Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 963 - 416 Doctor_2

Chapter 963: Chapter 416 Doctor_2

Maya’s words were intentionally ambiguous, seemingly contradictory, yet they actually indicated some hesitation in her heart. She did not want to directly recruit Xiao Hong, since Xiao Hong had hopes for the future and an escape route, wishing to live on the Inner Sea Islands. Maya would prefer to recruit a doctor who had lost hope for the future, ideally even for tomorrow, someone who could stay at the railway bridge base more long term. This is the marginal utility of happiness.

Indeed, Xiao Hong wasn’t particularly interested in the railway bridge base, the urban survivor enclave, but she agreed that once they reached the Western Peninsula, she would help Maya and the others find a highly skilled doctor among the refugees. This statement was a bit of an exaggeration, after all, a truly skilled doctor would be a VIP and could board the ship without lining up. Nevertheless, after their conversation, Maya still maintained a certain level of trust in her.

Lin Malin held a brief meeting and decided to keep Lin Wu back while the three of them and the VIP went to the Western Peninsula. Leaving Lin Wu behind was not because he was useless, but rather because he was the most likely to survive in this environment.

Why not get rid of Xiao Hong then? Because Maya knew that opportunities to recruit a doctor were rare. As a competent doctor herself, Xiao Hong had the capability to select a professional doctor for the railway bridge base, one who could still treat people and save lives without medical equipment.

Putting the handcar back on the tracks, Lin Wu and the others waved goodbye, wishing them luck. He then took two travel backpacks and headed for Xiao Hong’s dwelling from the night before, a civilian house in the middle of the village.

Lin Wu thought the house Xiao Hong chose was not good, as everyone could tell at a glance that it was a desirable house. Lin Wu was more worried about other survivors than beasts, so he first set up a makeshift alarm with empty cans at the desirable house and then scavenged inside. It had to be said, Lin Wu was quite professional, quickly finding two venomous snakes and a hunting knife by the kitchen stove.

Continuing his search, Lin Wu admired Xiao Hong for managing to stay a night there without dying. The basement of the house had turned into a snake den, with a large number of snake eggs inside. He found snake skins under the eaves and beneath the bed, which suggested that the house had been unoccupied for a long time.

Lin Wu toured a few rooms and then chose a cellar for storing food in the room against the mountainside. The cellar was about 20 square meters, with an entrance on the side of the house, and it was very clean, save for a few broken cobwebs.

He chopped some firewood, used a piece of wire to make a hook, found a pot, and prepared a few snakes with a military shovel. After sunset, Lin Wu, with his snake meat, went into the cellar, secured the inner lock, and decided not to go out tonight if nothing happened. For physiological needs, he would just dig a hole in the cellar. The only thing Lin Wu had to worry about was ventilation causing possible carbon monoxide poisoning, which meant he could not have a fire burning for a long period.

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A snake is both a dangerous hunter and a delectable food source, that is the law of the jungle - the strong dominate over other species and even their own kind.

Whenever going outside, Lin Wu’s limbs and vital areas were wrapped in cloth, only to be removed for bathing and rest, which was also a strict rule at the railway bridge. Moreover, he carried bite-proof gloves and wore them on his left hand when encountering zombies, using his forearm and hand as a shield. His right hand was kept gloveless to maintain dexterity.

Naturally, he was well-protected with boots and leg coverings. The foldable military shovel in Lin Wu’s hand was a gift from Little White Rabbit, sturdy and versatile, suitable for a variety of uses. Under these circumstances, Snake House became Lin Wu’s food source.

According to the plan, after Maya arrived at the Western Peninsula and delivered the VIP to the naval base, the task would be considered complete. Maya would then, with Xiao Hong’s assistance, choose a doctor from the refugees to return to the railway bridge base. Things seemed to be going smoothly, and around ten in the morning, the system signaled that the mission at the railway bridge base was complete. The railway bridge base had already generated a new collective mission, however, members not within the railway bridge area could not benefit from the base mission bonus.

To prepare for the squad’s return from the Western Peninsula, Lin Wu made a snake meat hotpot using instant noodle seasoning. He slaughtered the snake and prepared the meat at five in the afternoon, setting the meat to boil. But waiting ended up stretching until nine at night, and the meat was nearly spoiled. Lin Wu had no choice but to put the meat into the pot. The squad was only equipped with one satellite phone, and he couldn’t reach Maya and the others, but Lin Wu believed that Maya’s squad must have encountered trouble.

In the post-apocalyptic world, troubles were basically of two kinds: those that could be resolved and those that couldn’t, the latter often meaning death. As previously mentioned, in the game, consumption of human flesh and body trading didn’t exist, even Nightmare’s forced interrogations could prompt Little White Rabbit to intervene. Thus, a person’s value was only in their labor, nothing else. Even if both parties agreed to a transaction, Little White Rabbit would intervene directly. Just like Nightmare’s interrogation, once Little White Rabbit decided the interrogation was over, the other party had to confess.

Previously at the subway station, a beautiful woman offered her body in exchange for a handgun. Once initiated, Little White Rabbit would appear, determine the transaction successful, and award the gun. It was a process without process, though not necessarily without consequences, such as receiving a weakness BUFF.

In a lawless, post-apocalyptic world, if Maya and her team encountered trouble, they would inevitably resort to fistfights, with the winner taking all and the loser left to survive in humiliation. This meant that Maya was at a great risk of death. Of course, it was also possible that they simply ran into troubles on the road that required time to resolve.

Waking up on the third day at seven in the morning, Lin Wu stepped out of his room and immediately saw a tiger. About 30 meters from him, the tiger was drinking from a creek near where remains had been discovered. Lin Wu, having experience with fighting tigers, was not alarmed. He drew two handguns and waited for the tiger to approach. To him, a tiger was simply a larger Frenzy; if either got close, it spelled death. The only bet was that they couldn’t get close.

The tiger stared at Lin Wu, its thoughts a mystery, showing little intention to move. Seeing that the tiger didn’t approach, Lin Wu advanced toward it. He carried two handguns, including a revolver. The revolver used .45 ACP rounds, powerful but with slow firing speed, and uncontrollably jerked upwards with each shot. The other handgun, modified by a girl, was a 9mm with a firing rate of nearly 60 rounds per minute.

As Lin Wu closed to within 20 meters, the tiger turned and ran, vanishing into the forest. It was unclear whether it feared Lin Wu or simply disdained to eat him.

Lin Wu chuckled and walked back to fetch a pot to boil some water. Just as he returned to the creek, the roar of a bear sounded from the woods, a drop of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. In Hardcore Mode, a slap from a Black Bear could break half his ribs. Carrying the pot in one hand and a gun in the other, Lin Wu remained on high alert, watching the nearby woods and slowly retreating.

He had thought of waiting another day, not only to have snake meat but perhaps also tiger meat. However, considering the possibility of a Black Bear’s presence, Lin Wu hastily ate his breakfast, packed unnecessary items in a knapsack that he stored in the cellar, and shouldered another as he set off along the railway toward the Western Peninsula.

A few hundred meters on, Lin Wu reached a rope bridge. It was constructed with steel cables and wooden planks laid across, capable of supporting a ton. Lin Wu, holding a steel saw, pondered for a while but ultimately decided against it and continued on his way.

These rails running along mountains and rivers were often old, their advantage being the near absence of tunnels. Modern railways prioritize speed, constructing over 70% of their mountainous sections as tunnels without any scenery to speak of.

At eleven in the morning, Lin Wu arrived at a railway maintenance point, which served as lodgings for railway maintenance workers. Beyond it lay the bridge crossing the sea to the Western Peninsula, where he could see a freight train stopped.

Lin Wu entered the maintenance point and quickly found the handcar used by Maya’s team. Presumably, Maya and Lin Meng realized they couldn’t proceed and had stored the handcar inside. Lin Wu also found traces of their fire and overnight stay.

They spent the night here the day before last, entered the Western Peninsula on foot yesterday morning, and completed their task at ten o’clock but had not returned. Lin Wu searched the rest area at the maintenance point again but found no further clues. Then, donning a face mask, he continued on foot along the railway toward the Western Peninsula.