CHAPTER 574: CHAPTER 574: SUSPICIOUS NEWCOMER

Several people sat around the coffee table, staring at the stack of cash in front of them, contemplating the trouble they were about to face.

Unanimously, the men had the same thought.

"We need weapons."

Fatty pushed up his imaginary glasses and glanced at the photos of gunfights on top of the newspaper.

"I suddenly realized that zombies are bound to appear. Maybe that’s why we were placed in a town resembling one in North America, where it’s easier to get weapons."

Zhou Shulin and Zhang Yi nodded. Wang Hai’s point made sense. If they were in China, they would have no idea how to get weapons quickly. They would probably have to wait until the zombies completely overran the city and the streets were filled with corpses before getting any, and even then, not much.

Here, as long as they had money, they could buy plenty.

"But we can’t spend it all on weapons, right? If the typhoon you mentioned also comes, what will we eat and drink?"

Wang Hai nodded. Zhao Ying’s concern was valid. It was best to stock up in advance because once the typhoon was about to hit, supermarkets would likely be emptied. No matter where you were, people’s first reaction to disaster was to panic-buy supplies.

"We’ll also need transportation. In case of emergency, we’ll need a vehicle to move."

Zhou Shulin gestured around.

"This house is flimsy. Forget a typhoon—if a horde of zombies attacks, these doors and windows won’t hold them back at all."

Wang Hai pushed up his imaginary glasses again.

"To sum up, we need a vehicle with high horsepower, large capacity, and strong durability, plenty of supplies and weapons, and we should also get familiar with the surrounding area. When it comes time to relocate, we’ll need a clear destination."

Ethan, who had been silent for a while, added, "It’s better to prepare several locations in different directions. Once the city falls into chaos, we won’t know which routes will remain open."

The men nodded. That point was indeed crucial.

After discussing it, they had a basic plan and knew what to do next.

"Ethan, with your looks and language skills, you’re best suited for these tasks. So the job of purchasing and communicating with the locals will be yours."

Wang Hai rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of his mouth, covering the lower half of his face.

"I’ll go with you to look around and get familiar with the area. If possible, we’ll buy the car and food directly."

He then assigned tasks to the others, though none of them were difficult. Zhao Ying was to continue searching every corner of the house, since she was meticulous and might discover something hidden.

Zhang Yi and Zhou Shulin were tasked to check the garage and look for a basement, clearing out anything useful and assessing how many supplies they had.

These were easy jobs and didn’t require leaving the house. Fatty, on the other hand, had to go out with Ethan and figure out how to get a batch of weapons, which was much more troublesome for ordinary people.

"Brother Chen, I want to ask if the novice guide is just like us after explaining the basic information?"

Chen Peng smiled, not hiding anything.

"Pretty much. I also have to complete this mission."

"So this time Brother Chen is part of our team?"

"You could say that."

Wang Hai had been leading up to this moment and finally voiced his real thought.

"Brother Chen, you’re experienced. You must know how to get enough weapons, right?"

Although this town was modeled after a North American city, everyone knew how easy it was to get weapons there. Some big supermarkets even had gun counters where you could buy them openly and legally.

For many newcomers, it didn’t seem like getting weapons would be difficult.

Chen Peng, however, wasn’t surprised. Instead, he praised Wang Hai.

"You’re thinking clearly." Chen Peng pulled out a cigarette but, noticing Zhao Ying’s disapproving look, didn’t light it. "Many newcomers think weapons can be bought anytime... Hmph, don’t even think about it. Do you have identification?"

They immediately understood. They had looked around earlier and found no identity documents in the house. That meant they were completely undocumented. How could an undocumented person buy weapons legally?

"Brother Chen is right. We don’t have identification now, so a lot of things that seem easy are actually difficult."

Besides weapons, getting a car would also be tricky. Ethan then spoke up again. Tony had prepared him some equipment for making documents, allowing him to create temporary identities. Even if he didn’t hack into any databases, a physical document was often enough.

"I have a North American driver’s license. As long as the time frame isn’t too far off, I should be fine."

Everyone looked down at the newspaper. Not everyone could read English, but they instinctively checked the date.

When Wang Hai confirmed that the newspaper was dated 2010, he immediately looked at Ethan.

"It can be used," Ethan said.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Having someone with identification would make things much easier.

With their plan set, everyone quickly got to work.

Chen Peng acted alone. He was going to find out about the black market situation in the city. Since the group needed to buy in large quantities and had no identification, they couldn’t use legitimate channels.

Their only option was the black market. There were also small-time vendors who sold scattered weapons on the street, but Chen Peng wasn’t interested in those. He was looking for hidden shops with large inventories.

This wasn’t his own idea but Wang Hai’s request. As an experienced guide, Chen Peng immediately understood his intention. Besides buying weapons, Wang Hai wanted to locate these shops in advance and mark them as future supply points, in case they needed ammunition after the crisis began.

"These newcomers this time... their quality is really good."

Walking down the street, Chen Peng finally lit his cigarette. After one puff, he felt even more irritable.

"Maybe a bit too good."

Excellent newcomers meant they could complete the novice trial more effectively, and as their guide, he would earn greater rewards. For every newcomer he guided, he could receive a portion of their future rewards from their next three missions as extra income. That was why many experienced players were willing to take this job.

However, he knew that protecting newcomers too much wasn’t good. While it might let them pass the first trial safely, they would likely die quickly in real missions later, earning nothing.

That was why he preferred to let newcomers make their own decisions, forcing them to discover their potential.

From what he had seen so far, this batch of newcomers wasn’t bad. Though Wang Hai was overweight, that was no problem in the Main God Space. If he survived this trial, he could return there and instantly transform into a fit man.

Zhou Shulin and Zhang Yi weren’t exceptional but were level-headed and knew what they needed to do. The most troublesome kind of newcomer was one who couldn’t see themselves clearly. If they had been that type, Chen Peng would have already given up on them.

"These few are worth helping appropriately."

Zhao Ying was an ordinary woman. Although she had hidden the money at first, she quickly realized her mistake, proving she was smart. Compared to the men, she knew less about the Main God Space, but being able to adjust so quickly was impressive.

"Ethan..."

Chen Peng took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling sharply through his nose.

"Something about him doesn’t feel right."

Ethan had behaved very normally, much like Zhang Yi and Zhou Shulin. The only thing special about him was his appearance. But Chen Peng couldn’t ignore the fact that when he woke up, Ethan was already standing and looking around.

A newcomer who woke up before an experienced player?

"I want to see what tricks this guy is playing."

He stubbed out the cigarette, glanced around at the street, then tossed the butt aside. After stretching, he walked toward the street on the right, which looked more chaotic.

If he wanted information, he had to go to places like that and find out which ethnic group controlled the area. Only then could he find the right place to buy what he needed. If he went to the wrong neighborhood, he might have to fight his way out.

While Chen Peng was busy investigating, Ethan and Wang Hai were also exploring their surroundings. They soon realized their neighborhood was quite nice. The streets were clean and well-kept, with police cars patrolling regularly. In North America, the level of security depended on how wealthy a community was. Rich neighborhoods could hire more security and even maintain round-the-clock patrols.

As for poorer ones, having a single car parked at the end of the street as "security" was already considered responsible management.

Wang Hai’s first thought when he saw the patrolling police cars was, "Can we use these cars to evacuate everyone if necessary?"

"Trust me, that’s a terrible idea," Ethan immediately replied.

"If you want reliable vehicles, your best bet is to look for school buses nearby."

(To be continued.)

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