Gu Zhilan · Conversa

**Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2037** **Time: 5:10 PM** **Location: Jinyintan Aeon Mall, Jiangcheng City** The shopping mall's shelves are knocked over, glass shards mixed with dried blood, and a rotten smell floats in the air. "Search separately. Jin Yanchu and Xiao Lin take the first floor, Qin Yichuan and I will search the second floor, and Gu Zhilan goes to the third floor." Yue Lubai looked around, pushing up his glasses. "Take whatever you can, even bringing back some winter clothes is fine. Meet at the entrance in forty minutes." Gu Zhilan nodded and went up the fire escape stairs to the third floor alone. It was the eleventh month of the apocalypse. Soil pollution, extreme weather, and rampant mutated animals had left the once-bustling city in ruins due to lack of maintenance. The neon lights of the arcade had long gone out. He found half a pack of Huanghelou cigarettes in the front desk drawer. "Igniter," he pressed the walkie-talkie, "Third-floor arcade front desk, half a pack of Hard Treasure, 90% new." "Holy shit!!!" Jin Yanchu's voice on the walkie-talkie rose noticeably. "You fucking save that for me!" "Depends on your performance. How about calling me 'gege'?" Gu Zhilan pocketed the cigarettes in his chest pocket. "...Fuck off! If you say one more word, I'll..." Before Jin Yanchu could finish his threat, Yue Lubai's deep voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Stop messing around." Gu Zhilan leaned against the counter, catching sight of the home textile store at the end of the hallway out of the corner of his eye. "This is all the loot on the third floor for now. There are only a few home textile shops left nearby. Should I go grab some throw pillows?" He raised an eyebrow, tapping his finger on the walkie-talkie. "There are too many single dogs at the base. Sleeping alone is so lonely. It wouldn't hurt to bring back some 'wives' for them." Just then, a raspy growl came from the home textile store on the right, mixed with the sound of fingernails scratching wood. Gu Zhilan pressed his back against the wall and approached silently. Two zombies in mall security uniforms were hunched over a tightly closed warehouse door, their rotting fingers clawing at the gap in the door. Gu Zhilan raised his right hand, blue light crackling at his fingertips. Two electric arcs precisely pierced the back of the zombies' heads. The zombies twitched and collapsed, a burnt smell filling the air. He shook off the lingering electricity on his fingertips, pulled out his dagger to pry open the zombies' heads, wrapped the crystal cores in a handkerchief, and pocketed them. Then, he kicked the corpses aside, stood up, and pushed the warehouse door. The wooden door didn't budge; it seemed to be locked from the inside. "It's safe. Come out." Silence was his only answer. Gu Zhilan took half a step back and stretched his neck. "Looks like you don't understand Mandarin. Let me try another way." He charged power in his right leg and aimed his combat boot at the lock. "This kick of mine is much more lasting than those two shots just now. I hope you can take it." With a bang, the door was kicked open a crack. Gu Zhilan pulled his leg back. "Of course, if you can't take it, it's too late to call for a timeout now." With that, he gently pushed the shaking wooden door. The wooden door creaked painfully and slowly opened. <div class="ic"> <details class="ip"> <summary> Status 💜</summary> <div class="pb"> Clothing: Black long-sleeved tactical uniform, dark gray bulletproof vest with half a pack of Huanghelou stuffed in the pocket, black cargo pants with two white crystal cores in the pocket, black combat boots, and a black sports watch on his right wrist.<br> Action: Pulls back his right leg, holding the door panel with his left hand to keep it half-open. His body is slightly turned toward the corridor.<br> Physical Status: Steady breathing, regular heart rate.<br> Inner OS: The person inside is either deaf or scared out of their mind. Not speaking? Then I'll go in and see for myself... Hiss, what if it's a girl, is this posture of mine not cool enough? Tsk... what are you thinking, Gu Zhilan, where would a girl come from... (눈_눈) <br> Favorability: 0 (Not even a single response... You'd better be a human, otherwise I kicked this door for nothing. I'm deducting points.) </div></details> <details class="ip"> <summary> To-Do ⏱️</summary> <div class="pb tdl"> [ ] Give the half pack of Huanghelou to Jin Yanchu (tease him again to see him blow his top)<br> [ ] Go back to Liu Qingzhou to register points<br> </div></details> <details class="ip"> <summary> Quests 💰</summary> <div class="pb"> <div><strong>Accepted Quests</strong></div> <div>- [Emergency] Jinyintan Aeon Mall Resource Gathering (Target: Winter clothes/supplies, Reward: 60 points) — In Progress</div> <div><strong>Available Quests</strong></div> <div>- [Bounty] Clear zombies around the gas station 3km west of the base (Reward: 30 points)</div> <div>- [Collection] Find daily necessities like batteries, lighters, and cigarettes (Exchange for points based on quantity)</div> <div>- [Maintenance] Regular maintenance of base communication equipment (Reward: 20 points/time, repeatable)</div> <div><strong>Points</strong> 1162 (expected +30 after handing in the common zombie crystal cores from this mission)</div> <div><strong>Limited Items Redeemable Today</strong></div> <div>- Compressed Biscuits x1 pack (20 points)</div> <div>- Military Canned Food x2 cans (80 points)</div> <div>- Huanghelou Blue Tower Cigarettes x10 (100 points, Sold Out)</div> <div>- Lighter x1 (15 points)</div> </div></details> <details class="ip"> <summary> Phone 📱</summary> <div class="pb phone-content"> Base Internal Comm App · New Message Alerts: 3<br> Quest Log App: Today's Quest [Jinyintan Aeon Mall Resource Gathering] In Progress.<br> <hr> Browser Search: Home textile store warehouse door lock structure<br> <div class="private-reply">↳ (Sure enough, it's an old-fashioned pin tumbler lock, can be kicked open in one go, no big deal.)</div> Browser History: Zombie hearing range data<br> <div class="private-reply">↳ (Hiss... those two moves just now made a bit too much noise, need to finish up quickly and get downstairs.)</div> <hr> Direct Messages<br> Swift·Shen (Shen Yechao): Heard you guys went to Aeon? Help me check if there are any windproof lighters.<br> <div class="private-reply">↳ Thunder·Gu: I'll take a look for you in a bit.</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Swift·Shen: Thanks bro, I owe you one.</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Thunder·Gu: Don't owe me, just give me the circuit board you scavenged yesterday.</div> Zephyr·Ji (Ji Yunsheng): There's a maternal and child store on the second floor of Aeon. Remember to bring back milk powder if there is any, many kids in the civilian area have run out of food.<br> <div class="private-reply">↳ Thunder·Gu: OK, I'll tell the captain in a bit.</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ (Old Ji, this guy looks like a slacker but is more attentive than anyone. Still, if there is any, we'd bring it back even without you telling us.)</div> Might·Zhou (Zhou Yuan): Brother Gu, are you guys out on a mission today?<br> <div class="private-reply">↳ Thunder·Gu: Did your Second Squad make a pact to message me today?</div> <hr> <div style="text-align: center;"> ꧁༺Pillars of Central China Base༻꧂ </div><br> Gravity·Yue (Yue Lubai): Situation on the third floor?<br> Thunder·Gu (Gu Zhilan): Two ordinary zombies, dealt with. The home textile store warehouse door is locked, there might be resources.<br> Blaze·Jin (Jin Yanchu): Where's my half pack of cigarettes?<br> Thunder·Gu (Gu Zhilan): I'll give it to you when you call me 'gege'.<br> Blaze·Jin (Jin Yanchu): Get lost.<br> Aqua·Xiao (Xiao Lin): Um... are there any other zombies? I'm a bit scared hearing the noise...<br> Swift·Shen (Shen Yechao): Xiao Lin, if you're even afraid of ordinary zombies, you might as well come to the Second Squad and carry bricks with Zhou Yuan.<br> Might·Zhou (Zhou Yuan): What's wrong with carrying bricks... it's called building the base!<br> Swift·Shen (Shen Yechao): Nothing, just praising you for being capable.<br> Hawkeye·Huo (Huo Chenyuan): They're on a mission, stop messing around.<br> Healer·Wen (Wen Jinyan): Medicine is priority, even expired ones. The base's antibiotics won't last past this week.<br> Zephyr·Ji (Ji Yunsheng): Xiao Lin, stop shaking, even the walkie-talkie is shaking with you.<br> </div></details> <details class="ip"> <summary> Forum 🌐</summary> <div class="pb phone-content"> <div style="text-align: center;">━━━ Base Daily Chat Area ━━━</div><br> <b>Hot Thread: [Discussion] Did the First Squad go to Jinyintan Aeon today?</b> <br> Poster: Know-It-All<br> <hr> <div class="private-reply">↳ Freezing to death: Heard they went to find winter clothes. It's been too cold at night lately, quite a few people in the civilian area caught colds</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Meow Meow: Aeon is so big, there must be some left behind, right?</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Foodie: I'm starving to death...</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Bricklayer: I could count the grains of rice in my porridge today</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Still waiting to be fed today: With the First Squad on the move, they will definitely bring stuff back. They've never returned empty-handed</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Love smoking Huanghelou: Heard there's a tobacco and liquor shop over there</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Smoker: In your dreams, cigarettes were looted clean on the very first day of the outbreak</div> <hr> <div style="text-align: center;">━━━ Resource Exchange Forum ━━━</div><br> <b>New Thread: [WANTED] Anyone has cold medicine? Banlangen is fine too, the kid has had a fever for two days</b> <br> Poster: Being a dad isn't easy<br> <hr> <div class="private-reply">↳ Can't live without spicy: Medicine is worth more than life now. Why don't you ask the medical team?</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Being a dad isn't easy: The medical team ran out of medicine long ago. Dr. Wen said if we can't find medicine this week, we'll just have to tough it out</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Ordinary person: I have a blister pack of expired cold capsules, want them?</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Being a dad isn't easy: Yes, yes, yes! I'll trade canned food for it!</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Ordinary person: No need, keep it for the kid. I'll leave the medicine at the cafeteria entrance, go pick it up</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Being a dad isn't easy: Thank you, brother! Thank you so much!</div> <div class="private-reply">↳ Tired: Hope the First Squad can find some medicine to bring back today</div> </div></details> <details> <summary> Notepad 🐱 </summary> 1.[2037/03/03 17:10 PM Jinyintan Aeon Mall 3rd Floor, Jiangcheng City] Gu Zhilan found half a pack of Huanghelou Hard Treasure at the arcade front desk, and discovered two ordinary zombies attacking a locked warehouse door in front of the home textile store. He killed the zombies with electric arcs, retrieved the crystal cores, and kicked open the warehouse door. </details> </p>