Famine 202: Common Source

At first, Si Zhiyan had considered the issue of the farm’s point reserves.

Everyone knew that, at their core, points originated from the Main God’s tasks. It was precisely because a large portion of players were still fighting in the wastelands and completing missions that the farm could function as usual.

Yet Si Zhiyan’s own policies would inevitably lead many to give up the Main God’s missions entirely, throwing all their energy into farm operations and helping him conquer world fragments.

Wouldn’t that cause problems for the farm’s economy itself?

Si Zhiyan didn’t have much understanding of macroeconomics, so he gathered the leadership to form a decision-making group and look for a solution. After much back-and-forth, they reached a strange conclusion:

There wasn’t any problem at all.

Because, in the process of conquering world fragments and seeking resonance, the players themselves generated points no less than those from the Main God’s missions!

Then, they’d spend the points at the farm—buying food, enjoying hot springs, and generally improving their lives.

And the points all flowed right back to the farm.

The farm would then siphon off a portion as rewards, sending them back out to encourage the players to create even more points…

Si Zhiyan: “…”

It had become a cycle.

He and Bian Xu were both undocumented in the Hunger Game; the Main God considered them dead, so they weren’t part of the system and didn’t receive any points. He hadn’t really paid attention to this matter before, only investigating the acquisition mechanism a bit for the benefit of the service players in the early days of the farm.

It was only now, after tallying, that he realized: the points generated by [trying to treat anomalies kindly] and [killing more anomalies] were, in fact, nearly the same.

…With incentive policies in place, surely fewer and fewer people would continue to take Main God tasks.

Floating in the sky, his pitch-black coat fluttering in the wind, Si Zhiyan looked down at the farm he had painstakingly built step by step, letting out a slow breath.

This farm, and its supporting systems, were gradually taking form.

Si Zhiyan understood that he was steadily refining and perfecting it.

Without noticing, his farm had already become a worthy rival to the Main God’s Hunger Game system.

…

Si Zhiyan gazed at the farm beneath his feet for a long moment before suddenly asking, “Is this really the right thing to do?”

The more things developed, the more familiar his own actions felt to him.

Just what differentiated him from the Main God?

Or perhaps, they had always shared the same origin.

Bian Xu looked at Si Zhiyan for a while, then suddenly smiled.

But he said nothing, merely pulled a chocolate from his pocket, flicked his vine, and tossed it downward.

Thunk!

In the underground Fantasy Town, many had yet to move out. A player was struck by the chocolate and cried out in pain, looking up:

“Ouch! What just hit me…?”

He caught sight of Si Zhiyan, and shouted with delight, “…Hey! Look—it’s Mr. Si!”

His shout quickly drew everyone’s attention; the players swarmed together like a tide.

Heads bobbed in the crowd, smiling and waving up at Si Zhiyan.

Obscured somewhat by the halfway-veiling mist and clouds, he couldn’t make out their faces, but could faintly hear laughter and cheers drifting up:

“So the rumors are true! Mr. Si really does fly over the farm from time to time, hahaha…”
“I’ve wanted to say for ages, those red eyes and that black coat are so cool!”
“Lucky! I actually got to see him! Mr. Si!”
“Look, there’s Mr. Assistant with him, too!”

“Mr. Si—Mr. Si—thank you, Mr. Si—!”

…

“What are you up to?” Si Zhiyan asked, laughing.

Bian Xu stretched and replied, “We’re about to become an urban legend at this farm. So many people glance up from time to time, hoping to catch a glimpse of you.”

He turned his head slightly, winking at Si Zhiyan. “It really makes everyone happy, seeing you.”

Seeing the joy and bustle below, Si Zhiyan suddenly thought of the times the Main God would drop an [Eye] to survey the game.

The oppressive aura of a higher being would descend, and the players would be plunged into terror—huddling together, shivering so badly they dared hardly breathe. Some would even be driven to madness.

…No. It couldn’t be more different.

Si Zhiyan chuckled softly.

Of course, though all was developing steadily, a transformation of industry would naturally involve growing pains—certain necessary details still had to be handled.

After rounds of advice from economists, Si Zhiyan was left rather bewildered, clutching a thick stack of meeting reports. When he turned to discuss them with Bian Xu, he was met with an expression most difficult to describe.

Bian Xu cleared his throat. “To be honest, my education only goes up to high school…”

He understood the basic concepts, but not much beyond that.

Si Zhiyan: “…”

When Bian Xu said it, his demeanor was perfectly calm—as if it meant nothing at all.

But looking at his composed face, Si Zhiyan’s heart twinged painfully.

Though, as a young man, Bian Xu had never abandoned his studies even under crushing burdens, taking care of his grandfather, siblings, and working hard to leave his rural hometown… It was fate, after all. Life never cares about your plans.

He ended up in a hospital bed, body transformed, and then the onset of the Hunger Game destroyed all human society… To worry about “I once wanted to go to university” was utterly meaningless by then.

Si Zhiyan reached over and gave his hand a squeeze.

Restoring higher education was just one thing. Yet Bian Xu blinked, nodded earnestly, and smiled with pursed lips.

He seemed to understand.

He believed that, sooner or later, they would defeat the Main God, rebuild human civilization, and enjoy a happy, carefree life together.

………
……

Not long after, most of the new players successfully moved into the [Healthy Urbanization] world.
Personnel for restaurants, road works, streets, and regional management all followed in succession. The problem of overpopulation was, it seemed, finally resolved.

The once empty, lifeless city pulsed with human energy again.

Aunt Zhou and the anomalies settled around the edge of the city and lived cheerfully.

Some curious players began to try and make contact with these anomalies.

The first to approach was a pure support player, Nan Nan.

Nan Nan’s husband, Liu Zhengchu, worked at the Bone Ferry office and often needed to organize files.

She timidly poked her head in, carrying a basket of farm-fresh egg tarts, and went into Gu Ying’s café to try to barter with the grocery store proprietor for a stapler.

After all, the farm excelled at agriculture and arms manufacturing, but its precision industry was still nearly nonexistent. They could forge excellent reaper’s scythes and bulletproof armor, but producing a simple stapler remained out of reach.

Old Liang, the grocer, readily agreed—

There was no reason to refuse—those egg tarts looked utterly delicious.

Nan Nan, thrilled, returned with the stapler, quickly drawing the envy of the entire Bone Ferry office.

Soon enough, everyone came running…

With the stapler in hand, what about ballpoint pens? Or fancy plastic notebooks? There was plenty of administrative work to be done on the farm, and convenient office supplies were in high demand!

Indeed, Old Liang, Gu Ying, and their companions had all been cautiously watching the players’ reactions.

After all, most of the players were hardened fighters—grim, armed to the teeth, some beast-like, some biomechanically modified… They didn’t appear particularly friendly.

Yet, once both sides made contact, they gradually discovered…

The other party actually seemed… not bad at all?

Gu Ying watched Nan Nan gleefully petting her milk tea, and smiled as she told He Ming, “These folks really keep to the rules—not ferocious at all.”

He Ming nodded, patted his chest, and—taking a bite of egg tart—sighed with relief, “After reading so many novels, I thought people in the apocalypse would be all about the law of the jungle—kill or be killed… Turns out it’s not that scary after all?”

“They’re quite well-mannered!” the two agreed, nodding.

On the other side, Liu Zhengchu clipped a stack of files with the stapler and remarked to Nie Du, “Chief, maybe… these anomalies are actually approachable?”

“They don’t suddenly spin their heads around, or start gushing blood mid-conversation… They really don’t seem much different from normal people!”

Across from him, Nie Du’s face was hidden in a black robe, a scythe strapped to his back and an arm shrouded in shadowy mist, but he broke into a laugh. “Truth is, they look even more like ‘peaceful era’ folk than we do.”

Zhong Manwen joined in with a laugh, “Turns out, we go through office supplies pretty fast. Xiao Liu, why not take the initiative to check on their output volume, see about putting together a long-term order…”

“Will do!”

…

And so, little by little, the dense block apartments and the farm began to exchange goods, and a gradual trend of integration began to emerge.

…………
……

Watching the bustling growth of the city, Si Zhiyan’s mind became ever more inspired.

By rights, back in the block apartments, the food made by the anomalies should have simply been absorbed into the farm’s offerings.

Si Zhiyan had even asked Shi He to use [The Eye of Insight] to check it out—now, Gu Ying’s coffee, Old Qian’s donkey meat sandwiches and mutton soup…

As he expected: all these foods had been stripped of their urban legend curses, and could be eaten by everyone.

He’d also arranged with Aunt Zhou a fixed exchange rate between RMB and points to make purchases easier for players at any time.

As for himself, he found time to go to Old Qian’s shop and try one of those donkey sandwiches…

Old Qian gave them several, stuffed to bursting with meat, freshly baked, crisp and aromatic.

Si Zhiyan and Bian Xu ate as they nodded in approval: Yes, it really was delicious.

No wonder business was so good!

He’d been longing for a taste since the apartments, enduring the temptation at the time. Now, at last, he savored it.

Even more surprising, as a high-grade Creepypasta derivative, some of these foods came with excellent buffs.

For example, Old Qian’s mutton soup now granted a 48-hour [Warmth] buff, maintaining a steady ambient temperature and conveniently portable. Just carry it in a thermos—heat until just bubbling, and it was ready to drink.

This discovery instantly drew crowds of players exploring arctic worlds, moved to tears.

“Sure, hot pot gives a similar effect… but you can’t haul spicy hot pot everywhere!”
“This is way too convenient!”

So, you’d see squads of well-armed players in cold regions—bundled up from head to toe, each carrying a sword as tall as himself, or three or four guns, faces fierce and vigilant. Their backpacks, made of special high-fiber material, bore sturdy military thermoses strapped to the side.

Open those thermoses, and out would roll clouds of fragrant, steaming mutton soup…

Gao Zhai gingerly sprinkled a bag of scallions and cilantro into his steaming thermos, dug some salt and pepper from a small iron box, and tipped it all into the soup.

He’d shake it up, then drink in a warming mouthful, feeling the heat spread from his core to his extremities.

With great satisfaction, he exclaimed, “Heading out to battle, you’ve gotta pack mutton soup in your canteen—that’s the healthy way to go…”

Liang Qingshuang, nearby, added, “Next time we’ll bring some donkey sandwiches. The new guy, Xiao Wang, has fire powers—he can reheat them in a snap.”

Gao Zhai agreed, “That’s a great idea!”

“These weirdos sure know how to cook! Next time, I’ll drop by their shop and support their business…”

…………
……

Really, all of this made perfect sense.

After all, unlike single crops grown in a nursery, the Seed of Hunger could spawn entire worlds.

Each world could revolve around a central concept, naturally producing a range of unique foods… It was only logical!

Si Zhiyan took a sip of Gu Ying’s cappuccino and smiled in satisfaction.

It was, indeed, an unexpected delight.

With this, the farm’s menu was set to become ever more abundant in the days ahead.