After the others left, the sky grew even gloomier than before.
"It's going to rain; let's find shelter first."
"It's going to rain; hurry up and get soaked."
Lu Luo: "???"
It's common knowledge that you can't get caught in the rain in the Wasteland. It's not that you can't get wet at all, but mainly because the rainwater in the Wasteland contains a large amount of free dark energy and mutated viruses.
If you are exposed to unpurified rainwater for a long time, your body tissues are very likely to become diseased or mutated.
At best, you'll develop various illnesses; at worst, you'll die or even transform into an Xenomorph . When living in the Wasteland, you must always take precautions against water and rain.
But now the Observer was telling him to hurry up and get soaked. Was it trying to make him mutate?
"There's a small amount of fresh dark energy in the rainwater. Until you can replenish it with Xenomorph corpses or other methods of extraction, absorbing the dark energy from rainwater is one of the few ways to obtain energy."
"As for the mutation issue, are you stupid? You even ate a deformed creature raw; are you still afraid of a little rainwater?"
"I see!"
Although he learned that he could gain some energy from the Wasteland's rainwater, the correct course of action now was still to return to the building for shelter from the rain.
Displaying his uniqueness in front of a powerful hunter like Ludy—wouldn't that just be asking for trouble? The two squatted at the entrance of the exhibition hall. From time to time, sounds of impact and explosions came from upstairs. It was clear that Hunter Team 33 was responsible.
"Your colleagues are really quite violent. If they're all like that, how do they get along with ordinary people?"
"You haven't been outside the wall, so you wouldn't understand even if I explained. The rules inside and outside the wall are different. Whether you can get along with ordinary people depends on whether you can adapt to the rules."
Ludy had a heavy smoking habit, chain-smoking one cigarette after another. Combined with his hollow eyes and expression, Lu Luo always felt like he might drop dead at any moment.
At this moment, Lu Luo glanced again at the hair in Ludy's hand. This item was indeed very important to him.
"You're not thinking of snatching it, are you? I think that's a suicidal act. The noble Observer sequence hasn't yet witnessed its host shedding their virgin status, and it doesn't want to die yet."
"Scram!" Lu Luo cursed in his mind.
Ludy also noticed Lu Luo's gaze, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward. So Lu Luo wasn't completely unyielding after all.
Having needs was good; with needs came opportunities for gain and exchange, which would allow them to communicate better. He simply brought the hair in his hand closer to Lu Luo and said in a tone that was both somewhat formal and somewhat amusing:
"Kid, what are you looking at? Are you looking at the hair in my hand? Why would you be interested in an Xenomorph 's hair? Do you have some special fetish?
Let me tell you, you'd best not have any improper thoughts. This is important criminal evidence from this incident, from a powerful Tier 3 humanoid, the Hair Witch.
I wouldn't let just anyone touch such important physical evidence. You need to understand the stakes involved, got it?"
"Believe me, this person's meaning is already very clear. If you have improper thoughts, you need to take some practical action."
If Ludy were truly a diligent and responsible hunter, then he wouldn't have a chance. But it was clear that the guy in front of him wasn't.
Lu Luo understood Ludy's meaning perfectly. If he wanted the hair, he had to offer something of equal value in exchange.
Where there were needs, there was an exchange of interests. This was fair. He pointed to the hair Qin Wanyu had left behind.
"I want three strands."
He liked this method of communication; that way, neither party lost out, and once a deal was made, there would be opportunities for future contact.
Establishing a connection with a master like Ludy, who was also a hunter, was ultimately not a bad thing.
"Three strands? That's so few?"
Ludy thought to himself. He slowly nodded. He had originally thought Lu Luo and the Xenomorph were lovers, and that asking for hair was to conceal information about the Xenomorph .
Such a selfless spirit of devotion to one's beloved was admirable—a love story between human and ghost. But now it seemed that wasn't the case. Ludy muttered to himself.
"Could this kid really have such a strange fetish? An Xenomorph object collection fetish? Ugh~ just thinking about it makes me sick. But it's only three strands, how do I charge for that?"
Ludy was an old hand, and this wasn't his first time doing something like this. When it came to pricing, he had to be cautious.
Although Lu Luo looked like a poor student, three strands of hair wouldn't destroy the clues. But these remnants of a Tier 3 Xenomorph were high-class items, so the price couldn't be too low.
"How about this, I won't rip you off. Three strands of hair, 1000 yuan."
"Friendly translation: I am genuinely ripping you off, because I can tell you really want this. 1000 yuan for three strands of hair, when pork is only 5 yuan a jin. You're also an orphan with no pocket money. He's trying to take your life. Can you show some backbone, Lu Luo?"
Lu Luo's expression also turned a bit grim. He wasn't surprised by Ludy's exorbitant demand. This kind of person was clearly an old hand in the system, and making money was a given.
But even when making money, you have to follow basic principles, right? 1000 yuan didn't sound like much, but that depended on its purchasing power.
"Brother, that's not how you ask for money. Pork is only 5 yuan a jin. 1000 yuan can buy 500 liters of drinking water. You're asking me for 1000 for three strands of hair? Are you crazy?
You should be clearer about the Alliance's current economic level than I am. I think if you're short on money, robbing a bank might be faster."
The Wasteland Alliance's general wage level was low; an ordinary worker's monthly salary was around 300-400 Alliance coins. In terms of prices, chicken was 3 yuan per jin, and pork was 5 yuan per jin, which wasn't very expensive.
Ordinary people could survive within the wall, but only just survive; there was hardly any talk of living, nor any future.
Because the biggest daily expense wasn't food, but water. Currently, the Wasteland Alliance divided common water sources into 5 levels, each with strict standards.
Level 1 was ordinary water. Ordinary people could use this water to wash their bodies, but it couldn't be consumed. The price was about 1 yuan for 5 liters.
Level 2 was clean water. It could be used for washing vegetables and personal hygiene, but many poor people drank this water directly. The price was 1 yuan for 2 liters.
Level 3 was drinking water. It had a very low hazard index and could be consumed directly. Normal drinking water was very expensive, at 2 yuan per liter.
Level 4 was purified water. It was completely purified water with no harm whatsoever, priced at 10 yuan per liter.
Level 5 was psionic water. Rich in psionic energy, it was generally used by nobles or superhumans. In fact, psionic water was similar to Wasteland rainwater, except psionic water had undergone multiple processing steps, while rainwater had not.
If one only had the income of an ordinary worker, at least one-third of their monthly salary would go towards buying drinking water, and a portion towards water for washing. So, in the Wasteland, ordinary people could only be said to be surviving.
Because the cost of drinking water was too high, many Wasteland families with insufficient income would choose to drink Level 2 water, which could save a lot of money... Ludy scratched his head, listening to Lu Luo's complaints. Asking a poor student for 1000 yuan was indeed a bit excessive, but he hadn't charged a lower price before, had he?
He was the captain of Hunter Team 13, after all. He couldn't break the industry's bottom line, could he?
"Then what do you suggest?"
"How about this, let's try a different plan. You give me 1000, plus three strands of hair, and I'll give you the important evidence from this exhibition hall incident."
"It's over, it's over. The Alliance's good young man has also fallen, actually engaging in an unknown transaction with a hunter here. Is it a distortion of human nature, or…?"
After Ludy heard this, he blinked and suddenly showed a meaningful smile.
"An interesting kid. You actually dare to reach your hand out to me. Do you know who I am…?"
Lu Luo directly interrupted his bragging. He was very experienced in this kind of verbal sparring.
By making the opponent speak as little as possible, the initiative in the conversation would always remain in his hands.
"I don't care who you are. I've already stated my demands: 1000 yuan, plus three strands of hair, and you can get the important evidence from this incident.
An Xenomorph case happening within the wall, and so many people dead—it's bound to cause a huge stir, right? Your superiors must be very anxious.
If you can provide effective clues, you should receive a decent reward, one that should far exceed 1000 yuan."
Lu Luo appeared very confident, and this confidence also infected others, even his opponent in the verbal sparring, Ludy.
"What if you're lying to me?"
"Your strength is immense, and your status is far higher than mine. How could I possibly lie to you? Am I tired of living?"
"Countless human pioneers have proven that if you want to make someone comfortable, flattery is the most effective. But how do you manage to suppress your anger and still deliver such flattering compliments? Teach me!"
This clear statement, which was actually a subtle flattery, made Ludy feel a bit pleased. And Ludy also had to admit that the evidence Lu Luo mentioned was indeed very appealing to him.
But he always felt that something was off. Just now, he was the one asking Lu Luo for money, but now it was the other way around. This left him with an uncomfortable feeling, like he had swallowed a fly.