Chương 79: A Stall in the Wasteland

Jack watched the CUEV disappear into the distance before turning back toward the convenience store. The moment he stepped through the glass doors, he realized something was different. When he first arrived in this world, the heat outside had been almost unbearable. Staying outdoors for any length of time had been out of the question. Even walking a little too far from the convenience store had made him worry that he might be roasted alive. Recently, however, he had been spending hours outside every day.

Sometimes, he stayed outdoors for most of the day. Aside from sweating more than usual, he no longer found the heat particularly uncomfortable. Jack was about to ask the system about it when the Polar Pulse Ice Synthesizer chimed nearby.

"Ding! Ice synthesis complete. Please switch off the device before removing the ice. Exercise caution during operation." The question immediately slipped from Jack's mind, and he hurried over to the ice synthesizer.

"Not bad. It's even smart enough to remind me." Following the instructions, Jack switched off the power and opened the front compartment. He had expected the ice to be difficult to remove from such a large molding chamber. Instead, the dividers had separated it into evenly sized cubes during the freezing process.

"It actually worked." Jack took out one of the ice cubes and examined it in his palm before nodding with satisfaction. The entire process had taken only about half an hour. He hadn't even turned the water flow or cooling intensity all the way up. If he turned both knobs to maximum, the machine might be able to produce ice even faster. A sudden idea occurred to him. He could sell ice water. It didn't need to be anything complicated.

All he needed was a table in a shaded spot near the trading post, along with some cups and water. That would be enough to set up a simple ice water stall. Survivors had to cross the scorching wasteland to reach the trading post. It would be interesting to see their reactions when they arrived and were handed a cup of ice-cold water. And it wouldn't be limited to visiting survivors. Elias and the others would have to pay for it too. Even the fourteen men outside the moat could trade brick blanks for some.

The more Jack thought about it, the more excited he became. He rushed into the storeroom, found a folding camping table and several folding chairs, and carried them to the trading post. Elias was surprised to see him approaching with his arms full.

"What's going on?" Jack didn't answer. He simply set the folding table and chairs down in front of Elias.

"Find a shaded spot and help me set these up." Without giving Elias a chance to ask anything else, Jack turned around and headed back to the convenience store. Elias had no idea what Jack was planning, but he did as Jack asked. He carried the table and chairs to a shaded area beside the trading post and set them up. He had barely finished when Jack emerged from the convenience store again, this time carrying an entire box of cups. Elias was even more confused.

Jack placed the box on the table and was about to head back once more when Elias quickly stopped him.

"Wait." Jack looked back at him in confusion.

"What?"

"That's what I should be asking you." Elias pointed at the table, chairs, and box of cups.

"What exactly are you trying to do? I can't make sense of any of this." Only then did Jack explain his idea of selling ice water. Elias didn't know whether to laugh.

"You had nothing else to do, so you decided to create more work for yourself?"

"Of course not." Jack immediately put on a serious expression.

"I'm doing this for everyone who comes here to trade. Making a little profit on the side is just a bonus." Elias said nothing and waited for Jack to continue.

"Remember what we promised before? Anyone willing to come here would receive some food and water for the journey home, whether or not we reached a deal."

"I remember."

"Under that arrangement, everyone leaves with a full bottle of water. If we replace that with a cup of ice water, we'll use less water while giving them something they've never had before." The more Jack explained, the more enthusiastic he became.

"We save supplies, and they still won't think we're being stingy. Isn't that better?" Elias was momentarily stumped. He couldn't find a reason to disagree. Jack continued before Elias could come up with one.

"We can change the food too. We'll cut open the bread and put some canned beef inside to make simple beef burgers. One can of beef should be enough for two or three servings. A beef burger with a cup of ice water looks much better than handing out plain bread and bottled water." Elias stared at him. Jack was clearly doing this partly for fun, but his idea made a surprising amount of sense. The food would be easy to prepare, and they would use less food and drinking water.

For survivors who had traveled a long way through the heat, a beef burger and a cup of ice water would certainly be enough to leave them happy and satisfied. Jack continued refining the idea. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"The first burger and cup of ice water will count as their travel supplies, so those will be free. If they finish and want another serving, they'll have to pay for it. That way, we can get some supplies in return." Elias finally asked, "What are you planning to accept in exchange?"

"Anything," Jack said casually.

"We decide the price anyway. If they bring something useful, we let them trade it for more food. If we can't see any immediate use for it, we give them less and treat it as a good deed." Jack patted the cups on the table, his grin widening.

"We were already going to give away the first serving. If someone wants more badly enough to offer something unexpectedly valuable, then we come out ahead." Elias watched Jack grow more excited and eventually nodded in resignation.

"As long as you're happy." Jack smiled in satisfaction and returned to the convenience store. The table, chairs, and cups were ready. The only thing still missing was ice. After thinking for a moment, Jack went upstairs and searched around. Before long, he found a portable cooler that had been sitting unused in a corner for a long time. He carried it downstairs and transferred the ice cubes from the Polar Pulse Ice Synthesizer into the cooler one by one.

Once the cooler was nearly full, he closed the lid securely and carried it back to the trading post. His ice water stall was almost ready. There were no other survivors at the trading post at the moment, but Jack wasn't in a hurry. He sat down on one of the folding chairs and waited for his next customers. Before long, someone approached from outside the moat. It was one of the fourteen men. The man slowed noticeably as he neared the trading post. After lingering for a while, he finally made his way over to Jack.

"Um... when are we supposed to start working?" Jack looked up at him.

"There's no rush. The tools are still being prepared." The man nodded and was about to leave when Jack stopped him.

"Wait." The man stiffened and quickly turned back.

"Is there something else?"

"Go get the others." The man clearly didn't understand why, but he didn't dare ask. He simply nodded.

"Understood." It didn't take long for all fourteen men to gather in front of the trading post. None of them knew why Jack had called them over. They all looked tense, afraid he was about to announce another rule. Jack looked at their anxious faces and suddenly grinned.

"You traveled a long way to get here. You must be hungry and thirsty by now." The fourteen men nodded instinctively. Of course they were hungry and thirsty. They had barely eaten or drunk anything during the journey. After reaching the trading post, Jack had detained them, and they still hadn't had a single sip of water. Jack hadn't offered them anything, and none of them had dared to ask.

"I'm a kindhearted person, and I'm certainly not a slave owner," Jack declared solemnly.

"I could never do something as inhumane as sending a group of hungry, thirsty people straight to work." Standing nearby, Elias's eye twitched. Jack continued, "So I've decided to feed you first. Once the tools are ready, you can start working." The fourteen men stared at him, wondering if they had misheard. After a brief silence, the group broke into murmurs. Some still found it difficult to believe, while others were already looking toward the food inside the trading post.

A few even began thanking Jack under their breath.

"Quiet." Jack raised a hand, and the voices gradually died down.

"Obviously, I can't let all of you eat as much as you want. It's not like I'm running a charity here, right?" All fourteen men nodded along.

"This first serving is what you'll receive before you start working," Jack continued.

"If you finish it and still want more, you'll have to trade extra qualified brick blanks for another serving. Do you understand?"

"We understand!"

"No problem!"

"We'll work hard!" They answered over one another. Right now, none of them cared how many brick blanks another serving might cost. Jack pointed toward the open space in front of the table.

"Form a line. One at a time. Once you receive your food, move aside and eat somewhere else. Don't block the people behind you." The fourteen men quickly followed his instructions. The leader used his former authority to push his way to the front without hesitation. When two of his men tried to get ahead of him, he turned and glared at them. The two looked dissatisfied, but neither dared challenge him openly. They could only step back. Jack saw everything but said nothing.

He took out the bread he had prepared, cut it open, and placed a layer of canned beef inside. It still looked quite different from a proper hamburger, but to people of the wasteland who had never seen food prepared this way, it was already unusual enough. After making the beef burger, Jack picked up a cup, filled it with clean water, and used a pair of tongs to drop several ice cubes inside. The cubes struck one another with several crisp clinks. Jack handed the burger and ice water to the leader.

"Yours." The leader accepted them, unable to look away. The smell of beef drifted from between the bread, making the already hungry man swallow repeatedly. But what truly held his attention was the cup of water in his hand. Several clear cubes floated inside. Tiny beads of condensation quickly formed on the outside of the cup. Even without drinking, he could feel the chill that seemed completely out of place in the surrounding heat. You could drink water like this?

The leader remained in front of the table, staring at the cup without moving.

"Take your food and move aside," Jack said, tapping the table.

"Don't block everyone else. And return the cup when you're finished." The leader finally came to his senses. He carried the ice water and burger to a shaded spot and sat down. He cautiously took his first sip of ice water. The cold water slid down his throat, cooling him from the inside out. His eyes widened. A moment later, he eagerly took another sip. Then he bit into the beef burger. The soft bread and canned beef created a flavor far richer than the dry, hardened food he usually ate.

Grease soon coated his lips, but his mind was already racing with other possibilities. This place had large amounts of food, clean water, and even ice. Once he escaped, he would gather more people and return to seize everything. The food, the vehicles, even the machine that produced ice would all be his. While the leader secretly made his plans, the others received their own servings from Jack. Exclamations soon filled the area around the trading post.

One person held the ice water against his cheek, reluctant to drink it because he wanted to enjoy the cool sensation. Another took one sip and couldn't stop, draining the entire cup within moments. Someone else took a bite of the beef burger, discovered meat between the bread, and stared at it in disbelief. Once the last person had received his food, Jack clapped his hands to get everyone's attention again.

"All right. Now I'll tell you the price." The fourteen men looked at him as they continued eating.

"Ten qualified brick blanks for one beef burger and one cup of ice water." The moment he finished, several people answered through mouthfuls of food.

"No problem!"

"We'll trade for more!"

"It's only ten! I can easily make plenty of extras in one day!" To them, ten brick blanks for a serving of food and ice water was barely different from getting it for free. Some even started to think Jack might actually be a decent person. Jack couldn't have been happier as he watched their astonished and satisfied reactions. This was exactly why he had gone through all that trouble. He turned toward Elias and raised his eyebrows proudly, as though asking: What do you think? Not a bad idea, right?

Elias understood perfectly. He said nothing and merely rolled his eyes, leaving Jack to interpret the response for himself. Time passed, and the area around the trading post gradually quieted down. After finishing their burgers and ice water, the fourteen men returned their cups to Jack. They still couldn't begin working without tools, but none of them dared wander around. They went back outside the moat and continued setting up their tents. Before anyone realized it, the sky had begun to darken.

Jack looked in the direction Megan and Harvey had gone. Considering the CUEV's speed, they should have returned long ago. He could no longer sit still. Every so often, he stood and stared into the distance, but the wasteland remained empty except for rolling dunes and lengthening shadows. After waiting a little longer, Jack began muttering to himself.

"Why aren't they back yet?"

"They've been gone for so long."

"Is the agricultural supply center really that far away?" His anxiety continued to grow. Jack paced beside the trading post several times before staring in the same direction again. Elias had been watching him.

"Try not to worry too much. They went together, so they can look after each other."

"I know." Jack said the words, but his eyes never left the distant wasteland. The sky continued to darken, and the distant scenery gradually blurred. Jack was wondering whether he should ask Cass to send out the drone when a faint light suddenly appeared at the edge of the wasteland. The light swayed gently in the dimness as it moved steadily toward them. Jack stopped pacing and quickly left the trading post. As the light drew closer, the tension inside him finally eased. Before long, the CUEV came into view.

The vehicle crossed the wasteland, passed through the moat, and came to a steady stop in front of the trading post. Jack was about to ask why they had returned so late when Megan climbed out of the driver's seat. Unable to hide her excitement, she hurried over to him.

"Jack, guess what we found?"