Ding! Repeatable quest received: Turn in PDF identification tags to Lieutenant Rudolf (no limit).
Lieutenant Rudolf might not be the most principled officer, but he was a decent man. Besides, he seemed to have good connections up top, if he'd gotten his hands on a Chimera for his company. It was worth staying on good terms—could come in handy.
Li Qingyu adjusted the rifle straps and nodded.
"I'll drop in on the rebels, look for tags. Remember—you owe me."
He waved and left.
Ten minutes later, he reached a patch of woodland near the ventilation shaft. There was a small farm nearby with a lot of planks lying around. He loaded himself up with boards until he hit the red overload indicator, panting with every step.
Step by step, he staggered to the shaft entrance. Countdown. Extraction. Successful operation. Value of extracted loot: 15,000 tokens.
Back in the Hideout, Li Qingyu couldn't catch his breath for a long time. That run had nearly finished him! He collapsed onto the bed and blacked out instantly.
When he woke up, he rubbed his empty stomach and started looking for food.
"Oh. I'm out of hardtack—and out of water too."
Li Qingyu smacked his lips. Fine—time to go to the market and stock up.
He got to work. Taking planks, a saw, and nails, he built an altar and placed the Emperor figurine inside.
Ding! Emperor's Shrine (Level 1) built. Your Hideout is now under the Emperor's protection. Chaos cannot penetrate within, and taint will be slowly purged.
Li Qingyu checked the Shrine's functionality. Only one production slot was available. You could load one candle and a canteen of water, or a candle and oil, to produce holy water or sacred oil. Light the candle, and the Emperor's power descends upon the reagents. Production time: water—6 hours, oil—12 hours.
"I don't have any candles. Need to get some."
He decided it was time to visit the market. He shoved ten rifles into his pack, heaved the load onto his back, and trudged toward the Fertilizer gang's base.
Half an hour later, breathing hard, he reached the base gates. The guards spotted him from afar and hurried over. Li Qingyu dropped the bundle of guns onto the ground and stood there for a long time catching his breath. Damn it, it was heavy—over fifty kilos. That walk even raised his Strength by one point; it was 12 now.
The guards stared at him in confusion.
"Whew—almost died. Guys, help me carry it. These are guns for your boss Nepal!"
A few minutes later, in the filthy shop, Nepal stared at seven rebel autoguns and three military-pattern autoguns and whistled.
"Almighty Emperor! My good guest has brought me luck! You'll have my friendship and my money!"
He pulled out a thick stack of high-denomination tokens and handed them to Li Qingyu.
Ding! Quest completed. Received 33,000 tokens. Trader disposition: Level 1. Goods unlocked:
Homemade pistol, homemade rifle, large-bore pipe shotgun, ammunition...
Pressed-canvas armour (Class 2), canvas helmet (Class 2), industrial gas mask, homemade smoke grenade, improvised detonator.
Tools, materials.
Quest turned in, reputation raised. Now he could buy cheap junk weapons here. The key word was cheap!
Li Qingyu pocketed the money and smiled.
"Any more work?"
Nepal gestured for the weapons to be carried away and, putting on his standard smile, said:
"My good guest, your guns have greatly strengthened the Fertilizer gang. Now we look far more confidently toward the Chemical Dogs! But it's not enough. My boss wants to weaken them as much as possible before the war begins. If you want quick money—go to the reactor and hunt those bastard Chem gangsters. I'll pay 300 tokens for each one. And my friendship too, of course."
Li Qingyu thought for a moment and asked:
"How do I prove the kill?"
"Those chemical degenerates tattoo the periodic table on their shoulder. Bring back a piece of skin with the tattoo."
Li Qingyu nodded.
"Alright. When there's time, I'll drop by."
With that, he left. Exiting the gang territory, he headed toward the common zone.
Even though the Underhive was a lawless place ruled by gangs and cartels, plenty of ordinary people lived here. Some broke their backs in gang-run factories, others scavenged trash. In short, that mass of common folk made up the Underhive's "safe zone."
The center of this zone was the Great Lift. It was the only way up—to the Mid-Hive. Next to it lay a sewage collector through which the lords above dumped their waste. For the bottom-dwellers, that trash was treasure—life itself.
The Great Lift also delivered exiles down from the Mid-Hive and Upper Hive. In a gigantic city with billions of people, there were plenty of criminals. Exiles were dumped almost every day. That was why, despite the horrific conditions, the Underhive was overcrowded.
Of course, the lords above sometimes threw down handouts so the trash would lie quietly on the dump. Official institutions operated near the Lift, selling basic necessities.
The Water Guild sold water. Distribution points handed out food-starch. There were stalls selling water purification tablets, cheap medicine, clothing, and tools. It let Underhive residents scrape by on the edge without dying out completely, keeping them from rebelling.
Li Qingyu joined the end of a long line, lowered his head, and waited with feigned humility. Hundreds of people stood before him—all waiting for a chance to buy water from the Guild.