Bi's help to purchase it and then "gift" it to himself, bypassing the personal lending restriction.

The staff member's reminder just now was precisely about this point. Xingfu City also has a monitoring mechanism in place. Minor rule bending might be overlooked, but if someone reports it and targets you, the additional fines would be enough to bankrupt the offender instantly.

"Okay, I've finished signing."

Cheng Ye nodded and handed the signed application form to the counter.

The staff member quickly typed on the keyboard, and after a few seconds, Cheng Ye's Defense Communicator vibrated.

[Xingfu Bank Buffer Branch]

[New Era Year 35, June 26th, 18:47]

[Transfer of '100' Contribution Points from 'Song Yongfeng' of the Public Works Department to you]

[Current Balance: 143 Points]

"Why is it 143?"

Cheng Ye casually clicked on the transaction record below to check.

[New Era Year 35, June 26th, 07:00, Normal Salary transferred '24' Contribution Points]

[Balance: 43 Points]

[Remarks: Infection Source Phase verification complete, Rating: Early Phase Two]

"So the reward for the Death Whisper Tentacle was settled together."

At 7 AM, Cheng Ye was on the phone with Ding Yishan and didn't notice the transfer message.

And the 5 points previously promised to Garcia, because he was severely beaten by Liu Bi and taken for First Aid, there wasn't enough time to transfer them.

"With 143 points, minus the 20 points needed for the pistol, it's definitely enough to buy materials. Even if Transcendent Ore is more expensive, I can add less of it; it just needs to satisfy the current needs."

With food in hand, there's no panic in the heart.

Cheng Ye doesn't have many needs for firearms; buying a Bison Pistol, the same model as Brother B's, for self-defense is enough.

(He) would switch to more powerful assault rifles, rifles, and the like if the mission required it.

But melee weapons were different; a suitable weapon required the user to spend a long time honing their skill with it.

Take Liu Bi's short saber, for example. Although the initial forging materials were ordinary, he had patched it up and used it for over ten years, unwilling to replace it.

"Little Cheng, Sister Luo, since the points have been transferred, I'll head back to the Public Works Department first."

After taking the transfer slip and putting it in his backpack, Song Yongfeng turned and smiled at the two, wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.

"Fortunately, this downpour came intermittently, giving our Buffer Zone Drainage System a breather. Otherwise, if it rained for another day, the suburbs would be fine, but the city would definitely be paralyzed by flooding."

"Old Song, did your Public Works Department predict how many more days it will rain?"

As the three walked out, Luo Xiaoxue couldn't help but ask worriedly, "My husband went to support the Hydroelectric Station. If the heavy rain continues, he might have to stay there for a while."

"According to the forecast from the Inner City Meteorological Department, it will last for at least half a month."

"That long?"

"Yeah. Since the beginning of this year, the news from various Sanctuary Cities hasn't been optimistic. Weather Stability is becoming chaotic. I don't know what other strange things will happen later."

Speaking of this, Song Yongfeng's smile faded, and a hint of worry appeared.

The threat posed by Weather Anomaly was definitely no less than an attack by a swarm of Infected.

Right now, it was just heavy rain, and the buffer zone could still be alleviated by clearing the drainage channels. But what if it turned into a Blizzard?

Even setting aside Blizzards, if the upcoming Autumn was affected by Grain Reduction, it would lead to a disaster that would affect everyone in Xingfu City.

Furthermore, the activity patterns of Infected were closely related to Celestial Phenomena, such as the Hydrophilic Infected that moved along with the rain.

If the Celestial Phenomena continued to be this chaotic, it was hard to say whether a large-scale Infected Tide would erupt around Xingfu City before or during Winter.

"Uncle Song, take care."

They watched until Song Yongfeng got on the bus and drove away.

Only then did the two retract their gazes and walk side-by-side to sit on the long bench by the bank entrance.

ps: Placing my bowl, asking for follow-up reads, collections, and monthly votes~