Truly, "One may search high and low, only to find it without effort."
The small convenience store had evidently been closed since the apocalypse began. Judging by the pristine, rust-covered chain still hanging from the door, the interior must have remained largely untouched. Conservatively estimating, Luo Hou believed this trip would yield no small bounty.
With a flicker of anticipation, Luo Hou ordered his zombie pet forward. The creature yanked the rusty chain free with brute strength.
"Creak—"
The door groaned open, and a gust of musty air rushed out. Luo Hou quickly covered his nose and stepped aside.
After several minutes—long enough for the year-old stench to disperse—he stationed his undead companion outside as a lookout and stepped into the cramped convenience store.
There was no electricity, and the low ceiling made the room feel darker still.
To the right of the entrance stood a glass display counter. The plastic cover draped over it was thick with dust, obscuring the contents within. Luo Hou gave it only a passing glance before turning his focus to the center of the store.
A towering three-tiered shelf—over a meter high—dominated the space. The top two levels were stocked with packaged snacks and a colorful assortment of drinks. Yet most of them, likely spoiled due to the altered environment of this new world, were now long past salvation.
He skipped over those and cast his eyes to the lowest shelf—and finally, a glimmer of fortune.
The bottom tier, closest to Luo Hou, was lined with bottles of oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and bags of salt—items that, thankfully, didn't spoil easily.
"Haha! I've struck gold this time!" Luo Hou's eyes narrowed in glee as he grinned.
After a careful tally: over fifty bottles of soy sauce and vinegar, each exchangeable for one white crystal; more than thirty packs of iodized salt, worth two crystals apiece; and twelve five-kilogram jugs of cooking oil, each valued at fifteen white crystals.
Altogether, this humble shelf of condiments was worth nearly three hundred white crystals!
Circling to the other side of the shelf, Luo Hou's smile widened until he could no longer contain it. On this side, the bottom tier was stacked exclusively with bottles of baijiu—ranging from 100ml to 500ml—with a total of 120 bottles!
Just these alone were worth over two thousand white crystals—more than enough to upgrade his Spirit Ring by one level.
"Indeed, a horse doesn't fatten on night grass, and a man doesn't get rich without windfalls! If I were to rely solely on killing zombies to amass a thousand white crystals, I wouldn't stand a chance without at least a month or two of blood and sweat."
Overjoyed, Luo Hou rubbed his hands together in delight, staring at the rows of bottles with a mix of satisfaction and anxiety.
There was simply too much. The weight and volume made it impossible to transport everything in one trip. But if he came back multiple times, the risk would rise considerably. The image of that towering two-meter-tall zombie he had seen earlier flashed through his mind. Who could say it wouldn't be lurking just outside the alley next time?
If that were the case, these supplies would be as good as lost to him.
A treasure trove lay within arm's reach, yet he couldn't take it all—Luo Hou's frustration burned hot in his chest.
After racking his brain for a solution and coming up empty, his parched throat and growling stomach forced him to shift focus. He cracked open a bottle of purified water—good for two more years—and tore into an unspoiled pack of compressed biscuits. Leaning against the shelf, he filled his stomach first and foremost.
Once his thirst and hunger were eased, he stood up and walked toward the glass counter near the entrance. The towering shelf in the center had drawn all his attention earlier; he hadn't even bothered to check what lay inside the counter.
He tore off the dusty plastic sheet, sending motes dancing in the air, and peered inside—and froze.
Both the upper and lower tiers of the counter were packed full of cigarettes!
Single packs on the top shelf. Neatly arranged full cartons below.
His instincts screamed that these cigarettes were still in good condition.
Striding forward, Luo Hou opened the glass cabinet and casually tore open a pack of "Huang Fu." He slid a cigarette from the box and held it beneath his nose.
No trace of mildew.
He placed it between his lips, picked up a lighter from the counter, and lit it with a click. Eyes closed, he took a deep drag. As the smoke filled his lungs, Luo Hou felt himself lift off the ground, floating in bliss. It had been nearly a year since he'd last had a proper smoke, his poverty depriving him of the smallest comforts. For a seasoned smoker like him, it had been nothing short of torment.
In a few quick puffs, he smoked it down to the filter, then began counting the inventory.
The loose packs included twelve varieties, ranging in price from five to sixty crystals per pack, totaling sixty-eight packs.
The full cartons below came in six mid-to-high-end brands, forty cartons in all.
In the post-apocalyptic world, cigarettes were nothing less than luxury items—rare and pricey. Even the cheapest went for at least five white crystals per pack. Considering that most Tier One Evolvers barely earned enough to sustain daily expenses and cultivation, few could afford to spend five crystals a day just for a smoke.
A rough calculation left Luo Hou stunned.
The total value of these cigarettes easily exceeded ten thousand white crystals—equivalent to one hundred grey crystals. Not only could they upgrade his Spirit Ring to the next level, they might even be enough to raise it two levels.
Hands trembling with excitement, he lit another cigarette. As he exhaled the fragrant smoke, Luo Hou made up his mind—he would take all the cigarettes now. The oil, vinegar, salt, and baijiu would have to wait.
Altogether, the cigarettes weighed less than a hundred pounds. A single large burlap sack could carry the whole lot. With his current strength, bringing it back to the settlement was entirely feasible.
Once decided, he moved without hesitation.
He laid the dusty plastic sheet on the ground and carefully stacked the cigarette packs and cartons into a neat pile. Wrapping them up, he stuffed them into a sack he found nearby. Stepping out of the shop, he shut the door and tied a nylon rope around the handles—just in case a stray zombie stumbled in.
Commanding his undead pet to clear the path, Luo Hou slung the sack of cigarettes over his shoulder and began the cautious journey back. When passing the area where the hulking zombie had appeared earlier, he didn't dare let his guard down.
Fortunately, the creature was nowhere in sight. Even the ordinary zombies loitering in the streets were few and far between.
He had his undead companion make a commotion against a rusted-out car at the end of the street, drawing the zombies' attention. Luo Hou darted across the street and didn't stop running until he reached the sloping hill beyond—where he finally paused to catch his breath.
This was a safe zone. Luo Hou exhaled deeply, lit another cigarette, and sat in the grass.
Staring at the sack beside him, his eyes gleamed like gold. The richness of this haul was beyond anything he had dared to imagine.
…
By the time Luo Hou returned to the settlement, it was already around four or five in the afternoon. Other Evolvers were trickling back in small groups. Seeing Luo Hou carrying a burlap sack, none gave it much thought.
After all, within the settlement, Luo Hou was a well-known "waste." A man incapable of sensing elemental energy, barely scraping by each day—his continued survival had already defied expectations.
At the main gate, the same guards from the day before—the scruffy "Chicken Coop Guy" and the sour-faced "Black Face"—were still on duty. Seeing Luo Hou return alive and apparently with something in hand, they unleashed another round of sneering mockery.
Luo Hou regarded their jeers as the barking of rabid dogs—disgusting and irrelevant. He wasn't strong enough to deal with them just yet, so he simply ignored them. With a cold smirk, he walked through the gates in silence and headed straight for the heart of the settlement.