The next morning, Jiang Chen sent Sun Jiao to investigate the commercial bank in Qingpu District. When she questioned why anyone would bother with a bank in the apocalypse, his answer was brutally simple:
"I need the gold."
This ruined world was full of treasures - any piece of pre-war civilian technology would outperform cutting-edge lab equipment back home. But selling futuristic tech would raise too many questions. Gold, however, was universally valuable and easily liquidated.
Jiang Chen guessed correctly that in this lawless wasteland where starvation was commonplace, shiny metal held no value compared to food. Sun Jiao's baffled expression confirmed his theory, though she wisely stopped pressing when he refused to explain further.
Their morning routine included an awkward moment when Jiang Chen handed Sun Jiao a bread roll.
"What's your angle?" she demanded, snatching the food while keeping wary eyes locked on him.
"Angle? This is your payment - three meals a day, as agreed." Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. As if I'd risk sleeping with a woman who might bite my dick off. When I'm rich, I'll have my pick of models back home.
The concept of "breakfast" seemed foreign to Sun Jiao. As she wolfed down the bread with unselfconscious gusto, Jiang Chen noticed something remarkable - the hardened wasteland survivor hesitated before licking grease from her fingers, as if suddenly self-conscious.
"I'll find the bank vault," she said between bites, "but transporting gold will be harder than locating it."
The EMP from nuclear strikes had fried every vehicle in Shanghai. Even internal combustion cars relied on electronics that were now permanently bricked. Without expert technicians, functional transportation was nearly impossible to find.
"Just scout the location and dangers," Jiang Chen instructed. "Be back before dark."
"Obviously," Sun Jiao scoffed, checking her gear. "Shanghai nights belong to the zombies - and they get smarter after sunset."
Before leaving, she showed Jiang Chen her EP stats, leaving him stunned:
User: Sun Jiao
Muscle Density: 44
Bone Strength: 61
Reflexes: 40
Brain Activity: 13
Notes: C-grade tissue repair vaccine. T-virus inoculation.
How is someone with such slender arms three times stronger than me? What kind of monster is she?
After Sun Jiao departed, Jiang Chen returned to modern Shanghai to recharge. Residential wiring couldn't handle the 100 kWh needed, forcing him to steal power from a neighborhood transformer. As sparks flew from the jury-rigged connection, the entire building blacked out, prompting angry shouts from gamers and K-pop fans alike.
Guilt-ridden but fully charged, Jiang Chen retreated to his apartment to prepare supplies:
Relabeled canned goods
Bulk-purchased instant noodles
Medical supplies
Two crates of food stored in his subspace (consuming 10% energy)
A discovery about his EP's radiation cleansing function - it could extract iodine from antiseptics - solved another pressing concern.
As he enjoyed a simple lunch of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs with cold beer, Jiang Chen marveled at the disparity between worlds. This ordinary meal could buy tons of gold in the wasteland - or the favors of countless women in places like Orange Town.
The thought led to darker musings: What if my world follows theirs into nuclear annihilation? Shaking off the chill, he focused on immediate goals - secure the gold, get rich, buy a mansion and sports cars. Women would come naturally with wealth.
Before his return trip, Jiang Chen made one last addition to his supplies - a single can of Coca-Cola. In the wasteland, this fizzy luxury might be more valuable than all the gold in Shanghai.