Chapter 105: Energy Crystal
Within Song Shuai's split-open skull, a patch of ash-gray was revealed.
Although he had been frozen for so long, his bodily tissues still retained a reddish hue. Thus, that patch of ash-gray stood out starkly.
Su Chen stepped forward, suppressing the nausea churning in his gut, and examined it closely.
The ash-gray patch was a smooth, pebble-like object, situated right at the center of Song Shuai's brain.
Su Chen reached out and carefully extracted it, holding it in his palm for closer inspection.
Its surface was incredibly smooth, cool to the touch.
Could it be a Buddhist relic?
The thought had barely formed before Su Chen dismissed it.
Theories about how relics formed were varied, but one thing was certain: they only appeared after the cremation of devout Buddhists.
Song Shuai's corpse was lying here perfectly intact. How could a relic possibly appear?
Su Chen studied it for a while but couldn't figure out what it was.
He simply pocketed it and stopped pondering.
He closed the warehouse door again, then stood up and left, heading towards the backyard.
Just as Su Chen pushed open the vehicle door and stepped inside the RV, his vision blurred slightly. The screen of the "Doomsday Fortress - RV System" automatically materialized before him.
A new line of small text suddenly appeared on it:
"Energy crystal detected. Absorb?"
Energy crystal? What the hell was that?
Su Chen was momentarily stunned.
"You're back, Master!"
At that moment, Lin Yingying and Liu Ling'er hurried over to greet Su Chen, concern in their voices.
"How are things outside?"
"Ah Biao and his crew have been driven off. It's fine. I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to lie down for a bit. Don't disturb me," Su Chen brushed off the two beauties and headed straight for the bedroom.
The two women exchanged a glance but didn't dare say anything more.
Back in the bedroom, Su Chen lay on the bed and began studying the RV system.
After a moment's thought, he selected 'Yes'. Immediately, he felt a warmth in his pocket.
Startled, he quickly reached in, only to discover the gray stone he'd taken from Song Shuai's head had vanished!
Could that be the so-called energy crystal?
A thought struck Su Chen. He summoned the Doomsday Fortress - RV System interface again.
Doomsday Fortress - RV System
RV Level: 1
(Upgrade requires: 10 Energy Points)
Current Energy Points: 1
Vehicle Durability: 99%
(RV will be scrapped at 0% durability. Can be repaired using Energy Points.)
Storage Space
Energy Store
…
Everything else remained unchanged. Only the Energy Points had shifted from 0 to 1.
The truth hit Su Chen like a bolt of lightning!
So, to upgrade the RV, he needed to obtain these ash-gray energy crystals from zombie heads!
If one crystal equaled one Energy Point, then acquiring ten would allow him to upgrade the RV!
A Level 1 RV already possessed near-limitless storage space. What kind of advanced technology would Levels 2, 10... or even higher unlock?
Wouldn't he be practically invincible in the apocalypse by then?
Su Chen's heart pounded with excitement!
Without hesitation, he jumped up and strode out.
"Master, aren't you eating?" Liu Ling'er asked, surprised to see Su Chen getting dressed to leave again.
"Urgent business. You two eat without me." Su Chen had no time for explanations. He pushed open the door and left.
Soon, he was back at the B Zone warehouse.
Song Shuai's corpse still lay quietly. Beside him, Zhou Shixian, Old Xu, and the other zombies stirred, snarling and clawing at the sound.
Su Chen grabbed an axe nearby and swung it straight at Old Xu's skull!
Crack!
The axe blow silenced the previously agitated Old Xu.
But this time, something unexpected happened. Su Chen rummaged through the split skull but found nothing resembling an energy crystal.
Su Chen stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Song Shuai and Old Xu were both ordinary people. No real difference.
Did that mean the generation of energy crystals was... random?
Su Chen's gaze shifted to the remaining zombies.
Five zombies had originally been in the warehouse. After dispatching Song Shuai and Old Xu, only three remained.
Even if all three did have crystals, he'd only get four Energy Points. Still not enough for an upgrade.
Better to stick to the original plan and use them as weapons.
As this thought solidified, Su Chen's eyes gradually turned cold and ruthless.
...
Meanwhile, at the Survivors' Alliance headquarters.
The gathered faction leaders were enjoying food provided by Gao Xiangjun inside Ah Biao's hotel.
"Not bad, Boss Gao. Didn't know you were holding out on us with this kind of premium stuff," Ah Biao remarked, puffing on a Huazi cigarette and blowing out smoke rings.
"I hardly ever smoke these myself. Saving them especially for you esteemed bosses today," Gao Xiangjun forced a smile onto his face.
Su Chen had given him a carton of cigarettes earlier. Besides distributing some to his men, he'd hoarded the remaining half-carton, scarcely touching it. He'd brought them out today specifically to curry favor with the other bosses.
Savoring the Huazi cigarettes, more precious than gold in this world, the leaders' attitudes towards Gao Xiangjun noticeably softened.
Just then, one of their underlings rushed in.
"Bosses! Someone's walked out of the Eulton Hotel carrying a white flag!"
"Biao Ge! Looks like that bastard Su Chen can't hold out any longer!" Gao Xiangjun exclaimed, overjoyed.
The others also perked up significantly.
Su Chen sending someone out voluntarily was clearly a move to negotiate.
"Don't get careless," Ah Biao warned, his voice grim. "That slippery bastard's always scheming. This could easily be another trick."
Others might not know, but Ah Biao, having tangled with Su Chen multiple times, understood his character better than anyone. Su Chen never backed down. If he seemed to be yielding, it meant he was plotting something.
"But... let's hear what the messenger has to say. See what Su Chen's really up to," Ah Biao deliberated briefly before ordering, "Bring him in!"
Shortly after, Zhou Xinhong, Su Chen's subordinate, was escorted inside.
Ah Biao looked him up and down with a cold sneer. "It's you. Spit it out. What does Su Chen want?"
"Boss Su says he's willing to coexist peacefully," Zhou Xinhong stated bluntly. "And to prove his sincerity, he's offering a crate of supplies upfront."
Hearing this, Ah Biao grew even more confused. Su Chen showing such goodwill... was he genuinely scared? That didn't sound like him at all!
Xiao Mei, beside him, seemed to sense Ah Biao's hesitation and whispered, "Biao Ge, why not agree for now? If Su Chen actually delivers the supplies, that's perfect. If he doesn't... well, we lose nothing. We can just keep attacking him."