Happiness Coins were essential for Ordinary Residents who wanted to settle down in a Sanctuary City.
Their value was anchored to the inexhaustible energy generated by the Hydroelectric Station, the mineral resources around Xingfu City that could be mined for decades without running out, the Inner City's powerful industrial base, and, above all, the military strength to defeat small-scale Infected Tides head-on!
With this combination of "resources, industry, and military might," Xingfu City didn't even need to expand its farmland. It could easily trade with nearby Sanctuary Cities, large settlements, and small communities for vast quantities of agricultural products, meeting the daily needs of over a million people.
Even though Xingfu City's High Level officials often made idealistic, spur-of-the-moment decisions—for instance, waiving all electricity fees during the rainy season, when hydropower was abundant, or lowering the price of Nutrient Paste by one Happiness Coin during the harvest season—the market could still operate steadily.
That was because residents saved money of their own accord to prepare for price hikes caused by resource shortages in winter and spring.
On top of that, timely government regulation meant that Happiness Coins retained some purchasing power even beyond Chuan City, in other cities and Sanctuary Cities.
Contribution Points, a level above Happiness Coins, worked on an entirely different principle and had a completely different anchor.
They could only be exchanged for strategic resources and controlled items.
For example, modified firearms and guns adjusted to military standards. They used Rare Alloy to improve their durability and received special ballistic optimization, making them far deadlier than standard market models.
Or high-tech electronics, military-grade communicators, Thermal Detectors, and specialized equipment for fighting the Infected. Every one of them was a lifesaving tool for anyone traveling the Wasteland.
And of course, there were the Melee Weapons Cheng Ye was now willing to borrow money to buy.
For modern people, the techniques needed to make Melee Weapons were no longer the hard part. The challenge lay in the materials used.
For instance, "Damascus Steel," "52100 Steel," and "15N20 Steel," which often appeared in Blade Forging Competitions.
But in the Wasteland, these steels no longer counted as top-tier forging materials. The truly valuable stuff—the kind that required Contribution Points to buy—was something Cheng Ye had only learned about today: "Transcendent Ore."
It might have started out as ordinary Iron Ore, but after being tainted by the power of a Transcendent or an Infected, it could develop extraordinary properties.
And depending on the degree of contamination, the ore's price could vary enormously.
Take Liu Bi's short knife, for example. It contained less than 20 grams of ordinary Transcendent Ore, yet that was enough to give it excellent hardness and toughness without sacrificing sharpness—qualities beyond the reach of modern materials.
"Mm, of course I know that."
The staff member had obviously seen his Apprentice Status and kindly warned him, worried he might not know the rules and end up being penalized.
Cheng Ye didn't find it strange. He nodded lightly.
Contribution Points were so valuable, and their value couldn't be reliably anchored. It made sense that free trading wasn't allowed.
Besides, in Xingfu City, individuals had very few ways to earn Contribution Points.
Only certain designated positions had regular ways of earning them. Inspectors could receive a set amount for finding Infected who had sneaked into the city. The Public Works Department could earn rewards when its pioneering work exceeded expectations. Engineers received regular Contribution Points each cycle for keeping city facilities running properly.
Aside from that, Contribution Points were only awarded to people who had truly contributed to Xingfu City.
For instance, a Sentinel who discovered a hidden group of Infected while out on patrol could earn Contribution Points once the report was verified.
Or a Scavenger who found something valuable among the City Ruins could turn it in and receive Contribution Points depending on its worth.
It was a policy designed to provide strong incentives. But if Contribution Points could be traded freely, their value as a measure of worth and a guide for behavior would be greatly diminished.
So Xingfu City had strict rules: Contribution Points could be lent, but everyone had a maximum allowance per cycle.
Ordinary Residents could borrow no more than ten points every six months.
For an Apprentice Inspector like Cheng Ye, that limit was ten times higher: 100 points.
Of course, the rules had loopholes. If Cheng Ye wanted to buy a pistol worth 20 points, for instance, he could have Liu Bi buy it for him and then "gift" it to him, sidestepping his personal borrowing limit.
The staff member's warning had been about exactly this. Xingfu City had a monitoring system in place. It might turn a blind eye to minor rule-bending, but if someone filed a targeted report, the added fines could bankrupt the offender on the spot.
"All right, I've signed it."
Cheng Ye nodded and passed the completed application through the window.
The staff member tapped quickly at the keyboard. A few seconds later, Cheng Ye's Defense Communicator buzzed.
[Xingfu Bank Buffer Branch] [New Era Year 35, June 26, 18:47] [Song Yongfeng of the Public Works Department transferred 100 Contribution Points to you] [Current balance: 143 points]
"Why is it 143?"
Cheng Ye tapped the transaction record below to take a look.
[New Era Year 35, June 26, 07:00, regular wages: 24 Contribution Points deposited] [Balance: 43 points] [Note: Infection Source Phase verification complete. Rating: Early Phase Two]
"So they included the reward for the Death Whisper Tentacle."
At seven, Cheng Ye had been on the phone with Ding Yishan and hadn't noticed the transfer notification.
And he hadn't yet sent Garcia the five points he'd promised, since Garcia had been beaten badly by Liu Bi and taken to the emergency room.
"After setting aside 20 points for the pistol, 123 should be plenty for materials. Even if Transcendent Ore is expensive, I can just use less. I only need enough for what I need right now."
With food in hand, one felt no panic.
Cheng Ye didn't have much need for firearms. He could just buy a Bison Pistol like Brother B's for self-defense.
When he had to go out on a mission, he could decide then whether he needed to upgrade to something more powerful, like a submachine gun or rifle.
Melee Weapons were different. It took time to get used to a weapon and make it your own.
Liu Bi's short knife, for example, had been made from ordinary materials at first, but he'd kept patching it up and using it for over a decade, unwilling to replace it.
"Xiao Cheng, Sister Luo, now that the points have been transferred, I'll head back to the Public Works Department."
Song Yongfeng took the transfer slip and put it in his backpack, then turned to the two of them with a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
"Good thing this rain has been coming and going. It's given the Buffer Zone Drainage System a chance to catch its breath. If it keeps up for another day, the suburbs might be all right, but the urban areas will definitely be flooded and paralyzed."
"Old Song, has the Public Works Department predicted how many more days it'll rain?"
As the three of them walked out, Luo Xiaoxue couldn't help asking anxiously, "My husband went to help out at the Hydroelectric Station. If the rain doesn't let up, he might have to stay there for a while."
"According to the Inner City Meteorological Department's forecast, it'll last at least another half a month."
"That long?"
"Yeah. Since the start of this year, the news from Sanctuary Cities everywhere has been grim. Weather Stability is declining, and things are getting more chaotic. Who knows what else might happen?"
At that, Song Yongfeng's smile faded, and a trace of worry showed on his face.
The threat posed by Weather Anomalies was every bit as serious as an attack by a horde of Infected.
For now, it was only heavy rain, and the Buffer Zone could still ease the problem by clearing the drainage channels. But what if it turned into a blizzard?
And it didn't even have to be a blizzard. If the coming autumn weather reduced the harvest, the resulting Grain Reduction would reach Xingfu City and become a disaster affecting everyone.
Besides, the Infected's patterns of activity were closely tied to Celestial Phenomena. Hydrophilic Infected, for instance, followed the rain bands.
If the Celestial Phenomena kept growing this erratic, it was hard to say whether a large-scale Infected Tide would erupt around Xingfu City sometime before or during winter.
"Take care, Uncle Song."
They watched Song Yongfeng board a bus and ride away.
Only then did they turn their attention back and sit side by side on a bench by the bank entrance.
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