The transition between worlds took only an instant for Jiang Chen. As his boots touched the dust-covered hardwood floors of the villa, he noticed something peculiar - this jump had consumed only 40% of his energy reserves.
Does the capacity increase with each recharge? He shook his head, dismissing the scientific implications beyond his understanding. For now, he'd simply count it as a blessing.
Seated on the moldering but still luxurious sofa, Jiang Chen lit a cigarette and watched through the grimy window as Sun Jiao's silhouette appeared in the distance. After confirming her identity with binoculars, he descended to open the reinforced door.
"Your gold," Sun Jiao announced, tossing a heavy bag with casual strength that belied her slender arms. Jiang Chen's hands sank under the weight - several kilograms of pure wealth thrown like crumpled paper.
"Bank lobby was crawling with zombies," she reported, wiping sweat from her brow. "Burned through two battery packs clearing them out. The main vault's sealed behind blast doors, but I stripped the VIP room." She shrugged off her backpack with a thud, the combined weight of gold, weapons, and supplies easily exceeding 20kg after her long trek.
Jiang Chen tossed her a can. "Here."
Sun Jiao caught the Coca-Cola midair, staring blankly at the frost-covered aluminum. "This is..."
"You seemed to like it last time." Jiang Chen scratched his cheek, suddenly self-conscious under her gaze.
For a heartbeat, the hardened wasteland warrior seemed at a loss for words. Then, with characteristic bravado, she popped the tab and guzzled the contents. "Gah! Damn weather's baking me alive out there—wait, this is cold?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Solar panels on the roof still work," Jiang Chen lied smoothly, though the truth was simpler - he'd brought fresh supplies from his world. The villa's antique refrigerator now housed treasures more valuable than gold in this era: fresh eggs, tomatoes, and chilled beer.
Their negotiation took an unexpected turn when Sun Jiao produced a dark green crystal from her pocket. "You'll need these to enter Orange Town - one per visitor." She tossed the so-called "Yajing" to Jiang Chen.
The moment it touched his palm, his tattoo pulsed hungrily. This crystal contains energy! Keeping his expression neutral, he examined the peculiar mineral. "What's the exchange rate?"
Sun Jiao's lips curled into a smirk. "One Yajing buys you a tenth of a meat Canned food, ten nutrient injections... or a night with a woman in Orange Town." She seemed to relish Jiang Chen's discomfort. "Thirty Yajing for four of your Canned food? Deal."
As the trade concluded, Sun Jiao unexpectedly offered advice with uncharacteristic hesitation: "You're getting ripped off. Most Canned food here contain mutant fish meat mixed with sand... or worse." The grim implication hung between them. "The curry chicken you gave me... it was my first real meal in years."
A chill ran down Jiang Chen's spine. In this world where he was physically outmatched, his greatest protection wasn't strength but the value of his "mysterious supplies." The realization dawned that Sun Jiao could easily kill him and take everything—yet she hadn't.
Perhaps noticing his tension, Sun Jiao abruptly turned toward the kitchen. "Your naivety is annoying... but not unlikable." The admission seemed to pain her.
Her subsequent outburst upon discovering the stocked refrigerator broke the solemn mood. "How?! These ingredients—"
"Tonight," Jiang Chen interrupted, grinning as he lifted a plump tomato, "we're having scrambled eggs with tomatoes. My first employee deserves a proper celebration dinner."
As he began cooking, an unfamiliar warmth bloomed in his chest. Beneath the survivalist exterior, Sun Jiao possessed something increasingly rare in either world—integrity. And that, Jiang Chen realized, might be more valuable than all the gold in Shanghai's ruins.